Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 98 total - Pro target 475k)
This design is a mushroom in the centre surrounded on three sides by vine-like curves.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 468,000
- I was really struggling for points there. I was a long way short and trying to pick off purple pegs, when a ball ricocheted unexpectedly, taking out most of the remaining pegs, including the last two reds. Despite dropping into the 100k final bucket, I still finished 7k short of the pro target.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 216,280
- Again, the points were a real struggle to come by. I'm not getting enough red pegs down the sides to get good bonuses off.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 532,280
- I managed to find some better angles this time. I got a few good Super Slide bonuses, and the reds seemed in a more conducive position for earning bonuses.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 98 total - Pro target 425k)
This design features a number of spiny curves, similar to the spiky curved sides of the shell in the picture.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 414,910
- I think I allowed myself to become too distracted by purple pegs in tempting positions before I'd got a proper handle on clearing the red ones. As a result, my score was pretty much there, but I ran out of balls before I could clear the red pegs.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 489,270
- I concentrated more on the red pegs this time. I still struggled to clear them all, and I also struggled to make the pro score. I still had two red pegs left on my final ball, and about 50k more needed for the pro target, but both remaining red pegs were low and central and tricky to take catches off, so I took a chance that I could take them both out in a single shot and get a decent final bonus.
Level 3 (Clear 20 red pegs from 104 total - Pro target 525k)
This design is of a snail. Only 20 pegs thought, which doesn't seem very many for over a hundred pegs in total.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 539,340
- I wasn't sure if the pro target was going to be tricky to reach with so few red pegs. But I still managed to pick up a steady supply of bonuses despite the scarcity of high value pegs. I had a few lucky catches, to be sure, but I still felt well in control all the way through.
Level 4 (Clear 20 red pegs from 106 total - Pro target 425k)
This design follows some of the lines in the picture. Mainly the curves of the shell and the steps and the wavy lines of a couple of the vines.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 290,920
- Only one red peg left, but well short on points. With both side walls hidden at the start, bonuses are hard to come by. All the unusual angles make for tricky catches as well. The are plenty of curves, but none that are well positioned for sliding along. I'll have one more go, but I suspect this may need a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 335,180
- I was trying to break a path through to the last peg. I just missed the the catch off the final blue peg, a catch I really should have got as well. If I'd got that, I had a good chance of deflecting off the final red straight into the 100k bucket, so a pretty good attempt.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 200,630
- Nowhere near again this time. I was down to about 2 balls left before I made my first catch. I managed a few more at the end, but it was too little too late. It's time for a laser ball.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 658,690
- The laser ball took out a lot of pegs and scored a lot of points. It allowed me to concentrate on the remaining red pegs without worrying about score. Once I had the clearance guaranteed, I was free to build my score a bit, just for the hell of it.
Level 5 (Clear 20 red pegs from 110 total - Pro target 500k)
This design consists of two twisted strands of vine, each covering a scattering of single round pegs. Only 20 red pegs again, but breaking through the vines to get at the loose pegs might be tricky.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 230,900
- I don't think I made any catches at all. I earned one extra ball, but it wasn't from a bucket catch. Most of the balls get funnelled down the middle where catches are hardest, or they get hopelessly entangled in the loose pegs at the side. I'm going to cut straight to the laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 518,470
- The yellow peg was buried down the bottom of the loose pegs on the right-hand side, so it took a few balls to get to it. When I did though, I got a good extra rim bounce with the laser ball and it took me most of the way to the pro target. I had plenty of balls left after that to take out the few remaining red pegs. I was still about 40k short when I took the last one, but I knew I had four balls in hand and the bonus for them alone would get me over the finish line.
Level 6 (Score 425k with 35 red pegs and 69 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 700k)
The same design as level 3, but with 15 more red pegs, one less ball, and 175k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 658,200
- I wasted my penultimate ball by missing everything which left me with a problem. I still had two red pegs left and needed about 60k for a pro score. I felt I could take out both pegs at once, so I went for it, hoping to avoid the 10k buckets, but that's exactly where it ended up.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 684,410
- I had another decision to make with the last ball. I need about 20k for pro off the last red. If I played it directly I knew there was a chance I might fall just short again, but if I tried to take it off the side wall, there was a chance I would hit the blue peg right next to it. I went off the side wall, hit the blue peg and missed the catch. Annoying!
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 755,300
- I completed it that time in only 7 shots. I got the yellow peg with the second shot, then the third shot was the laser ball, which took out practically everything else thanks to a fortuitous rim bounce. Four more shots and it was all over.
Level 7 (Clear 40 red pegs from 98 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 600k)
The same design as level 2, but with 15 more red pegs, one less ball and 175k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,088,650
- I got quite a lot of luck in this one. More than I needed. I picked up a lot of lucky catches, big bonuses, etc. The score was in the bag quite early on, and the red pegs were easily available so I went for the big score. I got a total clearance for just over a million points.
