Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 92 total - Pro target 425k)
Lots of horizontal lines, with pairs of diamond shaped pegs. It's only level 1 so it ought to be doable with power ups.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 409,850
- That was actually tougher than it looked. Although I probably made heavy weather of it. I got all the red pegs but needed to avoid the 10k bonus bucket at the end. Thought I had a good chance as the last peg was low and central, but the ball managed to find a way to the edge and I just missed out on the pro score.
Level 2 (Clear 35 red pegs from 110 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)
Three eccentric squares, plus some extra horizontal pegs and a few diamond ones.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 673,490
- Lots of opportunities for rebounding, distance, and other bonuses here, so the score went up pretty fast. No problems clearing the pegs or reaching the pro target.
I didn't find it quite so easy going back for the video. I had two failures before I got it again with a score of 581,710.
Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 83 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 375k)
I'm not entirely sure what this is supposed to represent. We have a big + sign with a circle in each quarter and a few odd pegs. The pro target is quite low which can be an indication that points can be hard to come by.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 245,530
- Three pegs left at the end, but then I didn't manage a single bucket catch. Judging the deflections here is quite tricky.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 558,330
- Had a bit more luck this time. Picked up a few more unexpected bucket catches, and took out more pegs with ricochets.
I did it again at the next attempt for the video. I didn't score as high as the previous go with 455,600 but it was enough.
Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 94 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 400k)
The design is based around the picture, so there are lots of loose pegs and odd angles. The pro target is still quite low.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 298,280
- Points did seem to be quite hard to come by. I could have taken an easy win with my last ball, but I went for a deflection off the purple peg to try and give myself a chance at the pro target instead, and missed it.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 354,080
- A better score, but still two pegs left at the end. I'm reluctant to turn to power ups so early, so I'll give it one more go.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 475,790
- Got it that time. It took 15 shots to finish it, but in truth I could have done it in a couple less. I used up a couple of balls at the end trying to boost my score, despite being already guaranteed of the pro target.
A comfortable pro score at the next attempt for the video. I got to take quite a few purple peg shots at the end once I'd cleared the way to the final red peg. I scored 579,850 thanks to a final 100k bonus.
Level 5 (Clear 15 red pegs from 86 total - Pro target 425k)
Lots of loose pegs top and bottom, separated by two rows of large metal blocks which take alternate steps to the right. Only 15 red pegs to get rid of though.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 570,290
- I found this one quite easy. The blocks in the centre moved slowly enough to make deflections pretty easy. Not so easy to make catches, but with so few red pegs to hit, they were less important. I had this one complete with several balls in hand.
I can't believe I thought this was easy first time around. Clearing the red pegs wasn't that difficult, but accumulating enough points for a pro score I found much harder. But since I'd done it without power ups the first time, then I felt obliged to do the same for the video, and it took me another 13 attempts to do it again. This time I scored 461,330.
Level 6 (Score 375k with 35 red pegs and 48 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)
Same strange design as level 3, but I got this pro target score on my second go at that level, and without power ups, so it hopefully shouldn't be too hard.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 374,570
- That didn't go very well. I still had quite a few pegs left in the middle, including 6 red ones. None of my balls really seemed to penetrate this area.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 274,900
- A pretty poor effort. Very similar to the previous attempt in terms of what was left, only more so. I think it's time to bring in a laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 483,000
- Not far off the pro target by using the laser ball, and certainly comfortably over the basic target. I took the entire central column out with the first ball by pointing it straight down and letting it bounce vertically, taking the pegs out one at a time. It let me get to the yellow trigger peg which was right at the bottom.
Level 7 (Clear 45 red pegs from 92 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same layout as level 1. But the pro target is quite high, so I'll start with a laser ball.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 610,920
- The score was fine, but missed a couple of red pegs. Only managed 9 shots from the 7 balls, so I ought to be able to do better than that.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 614,440
- Managed to clear the red pegs this time, but couldn't quite amass enough points for the pro target.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 80 blue - Pro target 650k)
The same layout as level 2, but that's a lot of pegs to clear so I'll use the laser ball straightaway.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 704,600
- It was touch and go whether I was going to clear all the pegs or get enough points for the pro target, but I managed to hang just long enough to do both.
