Review - Peggle Deluxe
posted 27 December 2007, Thursday
Peggle Deluxe (PC)
1-2 Players
Medium Difficulty
Well I got my hands on another one of Popcaps casual games, and I have to say that I'm impressed by this little gem called Peggle. It's funny because there is so little user interaction that some may be hard pressed to even call it a game. Still this weird game is fun and very enjoyable.
Peggle is about shooting a pinball down at a board of pegs and trying to hit all of the orange colored ones. If you clear all of the orange pegs you win and move on to the next board. The trick is that there are no flippers or anything for you to manipulate the ball. You just aim, shoot and watch as it finds its way to the bottom. If you are Japanese you may see a strong resemblance to Pachinko machines - the influence behind this game no doubt. There are special powers you can get by hitting green pegs, one which includes flippers that last a short while, and there are purple pegs that give you more points. When your ball falls to the bottom you lose it, but there is a basket pacing at the bottom which can save your ball and give you another chance. When you run out of balls you lose. There are 55 boards to play on and a limited 2 player option.
It's hard to say what makes this game so fun, but I'm sure the pure wackiness of the game has a lot to do with it. Filled with unicorns, rainbows and a beaver that pops out Mortal Kombat style when you get a big combo, Peggle is full of character. The best part though is when you hit the last peg and enter Extreme Fever mode which is an explosion of hilariously awesome energy that is probably the most rewarding ending to any level I've ever played in any game. It's like when your hockey team scores a goal and you just have to stand up and go crazy.
Apart from the wackiness, there is a bit of strategy involved but it's minimal. When you aim your shot you can only guess how your ball is going to react and even if it does go where you wanted gravity takes over after that first rebound. This makes luck a major factor in the game which can be incredibly frustrating at times. There are special abilities that give you some help, but most of them are pretty useless. The biggest fault I see with this game is the lack of a board creator. I want to judge the game based on what it does include, but allowing us to create our own boards is so blatantly obvious that it's hard to ignore the absence of such a feature.
As a casual game Peggle is a winner. It's ultra simple, yet manages to be fun and challenging. The wackiness of the game just makes it that much better, and I can't wait to see what a sequel to this game will bring.
I GIVE PEGGLE A 9/10 [Excellent]
PROS:
- 55 boards
- 2 player mode
- Extreme Fever mode
CONS:
- luck based gameplay can be frustrating
- Losing balls is a little too easy
VALUE:
- As with most casual, digital distribution games the price is incredibly high for what you are actually getting. If you can find a deal go for it.
