Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 99 total - Pro target 400k)
The first design features some straight lines where the poles are, and some curves on the prows of the goondolas. Plus a scattering of single round pegs to make up the numbers.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 512,300
- A relatively easy starter. The first few balls I just played off the side wall first, onto a red peg, in the hope that they would ricochet around and take out some red pegs and maybe pick up the odd bonus. I had to be a bit more tactical towards the end, particularly on the last ball. I had to decide whether to risk taking a catch off the purple peg that was in the way, which was entirely missable, or play through a tight gap off the side wall. I chose the latter and it worked so I guess it was the right decision.
Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 95 total - Pro target 425k)
This design is made up entirely of single pegs arranged in a roughly triangular formation as if looking down towards the prow of a boat.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 605,840
- I didn't make many catches early on, but I got quite a few good ricochets and a few bonuses, so it didn't matter too much. As the game went on, however, I started to make more and more catches, including quite a few lucky ones. A fair bit of ball juggling was going on with the rim of the bucket. I ended up getting a total clearance.
Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 109 total - Pro target 500k)
This design is a symmetrical pattern of four crossed curls. I'm not sure what this has to do with the picture, though. You can just make out a curly pattern on the gondolas so maybe it's that.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 220,350
- I'm not sure if it was the layout in general or just the positioning of the red pegs, but I found both catches and bonuses really hard to come by here. The angles seemed to always working against me. I think I'll use a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 463,350
- A lot closer than without the laser ball, but still not close enough. I still had about three red pegs left at the end, but it wasn't because I'd been particularly going for purple ones.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 868,260
- It's a funny old game this sometimes. On the first couple of attempts, I found catches nearly impossible to judge, whereas on this one, everything seemed destined for the bucket. I could have cleared the red pegs with seven balls in hand, pro score and all, but I chose to keep going until I got the total clearance, or got down to my last ball. I ran out of balls still with about three or four blue pegs left, but continuing would have been too much of a risk so I finished it then.
Level 4 (Clear 35 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 500k)
This design is of St Mark's Basilica and Campanile that can be seen in the background of the picture.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 868,320
- This layout consists mainly of rectangular blocks positioned either horizontally or vertically and this makes for a lot of quite easy catches. There were undoubtedly a few lucky catches in there, but most of them were played for. I managed to take a total clearance without too much trouble.
Level 5 (Clear 35 red pegs from 121 total - Pro target 450k)
This design features two pairs of vertical lines, with each pair connected by four diagonal lines, akin to the red & white striped poles in the picture. There are lines of loose round pegs as well.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 407,840
- I didn't get very lucky with the catches, but there were some pretty dreadful attempts in there as well. I'll improve next time.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 275,250
- I seemed to go down to one life quite quickly. I hung on for ages, clearing out the right hand tower completely, but misjudged one on the other side. I'll use a laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 938,200
- Not too difficult once the laser ball comes into play. I could get the yellow peg with the first ball, and I got a decent rim bounce with the laser ball. It didn't score much extra, but it popped the ball up nicely for a bucket catch. The angles are actually quite easy to catch from, once enough other pegs have been cleared first. I went on to take a total clearance.
Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 95 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)
The same design as level 2, but with 10 more red pegs, one less ball, and 125k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 560,750
- Two red pegs left. I was trying to pick off the blue pegs on the outside of the pattern one by one to get to one of the last two red pegs, but I missed a catch. Worth another go before I add a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 497,860
- I think I got blinded by the total clearance there. I was down to three pegs left, one of which was red, and I took out the two blue ones with my last ball. In reality, I probably had an angle off the last red peg to get into the 100k bucket, but I was looking to fixedly at getting the total clearance, it never entered my mind until afterwards.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 534,790
- I added a laser ball, but I was probably better off beforehand! I got the points easily enough, but I was nowhere near clearing the red pegs.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 714,840
- Another far from convincing attempt. The yellow peg was right down the bottom, in the centre, and it took several balls to get to it. I got there eventually, and the laser ball did OK considering how many pegs had gone by then, but I ended up with a lot of work to do with the last ball again. I chipped away at the blue pegs from the right hand side, and managed to keep making catches until I could take out both the last two red pegs together.
Level 7 (Clear 45 red pegs from 109 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same design as level 3, but with 15 more red pegs, two less balls, and 150k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 895,340
- I got the yellow peg with the first ball, and caught the rim bounce with the laser ball. After that it was never really in doubt. I failed to get a total clearance by just two pegs, but I'm not too bothered about that.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 69 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same design as level 1, but with one less ball, 250k on the pro target, and a total clearance now required.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 832,810
- Again, I got the yellow peg with the first shot, and did well with the laser ball. The angles on this layout are quite forgiving, so getting the clearance from there really wasn't a problem.
Level 9 (Clear 50 red pegs from 121 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 700k)
The same design as level 5, but with 15 more red pegs, two less balls, and 250k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 780,060
- When I tried level 5 with a laser ball I score over 900k and got a total clearance, so I didn't foresee any problems here, and I didn't encounter any. It took a couple of balls to get to the yellow peg, but I got a good rim bounce with the laser ball, despite taking an unorthodox path with it. I went for ricochets to start with, but as the number of balls started to drop, I switched to single peg catches, and they saw me through to the end.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 50 red and 61 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 800k)
The same design as level 4, but with 15 more red pegs, one less ball, 300k on the pro target, and a total clearance now required. On level 4, I made a total clearance for over 800k in score, and that was without any power ups, so this shouldn't be a problem.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 775,600
- I was picking the pegs off one at a time, but the catches getting tougher. Maybe a laser ball wouldn't be a bad idea. If only to get through this last level and move on to the next board.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 876,130
- One peg left. I was torn as to how to tackle the last pair of pegs. They were right in the middle and one on top of the other in an inverted T shape. I didn't think I could reliably hit them both directly, and a catch would have been equally awkward so I tried to play off the side wall into the angle between them, but just caught the lower one.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,029,550
- It's always nice to finish with a million. I got a better laser ball that time, and some better ricochets during the mid-game and endgame. It ended up being an easy finish.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 30 | 99 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 1 | 512,300 | 512,300 | |
2 | 30 | 95 | Reds | 10 | - | 425k | 1 | 605,840 | 605,840 | |
3 | 30 | 109 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 3 | 868,260 | 517,320 | |
4 | 35 | 111 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 1 | 868,320 | 868,320 | |
5 | 35 | 121 | Reds | 10 | - | 450k | 3 | 938,200 | 540,430 | |
6 | 40 | 95 | Reds | 9 | - | 550k | 4 | 714,840 | 577,060 | |
7 | 45 | 109 | Reds | 8 | - | 650k | 1 | 895,340 | 895,340 | |
8 | 30 | 99 | All | 9 | - | 650k | 1 | 832,810 | 832,810 | |
9 | 50 | 121 | Reds | 8 | - | 700k | 1 | 780,060 | 780,060 | |
10 | 50 | 111 | All | 9 | - | 800k | 3 | 1,029,550 | 893,760 |
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