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Pang

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ST Graveyard has written 62 additional reviews

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Written by ST Graveyard

November 6, 2002

Comments

When I hear the name "Pang" , I'm not only thinking of an addictive, little game with big balls...I'm also reminiscing of summer evenings with friends (the summers that seemed to last forever), playing this game as a team. One particular friend that, sadly enough, passed away about two years ago. I immediately start to hum the catchy intro tune, which sticks in your head forever. That's the beauty of these old games, I'm not only playing them again cause they are a lot of fun, but they also hold some precious memories.


But I'm drifting off here. "Pang" was another smash hit by mega company Ocean. This game was released as early as 1989 and became an instant hit. Converted from the original arcade version (capcom) by Mitchell, the game looked good, sounded good (especially considering its age) and had an original concept. And I bet the Japanese manga style characters also had something to do with its popularity, making it attractive for the youngest among us...


Graphics

As mentioned above, very sharp and colorful graphics (remember, we're talking about an Ocean game) . Every level feateres a nice, detailed background of a famous place in the world. Animation is also good and the characters are all well drawn and funny. Manga style cutscenes pup up now and then in between levels. It's all top notch!


Sound

Very catchy tunes can be heard throughout this game, from the intro to every single level. There are some minor sound FX, but not much. It's all standard ST sound chip stuff quality wise, but the songs are just fun!


Gameplay

What makes Pang such a blast is its extremely original concept, yet very ease gameplay. So, what's it about, you ask. Well, you just shoot up into the sky at bouncing balls. If you hit them, they split up. So its your job to keep on hitting them until they are no more. And all of this, without making any physical contact with them. Weird? Yes, it is. Fun? You betcha...


Of course, if that was all there was to it, it would become very boring quickly. To spice things up there are occasional appearing animals that crawl or fly over the screen. If you manage to shoot one, you get a bonus. Among these items we have fast shots, staying shots, an actual gun, shields and extra time. But watch out, if you get hit by such an enemy, you are stunned for a moment and unable to shoot.


Each level has to be finished within a limited amount of time. The higher you progress, the more difficult the scenery gets. You'll have to face such dangers as slippery floors, crawl on ladders and sometimes shoot at some bricks to complete a level! This of course, also keeps the game more interesting and fun. Every level takes place in another part of the world (the famous aircraft traveling over a map appears every time you complete a level). And there are a lot of them to keep you busy for a while (50 levels, to be precise).

As you might have guessed by reading the "comments" section of this review, the two player cooperative mode is what makes this game a real winner! You just have to try it to believe it. Pang is one of those games in my top 5 list of best two player game ever!


Conclusion

Nice colorful graphics, lots a catchy tunes and extremely addictive gameplay! This game has been released on every system available and it gets re-released under different names even today, 15 years after its first appearance. I guess that says it all! Try it, and you'll understand why...






Score
  • Graphics: 8
  • Sound: 7
  • Gameplay: 9
  • Overall: 8

Review Comments

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Zone Warrior

February 12, 2023 by AtariCrypt

Once again, pesky aliens are giving us Earthlings lots of grief. We previously fought them off but they managed to pinch a time machine so are using that to alter history and wreak havoc by taking crucial hostages from each period in an attempt to halt their influence. From the invention of the wheel in prehistoric times to England's King Arthur uniting Britain! And where would any of us be today without Japan and its technical wizardry? Yep, we cannot allow this - the fight is on!

Son Shu Shi

March 21, 2021 by ST Graveyard

What an accomplishment this game is. Created with such a small team, the result is really amazing. The game oozes creative passion. While the gameplay is really well balanced, it is a tough cookie, very hard from time to time with its moments of sheer frustration. As of level 3, timing becomes key. You will need to practice and learn the levels to complete this game, there are so many bad guys on screen it sometimes gets a bit hard to take.

Blood Money

April 4, 2020 by Morcar

Graphically, it's also nice on the eyes with well-defined graphics and animation. You really get the feeling that the developers put some thought and love into the game. Remember what I said about the large levels? Well these are wonderful and are very different to each other, they also scroll fairly smooth in all four directions.

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