A&B Computing


Bar Billiards

Author: Matthew Fifield
Publisher: Blue Ribbon
Machine: BBC/Electron

 
Published in A&B Computing 5.02

The great search for yet another sport to convert for the BBC continues - to be honest, I couldn't face the brace of football games I've still to review. This time we have what appears at first sight to be an unlikely contender for the software touch - Bar Billiards.

Those of you who have never seen the game in action might be surprised at how playable it is - a small size billiard table into whose holes balls must be potted whilst avoiding pegs or mushrooms scattered across the baize. It's a lot of fun to play and this conversion does convey nicely the sense of excitement and daring that a tricky shot can evoke - just setting a peg rocking as the last ball is potted, for instance.

Apart from that, it is a fairly standard snooker/billiards type game with all the controls and extras you would normally find. It's not a classic but it's a respectable enough piece of programming that will keep many of you innocently amused for some hours.

But the real question is this - what other games are still out there, waiting for conversion to bytes? Pitch and toss? Dominoes? Crown bowling? Wind surfing?

One thing is certain - the current seemingly endless supply of computer sports simulations has got me pretty tired. When can I kill an alien again?

Matthew Fifield

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