Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 101 total - Pro target 500k)
This design is a catherine wheel of candy canes.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 494,850
- I struggled for points here, particularly early on when I was also struggling for catches. I was a little pre-emptive with my finish, as I clearly should have tried to pick off some more purple pegs before I took the last red ones. Silly really to finish 6k short of the pro target when I could have got more.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 504,040
- I'd practically written that game off, and really thought I'd blown it when I accidentally took out the last red peg when I still needed another 170k or so for the Pro target. But that final ball scored 60k and landed in the 100k bonus bucket, and crucially it earned me an extra ball, and that extra ball gave me the extra 10k that I needed for pro. Phew!
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 112 total - Pro target 375k)
This design follows the lines in the picture, particularly of the cottage itself, with a scattering of round pegs over the background, and voids where the children are.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 600,950
- No problems at all with that one, although I did seem to have a lot of luck with my catches. Wherever I shot the ball it seemed to hang around until the bucket was underneath and then dive into it. I could have finished earlier than I did, but I was trying to earn extra points. I got the last red unintentionally of a ricochet, but I was well over the pro target by then, so it didn't matter.
Level 3 (Clear 35 red pegs from 106 total - Pro target 550k)
This design is a series of curves arranged in vertical lines, separated by broken lines of vertical pegs. It mimics the arrangement of tiles on the roof of the cottage.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 769,780
- Another one that seemed very straightforward. All those gentle curves and vertical pegs made for some quite easy catches.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 130 total - Pro target 500k)
This design has another couple of candy canes, crossed ones this time, plus a boiled sweet and quite a few loose round pegs.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 263,390
- The boiled sweet design down the bottom is quite tricky to break into. I'll have one more go without power ups, but I suspect I'll be resorting to them after that.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 115,290
- Again I failed to really get into the boiled sweet design, only this time I struggled to earn any bonuses either. This is definitely one for the laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 392,010
- Even with the laser ball this one isn't overly straightforward. I got the annoying Big Bucket with the laser ball though, so I didn't any kind of rim bounce. And it's the rim bounce that needs to slice through that boiled sweet design.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,016,690
- The yellow peg was neatly on top that time, and the laser ball worked to perfection. I got a neat rim shot with it that took out a good chunk of the boiled sweet design, and then a second rim deflection which sent the ball back again, taking out a bit more of it. The net result of this was that after two shots I was already over the pro target and just needed to ensure that I cleared the 11 red pegs that remained with the 10 balls I still had in hand. It would have been hard to fail from there, and I went on to make a total clearance for just over a million points.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 102 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 425k)
This design has a rough diagonal lines of small obstructions that look a bit like Rice Krispies, and a scattering of individual round and diamond shaped pegs on both sides. There is also a teleport portal in the bottom left that comes out at the top right corner.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 372,610
- Well I cleared the red pegs, albeit more by luck than judgement, but I was some way short of the Pro target. I'll give it another go, but it may well need a power up or two.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 239,640
- Nowhere near that time. I'll add a laser ball and see what difference that makes.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 257,480
- The laser ball didn't make a huge difference. There may be a good path for it in there somewhere but finding it wouold be a hell of a job. I'll persevere with it as I might stumble across something.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 412,170
- I was pretty close that time. I only had one red peg left at the end and had two shots to try and get it, but it was tucked away behind some rocks and I couldn't find a route through. Shame because I was on target for the Pro target as well. I did find quite a reasonable path for the laser ball which bounces around up the top for a bit before disappearing through the portal. So I can just get the timing right so it gets a bucket bounce it should be perfect.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 392,400
- Very close that time. I needed 100k off the last red peg which was low and central, so thought I was in with a good chance. The ball skirted with the 100k but refused to drop and jumped over to the 50k instead which wasn't enough. I did manage to reproduce the laser path that I found last time though, and got a bucket bounce with it as well.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 582,920
- I used the same laser ball as before. I'll have to remember that for when this layout comes up again. I got quite a lot of lucky catches but I was in quite some trouble trying to find a route through to the last red peg. I managed to catch a lucky rim bounce off the bucket which deflected it onto the final red peg. Phew!
Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 112 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 675k)
The same design as level 2, but with 15 more red pegs, two less balls, and 300k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 395,610
- Nowhere near finishing this one. I was probably being a little hopeful attempting it without power ups.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 347,630
- Not enough catches as I only used 11 shots. I probably need to find a better path for the laser ball as my usual one doesn't take out many pegs in this layout.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 621,330
- I should have had that. I only had one red peg left but I couldn't get to it. I had to take out a couple of other pegs first to get to it, but missed a catch I should have made off the first of them.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 703,020
- A good laser ball that time scored me quite a lot of points. I still was left in a quandry at the end as to whether to take the last red and hope to avoid the 10k buckets, or try to take another purple first. In the end I decided to take the last red and hope for the best and it very nearly didn't pay off as the ball skirted all round the 10k bucket before falling in the 50k one.
