The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
This thread has been linked to the game 'Peggle'.
I rarely spend more than 400 points on an arcade game from Xbox Live and if I do it usually takes something special to gather my attention what with all the retail games out that interest me right now. The original Sonic titles with achievements and online support are great fun as is Outrun too, but I’ve yet to really branch out into a fresh new title that isn’t years old. So I figured why not give it a shot and after a handful of demo tests I finally found one that was so much fun to play that I just had to buy it. Peggle.
Much like the old school machines you find in old fashioned arcades, Peggle sees you launching a ball bearing down a series of pegs until it reaches the bottom of the board. Moving a launcher at the top of the screen you can aim where to shoot and hope it scores you well. The amount of pegs vary from fifty plus and also differ in colours as well as layout. Goal wise you are to hit all the orange pegs in order to pass a level while blue ones offer extra points as well as get in your way, purple ones bonuses and green ones special moves, but more on them later. Bouncing off pegs scores highly and mixing up colours raises that score even more. Once a peg has been hit it will disappear leaving more empty space and less of a chance for higher combos. This would be simple had you an unlimited amount of balls, but sadly you only have ten which can be added to if you reach 25,000 points in a single shot or luckily rebound a ball bearing into a moving cup at the bottom of the board. For all the events that can occur it’s funny to think it all starts with the press of the A button as you watch what unfolds soon after.
Now to mix things up a little, you have the choice of ten characters, each of which have their own unique abilities. One will allow another ball to come into play, another will calculate the best possible shot from your chosen angle, a later one will cause an explosion that lights up any pegs in its radius and one even starts a roulette that gives you a random power or triple score. While some are indeed more useful than others, the more powerful ones are limited to fewer uses in order to balance things out.
One view that will inevitably come up is the fact that luck plays the biggest role in this game which may put some people off. While that is very true there is a small amount of skill involved. For example aiming a ball at certain pegs, bouncing off walls and trying to rebound a ball into the moving cup below. While shooting aimlessly to begin with is the best bet, later on when fewer pegs are left, you’ll need to stop and think about your final few shots making it a little more about skill and judgement than you may think.
Whether you’re playing on your own or want to try your hand at some multiplayer, there is something to keep you busy for a while. The fifty five levels in story mode are challenge enough but after finishing this you unlock a challenge mode that can border on near impossible at times. While the variation is a little restricted, it can really become tough to even come close to accomplishing your goal. Eliminate every single peg! Hit all the orange ones starting with only two balls! Only the really committed will finish these.
If you’re in the mood for taking on a friend then multiplayer is good fun too. Alternating between shots you compete for the highest scores over six shots each. It’s simple but can be a laugh. This can also be played against a computer opponent. And if you haven’t got anyone to play on the console with but want a human opponent you then you can always try out online which allows you and three others to compete for the number one spot.
Visually this isn’t mind-blowing to look at, but let’s be honest, just exactly how amazing can you make a game like this look? Everything is colourful, smooth and the backgrounds add a little life to what could have easily just been left as a blank canvas. Here you’ll find waterfalls, space, underwater scenes and more. As for the music it isn’t bad but then again it isn’t anything spectacular. Although you’ll hear the odd tune in the background while playing, your ears are going to be more used to hearing the sound when pegs are hit that increase in pitch, the more that are struck. I like this idea and it’s always exciting watching you score rise crossing your fingers that the pitch is going to continue to ascend.
Peggle is easy to explain but tough to master. While some may argue that luck plays the biggest role in this title it’s hard to deny its unbelievably addictive nature. And all you’re doing is shooting a ball bearing at pegs! Alone, with a friend or online Peggle is a great fun to play and definitely worth the 800 point asking price.
Much like the old school machines you find in old fashioned arcades, Peggle sees you launching a ball bearing down a series of pegs until it reaches the bottom of the board. Moving a launcher at the top of the screen you can aim where to shoot and hope it scores you well. The amount of pegs vary from fifty plus and also differ in colours as well as layout. Goal wise you are to hit all the orange pegs in order to pass a level while blue ones offer extra points as well as get in your way, purple ones bonuses and green ones special moves, but more on them later. Bouncing off pegs scores highly and mixing up colours raises that score even more. Once a peg has been hit it will disappear leaving more empty space and less of a chance for higher combos. This would be simple had you an unlimited amount of balls, but sadly you only have ten which can be added to if you reach 25,000 points in a single shot or luckily rebound a ball bearing into a moving cup at the bottom of the board. For all the events that can occur it’s funny to think it all starts with the press of the A button as you watch what unfolds soon after.
