Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 85 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 500k)
The first layout features a wavy line traversing the screen, cutting it in half. A triangular pattern of diamond-shaped pegs sticks up through, but like an iceberg, most of it is beneath the line.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 628,030
- This didn't seem too tricky. All those diamond shaped pegs near the bottom made for lots of simple catches in the endgame. It was just a matter of waiting for the right peg to turn purple before picking it off. Even with just one ball left and quite a few points needed I still felt confident of reaching the pro target.
Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 93 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 525k)
The second layout is a design of a whale, much like the one in the distance in the picture.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 337,080
- Six red pegs left at the end and just under 200k short of the pro target. I'll need to improve some if I'm going to get this without power ups.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 576,310
- And improve I did indeed. A little more luck, and a better grasp of the angles helped me make my way to the pro target.
Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 101 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)
The third layout features a couple of pairs of triangles, a bit like icebergs, and three wavy lines like waves.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 578,120
- Not too tricky. Plenty of diamond shaped pegs all the same way around make for plenty of easy catches. I thought about risking a total clearance at the end, but decided not to risk it.
Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 106 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 525k)
The fourth layout follows some of the lines of the picture - the hull of the ship, the icebergs to the left and right, the masts of the ship, and the whale. There are also rounf pegs over the water and the ice.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 195,900
- With all the high pegs, bonuses and catches are tricky to come by. I was a long way off that time, so I'll need to rethink my strategy a bit.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 294,620
- A slight improvement. Just three red pegs left, and an extra 100k on the score. Still a long way to go though.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 576,600
- I needed a lot of luck to get through this one without power ups. There were two or three catches on the last ball alone that weren't played for at all, not to mention lucky bucket bonuses, etc.
Level 5 (Clear 30 red pegs from 84 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 400k)
The fifth layout shows a large jagged iceberg shape in the centre of the screen, and two smaller ones, protruding from the top corners.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 334,550
- Just one red peg left, which I was avoiding until I got a little bit closer to the pro target.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 507,010
- When I went down to one ball, 8 of the remaining 22 pegs were red and several of them were hidden behind blue one. At this point I'd given up any hope of success, and with only 168k scored, any hope of a pro score as well. I kept picking off the pegs one at a time, just to see how close I could get though. Well, 22 shots later, I'd cleared all the red pegs and all but one of the blues, and all one at a time as well. I'd surpassed the pro target as well, so I didn't bother trying to take the final blue peg for a total clearance, although it was probably on.
Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 101 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 600k)
The same layout as level 3, but with 15 more red pegs, one less ball, and 150k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 412,980
- I'd cleared all the pegs on the right side, and was working my way through all the diamond-shaped pegs on the left, when I had one go right in the corner and I missed the catch. Not far off though.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 629,820
- Well I got there eventually, although I almost ran out of time on my video recorder. The free version of Expression Encoder that I have only allows up to 10 minutes, and that one clocked in at 9:37 and took an impressive 65 shots. But once the bulk of the pegs are gone, the angles become perfect for catching and you feel you could just keep playing the same ball all night. The last 43 shots were all played with the final ball, 20 of which were shot straight into the bucket.
Level 7 (Score 600k with 35 red pegs and 58 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 850k)
The same layout as level 2, but with 5 more red pegs, 325k on the pro target and just a score to aim for.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 287,780
- I meant to add a laser ball, but forgot to. I was nowhere near it really, but then without any power ups, I wouldn't expect to be. A waste of a life really.
Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Gravity Ball. Score: 554,900
- Much closer with the laser ball, although with the yellow peg being on the lower fin of the whale, it took several shots to get there. A better positioned yellow peg should make for an improved score.
Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Gravity Ball. Score: 938,060
- It still took two shots to get through to the yellow peg, but I did well with the laser ball, and picked up some useful bonuses after that as well. I got to the pro target quite easily.
Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 59 blue - Pro target 550k)
The same layout as level 5, but with 5 fewer red pegs, one more ball, 150k on the pro target and a total clearance now needed.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Gravity Ball. Score: 838,960
- I could get the yellow peg straight away, and I did well with the laser ball. The catches went well, and I quickly moved into a winning position so I could pretty much just go through the motions.
Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 106 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 775k)
The same layout as level 4, but with 15 more red pegs, one more ball, and 250k on the pro target.
Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Gravity Ball. Score: 882,620
- It took me three balls to take out the yellow peg, but I did well with the laser ball. Fairly plain sailing after that, and I had a ball or two in hand at the end that I could use to bump my score up a little.
Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 55 blue, with only 7 balls - Pro target 750k)
The same layout as level 1, but with 5 more red pegs, two fewer balls, 250k on the pro target, and a total clearance now needed.
Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 471,230
- I wasn't far away. The catches are quite easy in the endgame. They just require patience to wait for the right purple pegs.
Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 498,490
- A better score, but I couldn't clear enough of the awkward outer pegs early enough.
Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 374,070
- I was going OK then. I'd cleared all the outer pegs, and was working my way slowly through the diamond-shaped ones, when I twitched at the moment of release and caught the wrong angle.
Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 475,160
- That went horribly wrong early on as most of the central diamond pegs went before the awkward outer ones. I was left trying to make lots of tricky catches.
Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 371,150
- Again, I was only a couple of tricky catches away from a long but perfectly possible finish.
Attempt #6 - No power ups. Score: 474,870
- Maybe I should be adding a laser ball about now. But I can see this being possible without using it. A couple more goes perhaps.
Attempt #7 - No power ups. Score: 269,880
- A poor attempt. I'll give it one more try then I'll add a laser ball.
Attempt #8 - No power ups. Score: 404,520
- Well, I don't seem to be getting any closer so I guess I'd better (reluctantly) add a laser ball.
Attempt #9 - Laser Ball. Score: 838,230
- I got it at last with the laser ball. It took a few shots to get to the yellow peg, but I did pretty well with the laser ball, and I had enough balls in hand in the endgame to be able to afford a missed catch or two on the way to the total clearance.
SUMMARY
Level | Reds | Pegs | Target | Balls | Clock | Pro | Attempts | Record | Average | Video |
1 | 25 | 85 | Reds | 9 | - | 500k | 1 | 628,030 | 628,030 | |
2 | 30 | 93 | Reds | 8 | - | 525k | 2 | 576,310 | 456,695 | |
3 | 25 | 101 | Reds | 9 | - | 450k | 1 | 578,120 | 578,120 | |
4 | 25 | 106 | Reds | 8 | - | 525k | 3 | 576,600 | 355,706 | |
5 | 30 | 84 | Reds | 9 | - | 400k | 2 | 507,010 | 420,780 | |
6 | 40 | 101 | Reds | 8 | - | 600k | 2 | 629,820 | 521,400 | |
7 | 35 | 93 | 600k | 8 | - | 850k | 3 | 938,060 | 593,580 | |
8 | 25 | 84 | All | 10 | - | 550k | 1 | 838,960 | 838,960 | |
9 | 40 | 106 | Reds | 9 | - | 775k | 1 | 882,620 | 882,620 | |
10 | 30 | 85 | All | 7 | - | 750k | 9 | 838,230 | 464,177 |
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