Level 8 (Clear 30 red pegs from 106 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same design as level 4, but with 10 more red pegs, two less balls, and 225k on the pro target. I got this score with my first attempt with the laser ball, so hopefully there won't be a problem here.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 646,450
- Another one where I just fell short. I've had so many of them on this board! Just 3½k short this time. I had no clear shot at the last red, so I felt I had to try and take it on and hope to pick up enough points.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 729,260
- Another last ball dilemma. The final red peg was flat topped and central, so I felt there was a good chance of shooting straight down on to it and it staying in the middle for the 100k bonus. I needed to avoid the 10k buckets for a pro score. Or, of course, I could try and make a catch or two of the purple peg first. I went for red peg and this time it worked out.
Level 9 (Clear 30 red pegs from 110 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same design as level 5, but with 10 more red pegs, two less balls, and 150k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 436,450
- Not a very good attempt. I didn't get a very good laser ball, and my catching skills weren't up to scratch either. I cleared the left-hand side completely, but hardly made any impact on the right-hand side at all.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 325,210
- Another dreadful effort. Only two catches made as nothing seemed to go where it was supposed to. Never looked remotely likely.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 518,240
- A slightly better effort, but it still never looked as if it was going all the way. If could get the yellow peg with the first ball that might help, although it still might not be enough.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 561,530
- I had a clear shot at the yellow peg with the first ball for once, and it certainly helped. I cleared the red pegs for the first time, but I was struggling most of the way, and I wasn't getting a good run of luck with the deflections. I held on to the last ball for a while, picking off some easy deflections, but it wasn't getting me anywhere closer to unblocking the last three red pegs. In the end, I could see two of them, so I went for them in the hope that the ball would rebound into the third and find its way to the 100k bucket. A pretty faint hope, but it almost worked. The lid over the 100k bucket just closed at the wrong moment and the ball bounced across to the 10k bucket on the far side. I think I'd better add another power up.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 523,650
- I didn't get much from the Big Bounce and although I got a extra bounce off the rim of the bucket with the laser ball, I didn't get much from it. This is going to need a big slice of luck I suspect.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 432,150
- It took too long to get to the laser ball trigger peg, then a few more to get to the Big Bounce trigger peg. I'll need more luck than that!
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 520,520
- I could have finished that time, but I needed more points so I had to try and make a few more catches and, alas, I didn't make enough.
Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 678,380
- I finally did it and forgot to start the recorder. I had to hang on for a few balls at the end, and with the final ball I had to make an unlikely catch which I made, more by luck than judgement. Even then I had to avoid the 10k bucket, which I also did. I can't believe I forgot to record it!
I went back after I'd finished the board and it took another four attempts to beat the pro score again so I could get a video. I'm not counting these against the stats though. This time I beat it so comfortably I could go on to make a leisurely total clearance for a score of 899,060. Both power ups worked well, the Big Bounce in particular clearing a lot of red pegs.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 68 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 825k)
The same design as level 1, but with 5 more red pegs, two less balls, 350k on the pro target, and a total clearance needed. Points were hard to come by on level 1 so this pro target looks very big indeed.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 743,980
- A 92% clearance, so not too far away. There were some bad missed catches towards the end the cost me dearly, but otherwise not bad for a first attempt.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 689,900
- Another 92% clearance, and a very similar story to the previous attempt. I couldn't see the yellow peg at first so I had to use a ball to get to it which may have cost me.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 946,680
- I managed to trigger the laser ball with the first shot, which is always a bonus, then got a reasonable rim bounce with it. I got some luck here and there after that with the odd lucky catch or extended ricochet. The Big Bounce took out quite a few pegs as well. And then I managed not to miss too many catches in the endgame.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 98 | Reds | 10 | - | 475k | 3 | 532,280 | 405,520 | |
2 | 25 | 98 | Reds | 10 | - | 425k | 2 | 489,270 | 452,090 | |
3 | 20 | 104 | Reds | 10 | - | 525k | 1 | 539,340 | 539,340 | |
4 | 20 | 106 | Reds | 10 | - | 425k | 4 | 658,690 | 371,355 | |
5 | 20 | 110 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 2 | 518,470 | 374,685 | |
6 | 35 | 104 | 425k | 9 | - | 700k | 3 | 755,300 | 699,303 | |
7 | 40 | 98 | Reds | 9 | - | 600k | 1 | 1,088,650 | 1,088,650 | |
8 | 30 | 106 | Reds | 8 | - | 650k | 2 | 729,260 | 687,855 | |
9 | 30 | 110 | Reds | 8 | - | 650k | 8 | 678,380 | 499,516 | |
10 | 30 | 98 | All | 8 | - | 825k | 3 | 946,680 | 793,520 |
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