Again, clearing the pegs was the hardest part. I had to keep the final ball going for quite a few shots. But I made it for a score of 794,120.
Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 64 blue, with 9 balls - Pro target 550k)
The same layout as level 4, but all the pegs need clearing, so I'll probably need a power up.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 563,510
- Still quite a few pegs left at the end, although the pro target doesn't appear to be a problem. Having most of the pegs clustered in the centre doesn't make for an ideal target for the laser ball. I think I'll add a trampoline.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 799,740
- I had quite a lot of luck with this one. I had lots of early balls that got amongst the pegs and ricocheted around a lot, taking out 10-15 each. It left me with about 7 balls and about 20 pegs, but I managed to make just enough catches to finish it.
More skill, I felt on the next attempt. I took the clearance for a score of 709,770.
Level 10 (Clear 25 red pegs from 86 total, with a 5s shot-clock - Pro target 550k)
The same layout as level 5, with the moving rows of metal blocks, but the shot clock is going to make this awkward.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 222,370
- The combination of the moving blocks and the shot-clock make this very awkward. It's also very tricky to amass anything approaching the pro target. I only had one red peg left at the end, but I hadn't even got halfway towards it.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 204,030
- Several pegs left this time, and an even worse score. This could take a while.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 246,890
- Well I took the victory, despite being a long way from the pro target, so now I can go back and aim for the pro target on the four levels that I missed it on.
Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 92 total - Pro target 425k)
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 221,820
- Nowhere near the target score, or indeed clearing the red pegs. The deflections are very hard to judge.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 523,830
- I went to the laser ball just to get this one out of the way. It made the target much easier to reach.
I actually did this one without the laser ball when I went back and did it for the video. I only just scraped home, but I made it with a score of 440,170.
Level 6 (Score 375k with 35 red pegs and 48 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 286,670
- This just didn't work at all. I didn't manage to get the laser ball activated until way too late.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 591,670
- This looked doomed from the start. I added a Big Bounce, but both trigger pegs were right down the bottom and a nightmare to get to. I only had two balls left when I triggered the laser ball, but I managed to catch it and then trigger the trampoline on the last ball. The last ball then bounced all over the place, finished off the remaining red pegs, then fell in the 50k bonus bucket.
With both power ups again for the video, I found it much easier, taking a total clearance for a score of 830,910.
Level 7 (Clear 45 red pegs from 92 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 650k)
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 789,760
- The catches all seemed to work this time, the laser ball took out plenty of pegs, there were a few lucky catches as well, and it all came together perfectly.
I had plenty of points on the next attempt but missed the last red peg. I got it on the next attempt for the video with a total clearance for 850,410.
Level 10 (Clear 25 red pegs from 86 total, with a 5s shot-clock - Pro target 550k)
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 227,200
- It's hard to see how I'm even going to get close to this pro target. Just clearing the red pegs is hard enough. Using two power ups, I've not even beaten 250k in four attempts, and the target is more than double that, at 550k. This could take a lot of attempts.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 298,260
- I tried swapping the Big Bounce for the Grenade Ball, and got a slight improvement in score.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 263,450
- The grenade does appear to be having marginally better results than the trampoline, but still had 7 red pegs left at the end. This is going to take a large slice of luck to pull off.
Attempt #7 - No power ups. Score: 321,530
- Ironically, my best score yet comes without any power ups at all, as I've run out of coins. I still had three pegs left at the end though.
Attempt #8 - No power ups. Score: 193,860
- Three pegs left and a pretty poor score. I can't see me getting this without power ups. That last attempt must have been a fluke. I have enough coins for some power-ups in the next go.
Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 175,740
- A dreadful waste of power ups. I spent most of my balls trying to hit the trigger peg for the grenade ball, and never managed it.
