Board 87: Gear Swamp

This picture shows a swamp with piles of assorted mechanical junk heaped everywhere.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 106 total - Pro target 425k)

The first design features various circles. Four circles in a diamond arrangement, plus a semi-circle of individual round pegs, and more diamond shaped individual pegs outside them. A reasonable number of pegs in total, well-spread out across the screen, and a wide variety of different angles. It could all be a bit awkward, particularly for a first level.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 473,100 

• It didn't look overly promising most of the way through. Lots of scattered blue pegs made catches quite tricky early on. However a couple of late bonuses helped lift the score, plus catches got easier as the screen got clearer.
  
  I messed up the next attempt for the video, but I got it the attempt after. I missed out on a total clearance by just one peg, but I got the pro score easily with 644,720.
  

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 113 total - Pro target 400k)

This design has a continuous lines following the uppermost curves of the junk piles, and a scattering of individual round pegs beneath. Similar to the previous level, the early balls could be tricky to catch, but hopefully it will get easier.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 236,120

• This seemed harder than the previous one. The gaps didn't seem to open up this time. This might need a power up, but I'm not going to resort to them just yet.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 205,870

• I was concentrating on clearing one side to make catches easier, but I struggled to even do that. I think this will need a laser ball.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 538,940 

• Yes, much easier with a laser ball. Having the yellow trigger peg on the top curve was quite useful, too.
  
  The yellow peg was again on top on the next attempt for the video, and again it was an easy pro score. I carried on for several balls after the victory was assured and scored 625,110.
  

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 103 total - Pro target 400k)

Three large cogs with a few (mainly diamond-shaped) individual pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 169,730

• This one's just as tricky as the previous one. I only had a couple of reds left at the end, but I got nowhere near the pro target and made just a single catch. It feels like a cop out to go for a laser ball so quickly.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 394,550

• Actually, pretty close that time without power ups. I had two red pegs left on the last ball, but no obvious way to take a catch off either. I tried to bounce from one to the other, but it was an unlikely shot.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 517,070 

• I continued my steady improvement at that layout. I'm glad I resisted the temptation to resort to power ups after the first attempt. I got down to five red pegs left with five balls in hand. Despite them not all being directly available and me score being some 160k short of the target, I felt pretty confident from that point on.
  
  I got it again at the next attempt for the video, although only just. I squeaked over the line with 405,520.
  

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 124 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)

A large wheel with hook-like teeth all the way round it, and more down the sides of the screen. These angles look awkward and 124 is quite a lot of pegs. I'll try without power ups first, but I'll be quite surprised if it doesn't need them.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 198,100

• Nowhere near the target, and still probably 4 or 5 red pegs left at the end. As I suspected, catches I tricky (I made 3) and all those blue pegs just get in the way. This is definitely going to need a laser ball.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 482,710 

• The laser ball helped, although it took several balls to get through to it, so it was still touch and go towards the end. In the end I managed to deflect off the final red peg into a 50k bucket which was enough for Pro.
  
  A good deal easier with the next attempt for the video. I played on for quite a few shots after guaranteeing a pro score, getting 708,170 in total.
  

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 126 total - Pro target 525k)

A pair of mechanical looking designs. To me this doesn't look as hard as some of the previous levels. But let's see how it plays.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 309,880

• Well, I got a better first attempt score than on any of the previous three levels, so I may be right about it being slightly easier. I still had quite a few red pegs left at the end though.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 238,720

• No better than last time. I think I'll take the laser after all.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 667,870 

• The laser ball got me most of the way there. After that it was just a matter of picking off the remaining red pegs. I have captured my first video and hopefully clicking on the button above should take you there. I don't know if I'll post videos of all my pro scores, but I probably will for the time being, at least until the novelty wears off.
  

Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 103 total - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 3. I resisted the temptation to use the laser ball last time, and did it on the third attempt. I think I will use a laser ball this time though.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 443,220

• I meant to use a laser ball, but forgot to equip it at the start. Having said that, I wasn't actually that far off getting it without one. I missed a tricky catch off the last blue peg, which would only have left me with two red pegs, both of which were low and central so I had a decent shot at a maximum 200k final bonus. Mind you, I did ride my luck quite a lot as I went through.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 685,930

• I thought I could get a deflection into the 100k bucket off the final red peg, although I only needed a 50k, so I went for it. The ball bounced off both sides of the centre bin before flipping out to the 10k bin instead, leaving me 15k short of the pro target. Annoying!
  

Level 7 (Score 525k with 40 red pegs and 84 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 750k)

The same design as level 4. I've seen comments on the group forum to the effect that this is the toughest of the ten levels. I'll start with a laser ball and see how I get on.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 458,250

• Yes, that pro target looks quite a long way away. It took a few balls to get through to the yellow peg though, and I didn't end up getting as big a score from the laser as I might have expected, so there's definitely room for improvement.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 851,930 

• It took even longer to get through to the yellow peg that time, but I got a better score with it. I still had quite a lot of work to do afterwards, but I made some well-judged catches (plus one or two lucky ones!) and I reached the pro target with balls to spare.
  

Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 88 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)

The same design as level 2. I needed a laser ball to get it that time, and this time all pegs are required so I'll definitely need the laser again.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 342,590

• The yellow peg was buried down in the bottom row of loose pegs, so hitting it was something of a lottery. It took several balls to get to it, so when I did I scored less with it due to there being fewer pegs available. I struggled bravely on and did OK, but the total clearance never looked likely.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 625,450 

• I could have done with more points from the laser ball, as it still left me with a lot to do. But I made some good catches - 23 shots in total - and just about eked out a Pro score.
  

Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 126 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 825k)

The same design as level 5. Again, I needed a laser ball then so there seems little point in attempting it without one.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 818,410

• I scored a vast amount from the laser ball. I triggered it with the first ball, so I got it nice and early. I used the same path for it as I did on level 5, and it catapulted my score up to about 640k after 2 balls. Which makes it all the more disappointing to still miss the pro target by just 7k. I was undecided whether I should take the final red or not. I'd kept the last ball going for a few shots and felt I was pushing my luck. In the end I went for it, hoping to avoid the 10k bucket, but that's exactly where it ended up.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 40 red and 66 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 1. I got the pro target on level 1 at the first attempt, but I didn't reach this score, and I didn't clear all the pegs. I'll start with the laser ball again, and see how I go.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 748,520

• Not far off. I had a 96% clearance, but the pegs that were left could probably have been taken out in a couple of balls, and I was well ahead of the pro target.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 490,340

• Only 91% that time, and a much lower score. The catches just didn't go right that time. You always need a bit of luck to get through these later levels and I got none at all there.
  

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 866,650 

• I started well, activating the laser with the first ball, then catching a great extra bounce with the laser ball off the rim of the bucket. After that I just picked off the remaining balls, mainly one at a time. That completes the board, now I need to go back and get the Pro score on levels 6 & 9.
  

Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 103 total - Pro target 700k)

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 573,630

• I didn't do particularly well here. I wasn't helped by the fact that my PC was running like a dog due to it processing the video for level 10 in the background, so the movement was very jerky. Note to self - wait for the video to finish processing before starting the next level.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 849,040 

• Picked up the yellow peg on the first shot, then got an extra rim bounce on the laser ball, so I started pretty well. I made lots of catches as I stretched it out to 25 shots. So it all went pretty well.
  

Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 126 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 825k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 583,040

• Quite a long way short on the score front. I got down to one red peg left with several balls left, but I needed to build a bigger score and eventually ran out of catches.
  

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 365,400

• I cocked up the laaser ball, and didn't get a proper bounce off the bucket, just getting a glance off the rim. I kept going, but it was always doomed from that point on.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 595,380

• I cocked up the laser ball again, and in exactly the same way. I soldiered on again, and achieved a pretty respectable score, but it was still a long way short of the target.
  

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 637,080

• A better score, but no better on the clearance front. Only 74% cleared and there were plenty of reds left in that lot.
  

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 823,900

• A better score again, but still struggling to clear the red pegs. Maybe I'll add another power up.
  

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 866,910 

• I had to take out quite a lot of the left-hand structure to get through to the trigger pegs, so I used a different path for the laser than normal and it seemed to work.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	106	Reds	10	-	425k	1	473,100	473,100
2	25	113	Reds	10	-	400k	3	538,940	326,976
3	25	103	Reds	10	-	400k	3	517,070	360,450
4	25	124	Reds	9	-	450k	2	482,710	340,405
5	25	126	Reds	10	-	525k	3	667,870	405,490
6	35	103	Reds	10	-	700k	4	849,040	637,955
7	40	124	525k	8	-	750k	2	851,930	655,090
8	25	113	All	9	-	550k	2	625,450	484,020
9	40	126	Reds	7	-	825k	7	866,910	670,017
10	40	106	All	9	-	625k	3	866,650	701,836

Board 86: Gorge of the Gods

This picture shows three stone heads lying forgotten in an overgrown river at the bottom of a steep-sided gorge. A ziggurat can be seen in the background.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 81 total - Pro target 400k)

A mixture of curves and single round pegs. The pegs are well spread out which can sometimes make like a little awkward as safe paths to the bucket are hard to find.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 531,510 

• The points were slow to come at first, but as the pegs gradually cleared, catches became simpler, and bonuses became easier to engineer. I was attempting the total clearance, but gave up on it when I got down to my last ball. Only two blue pegs left at the end.
  
  On the next attempt for the video, I still had quite a few blue pegs left at the end, but the finish was a little unexpected. I picked up a final 100k bonus, but it gave me a score of 492,340 so I would have had a pro score anyway.
  

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 73 total - Pro target 400k)

This design is all straight lines at a jumble of angles.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 363,650

• All those strange angles make ricochets tricky to judge. As a result it was a struggle to accumulate points. I ended up taking the last red peg before I was ready and finished just a bit short of points.

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 78 total - Pro target 400k)

A set of three double-arched lines which appear to imitate the brow-lines on the foreheads of the stone heads. Also thirty individual round pegs arranged in ten triangles.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 292,670

• Just a single bucket catch so a pretty poor effort. I'll give it another go.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 323,810

• Another go when I took out the last red peg before I was ready and finished short of points.

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 144 total - Pro target 500k)

An arrangement of concentric circles and triangles. It all makes a whopping 144 pegs, but there may be scope for some sweeping if I can get the ball inside one or two of the circles.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 285,920

• No, there are just far too many pegs here. Fighting your way through the mass of blue pegs to make a catch is really hard - I only made one. This is definitely going to need a laser ball, just to try and clear some space.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 526,300

• Even with the laser ball, it's still not easy to fight past all those blue pegs. I certainly got closer with 83% clearance, and only three red pegs left. Plus no problem with the score.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 639,720

• Very close that time. Just a whisker away from the last red peg with the last ball.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 766,360 

• I added a grenade ball for a bit of extra welly and that seemed to do the job. It seemed to take an age to get through to the yellow peg, but then the laser ball activated the grenade which in turn took out a chunk of what was left. It was still touch and go towards the end, but I made it.
  
