Board 92: Canyon Lodge

This picture is of a peculiar lodge, aptly named as it's lodged in a gap between two rocky outcrops. It has a bucket dangling beneath it.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 93 total - Pro target 425k)

The first design features mainly individual pegs - round ones covering the rock, rectangular ones covering the lodge and a few diamond ones oner the trees.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 363,630

• I cleared all the red pegs, but I took the final one accidentally while I was still trying to build a bigger score. Never mind, I'll come back to it later.

Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 82 total - Pro target 425k)

This design is a close-up of the supports beneath the lodge. Lots of straight lines and few individual pegs. Catches shouldn't be too tricky.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 607,050 

• Yes, catches were quite easy. A little patience was all that was required. It was just a case of picking the red and purple pegs off one at a time starting at the edges and working inwards.

Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 98 total - Pro target 450k)

This design is based around the signpost to the left of the lodge. We have two signposts in the design, surrounded by a number of individual round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 514,860 

• Plenty of opportunities for catches off the side wall. Made the pro target with three balls to spare.

Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 124 total - Pro target 450k)

This design is based on the roof tiles of the lodge. A large network of interlocking rectangular pegs should give quite a few catching opportunities.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 412,790

• Still quite a few pegs left at the end. I made 7 catches but I could probably have made more. Score-wise, in was in the right ballpark. It's worth another try.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 366,850

• Seven red pegs left at the end. Nine catches made this time but it's still not enough. Let's try a laser ball.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 855,760 

• As is so often the case, what was tricky without power ups becomes a doddle when a laser ball is added. Having said that, I got a good first ball which drilled all the way through the design, activating the laser ball on the way. Then the laser ball picked up a split ball on the way, and took an extra bounce off the bucket rim for a bunch of extra pegs. I ended up finishing with several balls to spare and nearly doubled the pro target.

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 500k)

This design is a mixture of vertical wavy lines, horizontal arches and individual round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 417,520

• Three red pegs left, but I should have done better. I was doing OK but then missed a bunch of relatively easy catches at the end.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 484,440

• Two red pegs left this time. An improvement on the previous go, but still not quite there.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 491,080

• Took the last red thinking I could get a deflection into the 100k bucket, but only got 50k and just missed out on the pro target.

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 82 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)

The same design as level 2, but a lot more red pegs to clear.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 654,250

• No problem with the pro target, but I ran out of balls before I could remove all the red pegs.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 937,030

• Six red pegs left at the end and not many blues. I stretched my 9 balls out to 39 shots but it still wasn't enough.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 650,110 

• I used some early balls to clear the bulk of the awkward diagonals which had been giving me trouble in previous attempts, and that seemed to make the difference.

Level 7 (Clear 35 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 5, but 10 more red pegs and another 150k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 660,820 

• Ironically, despite still not having achieved the pro target on level 5 after 3 attempts, I got this one at the first go. I guess I just had a bit more luck. I thought I'd finished too early but I had just enough balls in hand to make it.

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 124 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 4, but more red pegs and a higher pro target. I'll use a laser ball straight away, I think.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 650,270

• I got a great laser ball with a perfect extra rim bounce, and then picked up a whole raft of lucky catches but was still short on points. I was going for the total clearance, but missed the very last catch but a whisker.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 528,960

• Quite a few red pegs left at the end. Even with the laser ball there are a lot of pegs to clear. I think I'll add a grenade.
  

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 615,630

• With my last shot I was aiming for a single peg, but misjudged it and took out about 7, including the last red, and my score just wasn't enough.
  

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 68 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 600k)

The same design as level 1, but a total clearance is now needed. I'll start with a laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 510,470

• Four pegs left. There were a few lucky catches in there too. I think a Big Bounce would work well here.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 474,310

• Both trigger pegs were low down to the left and tricky to get to. Then neither of them worked particularly well. Only a 92% clearance which equates to about 6 or 7 pegs left.
  

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 669,970 

• The trigger peg for the laser ball was low down again, but to the right this time, but fortunately I managed to get it with the first ball. After that things worked pretty well on the whole. I managed to accumu,ate enough points so that it didn't matter which buckets the final balls dropped into.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 68 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 3 which I got first time, although a total clearance in required here.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 454,570

• Only an 88% clearance. But the catches I attempted didn't work very well as other pegs kept getting in my way. I only made 5 in total.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 654,030 

• The trigger peg was awkwardly positioned, low and to the right, but I managed to get it on the first ball, and I picked a pretty good route for the laser. There was a period in the middle when I wasn't getting any catches and it looked as though I was going to run out of balls, but I picked up a couple of extra ones with extended ricochets and that made the difference.
  

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 93 total - Pro target 425k)

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 291,910

• Again, points were tricky to come by. Let's be done with it and use a laser ball.
  

