OCS no. 1
OCS no. 2

3D Pool

Maltese Joe's 3D Pool [Prerelease name]

General info

Not Amiga Original

Relationships

WHDLoad

2002-12-21

Stats

9,468

Genre

Conversions

Amstrad/Schneider CPC464/664/6128
Atari ST/E
BBC Electron (Acorn)
BBC Micro/Electron (Acorn)
Commodore C64/128
MSX 1/2
PC (DOS)
Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48/128/+2/+3 – Timex TS2068/TC2068/TC2048
Tandy PC/IBM PCjr

OCS

Version info

No
Max 2, Sim 1

Features

Hard Disk Installer

No

Compilations

Releases

Year
Name
Licence
Type
Country
Publisher
Languages
Manual Languages
Disks
Rarity
1989
3D Pool
AKA Maltese Joe's 3D Pool
Commercial
Full Price
Rest of the World
English
Danish, English, French, German, Italian
1
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1989
3D Pool
AKA Maltese Joe's 3D Pool
Commercial
Full Price
USA
English
Danish, English, French, German, Italian
1
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1989
3D Pool
AKA Maltese Joe's 3D Pool
Commercial
Full Price
USA
English
Danish, English, French, German, Italian
1
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1991
3D Pool
AKA Maltese Joe's 3D Pool
Commercial
Budget
Worldwide
English
Danish, English, French, German, Italian
1
One version is common, at least one other version is rare
1992
3D Pool
AKA Maltese Joe's 3D Pool
Commercial
Budget
Worldwide
English
Danish, English, French, German, Italian
1
One version is common, at least one other version is rare

Notes

[1] 3D POOL was originally planned by Firebird to be a full-blown licensed game entitled MALTESE JOE'S 3D POOL, with an official endorsement by then-British and European pool champion 'Maltese' Joe Barbara (pictured in the intro sequence HERE and HERE). When MicroProse bought Firebird as part of the Telecomsoft software stable in May 1989, however, the decision was made to shorten the name to 3D POOL and not plaster Joe Barbara's endorsement of the game all over the packaging. Even so, Barbara's name remained in the game itself and he was briefly mentioned on the back of the game box of the original releases (see HERE and HERE).

[2] Budget Publisher: Kixx budget release No. 1 in the dual/tri-format Amiga/PC/ST game series.

[3] Only the Firebird and budget Mirror Image UK releases of 3D POOL contain the intro animation of 'Maltese' Joe Barbara potting a ball (see screenshots HERE and HERE). In contrast, Microplay's U.S. release contains an unrelated loading picture instead.

[4] The U.S. release of 3D POOL released by MicroPlay was marketed/distributed by Medalist International.


TRIVIA:

[1] 3D POOL was coder Nick Pelling's first 16-bit game, initially completing the Atari ST conversion before porting it over to the Amiga. [Source: The Bird Sanctuary]

[2] A delightfully jovial hidden message from coder Nick Pelling (Orlando) is embedded in the game's main exec file and reads as follows:

'Maltese Joe plays 3D-Pool.  Designed & Programmed by Orlando  (lucky geezer, eh?)  ...I know this should be a scrolling message, but, well, times are hard. Please don't pirate this game - my last three games bombed out and I'm on the breadline, paying off debts. "Millionaire whizz coder prangs Porsche" - HA! ... no chance of that! I don't even own a pushbike, let alone a car. This is my first 16-bit game: if you rip it off, it'll be my last. For what it's worth though, I hope you really enjoy the game - I've been working on it for a year now, and I still love it.
               

Before I disappear, some quick 'thank you's.... Thanks to Colin Fuidge, and Joe 'Big Q' Bonar for all their support and encouragement during gestation (I s'pose)... Also, ta Gary Liddon for his 'specialist' knowledge (without him the world would be an emptier place). Generally, thanks to all at TelecomSoft (as was) - it's the end of an era, folks. Thanks to MicroProse - let's take it from here.  

Biggest thanks goes to a certain small furry animal. (((I'll see you later))) Many thanks to all the people who shelled out money for this - you're the people this is really for.                                   


Stop reading this! go back and play the game!!          

There is no cheat-mode!!                         

