Board 28: Zen Retreat

This picture is of a peaceful garden with a Buddhist theme. A statue of Buddha sits by an arched wooden bridge over a small stream.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 119 total - Pro target 500k)

The first design features a couple of yin-yang symbols among a scattering of single round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 756,970 

• An easy enough starter. The balls were fairly kind to me, but I had the pro score reached with several balls in hand and spent quite a few shots picking off the purple peg, getting acquainted with the angles.

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 425k)

The second design looks like the top view of a seated Buddha.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 516,990 

• Perhaps not quite as easy as the previous level, but still I found it relatively straightforward. Plenty of chances for catches down the sides or ricochets through the middle.

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 102 total - Pro target 325k)

The third design is a regular pattern of round pegs split into two halves by a thick bamboo obstacle running down the centre.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 296,630

• Only about 30k short of the pro target, and I still had a ball in hand so I hit the last two red pegs accidentally. I could have had a pro target if I'd avoided the 10k bucket, but alas not.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 226,840

• I didn't get the good fortune that time and left nearly all the red pegs on the right side.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 373,410 

• I battled my way to a pro score that time. There has to be a certain amount of trusting to luck with these bagatelle layouts, and it worked in my favour on the whole this time.

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 350k)

The fourth design follows the lines of the picture, with lines following the boards of the bridge, and the outline of the Buddha statue, surrounded by single round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 462,320 

• A pro score didn't seem very likely at one stage of that one, but I carried on and managed to come good in the end.

Level 5 (Clear 15 red pegs from 35 total, with only 6 balls - Pro target 500k)

The fifth design is just a circle with six extra rectangular pegs inside it. There is a teleport portal inside the circle with connects to another outside. I remember this one from the first time around and it's quite possible to clear this screen in about five or six balls by shooting in the right place, and if you know the timing then all those balls can be caught.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 453,690

• I cleared the inner six pegs with the first two balls, although I didn't catch either. I shall have to review the video to work out the proper timing. The third ball I sent around the outside of the now empty circle, although it seemed to unaccountably miss one peg part way round. Maybe that was why I finished short of points.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 215,920

• I disastrously triggered a Split Ball while clearing the second set of three internal pegs. This of course destroyed the integrity of the circle and left me no chance of reaching the pro target. I cleared all the pegs easily enough but finished nowhere near the target.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 751,620 

• I caught the first ball this time, having learned from my previous two misses. I didn't quite catch the second, although I was close. I adjusted my aiming point ever so slightly for the third ball round the circle and I didn't miss any this time, and that seemed to improve the bonuses I got. With all the reds then gone, the ball dropped neatly into the 100k bucket.

Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 102 total - Pro target 575k)

The same design as level 3, but with 10 more red pegs, and 250k on the pro target. Points were hard to come by last time, so I'd better add a laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 801,910 

• I got the yellow ball on the second shot I think it was, then fired the laser ball into the other, untouched, half and took out quite a chunk of those pegs. I then concentrated on shooting at red pegs full in the face to try and bounce over the divider for a possible distance bonus. I got a few of those and a few catches and side-wall bounces as well. I had the pro target reached with balls to spare but played a few purple pegs until I got down to the last ball.

Level 7 (Clear 45 red pegs from 108 total - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 4, but with 20 more red pegs, and 375k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 724,730

• I had two red pegs left. I was fine for points as I'd had some good distance bonuses, but I just couldn't clear the reds before I ran out of balls.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,107,030 

• That was a bit more like it. I stayed well in control of that one, making plenty of catches and always having plenty of balls in hand. I went all the way through to a total clearance and a seven figure score.

Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 40 red and 68 blue - Pro target 750k)

The same design as level 2, but with 15 more red pegs, 325k on the pro target, and all pegs now required.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 533,950

• I had a yellow peg that was really awkward to get to. When I did I tried to pick an unorthodox line for the laser ball that took advantage of the main concentration of remaining pegs, but made something of a mess of it. I struggled on until I ran out of pegs, but only managed an 89% clearance.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 773,360

• That was a terrible display of catching. I had 5 balls left to get 10 pegs, and I ought to be able to do that with my eyes closed, but a string of misses saw me run out of balls still with two pegs left.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 634,230

• I struggled to get through to the yellow peg, so the laser ball didn't end up scoring enough, and I had too much to do with the last few pegs.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 795,460 

• Again it took too long to get to the yellow peg, and then I struggled to score much with the laser ball and left myself an awful lot to do with the last few balls. Only this time I managed to string quite a few catches together in the endgame and battled right through to the total clearance.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 94 blue - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 1, but with all pegs now needed.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 273,380

• Only an 85% clearance. I'll add a laser ball.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 662,630

• Some clumsy catching in the endgame gave me just a 93% clearance.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 612,980

• Another 93% clearance, so I'll add a Big Bounce.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 728,920 

• The laser ball did OK, but the Big Bounce was dreadful, getting jammed in the bottom corner. I had plenty of work to do in the endgame, but I made some good catches, and picked up some lucky ones as well. It was touch and go at the end, after I missed a few at the death, but I just managed to hold on long enough.

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 20 red and 15 blue, with only 2 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 5, but with 5 more red pegs, only 2 balls (four less than before), 125k on the pro target, and all pegs required. As long as you get the timing right this one ought to be a doddle.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 656,550 

• I checked back against my video for level 5 before attempting this one to remind myself of the timing for the first two balls. As a result of that I caught them both. I didn't catch the big looping third ball, but that's less important. It also missed the fifth peg of the loop, which has happened to me before, and that affects the overall score of it quite a lot. It didn't matter in the end, though, as I took a catch of it on the next ball, and then finished off the final two pegs. A minimum final bucket bonus of 20k would not have been enough, but the 60k I got just about made it.
  
  * I had to rerecord the video for this one as the original was very jerky, and the release points couldn't be seen. Hopefully this video should be clearer. It's a slightly better score at 709,110.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	119	Reds	10	-	500k	1	756,970	756,970
2	25	108	Reds	10	-	425k	1	516,990	516,990
3	25	102	Reds	10	-	325k	3	373,410	298,960
4	25	108	Reds	10	-	350k	1	462,320	462,320
5	15	35	Reds	6	-	500k	3	751,620	473,743
6	35	102	Reds	10	-	575k	1	801,910	801,910
7	45	108	Reds	10	-	725k	2	1,107,030	915,880
8	40	108	All	10	-	750k	4	795,460	684,250
9	25	119	All	10	-	675k	4	728,920	569,477
10	20	35	All	2	-	625k	1	656,550	656,550

* Re-recorded video