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 528,760 

• Not as straightforward as it could have been. The trigger peg was awkward to get to and it took me several attempts to take it out. By the time I did, most of the left hand side was gone so I had to concentrate the laser on the other side. It all worked out in the end though.
  

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 500k)

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 275,590

• Three reds left. It's quite tricky without power ups. I'll have one more try then resort to the laser ball.
  

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 614,930 

• A good steady victory. The odd useful bonus here and there, but mainly some good shot choices and effective catching. I managed to get over the line before I took out the final red peg.
  

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 124 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 637,750

• Nearly. I only had three pegs left at the end, all red, and I went for a catch off one of them. Unfortunately, the ball went right into the corner and I only caught the rim of the bucket.
  

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 555,460

• The laser ball was awkwardly placed, so I ended up getting the grenade ball first which wasn't ideal. I was so low on points towards the end that I had to go for the total clearance, but ran out of balls at 97%.
  

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 674,070

• I started terribly. The trigger for the laser ball was right down the bottom and fairly central and it took half my balls to get through to it. But actually, despite the relative lack of pegs left to aim at, the laser ball worked really well and put me right back in the game. I took a chance at the end as my last red peg was on the centre line, so I shot straight down, knowing that the ball was bound to fall on the 100k bucket. Unfortunately, the lid wasn't open when it got there so it deflected over to the 10k instead.
  

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 572,150

• Similar to previous attempts, I ran out of balls while trying to build a pro score. I could really do with getting a yellow peg on the top rather than right at the bottom.
  

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 757,660 

• Finally got it at the 8th attempt. Although this was probably the first time that I've been able to shoot straight for the yellow peg with the first ball. That made a big difference to both my score and the number of pegs left to shoot at. I also got a good extra rim bounce on the laser ball which took out pretty much the whole bottom row for a total score of about 300k after 2 balls.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	93	Reds	10	-	425k	3	528,760	394,766
2	30	82	Reds	10	-	425k	1	607,050	607,050
3	30	98	Reds	10	-	450k	1	514,860	514,860
4	30	124	Reds	10	-	450k	3	855,760	545,133
5	25	111	Reds	10	-	500k	5	614,930	456,712
6	40	82	Reds	9	-	550k	3	937,030	747,130
7	35	111	Reds	10	-	650k	1	660,820	660,820
8	40	124	Reds	9	-	725k	8	757,660	623,993
9	25	93	All	9	-	600k	3	669,970	551,583
10	30	98	All	9	-	625k	2	654,030	554,300

Board 91: Creepy Cauldron

The picture this week is of a bubbling cauldron with shelves in the background bursting with all sorts of vile ingredients. Err… hang on. The illustrators at HotShot HQ do know it's Christmas, yes? Halloween was back in October. Who's in charge over there, Tim Burton? I think somebody somewhere needs a new calendar!

Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 88 total - Pro target 475k)

This design is of a witch's broomstick with lots of individual pegs scattered around.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 332,890

• I was struggling for points on that one. I only had one red peg left at the end, but with about 150k still needed for the pro score I was still looking for bonuses.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 491,030 

• Points were again tricky to come by, but I managed to pick up a few lucky catches. I was still about 80k short with one red peg left and on my last ball, but that peg was low and central so I took a chance on a deflection into the 100k bucket and it came off.

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 500k)

This design follows the main lines in the picture. A mixture of straight lines, curves and individual pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 339,830

• I could have finished the red pegs, but I was still 200k short of the target so I needed to try and accrue more points before finishing, but ran out of balls straight away.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 641,010 

• A big improvement on the first attempt. I seemed to hit all the curves for big sweep bonuses and the balls seemed to almost pick out the red pegs. I easily exceeded the target with several balls in hand.

Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 86 total - Pro target 475k)

This design features six tentacles snaking in from the sides of the screen. All those curves and no individual pegs should make this quite straightforward, but we shall see.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 395,620

• No problem clearing the red pegs, but I was low on score. I took the last red peg hoping for a deflection into the 100k bucket but it didn't happen and I got 10k instead.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 432,530

• A better score than the last go, but worse in terms of clearance. I still had four reds left at the end.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 594,470 

• I got a good first ball which I'll have to try and replicate when I meet this layout again. It scored me 190k on the first ball and gained me two extra balls. A number of other bonuses as I went along helped me reach the target easily enough.

Level 4 (Clear 40 red pegs from 88 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)

The same design as level 1. Extremely unusual to repeat a pattern so early, but there you have it. Points were tricky to come by as I remember, so I suspect power ups will be required.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 295,520

• Points were tricky to come by just as they were in level 1, and I still had seven red pegs left at the end. There's no point tackling this without power ups again, I don't think.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 518,470

• I cleared the reds thanks mainly to some pretty fortunate catches, but I gambled on avoiding the 10k bucket at the end, and didn't.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 728,800 

• I triggered the laser ball straight away, then got a Split Ball in it for a decent boost. A few other lucky bonuses followed and the pro target was obliterated.

