Pong just turned 40! Which in video game years means that Pong is approaching Methuselah territory. For those of you that remember playing the original, congratulations - you're old too.

Fortunately, Atari is celebrating the occasion by releasing Pong World! The new game is the end result of Atari’s Pong Indie Developer Challenge, which the company launched last summer in an effort to find new ideas for their classic title.

Pong World goes way beyond the simple black-and-white of the original, taking the paddle action all over the place and adding in a slew of characters to give it some personality. Pong World also tosses many new features into the ring, including power-ups and collectables.

But the signature table tennis gameplay remains unchanged, because without that, you don't have Pong. The new game is a free download with an in-app payment system that lets you purchase coins to spend on power-ups and upgrades.

If you want to help celebrate Pong's 40th birthday, then download Pong World for your iPhone or iPad. Or at least give Pong a call. You never call anymore.

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