Archer MacLean’s Pool
| Developer: Archer MacLean | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Virgin | Sound: |
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| Year: 1992 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Pool simulator | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 8 alternating | Rating: |
8/10 | |
I always thought Archer MacLean was the name of a pool champion… Turns out he’s the programmer. The game is a follow-up to Jimmy White’s Whirlwind Snooker—now he’s the actual pool champion. It’s all rather confusing.
The same game engine is used here (hailed as the most realistic on the Amiga, both in terms of physics and adherence to the rules), along with the same intuitive interface. The only real change? Swapping out snooker—less popular outside the UK—for the English and American variants (9-ball and 15-ball). Getting the hang of the camera controls takes a little practice, but once you’re used to it, you realise just how much pool simulations benefit from 3D. Widely regarded as the genre’s benchmark, it’s accessible and, what’s more, not without its sense of humour.
For technical simplicity, the American 15-ball variant (Eight Ball) uses the same colour scheme as the English one (7 reds, 7 yellows, 1 black). Representing the traditional numbered, striped, and solid balls in 3D, in a way that’s clear and doesn’t slow down the game, would have been a tall order.
The quirky soundtrack reminds me of Pang.
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