Alcorn began working on the Pong port in 1976, with a tight deadline to have it ready for the 1977 holiday season. He faced several challenges, including optimizing the game's code to fit within the limited memory of the Atari 2600.

But judged on its own terms—as a 1977 home translation—it’s a marvel. The game never slows down, even with two players. There’s no flicker (a common 2600 flaw in later games). It does exactly what it promises: recreates the core tension of table tennis on a television screen.

Variations like Soccer, Hockey, Volleyball, and Basketball that use "Pong-esque" paddle controls.

The "Pong" ROM on the Atari 2600 is widely considered one of the best ways to experience the game because of its variety. It includes: The traditional table tennis experience.