Level 5 (Clear 20 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 500k)

This design features the curve of the cauldron top with curly wisps of steam emanating from it.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 368,000

• I struggled to take catches. I only made three in total. I'm short of time to finish this board before the next one is released as I've been away most of the week, so I shall turn to power ups quite quickly from here on.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 623,290 

• Easy enough to complete with the yellow peg on top. Points and balls to spare.

Level 6 (Clear 20 red pegs from 99 total - Pro target 450k)

This design appears to be a set of bead curtains, or maybe they've finally realised that it's Christmas and given us some fairy lights.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 613,780 

• With only 20 red pegs to clear, it was easy enough to clear a big chunk of them with the laser ball, and get a big chunk of the required points to boot.

Level 7 (Score 500k with 35 red pegs and 51 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 3. A big pro target to reach though, even with the laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 625,390

• Made the the 500k main target easily enough, but 100k short of the pro target.

Level 8 (Clear 35 red pegs from 111 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 800k)

The same design as level 5. Another big pro target to shoot for and catches are quite hard to come by on some of these levels so it could be quite tricky.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 711,550

• I could have taken the last red peg, but I had no clue where the ball was going to end up and I needed the full 100k. I went for a bonus off the side wall but I missed the catch.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 571,620

• I admit I was more concerned with beating the level than achieving the pro score. I could do with beating all ten levels before the new board otherwise I'll have to spend coins buying it, and I don't want to do that. I was a long way short of the required target when I accidentally hit the last red peg off the purple one. I still had a couple of spare balls to play with at the time, but I was so far short that the pro score was looking extremely unlikely.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 78 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2, but all pegs to be cleared. This will need a good laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 295,270

• Only 83% clearance. It took several pegs to break through to an awkwardly placed yellow peg, and although the laser ball went OK, it wasn't brilliant. And only 3 catches made was nowhere near enough.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 596,000

• Again, I was concentrating on the clearance without worrying too much about the score. I tried to go for the biggest score possible once the clearance was more or less guaranteed, but it was a little too far away. I could have made it with a bonus of 150k at the end, with all the balls I still had in hand, but I only managed 60k.

Level 10 (Clear 35 red pegs from 99 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 6, but more red pegs to clear. The target of 650k doesn't seem too high though, compared to other levels.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 641,950

• I was in a quandary at the end. I had a low central red peg left that I wanted to keep until last as it gave an almost certain 100k final bonus, but a catch off the other red peg was always going to pass very close to it. Inevitably I ended up taking both pegs in the same ball and missing both the 100k final bonus and the pro target.
  

Level 7 (Score 500k with 35 red pegs and 51 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 446,440

• Didn't even make the basic target, let alone the pro one. It's tricky to find an effective path for the laser ball, and catches are quite tricky.
  

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 426,990

• Even worse than last time. The Big Bounce was fairly inneffective.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 164,160

• Dreadful attempt. I couldn't get through to the yellow peg until I only had about one or two balls left and by then there was precious little left to shoot with it.
  

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 897,130 

• I got the yellow peg with the first ball, then got a decent result from both power ups. I got a few lucky bonuses along the way, particularly right at the end.
  

Level 8 (Clear 35 red pegs from 111 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 800k)

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 721,320

• I ran out of balls with only a handful of blue pegs left and one red peg. I thought about taking the last red in the hope of getting a 100k final bonus, but I thought I could take another deflection or two first.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,072,040 

• I triggered the laser with the second ball, then got a perfect rim bounce with it for a whopping 55 pegs in total, and almost 550k points. After that it was just a matter of making sure I got all the remaining red pegs without running out of balls. In the end I had enough balls in hand to take the total clearance and over a million points.
  

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 78 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 673,930

• After a good laser ball, I ended up missing out by two pegs. I had the pro target as well.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 871,700 

• Got a good extra bounce on the laser ball. A few lucky catches followed, but mostly they were played for. Accumulating the points was never a problem, it was just a matter of stringing out the balls until all the pegs were gone.
  

Level 10 (Clear 35 red pegs from 99 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 666,160 

• Picked off the yellow trigger peg with the first ball, then went for a standard laser shot for the extra rim bounce. It gave me a good head start on the pro target, then I just needed 16 red pegs off 9 balls, and about 163k with plenty of scope for bonuses and catches. All quite straightforward.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	30	88	Reds	10	-	475k	2	491,030	411,960
2	25	108	Reds	10	-	500k	2	641,010	490,420
3	30	86	Reds	10	-	475k	3	594,470	474,206
4	40	88	Reds	9	-	525k	3	728,800	514,263
5	20	111	Reds	10	-	500k	2	623,290	495,645
6	20	99	Reds	10	-	450k	1	613,780	613,780
7	35	86	500k	9	-	725k	5	897,130	512,022
8	35	111	Reds	9	-	800k	4	1,072,040	769,132
9	30	108	All	9	-	650k	4	871,700	609,225
10	35	99	Reds	8	-	650k	2	666,160	654,055

Board 62: Golden Glade

This picture is of a magical-looking garden with a golden frog fountain, a golden gate and a fairy in the foreground.

