This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008) |
Konami's Ping Pong is a sports arcade game created in 1985 by Konami. It is the first video game to accurately reflect the gameplay of table tennis, as opposed to earlier simplifications like Pong. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Famicom Disk System, MSX, and ZX Spectrum.
| Konami's Ping Pong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Famicom Disk System, MSX, ZX Spectrum |
| Release | Arcade
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, 2-player |
Gameplay
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Konami's Ping Pong can be played singleplayer or multiplayer, using 11 point scoring rules; the first player to attain a score of 11 or higher, leading by two points, wins the game (to a maximum of 14-14, at which moment the next point wins). The player must win the best of two out of three games in order to win the match. The playfield is shown from an isometric perspective with the players displayed as disembodied hands; players placed on the far-side of the table will find hitting the ball is much more difficult, but the player is always positioned on the near side during the single player mode. All the essential moves are represented: forehand, backhand, lob, and smash.
The game includes the penguin protagonist from Konami's earlier title Antarctic Adventure on the title screen and as a member of the audience in the game. This penguin would be later be known as Penta. In the introductory animation, a pingpong ball bounces along the table, and finally hits Penta on the head, who appears to faint.
Reception
editIn Japan, Game Machine listed Konami's Ping Pong on their September 1, 1985 issue as being the nineteenth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[2]
Ports
edit| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Crash | Smash![3] |
In 1985, the game was released by Konami for MSX computers and in 1986, the game was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum by Imagine Software and Bernie Duggs, under the name Ping Pong. Apart from scaled-down graphics and sound due to limited system capabilities, the ports perfectly replicate the arcade gameplay.
In 1987, the game was ported to the Famicom Disk System as Smash Ping Pong and published by Nintendo. Nintendo's character Donkey Kong Jr. replaces Konami's Penta in the crowd. Diskun, a Famicom Disk System Mascot, also replaces Pentarou in a title screen.
Legacy
editThe game was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan and the PAL region (the latter got this as an import game under the title Smash Table Tennis).
Konami's Ping Pong was made available on Microsoft's Game Room service for its Xbox 360 console and for Windows-based PCs in June 2010.
Smash Ping Pong was digitally re-released as part of Nintendo Switch Online's library of Famicom games in December 2020.[4]
References
edit- ^ https://www.famitsu.com/games/t/18381/ [bare URL]
- ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 267. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 September 1985. p. 25.
- ^ Game review, Crash issue 28, May 1986, page 112
- ^ "Nintendo Switch Online NES Update 5.1.0 and SNES Update 2.1.0 patch notes". 18 December 2020.
External links
edit- Konami's Ping Pong at the Killer List of Videogames
- Information on ZX Spectrum conversion from CRASH magazine
- Smash Ping Pong on the Famicom 40th Anniversary page (in Japanese)