Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker
Encyclopedia
Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker is a computer game by veteran programmer Archer MacLean
, released by Virgin Games
in 1991
for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST
and PC
(later for the Sega Mega Drive
).' Whirlwind' Snooker is a highly realistic snooker
simulator
. Although the game was not the first to simulate snooker (or pool
) in 3D
, it made full use of the processing power
and graphics capabilities of 16-bit
home computers
and was praised for its then ground-breaking realism and easy-to-use interface
. Many remarked that the game was the closest thing to being on a real snooker table which existed at the time, and it could be used by a player to refine real-life snooker skills.
physics
alone taking several months of programming
. One of the reasons why the game runs as quickly as it does is the way in which each is played. The next shot is effectively pre-played while the is being – the position and movement of each ball being calculated frame-by-frame and kept in a list in memory
. Each frame of the next shot is then displayed by rendering
each ball from this list, frame-by-frame, instead of rendering it in real-time
. MacLean also explained that a closed environment like a snooker table allowed certain optimizations that would not be possible in 3D games such as Elite.
Despite being an accurate (for the time) and serious simulation
of the sport, MacLean's irreverent sense of humour was prominent throughout. The sound effect
used for a successful was a resounding "pop" (regardless of the speed at which the ball reached the pocket) and numerous animation
s provided comic relief should a player take more than a few seconds to shoot. Balls would sprout eyeballs and arms, making faces at the player or holding up signs that read "Get on with it!" and such.
Also present was an extensive trick shot
editor, featuring a number of pre-set table arrangements with instructions on how they should be played. An easter egg
enabled the option to watch the computer player complete a maximum break.
The game's title music was Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer
".
The game featured a copy protection mechanism in which the user was prompted to enter a word from the manual corresponding to a certain page, paragraph and word number. Getting this word wrong three times caused the word FAIL to appear over the screen many times (after which, in the PC version, the computer was rebooted).
's GamesMaster
with snooker pro Jimmy White
commentating.
and Jimmy White's 2: Cueball
in 1999
.
Archer MacLean
Archer MacLean is a British video game programmer.- Beginnings :He is the author of such titles as Dropzone and International Karate, which he developed for the Atari 400/800 but were ported to other systems. Archer also created the sequel to International Karate, IK+ which was developed for the...
, released by Virgin Games
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
(later for the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
).
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
simulator
Computer simulation
A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
. Although the game was not the first to simulate snooker (or pool
Pocket billiards
Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards , is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the , into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Popular versions include eight-ball and nine-ball...
) in 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, it made full use of the processing power
Instructions per second
Instructions per second is a measure of a computer's processor speed. Many reported IPS values have represented "peak" execution rates on artificial instruction sequences with few branches, whereas realistic workloads typically lead to significantly lower IPS values...
and graphics capabilities of 16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
home computers
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and was praised for its then ground-breaking realism and easy-to-use interface
User interface design
User interface design or user interface engineering is the design of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications, and websites with the focus on the user's experience and interaction...
. Many remarked that the game was the closest thing to being on a real snooker table which existed at the time, and it could be used by a player to refine real-life snooker skills.
Development and technology
The game took MacLean several years to complete; the billiard ballBilliard ball
A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played...
physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
alone taking several months of programming
Game programming
Game programming, a subset of game development, is the programming of computer, console or arcade games. Though often engaged in by professional game programmers, many novices may program games as a hobby...
. One of the reasons why the game runs as quickly as it does is the way in which each is played. The next shot is effectively pre-played while the is being – the position and movement of each ball being calculated frame-by-frame and kept in a list in memory
Computer memory
In computing, memory refers to the physical devices used to store programs or data on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. The term primary memory is used for the information in physical systems which are fast In computing, memory refers to the...
. Each frame of the next shot is then displayed by rendering
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...
each ball from this list, frame-by-frame, instead of rendering it in real-time
Real-time computer graphics
Real-time computer graphics is the subfield of computer graphics focused on producing and analyzing images in real time. The term is most often used in reference to interactive 3D computer graphics, typically using a GPU, with video games the most noticeable users...
. MacLean also explained that a closed environment like a snooker table allowed certain optimizations that would not be possible in 3D games such as Elite.
Features
Computer simulation
A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
of the sport, MacLean's irreverent sense of humour was prominent throughout. The sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
used for a successful was a resounding "pop" (regardless of the speed at which the ball reached the pocket) and numerous animation
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
s provided comic relief should a player take more than a few seconds to shoot. Balls would sprout eyeballs and arms, making faces at the player or holding up signs that read "Get on with it!" and such.
Also present was an extensive trick shot
Trick shot
A trick shot is a shot played on a billiards table , which seems unlikely, impossible, or requires significant skill...
editor, featuring a number of pre-set table arrangements with instructions on how they should be played. An easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
enabled the option to watch the computer player complete a maximum break.
The game's title music was Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer
The Entertainer (rag)
"The Entertainer" is sub-titled "A rag time two step", which was a form of dance popular until about 1911, and a style which was common among rags written at the time.Its structure is: Intro AA BB A CC Intro2 DD....
".
The game featured a copy protection mechanism in which the user was prompted to enter a word from the manual corresponding to a certain page, paragraph and word number. Getting this word wrong three times caused the word FAIL to appear over the screen many times (after which, in the PC version, the computer was rebooted).
Tournament
Following the game's release, Virgin launched a nationwide tournament in the UK. Regional heats were held at Virgin's stores; the eventual winner went on to challenge MacLean himself in the first series of Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's GamesMaster
GamesMaster
GamesMaster was a British television show, screened on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998, and was the first ever UK television show dedicated to computer and video games.-Origins:...
with snooker pro Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
commentating.
Sequels
The game was followed by Archer MacLean's Pool in 19921992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
and Jimmy White's 2: Cueball
Jimmy White's 2: Cueball
Jimmy White's 2: Cueball is a sports simulation video game published by Virgin Interactive as a sequel to Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker, and released in 1999 for the PC, Sony PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast. The development team was led by Archer MacLean, the designer of the original game...
in 1999
1999 in video gaming
-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
.