* MESSAGE ENDS * '


[Source: Carlos Ace, via message posted on EAB]

Conversion Notes

Based on Aardvark/Firebird BBC release.
PC versions: Hercules, CGA, EGA, Tandy

N.B. aka MALTESE JOE'S POOL CHALLENGE on 8-bit platforms and SHARKEY'S 3D POOL in the U.S. for PC/Tandy

Screen info

OCS
Screenshot OCS no. 3

'Maltese' Joe Barbara (loading screen)

Screenshot OCS no. 4

Screenshot OCS no. 5

Screenshot OCS no. 6

Screenshot OCS no. 7

Screenshot OCS no. 8

Screenshot OCS no. 9

Screenshot OCS no. 10

Scan info

Box: OCS
Box scan OCS no. 1

UK Release (front)

Box scan OCS no. 2

UK Release (back)

Box scan OCS no. 3

Budget Release (front) [Mirror Image]

Box scan OCS no. 4

Budget Release (back) [Mirror Image]

Box scan OCS no. 5

Budget Release (front) [Kixx]

Box scan OCS no. 6

Budget Release (back) [Kixx]

Disk: OCS
Disk scan OCS no. 1

UK Release

Disk scan OCS no. 2

U.S. Release

Disk scan OCS no. 3

Budget Release [Mirror Image]

Disk scan OCS no. 4

Budget Release [Kixx] [Source: Moby Games]

Disk scan OCS no. 5

Budget Release [Kixx] [Dual Format]

Misc: OCS
OCS no. 1

Manual Cover (Firebird)

OCS no. 2

UK Advert

OCS no. 3

German Advert (PowerPlay 8/1989, Page 53)

OCS no. 4

UK Advert (Amiga Format, Issue 25, 8/1991, Page 69) [Budget]

OCS no. 5

UK Advert (CU Amiga 11/1992, Page 24) [Budget]

OCS no. 6

UK Advert (CU Amiga 9/1994, Page 180) [Budget, Kixx]

OCS no. 7

Catalogue Entry [Source: Atari Mania]

Manual info

OCS
OCS no. 1

Manual (English)

OCS no. 2

Manual (English) [alt] [Source: Retro Commodore]

OCS

Here are some codes for trickshot solutions. The first four numbers represent the table’s orientation, the next three show the tilt of the table, the next two show the strength of the shot and the last two show the amount of right spin.

 

1-“0768 024 63 10” 07-“0018 061 63 20” 13-“0004 054 58 20”

2-“1002 041 63 09” 08-“0771 099 56 12” 14-“0864 100 63 10”

3-“0032 100 63 00” 09-“0932 024 63 11” 15-“0084 076 12 00”

4-“0962 024 63 00” 10-“0927 027 63 20” 16-“0880 048 39 20”

5-“0512 024 63 10” 11-“0751 100 16 20” 17-“0372 100 63 06”

6-“0405 060 63 20” 12-“0916 025 55 10” 18-“0512 100 63 10”

19-“0601 024 63 20”

Amstrad/Schneider CPC464/664/6128
Conversion Amstrad/Schneider CPC464/664/6128

Conversion Amstrad/Schneider CPC464/664/6128

Atari ST/E
No conversion screens found.
BBC Electron (Acorn)
No conversion screens found.
BBC Micro/Electron (Acorn)
Conversion BBC Micro/Electron (Acorn)

Conversion BBC Micro/Electron (Acorn)

Commodore C64/128
Conversion Commodore C64/128

Conversion Commodore C64/128

MSX 1/2
Conversion MSX 1/2

Conversion MSX 1/2

PC (DOS)
Conversion PC (DOS)

EGA

Conversion PC (DOS)

Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48/128/+2/+3 – Timex TS2068/TC2068/TC2048
No conversion screens found.
Tandy PC/IBM PCjr
No conversion screens found.

Map info

OCS

No maps found.

MAGAZINE REVIEWS

Magazine
Issue
Rating
Reviewer
Release type
Review
Scans
ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment
26 (Nov 1989)
725/1000
1
Amiga Computing
Vol 2 No 3 (Aug 1989)
83%
Simon Rockman
1
Amiga Joker
Nov 1989
85%
Michael Labiner
1
Amiga Joker
Nov 1994
Joachim Nettelbeck
Re-release
1
Amiga Power
1 (May 1991)
77%
Stuart Campbell
Re-release
1
Amiga User International
Vol 3 No 11 (Nov 1989)
7/10
Tony Horgan
1
Amiga User International
Vol 5 No 6 (Jun 1991)
89%
Re-release
1
Australian Commodore and Amiga Review
Vol 6 No 8 (Aug 1989)
Andrew Farrell
0
The Games Machine
24 (Nov 1989)
78%
1
The One
32 (May 1991)
4/5
Paul Presley
Re-release
1
The One
41 (Feb 1992)
5/5
Jools Watsham
Re-release
1
Zero
20 (Jun 1991)
85%
David Wilson
Re-release
1
Zzap
55 (Nov 1989)
78%
Stuart Wynne
Phil King
0

MAGAZINE PREVIEWS

Magazine
Issue
Rating
Reviewer
Release type
Review
Scans
Amiga Action
21 (Jun 1991)
Preview
0
Zzap
48 (Apr 1989)
Preview
0

OCS

Lore Score: 77%

Your Score:

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