Gaming, Reviews December 3, 2012

Atari Celebrates 40 Years of Pong with Free Pong World for iOS Review

I have always loved that picture of my brother and me playing Pong at our aunt’s house one Thanksgiving back in the 70s. For those of us born in the 60s, Pong represented a revolution – a video game system that we could hook to our TV. By the time the 80s were in full swing Pong was an anachronism, yet there is something fun about the simplicity of the gameplay, the challenge of the head-to-head fun. Now you can get a revamped Pong game made as part of the PONG Indie Developer Challenge for free in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Pong!

Type of app: Arcade game
Platform/where to buy: iPad/iPhone Universal; available in the App Store

Developer: Atari
Description:

Personalize and upgrade 5 animated paddle creatures with their own unique power boosts and personalities – Shaggy, Chompers, Sir Bouncelot, Razzle and Gnop! Collect them all!
4 unique levels challenge you with special power-ups: Jungle Juice, Fog of Faith, Winds of Change and Moon Beams.
3 play modes offer a new look to the classic PONG gameplay: Conquest, Survival and Two-Player Battle!
Put crazy spin moves on the ball to catch your opponent off-guard!

Major features: Pong is back and all new – you are still batting a ball back and forth, but now you have paddles with distinct capabilities and power-ups, as well as a load of effects that can turn the tide of a game such as wind and fog and more.

You are controlling your paddle with finger on screen, sliding side to side. It sounds simple but all of the on-screen action will keep you working hard. I knew it was a challenge when I took a few attempts to get past the first world!

You earn coins as you complete levels (or fail trying), and those are used to earn new levels or buy power-ups. As is common in this game type, those who struggle will contiue to struggle and barely manage to advance from level to level, while better players will easily earn enough to but new paddles and so on. The obvious side-effect of this is the ability to but more coins with real money – but fortunately the game doesn’t push too hard.

Ease of use/Overall performance: If you are an excellent Pong player you will have no problem, but in spite of playing for years I struggled. One issue I had was that as I played more and more my finger-oil slowed my response time … or so I am claiming! In reality this is a very challenging game with loads of fun and options.

Would use again/recommend?: Absolutely! I had a blast working my wy from level to level!

Suggested changes/wish list for updates: Best rewards go to those who need them least.

Price: Free

Here is the trailer:

Gear Diary Atari Celebrates 40 Years of Pong with Free Pong World for iOS Review photo

Tags: Apple iPad Apps, Apple iPhone and Touch Apps, Games & Gaming

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About Michael Anderson

View all posts by Michael Anderson

I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!

http://twitter.com/dougom Douglas Moran

My good friend David got one of the first ones–I think I was about 8. I remember going over to his house and just staring at the screen in absolute astonishment.
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