| |
|
|
|
 |
|
| Welcome
to Game of the Week! Each week there will be a
new featured game on this page. The game may be good,
average or diabolically bad, it really doesn't matter!
Just look at the pics, read the text and enjoy the nostalgia!
:-) Game of the Week! is open to contributions so if you
would like to contribute
a game article for this page you're more than welcome
to! Every article we receive will be considered! |
|
|
Ping-Pong
1986 Imagine/Konami
Programmed
by ?
|
| |
| Most
text of the present article comes from the review published
in the fourteenth issue of the British C64 magazine ZZAP!64
(street date: May 8th, 1986). |
| |
|
|
 |
|
PING PONG
Imagine,
£8.95 cass,
joystick only
|
|
|
Do you remember when a revolutionary new form of entertainment
-- a machine called Pong -- first appeared in
amusement arcades everywhere and everyone said: 'Golly,
how thrilling -- a revolutionary new form of entertainment!'?
Do you remember when Binatone turned it into a 'home
arcade console' and everyone said: 'Golly, how thrilling
-- an arcade game in our very own place of residence!'?
No? Well, since then there's not been much heard of
Pong. Until now that is, for Imagine have taken
the theme, turned it from a horizontal game to a near
vertical one and added an extra dimension with 3D graphics.
Ping
Pong is played according to the rules of table tennis,
the winner being the first to score eleven points. Only
one player can play against one of five different computer
opponents -- there is no two-player option. Level one
is a bit docile and bats the ball slowly around the
table, but level five is a crazed pongicidal maniac
who shows no mercy.
The
game is always viewed and played from the base line
with your bat positioned about a quarter of the way
up the screen (get your eyes and position them above
one of the screen shot of you're confused). The score
and other relevant information, whether the ball is
in or out, for example, is displayed either side of
the table. Crowds flank each side of the screen and
play a small part in the game -- the ones on the right
cheer the computer and the ones on the left cheer you.
Your
bat automatically follows the ball so it's up to you
to time the return. Pressing the fire button drives
the ball back, whilst pushing down on the joystick 'cuts'
it and pushing up executes a smash. Moving the joystick
left or right moves the bat either to the forehand or
backhand position and depending upon how early or late
you hit the ball it veers either right or left.
Serves
are performed by pushing up on the joystick to throw
the ball in the air and then pressing the fire button
to drive it. After every five points the serving changes
hands. If the scoring is tied at ten points a piece
then the tie-break comes into effect. In this situation
the first player to either go ahead by two points or
reach fifteen points (whichever comes first) is declared
the outright winner.
Ten
points are awarded for a shot and when an opponent is
beaten a bonus is awarded. If your score is high enough
at the end of a game your initials can be entered in
the highscore table.
|
|
|
|
.
Yet
another case of a potentially good game ruined by the
restrictions imposed by the licensing deal. This is
a conversion of the arcade game Ping
Pong
and a very close conversion it is too. Unfortunately,
arcade Ping
Pong
isn't very good in the first place. In a word, or a
couple of words, it's dull. The graphics and sound are
on a par with the game, ie, dull. I couldn't honestly
recommend buying Ping
Pong,
but it may be worth a look at if table tennis is what
you enjoy most.
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
.
After
playing Ping
Pong
on the Amstrad and Spectrum I expected great things
of the 64 version, but unfortunately it isn't
anything special. There is a lack of variety in
shots and it seemed to make little difference
whether a shot was played early or late. This
makes the game rather dull to play. The graphics
are OK, but I would have expected a jolly title
screen tune or something, as the Spectrum version
had an amazing little ditty. If you're a table
tennis nut then I suppose this is a good buy,
but there are better games than this.
.
|
|
|
Presentation
83%
Five levels of play, a highscore table and a few
cute touches.
Graphics
61%
Lacking, but adequate.
Sound
58%
A couple of reasonable jingles
and noises, but little else.
Hookability
78%
Very simple to get into and play
. . .
Lastability
65%
. . . but perhaps a little too
simple.
Value
For Money 65%
Below average price, but then so
it should be.
Overall
66%
The best table tennis game on the
Commodore, but then it's the only one.
.
|
|
|
|
Htmlized
by Dimitris
Kiminas (4 Oct 2005)
Other
"Games of the Week!"
Home
|
| |
|
|
|
