276. Simple 1500 Vol. 10: The Billiard (Agenda, Playstation, 1999)

Given that I have 24 games to go in less than 10 days, I think it's time for a block of Simple Series games, since they are typically very limited in scope and therefore easy to experience in a short amount of time. I decided to start with my smaller Simple 1500 Series collection on the Playstation, and our first title is going to be Simple 1500 Vol. 10: The Billiard  

The Billiard includes 3 classic billiards games: 9-ball, 8-ball, or rotation, and allows up to 4 players or computers to compete. The controls are typical for a billiards game: you can choose where you are hitting the ball to angle it, after which you are presented with an oscillating a power meter that you have to time to select your shot power. The power meter is at least pretty slow and easy to time. Generally the balls would go about where I wanted them to, though I struggled with precision (just like if I was playing the real game!)

One small but notable feature that was definitely not present in the 8-bit pool games I've played: you can change your view between behind-the-cue and looking directly down at the table to get a better view on things. Games breeze by with a chill jazz soundtrack, but I wish there was a way to skip ahead or quit out of a game when it's clear the computer is wiping the floor with me. You have to sit through the whole thing in real time. In my second game, the CPU opponent let me attempt 1 shot before smashing the 8 ball into a pocket and giving me the win. There is just about nothing here that makes it exciting as a video game, but it looks like some more character and variety was injected into The Billiard when it was later released in the US as simply Billiards.

2/5, a competent but feature-thin billiard simulator