Level 1 (Clear 35 red pegs from 93 total - Pro target 475k)

We start with a moving design. It features a descending series of six sets of diamond pegs arranged in squares. They take it in turns to make a single rotation, each in the opposite direction to the previous one.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 440,570

• Only one red peg left, and quite close to the pro target so not a bad first attempt. With a fairly solid barrier across the centre of the screen, catches are not easy, but I only made 7 from the 10 balls, so that could be improved.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 439,780

• I didn't mean to finish when I did. I was just shooting the ball straight into the bucket while waiting for the purple peg to go somewhere useful, but I forgot that the last red peg was one of the moving ones and it spun into the path of the ball as I fired it. I would have still made the target if I'd avoided the 10k bucket at the end, but I didn't.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 547,240 

• I got a good first ball that took out the entire set of top curved pegs, bar one, plus I got an early, and high, Split Ball from the white peg which scored me quite a few points and took out quite a lot pegs. After that it was plain sailing.
  

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 90 total - Pro target 425k)

This design features three trees of varying height. Each tree is made up mainly of slanted pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 231,160

• The red pegs seemed to be particularly awkwardly placed there. I was struggling to earn any bonuses.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 357,170

• Much closer that time. At least I got down to a single red peg, but I was looking to score bonuses off the purple peg when I ran out of balls.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 534,900 

• Got it at the third attempt, mainly down to one lucky ball that rescued me towards the end. It took out 5 of the remaining 6 pegs and earned an extra ball as well. It hadn't looked promising at the start as reds were awkwardly placed, but I got there in the end.

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 126 total - Pro target 425k)

This design features nine identical flowers spread across the screen. There are an awful lot of loose pegs here and negotiating them to get to the red ones could be a nightmare.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 345,920

• Yes, finding a course through all those blue pegs was a nightmare. I still had several red pegs left at the end, and earning bonuses was tricky as well, so I was short of points too. Let's use a laser ball, they were made for levels like this.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 489,230 

• The laser ball certainly helped. It took a couple of balls to get through to the trigger peg, but after that it was fairly plain sailing.

Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 110 total - Pro target 500k)

This design follows the picture quite closely, so it's a mixture of straight lines, curves and individual pegs. These sort of designs are often tricky to negotiate as the angles are all over the place.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 284,640

• I really struggled to make catches and in particular bonuses here. That might in part be due to the reds being awkwardly positioned. Worth another go.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 415,220

• A big improvement, but still four red pegs left at the end. I only made 2 catches though, and that's not enough. One more go.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 491,710

• How stupid! I had one red peg left and only 10k left to score. I thought I could take it easily off the side wall even though I didn't need to, and misjudged it completely. I should have just shot it directly.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 316,310

• One red peg left again, but quite a long way short of the pro target, but the reds seemed awkwardly placed again. I'm definitely getting closer.

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 201,070

• The reds were badly positioned again, and I struggled for points and pegs. I'm still annoyed with myself for not finishing when I had the chance, but I'll get it over with with a laser ball.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 598,720 

• Much easier with a laser ball, of course. Several balls to spare at the end. I could see there was an almost certain 100k bonus off the last red, so I went for it despite still needing quite a few points.

Level 5 (Clear 30 red pegs from 129 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)

This design is a close-up of the ornate metal gates in the picture. Lots of curves, and a few straight lines and individual pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 133,620

• Lots of red pegs left at the end. The angles are all over the place. This is going to need a laser ball.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 447,290

• Even with the laser ball, I was still two short of clearing the red pegs. I had the pro target score though.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 694,880 

• It took several balls to break through to an awkwardly placed yellow peg. By the time I did. I'd taken out a large chunk of the right hand side, but nothing at all on the left. It meant I could concentrate on the left side with the laser. I also got a late Split Ball and caught both for a big bonus. After that I think I had 6 balls to take out just 8 remaining red pegs, and not many points left to score either.

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 90 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)

The same design as level 2, but a lot more red pegs, one less ball and 100k more points required for the pro target.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 341,730

• Only 4 catches made which isn't enough. I'll need to do better than that.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 645,700 

• A much better second effort. A dozen catches or so and that made life so much easier. I also got a reasonable rim bounce off the laser ball.

