Pong: The Next Level

"The remade classic is just as much fun and addictive as the original!"

Let me start off by saying that this is one of the most fun and addictive games I have ever played. It's the best classic to be remade thus far. Well, here we go!

GAMEPLAY 9/10

The game is fun. It is definitely worth the money that you pay for it. One would think that an old arcade classic (actually, the first successful video game ever made) would be horrible, but it's not! It is a lot of fun. You would think that repetition would set in with two paddles on each side and a ball bouncing around, but it doesn't! There are various things in every level that will keep you coming back for more!

CONTROL 7/10

The control could be a lot better. The game does not respond well to the controller's output. For example, the first level is on ice. I thought the paddle was kinda tough to control because it was slipping a little on the ice. It turns out that this is not the case. It slips a little in every level. Not even the analog controller can match the precision of the original joystick used with the original game.

MULTIPLAYER 6/10

This is one part that I did not like as much as everything else. You can play any level that you have accessed in multiplayer mode. I wish that there were some other options as well, but there are not, so you'll have to deal with playing those same levels over and over again with multiplayer mode. Believe me, it can get old.

DIFFICULTY 9/10

The game is very difficult, but not impossible. With a little practice, you can beat any of the stages. The computer opponent does not follow any real pattern, so that's something that influences difficulty as well. No pattern for you to memorize and capitalize on.

STORY

What story? There isn't one. This does not at all bring down the overall score, however. This is one of the few games that needs no story.

GRAPHICS 10/10

They couldn't be better. The graphics are smooth and sweet. They never glitch, and everything has vivid details.

SOUND 9/10

The sound is really not noticeable except for the sound of the ball hitting a paddle. The reason that the score is not lower is because the sound is not at all annoying, which is good.

REPLAY VALUE 9/10

You'll never want to stop playing this! The single player mode never gets old! The multiplayer, however, can tend to get a little old.

OVERALL 8/10

I was a little disappointed with the multiplayer and the control, but everything else is great. If you like to bounce a ball with a paddle, then this game is definitely worth it! I love it. You may want to rent before you buy, though.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/99, Updated 08/26/02