Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 106 total - Pro target 425k)
The first design features various circles. Four circles in a diamond arrangement, plus a semi-circle of individual round pegs, and more diamond shaped individual pegs outside them. A reasonable number of pegs in total, well-spread out across the screen, and a wide variety of different angles. It could all be a bit awkward, particularly for a first level.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 473,100
- It didn't look overly promising most of the way through. Lots of scattered blue pegs made catches quite tricky early on. However a couple of late bonuses helped lift the score, plus catches got easier as the screen got clearer.
I messed up the next attempt for the video, but I got it the attempt after. I missed out on a total clearance by just one peg, but I got the pro score easily with 644,720.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 113 total - Pro target 400k)
This design has a continuous lines following the uppermost curves of the junk piles, and a scattering of individual round pegs beneath. Similar to the previous level, the early balls could be tricky to catch, but hopefully it will get easier.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 236,120
- This seemed harder than the previous one. The gaps didn't seem to open up this time. This might need a power up, but I'm not going to resort to them just yet.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 205,870
- I was concentrating on clearing one side to make catches easier, but I struggled to even do that. I think this will need a laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 538,940
- Yes, much easier with a laser ball. Having the yellow trigger peg on the top curve was quite useful, too.
The yellow peg was again on top on the next attempt for the video, and again it was an easy pro score. I carried on for several balls after the victory was assured and scored 625,110.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 103 total - Pro target 400k)
Three large cogs with a few (mainly diamond-shaped) individual pegs.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 169,730
- This one's just as tricky as the previous one. I only had a couple of reds left at the end, but I got nowhere near the pro target and made just a single catch. It feels like a cop out to go for a laser ball so quickly.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 394,550
- Actually, pretty close that time without power ups. I had two red pegs left on the last ball, but no obvious way to take a catch off either. I tried to bounce from one to the other, but it was an unlikely shot.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 517,070
- I continued my steady improvement at that layout. I'm glad I resisted the temptation to resort to power ups after the first attempt. I got down to five red pegs left with five balls in hand. Despite them not all being directly available and me score being some 160k short of the target, I felt pretty confident from that point on.
I got it again at the next attempt for the video, although only just. I squeaked over the line with 405,520.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 124 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)
A large wheel with hook-like teeth all the way round it, and more down the sides of the screen. These angles look awkward and 124 is quite a lot of pegs. I'll try without power ups first, but I'll be quite surprised if it doesn't need them.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 198,100
- Nowhere near the target, and still probably 4 or 5 red pegs left at the end. As I suspected, catches I tricky (I made 3) and all those blue pegs just get in the way. This is definitely going to need a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 482,710
- The laser ball helped, although it took several balls to get through to it, so it was still touch and go towards the end. In the end I managed to deflect off the final red peg into a 50k bucket which was enough for Pro.
A good deal easier with the next attempt for the video. I played on for quite a few shots after guaranteeing a pro score, getting 708,170 in total.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 126 total - Pro target 525k)
A pair of mechanical looking designs. To me this doesn't look as hard as some of the previous levels. But let's see how it plays.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 309,880
- Well, I got a better first attempt score than on any of the previous three levels, so I may be right about it being slightly easier. I still had quite a few red pegs left at the end though.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 238,720
- No better than last time. I think I'll take the laser after all.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 667,870
- The laser ball got me most of the way there. After that it was just a matter of picking off the remaining red pegs. I have captured my first video and hopefully clicking on the button above should take you there. I don't know if I'll post videos of all my pro scores, but I probably will for the time being, at least until the novelty wears off.
Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 103 total - Pro target 700k)
The same design as level 3. I resisted the temptation to use the laser ball last time, and did it on the third attempt. I think I will use a laser ball this time though.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 443,220
- I meant to use a laser ball, but forgot to equip it at the start. Having said that, I wasn't actually that far off getting it without one. I missed a tricky catch off the last blue peg, which would only have left me with two red pegs, both of which were low and central so I had a decent shot at a maximum 200k final bonus. Mind you, I did ride my luck quite a lot as I went through.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 685,930
- I thought I could get a deflection into the 100k bucket off the final red peg, although I only needed a 50k, so I went for it. The ball bounced off both sides of the centre bin before flipping out to the 10k bin instead, leaving me 15k short of the pro target. Annoying!
