What was your first ever videogame?

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My first video game was Pong. Yes, the original game with two paddles, a little white square bouncing back and forth, and graphics that made a calculator look sophisticated.

And I had a dedicated console for it. Imagine that. An entire electronic gaming system devoted to bouncing a little square back and forth across a television screen.

For those who don’t remember it, Pong was essentially electronic table tennis. You controlled a vertical line on one side of the screen, trying to bounce the ball past the vertical line on the other side. That was it. No elaborate graphics. No characters. No storyline. Just two paddles, a ball, and the occasional satisfying boop.

And I loved it.

There was just one problem. Too often, I didn’t have anyone to play against.

Today, that wouldn’t be much of an issue. You could play against the computer or connect with someone halfway around the world. But back then, if you wanted an opponent, you generally needed another human being in the room.

So I improvised.

I’d play both sides, one paddle with my left hand and the other with my right. I was simultaneously Player One and Player Two, trying to score against myself while desperately trying to prevent myself from scoring.

I’m not sure whether that made me exceptionally resourceful or simply a kid with too much time on his hands.

I do know that I never had anyone else to blame when I lost.

Eventually, video games became considerably more sophisticated. I graduated to the Nintendo Entertainment System, where Tecmo Super Bowl became a favorite. Now I could actually play football on my television, complete with teams, players, and something resembling strategy. That was quite a leap from trying to maneuver two white lines around a bouncing square.

Of course, today’s video games make even those early Nintendo games look primitive. The graphics are astonishing, the worlds are immersive, and players can compete with people thousands of miles away.

But there’s something charming about remembering when two paddles and a little white square were enough to keep a kid entertained for hours.

And the funny thing about playing Pong against yourself is that you always win.

Unfortunately, you always lose, too.

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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.