  Playing it again for the video, it took a few shots to get to the yellow peg, and I never did get to the green one. But I got lucky with catches and cleared the red pegs anyway for a score of 731,510.
  

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 122 total - Pro target 450k)

I don't have the first idea what this design is supposed to represent. It looks like some sort of gantry with four big diamonds on top, and five chains dangling beneath. Whatever it is, it's quite a lot of pegs (although not as many as the previous level) and I suspect catches will be tricky.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 171,610

• I thought it looked tough, but it anything, it was probably tougher than I expected. I was nowhere near the pro target and still had three or four red pegs left at the end.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 555,280 

• The laser ball scythed through a good chunk of the pegs and left something muich more manageable.
  
  On the next attempt for the video, I didn't take the yellow peg for quite a few shots, but I didn't find the catches too tricky. I patiently picked my way through all the pegs for a total clearance with a ball to spare and a score of 851,650.
  

Level 6 (Clear 35 red pegs from 81 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 575k)

The same design as level 1. Probably the easiest of the five levels so I'll give it a go without power ups first.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 621,950 

• I tackled it a bit better than I did the first time around. It all went pretty smoothly.
  
  I certainly didn't go smoothly when I tried again for the video. It took me another 11 attempts to pro score it again without power ups. I came close several times, but finishing it off was always just a step too far until the eleventh attempt. When I did get it I got it quite easily with lots of lucky catches and a score of 887,820.
  

Level 7 (Clear 35 red pegs from 78 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 600k)

The same design as level 3 which was actually pretty awkward. I'll start off with the laser, I think.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 256,340

• Well, I meant to add a laser ball, but I forgot. It definitely needs it. I wasn't far off clearing the red pegs, but the score was woeful.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 502,560

• One red peg left. It was in a good position to deflect straight into the 100k bonus, so I was just trying to build up a score close to 500k before I took it. I got there on the last ball, but failed to catch it.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 861,970 

• I was all over this one. The first couple of balls seemed to work really well, ricocheting around taking out a lot of pegs and landing in the bucket. I ended up taking an unnecessary total clearance just for the hell of it.
  
  Again, I was all over it again on the next attempt for the video. I didn't quite manage a total clearance, but I got a better score with 989,200.
  

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 122 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 5, so quite a lot of blue pegs to avoid. I needed a laser ball for that level, so I'll jump straight in with one now.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 295,190

• Even with the laser ball, this is going to be tough. There's a lot of blue pegs to get in the way, and a lot of awkward angles to contend with.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 628,440

• Really clumsy with the last ball. I had two red pegs left, and one of them should have been a straightforward catch, but I mistimed it. Of course, there was no guarantee of hitting the pro target, if anything it was unlikely, but I should've completed the level.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 371,710

• It took way too long to break through to the yellow peg which was right at the bottom of one of the diamond chains. It meant I had too low a score and not enough balls left afterwards, so it never looked likely.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 504,290

• I was low on points so I had to try and stretch it out with catches and bonuses. It worked for a while, but my luck had to run out eventually. Again the trigger pegs were awkward to get to.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 613,440

• I was looking for the total clearance for the extra points, but I took out both the last two red pegs at once with one more blue peg still left.

Level 9 (Score 600k with 35 red pegs and 109 blue - Pro target 725k)

The same design as level 4 with its vast number of pegs. It took both the laser and the grenade to through it last time, so I'll start with them.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 770,270 

• The yellow peg was hidden in the inner lower left circle and it took an age to break through to it, so the attempt was looking dead in the water. However, I concentrated the laser on the pretty much untouched right-hand side, got a split ball, and an extra bounce off the bucket rim for an enormous score bonus, and suddenly the Pro score was very much within reach.
  
  Much easier on the next attempt for the video, with the yellow peg easily available with the first shot. I got way over the pro target with 1,122,620.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 43 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2 with all its straight lines. Of all the 5 designs, this was the one with the fewest pegs, so it might not be too bad. Having said that, I remember points being difficult to earn.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 615,420

• I couldn't quite accumulate enough points for the pro target, but I did manage to get the required clearance with a ball to spare. So at least I got the relic and unlocked the board for free.

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 73 total - Pro target 400k)

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 675,970 

• I worked out the angles a lot better this time and made a lot more catches. 23 shots tells the story.
  
  Coming back to this much later for the video, my knowledge of angles is a lot better, so I found this one no problem at all. I missed a total clearance by two pegs, and nearly blew it at the end, but I got there.
  

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 78 total - Pro target 400k)

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 580,410 

• Again, I worked out the angles a lot better this time. Plus the laser ball helped a bit.
  
  Coming back to do the video much later, I took a total clearance with balls to spare for a score of 815,150.
  

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 122 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 725k)

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 686,170

• Made a total clearance, but it wasn't enough to reach the pro score. It's a tough target.
  

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 337,970

• It took too long to reach the trigger for the laser ball and I paid for it later on. Not enough balls left and too few points.
  

