Pong, the original classic, the title that put Arcade games on the map and shot Atari into the stratosphere of the golden age of gaming. Delusions of grandeur led to creating a slew of terrible home console titles culminating in E.T., thus casting a shadow over all future endeavours. However, this seems to have humbled the once great Atari. Enter Pong Quest.
Resurrection
Developed by Chequered Inc., Post Quest Is the most memorable attempt at an Atari IP being brought into the modern realm of gaming for quite some time. Instead of simply posting the same game to current gen consoles with a face lift, Pong Quest adds Dungeon crawling into the mix.
It turns out Pong Paddles are actually sentient beings, and a game of Pong is actually paddles duking it out in an arena. Look at all of your shocked faces, how could you think this was mere pixel Tennis!? Pong Quest follows an up-and-coming paddle on a journey to find the kings missing orb. Each Dungeon has four levels to loot which is full of enemy paddles complimented with a boss battle for each instance.
Whilst the game is highly playable, at points Pong Quest is challenging. Difficulty spikes for boss fights can seem quite steep. At least until players learn to mirror the balls movements to anticipate strikes.
Come for the Paddle, Stay for the Balls
Speaking of balls, Pong Quest features over 50 different types. From bouncy balls to potion balls and all sorts in between. Pong Quest shines as a successful re-invention of the franchise, pumping some much needed life into the old formula.
Players and enemies each have health bars that double up as stamina bars. Everytime a ball hits a paddle, it takes a tiny amount of health which can increase depending on which ball is in play, with maximum damage being taken for letting a goal in.
The various balls featured in Pong Quest are actually consumable items that are found in abundance in the games dungeons. In true RPG style, paddles receive experience points during battles. XP are gifted with one upgrade per level increase earned in the Arena. Chequered Inc have put a lot of effort into making Pong interesting and playable for newer audiences.
Humouring Me
It’s all a rather tongue-in-cheek affair that never takes itself too seriously. This much is obvious with Pong Quest’s ‘Dad Joke’ level of humour and a cel-shaded of bogus animation style. Paddles come fully customisable with various hairstyles, hats, glasses, T shirts and other bits. You can unlock these via battling in the arena or purchasing them with coins found dungeon crawling.
And for the final jewel in Pong Quest’s crown, the original Pong. Players can unlock the classic game in two player mode – the way it was meant to be played.
The only drop of nostalgia Pong Quest omitted was the option to use the thumbstick like the OG Pong wheel. I can see why developers didn’t include this but the option would’ve been a nice novelty.
Pong Quest is a fun-loving re-imagining of a classic with party game capabilities fitted as standard. Pong Quest is not an essential purchase but it’s a great ride and a sign of a brighter future for Atari.
