Video game adaptations of sports are nothing new. The FIFA series of football games are extremely popular, while basketball, motor racing, American football, and even skateboarding have been successfully represented in the video games world.
However, the same cannot be said for some lesser-known sports. Snooker, while still very popular among certain demographics, is nowhere close to the global phenomenon of football. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t video game adaptations of the sport. Let’s take a look at some of the snooker video games and discuss whether or not they are any good. Find out more below.
How Popular is Snooker?
Snooker was first developed in the 19th century and quickly garnered attention and popularity as an aristocratic sport among the British gentry. As the first public snooker halls opened and official tournaments were established, the game became much less exclusive and began to generate interest among the general public.
The 1980s were snooker’s true golden years. Players such as Alex Higgins and Jimmy White were akin to rockstars, complete with the scandal and controversy. The sport made headline news, and a 1987 World Snooker Championship Final between Higgins and Dennis Taylor attracted approximately 18.5 million viewers.
Snooker’s popularity in the UK has waned since those halcyon days, but the sport is enjoying a boom in countries like China, fuelled by an influx of young Chinese players.
For a sport that has been so culturally significant and that has spawned so many colourful characters, it’s no surprise to learn that there has been a range of media adaptations. There have been films, documentaries, songs, and, of course, games.
Snooker-Themed Casino Games
Snooker has long been popular among gamblers, with its complex rules and long-format sessions offering ample wagering opportunities.
As such, snooker is a popular theme for online casino games. There are various snooker-themed titles and slot machines to be found, many of them featuring the sport’s most famous player, Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan.
Whether you’re visiting an online casino platform to try your luck or to claim the best casino free spins bonus, you’re certain to come across some exciting snooker-themed titles.
Snooker Console Games
As well as casino games, there have been a number of snooker console games released over the years. The first of these came out back in the 1990s, with titles released for the Amiga and Commodore video game units.
Jimmy White sponsored a series of snooker games which were released for the PC, Dreamcast, PlayStation, and Game Boy. These games received mixed reviews, with the Jimmy White’s Whirlwind Snooker title being met with bemusement, given the fact that the balls on the table would sprout arms and legs and shout taunts towards the player.
Two snooker games were also released for the Nintendo Wii, but these failed to generate much attention.
For many years after, things were quiet on the snooker video game front. However, the genre was revived with the release of Snooker 19 in 2019. Let’s find out more.
Snooker 19
Snooker 19, developed by studio Lab42, was released on 17 April 2019, just in time for the start of the World Snooker Championships. It was available for the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, with a Nintendo Switch version released later that year.
With Snooker 19, Lab42 attempted to modernise snooker video games, utilising the power of current consoles and development tools. With a focus on realism and accurate physics, Snooker 19 looked to leave behind the ‘cartoonified’ and often satirical snooker games of the past and provide players with a serious and immersive snooker experience.
The game has both single-player and multiplayer modes and features all of the venues and tournaments visited by the World Snooker tour.
In-game characters are all based on real-life players, who had their faces scanned for the title making for almost unerringly realistic representations.
Physics are important in any game, but especially for snooker titles. Snooker is all about fine margins, the slightest miscue or mistimed shot can spell the end of a break, so getting the physics spot-on is a prerequisite for any successful snooker game.
Thankfully, Snooker 19 gets the physics largely correct. The gameplay feels smooth and responsive, with various options for aiming and cue ball control. It can be difficult, but given how tricky the real game of snooker is, this is to be expected in a realistic snooker emulation.
Conclusion
Snooker might seem like a simple game that would be easy to replicate in video game format, but as history has shown us, this is far from the case. In fact, it’s the simplicity of the game that makes it so difficult to accurately reproduce digitally. However, Snooker 19 certainly made a good attempt and could be a sign of even better snooker games to come.