Level 7 (Clear 35 red pegs from 126 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 3, but 10 more red pegs, one less ball and 200k more points required for the pro target. It took a laser ball last time so I'll need to start with that at least.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 320,910

• Only 2 red pegs left at the end, but nowhere near the required pro score.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 595,050

• Two red pegs left again, but it felt a lot closer. I missed a couple of catches on the trot right at the end, but up until then I felt fairly in control.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 667,510 

• I was torn at the end. I had two red pegs left and only one ball. I knew I could deflect off one of them into to 100k bucket, so I wanted to leave it for the end, but the other was a tricky catch. I took the easy catch first, then trusted to luck off the other peg and fortunately ended up in the 100k bucket anyway.

Level 8 (Score 500k with 35 red pegs and 94 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 5, a handful of extra red pegs, but points make prizes here and I need a lot of them.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 603,500

• No problem getting the 500k, but the 725k was a little tougher. I misjudged quite a lot of catches which I should have done better at though. It didn't feel like a very good attempt.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 535,970

• The reds felt awkwardly placed this time. They were all away from the side walls making rebound bonuses hard to get. I lost several balls for not many points clearing some of the blue pegs away from the sides so I could get to the red ones.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 856,960 

• I rode my luck a bit with some of those bonuses. But the extra rim bounce off the bucket with the laser ball was played for, and that made a big difference early on, and were quite a few good catches in amongst the luck ones.

Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 110 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)

The same design as level 4. Only 10 more red pegs, but this was the toughest of the layouts, so it'll be no pushover.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 604,630

• No problem with the score, but quite a few red pegs left at the end. But then it did take me an age to get through to the yellow ball which was awkwardly positioned low and to the right.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 666,070 

• The reds were better positioned this time. I got lots of early bonuses while breaking through to the yellow peg. Then concentrated the laser ball on the other side and then picked off what was left. Forgot to start the recorder though, so no video.
  
  I got it again on the next attempt for the video, although I struggled to clear the red pegs, despite being able to get the yellow peg with the first shot. A very timely extra ball right at the end helped me finish with a score of 693,420.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 58 blue, with only 9 balls and a 3s shot-clock - Pro target 750k)

The same moving design as level 1, but a total clearance needed now and with a short shot-clock.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 917,560 

• Quite pleased to get this one at the first attempt. A three second shot-clock means you have to do some pretty quick thinking and have very little time to set shots up. I needed to avoid two 10k bonuses at the end, although the two 100k bonuses I actually got was a certain amount of overkill.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	35	93	Reds	10	-	475k	3	547,240	475,863
2	25	90	Reds	10	-	425k	3	534,900	374,410
3	25	126	Reds	10	-	425k	2	489,230	417,575
4	30	110	Reds	10	-	500k	6	598,720	384,611
5	30	129	Reds	9	-	450k	3	694,880	425,263
6	40	90	Reds	9	-	525k	2	645,700	493,715
7	35	126	Reds	9	-	625k	3	667,510	527,823
8	35	129	500k	9	-	725k	3	856,960	665,476
9	40	110	Reds	9	-	550k	2	666,070	635,350
10	35	93	All	9	3s	750k	1	917,560	917,560

Board 90: Yellow Brick Road

This week's picture features a lonely tin man making his way through the countryside along a yellow brick road towards a distant Emerald City. Just where Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion are is anyone's guess.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 94 total - Pro target 400k)

A mass of individual round pegs covering the grassy areas. This level looks awkward to make catches, particularly because of the central void.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 525,860 

• This turned out to be easier than it looked. Although catches are tricky to judge, it's quite easy to pick up early points with big ricochets by just dropping balls into the top of the pattern and have them rattle all the way down. 400k seemed quite an easy pro target.

Level 2 (Clear 35 red pegs from 74 total - Pro target 425k)

I guess this design is supposed to represent the road itself, but it looks more like a tyreprint to me. Only 74 pegs in total, though, which is a pretty low number.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 445,440 

• With such a high proportion of red pegs, I had hoped for more distance bonuses, but I did get a couple of Red Crush bonuses instead. A comfortable pro score in the end.

Level 3 (Clear 35 red pegs from 81 total - Pro target 550k)

I think this design represents the tin man's axe blade. Plenty of curves, and a couple of teleports. I suspect there could be a potentially big score here if a ball could be made to slide down the outside of the axe, through the teleport and then down the inner and bottom curves.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 440,660

• I couldn't find the perfect ball, and the points didn't come as easily as I hoped they might. The red peg went off a ricochet that I wasn't expecting when I still had a couple of balls in hand. However, I think it's unlikely I would have been able to keep going long enough to reach the pro score as the indications up to that point were not good.

