Side Pocket as a vision of adulthood

When we were about 10, my friend Robert brought over to my house the SNES pool game Side Pocket. I don't know why he had it -- probably some adult in his life found it in a bargain bin -- nor do I know what he thought about it. But I know what I thought about it. I thought it was a glimpse of the casually cool, urbane life that would be my future.

I only played Side Pocket for a couple of hours. It's a pool game. But it always stuck with me. It's a pool game -- and what could be more adult than that? How about a pool game with a jazz soundtrack, a night club setting, and random artwork of women, cars, and a neon-drenched city at night? Wow, so much adult. This, not cartoony Mortal Kombat, was the most adult game on the SNES.

Of course, my actual adult life is nothing like what Side Pocket suggested it could be. There's little jazz (though I do have the Side Pocket soundtrack), even less in the way of women, no night clubs, and I don't think neon light has ever struck my car.

But that's okay, because you and I can still enjoy this YouTube video of Side Pocket's soundtrack while looking at this screenshot of the amazing title screen.