But defeat for Forest ended their chances of equaling a club record run of seven wins on the trot and put a spanner in their play-off hopes.
It was a thriller of a game and two goals in a minute in the second half gave the home team the control they were desperate for.
Keeper Rune Pederson saved Forest early on when he needed two attempts to hold a Michael Proctor shot.
But it was Forest who jumped in front on 15 minutes with a goal gifted to them by the home defence.
Sammy Clingan's long ball from his own half caught them out, keeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos raced off his line and Nathan Tyson lobbed in from 15 yards.
Forest's Grant Holt had an offside goal disallowed on 29 minutes, but Hartlepool were always in it and they levelled on 32 minutes when Joel Porter headed in a corner from Richie Humphreys.
Pederson was in action to keep Proctor our again two minutes later when he finger-tipped the striker's shot over the bar.
And in first-half injury time, Hartlepool should have scored when Matty Robson's great run and cross from the left found Darrell Clarke unmarked six yards from an open goal but he rushed his shot and blazed it over the bar.
But those two quick-fire goals gave the home team their winning chance.
On 59 minutes Michael Nelson blasted in a 25-yard shot that took a deflection before it hit the top corner and seconds later Proctor prodded home a close-range goal after his first shot was saved on the line.
Kris Commons narrowed the gap with a well-taken goal from 20 yards on 67 minutes but that was all Forest could manage despite a string of late chances.