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 624,850

• A better effort, but again it took too long to trigger the laser ball.
  

Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 748,280 

• It took a long time to get to the laser trigger yet again, but this time I managed to accumulate enough points with the remaining balls to reach the target. I only used 13 balls, but I did have a lot left at the end.
  
  I got the total clearance on the next attempt for the video, with a cracking score of 1,123,370, finishing with 5 balls in hand.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 43 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 670,730 

• Both balls in 50k buckets at the end gave me just enough points to scrape home. And that's the Ace earned for this week.
  
  It took four more attempts to repeat a pro score for the video, but when I got it, it was with an almost identical result. Again, both balls in the 50k bucket at the end to scrape home with a score within 100 points of the first pro - 670,820.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	81	Reds	10	-	400k	1	531,510	531,510
2	25	73	Reds	10	-	400k	2	675,970	519,810
3	25	78	Reds	10	-	400k	3	580,410	398,963
4	25	144	Reds	10	-	500k	4	766,360	554,575
5	25	122	Reds	10	-	450k	2	555,280	363,445
6	35	81	Reds	9	-	575k	1	621,950	621,950
7	35	78	Reds	9	-	600k	3	861,970	540,290
8	40	122	Reds	9	-	725k	9	748,280	534,482
9	35	144	600k	10	-	725k	1	770,270	770,270
10	30	73	All	9	-	650k	2	670,730	643,075

Board 85: Pixie Party

The picture features pixies flying round a camp fire set in the middle of some simple huts in a forest.

Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 109 total - Pro target 500k)

The first design reflects one of the native drums by the fire. It also has some annoying looking slanted lines sloping in from the side walls. I suspect these might make catches awkward to judge.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 489,420

• Yes, catches were a little awkward to judge, but the worst thing was not being able to pick up many side wall rebounds, as they were both covered by the sloping lines. This is why I got rid of all the red pegs, but couldn't quite make the Pro target.

Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 82 total - Pro target 425k)

This design is based around the fire itself. Quite a lot of different angles, but most of the pegs are quite central which can make for easier rebounds and catches.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 573,220

• No real problems here. The pro score was low enough to make it pretty easy to reach.

Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 81 total - Pro target 450k)

This design has two big sweeping curves that look in line with the launcher, and then a bunch of individual round and diamond-shaped pegs. The two curves look easy starters, but the rest might be more awkward.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 532,680

• Took a chance with the last ball to forego the easy victory in favour of a total clearance. It was a decision that turned out to be a good one.

Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 98 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)

This design mainly follows the roofs of the huts. So there are quite a few convex curves at the top which may proove a little awkward.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 269,090

• Tried to build my score with the last ball again, only this time it didn't go quite so well. I probably shouldn't have bothered - I had too much left to score, and the pegs weren't well suited to score them.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 605,010

• I managed to build up my score as I went along that time. I also got a big fat bonus with the final ball which bumped the score up quite a lot.

Level 5 (Clear 20 red pegs from 69 total - Pro target 475k)

A rough triangle of three straight lines, plus three extra drums as obstacles. There's also a lot of individual round pegs, most of which are hidden beneath the middle drum. Lots of rebounds will be required here, so it looks quite tough.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 235,440

• Only one red peg left, which I probably could have got if I'd concentrated on red peg clearance rather than score earlier on. Building score was harder than clearing the pegs, which I wasn't expecting.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 263,010

• One red peg left again. I was trying to concentrate on red peg clearance this time, but I was struggling to find an angle to take out the last one.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 264,080

• This is starting to get repetitive. One red peg left again, and a very similar score. Maybe I'll try a power up.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 235,630

• 2 or 3 red pegs left. The laser ball probably made that attempt worse, as it took most of my balls to trigger it, then when I did I failed to do much with it.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 480,720

• Only 2 pegs left in total, but one of them was red. It took several balls to get to the trigger, but not as many as last time. But I did much better with it this time. I spent one ball too many building points off purple pegs, and only left myself one ball to take out two red pegs which were next to each other.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 354,780

• 1 red peg left again. I'm finding the angles on this level really hard to judge.

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball. Score: 298,210

• Beat the level but nowhere near the target score. I'll have to come back and redo it later. I'm not looking forward to meeting this layout again in the second half!

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 81 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 3. I did it in one go before, so I'll try it without power ups first.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 533,800

• 7 red pegs left at the end. The first two balls are pretty easy catches, but after that catches get much harder. Bonus points were very easy to come by, as practically half the pegs are red, so any amount of ricocheting tends to earn big bonuses. A laser might help clear some space.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 492,870

• Three pegs left, two of them red. I was struggling for points much more that time, so I was forced into attempting the total clearance. I wasn't far off it, although there was no guarantee it would have been enough for the pro target.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 483,610

• Five pegs left that time, with two of them red. Again, I felt forced into the total clearance, but never felt confident about getting it.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 558,050

• A bit clumsy with the last few balls, otherwise I might have had that one.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 690,520

• Managed to get the total clearance this time, but didn't quite get enough from the bonus buckets and fell just short of the pro target.

Level 7 (Score 450k with 40 red pegs and 69 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 1. I struggled to reach the pro score then, and this one is higher, so I'll start with the laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 595,310

• I could have done better here. I missed a lot of catches. I got the main target quite easily, but not the pro one.

