Pong system query.

[Push Upstairs]

Did the early Pong systems allow the computer to control the 2nd player or were they strickly 2-player only?

[Flack]

Some of them had a "practice mode" -- if I remember correctly, it basically turned the right hand side into a solid wall (kind of like folding up half of a ping-pong table for practice).

[Push Upstairs]

Thanks for the reply Flack.

Someone at work had been asking about what system had the first computer opponent to play against and i thought Pong was.

So i wonder what was the first game that allowed you to play vs a computer opponent.

[Flack]

Thanks for the reply Flack.

Someone at work had been asking about what system had the first computer opponent to play against and i thought Pong was.

So i wonder what was the first game that allowed you to play vs a computer opponent.

The first home console game? Or the first game ever?

I'm pretty sure one or more of the Atari 2600 launch titles allowed you to play against the computer (Basketball, for one). I'll have to start digging to beat that.

[Push Upstairs]

Strickly in the realm of home consoles and games.

[rbudrick]

Some, like flack said, had a game mode (handball or squash or something) where you just bounced it off a wall on the other side. I don't think I remember any that labelled it "practice mode," but I don't doubt that some did.

I don't think I've ever seen one that was standard Pong with the second actual paddle controlled by the computer tho...

-Rob

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I'm pretty sure we were into early programmable systems by the time one-player capability came around. I've got a collection of pong-style systems spanning '72-'76, and not one of them has solo play.

[Nubiandaze]

MY Haminex t-666 has practice mode and it's a PONG. Practicr mode can only be played when playing SQUASH I think.

Nubian.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Holy crap, I was looking for something else and found that this topic's been done before (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26168) - and someone raised the very good point of the electronic game "Blip."

Mea culpa. Man, there really is nothing new under the pixellated sun, is there?