I originally added Pong to Galactic Gladiators simply because of its place in gaming history. It is one of the earliest and most recognisable video games ever made, so it felt like exactly the sort of thing BARF might have hidden away in the ship’s computer.
At first, it was just going to be a diversion—a small game within the main game that the player could discover and play against BARF.
Then I had a much better idea.
What if beating BARF actually earned you something?
Pong is now tied into the main progression of Galactic Gladiators. If the player manages to defeat BARF, they unlock a new ability: plasma deflection.
The reward is also connected to the currently logged-in pilot, so it belongs to that player rather than simply being available to everyone. This gives the pilot profiles another purpose and makes the mini-game feel like a genuine part of the wider game.
BARF does not make it easy, either. As the match progresses, the difficulty increases. His reactions improve, the bats change size and, at the higher levels, they briefly flash out of sight. Losing a point gives the player the next serve, which adds a small opportunity to recover.
What began as a nostalgic extra has unexpectedly tied several parts of the project together:
- The pilot profile system
- Unlockable abilities
- Player progression
- BARF’s personality
- A small tribute to gaming history
It is another example of how Galactic Gladiators is developing. I often add something because it seems amusing or interesting, only to realise later that it can become part of the game’s underlying structure.
The best ideas really do seem to come from nowhere.
Now I just have to beat BARF.