Play Side Pocket on Snes Online

Side Pocket came out on the Super Nintendo in 1993, published by Data East. It was part of that wave of solid arcade-style sports games on the system, offering a straightforward take on pool without a lot of the fluff you saw in other titles from that era.

You control a cue stick, carefully aiming and adjusting your power to sink balls in pockets across a series of tables. The main goal is to clear each table of all your designated balls, then sink the 8-ball to advance. The game uses a screen by screen structure, moving you from one location to the next as you win, and it features a power meter for shot strength that requires real timing to master. The limited number of continues adds a layer of tension to every shot, making even the simpler layouts feel consequential. It feels like a thoughtful, sometimes punishing test of precision that rewards patience.