Attempt #10 - No power ups. Score: 297,360
- Lots of pegs left down the bottom half again.
Attempt #11 - No power ups. Score: 310,190
- 5 red pegs left at the end, I think.
Attempt #12 - No power ups. Score: 465,030
- That one was a lot closer. Only two red pegs left at the end and less than 100k short of the pro target.
Attempt #13 - No power ups. Score: 188,180
- Nowhere near that time.
Attempt #14 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 443,610
- Only 1 red peg left that time, so pretty close to finishing and a score within reach of the target. The power-ups definitely made a difference that time.
Attempt #15 - No power ups. Score: 369,920
- 3 red pegs left. There's definitely a general improvement happening as I gradually get used to the angles and timing required, but it's slow.
Attempt #16 - No power ups. Score: 208,920
- 3 pegs left again, but a long way short of the target.
Attempt #17 - No power ups. Score: 433,200
- Cleared the red pegs, but over 100k short of the target.
Attempt #18 - No power ups. Score: 218,360
- Loads of pegs left and nowhere near the score.
Attempt #19 - No power ups. Score: 236,680
- 2 red pegs left, but the score was low.
Attempt #20 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 276,580
- 2 red pegs left again. The power ups didn't really help that time.
Attempt #21 - No power ups. Score: 230,710
- 1 red peg left, but nowhere near the score required.
Attempt #22 - No power ups. Score: 308,520
- 1 red peg left again.
Attempt #23 - No power ups. Score: 176,470
- Awful.
Attempt #24 - No power ups. Score: 315,810
- 1 red peg left.
Attempt #25 - No power ups. Score: 135,270
- 4 red pegs left. That's all I'll have time for this week. I'll have to come back to this one after I've Aced next week's board. At least I should have some more coins then.
Attempt #26 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 259,560
- 3 red pegs left. I've managed to Ace the current board, so it's time to have another go at this one. At least acing that board has earned me enough coins to be able to throw some power ups at this one for a few attempts.
Attempt #27 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 331,160
- 2 red pegs left that I just couldn't get in the bottom left hand corner, even though I stretched it out to 19 shots.
Attempt #28 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 167,470
- 3 red pegs left. Started promisingly enough, but then wasted about 3 balls trying to find an angle to get a red peg in the bottom corner.
Attempt #29 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 589,820
- Yippeeeee! Finally! I finally got the luck I'd been waiting for. The red pegs weren't too awkwardly placed, the power ups both worked effectively, several unexpected catches were made and quite a few bonuses were picked up for distance, deflections and bucket bounce. I only used 13 shots, but then I had five or six balls left at the end. After the power ups, I only had about 4 or 5 red pegs left, and still about 8 or 9 balls to get them with. 29 attempts seems a lot, but it could have gone on a lot longer. If I kept on at it, I'd be surprised if I could get it more than one time in fifty.
I got it again for the video after only another four attempts, which I was quite happy with. I missed just one blue peg, and scored 586,200.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 30 | 92 | Reds | 10 | - | 425k | 3 | 523,830 | 385,166 | |
2 | 35 | 110 | Reds | 9 | - | 525k | 1 | 673,490 | 673,490 | |
3 | 30 | 83 | Reds | 9 | - | 375k | 2 | 558,330 | 401,930 | |
4 | 30 | 94 | Reds | 9 | - | 400k | 3 | 475,790 | 376,050 | |
5 | 15 | 86 | Reds | 10 | - | 425k | 1 | 570,290 | 570,290 | |
6 | 35 | 83 | 375k | 9 | - | 525k | 5 | 591,670 | 402,162 | |
7 | 45 | 92 | Reds | 7 | - | 650k | 3 | 789,760 | 671,706 | |
8 | 30 | 110 | All | 10 | - | 650k | 1 | 704,600 | 704,600 | |
9 | 30 | 94 | All | 9 | - | 550k | 2 | 799,740 | 681,625 | |
10 | 25 | 86 | Reds | 10 | 5s | 550k | 29 | 589,820 | 279,867 |
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