Chronogamer

Override! This game is great, and is most likely the basis for Atari Pong. For that reason alone, it should get a better score.

 

Moreover, I live the incorporation of "English." It's way more interesting that just waiting for the ball to bounce.

 

The only downside, in my mind, is that the "reset" button is the "cheat" button, if you know what I mean.

Override! This game is great, and is most likely the basis for Atari Pong. For that reason alone, it should get a better score.

 

Moreover, I live the incorporation of "English." It's way more interesting that just waiting for the ball to bounce.

 

The only downside, in my mind, is that the "reset" button is the "cheat" button, if you know what I mean.

 

We've played this game a bit more since this entry was written. Even though it can be pretty fun, we still don't count it as worthy of causing us to miss an episode of Ultraman which is the cutting edge of both cheesy TV special effects and Japanese import grooviness. Remember, the score isn't about the inherent entertainment value of the game, its about the opportunity cost.

 

Now if they'd called it something like "Telekinetic Tennis" and the incorporation of English represented our ability to mentally manipulate the trajectory of the ball...well then, that WOULD be cooler than Ultraman and we'd play it much longer, making Theremin sounds the whole time.

 

...which means we COULD just call it that, make the sounds and enjoy it a whole lot more...and ditch Ultraman. I'll count your overrule when I finally publish the treemeat version of this blog.

 

By the way, thanks for reading and commenting. I didn't think people were still going back to these old entries and checking them out. You've inspired me to try cajoling my son into playing "Armor Battle" with me tomorrow!

A few notes:

• Überlay is just EPIC!
  
• Star Trek FTW. That had to be said.
  

I SO would've turned off Table Tennis to watch Ultraman!!!

 

Well, I disagree with you on that. I can't be sure, of course, because I wasn't born at the time, but it's my belief that the feeling of being able to control something on your TV screen must have been an amazing experience back then. I mean, what about when video cameras came out and everyone could put themselves on the screen? That was just insane!

 

Everyone who loves games today eventually started with games that the next generations simply couldn't stand. I hold dear in my memory plenty of EGA games that most people wouldn't stand to look at for more than 3 seconds today, much less giving them a try. But those games were special for us, and empowered us in ways that we thought impossible at the time. So I think that playing Table Tennis must have been quite a sensation back then, but only for curious, open-minded, tech-savvy people.

 

I would have given the Odyssey the point, just for the sake of it presenting a whole new form of entertainment.

I think if I'd been an adult in 1972, I would have definitely played Odyssey over watching Ultraman, but remember... no VCRs... you miss that episode of Ultraman... when are you going to see it again? ever? you're five or six years old, that Odyssey will be in your house tomorrow, but the episode of Ultraman? It was pretty compelling "in the moment" times... there was no "saving for later" when it came to TV watching in 1972. xD

That is true. But then we shouldn't compare playing a game (which you can do at any time) to something that you must do in a particular moment. I mean, even your favorite game today will be put on hold if there's a sports event, concert, or something else that you want to watch live, without it necessarily meaning that you prefer those things to the game. You simply organize your life so that you can do them both. A game may mean much more to you than some sports event, even though you opted for it in that specific occasion.

 

So maybe a better comparison would have been Odyssey vs Risk or some other board game you could just pick up and play at any time.