I saw sparkfun make a similar table a few years back where they had multiple LED matrix screens connected together and put them into a table to play a four player game.
I decided to come up with my own version and wanted to keep the cost down as low as possible. The result is ‘The Super Pong Table’ This game is played with upto four players at a time, each player has an analog paddle controller to control their bat. The idea is to hit each ball back into the playing field. The original version included a score tally system whereby the first person to hit 20 balls was the winner. I have also come up with a better version whereby if you miss 20 balls, you are knocked out of the game – the last person remaining is the winner.
The first video shows the original version.
The second video shows the new and improved knockout version.
Full details to build your own can be found on my instructables write up Here.
is the kit is avaliable
Hi Abduulah, sorry but I don’t have any kit’s available at all. I did make an easier to build version which uses a RGB matrix display, here’s the link:
https://bradsprojects.com/retroball-the-built-it-yourself-game-kit/
Unfortunately I have sold out of those kits and i’m not sure that I will get any more kits made up. Keep an eye out on the page above though to see if any kits become available.
Hi Darren,
That kit certainly was a difficult one to build. I have a newer version called Retroball that is much simpler to build and have even made a colour version (not shown on my site though). It has been a project that I have put way back on the backburner however. I will eventually sell them but it will be later this year sometime.
The shop was open early 2016, did exceptionally poorly and so I shut it down. I will certainly let you know if I have some new kits to sell however.
Happy new year!
The easy bit is the LED matrix but I have no experience with the PIC or programming of them, (I am an Arduino man) and sadly the SMD is difficult with my dodgy eyes now 🙁
So, if you do have a kit available at any time I will be waiting with cash in hand
Hi Brad,
i bought and completely failed to build the kit a few years ago, however I wonder if you have a complete kit available now?
You link to the shop says it will be opening early 2016, any update on that?
Kind regards
Darren
Hey Brad,
Thanks for the kits, they arrived today safe and sound.
I was just wondering a couple of things:
Is it possible to get sound up and running on the kit version?
I was thinking of also having a play around with a slightly bigger display (19x19cm), this one from Sparkfun says that it needs a minimum of a 16MhZ processor to run: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12584
Would this work with the micro processor or can the kit matrix be daisychained with the micro controller?
Cheers,
Mike
HI again Mike, sorry for the late reply this time but I managed to make one of the new versions of Retroball Colour and write up a document showing how to make it.
Can you send me and email to sales@bradselectronicsshop.com.au and then I can reply with some more details of the new version and I’ll send you the assembly instructions for you to have a look at.
Hi Mike, I should have actually uploaded my latest version of this game a long time ago. The new version is really really simple to make and is played on an RGB screen and has more features. The circuit board actually only has two components on it which is a microcontroller and one resistor. The rest of the work is done by a pre made RGB LED panel. I’ll see if I get some time this weekend to upload some details of it and how you could build one. I could actually supply a complete kit with the RGB screen,… Read more »
Hi Brad, thanks for getting back to me so quickly!!! Would I please be able to buy a complete kit?
I would absolutely love to make one at school with my kids, have had a look at your online store and you have some great stuff there and very tempting prices! I will definitely be buying my electronics from there from now on!!
Mike
Hi Brad, My name is Mike and I’m a Grade 5/6 primary school teacher and head of IT at Wendouree Primary School in Ballarat VIC. I have just come across your site and have been amazed by the projects you have created!! My class and I have made a Bartop Arcade Cabinet using a RPi2 as well as a 1D pong game using a neopixel strip & arcade buttons. You Super Pong Table looks AMAZING and I’d like to have a go at building one with the kids! My coding experience is limited to a bit of python, I’d still… Read more »