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 98 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 775k)

The same design as level 4. These levels are all proving quite tough, so I'll stick with the laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 527,660

• Quite a few red pegs left. Not a very good effort really. Only 12 balls used, so not enough catches.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 543,560

• Only two red pegs left that time, and 14 balls used, so a better effort, but still not quite good enough.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 834,330

• I made a total clearance that time, stretching it out to 19 balls. It was enough.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 47 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 2. Probably the easiest of the 5 designs, but they were all quite tough and this requires a total clearance, so it's straight in with the laser ball.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 744,880

• I didn't feel confident most of the way through this. I didn't expect to get the clearance, let alone the pro target. But I made the catches when it counted at the end, plus I picked up 150k from the final bucket bonus and it was enough.

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 44 blue - Pro target 525k)

The same design as level 5. The toughest design of a pretty tough bunch, and by some way. The pro target is mercifully low, but I suspect it will still be a tall order.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 506,400

• A pretty good effort for a first attempt. Only one peg left at the end, and close enough to the pro target to ensure that I would have reached it had I taken out that last peg. And that was despite making a mess of the laser ball. I think I'll swap the trampoline for the grenade though.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 392,390

• Three pegs left. Did better with the power ups, but not so well with all the other balls.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 746,240

• Actually, that level turned out been easier than I had expected. It seemed very tough when I came across it on level 5, but it went in only three goes here, and I was unlucky not to get it on the very first one. This third attempt was actually pretty straightforward. Maybe I got a bit lucky with some bounces, but I was well over the pro target and had a ball to spare at the end. Still four levels to go back to for pro scores though.

Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 109 total - Pro target 500k)

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 495,560

• One red peg left, so not a bad effort. On target for the pro score. This shouldn't need a power up.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 542,240

• Got it that time, and quite comfortably really. I had I think four balls still in hand at the end.

Level 5 (Clear 20 red pegs from 69 total - Pro target 475k)

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball. Score: 536,640

• That was annoying! I very quickly got down to one red peg left with about 8 balls in hand - more than enough to reach the pro target through the 10k per unused ball bonus, but it was right in the middle directly underneath the middle drum. I just couldn't find an angle to shoot that would hit it. I ended up clearing all the other pegs, but couldn't get that last red one.
  

Attempt #9 - Laser Ball. Score: 343,600

• Nowhere near the pro score that time as the bonuses just wouldn’t come.
  

Attempt #10 - Laser Ball. Score: 208,630

• I cocked up the laser ball that time and missed the first bounce. There was no way I was coming back from that.
  

Attempt #11 - Laser Ball. Score: 399,780

• The laser ball did wonders, getting the big bucket and then catching a bonus deflection off the rim. It cleared so many pegs, I ended up finishing with about 8 or 9 balls to spare. It got me a big bonus but it wasn't enough.
  

Attempt #12 - Laser Ball. Score: 378,750

• One red peg left, awkwardly placed. But only 11 shots. Nothing seemed to bounce as I expected so I caught very little.
  

Attempt #13 - Laser Ball & Gravity Ball. Score: 620,400

• It's so often the case that you can have over a dozen attempts at a level, then when you finally do it, you do it so comfortably that you wonder what the difficulty was. After the power ups had been used, I found myself about 20k short of the pro target still with about 6 balls in hand, and with an easy deflection onto the final red peg. Typical.
  

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 81 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 700k)

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 449,620

• Three pegs left, all red. I got off to a bad start by failing to catch either of the first two balls. It was made doubly bad because I'd activated the triple score bucket. Could do better.
  

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 712,410

• I had to make a choice with the last ball. The last blue peg was hidden behind it so I couldn't realistically go for the clearance. I was about 70k short of the pro score, so I could either try and deflect straight into the 100k bucket, or take it off the side wall and hope I avoided the 10k buckets. I went for the latter option and hit the 50k bucket. Phew!
  

Level 7 (Score 450k with 40 red pegs and 69 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 700k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,006,220

• I remembered the ideal first two shots for this layout. The first shot goes as high as possible on the left wall without hitting the ceiling. This open a big gap at the top of the cup on the right hand side. The second shot hits the exposed slope of the inside of the cup as far to the right as possible. This ball should then roll back and forth taking out most of the cup for a huge bonus (210k in my case). That ball took out the yellow peg, allowing my third ball to be the laser which took out a lot of what was left. After that the target was practically hit so I went for as big a score as possible, and just made the million. A good way to make the Ace.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	30	109	Reds	10	-	500k	3	542,240	509,073
2	30	82	Reds	10	-	425k	1	573,220	573,220
3	30	81	Reds	10	-	450k	1	532,680	532,680
4	30	98	Reds	9	-	450k	2	605,010	437,050
5	20	69	Reds	10	-	475k	13	620,400	355,359
6	40	81	Reds	8	-	700k	7	712,410	560,125
7	40	109	450k	9	-	700k	2	1,006,220	800,765
8	40	98	Reds	8	-	775k	3	834,330	635,183
9	35	82	All	8	-	675k	1	744,880	744,880
10	25	69	All	10	-	525k	3	746,240	548,343

Board 84: Damsel's Tower

This week's picture has another fairy tale theme. It is Rapunzel's tower - incredibly high, and with her golden hair trailing out of the window.

Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 74 total - Pro target 500k)

Lots of curves and not many blue pegs to get in the way. This looks like a pretty easy starter.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 531,490 

• It wasn't quite as easy as I had expected, althougth it probably should have been. Well, whatever, I made the pro score and that's what's important.
  