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 94 total - Pro target 450k)

This design follows some of the lines in the picture - the trees, the side of the road, etc. It's tricky to judge how these levels are going to play, but there are still less than 100 pegs which is a good thing.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 484,290 

• I was struggling a bit there until I got an extra boost from a late ball. It took out two of the three remaining pegs, got me to within touching distance of the pro score, earned an extra ball and then finished in the bucket.

Level 5 (Clear 30 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 450k)

This design is a repeating pattern of crossed bricks. Lots of horizontal and vertical pegs and plenty of big gaps is usually conducive to making lots of catches. We shall see.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 524,290 

• I didn't feel that I did very well here. I could have scored much more and made more catches. It wasn't a problem though as I still made the pro target without too much trouble.

Level 6 (Clear 45 red pegs from 94 total - Pro target 550k)

The same design as level 1. A lot more red pegs this time, but no less balls, and even the pro target is not massively higher. It ought to be a doddle with a laser ball, but it should be possible without it.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 469,230

• I needed lots of catches, or lots of red pegs with each ball, and I got neither. I wasted the last ball by missing completely. Despite all this, I only had four red pegs left at the end, and was only 80k short of the pro target, so it shouldn't take too many attempts.
  

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 566,600 

• A little bit more luck, and some slightly better catching made the difference there. I needed to avoid the 10k bucket at the end and fortunately dropped in the 50k one.
  

Level 7 (Clear 45 red pegs from 94 total - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 4. A lot more red pegs again, and a significant increase in the pro target, but it's worth a try without power ups first.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 555,910

• Really close. I had two pegs left at the end, one red one blue, and still needed about 70k for pro. I took the purple peg off the side wall for what should have been an easy catch, but I mistimed it and only got the jaw. If I'd made the catch I would have had the choice of going for a straightforward deflection into the 100k bucket, or taking the red off the side wall for a guaranteed pro score. But it was not to be.
  

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 381,220

• Not particularly close that time. Still six red pegs left at the end, I think. Only making three cacthes was the problem. Plus all the ricochets seemed to seek out the blue pegs and avoid the red ones, or maybe it just seemed that way.
  

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 646,260

• Another really close one. I actually had the pro score that time. I just needed to make a catch of the penultimate red peg, but just caught the rim again. That's two really close attempts out of three. If I end up getting held up for ages on this level now, or have to use a power up, I'll be furious with myself!
  

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 704,520

• Just one red peg left again, and well over the pro target. I can't believe I haven't got this one yet!
  

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 446,290

• That one didn't go very well. The catches didn't work, and nor did the ricochets.
  

Attempt #6 - No power ups. Score: 961,640 

• Finally got there, and in some style. I got a total clearance with a maximum 200k final bucket bonus for good measure.
  

Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 49 blue - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2. This one requires a total clearance, but I've not used a power up yet, and it would be rather special to be able to go through an entire board without needing any, so I'll try without to start with.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 750,260 

• I thought I had no chance there, when I got down to my last ball and still had ten pegs left to clear. But I picked them off one at a time and kept making catches, although one of them bounced off the rim of the bucket twice before dropping into it! That has to be one of my best under-pressure finishes to date.
  

Level 9 (Clear 45 red pegs from 108 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 5. There are a lot of pegs here condensed into quite a small area and breaking through to the lower ones can be quite tricky. I suspect a laser ball or a grenade might make pretty short work of this level, but I've come this far without using any power ups so it seems a shame to start now.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 499,350

• Six red pegs left at the end, all at the bottom of the lowest two clusters. Only 15 shots, though, so I could have made a few more catches. Not bad for a first attempt and too early to turn to boosts just yet.
  

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 592,330

• Again, not enough catches made early on. I strung a few together at the end, but it was a lost cause by then. There were still 9 red pegs left at the end. I shall still persevere without power ups for a bit as it's definitely possible with a certain amount of luck. It's all about taking out the red pegs. If I can do that then the points will probably come anyway.
  

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 420,470

• I got quite a few catches there, but I wasn't taking out enough pegs with each ball. I need a couple of early shots that can do some proper damage. Otherwise I just can't keep the catches going for long enough.
  

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 386,500

• I think I'm getting further away from this. I was a long way from clearing the red pegs there. I'm not ready to give up just yet, but I can see me turning to the laser ball eventually. Shame.
  

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 306,800

• A long way away again. I'm just not getting any penetration into the design.
  

Attempt #6 - No power ups. Score: 406,300

• I cleared the left hand side, but the right hand side was hardly touched. I think I'm going to have to admit defeat and use a laser ball.
  

Attempt #7 - No power ups. Score: 461,580

• 10 red pegs left. I really need to give up this idea now, and use a laser ball.
  

Attempt #8 - No power ups. Score: 658,730

• 10 red pegs left again. This really isn't working. This can be done, but I'd need a vast amount of luck because I'd need to make a massive number of catches.
  

