Don’t scoff – table tennis, or ping pong, is a very challenging and entertaining game. However, before you kickstart your cardio for the week with a quickfire round, switching on King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX on the PS5 might save you a trip to the local parlor. And a heart attack.
For me, Eastasiasoft’s latest sports title is more on the challenging side than entertaining. For a week or so, I debated whether or not to give it a chance, as the sport doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest, and at face value, it didn’t look that exciting either. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot, and boy, is it hard.
Whether a game is difficult or not is as subjective as whether the sound of a fart should be laughed at (it should, no debate). If you find rhythm games a doddle, or better still, games like Super Punch-Out!! or Leftovers KO! more in tune with your skill set, then King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX is going to be a title for you. Timing and placement are everything, and from my perspective, this is the most challenging aspect.
The goal is to get through five opponents and win the championship. The first to five points wins, and that’s about it, aside from the odd match point where you’re both at four. Generally speaking, King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX will be very one-sided as the AI opponents are far too OP. For starters, they never miss a shot, aside from the main strategy to reduce their stamina levels. Additionally, they have a Punish move that is a powerful shot that is often hard to volley, as well as being able to charge up their special.
Yep, the odds are very much against you in a game so simple in its design. From a first-person perspective, you see your paddle on screen and are on the receiving end of each volley, without the chance to serve. There are three positions on the table: left, centre, and right, and these can be navigated through the DualSense’s d-pad or sticks. To return a shot, you simply position yourself and press the respective button that places the ball to the left, centre, or right.
There are a couple of problems here. As mentioned, the AI player will always return a volley without fail, no matter where it’s directed. The only way to win is to keep up a rally, then eventually the other player will tire, guaranteeing that they won’t return the volley, but you can still miss their shot. Often, the other player will perform a special move, and if it isn’t hard to predict where it’ll go, the response time to even get in position is slow. But the main problem is getting your timing right. It’s either too early or too late. My only advice is not to pay attention to the visuals, and instead listen. This was a much more effective strategy, but to win? Pah! No chance.
Should you get enough volleys going, you too can power up and hit harder, but again, it’s no guarantee of a point, more a way to fast-track their stamina depleting. On the flip side, King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX is a really good-looking arcade game. The speed at which you can jump into a game and all the accompanying sounds are reminiscent of the arcades, and both look and sound the part. Character designs are also really cool, and for a game that’s so restrictive, they certainly bring a charm to it, even if it’s a bit too heavy-handed on the difficulty front.
Ping pong isn’t the most popular sport title in the world of video games, and probably for good reason. Despite that, King of Ping Pong: MEGAMIX really is a good game in so many respects if looking for an arcade title. Unfortunately, the biggest hurdle is the difficulty, and without any options to change this, it’s the biggest, most important flaw. As identified, if Super Punch-Out!! and rhythm games are your thing, or if you just want something to really challenge you, grab a paddle.