  It took a couple of attempts to get it a second time for a video. I did much better with the sweeps and scored 598,920.
  

Level 2 (Clear 20 red pegs from 88 total - Pro target 425k)

Again, quite a few curves, but these follow the outlines of the clouds, rather than the tower and are convex rather than concave, so they are more tricky to sweep along.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 310,240

• I was struggling to accumulate a big enough score, mainly because of the lack of red pegs available. I only had one peg left at the end, but I was still trying to use the purple pegs to accumulate points.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 285,750

• Very similar story as before. One peg left at the end as I was trying to build a pro score. One more go before the laser ball comes out.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 64,970

• A dismal failure. Just one catch and only 25k in skill points. Absolutely nothing seemed to work.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 537,630 

• The laser ball made it much easier. It took a few balls to break through to the yellow peg, but once I'd activated the laser, it took my score up to 350k or so, and left me with 8 red pegs and 8 balls to get them with.
  
  It took two further attempts to get a video. I scored much better, getting a total clearance and 909,990 points.
  

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 100 total - Pro target 600k)

A design featuring 8 wavy lines, four on each side of the screen. It ought to be possible to shoot balls between them for sweep bonuses.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 780,240 

• That turned out to be a very easy level. The first 4 balls all went between adjacent pairs of untouched wavy lines, all were easy catches, and all earned sweep bonuses. After that, catches and other bonuses were still easy to come by.
  
  I did even better the second time for the video. I got a total clearance for 950,190
  

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 93 total - Pro target 400k)

Another design based around the picture. This one is mostly straight lines and individual round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 472,070 

• I don't know if I'd go so far as to call this level easy. Certainly not as easy as the last one, anyway. I think I just got some lucky bounces. The low pro target was helpful.
  
  It took two more attempts to get a video, and then I only scraped past the pro target with 405,420.
  

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 115 total - Pro target 575k)

This design is based around a plait of hair, with a couple of other wavy lines and a few odd pegs. Quite a lot of pegs in total. The laser ball would probably deal with this quite effectively, but I'll try without first.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 638,510 

• Well I put the first shot as far to the right as I could, and it went into the plait and rolled all the way down, taking out the entire centre of the plait. It took out a whopping 51 pegs, scored an impressive 462k, and earned two extra balls. Unfortunately, it then made what was left really quite awkward, and I needed a few fortunate catches to help me finish off.
  
  I used the same strategy to get another pro score for the video, only this time I found further catches much easier. I finished accidentally with half a dozen balls still in hand and a score of 1,024,900.
  

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 88 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2, which was probably the hardest of the first 5. I needed a laser ball to get it last time, so I might as well start with one this time.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 738,430 

• The laser ball made level 2 quite straightforward, and it had much the same effect here. I was going for the total clearance, while I had more balls left than red pegs, but I wasn't taking any chances and abandoned that after I missed a catch.
  
  I got the total clearance on the next attempt for the video, with a score of 824,100.
  

Level 7 (Clear 40 red pegs from 93 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)

The same design as level 4. This wasn't the easiest of layouts last time, but I did manage it in a single attempt, so I'll try it without any power ups to start with.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 365,250

• I think I'll go for a laser ball next. 40 red pegs is a lot to get rid of, and the laser ball should be able to take out a lot in one go.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 655,540 

• I didn't do the best of jobs with the laser ball. I rushed it a bit and didn't get a proper deflection of the bucket. I only caught the rim and took out a few low pegs. I managed to keep it going just enough though to earn a pro score anyway. Well it'll be interesting to see what they do with the last three levels, as by my reckoning, the other three layout were all fairly straightforward.
  
  It took four more attempts to beat it again for the video. I eventually got 655,120.
  

Level 8 (Score 650k with 35 red pegs and 80 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 850k)

The same plait design as level 5. I'll have a go without the laser first, and see if I can match the first ball score I got last time.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 977,660 

• There must have been a few more red pegs in the plait this time, as the first ball scored 519k that time. I found the later deflections easier this time, and made the pro target without too much difficulty.
  
  I did even better on the next attempt for the video. I didn't quite make a total clearance, leaving just two pegs, but I scored 1,202,530.
  

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 44 blue - Pro target 725k)

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

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 476,110

• Three pegs left, but nowhere near the pro target anyway. It's probably doable without the laser ball, but I'm not sure I can be bothered to try. Laser ball it is.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 742,980 

• Just about got there. The laser ball didn't give me much of a boost, but it was just enough.
  
  I did much better at the next attempt for the video. I copied the first couple of shots from level 1, and then did particularly well with my catches. I took a total clearance for 1,031,780.
  

Level 10 (Clear 30 red pegs from 100 total, with only 6 balls and a 5s shot-clock - Pro target 800k)

The same design as level 3 which was the easiest of the first levels. But this time there's a five second shot clock and only 6 balls.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 543,330

• I think the time pressure got to me as I found myself rushing, probably more than I needed to. I still had about 4 or 5 red pegs left and got nowhere near the pro target.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 300,000

• I think this is going to need a power up. The first four balls are easy enough, but it gets tricky after that, particularly with the time constraint.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 633,340

• Cleared the red pegs that time, with the help of the laser ball, but couldn't get near to the pro target. Well, there are no other levels to go back to, so I may as well keep trying to get the pro score on this one.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 961,690 

• That was better. I took the four standard starting balls, then activated the laser ball, and took out a good chunk of what was left. I got an extra deflection off the rim as an added bonus as well. Then I took most of what was left with bounces off the side wall, as they're quite easy to judge on this level.
  
