Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 81 total - Pro target 400k)
A mixture of curves and single round pegs. The pegs are well spread out which can sometimes make like a little awkward as safe paths to the bucket are hard to find.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 531,510
- The points were slow to come at first, but as the pegs gradually cleared, catches became simpler, and bonuses became easier to engineer. I was attempting the total clearance, but gave up on it when I got down to my last ball. Only two blue pegs left at the end.
On the next attempt for the video, I still had quite a few blue pegs left at the end, but the finish was a little unexpected. I picked up a final 100k bonus, but it gave me a score of 492,340 so I would have had a pro score anyway.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 73 total - Pro target 400k)
This design is all straight lines at a jumble of angles.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 363,650
- All those strange angles make ricochets tricky to judge. As a result it was a struggle to accumulate points. I ended up taking the last red peg before I was ready and finished just a bit short of points.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 78 total - Pro target 400k)
A set of three double-arched lines which appear to imitate the brow-lines on the foreheads of the stone heads. Also thirty individual round pegs arranged in ten triangles.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 292,670
- Just a single bucket catch so a pretty poor effort. I'll give it another go.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 323,810
- Another go when I took out the last red peg before I was ready and finished short of points.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 144 total - Pro target 500k)
An arrangement of concentric circles and triangles. It all makes a whopping 144 pegs, but there may be scope for some sweeping if I can get the ball inside one or two of the circles.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 285,920
- No, there are just far too many pegs here. Fighting your way through the mass of blue pegs to make a catch is really hard - I only made one. This is definitely going to need a laser ball, just to try and clear some space.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 526,300
- Even with the laser ball, it's still not easy to fight past all those blue pegs. I certainly got closer with 83% clearance, and only three red pegs left. Plus no problem with the score.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 639,720
- Very close that time. Just a whisker away from the last red peg with the last ball.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 766,360
- I added a grenade ball for a bit of extra welly and that seemed to do the job. It seemed to take an age to get through to the yellow peg, but then the laser ball activated the grenade which in turn took out a chunk of what was left. It was still touch and go towards the end, but I made it.
Playing it again for the video, it took a few shots to get to the yellow peg, and I never did get to the green one. But I got lucky with catches and cleared the red pegs anyway for a score of 731,510.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 122 total - Pro target 450k)
I don't have the first idea what this design is supposed to represent. It looks like some sort of gantry with four big diamonds on top, and five chains dangling beneath. Whatever it is, it's quite a lot of pegs (although not as many as the previous level) and I suspect catches will be tricky.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 171,610
- I thought it looked tough, but it anything, it was probably tougher than I expected. I was nowhere near the pro target and still had three or four red pegs left at the end.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 555,280
- The laser ball scythed through a good chunk of the pegs and left something muich more manageable.
On the next attempt for the video, I didn't take the yellow peg for quite a few shots, but I didn't find the catches too tricky. I patiently picked my way through all the pegs for a total clearance with a ball to spare and a score of 851,650.
Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 81 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 575k)
The same design as level 1. Probably the easiest of the five levels so I'll give it a go without power ups first.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 621,950
- I tackled it a bit better than I did the first time around. It all went pretty smoothly.
I certainly didn't go smoothly when I tried again for the video. It took me another 11 attempts to pro score it again without power ups. I came close several times, but finishing it off was always just a step too far until the eleventh attempt. When I did get it I got it quite easily with lots of lucky catches and a score of 887,820.
Level 7 (Clear 35 red pegs from 78 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 600k)
The same design as level 3 which was actually pretty awkward. I'll start off with the laser, I think.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 256,340
- Well, I meant to add a laser ball, but I forgot. It definitely needs it. I wasn't far off clearing the red pegs, but the score was woeful.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 502,560
- One red peg left. It was in a good position to deflect straight into the 100k bonus, so I was just trying to build up a score close to 500k before I took it. I got there on the last ball, but failed to catch it.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 861,970
- I was all over this one. The first couple of balls seemed to work really well, ricocheting around taking out a lot of pegs and landing in the bucket. I ended up taking an unnecessary total clearance just for the hell of it.
Again, I was all over it again on the next attempt for the video. I didn't quite manage a total clearance, but I got a better score with 989,200.
Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 122 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)
The same design as level 5, so quite a lot of blue pegs to avoid. I needed a laser ball for that level, so I'll jump straight in with one now.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 295,190
- Even with the laser ball, this is going to be tough. There's a lot of blue pegs to get in the way, and a lot of awkward angles to contend with.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 628,440
- Really clumsy with the last ball. I had two red pegs left, and one of them should have been a straightforward catch, but I mistimed it. Of course, there was no guarantee of hitting the pro target, if anything it was unlikely, but I should've completed the level.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 371,710
- It took way too long to break through to the yellow peg which was right at the bottom of one of the diamond chains. It meant I had too low a score and not enough balls left afterwards, so it never looked likely.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 504,290
- I was low on points so I had to try and stretch it out with catches and bonuses. It worked for a while, but my luck had to run out eventually. Again the trigger pegs were awkward to get to.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 613,440
- I was looking for the total clearance for the extra points, but I took out both the last two red pegs at once with one more blue peg still left.
Level 9 (Score 600k with 35 red pegs and 109 blue - Pro target 725k)
The same design as level 4 with its vast number of pegs. It took both the laser and the grenade to through it last time, so I'll start with them.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 770,270
- The yellow peg was hidden in the inner lower left circle and it took an age to break through to it, so the attempt was looking dead in the water. However, I concentrated the laser on the pretty much untouched right-hand side, got a split ball, and an extra bounce off the bucket rim for an enormous score bonus, and suddenly the Pro score was very much within reach.
Much easier on the next attempt for the video, with the yellow peg easily available with the first shot. I got way over the pro target with 1,122,620.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 43 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same design as level 2 with all its straight lines. Of all the 5 designs, this was the one with the fewest pegs, so it might not be too bad. Having said that, I remember points being difficult to earn.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 615,420
- I couldn't quite accumulate enough points for the pro target, but I did manage to get the required clearance with a ball to spare. So at least I got the relic and unlocked the board for free.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 73 total - Pro target 400k)
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 675,970
- I worked out the angles a lot better this time and made a lot more catches. 23 shots tells the story.
Coming back to this much later for the video, my knowledge of angles is a lot better, so I found this one no problem at all. I missed a total clearance by two pegs, and nearly blew it at the end, but I got there.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 78 total - Pro target 400k)
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 580,410
- Again, I worked out the angles a lot better this time. Plus the laser ball helped a bit.
Coming back to do the video much later, I took a total clearance with balls to spare for a score of 815,150.
Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 122 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 686,170
- Made a total clearance, but it wasn't enough to reach the pro score. It's a tough target.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 337,970
- It took too long to reach the trigger for the laser ball and I paid for it later on. Not enough balls left and too few points.
Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 624,850
- A better effort, but again it took too long to trigger the laser ball.
Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 748,280
- It took a long time to get to the laser trigger yet again, but this time I managed to accumulate enough points with the remaining balls to reach the target. I only used 13 balls, but I did have a lot left at the end.
I got the total clearance on the next attempt for the video, with a cracking score of 1,123,370, finishing with 5 balls in hand.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 43 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 670,730
- Both balls in 50k buckets at the end gave me just enough points to scrape home. And that's the Ace earned for this week.
It took four more attempts to repeat a pro score for the video, but when I got it, it was with an almost identical result. Again, both balls in the 50k bucket at the end to scrape home with a score within 100 points of the first pro - 670,820.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 81 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 1 | 531,510 | 531,510 | |
2 | 25 | 73 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 2 | 675,970 | 519,810 | |
3 | 25 | 78 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 3 | 580,410 | 398,963 | |
4 | 25 | 144 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 4 | 766,360 | 554,575 | |
5 | 25 | 122 | Reds | 10 | - | 450k | 2 | 555,280 | 363,445 | |
6 | 35 | 81 | Reds | 9 | - | 575k | 1 | 621,950 | 621,950 | |
7 | 35 | 78 | Reds | 9 | - | 600k | 3 | 861,970 | 540,290 | |
8 | 40 | 122 | Reds | 9 | - | 725k | 9 | 748,280 | 534,482 | |
9 | 35 | 144 | 600k | 10 | - | 725k | 1 | 770,270 | 770,270 | |
10 | 30 | 73 | All | 9 | - | 650k | 2 | 670,730 | 643,075 |
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