Level 7 (Score 500k with 30 red pegs and 76 blue, with only 7 balls - Pro target 850k)
The same design as level 3, but with 5 less red pegs, three less balls, 300k on the pro target, and just a score target to go for.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 471,480
- Not the best of efforts. I didn't get to the yellow peg early enough, and then I made a complete hash of the laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,126,150
- I triggered the yellow peg with the first ball and then got a really good rim bounce with the laser ball. I then played all the subsequent catches much better. I was going for the total clearance but ended up leaving two pegs behind. Despite not clearing everything and only getting 10k from the final bucket, I still made over 1.1 million points.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 76 blue - Pro target 675k)
The same design as level 1, but with 175k on the pro target and a complete clearance now required.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 644,870
- I fought hard to get this one, but I missed the penultimate catch. I had to take the last nine pegs all with the last ball, but it eventually got the better of me.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 543,320
- Only 89% clearance that time. Too many missed catches in the endgame. I'll add a Big Bounce I think.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 1,023,160
- I found a good path for the laser ball that picked up two good rim bounces. After that, I very quickly got down to two pegs per ball remaining and then one. The points looked after themselves.
Level 9 (Clear 30 red pegs from 102 total, with only 7 balls and a 3s shot-clock - Pro target 525k)
The same design as level 5, but with 5 more red pegs, two less balls, 100k on the pro target and a 3 second shot-clock. I suspect this could be tricky.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 405,980
- This is going to take quite a bit of luck. I couldn't get to the yellow peg before the green peg, and then I couldn't time the laser ball properly because of the shot clock. II had two red pegs left at the end, I think and was about 120k short of the pro target.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 364,140
- Three red pegs left that time. The yellow peg wasn't too hard to get to, and I managed to get a bounce and a catch with the laser ball, but the Big Bounce was a complete flop, only taking about two pegs out.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 394,340
- Two red pegs left, but again the Big Bounce was a complete washout. This time I was still looking for the yellow peg when the clock ran out on the first ball which fired straight into the green peg thus triggering the Big Bounce way too early.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 409,480
- The yellow looked like it would be OK to get to, but I took out every peg around it without getting it. I ended up taking the green peg first. The Big Bounce worked OK but not as well as it might have done. I don't seem to have had a break yet.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 524,480
- Oh you complete bastard! Just 520 points short of the bloody pro score. If I'd just avoided the 10k bucket at the end, or even hitting one more peg would probably have done it. How incredibly annoying. I think I need to go and have a quiet lie down somewhere...
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 380,910
- The yellow peg was nicely on top, but the laser ball triggered the Split Ball which must have thrown it off its usual path slightly as I didn't then get the bucket bounce I would have expected. I also didn't take any catches at all which is never going to help.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 415,430
- One red peg left which I couldn't find a route through to. Even if I'd hit it, I would still have needed a 100k final bucket to make the pro target.
Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 529,170
- Got it finally, although it actually only took me eight attempts which isn't really that many. Not compared to some of the real stinkers of the past. I very nearly blew it right at the end though, when I twitched just as it launched and hit every other peg around the final red without touching it. Thankfully it hit another peg just before it disappeared off the bottom of the screen, and that was enough to earn me an extra ball to replace it. I though I'd still need a 100k final bonus, but a Crucial Bounce off the first peg meant that 50k turned out to be just enough.
Level 10 (Clear 40 red pegs from 130 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 4, but with 15 more red pegs, two less balls, and 250k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 376,720
- It took too long to get to the yellow peg, then I didn't get a favourable rim bounce with the laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 806,010
- I got the yellow peg on the second ball, and then didn't get a good rim bounce with the laser ball again. But I kept going and did OK with the Big Bounce. I had to make quite a few catches, but in the end I made it with balls to spare. I probably could have gone on to make a total clearance as there weren't many pegs left, but I didn't bother.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 101 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 2 | 504,040 | 499,445 | |
2 | 25 | 112 | Reds | 10 | - | 375k | 1 | 600,950 | 600,950 | |
3 | 35 | 106 | Reds | 10 | - | 550k | 1 | 769,780 | 769,780 | |
4 | 25 | 130 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 4 | 1,016,690 | 446,845 | |
5 | 25 | 102 | Reds | 9 | - | 425k | 6 | 582,920 | 376,203 | |
6 | 40 | 112 | Reds | 8 | - | 675k | 4 | 703,020 | 516,897 | |
7 | 30 | 106 | 500k | 7 | - | 850k | 2 | 1,126,150 | 798,815 | |
8 | 25 | 101 | All | 10 | - | 675k | 3 | 1,023,160 | 737,116 | |
9 | 30 | 102 | Reds | 7 | 3s | 525k | 8 | 529,170 | 427,991 | |
10 | 40 | 130 | Reds | 8 | - | 750k | 2 | 806,010 | 591,365 |
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