  It took another four attempts to pro it again for a video. When I did get it, I took a total clearance for a score of 1,113,410.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	30	74	Reds	10	-	500k	1	531,490	531,490
2	20	88	Reds	10	-	425k	4	537,630	299,647
3	25	100	Reds	10	-	600k	1	780,240	780,240
4	25	93	Reds	10	-	400k	1	472,070	472,070
5	25	115	Reds	10	-	575k	1	638,510	638,510
6	40	88	Reds	9	-	650k	1	738,430	738,430
7	40	93	Reds	9	-	550k	2	655,540	510,395
8	35	115	650k	9	-	850k	1	977,660	977,660
9	30	74	All	10	-	725k	2	742,980	609,545
10	30	100	Reds	6	5s	800k	4	961,690	609,590

Board 83: Frontier Highway

The picture this week is of a road winding between a mountain and the ocean. There is a covered wagon being drawn by an ox in the foreground.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 99 total - Pro target 525k)

The design looks like the rear of a covered wagon with some straight lines at the bottom and some curves at the top.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 369,480

• The loose pegs all seemed to get in the way of the catches I tried to make, and the red pegs all seemed awkwardly placed for scoring off. I'll try again.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 530,780 

• Just about managed to scrape together the points required for the pro target, but this was actually quite a tricky layout to work with.
  
  I found it a bit easier to navigate my way through it on the next attempt for the video. I reached the pro target quite comfortably, scoring 695,290.
  

Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 104 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)

This design follows the lines of the road where it's visible between the mountain peaks, with some extra lines on the sea, and individual round pegs where the mountains are. Similar to the previous level, these look like awkward angles to judge.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 446,900

• One red peg left. I just misjudged the last ball. Annoying, because if I'd gone a different way I probably could have taken both pegs at once.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 262,950

• The distribution of the red pegs seemed more awkward that time. There were fewer easy starters. This is starting to look like it could be a tough board.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 256,810

• Two red pegs left and I had a clear shot at neither of them. Time for a laser ball.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 517,440 

• Got it with the laser ball, but only just. The points weren't to bad to get, but the red pegs were still awkward to clear. It didn't help that the yellow peg was right down the bottom in the middle, so it took about 3 or 4 balls to get to it.
  
  On the next attempt for the video, it took a few attempts to get to the yellow peg again. And when I did get to the laser ball, it wasn't the greatest. I had some lucky ricochets though and some decent catches, so I got to the pro target nevertheless.
  

Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 91 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 575k)

This design is of an ox's head, such as the one pulling the wagon in the picture. The horns give interesting curves, and it looks a little easier than the previous two layouts.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 754,450 

• I was looking in trouble towards the end, but I picked up a couple of extra balls with catches to raise my balls remaining from 1 to 3 and suddenly it all looked rosy again. I got the total clearance just to make sure.
  
  It took me another four attempts to get another pro for the video without using power ups, so I guess I did get lucky the first time. This time I scored 601,750.
  

Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 142 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 475k)

This design is based around the wagon wheels that line the road in the foreground. We have most of three half-wheels sticking up from a horizontal lines, with a mass of individual round pegs scattered below. There are an awful lot of pegs here, so picking out the red ones could be tricky.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 175,840

• As I suspected, this is tricky. Battling through all those blue pegs to get to the red ones is very tough and judging catches is nigh on impossible. I still had half a dozen or so red pegs left, and I was nowhere near the pro target. Only 3 catches were made, and they were just through luck. There's no point trying this again without a power up so I'll go straight for the laser ball.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 696,220 

• The laser ball certainly helped clear the decks a bit. There was still some work to do afterwards, but straightforward in the end.
  
  Again, not too much difficulty with the laser ball. An even better score on the next attempt for the video with 752,370.
  

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 124 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 575k)

The design features two wagon wheels above three wavy sea-like lines. Quite a lot of pegs here, but I feel there could be some potential sweeps.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 545,240

• Two red pegs left. Not far off, so it's worth another go.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 712,640 

• A bit more comfortable this time. Completed it with 4 balls to spare and 130k over target. Even though there are a lot of pegs, they are condensed into small areas, with lots of empty space between them. This makes rebounds easier to judge and bonuses easier to come by.
  
  It took another two attempts to get it again for the video. I got lucky at the end with a 100k final bucket for a score of 632,690.
  

Level 6 (Clear 45 red pegs from 104 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2. I'll go straight for the laser ball as most of these levels were quite tough.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 709,720

• Two red pegs left. Should have had that - I had 6 pegs left with 6 shots to go, but carelessness prevailed.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 613,670

• I was hoping to catch an angle off the last peg into the 100k bucket, but I just missed it and it ended up in the 50k instead. Hadn't expected to clear the reds at all from the position I was in, so a good result nonetheless.

