Board 53: Skyward Tower

This rather biblical picture is presumably of the Tower of Babel. It depicts a vast tower disappearing up into the clouds, surrounded on the ground by camels and mud bricks.

Level 1 (Clear 35 red pegs from 88 total - Pro target 650k)

The first design has five solid lines on the tower itself, with lines of separated round and diamond shaped pegs against the sky.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 308,330

• Not a single catch made there. A poor start. I think I made the mistake of clearing the left-hand side first, then finding that all subsequent balls kept getting funnelled that way. I need to start on the other side, I think. And I need to make some catches, of course.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 656,580 

• Certainly concentrating on the right-hand side first helped. It made for a more even clearance. I was still struggling for points a bit at the end, but I picked up a fortunate late bonus, then I managed to leave a final red peg that I could play off into the central 100k bucket. So as soon as I got to within 100k of the pro target, I took out the only blue peg that was blocking the shot, and then finished it.

Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 91 total - Pro target 525k)

This design has solid lines up the sides of the tower, plus some other shorter lines over the columns on the ground. There are also lots of single round pegs, mainly over the circling cloud formations.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 436,580

• My catching was a bit sloppy there. There were several shots I missed that I probably should have got. I could have finished it, but I was trying to build a pro score by using the purple pegs.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 197,670

• I could tell from the word go that I had very little chance there. The reds were dreadfully positioned. There were no easy bonuses to be had anywhere, so I just couldn't get my score going at all.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 462,000

• A better effort. Again, I was trying to build a pro score when I missed one catch too many. If I'd just made that last catch, I would have gone for a finish.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 377,890

• I'm not really making any headway here. I'll use a laser ball.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 534,650 

• I got a bit lucky at the end. I had two red pegs left and still needed 100k for the pro target, and on my final ball. I thought I could play one of the pegs off the side wall and make the catch on the other side for 30k or so, so I played it. I got the 25k Exact Angle bonus, but misjudged the angle completely. The ball flew across the screen much higher than I anticipated, hit the other red peg, picking up a 25k Crazy Distance bonus, before bouncing straight back into the 50k bucket, thus giving me the 100k I needed for Pro. So not the most stylish finish I've ever had, but they all count.

Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 96 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)

This design has long curved sections, broken by the tower, as if encircling it.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 445,230

• I was caught out by an unexpected finish there. I still had several balls left in hand and three red pegs, fairly widely spread. I played my final ball off the side wall onto the purple peg, thinking it might bounce across the screen and hit one of the remaining reds for a distance bonus. What it actually did was ricochet all over the screen, taking out all three remaining reds and dropping in the 50k bucket. But even the 100k bucket wouldn't have been enough.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 386,970

• Only two catches was the main problem. Otherwise it was actually going quite well.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 618,560 

• Plenty of catches this time. Some good ricochets and sweeping bonuses early on gave me a boost and cleared some space for me to have a decent chance at catches in the endgame.

Level 4 (Clear 35 red pegs from 104 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)

This design is a slightly inclined arrangement of arches and broken lines based on the arches arranged all the way up the tower.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 421,380

• Two reds left which I could have got if I'd had more points. I struggled for catches early on and that put the pressure on towards the end.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 564,580 

• I got some more early catches this time which left me more balls to play with in the endgame, giving me the chance to go for some more ambitious shots. These shots gave me more points and that got me to the pro target, although I needed the 50k at the end.

Level 5 (Clear 35 red pegs from 114 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 500k)

This design is a repeating pattern of ornate V-shapes. There are a lot of pegs here, but there should be a good chance of taking out a lot of pegs with each ball, particularly the early ones.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 398,710

• Only three catches made, but despite this, I think I only had three red pegs left at the end and was only 150k short of the target. I shouldn't have to find many more catches to finish this one.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 175,830

• I only made a single catch that time, so nowhere near either the clearance or the pro target. It can only get better.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 214,950

• Only one catch again. You'd think the laws of probability alone would get you more than one catch per game. I'll have one more go before I add a laser ball.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 191,740

• No improvement. I took a few catches right at the end, but the game was already as good as over by then.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 390,470

• The laser ball helped, but it would have helped a lot more if I could have gotten to it without using up about four balls and half the pegs.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 652,060 

• What a difference it makes when the yellow peg can be taken with the first ball. I had two or three lucky catches along the way, but thsn I finished with two or three balls left at the end, so I didn't necessarily need those catches, but I'm sure they helped.

