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Side Pocket
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Side Pocket (Europe)

NES / Famicom
🇬🇧
Reviewed in
1987
54
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✪ Reviewed on September 8, 2025
46

Side Pocket ports the Data East arcade billiards on Famicom and NES with its 8 and 9 ball pool tables and spectacular figures. The representation offers top view with angle and power adjustment, trick shot scoring in a Japanese arcade individual sport formula. Honest for NES pool fans, curiosity of the 8 bit Data East catalog.

Your verdict
Category
Sports 1 player 3+
Description
Acclaimed American pool simulation known for its accuracy and trick-shot mode. Published by Data East, released in 1987 in Europe. Spin shots, tournament mode and skill challenges typical of the series.

Side Pocket review

2/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Decent"
2/5
Music
★★★★★
"Decent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Decent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Light"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Short"
Technical info
💾0,05 MB 📅01/11/1987
Published by Data East

Side Pocket (NES) price, value & rarity

Sought-after
Q1 loose
 $17 Q6 complete
 $113 Q10 new
 $363 !
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Other versions
Side Pocket
Japan
16/10/1987
🇯🇵
Side Pocket
USA
01/11/1987
🇬🇧

Collector interest

Data East's European release of Side Pocket stands out for the scarcity of the PAL cartridge, since the PAL market received far fewer copies than Japan or the United States for this kind of simulation. The billiards game stays valued for its precision and trick-shot mode, but it is mainly the limited PAL distribution that sustains interest, the complete European copy being harder to assemble than its NTSC counterparts.

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