I.T. Kid

Battle Pong is Pong with something to break: behind each paddle sits a shield, and the rally is over when one of them goes. Where the ball meets the paddle sets its angle, so the game is as much about the return you choose as the one you save.

The side walls carry the weapons. Hit a blue panel to load one of three slots, then fire while the ball is in play: a bigger paddle, a smaller one, a faster or a slower one, a single bullet, three at once, a homing shot, or a ball that reverses direction. The computer plays at beginner, normal or expert, and two people can share the keyboard -- the arrow keys and Left Ctrl against Q, A and S.

The whole match is on the screen at once: a health bar for each side, three weapon slots apiece, a score and a music switch, over a white field of dark paddles and a ball that will not stay still.