Side Pocket
Side Pocket — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Side Pocket on?
- Side Pocket was released on Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Famicom, Sega Game Gear, Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, WonderSwan.
- When did Side Pocket release?
- Side Pocket was first released on June 1, 1992.
About Side Pocket
Chalk up your cue stick and rack up those balls. Now get ready, get set, break! The balls scatter and the match is on... It's the Data East Pool Tournament Finals, and you're behind the 8-ball! It'll take a steady hand and a sharp eye to hustle your way to the top. Challenge your opponents to the ultimate game of skill, but you've got to stay cool... It's a green felt jungle out there!
Summary via IGDB.
Side Pocket on Wikipedia
Side Pocket is a 1986 billiards video game developed and published by Data East for arcades. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, while an enhanced remake was later released on the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Gear. The game spawned two sequels, as well as arcade spin-off series titled Pocket Gal.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Famicom, Sega Game Gear, Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, WonderSwan
- Developer
- Data East
- Publisher
- Data East
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Non-fiction
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1992 | $9 | $17 | — | 7 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Super Famicom · Sega Game Gear · Arcade · Nintendo Entertainment System · Game Boy · WonderSwan. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $13 | $41 | — |
| Japanese release | $11 | $63 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.49 in Oct 2007, $7.00 five years ago, and $8.82 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $2.41 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $2.34 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.50 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.89 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.37 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.50 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $1.59 | $5.62 |
| Jan 2015 | $3.20 | $7.49 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.35 | $9.92 |
| Jan 2017 | $3.87 | $9.95 |
| Jan 2018 | $5.15 | $8.45 |
| Jan 2019 | $6.12 | $8.50 |
| Jan 2020 | $5.46 | $9.97 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.84 | $11.46 |
| Jan 2022 | $8.85 | $17.45 |
| Jan 2023 | $10.48 | $18.92 |
| Jan 2024 | $7.90 | $11.97 |
| Jan 2025 | $6.11 | $15.24 |
| Jan 2026 | $8.20 | $17.66 |
| Oct 2026 | $8.82 | $17.25 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | August 1992 | T-13046 | 013252014053 | 171-5978BA |
| Europe / PAL | 1992 | — | — | — |
| Japan | 11 December 1992 | T-13083 | — | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Low
A polished two-player pool game that suits the Genesis well, and a cheap US cart.
This is the Genesis version of Side Pocket, an enhanced remake of Data East's 1986 arcade billiards game. Data East developed it, and it came out in North America in August 1992, in Europe in 1992 and in Japan on 11 December 1992. It is a one- or two-player game of straight pocket billiards.
Electronic Games said in October 1992 that the Genesis game was even more impressive than the NES original, with 16-bit technology making the table's green felt seem even thicker. Computer and Video Games, in its November 1992 review, noted a choice of settings from seedy bars to top mansions and nineteen trick shots to show off with.
What the press said at the time
| Sega Force Issue 11 | November 1992 | CHRIS 77% |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 75% |
| Mega Action Issue 1 | June 1993 | 88% |
| Mega Action Issue 2 | July 1993 | 88% |
| MegaTech Issue 23 | November 1993 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 26 | February 1994 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 27 | March 1994 | 80% |
“All the options make Side Pocket one of the better pool sims around, but unless you’re a pool freak, try something with a bit more variety and lastability.”
“If you can't stand the pressure, or the smoke of a pool hall, chalk up with Side Pocket and have a ball.”
“However, in the office, Side Pocket turned into quite a popular game - in two-player mode. Pulling off a jammy shot in front of your mates is an excellent laugh! If you're into the sport, and have no shortage of human opponents, give it a try.”
“This is addiction immortalised on the Mega Drive with added bits to boot. Pub Pool without the wait and tipless cues.”
In the sales charts
In one sales chart, June 1993; highest position #8.
Show the placing
- #8 in the HMV Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 20, June 1993
Sales charts as printed in the magazines of the time.
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Genesis game is an enhanced remake of the NES and Game Boy versions, with revamped graphics, a new soundtrack and photo-realistic backgrounds.
Its Pocket Game mode has five city levels with eight starting lives, and a new trick shot mode adds 19 trick shots.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · NES · Super NES · Game Boy · Game Gear · WonderSwan
| Arcade | Data East |
- NES. The NES version plays almost identically to the arcade game but gives the Pocket Game mode 4 levels and 5 starting lives instead of 2.
- Game Boy. The Game Boy version has a smaller playing field, a new soundtrack and a screen layout of its own, and adds single-player nine-ball.
- Game Gear. The Game Boy and Game Gear versions add a practice mode that is essentially single-player 9-Ball.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The European cart usually costs more than the US one, a lot more when complete, and the Japanese cart costs more again when complete; the Japanese cartridge has a different shape and needs an adapter or two plastic tabs removed from a Western console's slot. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Side Pocket screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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