Although some gamers might argue Expert Pool gives the series a
run for it's money, Interplay and Celeris' Virtual Pool is often
regarded as the shark of pool sims on the PC. The series made its
debut in January of 1997 with the release of Virtual Pool. From
there, Interplay went on to release Virtual Pool 2 in December of
1997, adding a wealth of improvements including enhanced
physics modelling and a handful of new game types. Virtual Pool
Hall soon followed in December of 1999, bringing with it the
introduction of Snooker to the series. It wasn't a perfect break
though, as Virtual Pool Hall suffered from poor opponent AI and a
lack of a pool hall atmosphere, ironic considering its name. With
Virtual Pool 3, the fourth instalment in the series, Interplay is
lurking closer and closer to the perfect game of pool. Pretty soon
these boys will be able to drop the 'Virtual' from the title
altogether.
Virtual Pool 3 features its usual assortment of gaming modes. If
you're new to the Virtual Pool series, or a beginning pool player in
general, Virtual Pool 3 features an excellent tutorial session where
virtual sponsor and WPBA player Jeanette Lee will teach you the
basic elements of pool, along with a few tricks. Speaking of tricks,
there are plenty of trick shots you can view and then attempt for
yourself. If you're looking for a quick game or two of 9-ball, the
Quick Play mode should do the trick. If it's a tournament of
Snooker you'd prefer, the Tournament mode is easy to set-up. If
you'd prefer a human opponent, you can logon to the Internet and
face off against real-life opponents in single matches or
tournaments on a dedicated server that also keeps track of player
rankings.
New to the Virtual Pool series is a nifty Career mode. With fifty
bones in your pocket and a plain cue, you begin your rise to
billiards stardom by venturing out to various locations to bet your
stake against players of varying skill levels. There are a handful of
virtual pool halls but only a couple of them are available from the
get-go, those being the garage and the biker bar. As your wallet
increases in size and you defeat some of the best players in the
game, the remaining pool halls will unlock, including a Malibu
beachside mansion, and specially licensed pool cues will become
available as well. There are literally hundreds of pool players in
Virtual Pool 3 and eventually, once you've got a little notoriety and
a sufficient bankroll, you'll be able to challenge The Black Widow
herself, Jeanette Lee.
Although the Career mode is an excellent addition to the Virtual
Pool series, it beckons the first of two gripes I have with Virtual
Pool 3. The first has to do with player statistics and the ranking
system. For starters, the game does not keep track of statistics that
accumulate in the Career mode, it only keeps track of games in
the Quick Play or Tournament modes and even at that, it doesn't
do a very good job. There were many times when I'd complete a
game of Snooker, or some other variation, only to notice that the
statistics for that match were not saved properly. This bug, as it
seems, basically doesn't allow for your ranking to change much,
since the ranking system is based on your win/loss record among
other factors. I thought perhaps I wasn't doing something properly,
but after hearing other gamers express concern over the same
issue, we can only hope that Interplay and Celeris will address this
problem in a future patch.
The second of my two gripes has to do with the sound in Virtual
Pool 3, or the lack thereof. For starters, the background music is
the same for each pool hall. Considering the variety of locations in
the game, a jukebox would have been a nice touch. Perhaps
worse than the repetitive music are the sound effects. The
atmospheric effects, which vary depending on the pool hall you
play in, seem a bit out of place and the table effects are poorly
timed. That is, you'll often hear cracks before the balls actually
collide with each other. It makes for some awkward moments and
gives the impression that the sound department was not very high
on the developer's to-do list.
Those two gripes aside, Virtual Pool 3 is stellar when it needs to
be. Perhaps the most important aspect of the series is it's
incredible physics engine. Whether it's cue English, ball-spin,
ball-squirt, table speed, rail speed, pocket size, pocket cut or
collision factors, each element has been dealt with and the result
is the most accurate pool sim available on the market. Sure,
there's the odd shot that plays a little curiously, or the odd
computer opponent who makes a questionable shot decision, but
they're few and far between. Throw in 21 different game types;
including fan favourites such as Snooker, Basic Pocket Billiards,
8-ball, 9-ball and Straight Pool, as well as numerous variations
including Honolulu, Cribbage, 1 & 3 Cushion Billiards and Cowboy;
eight different pool halls, hundreds of computer opponents of
varying skill levels, and Jeanette Lee, and you've got all the
trimmings your pool shark heart desires.
When the balls are sunk and the night comes to a close, Virtual
Pool 3 is by far the best pool sim available on the PC. The statistics
and player ranking system appear to be slightly flawed, and the
sound department lacks consistency, but the accurate physics
model, along with a wide variety of game modes, game types, and
other various options, make Virtual Pool 3 a clear-cut winner. If
you're at all interested in pool, this is one title that should be in
your collection, if not on your holiday wish list.
By: 