Level 7 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 74 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 1 but all pegs required now. I'll start with the laser as this could be tricky.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 517,860

• 94% clearance, which was more than I expected early on. It took about 4 or 5 balls to get through to the yellow peg, so the win never looked likely.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 614,530

• Only 2 pegs left, so pretty close. Just missed a catch on the last ball. It was one I should have got as well. But again, it took an age to get through to the yellow peg and there were hardly any pegs left to aim the laser at by the time I did. If I can get a clear shot at the laser early on, this will probably be quite straightforward.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 613,410

• Only 1 peg left that time. I'd been juggling the last ball for quite a long time and dropped it one shot too early. And that was after an easy yellow peg pick up on the first shot as well.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 747,410 

• Got it at last. The last few were all so close, it was only a matter of time before this one went. It took about three balls to get to the yellow peg and most of the balls on the left hand side, so I concentrated the laser on the right hand side.
  
  It took a couple of attempts to get it a second time for the video. I scored 844,900.
  

Level 8 (Score 650k with 30 red pegs and 94 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 875k)

The same design as level 5. I'll stick with the laser ball as the pro target is pretty high.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 862,090

• It took way to many balls to get through to the yellow peg which was second from the left in the middle wavy line. Despite that I was irritatingly close to the pro target, finishing less than 15k short. If I could only have got to the last couple of red pegs which were buried inside to left hand wheel then the final bucket bonus would probably have been enough.

Level 9 (Clear 45 red pegs from 142 total, with only 6 balls - Pro target 800k)

The same design as level 4. The laser ball will definitely be needed here as there are a vast number of pegs here.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 500,610

• The yellow peg was nicely on top, but even so there were just too many blule pegs in the way to get to all the red ones.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 850,250 

• Just about got there this time. The grenade ball helped. Neither trigger peg was particularly accessible this time, so both power ups were definitely needed to reach the pro target.
  
  It took another to attempts to get it again for the video, but on the second go, I took a total clearance for 1,056,490.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 56 blue, with only 7 balls - Pro target 825k)

The same design as level 3. I'll start with just the laser and see how it goes.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 658,600

• Got the clearance, although the last dozen pegs or so had to be picked off one at a time with the final ball. Quite a long way short of the pro target, though. I got 60k with the final bonus, but even a maximum 200k would have left me over 25k short.

Level 6 (Clear 45 red pegs from 104 total, with only 8 balls - Pro target 650k)

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 561,780

• Two red pegs left. I'll have one more go before I add a second power up.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 754,100 

• Got a bit lucky with a few balls as they ricoched around taking out quite a few red pegs. It made life a bit easier towards the end. I got down to one red peg required per ball with still about 6 balls to go, so it left me a certain amount of freedom to build a bigger score.
  
  I got it again at the next attempt for the video, and quite easily as well. I scored well over the target at 907,200.
  

Level 8 (Score 650k with 30 red pegs and 94 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 875k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 961,450 

• It took ages to get through to the yellow peg, but there are so many pegs in this level that there were always going to be plenty left for the laser ball. In the end I got the target score with balls to spare.
  
  It took another couple of attempts to get it again for the video. But when I did get it, I took a total clearance with lots of bonuses for a whopping 1,356,800.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 35 red and 56 blue, with only 7 balls - Pro target 825k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 848,450

• I tried to take the last peg off the side wall to make sure of the final few points, but missed the peg and the catch. Very careless.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 628,990

• Only 90% clearance. I'll give it another go, but I suspect I'll need to add a grenade ball before I reach the pro target.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 553,330

• Only 86% clearance that time. I'll try adding the grenade ball and see how that goes.
  

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Grenade Ball. Score: 370,240

• Only 85% clearance. The grenade ball didn't really seem to help at all.
  

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 702,170

• 96% clearance which equates to 4 pegs left. A better effort, and indeed the trampoline seems to work better than the grenade on this level.
  

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 584,970

• Got the clearance that time, but got nowhere near the pro target. Didn't get much for the trampoline as the ball got itself stuck in a corner.
  

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 584,860

• 81% clearance, so lots of pegs left at the end. I did quite well with the trampoline, but the laser ball was poor. But the real problem was a failure to make catches. Only 9 shots in total.
  

Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 364,780

• 81% clearance again. It was the trampoline that didn't work well this time. The ball got trapped under the skull and hardly took out any pegs. 10 shots taken this time, one better than last time, but still nowhere near enough catches.
  

Attempt #10 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 685,510

• A much better effort. Only three pegs left although reaching the pro target might have been touch and go.
  

Attempt #11 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 854,990 

• Got it at last. But, by golly, I rode my luck a lot on the way. There were a lot of misjudged catches that caught the rim only to deflect off another peg and back into the bucket for an extra bonus. I stumbled my way to the point where I had five pegs left and five balls to hit them with so I could stop worrying about making catches and take them all off the side wall first. It got me to the pro target despite only hitting a minimum 20k final bucket bonus.
  
  I got it again for the video at the fourth attempt. I needed a reasonable final bonus, and one of the balls found its way to the 100k bucket which was perfect. I scored 842,700.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	99	Reds	10	-	525k	2	530,780	450,130
2	30	104	Reds	9	-	450k	4	517,440	371,025
3	30	91	Reds	9	-	575k	1	754,450	754,450
4	30	142	Reds	9	-	475k	2	696,220	436,030
5	25	124	Reds	9	-	575k	2	712,640	628,940
6	45	104	Reds	8	-	650k	4	754,100	659,817
7	25	99	All	9	-	625k	4	747,410	623,302
8	30	124	650k	8	-	875k	2	961,450	911,770
9	45	142	Reds	6	-	800k	2	850,250	675,430
10	35	91	All	7	-	825k	11	854,990	621,535