<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
(	O
assigned	O
the	O
retronym	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
1	I-Application
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
sequels	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
3D	O
,	O
first-person	O
sports	O
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
released	O
by	O
Interplay	O
Productions	O
in	O
1995	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
franchise	O
of	O
computer	B-Application
simulations	I-Application
of	O
pool	O
games	O
developed	O
by	O
Celeris	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
is	I-Application
an	O
accurate	O
simulation	O
of	O
straight	O
pool	O
,	O
eight-ball	O
,	O
nine-ball	O
,	O
and	O
rotation	O
pool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
publishers	O
,	O
Interplay	O
,	O
offered	O
a	O
full	O
refund	O
for	O
buyers	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
who	O
did	O
not	O
see	O
an	O
improvement	O
in	O
their	O
pool	O
abilities	O
within	O
45	O
days	O
of	O
purchase	O
and	O
returned	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
to	O
the	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
has	O
revolutionary	O
features	O
that	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
actually	O
'	O
walk	O
 '	O
around	O
the	O
table	O
to	O
check	O
out	O
their	O
next	O
shot	O
,	O
take	O
a	O
closer	O
look	O
,	O
back	O
away	O
,	O
look	O
left	O
or	O
right	O
and	O
then	O
line-up	O
the	O
shot	O
like	O
they	O
would	O
in	O
a	O
real	O
game	O
with	O
a	O
real	O
table	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
later	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
played	O
with	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
and	O
mouse	B-Device
,	O
with	O
shots	O
being	O
played	O
by	O
moving	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
forwards	O
,	O
to	O
simulate	O
moving	O
the	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
control	B-Device
scheme	O
devised	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
the	O
same	O
one	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
continued	O
through	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
also	O
a	O
choice	O
of	O
9	O
different	O
AI	B-Application
opponents	O
to	O
face	O
off	O
against	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
local	O
competitive	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
or	O
online	O
via	O
a	O
modem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pre-release	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
1995	B-Application
PC	O
version	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
were	O
leaked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
IPC	B-Device
the	O
stolen	O
version	O
was	O
"	O
being	O
offered	O
for	O
sale	O
at	O
some	O
swap	O
meets	O
,	O
computer	O
fairs	O
and	O
small	O
retail	O
shops	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
contain	O
a	O
defective	O
software	O
program	O
which	O
will	O
not	O
operate	O
properly.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
successfully	O
for	O
DOS	B-Device
and	O
Windows	B-Application
in	O
1995	B-Application
,	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
port	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Mac	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
successfully	O
released	O
worldwide	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Mac	B-Device
in	O
1997	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
Snooker	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
planned	O
Saturn	B-Device
release	O
was	O
eventually	O
cancelled	O
,	O
for	O
unknown	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
cancellation	O
,	O
the	O
release	O
was	O
scheduled	O
for	O
May	O
1997	O
,	O
around	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
release	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
time	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
sequel	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
both	O
games	O
were	O
re-packaged	O
as	O
a	O
two-in-one	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
jewel	O
case	O
edition	O
(	O
i.e.	O
,	O
a	O
bargain	O
bin	O
version	O
without	O
a	O
box	O
)	O
,	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
1	I-Application
/	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
2	I-Application
Bundle	O
"	O
Before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
sold	O
over	O
2	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
named	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Sports	O
Game	O
"	O
of	O
1995	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
For	O
weeks	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
sounds	O
of	O
pool	O
balls	O
clacking	O
together	O
and	O
dropping	O
into	O
the	O
pockets	O
was	O
about	O
all	O
we	O
heard	O
in	O
the	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
office	O
,	O
and	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
is	I-Application
still	O
a	O
big	O
hit	O
around	O
here.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Entertainment	O
Weekly	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
perfect	O
score	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
with	O
its	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
and	O
true-to-life	O
physics	O
,	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
is	I-Application
one	O
of	O
the	O
rare	O
simulations	O
that	O
may	O
actually	O
improve	O
your	O
real	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Interplay	O
has	O
dressed	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
up	O
with	O
some	O
multimedia	O
chrome	O
-	O
videos	O
on	O
the	O
history	O
and	O
theory	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
-	O
but	O
it	O
could	O
just	O
as	O
easily	O
have	O
left	O
it	O
out	O
The	O
core	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
,	O
is	O
as	O
close	O
to	O
perfect	O
as	O
a	O
PC	O
game	O
can	O
get.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
was	O
named	O
the	O
57th	O
best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
by	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
UK	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
was	O
also	O
voted	O
the	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
by	O
Games	O
magazine	O
in	O
1995	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
awarded	O
best	O
simulation	O
of	O
1995	B-Application
from	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
,	O
best	O
Sports	O
Game	O
of	O
1995	B-Application
from	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
magazine	O
and	O
Best	O
VR	O
Game	O
of	O
1995	B-Application
from	O
Computer	O
Player	O
magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
enthusiastically	O
received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
critics	O
found	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
,	O
being	O
largely	O
identical	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
,	O
were	O
outdated	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
heavy	O
slowdown	O
was	O
also	O
criticized	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
critics	O
recommended	O
players	O
buy	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Mouse	I-Device
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
control	B-Device
is	O
unacceptably	O
imprecise	O
with	O
the	O
standard	O
gamepad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
sports	O
reviewers	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
made	O
similar	O
remarks	O
,	O
with	O
Kraig	O
Kujawa	O
summarizing	O
,	O
"	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
delivers	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
could	O
be	O
better.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
liked	O
the	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
concluded	O
that	O
"	O
Aside	O
from	O
the	O
bland	O
,	O
flat	O
shaded	O
graphics	O
,	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
is	I-Application
an	O
awesome	O
pool	O
sim.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Interplay	O
,	O
global	O
sales	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
Pool	I-Application
surpassed	O
250,000	O
copies	O
by	O
June	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