Now to mix things up a little, you have the choice of ten characters, each of which have their own unique abilities. One will allow another ball to come into play, another will calculate the best possible shot from your chosen angle, a later one will cause an explosion that lights up any pegs in its radius and one even starts a roulette that gives you a random power or triple score. While some are indeed more useful than others, the more powerful ones are limited to fewer uses in order to balance things out.
One view that will inevitably come up is the fact that luck plays the biggest role in this game which may put some people off. While that is very true there is a small amount of skill involved. For example aiming a ball at certain pegs, bouncing off walls and trying to rebound a ball into the moving cup below. While shooting aimlessly to begin with is the best bet, later on when fewer pegs are left, you’ll need to stop and think about your final few shots making it a little more about skill and judgement than you may think.
Whether you’re playing on your own or want to try your hand at some multiplayer, there is something to keep you busy for a while. The fifty five levels in story mode are challenge enough but after finishing this you unlock a challenge mode that can border on near impossible at times. While the variation is a little restricted, it can really become tough to even come close to accomplishing your goal. Eliminate every single peg! Hit all the orange ones starting with only two balls! Only the really committed will finish these.
If you’re in the mood for taking on a friend then multiplayer is good fun too. Alternating between shots you compete for the highest scores over six shots each. It’s simple but can be a laugh. This can also be played against a computer opponent. And if you haven’t got anyone to play on the console with but want a human opponent you then you can always try out online which allows you and three others to compete for the number one spot.
Visually this isn’t mind-blowing to look at, but let’s be honest, just exactly how amazing can you make a game like this look? Everything is colourful, smooth and the backgrounds add a little life to what could have easily just been left as a blank canvas. Here you’ll find waterfalls, space, underwater scenes and more. As for the music it isn’t bad but then again it isn’t anything spectacular. Although you’ll hear the odd tune in the background while playing, your ears are going to be more used to hearing the sound when pegs are hit that increase in pitch, the more that are struck. I like this idea and it’s always exciting watching you score rise crossing your fingers that the pitch is going to continue to ascend.
Peggle is easy to explain but tough to master. While some may argue that luck plays the biggest role in this title it’s hard to deny its unbelievably addictive nature. And all you’re doing is shooting a ball bearing at pegs! Alone, with a friend or online Peggle is a great fun to play and definitely worth the 800 point asking price.
Agreed.
Have to say Peggle is so simple, but so addictive. I quite often go back to play it when I'm fed up of my retail game collection. Hoping to complete the challenge mode one day!
Great review!
Have to say Peggle is so simple, but so addictive. I quite often go back to play it when I'm fed up of my retail game collection. Hoping to complete the challenge mode one day!
Great review!
I rarely spend more than 400 points on an arcade game from Xbox Live and if I do it usually takes something special to gather my attention what with all the retail games out that interest me right now. The original Sonic titles with achievements and online support are great fun as is Outrun too, but I’ve yet to really branch out into a fresh new title that isn’t years old. So I figured why not give it a shot and after a handful of demo tests I finally found one that was so much fun to play that I just had to buy it. Peggle.
Much like the old school machines you find in old fashioned arcades, Peggle sees you launching a ball bearing down a series of pegs until it reaches the bottom of the board. Moving a launcher at the top of the screen you can aim where to shoot and hope it scores you well. The amount of pegs vary from fifty plus and also differ in colours as well as layout. Goal wise you are to hit all the orange pegs in order to pass a level while blue ones offer extra points as well as get in your way, purple ones bonuses and green ones special moves, but more on them later. Bouncing off pegs scores highly and mixing up colours raises that score even more. Once a peg has been hit it will disappear leaving more empty space and less of a chance for higher combos. This would be simple had you an unlimited amount of balls, but sadly you only have ten which can be added to if you reach 25,000 points in a single shot or luckily rebound a ball bearing into a moving cup at the bottom of the board. For all the events that can occur it’s funny to think it all starts with the press of the A button as you watch what unfolds soon after.
Now to mix things up a little, you have the choice of ten characters, each of which have their own unique abilities. One will allow another ball to come into play, another will calculate the best possible shot from your chosen angle, a later one will cause an explosion that lights up any pegs in its radius and one even starts a roulette that gives you a random power or triple score. While some are indeed more useful than others, the more powerful ones are limited to fewer uses in order to balance things out.
One view that will inevitably come up is the fact that luck plays the biggest role in this game which may put some people off. While that is very true there is a small amount of skill involved. For example aiming a ball at certain pegs, bouncing off walls and trying to rebound a ball into the moving cup below. While shooting aimlessly to begin with is the best bet, later on when fewer pegs are left, you’ll need to stop and think about your final few shots making it a little more about skill and judgement than you may think.
