Game review
Pong
7.6 / 10
- Developer
- Frank Force
- Publisher
- Frank Force
- Released
- 1 January 2026
- Platforms
- phone, desktop
- Genre
- arcade
- Monetisation
- free
- Players
- true
The short version
A genuinely well-made Pong remake with a nice retro CRT filter, a live AI-vs-AI demo attract mode, and an optional local 2-player toggle - confirmed working with real mouse-tracked and touch-dragged paddle control, real ball physics with spin, and a working serve/score loop on both desktop and phone.
Biggest strengths
- Confirmed genuinely functional on both platforms with real, natural controls - on desktop, the paddle smoothly tracks the mouse's vertical position (arrow keys and a gamepad stick also work), and on phone, dragging a finger anywhere on the play field moves the paddle by the same logic - both verified by dispatching real input and watching the paddle move to the expected position
- Real ball physics, not a fixed bounce angle - the ball picks up spin from the paddle's own recent velocity, confirmed visually via its motion-trail and rotation changing after each bounce
- A nice attract-mode touch - the title screen runs a live, watchable AI-vs-AI demo rally in the background rather than a static image
Biggest weaknesses
- Serving is instant on both platforms - the very first touch or click both moves the paddle to that position AND serves the ball in the same input, which can catch a first-time player off guard before they've settled their paddle position
- Sound wasn't deeply evaluated beyond confirming no load errors
- Pong is Pong - the underlying game offers little beyond what the original 1972 formula did; the CRT filter and demo mode are nice touches but don't change the core loop
Who it's for: Anyone who wants a quick, faithfully-executed round of Pong with a nice visual polish pass, solo against AI or locally with a friend.
Our recommendation: play
7.6 / 10
Opening
This is a clean, faithful Pong remake with a few nice touches layered on top: a toggleable CRT scanline and colour-fringing filter, a live AI-vs-AI demo rally running on the title screen, and an optional local 2-player mode alongside the default solo-vs-AI game.
Real, natural controls on both platforms
Rather than trust the on-screen presentation, actual input was dispatched on both platforms. On desktop, moving the mouse vertically smoothly repositions the paddle in real time (arrow keys or a gamepad's left stick also work, with the most recently used device taking priority so they don't fight each other), and a click or Space serves the ball. On phone, dragging a finger anywhere in the play field does the same thing - confirmed by two separate touch drags that moved the paddle to distinctly different heights, matching the drag position each time.
Real physics, with spin
The ball isn't locked to a fixed bounce angle - it visibly picks up spin from the paddle's recent velocity, seen clearly in its rotating sprite and motion trail changing direction after bouncing off both a player paddle and the AI paddle, complete with a small particle burst on impact.
A few thoughtful extras
The title screen's live AI-vs-AI demo is a nice detail that makes the menu feel alive rather than static, and the CRT filter is a well-executed, entirely optional stylistic layer rather than something forced on the player.
Final Verdict
A well-built, faithfully playable Pong remake confirmed working with real, responsive controls on both desktop and phone, dressed up with a tasteful retro filter and a couple of nice extra touches. It doesn't reinvent the format, but it executes it cleanly.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Confirmed genuinely functional on both platforms with real, natural controls - on desktop, the paddle smoothly tracks the mouse's vertical position (arrow keys and a gamepad stick also work), and on phone, dragging a finger anywhere on the play field moves the paddle by the same logic - both verified by dispatching real input and watching the paddle move to the expected position
- Real ball physics, not a fixed bounce angle - the ball picks up spin from the paddle's own recent velocity, confirmed visually via its motion-trail and rotation changing after each bounce
- A nice attract-mode touch - the title screen runs a live, watchable AI-vs-AI demo rally in the background rather than a static image
- A tasteful, toggleable CRT scanline and chromatic-aberration filter that reads clearly as a stylistic choice, with an OPTIONS menu to turn it off
- A real local 2-player mode (toggle the right paddle off AI with T) alongside the default vs-AI mode, and a working reset/score system
Cons
- Serving is instant on both platforms - the very first touch or click both moves the paddle to that position AND serves the ball in the same input, which can catch a first-time player off guard before they've settled their paddle position
- Sound wasn't deeply evaluated beyond confirming no load errors
- Pong is Pong - the underlying game offers little beyond what the original 1972 formula did; the CRT filter and demo mode are nice touches but don't change the core loop