King Pong Game Review (age 8+) and Giveaway for Drumond Park

The Summer is over but it's not all bad news, game season is back! One of Drumond Park's newest releases is King Pong, a very active game for 2-4 players aged 8+. This is one that'll get the couch potatoes sitting up and joining in...

Inside the box is everything you'll need, and you do have to assemble this one yourself. Much like the game Crazy Claw there is a cube formed from clear plastic with a solid base, corner pillars and top. Then the pyramid fits neatly into the centre. It'll take about 10 minutes maximum - it's a newer design and much better, less fiddly than Crazy Claw.

Inside the box, as well as the King Pong game cube, you have 2 blocking triangles for covering sides where no player is sitting, and 5 balls each in yellow, blue, green and white.

The balls are ping pong balls with a textured plastic which feels nice in your hands. The colours are excellent - my colourblind sons have no trouble distinguishing them apart.

Each cube side has a tray clipped onto it to collect the balls which fall out of the hatch. Whenever you move the game, the trays immediately fall off, but this isn't an issue during play and they actually prevent the cube itself moving round on the table.

The aim of the game is really simple and anyone can play instantly. Start with 5 balls of one colour and bounce your balls into the cube, either through the top or the window on your side, hoping they then roll out a different side. Any balls which fall into your tray become yours and need to be bounced into the cube too.

Everyone plays at once and the aim is to grab the balls from the bottom tray and bounce them into the top or side of the box - using only ONE HAND. The pyramid inside randomly flips balls back out. When you have no balls of any colour left in your tray, you can slide shut the green hatch and you are the winner. Sounds simple.

It's actually manic. There are balls everywhere. This is a really energetic, yet pretty addictive game. You are determined to bounce the balls into the cube and have what seems like an endless supply to make your attempts. Each game only takes a few minutes - it can all be over in moments if you are a lucky good shot and the pyramid is kind to you!

You need quite a lot of space for this game in order to get a bounce on the table, probably a minimum playing area of around 70cm square for 4 players and more will be better. If you are only playing with 2 or 3 players, you can play in a smaller area. The ping pong balls do not bounce satisfactorily on carpet.

My youngest son likes this game best and that's as I'd have guessed. It's quite silly and the skill level is minimal, but there's something about it that appeals to our competitive side and it's so frantic and quick that you don't mind 'just another go'. Fishing all the balls out from under the sofa repeatedly is a pain though!

King Pong is distributed by Drumond Park and is suitable for 2-3 players aged 8+. Available now from all good toy shops including Smyths and Argos and Amazon rrp £24.99.

Drumond Park have offered a copy of King Pong as a giveaway prize for one of my readers. Entry to the giveaway is by Gleam form below. For help with Gleam or to see my other UK giveaways, please go to the Giveaways page...

The giveaway is open to UK entrants only and will close at midnight Sunday 1st October. Full terms and conditions are at the bottom of the Gleam form.

King Pong Game Review (age 8+) and Giveaway for Drumond Park

We were sent our copy of King Pong for review.