Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 90 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 425k)
The first design features three lines across the base of the tree-lines in the picture, plus loose round pegs over the trees, the water, the hills in the background, and the lights in the sky.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 584,340
- Well the first level seemed pretty straightforward. There were plenty of opportunities for hitting pegs off the side wall, catches weren't too difficult, and there were ricochets to be had in the bottom right corner.
Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 104 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)
This design is similar to the previous one in as much as it follows some of the lines of the picture. It has curved lines that follow the curve of the hills, and then closely packed strings of round pegs following the lines of the lights in the sky.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 225,070
- The reds were particularly awkwardly placed on that one, so I struggled to find any bonuses.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 754,940
- The reds were much more usefully positioned this time, and what a difference it made. Of course, there were some lucky ricochets and catches in there as well, but essentially, the victory was down to good peg placement/
Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 69 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)
The simpler design features just five wavy lines (two of them partial) crossing the screen from side to side.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 477,920
- Only five pegs left at the end, three of them red, but I didn't feel I really made the most of potential sweeps over the curves. There must be some better opening balls I feel.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 634,610
- I missed out that time by just one red peg. It wasn't even that difficult a catch that I missed. Annoying.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 696,530
- Another close one. Just four pegs left, two of them red. I keep messing up the final catches.
Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 597,840
- Four pegs left again. This time three of them red. This is starting to get really quite annoying. I'm not using a power up on this.
Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 698,160
- I got there eventually. I managed to trigger a Split Ball with my very first shot which gave me a very good start indeed. I lost a few quick balls in the midgame, and I thought I was going to mess it up again, but I managed to hang on for once and make the necessary catches in the endgame.
Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 100 total - Pro target 625k)
This design is reminiscent of the fir trees in the picture. It mainly consists of diamond-shaped pegs with a few short curves on the edges.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 769,940
- The red pegs didn't seem to be arranged ina particularly friendly way, and early points were hard to come by. Instead, I concentrated on clearing some space so I could give myself a chance of taking lots of catches in the endgame, and make up the deficit that way. I had to be quite patient towards the end, shooting straight into the bucket quite a lot while waiting for the right purple peg. But it paid dividends in the end, as I made a total clearance.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 86 total - Pro target 450k)
This design is a compass where the solid compass needle swings wildly back and forth at the top. The design mainly consists of two large circles, one inside the other, plus a selection of other single pegs, both round and diamond-shaped, marking the points of the compass.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 183,000
- I cleared quite a lot of the red pegs, but I was nowhere near the pro target. I think I'll use a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 489,150
- It took a while to get to the yellow peg, but I did OK with the laser when it came around. I spent a long time waiting for the needle to be in the right place so I could take a catch off the right side of the central cluster, but eventually gave up and went a different way.
Level 6 (Clear 45 red pegs from 104 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 675k)
The same design as level 2, but with 15 more red pegs, one less ball, and 150k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 475,920
- Attempting this without any power ups is probably being a little over-ambitious, but I thought I'd give it a go. I didn't really get close. Before I knew it, I was down to a couple of balls and I didn't seem to have got very far. I'll be realistic and add a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 808,730
- I got a good sweep with the first ball to take out the yellow peg. The laser ball was OK, but I failed to get a decent rim bounce. I soon seemed to run short of balls, though, and I had to be extremely careful how I took out the last half dozen red pegs. I had to pick off quite a few blue ones first for fear that they might get in the way of potential catches.
Level 7 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 39 blue - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 3, but with one more ball, 100k on the pro target, and all the pegs now needed.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 712,510
- Just one peg short which was annoying. I was trying to take a catch off the last red peg, coming off the side wall first, but I mistimed it.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 771,800
- I'd just about written that one off! The yellow peg was way down on the lowest line, making it practically impossible to get to until there were hardly any pegs left anyway. I was doing OK without it though, so when I did eventually get it I could take out nearly all the remaining pegs with it. I still had a lot of points to score, though, off the last four or five blue pegs. I managed to take all but the last one off the side wall for the extra bonus, and then a ball in the 100k final bucket and it was enough.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 65 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 600k)
The same design as level 4, but with 5 more red pegs, two less balls, 25k less on the pro target, and a total clearance now requried.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 369,280
- An awkwardly positioned yellow peg did for me there. By the time I'd hit it, I only had three balls left, and I didn't score enough from the laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 828,680
- Again it took me quite a few balls to get through to the yellow peg, but I did OK with the laser ball. I took my time a bit more in the endgame, this time. Catches in the endgame are actually pretty easy with this layout. All those low down diamonds make for simple deflections into the bucket to either side, especially since they're all pointed in line with the launcher.
Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 55 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)
The same design as level 1, but with 5 more red pegs, one less ball, 225k on the pro target, and another total clearance required.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 668,950
- I was quickly on to the yellow peg, then got an excellent double rim bounce with the laser ball for big bonus points. It should have been easy from there, but a certain amount of carelessness meant that when I got down to my last ball, I still had about four pegs left. Fortunately I judged the catches well, and got just enough with the final bucket bonus to make the pro target.
Level 10 (Clear 50 red pegs from 86 total, with only 8 balls and a 3s shot-clock - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 5, but with 25 more red pegs (twice as many), two less balls, 300k on the pro target, and a three second shot clock. All-in-all it's a big step up from level 5, and is one of those levels that can hold people up for a long time. Let's see how long it holds me up for.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 603,800
- A pretty good first attempt. I triggered the Big Bounce before the Laser Ball which is never good, but despite this setback, I got down to just one red peg. It was beneath the pointer in the central cluster, but I had an opportunity to shoot it, but I was over 150k short of the pro target. So, tempting as it was, I went for the purple peg instead but missed the catch.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 651,360
- I raced through that one in just 9 balls. I forgot it wasn't an ALL level and took the last red when I still had two blue pegs left. Silly really, as I still had four or five balls left and probably could have made it to the pro target with a complete clearance.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 468,420
- Three red pegs left and lots of blues. Not a very close attempt.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 762,410
- Well that was a lot easier than I was expecting. I'm sure this took me an age to beat first time around. But then, I've played many thousands of games since then, so maybe I'm just better at it now. After all, this isn't the first level I've thought that about. This was only my fourth attempt at this level, and two of the other attempts were quite close. This time I got the yellow peg with the first shot, although I didn't do particularly well with the laser ball as I dithered for too long and just had to fire somewhere where I could get one bounce off the bucket at least. I got lucky with a bucket catch for an Extra Ball, and a good sweep for big bonus points. I only took out 5 pegs with the Big Bounce which left me with ten red pegs and six balls, but it was enough.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 30 | 90 | Reds | 9 | - | 425k | 1 | 584,340 | 584,340 | |
2 | 30 | 104 | Reds | 9 | - | 525k | 2 | 754,940 | 490,005 | |
3 | 30 | 69 | Reds | 9 | - | 650k | 5 | 698,160 | 621,012 | |
4 | 30 | 100 | Reds | 10 | - | 625k | 1 | 769,940 | 769,940 | |
5 | 25 | 86 | Reds | 10 | - | 450k | 2 | 489,150 | 336,075 | |
6 | 45 | 104 | Reds | 8 | - | 675k | 2 | 808,730 | 642,325 | |
7 | 30 | 69 | All | 10 | - | 750k | 2 | 771,800 | 742,155 | |
8 | 35 | 100 | All | 8 | - | 600k | 2 | 828,680 | 598,980 | |
9 | 35 | 90 | All | 8 | - | 650k | 1 | 668,950 | 668,950 | |
10 | 50 | 86 | Reds | 8 | 3s | 750k | 4 | 762,410 | 621,497 |
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