Peggle

My first encounter with Peggle was about a year ago when there was talk of a Xbox port. I wasn’t sure what all the hype was about so I downloaded it for the PC just to try it out and I have to say it took about 5 minutes for me to become hooked.

Peggle is definitely in a class of its own. Not only is it for the casual gamer but with its serious depth many hard-core gamers have taken to playing it. Peggle personifies simplicity yet is extremely challenging to master.

Peggle is kind of like Pinball meets Arkanoid. Your playing field is a pattern of pegs strewn around an area, with 10 balls in which to clear all the orange pegs, while avoiding the blue pegs. Extra points are rewarded for creative shots, challenging you in every shot. Added in the mix are other coloured pegs such as green pegs which activate a power up that varies according to which Peggle Master you have chosen, and purple pegs which give you bonus points. Each level is a different pattern, and as you progress, so you are faced with different obstacles such as portal holes and bumpers.

Peggle single player consists of Adventure mode, which is a 55 level campaign with broad variety; Quick Play which allows you to play a single level from the full level list; Master Duel where you can try out your skills against the AI Master; and finally Challenge, which gives you 75 different predetermined tasks that range from beating a particular level, to beating random levels in a row. The challenges provide a highly addictive experience, pushing you to spend more time calculating angles to get maximum points while clearing as many pegs per ball.

Multiplayer modes are just as exciting. With Xbox Live Peg Party, you have up to four players competing in a player or ranked match, and Xbox Live Duel is a head to head match much like the Master Duel in single player.

Pop Cap really has done a remarkable job with Peggle on XBLA. The game is colourful and the sound keeps you entertained. It’s a simple enough game for a beginner to pick up and play yet also challenging enough to keep the hardcore gamer happy. I definitely think that everyone needs to download this game, especially with the online play being so much fun. I unquestionably think that it is well worth the 800 MS Points.

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