Pong: The Next Level

"Simple, yet addicting. It holds up to the orignial well."

As we all know, Pong was the As we all know, Pong was the original video game. The concept of Pong grew into the first arcade game, which opened the floodgates into a world of exciting new video games. Pong has addicted many a person through the many years, and while many other games have managed to include far more depth and graphical eye candy, Pong still remains the blissful and simple remains of that early part in video game history. Now, of course, all the classics are eventually remade to serve the next generation, and Pong, being the classic's classic, was chosen for the Playstation. Fear not, for they managed to keep the old idea and make it fresh and new with all kinds of neat gimmicks. Now, on to the review:

Graphics 7/10
Minimal, at best. The little Pong paddles aren't very detailed at all, the environments are very simple, and there's little eye candy except for a little pyrotechnics here and there. However, the resolution is very sharp, and the animation is smooth as butter. Of course, whether or not this is due to the lack of graphics or good programming is unknown. There are no bad things with it, but no really bad things either. Probably the best form of Average I've seen in awhile. Of course, the original Pong game is as simple as can be, which should bring back nostalgia for those who've played it during it's Atari and Arcade days.

Sound 8/10
A improved version of elevator music. The music fits the levels like a glove, and aren't too bad themselves. The sound effects are simply there, like the ball hitting the pong paddles and the other obstacles or walls that you may encounter in the levels. Also, there are a few animal sounds when they are involved in the levels. Oddly enough, your pong paddle makes cute little noises during and in between levels. It's disturbing, yet slightly enticing. All in all, this is simple filler, because who wants to play games in complete silence?

Gameplay 9/10
If you bought Pong for graphical appeal, you probably just started out in the video game buying business. Of course, for everybody else, this is the main part of the game, and it does not fail at all. The concept is simple. You face a computer or friend in a game of table tennis. You go up to a certain number of points(varies from level to level), until one or the other is the winner. However, there are many variations. Sometimes, obstacles will require the use of banking or even double-banking to get a goal. Sometimes you can get powerups that influence the arena or even all your Pong paddle to hit harder or manipulate the ball in a certain way. Sometimes you will have to complete goals like herding sheep, putting eggs in the right basket, and getting beachballs to seals. These are quite fun, and some can be devious in their technique. Of course, for those who prefer the old Pong, there is a form of Pong that is playable. It does take some time to get, however. As you play, you can obtain the ability to do such things like changing the color of your Pong Paddle or eventually being able to add in barricades to you or the opponents goals. These can add all kinds of wrinkles to the gameplay. The levels themselves also have difficulty levels, and playing them all is key to getting 100% in this game. The only downside is that sometimes the goals can get monotonous or tedious, and sometimes you can only win by pure luck.

In conclusion, Pong is a very excellent game that takes us back to the simpler days when the NES was still far away and anything beyond 8 bits of graphics was a distant idea of the future. If you can find this game(It might be slightly difficult, but if you look hard enough you can find it), it should be dirt cheap, and I urge you to buy it if you ever had a inkling at all to play Pong.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/03, Updated 03/14/03