Shufflepuck Cafe

Overview

Shufflepuck Café is a 1988 game that was originally released for the early model Apple Macintosh by Brøderbund Software. It was later adapted to many other home computers. This air hockey game can be played in sessions against one opponent at a time, which the player chooses from a splash screen that features every character, or in a tournament mode where the player takes on every opponent in order of difficulty on their way to the top.

The player must rebound the puck past the opponents paddle, effectively breaking the holographic "glass" at the end of the table. The winner is the first to score fifteen points.

The original releases was black and white, while later versions featured color.

The player faces nine distinct opponents, each with their own strategies and tricks to get past them:

1. DC3: A waiter robot and an opponent with customizable difficulty levels that the player can practice on. Does not appear in the tournament mode.
2. Skip Feeney: A nerdy human who is also new to the game. First opponent in tournament mode.
3. Visine Orb: A small, nervous creature that quickly moves its paddle around but doesn't do much to block the player's shots.
4. Vinnie The Dweeb: An easy-going and languid player that is slow to react. Looks like a giant humanoid sloth.
5. Lexan Smythe-Worthington: An aristocratic alien who is always seen with a drink in his hand. Starts strong but constantly sips his martini throughout the match, making him less and less effective.
6. Eneg Doowtrop: Also known as The General, this military pig alien is aggressive with his returns but can leave gaps in his defense.
7. Nerual Ttoille: A mysterious alien that copies the player's every move, making him hard to overcome.
8. Princess Bejin: A mysterious robed woman who occasionally cheats by using her psychic powers to move the puck.
9. Biff Raunch: A burly biker type who is extremely competent at the game. Has no weaknesses. Presents the game's hardest challenge.

The player also has the ability to adjust the bounce and power of the paddle in the options menu.