Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 97 total - Pro target 400k)
The first design follows the lines of the picture with short straight lines topped with diamonds where the crystals are, short vertical lines for the stalactites, short horizontal lines for the steps, and round pegs elsewhere.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 306,880
- I only made two catches, so I still had two or three red pegs left at the end. This is a very angular level which makes catches and ricochets tricky to judge.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 246,410
- One more catch that time, but a lower score, and three red pegs left. It's an awkward layout and warrants a laser ball I think.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 730,340
- I could get to the yellow peg straight away, then got a reasonable laser ball. I got the red balls under control fairly quickly, then could concentrate on the purple peg to get a total clearance.
Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 106 total - Pro target 625k)
The second design features three mushrooms like the ones growing on the steps.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 488,910
- Another potentially tricky layout. I was only three or four red pegs short, but they were awkwardly placed, and about 140k short of the pro target. It's worth another try.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 368,890
- Nowhere near that time. Come to think of it, I did get quite lucky with catches in the first attempt. I'd better add a laser ball.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 632,790
- I cleared a reasonable number of pegs with the laser ball, but still had quite a few left. Too many, as it would seem, for me to clear.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 757,040
- It took several shots to get to the yellow peg, and then I had to go an unorthodox route with the laser ball to make the most of the pegs that were left. I was only left with 9 red pegs and 8 balls afterwards though. I still needed 260k for pro, mind you, so I needed to make some good catches, but I got there.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 104 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 500k)
The third design features a large gem in the centre with pairs of diagonal lines cutting each corner of the screen.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 111,520
- I had to try it at least once without power ups, but bonuses are very hard to come by, as are catches. I made two catches but barely scraped over 100k.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 612,080
- The standard path I use for the laser ball actually works pretty well on this level. I took out a lot of pegs with it, but didn't score that many pegs. I got down to my last ball quite quickly and still with quite a few pegs left, but I played careful catches and made it all the way to a total clearance.
Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 89 total - Pro target 350k)
The fourth design features three big pink gems causing a barrier and rotating slowly. Other than them it's all round pegs. Whenever you see a layout like this with moving obstacles, you just know that it'll crop up again in a few levels time with a shot-clock.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 313,720
- One red peg left and not far off the pro target, so not too bad for a first attempt. It's certainly worth another go.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 542,520
- The reds didn't look quite so favourably positioned that time, but I picked out a useful distance bonus or two, and I had a fortuitous bucket/peg ricochet which earned some points as well.
Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 124 total - Pro target 475k)
The fifth design features four stalagmites and four stalactites, so lots of straight lines and sharp angles.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 368,870
- Four red pegs left, but I think it's worth giving it another go nonetheless.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 200,300
- Only three red pegs left this time, but points are a bit of a struggle to come by. I'd better use a laser ball, if only to boost my score a bit.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 430,690
- The laser ball triggered the Big Bucket so I didn't get a rim bounce which damaged my score somewhat. I cleared the reds, but I took the last one of an unintentioned ricochet which I should really have seen coming.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 737,950
- I got a decent rim bounce with the laser ball, and then some satisfactory catching in the endgame. I had the chance to push my score up a bit, well past the pro target, before I took out the last redf peg.
Level 6 (Score 400k with 25 red pegs and 79 blue - Pro target 625k)
The same design as level 3, but with two more balls, 125k on the pro target, but just a score to go for.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 970,670
- I got the yellow peg with the first shot and did quite well with the laser ball. Once the bottom corners have been cleared, this layout is actually not that bad. There are lots of 45° angles which tend to give good opportunities for catching. I had plenty of balls in hand, so I could spend quite a long time judiciously picking through the remaining blue pegs all the way to a total clearance.
Level 7 (Clear 40 red pegs from 89 total, with a 7s shot-clock - Pro target 625k)
The same design as level 4, but with 10 more red pegs, 275k on the pro target, and surprise surprise, a shot-clock. A seven second one, though, which is quite a long time compared to some. They do like to attach shot-clocks to levels with moving obstacles.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 374,260
- The laser ball didn't work at all as all the gaps seemed to close up at the wrong moment. I got quite unlucky with all my attempted distance shots as well as they kept picking out all the blue pegs.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 462,770
- Two red pegs left. The laser ball worked a little better, but again the gaps at the sides closed up at the wrong moment so I had to shoot through the middle which didn't score as much. I'll have to add a Big Bounce as that might do some more damage to the bottom section.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 390,430
- Two red pegs left again. I couldn't get to the yellow peg before the green one, so the Big Bounce activated too early and the laser ball too late.
Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 385,370
- Again the gaps all closed up just as I got the laser ball, so I ended up scoring very little with it. The Big Bounce got jammed in a corner and kept finding unlikely gaps between the pegs. All in all I got very little luck in that one.
Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 299,230
- It's a little ironic that my first success on this level thus far has earned me my lowest score yet. I managed to catch the rim of the bucket with the laser ball which took out a few pegs in the bottom section, but failed to score many points. Bonuses seemed otherwise particularly hard to come by.
Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 476,550
- Just one red peg left, but there was little point in going for it as I was too far short of the pro target.
Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 593,420
- A cluster of three red pegs left at the end, which I just couldn't get through to. Shame because I was going well scorewise.
Attempt #8 - Big Bounce & Split Ball. Score: 387,500
- I had a couple of red pegs left, but it didn't really matter as I was a long way short of the pro target. The bonuses just wouldn't come.
Attempt #9 - Big Bounce & Split Ball. Score: 832,230
- It's a funny old game. After not getting particularly close in the previous eight attempts, this time I did it with seven balls to spare! I got very lucky with my catches. I even caught both balls off the Split Ball for a 100k bonus. I caught the Big Bounce, and the white peg gave me another Free Ball. I also picked up quite a lot of distance bonuses so my score was charging upwards, while my balls in hand weren't reducing. I had a couple of low central reds left at the end and I had visions of using up all my balls in a fruitless attempt to find an angle to get them, but I got one off a blue peg on the upper level, and the other off the revolving jewel.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 81 blue - Pro target 725k)
The same design as level 2, but with 5 less red pegs, 100k on the pro score, and a total clearance now required.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 833,020
- It took about four balls and most of the bottom mushroom to get to the yellow peg. I had to shoot high with the laser ball to take out most of the top left mushroom and nearly of what was left of the middle one. That still left 44 pegs in seven balls, and after the Big Bounce had been used up, 20 pegs in just four balls. I was catching well though, and managed to keep those balls going all the way to the end, taking eight pegs out one at a time with the very last ball.
Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 124 total - Pro target 675k)
The same design as level 5, but with 15 more red pegs, and 200k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 465,420
- I didn't make enough catches there, but the red pegs could have been arranged more favourably.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 595,710
- Quite close that time. Only two red pegs left, and I was closing in on the pro target. I'm starting to get the hang of some of the angles. I think I learned quite a lot that time, so I think I'll try again.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,107,920
- It all went my way this time, with some good bonuses and ricochets. One ricochet in particular towards the end, which took out all but one of the remaining red pegs, turned the game emphatically in my favour. After that I could comfortably pick off all the remaining blue pegs, getting a total clearance with balls in hand.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 69 blue - Pro target 625k)
The same design as level 1, but with 10 more red pegs, 225k on the pro target, and a 100% clearance now needed.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 515,170
- Only a 90% clearance. Well I've only got one life left tonight and I won't get another one for 40 minute or so, so I'll add a Big Bounce to the equation in an attempt to finish it off.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 677,490
- Missed out by one peg. I had to choose between two pegs at the end as to which one would make the easier catch. I chose the angled rectangular peg over the round one as I thought that a straight edge would be more predictable, but the ball fell right in the corner and could only hit the rim of the bucket and bounce out. I guess I should have picked the round one. I wasn't helped at the start by an awkwardly placed yellow peg. In fact I ended up taking the green peg first which is probably why I was struggling so much at the end.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 714,860
- I waited the 40 minutes to have another go and it was worth it. The yellow peg was in plain sight so I took it with the first ball. The laser ball then did pretty well, although the Big Bounce could have gone better. I did have plenty of balls in hand though, enough to see me through.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 97 | Reds | 10 | - | 400k | 3 | 730,340 | 427,876 | |
2 | 30 | 106 | Reds | 10 | - | 625k | 4 | 757,040 | 561,907 | |
3 | 25 | 104 | Reds | 8 | - | 500k | 2 | 612,080 | 361,800 | |
4 | 30 | 89 | Reds | 10 | - | 350k | 2 | 542,520 | 428,120 | |
5 | 25 | 124 | Reds | 10 | - | 475k | 4 | 737,950 | 434,452 | |
6 | 25 | 104 | 400k | 10 | - | 625k | 1 | 970,670 | 970,670 | |
7 | 40 | 89 | Reds | 10 | 7s | 625k | 9 | 832,230 | 466,862 | |
8 | 25 | 106 | All | 10 | - | 725k | 1 | 833,020 | 833,020 | |
9 | 40 | 124 | Reds | 10 | - | 675k | 3 | 1,107,920 | 723,016 | |
10 | 35 | 104 | All | 10 | - | 625k | 3 | 714,860 | 635,840 |
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