[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Pool 1.5 – Atari 8-bit
April 4th, 2011 by Benj Edwards
“Now you too can play Pool 1.5”
I have fond memories of Pool 1.5 for the Atari 8-bit computer line. I remember finding a neglected copy of it in the back of our Atari disk box as a kid and playing it for hours. Despite it’s age, I still enjoy playing Pool 1.5 more than any other billiards simulation.
The “1.5” designation in the name is interesting and somewhat unusual for a game. I assume it’s a version number, but I’ve never heard of, say, “Pool 1.0.” Maybe it’s a title that metaphorically suggests improvement on the real game of Pool, similar to how we say “Revolution 2.0” today. Or maybe not.
If you get a chance, you should try it out. The game holds up surprisingly well.
Discussion Topic of the Week: What’s your favorite pool/billiards video or computer game?
April 5th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
My favorite pool/billiards game is probably the only one which I really played a lot of: Trick Shot for the Atari 2600. I pretty much just liked whacking the balls around. Mind you, this was when I was 4.
April 8th, 2011 at 7:40 am
Tried to look for a video of this on YouTube, but unfortunately there are none, and the first result for “atari pool 1.5” is “Woman farts in pool!”.
April 8th, 2011 at 7:59 am
I also enjoyed Imagic’s Trick Shot, but I found superior gameplay in the $2 discount bin for PS2 games. The game is Take 2’s “Q-Ball”, wisely renamed for the NA market, as it was originally called BM2000 – Billiards Master. The controls are sensible, the physics are fair, and the visuals will definitely outstrip any 8-bit billiards.