Attempt #9 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,262,070 

• Well I finally succumbed and added a laser ball, and as I suspected, it then became stupidly easy. I got a total clearance with four balls to spare and doubled the pro target. Now I'm wondering if I gave up too easily.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 46 blue - Pro target 850k)

The same design as level 3, but all pegs are needed. The pro target looks pretty high, so this could be tough without power ups but I'll give it a few goes that way first.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 491,560

• Seven pegs left at the end, all blue, but quite a long way from the pro target. It might be worth shooting straight into one of the teleports with the first shot.
  

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 860,700 

• Somehow I managed to get pro score here without using any power ups, and on only my second attempt. Looking back at it, though, I suspect I could try another twenty or thirty times without doing it again. I had to grab every possible opportunity to earn a bonus, and even then I needed the full 200k final bonus to get it by just 10k. Shooting straight into a teleport seemed to work well as an opening gambit. Plus I picked up a few other slide bonuses and lucky catches, not to mention quite a few catches that I made that I went for but wouldn't necessarily have expected to get.
  

Level 3 (Clear 35 red pegs from 81 total - Pro target 550k)

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 384,950

• The teleports kept getting in the way that time. It seemed like every time I lined up a catch, the ball would disappear through the teleport and miss the bucket.
  

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 216,490

• A dreadful failure. I made one catch, I think. Nothing worked at all.
  

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 588,190 

• Got it at the fourth attempt, although only just. I needed the 50k final bucket that I got. That completes the Ace for me on this week's board with just that one annoying power up used on level 9. It would have been nice to get through without using any, but I'm quite pleased at having just used the one. It's pretty unusual just getting through a level 10 without any power ups, and only the second time I've done it since starting my blog.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	94	Reds	10	-	400k	1	525,860	525,860
2	35	74	Reds	10	-	425k	1	445,440	445,440
3	35	81	Reds	10	-	550k	4	588,190	407,572
4	25	94	Reds	10	-	450k	1	484,290	484,290
5	30	108	Reds	10	-	450k	1	524,290	524,290
6	45	94	Reds	10	-	550k	2	566,600	517,915
7	45	94	Reds	10	-	625k	6	961,640	615,973
8	25	74	All	10	-	650k	1	750,260	750,260
9	45	108	Reds	9	-	625k	9	1,262,070	554,903
10	35	81	All	10	-	850k	2	860,700	676,130

Board 63: Tomb of Secrets

This picture is of the inside of an Egyptian tomb. There is sand on the floor and the way ahead is flanked by two huge statues of Set.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 97 total - Pro target 525k)

I'm not sure what this design represents. Perhaps it is the setting sun as viewed beteen two pairs of sand dunes. 525k seems a reasonably high target for this level as I doubt it will be easy to get a ball to run down those slopes without flying off.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 440,860

• I had the balls in hand to finish, but I had to try and build my score up first. So I was taking chances that I wouldn't normally have taken and it didn't work out.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 425,420

• These pegs are very awkwardly positioned. They're all getting in the way of each other so I'm finding it almost impossible to pick up any catches. I made just one in that game. Despite this, I wasn't far off though, so I'll give it another go without any power ups. It is only level 1 after all.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 570,660 

• I needed a bit of luck to get the pro score this time. The score was looking a little on the low side until I picked up a few useful bonuses towards the end.

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 450k)

A design of an eye such as might be seen in a heiroglyphic. The pegs are quite bunched in the centre of the screen, which might make breaking through to pegs at the bottom quite tricky.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 237,500

• A lack of catches did for me here. Only 1 catch made, so only 77% clearance and barely half the points required for pro.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 486,240 

• I found catches very hard to come by again, but I managed to get some good ricochets going to earn some extra points. It was touch and go at the end and I had to gamble on avoiding the 10k bucket. Luckily, I hit the 50k bucket so all was well.

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 99 total - Pro target 475k)

This design features a pair of diagonal lines that follow the shaft of sunlight in the picture. Around them are lots of individual round pegs arranged in neat lines.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 501,450 

• That seems quite a tough level and I had to ride my luck quite a lot towards the end to beat it first time. Those diagonal lines form an awkward barrier to get through, and all those loose round pegs give what I call a bagatelle effect, where the position the ball comes out at the bottom bears very little relation to where it entered at the top. I had to try and take the last red off a deflection, and fortunately it worked.

Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 89 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 425k)

This design consists mainly of straight lines that follow some of the straight lines in the picture.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 309,740

• Another level where catches are hard. I started to get some right at the end, but I was on my last ball by then and I couldn't quite keep it going.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 627,150 

• Catches do get a lot easier as the screen empties, so it's one of those levels where can easily find yourself trying to eke out the last couple of balls for as long as possible. I had one or two lucky catches here, but by and large I felt I played it pretty well.

