Game: Pong: The Next Level
Platform: PS1
Year Released: 1999



It’s very rare that a new version of an old classic will actually do anything for the franchise other than defile it. Some games, it would seem, are better left alone, and attempts to cash in on a franchise name have often led to critical failures. However, in the late 1990s, Atari set out on a very ambitious task: to make a new version of the 1972 arcade classic Pong, a game that arguably put video games on the map and is one of the most famous names in the history of entertainment. As unlikely as it seemed, Atari managed to successfully revitalize Pong, putting a new spin on an old classic and making a game that was both fun and addictive.

At its core, the basic premise of Pong: The Next Level is pretty much the same as classic Pong: controlling bars in order to stop items from getting past a certain point. However, The Next Level offers so much more in terms of this premise. First of all, the game is jam-packed with gameplay, and is the kind of game you’ll keep on playing even after you have unlocked every level. You can even unlock original Pong if you beat the game, which is an obvious but still appreciated addition.

What really makes Pong: The Next Level a fun game is its level design. Atari took the Pong concept and expanded it tremendously, and the result is many creatively-designed levels in which you will bounce balls around with your paddles. For example, there’s soccer pong, where each player controls two paddles to simulate offense and defense, or penguin pong, in which penguins run across the ice and cause the balls to change direction. The different levels offer enough variety that each one feels new and fun. Sure, not every one is a winner, but an overwhelming majority of them are great.



It goes without saying that Pong: The Next Level is leaps and bounds ahead of the original in the graphics department. Pong was just a few white lines against a solid black backdrop, so even the simple act of adding color would have been an improvement. However, Atari did much more than just coloring; each level has a good amount of detail, and for a PS1 game, it’s pretty good-looking. The graphics are just another example of how Atari really took the time to make this more than just a rehash.

It’s worth noting that Pong: The Next Level was one of the few PS1 games that allowed up to four players to play, as long as you had a multitap (which was necessary in my household). Four-way pong matches were usually ridiculous and crazy, but it just added to the experience. It’s rare that a game works both as a single-player and party game, but this one managed to pull it off.



As mentioned before, not every level in The Next Level is perfect. Most of them were great, but there were definitely a few annoyances. Several levels were stupidly frustrating, and while it was sometimes possible to skip them, that’s no excuse for any level to not be fun to play. I like a challenge, but as I have said before, there is a difference between challenging and annoying, and a few of the boards in this game cross that line.

Being the classic video game that it is, Pong never actually needed a remake. Atari’s 1999 game could have been a disaster, but instead they took the time to craft a fun and addictive experience worthy of the Pong name. As a result, they created a modern-day classic that’s still fun almost ten years later. Pong: The Next Level is a game I like to go back and play every few years, and I always manage to get sucked right in to the addictive gameplay. If only more video game publishers would treat their franchises with as much care as Atari did with The Next Level.

 

 

 

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