http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/scorecard/06/01/pong.review/index.html
Rockstar Games, the same company that introduced wanton violence and degradation to the video game world through its Grand Theft Auto series, has brought the industry full circle through its new Xbox 360 title, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis ($40).
That's right. Table Tennis. Or Ping-Pong, if you prefer.
At this point you might ask why anyone would want to play a Ping-Pong video game when there are so many other options to waste your precious geek time on. Why hit a little white ball back and forth across the screen mindlessly when you can throw 60-yard spirals with Michael Vick in Madden, hunt down terrorists in the latest Tom Clancy manifestation or, of course, drive around San Andreas with a fully-loaded semi-automatic?
That's a good question but, before you proceed any further with your skepticism, consider that the progenitor of all video games was little more than an eponymous Ping-Pong game.
Essentially, Rockstar's barebones take on pingpong doesn't involve that much more than the original. Therein lies the beauty of this title -- it's just Ping-Pong. You won't feel as though you have to waste time on fancy create-a-character game modes or take two hours to decide what colors and logos you want on your paddle. You just boot up the game, pick a character and play. Old-school gaming doesn't get much better than this, especially if you are sick of having to figure out what all of the buttons, triggers and joysticks do on these newfangled controllers every time you buy a new game.
As simple as the concept is, the game itself is quite difficult. The result of any given match often depends on the matchups; veterans of Street Fighter 2 can attest to how much depth and subtlety this can add to a game. Each of the characters have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Swedish player, Jesper, is all power and no serve. Hit a popup to him and he'll smash it to pieces. But if you pick a finesse player like Juergen the German and put enough sidespin or backspin (or both) on your serve, Jesper is likely to hit it out of bounds and give you an easy point.
Just when you think you have a particular character or style of play down pat, you come across an opponent who munches on you Blanka-style. Get beat down enough times and you'll remember what Master Kan told Caine in Kung Fu: "It may take half a lifetime to master one system."
The different characters provide texture, but that alone wouldn't be enough to make for compelling game. That's why Rockstar added an ingenious bit of strategy -- the Focus Meter. The more spin shots you execute correctly, the more your Focus Meter fills up. You can then use this pent-up juice during a key moment in the rally to deliver a crushingly effective shot that, if played correctly, will result in a point. Even so, rallies often go on for 40, 50 or even 60 furious shots at a time. (Just a warning for the visually impaired: Your contact lenses will fog up at about the 45-shot mark.)
Put it all together and you get an experience so manic and engrossing that it's almost too much to take. Indeed, after a couple of hours you may want to transition to something less stressful, like Ghost Recon 2: Advanced Warrior.
