It’s often said that the best games have a simple concept at heart, and Pang is certainly one of those games. Half platformer and half shoot ‘em up, this conversion of a Capcom arcade game has you protecting the world’s major cities from a bunch of marauding bubbles.

Originally known as Buster Bros. in the far east, this game couldn’t be more Japanese if it tried, and I mean that in a good way, not in a ‘dress it up as a schoolgirl and roger it with a tentacle’ way. The cute, anime style of presentation really suits this game and the inter-stage cut-scenes are so incredibly twee they never fail to raise a smile.

Each stage presents the player with a number of large and deadly bubbles bouncing parabolically around the screen that must be eliminated using a trusty – if slightly inappropriate - harpoon. Avoiding the bubbles is your first priority as even the slightest touch will deplete your stock of lives by one. Rather like Asteroids, each time you hit a bubble it splits into two smaller bubbles, hit it again and it splits into two even smaller bubbles, so, rather like Asteroids, a lacklustre approach is likely to result in a screen saturated with tiny, inescapable spheroids of doom.

Even the most careful players will encounter problems as the creens increase in difficulty as the game progresses thanks to often deviously placed platforms and ladders, and creatures that will fly/crawl on-screen, affecting bubble trajectory and, when touched, causing your harpoon to jam.

There are a few pick-ups to help you on your way; often appearing just in time to get you out of a jam is the clock, which will freeze the bubbles in place while you blast away at them, preferably with the rapid firing vulcan cannon. The shield is probably the most useful pick-up, allowing you to take a single hit without losing a life and therefore having to starting the level over; while the dynamite is best avoided during the early phase of each stage, as it instantly separates all bubbles into their smaller, most dangerous form.

The overall impression left by a Pang session is that of its finely tuned gameplay – the aforementioned bubble splitting and the characters ability to only fire one harpoon at a time combine with responsive input, smooth movement and perfect collision detection to provide an enjoyable sense of precision and control.

I feel that Pang is one those underrated gems that rarely pops up in top games lists for any platform, but is great fun in short bursts while also offering depth for a player looking for a lengthy challenge. Play co-operatively with a friend to get the most out of this unique title.

Further reading

• Atari Legend
• Atarimania