Level 6 (Score 550k with 35 red pegs and 61 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 775k)

The same design as level 3, but with 5 more red pegs, and 225k on the pro target. A big score the only target here though.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 613,430

• I reached the regular target easily enough, but couldn't get to the pro one. The yellow peg was buried away in the bottom right hand corner so I didn't get to it until there were hardly any pegs left. Indeed, it was the laser ball that got rid of the last red pegs, thus finishing the attempt. I still had several balls left, but I don't think I could have made enough points with them.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 720,120

• Closer this time, although, again, the yellow peg was right down the bottom so I had to pretty much ignore it throughout most of the game. I managed to avoid taking out the last red peg with the laser ball when I eventually triggered it, but it went eventually leaving me just over 50k short.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 938,710 

• I could get the yellow peg with the first ball, and that made all the difference.

Level 7 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 58 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 1, but with 5 less red pegs, one less ball, 25k on the pro target, and all pegs now needed.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 777,310 

• The yellow peg was readily available with the first ball, and I got a good rim bounce with the laser ball, one where it just pops the ball up nicely at about 45° so it lands back in the bucket again on the other side of the screen. A few useful ricochets later on, and I was just going through the motions.

Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 79 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 600k)

The same design as level 4, but with 10 fewer red pegs, 75k on the pro target, and a total clearance now needed.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 492,260

• I missed too many catches there. I made some towards the end but it wasn't enough. I got the yellow peg with the first shot, but I didn't pick a very good angle for it. Only an 88% clearance.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 554,000

• A much better effort. A 96% clearance. I could still have done with another ball or two in hand towards the end as I was hanging on to the last couple of balls for quite a few shots. A few more catches and I would have had it.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 864,380 

• I got one or two extra early catches that I had been missing in the previous attempts. Plus I had a good run of catches in the mid-game which helped a lot too. It meant I had plenty of balls in hand in the endgame, allowing me to go for some more adventurous shots towards the end.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 84 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 5, but with 5 fewer red pegs, 125k on the pro target, and all pegs now needed.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 417,320

• Only an 89% clearance despite getting the yellow peg with the first ball. I was always struggling for catches, even towards the end. I'll add a Big Bounce.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 653,430

• I didn't think I had any chance at all there. I activated the Big Bounce early when the screen was too full and the ball didn't have enough room to move around, so didn't score much. The laser ball did OK, but it still left me an awful lot of pegs to clear and an awful lot of points to score. But I chipped away at them, made enough points for the pro score, but just missed out by a single peg - and I only missed that by a whisker.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 538,800

• Again, the yellow peg was awkwardly placed so I couldn't activate the laser peg as early as I wanted to. And, because, the Big Bounce was activated first, it got jammed in a corner and didn't score very much. I still had a chance, but I would have needed to make a helluva lot of catches.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 398,540

• I did quite well with the laser ball, but the Big Bounce just found all the gaps and hardly scored anything. I was left with a lot of pegs still, and awkwardly placed ones at that. Not well suited for making catches at all.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 387,430

• Not a very good attempt, that one. I couldn't get to the yellow peg and by the time I did I'd used up too many balls for too few points.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 657,540

• Three pegs left. An easy yellow peg to start with, and an easy green peg to follow. I could have had a better rim bounce with the laser ball, but I just ran out of balls in the end. Close but not quite close enough.

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 402,830

• It took way too long to get to the yellow peg to trigger the laser ball. By the time I'd gone through both power ups I had too few pegs left and too many points still to score. I had to take on lots of very difficult shots to try and maximise my points and I inevitably missed too many catches and ran out of balls.

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 737,810 

• Finally got it at the 8th attempt. I managed to keep the catches going just long enough to get through all the pegs. I thought my chances were slim when it took about four or five balls to get through to the yellow peg. After both power ups had been used, I still had 33 pegs left and 370k still to score and just 6 balls to do it with. It seemed a tall order, but I managed it.

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 56 blue, with only 9 balls and a 3s shot-clock - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2, but with 5 more red pegs, one less ball, 125k on the pro target, a three second shot-clock, and a total clearance now required. That's a short shot-clock so some quick thinking may be required.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 803,540 

• Not too difficult, this one. Certainly not when compared to the last one anyway. The angles here were much more conducive to making catches. I don't tend to be put off by shot-clocks, and I wasn't particularly here.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	35	88	Reds	10	-	650k	2	656,580	482,455
2	30	91	Reds	10	-	525k	5	534,650	401,758
3	30	96	Reds	9	-	550k	3	618,560	483,586
4	35	104	Reds	9	-	525k	2	564,580	492,980
5	35	114	Reds	9	-	500k	6	652,060	337,293
6	35	96	550k	9	-	775k	3	938,710	757,420
7	30	88	All	9	-	675k	1	777,310	777,310
8	25	104	All	9	-	600k	3	864,380	636,880
9	30	114	All	9	-	625k	8	737,810	524,212
10	35	91	All	9	3s	650k	1	803,540	803,540