An update of the arcade classic pong goes psychedelic with the laws of fluid dynamics creating one intense game.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you fed a 70s' arcade machine a piece of high-powered blotter acid instead of a quarter?
Neither have I, but apparently game designer Steven Taylor did when he created Plasma Pong.
Actually, that's not entirely accurate. In his updated version of the arcade classic Pong, Taylor did some heavy research into the world of physics to create a game based on fluid dynamics.
Gameplay
The game starts off similar enough to the Pong we all know and love. There's a paddle on each side of the screen and a ball in the middle. Also similar to the original, the object of the game is deflect the ball and hope your opponent misses.
That's where the similarities end.
Unlike old-school Pong, the ball won't move by itself. You need manipulate the fluids in the space.
Pressing the left mouse button causes your paddle to release a wave of plasma that will send the ball away, albeit slowly.
The fluid also comes out in a galaxy of pretty colours, giving the game a psychedelic flavour.
But to really get the action moving, click the right mouse button. This creates suction, allowing you to build up plasma in your paddle and hopefully suck the ball in as well. Once the paddle is charged, let go of the mouse button to release a massive blast of plasma.
A nifty twist on an old game, but still doesn't sound too intense, does it?
Revving Up
The thing is, every time you score a point by getting the ball past the opposing players panel, you gain a level. With each level up, the fluid speeds up and becomes more unpredictable.
Past level 10, even though you create a vacuum to suck the ball in and blast it away, it may well just come flying back at you, good hand-eye coordination is essential.
To create a great sense of anxiety in the player, the music also speeds up with each level (further into the game, the rocking choral piece in the background starts to sound more like The Chipmunks doing heavy metal.)
Honestly, I never thought I'd find myself perspiring from a game of Pong but Plasma Pong succeeded in doing just that as I made my way past level 20 and had to keep my eye locked on the ball, lest it go flying somewhere I couldn't hit it.
Level Editing
Another unique feature of Plasma Pong is that it includes a level editor. That's right, a level editor. For Pong.
Going into "Sandbox Mode," you're free to muck around with the game physics yourself. Emitters that release a constant flow of plasma can placed around the screen, walls can be built along with sinkholes and strange gravity.
Are all those colours not trippy enough for you? Not to worry, you can mess around with the colours too and throw in three-dimensional lighting for good measure. Plus you can throw a grid (also fluid and strangely mobile throughout play) over the whole game area.
Overall
In the Fall of 2006, Steven Taylor took an antiquated game and breathed in new life by adding colour and an insane physics engine. Not only that, but the gameplay has a new intensity that actually draws sweat while playing a game that by modern standards should be boring.
An update on his website in February 2007 stated that he's working on a next-generation version of the game. It's almost unimaginable what could be done with it, but judging from the current version, it'll be something worth watching for.
Plasma Pong in its current incarnation is available as a free download for both Windows and OS X from the official Plasma Pong website.
