Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 110 total - Pro target 600k)
The first design features curved lines representing the layers of ice blocks on the igloos, and more curves on the tops of the rocks, plus some loose round pegs.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 730,000
- It seemed like quite a high pro target, and it looked like I was going to fall some way short of it. But I hung on with the final ball for long enough to get there.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 114 total - Pro target 475k)
This design is mostly diamond-shaped pegs, some arranged into snowflake patterns.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 554,200
- Another one I was struggling on, but came good in the endgame. I find lots of diamond-shaped pegs generally make for lots of awkward angles, but I got lucky here and made quite a few catches.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 102 total - Pro target 400k)
This design features four fish separated by dotted horizontal lines. There are two slightly angled solid objects that look like icicles on their sides that move left and right at the top.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 348,280
- Two red pegs left at the end. This is a tricky layout. Although when it comes back for level 10 it will be a lot trickier. I'll add a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 381,420
- I thought I had that one, but a completely unexpected bounce off a flat edged peg made me miss a catch. I guess I must have hit a corner, but it didn't look like it.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 503,050
- I got it that time with eight balls to spare. It took me a few shots to get through to the yellow peg, but I caught most of them, so it wasn't a problem. I did well with the laser ball, and then made loads of catches off the remaining reds.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 95 total - Pro target 450k)
This design features semi-circles over the roofs of the two igloos and the outlines of the doors. Plus there are lots of loose round pegs everywhere.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 370,880
- Two red pegs left at the end. I ought to be able to do better than that.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 276,980
- Worse than the last effort. Three red pegs left that time. I'll the laser ball again.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 564,810
- It cost me three balls getting to the yellow peg, and then the rim bounce with the laser ball was ineffective. Despite all that, this layout fits my standard laser ball path quite well, so it scored a lot of points nonetheless, and it only left 10 red pegs to get with 7 balls. I didn't need to make many catches then, to finish it off. A good job too as I didn't make many catches in the mid-game. I had to make a few at the end as I tried to clear a path through to the last two.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 127 total - Pro target 550k)
This design consists of 13 3x3 blocks of rectangular pegs, a bit like ice blocks in an igloo.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 536,300
- Nearly, but not quite a big enough score. I was trying to hold off taking the last red, but I was down to the last ball and running out of easy catches. In the end the red went off a deflection, and even the 100k final bucket wasn't enough for a pro score.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 342,550
- Not as good as the previous go. I'll add a laser ball which ought to help.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 793,970
- I got the yellow peg with the first ball and did reasonably well with the laser ball. I had plenty of lives to play with after that, so I could play lots of purple pegs to keep the points ticking over. I kept going to get the total clearance.
Level 6 (Score 450k with 35 red pegs and 75 blue - Pro target 900k)
The same design as level 1, but with 10 more red pegs, 300k on the pro target, but just a score to go for this time.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 535,720
- I got the yellow peg straight away, but the standard route with the laser peg didn't seem to work very well. Then I just kept misjudging the angles with practically every shot.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,012,770
- I got the yellow peg first ball again, but I went a different path with the laser ball which seemed to work a lot better. I had a few decent ricochets in the midgame, and then concentrated on picking off what was left one peg at a time. I took a total clearance for a seven figure score.
Level 7 (Clear 35 red pegs from 114 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)
The same design as level 2, but with 10 more red pegs, one less ball, and 75k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 535,070
- I did all the hard work and then messed up the final shot. I just had to get the last two red pegs with the final ball. They were close together, so it should have been easy, but I caught an odd angle on the first one and missed the second.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 577,380
- I got the yellow peg with the first shot, then seemed to do OK with the laser ball, although it didn't actually score that much. I picked up a lot of bonuses after that, mostly off purple pegs. I didn't quite have the points to finish when I got down to my last ball, so I had to use a couple of easy catches off purple ones first.
Level 8 (Clear 45 red pegs from 95 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 4, but with 20 more red pegs, one less ball, and 300k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 735,930
- I did about the best I could there, getting a complete clearance, but both balls finished in the 10k buckets and it wasn't enough. I fell about 15k short of the pro target.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 917,730
- I thought I had little chance there are as the yellow peg was in a very awkward position, and it took about half of my balls to get through to it. I scored well with the laser ball though, getting a perfect rim bounce that landed back in the bucket. I went back to picking the reds off after that, and managed to finish in quite spectacular fashion, taking the last four red pegs with a single ball.
Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 102 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 825k)
The same design as level 5, but with one less ball, 275k on the pro target, and a total clearance now needed.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 907,930
- I didn't think I was going to be able to accrue enough points with that one. My score seemed quite low in the mid-game, but I took every opportunity to play pegs off the side wall in the endgame. I left a low central peg for last, and managed to play it off the side wall so the ball glanced off the side of it into the 100k bucket. The other ball found its way into the 50k bucket, but as it turned out 10k would have done.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 77 blue, with only 9 balls and a 5s shot-clock - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 3, but with one less ball, 350k on the pro target, a five second shot clock, and a total clearance now required. This level has a reputation for being probably the most difficult level of all 1100 or so so far produced. I've seen countless requests from other players for hints and tips on this level. I remember that it took me many many lives to get through it the first time, and that I finally got it using a laser ball and a Big Bounce. It will be interesting to see how many attempts it takes me this time.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 446,760
- A 91% clearance. Actually not bad for a first attempt. First of many I strongly suspect.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 284,880
- Only four pegs left, but a long long way away from the pro target. I hit the green peg before the yellow one which is generally disastrous on this level.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 141,620
- A disastrous 78% clearance. I couldn't get to the yellow peg for ages and then I couldn't get a clean release of the laser ball between the moving plates. The Big Bounce then went OK but the damage was already done.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 254,390
- Again, I failed to get a clean laser ball off, and that's pretty key to success here. There's just no hope of even approaching the pro target without a big score from the laser.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 489,360
- Certainly the best attempt yet. Only two pegs left at the end. Of course, I still needed another 50k to even have a chance at the pro target, but still a good effort. I got the yellow peg on the first shot, and a rim bounce with the laser ball. The Big Bounce could have gone better.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 723,030
- Ooooh, so close! If I could just have done slightly better with the final buckets I would have had it. I got a 10k and a 50k, so either two 50s or a 100k and anything else would have done.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 484,280
- A 96% clearance, so another decent effort.
Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 698,020
- Another pretty close one. I was helped by an extremely unorthodox laser ball which went all over the place flying off all sorts of strange angles. I got two 50k buckets at the end but would have needed to maximum 200k to hit the pro target.
Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 644,030
- Another total clearance, but I should probably have tried harder to earn bonuses. I got two 50k bonuses at the end, but even a maximum 200k wouldn't have been enough for pro.
Attempt #10 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 304,240
- I was blocked from getting a decent laser ball off, although it could have been a lot worse. I tried harder for bonuses but didn't get much luck with them. I never managed to get to the green peg which was right down the bottom. Only an 83% clearance.
Attempt #11 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 572,270
- A total clearance again, but even more distant from the pro target. I got a 60k final bonus, so again, even the maximum 200k would have left me 40k short. I need to play around with laser ball angles a bit more. See if I can find a really good path for it.
Attempt #12 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 541,610
- The score was a bit better, but I still had three pegs left at the end. The laser ball was blocked again which didn't help.
Attempt #13 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 327,730
- Just an 86% clearance that time, mainly because the laser ball went disastrously wrong. It caught the moving slab at the top and missed the bucket altogether.
Attempt #14 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 456,850
- A 94% clearance, but I was still just under 300k short of the pro target. The Big Bounce triggered before the laser and got blocked out.
Attempt #15 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 250,610
- The laser ball was very wayward and the Big Bounce triggered when there were still too many pegs left.
Attempt #16 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 277,680
- This level needs plenty of luck to get through and I just didn't get any there.
Attempt #17 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 569,440
- Just one peg missed, and a score that was within range of the pro target with a decent final bonus, so a pretty good attempt. Certainly the closest for a while anyway.
Attempt #18 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 459,820
- A total clearance, but it was fairly meaningless as the score was nowhere near pro level. Even a full 200k would have left me almost 200k short.
Attempt #19 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 444,210
- I was struggling for both points and pegs in that one, so it was hard to know which to concentrate on. In the end I got neither.
Attempt #20 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 340,200
- The laser ball was a disaster and recovering from that would have been practically impossible.
Attempt #21 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 341,110
- The Big Bounce triggered before the laser ball and got trapped down the bottom. Just an 86% clearance.
Attempt #22 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 297,050
- The laser ball was completely blocked by the moving slabs. I tried to squeeze past them but caught a deflection and missed the bucket entirely. I couldn't recover from that.
Attempt #23 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 316,600
- The Big Bounce was ineffective, and I didn't get enough luck with the ricochets and bonuses.
Attempt #24 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 612,520
- A total clearance, but not with a big enough score to give myself a chance at the pro target.
Attempt #25 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 360,160
- The Big Bounce got trapped and I didn't get the luck required.
Attempt #26 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 326,180
- The laser ball was blocked and ended up scoring very little.
Attempt #27 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 405,310
- The laser ball was blocked again so I couldn't get the shot off that I wanted.
Attempt #28 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 899,270
- Gotcha! It's a relief to get that one out of the way. That was my 28th attempt and last one of the evening as I'd just run out of energy. I got a clone ball with the very first shot which scored me 150k straight off, and I caught one of them, so I had a pretty good start. I got the yellow peg with the second shot. The laser ball was blocked by the moving slabs, but I managed to find an angle at the last moment that took out most of the pegs on the left hand side and scored another 215k. I managed to keep the green peg in play until I only had 17 pegs left and my score was up to 537k.. The Big Bounce then took out 10 of them for a score of 95k. I now had 7 pegs left with four balls in hand and just 120k to go to the pro target, so I knew was just a few more catches or ricochets away from glory. I caught the next ball, got two pegs with the next, took one with the next and then caught another to leave two balls for two pegs and 60k to score. I got no further bonuses so I had to avoid a minimum 20k at the end. My heart was in my mouth as the balls bobbled about at the end, but they both went in the centre for a maximum 200k and I could breath again.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 110 | Reds | 10 | - | 600k | 1 | 730,000 | 730,000 | |
2 | 25 | 114 | Reds | 10 | - | 475k | 1 | 554,200 | 554,200 | |
3 | 25 | 102 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 3 | 503,050 | 410,916 | |
4 | 25 | 95 | Reds | 10 | - | 450k | 3 | 564,810 | 404,223 | |
5 | 25 | 127 | Reds | 10 | - | 550k | 3 | 793,970 | 557,606 | |
6 | 35 | 110 | 450k | 10 | - | 900k | 2 | 1,012,770 | 774,245 | |
7 | 35 | 114 | Reds | 9 | - | 550k | 2 | 577,380 | 556,225 | |
8 | 45 | 95 | Reds | 9 | - | 750k | 2 | 917,730 | 826,830 | |
9 | 25 | 127 | All | 9 | - | 825k | 1 | 907,930 | 907,930 | |
10 | 25 | 102 | All | 9 | 5s | 750k | 28 | 899,270 | 438,186 |
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