How to play › ARCADE
NET PADDLE
Five machines, one table and a tournament ladder. Net Paddle is a paddle-and-ball duel where just keeping the ball alive is not enough: every machine has its own temper, and a flat return gets punished.
PLAY NOW ▶The goal
Beat all five machines in a row to clear the ladder. Matches against the first two are first to five points; after that they are first to seven. You always have to win by two.
How a match plays
Serve, then return the ball past your opponent's paddle. Move into the ball as you hit it to bend its path. A flat return (a still paddle hitting the ball dead centre) invites a punishing shot to the far rail, so angle it, curve it or smash it instead. Every curve and smash also tires the machine.
Smash (X) sends the ball half again as fast, but your paddle freezes after the swing. The curve shot (C) hooks in flight; hold up or down to choose which way. The shoulder buttons dash your paddle up or down in an instant. You score for every point won and for every hit in a rally. If you lose a match, you can rematch that machine and keep your place on the ladder.
Controls
| Keyboard | Pad | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Up / Down | Stick / d-pad | Move the paddle (hold to aim the serve) |
| Z / Space | A | Serve |
| X | B | Smash (risky) |
| C / Right | C | Curve shot; hold up or down to choose the hook |
| Q / E | L / R | Dash up or down |
| Left | Stick left | Dash the way you are moving |
On a phone or tablet, a see-through joystick and A, B, C, L, R and SPACE buttons appear over the game and do the same as the keys above.
Gamepad: the stick or d-pad moves and the buttons follow the Pad column (Start is START). Esc, P or Back pauses, and the HOW TO PLAY button over the game shows the basics any time.
Modes
The ladder is the whole game. The machines, in order:
- ROOKIE: slow hands, big paddle.
- TRICKSTER: every return bends.
- PRO: reads your angles.
- THE WALL: twice your size and never in a hurry.
- CHAMPION: smashes back.
Clearing the ladder is not quite the end: the champion's trophy cabinet has a glass door, and something behind it has been watching.
Mastery stars
Each star pays tickets the first time you earn it.
- Bronze: Score 800.
- Silver: Read This: beat the PRO.
- Gold: Top of the Ladder: beat all five machines in one run.
Daily challenge
No. Net Paddle is the one game in the arcade without a daily challenge.
Beginner tips
- Never stand still when the ball arrives. Moving into it bends the return, and a flat return is exactly what the machines are waiting for.
- Use the curve shot against the PRO. It reads straight angles well, but a hook goes where paddles are not.
- Smash only when you are sure of the next position. After a smash your paddle freezes briefly, and a quick return can get past you.
- Dash with Q and E to reach sharp angles instead of chasing them with the arrows.
- Mix curves and smashes into long rallies. Each one tires the machine, which matters most against the patient ones later on the ladder.