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 118 total - Pro target 475k)

Another rather curious design featuring a vertical line down each side, some curved lines sloping down towards the centre, and a arrowhead shape of individual round pegs in the middle.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 458,480

• Very close for a first attempt. Just one red peg left at the end.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 527,480

• This wasn't too difficult in the end. Once the awkward overhanging 'tree branches' are out of the way, catches off the remainder are fairly straightforward, so the endgame can be extended for quite a few shots. Forgot to start the recorder though, so no video.

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 99 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 3, which I remember as being quite awkward, despite the fact that I did it first go. The diagonal lines tend to push the balls to the left making the balls low to the right quite tricky to get to.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 447,720

• Still three red pegs left at the end. I could have done with more catches, but they're not easy get on this level.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 323,680

• Six reds left that time, I think. It's a tricky design to negotiate so I think I'll add a laser ball.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 192,340

• Truly awful. It took way too long to break through to the yellow peg. I only made one catch in the game and still had a dozen red pegs left at the end.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 330,940

• Four pegs left at the end. I'm not getting much of a boost from the laser ball as the pegs are too spread out. I might try a Big Bounce.

Attempt #5 - Big Bounce. Score: 387,740

• Only two pegs left there, one red and one blue, but still nowhere near the pro target. Maybe both power ups are required.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 257,110

• Another truly awful attempt. Both trigger pegs were awkward to get to. Catches just wouldn't come. It wasn't happening at all there.

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 719,690 

• That worked much better. The yellow peg was nicely on top so I could trigger it straight away. The laser picked up the extra rim bounce to take out some extra low pegs, the Big Bounce worked well, and I took quite a few lucky catches. Despite all this I was still struggling to make the pro target at the end. I had to make a total clearance, getting as many purple pegs as possible, and quite a few of them off the side wall first, and even then needed at least 60k from the final bonus buckets. I'm quite glad to get that one out of the way, for a level 6 it's quite tough.

Level 7 (Score 500k with 35 red pegs and 62 blue - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 1 which was quite tricky. I struggled to make the 525k required for that one, and this one needs 700k so I'll jump straight in with the laser.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 891,310 

• I got quite a few lucky catches at the start here, which meant I always had plenty of lives in hand later on. It took the pressure off, allowing me to take on quite a few riskier shots later on and I cruised to a comfortable pro score.

Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 86 blue - Pro target 575k)

The same design as level 2. Catches were quite tricky on the design before. I'll certainly need a laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 613,910

• I should have had this one. I took too many chances at the end to earn extra points when I already had enough for the pro target anyway. Then I ran out of balls with two pegs left. Silly.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 636,180

• Four pegs left that time, but I had to hang on for quite a while to get that close.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 562,040

• Just one peg left. I just needed to make one more catch at the end and missed it by a whisker. The closest attempt yet, but still it resists.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 715,540 

• Got it on the fourth attempt. And it only took 20 shots. I got lots of good ricochets. I thought I'd completely messed up the laser ball when I shot it too late, but instead of getting one good bounce, I got two half-decent rim bounces, so it didn't work out too bad.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 54 blue - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 4. I shall start with the laser again, but one of the problems with this layout is the lack of easily available pegs with the first ball, so the trigger peg will probably be awkward to get to.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 516,970

• Got the total clearance, but I needed the full 200k final bonus and I only got 60k. It took an age to break through to the yellow peg, so I was quite surprised I managed to get the clearance at all.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 520,800

• Again, the yellow peg took way too long to get to. I got a couple of lucky bonus-filled balls in the middle which put me back in the hunt, but I just had too much to do towards the end and I ran out of balls with five pegs left.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 922,160 

• Got the yellow peg fairly quickly and made quite a few catches to keep a steady accumulation of points going without losing too many balls. I managed to get a classic 3 peg finish, though, which is always satisfying.

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 93 blue - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 5, so quite a few pegs to be cleared. Even with a laser ball this one could be tricky.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 913,160 

• Quite a few lucky catches in this one. Two or three that hit the bucket rim only to bounce up and be caught anyway. Satisfying to get it at the first attempt.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	97	Reds	10	-	525k	3	570,660	478,980
2	25	111	Reds	10	-	450k	2	486,240	361,870
3	25	99	Reds	10	-	475k	1	501,450	501,450
4	30	89	Reds	9	-	425k	2	627,150	468,445
5	25	118	Reds	10	-	475k	2	527,480	492,980
6	40	99	Reds	9	-	675k	7	719,690	379,888
7	35	97	500k	10	-	700k	1	891,310	891,310
8	25	111	All	10	-	575k	4	715,540	631,917
9	35	89	All	10	-	625k	3	922,160	653,310
10	25	118	All	10	-	725k	1	913,160	913,160