Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 100 total - Pro target 400k)
The first design has a circles, semi-circles and star shaped patterns around the sun, moon & stars suspended above the desk, and a band of single round pegs following the line of the desk diagonally across the screen.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 628,450
- Most of these pegs are fairly accessible and early ricochets are quite easy to engineer to cut down the number of pegs a bit. I made quite a few catches, so I had enough balls in hand to be able to stay on top of the red pegs and take a few purple peg catches without losing touch with the main objective.
Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 117 total - Pro target 575k)
The second design has straight lines following the shelves in the picture, and then loose round pegs inbetween and underneath.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 455,040
- Two red pegs left, and I was struggling to find a way through to them. Only a first attempt though, so worth another try.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 304,170
- Quite a few red pegs left. Making catches is quite a struggle on this layout. Bonuses are not particularly forthcoming either. I'll add a laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 482,470
- The yellow peg was in about the worst position possible - the right-most loose round peg of the five beneath the shelves. I lost six balls getting to it, and then of course the laser ball scored very little as there were much fewer pegs to go for. I picked up a very useful 150k bonus combination a few shots later which put me in with a chance, but I still had a lot of ground to make up. I got down to one red peg, but missed a tricky catch, trying to clear a path through to it.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 535,280
- Only one red peg left, but I couldn't get to it. I did OK with the laser ball, but there's room for improvement. I'm reluctant to consider a second power up yet, so I'll persevere with the laser ball now.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 784,570
- The yellow peg proved a little more elusive than it really should have done, and I thought I'd messed it up just because of that, but a few timely bonuses got me back in the hunt. Some good catching in the endgame earned me a total clearance and a comfortable pro score.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 97 total - Pro target 525k)
The third design is a giant hourglass with single round pegs lining the sides inside and out, and clustered in the centre where the sand would be. There are also four teleport portals in a line at the bottom which all transport to a single receiver top and centre.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 678,250
- The teleports seemed to work in my favour more often than not, which is always a bonus. Another comfortable total clearance, thanks mainly to some good catching in the endgame.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 101 total - Pro target 600k)
The fourth design is a partially unrolled scroll. It has writing on it, presumably a magic spell of some sort.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 1,088,990
- It's always pleasing to get a seven figure score, particularly when you can do it without using any power ups. To do it at the first attampt on a level is a little extra special. My sense of judgement for side wall shots was clearly working pretty well in this one. I got a few fortunate ricochets, and times where the ball worked it's way through the internal structure of the design for big bonuses.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 113 total - Pro target 525k)
The final design looks like three star shaped lollipops, but maybe they're supposed to be wands or something.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 432,840
- One red peg left. I was miles away at one stage, but I prolonged the endgame unexpectedly and put myself in with a chance. Then I went for a catch off the purple peg and ran the ball straight into a blue peg that I hadn't even noticed. Sometimes pegs can be lost against busy backgrounds like this one, unfortunately. I'll give this one more go, but I suspect this isn't going to go without a laser ball.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 409,330
- Another not too bad effort, but again, I didn't make enough catches early on because at that stage catches are purely down to luck. The best you can hope for is some decent ricochets. I'll use a laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 767,650
- I went for a non-standard laser ball path to try and take advantage of the lines of the sticks ans it worked much better than I expected. I got a double rim bounce for a good boost to my score. I could still get some decent ricochets with the pegs left at the top, and with the multiplier boosted by the laser ball, they became that much more valuable. I didn't get a total clearance - only 96%, but still a comfortable pro score.
Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 117 total - Pro target 750k)
The same design as level 2, but with 10 more red pegs, and 175k on the pro target. I thought this was the toughest of the layouts so it's quite good to get it out of the way early in the second half.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 375,400
- Not a very good attempt. This may well need another power up to get through.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 799,290
- I thought that one was doomed from the moment I hit the green peg before the yellow one. The Big Bounce went far too early and of course it got completely hemmed in down the bottom, doing very little damage and scoring accordingly. The laser ball then did OK, but after that I picked up a few goos bonuses and made lots of good catches. I gradually picked off the pegs and eventually took a complete clearance.
Level 7 (Score 425k with 35 red pegs and 66 blue - Pro target 775k)
The same design as level 4, but with 10 more red pegs, 175k on the pro target, but just a score to aim at this time. Well, I had one attempt at level 4 and I got a total clearance for over a million points, and that was without power ups, and more red pegs with no necessity to clear them all should make this one easier. So I'll start without power ups and see how I get on.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 680,210
- Not far off. I get the impression I could get this easily with a laser ball, but I'd like to try it without power ups once or twice more.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 931,370
- Not quite the seven figure score that I got in level 4, but it could easily have been if I'd avoided the two 10k buckets at the end. Quite similar to level 4, I got most of the side wall rebounds I went for, plus I did well with ricochets and slides.
Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 97 total, with a 5s shot-clock - Pro target 875k)
The same design as level 3, but with 15 more red pegs, 350k on the pro target, and a five second shot-clock. That's a big hike on the pro target, and a lot more than I got last time. I'd better jump straight in with a laser ball.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 651,770
- I got a total clearance, with balls to spare, but I got nowhere near the pro target. Part of that was because I forgot all about the laser ball, so I'd already taken out quite a few pegs before I activated it, so it scored very little.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 160,000
- As soon as I saw the position of the yellow peg, I knew I had absolutely no chance whatsoever. It was the very bottom peg on the centre line. It took me nearly all my balls to get to it, and for almost no score. Disastrous.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 627,140
- Only two red pegs left, but not enough catches so I ran out of balls. I'll try adding a Big Bounce.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 560,140
- Only two reds left again, but too far short on points to be able to go for a finish, even if I could have seen them (which I couldn't).
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 835,070
- Now that's annoying. I was closing in on a pro score. I had several balls in hand and just two red pegs left, when out of nowhere, both red pegs went off a bizarre ricochet and I was left just short of the pro target. I did find rather a good line for the laser ball though. I shall have to watch it back and see if I can replicate it.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 682,400
- Another one where I cleared all the reds but couldn't approach the pro target. I did manage to replicate the laser ball of the previous attempt, though. It's quite easy to do. I aim as high as possible up the right-hand wall, then shoot as the bucket hits the same wall. The ball drops through the third wormhole, then drops through the screen again, gaining speed all the time, bounces off the bucket, flies up to the top left corner, then falls back through a third time.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 600,890
- Just one red peg left, but I was too far from the pro target to threaten it. It took way too long to get the yellow peg.
Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 832,260
- Oh, I'm such an idiot sometimes! I forgot it wasn't a All Pegs level and took out the last red instead of the last blue, finished with one peg left and a single 10k bonus. I had balls in hand, so if I'd taken the blue (or purple) peg first, then a pro score would have been pretty much guranteed.
Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 804,610
- Another total clearance, but this time I thought I could get a deflection off the final red peg into the 100k bucket for victory. Unfortunately both balls caught the edges of it, flew in opposite directions and ended up one in each 10k bucket. I will get this eventually. I've come so close so many times!
Attempt #10 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 948,960
- Finally! It only took me 10 attempts and 17 power ups, but I got there eventually. Although, of course, I would have had it two attempts ago if I'd been concentrating. I could shoot straight for the yellow peg with the first ball which is always a help, then I used my standard laser ball that I've been using for this level for some big points. The Big Bounce worked quite well also, particularly in terms of points. After that I managed to keep going for a total clearance.
Level 9 (Clear 45 red pegs from 113 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 775k)
The same design as level 5, but with 20 more red pegs, one less ball, and 250k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 585,260
- An awkwardly placed yellow peg certainly didn't help. But I was only left with a couple of red pegs at the end.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 539,520
- I got the yellow peg straightaway, but struggled for catches afterwards. I'll add a Big Bounce.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 729,980
- I was gradually inching my way towards the pro target with my last ball, debating how close I needed to get before I took out the last red peg, when my finger twitched on the mouse and I threw my last ball away.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 445,980
- The yellow peg was hopelessly buried in the central stick so I had very little chance of this one going anywhere. I got to both power ups eventually, but it was too little too late.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 578,840
- I got very little luck in that one. The ball just didn't want to play - it just wanted to avoid the pegs and the bucket as much as possible.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 615,070
- I did well with the laser ball, but not so well with the Big Bounce. I still needed 200k or so in the end game, but I kept missing catches off purple pegs and putting myself in deeper trouble each time.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 905,680
- Both power ups worked quite well this time, and I managed to keep the catching going all the way through. I got a big finish which boosted my score well past the pro target.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 75 blue - Pro target 675k)
The same design as level 1, but with 275k on the pro target and a total clearance now needed.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 787,760
- I still had a lot of pegs left after the laser ball, and not many balls to get them with, so it was a real exercise in bucket catching. I needed every ball I had, and had to take out a few with the very last ball, but I scraped over the pro target about two pegs from the end. I got 110k I think from the final buckets, but I already had the pro target reached so it didn't matter.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 100 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 1 | 628,450 | 628,450 | |
2 | 25 | 117 | Reds | 10 | - | 575k | 5 | 784,570 | 512,306 | |
3 | 25 | 97 | Reds | 10 | - | 525k | 1 | 678,250 | 678,250 | |
4 | 25 | 101 | Reds | 10 | - | 600k | 1 | 1,088,990 | 1,088,990 | |
5 | 25 | 113 | Reds | 10 | - | 525k | 3 | 767,650 | 536,606 | |
6 | 35 | 117 | Reds | 10 | - | 750k | 2 | 799,290 | 587,345 | |
7 | 35 | 101 | 425k | 10 | - | 775k | 2 | 931,370 | 805,790 | |
8 | 40 | 97 | Reds | 10 | 5s | 875k | 10 | 948,960 | 670,324 | |
9 | 45 | 113 | Reds | 9 | - | 775k | 7 | 905,680 | 628,618 | |
10 | 25 | 100 | All | 10 | - | 675k | 1 | 787,760 | 787,760 |
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