Whether you’re playing on your own or want to try your hand at some multiplayer, there is something to keep you busy for a while. The fifty five levels in story mode are challenge enough but after finishing this you unlock a challenge mode that can border on near impossible at times. While the variation is a little restricted, it can really become tough to even come close to accomplishing your goal. Eliminate every single peg! Hit all the orange ones starting with only two balls! Only the really committed will finish these.
If you’re in the mood for taking on a friend then multiplayer is good fun too. Alternating between shots you compete for the highest scores over six shots each. It’s simple but can be a laugh. This can also be played against a computer opponent. And if you haven’t got anyone to play on the console with but want a human opponent you then you can always try out online which allows you and three others to compete for the number one spot.
Visually this isn’t mind-blowing to look at, but let’s be honest, just exactly how amazing can you make a game like this look? Everything is colourful, smooth and the backgrounds add a little life to what could have easily just been left as a blank canvas. Here you’ll find waterfalls, space, underwater scenes and more. As for the music it isn’t bad but then again it isn’t anything spectacular. Although you’ll hear the odd tune in the background while playing, your ears are going to be more used to hearing the sound when pegs are hit that increase in pitch, the more that are struck. I like this idea and it’s always exciting watching you score rise crossing your fingers that the pitch is going to continue to ascend.
Peggle is easy to explain but tough to master. While some may argue that luck plays the biggest role in this title it’s hard to deny its unbelievably addictive nature. And all you’re doing is shooting a ball bearing at pegs! Alone, with a friend or online Peggle is a great fun to play and definitely worth the 800 point asking price.
Much like the old school machines you find in old fashioned arcades, Peggle sees you launching a ball bearing down a series of pegs until it reaches the bottom of the board. Moving a launcher at the top of the screen you can aim where to shoot and hope it scores you well. The amount of pegs vary from fifty plus and also differ in colours as well as layout. Goal wise you are to hit all the orange pegs in order to pass a level while blue ones offer extra points as well as get in your way, purple ones bonuses and green ones special moves, but more on them later. Bouncing off pegs scores highly and mixing up colours raises that score even more. Once a peg has been hit it will disappear leaving more empty space and less of a chance for higher combos. This would be simple had you an unlimited amount of balls, but sadly you only have ten which can be added to if you reach 25,000 points in a single shot or luckily rebound a ball bearing into a moving cup at the bottom of the board. For all the events that can occur it’s funny to think it all starts with the press of the A button as you watch what unfolds soon after.
Now to mix things up a little, you have the choice of ten characters, each of which have their own unique abilities. One will allow another ball to come into play, another will calculate the best possible shot from your chosen angle, a later one will cause an explosion that lights up any pegs in its radius and one even starts a roulette that gives you a random power or triple score. While some are indeed more useful than others, the more powerful ones are limited to fewer uses in order to balance things out.
One view that will inevitably come up is the fact that luck plays the biggest role in this game which may put some people off. While that is very true there is a small amount of skill involved. For example aiming a ball at certain pegs, bouncing off walls and trying to rebound a ball into the moving cup below. While shooting aimlessly to begin with is the best bet, later on when fewer pegs are left, you’ll need to stop and think about your final few shots making it a little more about skill and judgement than you may think.
Whether you’re playing on your own or want to try your hand at some multiplayer, there is something to keep you busy for a while. The fifty five levels in story mode are challenge enough but after finishing this you unlock a challenge mode that can border on near impossible at times. While the variation is a little restricted, it can really become tough to even come close to accomplishing your goal. Eliminate every single peg! Hit all the orange ones starting with only two balls! Only the really committed will finish these.
If you’re in the mood for taking on a friend then multiplayer is good fun too. Alternating between shots you compete for the highest scores over six shots each. It’s simple but can be a laugh. This can also be played against a computer opponent. And if you haven’t got anyone to play on the console with but want a human opponent you then you can always try out online which allows you and three others to compete for the number one spot.
Visually this isn’t mind-blowing to look at, but let’s be honest, just exactly how amazing can you make a game like this look? Everything is colourful, smooth and the backgrounds add a little life to what could have easily just been left as a blank canvas. Here you’ll find waterfalls, space, underwater scenes and more. As for the music it isn’t bad but then again it isn’t anything spectacular. Although you’ll hear the odd tune in the background while playing, your ears are going to be more used to hearing the sound when pegs are hit that increase in pitch, the more that are struck. I like this idea and it’s always exciting watching you score rise crossing your fingers that the pitch is going to continue to ascend.
Peggle is easy to explain but tough to master. While some may argue that luck plays the biggest role in this title it’s hard to deny its unbelievably addictive nature. And all you’re doing is shooting a ball bearing at pegs! Alone, with a friend or online Peggle is a great fun to play and definitely worth the 800 point asking price.