Pong’s Evolution Shown in Atari's Pong Quest
By Xander Townsend | Misfit Media Editor
For Atari appreciation week, I decided to focus on something a little bit more conceptually interesting. Atari was a little bit before my time, and I never found myself gravitating towards their games especially when I was younger (since I was allotted technological advancement). After a few suggestions and light investigation, my attention was pointed towards a game called Pong Quest. After playing Pong Quest, I don’t think a game developer would ever have the right to say that they wouldn't be able to expand on a pre-existing concept/IP because its "too basic".
Pong Quest, takes the ever popular and well known game Pong, and turns it into something quite different. It’s a little surprising that one of the first popular games ever made was the conceptual foundation of a super cute, yet oddly satisfying little rpg/dungeon crawler. Don’t get me wrong, it is on the shorter side, but one could argue that it didn't really need to be any longer.
Elements I love about this game are focused on its conceptual development and the simplicity related to its artistic direction. To be honest, the game didn't need very much in terms of the artwork and I appreciate that they decided to not let the conceptual framework develop into something unnecessarily overwhelming. The customisation elements provide an adequate amount of incentive, and the pong related upgrades add an additional level of complexity that was definitely needed. What I love most about this game is that they very cleverly developed one of the most simplistic games in existence into something that is genuinely enjoyable and suitable in the current game market. It also (very impressively) incorporates design and mechanical elements that are quite witty, like the new health system and the battle formats.
Overall, Pong Quest is definitely worth a play and can very easily fit in your game related schedule, so there isn't really an excuse not to give it a shot. It is a nice, bite sized game that really gets you thinking 'how far could they take other retro concepts?'