PONG Review – How’s the First Financially Successful Video Game Ever?

If there is a game that should be easy to review, it’s this one. PONG was the first financially successful video game in history (Wikipedia). Although people may make fun of it today, let’s start at the beginning of video games and give it a review!

Gameplay

Unsurprisingly, there isn’t a whole lot to it. It’s a multiplayer-only game where there are two paddles on either side of the screen, with a dashed line in the middle, and a ball that moves from one side to the other. You move your paddle up and down to deflect the ball, and knock it back to the other player. If it gets to the far end of the screen you score a point. The first to a predetermined score, usually 15, is the winner. The game is a lot like ping-pong or tennis, but in a very simplified way.

There is no way to expand the size of the paddles, but the game is playable with analogue sticks or with a d-pad. You cannot move the paddles from left to right. That innovation would come in later games.

Since PONG is like ping-pong or tennis, how the ball moves after you block it varies based on where it hits your paddle. After hitting the center, the ball will go straight to the left or right across the screen. Yet, if you deflect it with the edge of your paddle, the ball will move at an angle instead. This is important because if you score a point, you don’t get the ball again immediately. Rather, it just reappears somewhere in the middle of the screen toward the opponent’s side, and the angle it moves at is similar to the one in which you scored the previous point! Consequently, it is best to have the ball hit the side of your paddle instead of the center so that the angle of the ball movement back at the other player is more difficult to block. Getting a good hit, and then scoring, is actually kind of satisfying!

Sound

As one would expect, there is no music and the only sounds are for hitting the ball or a point being added to the score. The importance of sound in game design wouldn’t come for many more years, especially when it comes to music!

Options

Since we played this on Atari 50, there are quite a few options for it.for example, you can play the game in a more zoomed in view, stretched to wide screen, and with or without borders. You can also use filters or play a color version of the game. The latter makes it a bit harder to play, but it turns Player 1 to purple or red, and player 2 to blue. Other dip switch settings allow you to change the number of points to win, at least a little bit. There is no way to play the game with just 1 Player against an AI controlled opponent. Artificial Intelligence for computer-controlled characters would come later in gaming history!

Conclusion

I didn’t think that I would enjoy this game, and I was ready to just down vote it. However, it is truly significant, and it cannot be understated that this is the first financially successful video game in history. Because I surprisingly had some fun with it, and due to its importance, I am giving it a positive rating. I recommend playing it if you enjoy video game history and have someone to play it with, at least a little bit.

Title: PONG (Wikipedia)
Genre: Sports
Year Released: 1972
Developer: Atari
Played On: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration through Steam.
Price Paid: $0.18, or as part of a $20 bundle.

Remember, we can have different opinions about the games we play. If you like something more (or less) than I do, both of our perspectives are valid.