Level 7 (Score 525k with 40 red pegs and 84 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 4. I've seen comments on the group forum to the effect that this is the toughest of the ten levels. I'll start with a laser ball and see how I get on.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 458,250
- Yes, that pro target looks quite a long way away. It took a few balls to get through to the yellow peg though, and I didn't end up getting as big a score from the laser as I might have expected, so there's definitely room for improvement.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 851,930
- It took even longer to get through to the yellow peg that time, but I got a better score with it. I still had quite a lot of work to do afterwards, but I made some well-judged catches (plus one or two lucky ones!) and I reached the pro target with balls to spare.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 88 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)
The same design as level 2. I needed a laser ball to get it that time, and this time all pegs are required so I'll definitely need the laser again.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 342,590
- The yellow peg was buried down in the bottom row of loose pegs, so hitting it was something of a lottery. It took several balls to get to it, so when I did I scored less with it due to there being fewer pegs available. I struggled bravely on and did OK, but the total clearance never looked likely.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 625,450
- I could have done with more points from the laser ball, as it still left me with a lot to do. But I made some good catches - 23 shots in total - and just about eked out a Pro score.
Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 126 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 825k)
The same design as level 5. Again, I needed a laser ball then so there seems little point in attempting it without one.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 818,410
- I scored a vast amount from the laser ball. I triggered it with the first ball, so I got it nice and early. I used the same path for it as I did on level 5, and it catapulted my score up to about 640k after 2 balls. Which makes it all the more disappointing to still miss the pro target by just 7k. I was undecided whether I should take the final red or not. I'd kept the last ball going for a few shots and felt I was pushing my luck. In the end I went for it, hoping to avoid the 10k bucket, but that's exactly where it ended up.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 40 red and 66 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)
The same design as level 1. I got the pro target on level 1 at the first attempt, but I didn't reach this score, and I didn't clear all the pegs. I'll start with the laser ball again, and see how I go.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 748,520
- Not far off. I had a 96% clearance, but the pegs that were left could probably have been taken out in a couple of balls, and I was well ahead of the pro target.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 490,340
- Only 91% that time, and a much lower score. The catches just didn't go right that time. You always need a bit of luck to get through these later levels and I got none at all there.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 866,650
- I started well, activating the laser with the first ball, then catching a great extra bounce with the laser ball off the rim of the bucket. After that I just picked off the remaining balls, mainly one at a time. That completes the board, now I need to go back and get the Pro score on levels 6 & 9.
Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 103 total - Pro target 700k)
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 573,630
- I didn't do particularly well here. I wasn't helped by the fact that my PC was running like a dog due to it processing the video for level 10 in the background, so the movement was very jerky. Note to self - wait for the video to finish processing before starting the next level.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 849,040
- Picked up the yellow peg on the first shot, then got an extra rim bounce on the laser ball, so I started pretty well. I made lots of catches as I stretched it out to 25 shots. So it all went pretty well.
Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 126 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 825k)
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 583,040
- Quite a long way short on the score front. I got down to one red peg left with several balls left, but I needed to build a bigger score and eventually ran out of catches.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 365,400
- I cocked up the laaser ball, and didn't get a proper bounce off the bucket, just getting a glance off the rim. I kept going, but it was always doomed from that point on.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 595,380
- I cocked up the laser ball again, and in exactly the same way. I soldiered on again, and achieved a pretty respectable score, but it was still a long way short of the target.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 637,080
- A better score, but no better on the clearance front. Only 74% cleared and there were plenty of reds left in that lot.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 823,900
- A better score again, but still struggling to clear the red pegs. Maybe I'll add another power up.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 866,910
- I had to take out quite a lot of the left-hand structure to get through to the trigger pegs, so I used a different path for the laser than normal and it seemed to work.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 106 | Reds | 10 | - | 425k | 1 | 473,100 | 473,100 | |
2 | 25 | 113 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 3 | 538,940 | 326,976 | |
3 | 25 | 103 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 3 | 517,070 | 360,450 | |
4 | 25 | 124 | Reds | 9 | - | 450k | 2 | 482,710 | 340,405 | |
5 | 25 | 126 | Reds | 10 | - | 525k | 3 | 667,870 | 405,490 | |
6 | 35 | 103 | Reds | 10 | - | 700k | 4 | 849,040 | 637,955 | |
7 | 40 | 124 | 525k | 8 | - | 750k | 2 | 851,930 | 655,090 | |
8 | 25 | 113 | All | 9 | - | 550k | 2 | 625,450 | 484,020 | |
9 | 40 | 126 | Reds | 7 | - | 825k | 7 | 866,910 | 670,017 | |
10 | 40 | 106 | All | 9 | - | 625k | 3 | 866,650 | 701,836 |
No comments:
Post a Comment