Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 93 total - Pro target 500k)
The first design has lines that mark the fields in the foreground, and the tops of the barrels. The hills and mountains in the background are outlines with single round pegs. More round pegs cover the vines at the bottom and up the left side of the picture.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 445,400
- I still had four red pegs left, but I was closer than that sounds. I was looking for a fine cut on one of those reds but missed it altogether. The other three were all together and could have been taken out with a single shot.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 403,480
- Three red pegs left that time, but it wasn't as close as the last one. I didn't make enough catches. I'll give it one more go.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 616,050
- I got the hang of the catches much better that time. I made enough to get to the pro target. I kept going on the purple pegs for another shot or two, then took the last red when I got down to my last ball.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 118 total - Pro target 550k)
The second design is all single round pegs, arranged in zigzag lines coming down the screen looking a bit like vines.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 314,230
- This is a hideous layout as the path of the ball is almost impossible to predict. I don’t see any point continuing without power ups, so I'll ad a laser ball straightaway.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 382,440
- Even with a laser ball this is still quite hard. I had two red pegs left at the end, but I couldn't take them as I was nowhere near the pro target. I dread to think what this level will be like second time around!
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 727,560
- I picked a different route for the laser ball which seemed to follow the lines of the pegs much better. It still didn't score huge points, but it did clear the pegs more efficiently. It meant I then had more space to make catches through, and I managed to use that space to my advantage, taking a complete clearance.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 133 total - Pro target 550k)
The third design features two dangling vines, plus three bunches of single round pegs which look like bunches of grapes.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 373,680
- Another tough one. There are an awful lot of pegs to negotiate the balls around. Again, I think I'd better use a laser ball to thin down the numbers a bit.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 748,240
- It looked like it might still be a tough finish, but it turned out easier than expected. The clearance was only 79%, so I hope I don’t have to make a total clearance later on this layout as it might be tricky.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 97 total - Pro target 450k)
The fourth design is modelled on the vintner's house in the background.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 511,950
- Lots of rectangular pegs makes the angles a little more predictable, so I was able to make more catches and eke out my ball supply until I had the pro target and cleared the red pegs.
Level 5 (Clear 20 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 450k)
The fifth design looks like three bunches of grapes. Each grape is a small circle of four pegs, with a fifth peg inside.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 132,620
- I've got no chance here without power ups. This will definitely need a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 956,980
- I got a lucky yellow peg location and then a particularly good rim bounce off the laser ball which put me over the pro target after just two balls. After that, it was just a matter of going through the motions to finish it off. I could easily have made a total clearance if I'd needed to to as I only had three pegs left at the end and seven balls to spare.
Level 6 (Score 375k with 25 red pegs and 108 blue - Pro target 825k)
The same design as level 3, but 275k on the pro target, and just a target score to go for. The target score itself seems ridiculously low, although the pro score is more what I would expect.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 807,220
- Oooh, so close! One more catch and I would have had it. I'd been picking off purple pegs for a while as the last red was buried in a cluster of blues. I didn't need it, of course, just the score. But I didn't quite manage it.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 916,640
- I couldn't actually see the yellow peg at the start that time, but it was still well placed somewhere I knew I could run the ball down to. I followed that up with another good rim bounce with the laser ball, and it was all over bar the shouting.
Level 7 (Clear 35 red pegs from 97 total - Pro target 725k)
The same design as level 4, but with 10 more red pegs, and 275k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 759,050
- Another silly mistake due to lack of concentration. I'd past the pro score and had just relaxed, thinking I was still playing the previous board which just had a points target, but I still had two red pegs left. I went for a risky purple peg which I clearly shouldn't have, and missed it.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 823,700
- No problem that time. I completed a total clearance with balls and points to spare.
Level 8 (Clear 35 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 725k)
The same design as level 5, but with 15 more red pegs, and 275k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 927,580
- Just like level 5, I could get the yellow peg with the first shot (although I needed a deflection to get it this time), and like before I got a good rim bounce with the laser ball. That gave me plenty of points so I just had to make sure I took out all the red pegs. I managed it comfortably with a few balls to spare.
Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 68 blue - Pro target 800k)
The same design as level 1, but with 300k on the pro target, and a total clearance now required.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 675,280
- A 96% clearance, so a pretty good first attempt. I just couldn't quite keep the catches going all the way to the end. I had to go for the odd adventurous shot just to keep the score ticking over.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,201,830
- It took a few balls to get through to the yellow peg, but I caught some of them, and still managed a good score from the laser ball. I got rid of the red pegs quite early on and found I didn't actually need too many points from the remaining blues, so I could stick with relatively safe catches and not take unnecessary risks. I cleared with balls to spare.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 83 blue - Pro target 800k)
The same design as level 2, but with 10 more red pegs, and all pegs now required.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 592,190
- I left myself far too much to do in the endgame. I need to have a quick look at my video for level 2 to remind myself of the laser ball path I chose, because I seem to remember it worked quite well.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 582,110
- Only a 90% clearance, so again I left myself too much to do at the end. I think I'll add a Big Bounce next time. IT has the potential to score well on a level like this one.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 604,190
- Up to a 94% clerarance with the Big Bounce, but I realised halfway through that I hadn't started the recorder. So even if I did it, I wouldn't have a video of it. My heart kind of went out of it at that point, as a significant part of me wanted to fail so it wouldn't matter.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 423,700
- Only an 88% clearance that time. The ball just kept finding the gaps between the pegs and the ricochets wouldn't come.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 800,780
- Normally when I'm this close to a pro target it's because I've just missed out. It makes a nice change to actually hit a target by such a small amount. When the last ball bobbled over the wide open 50k bucket to find its way into the 10k I thought I'd fallen short. I took 32 shots over that and a lot of those were single peg catches, so it wasn't an easy one by any means. The laser ball did quite well, but the Big Bounce less so.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 93 | Reds | 10 | - | 500k | 3 | 616,050 | 488,310 | |
2 | 25 | 118 | Reds | 10 | - | 550k | 3 | 727,560 | 474,743 | |
3 | 25 | 133 | Reds | 10 | - | 550k | 2 | 748,240 | 560,960 | |
4 | 25 | 97 | Reds | 10 | - | 450k | 1 | 511,950 | 511,950 | |
5 | 20 | 108 | Reds | 10 | - | 450k | 2 | 956,980 | 544,800 | |
6 | 25 | 133 | 375k | 10 | - | 825k | 2 | 916,640 | 861,930 | |
7 | 35 | 97 | Reds | 10 | - | 725k | 2 | 823,700 | 791,375 | |
8 | 35 | 108 | Reds | 10 | - | 725k | 1 | 927,580 | 927,580 | |
9 | 25 | 93 | All | 10 | - | 800k | 2 | 1,201,830 | 938,555 | |
10 | 35 | 118 | All | 10 | - | 800k | 5 | 800,780 | 600,594 |
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