About Pong
Pong is the original arcade video game, first released by Atari in 1972. The rules are simple: bounce the ball past your opponent's paddle to score. First to 7 points wins. This implementation features 1-player mode against a CPU opponent, or 2-player mode where both players share the keyboard. The ball speeds up slightly with each paddle hit, making rallies progressively harder.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I change difficulty?
- Not in this version — the AI plays at a fixed tracking speed slightly slower than the maximum paddle speed, which produces close games for most players.
- Why does the ball get faster?
- Each paddle hit increases ball speed by 3%, mimicking the arcade original. This rewards quick reflexes as rallies extend.
- Can I play on mobile?
- The game uses keyboard input, which works only on devices with a keyboard. Touch controls are a planned future feature.
- Does paddle position affect ball angle?
- Yes — hitting the ball near the top of the paddle sends it more upward, near the bottom more downward. Use this to angle shots past your opponent.
- Who invented Pong?
- Allan Alcorn at Atari developed it in 1972. It was one of the first commercially successful video games and is often credited with launching the video game industry.