For those whom may never have previously heard of "Peggle" the game started its life as a PC game which quickly became a cult favourite thanks to it’s simplistic nature and extremely addictive gameplay. Since it’s conception there has been a variety of different themed versions of the game and most recently a release on the Nintendo DS and the Xbox Live Arcade.

 

In this review I take a look at the recently released XBLA version of the game to see how it is shaping up and if it retains as much charm and gameplay as the original.

 

 

Peggle…… the name itself conjures up the image of being either yet another puzzle game or a cute game aimed at the younger market and once you hear that the game is made by Popcap games your mind instantly turns to thinking it is the former as they are famed for releasing a variety of puzzle games, most famously for the PC and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) service.

 

The actual game cannot really fit into a particular genre as it has certain puzzle elements but a more arcade pick up and play theme which despite the overall cuteness of it’s presentation is aimed at all ages and gamers of all abilities and it has to be said that it does all of this very well.

 

 

The objective of Peggle is pretty simple, you start the game facing a screen full of pegs which are mostly white with a selection of orange pegs mixed in. You have control of a ball firing cannon at the top of the screen and the objective is to clear the screen of all orange pegs with ten balls. Sounds simple? Well yes and no. By this I refer to the fact that the game is simple to play yet difficult to master and certainly becomes more challenging as the game progresses.

 

In addition to the aforementioned white and orange pegs you also have a random selection of purple score boosting pegs which if hit certainly help to gain extra balls which make their use crucial. In addition are special ability pegs which offer a variety of useful power ups which undoubtedly adds something unique to the simplicity of the game.

 

To help your progress at the bottom of the screen is a basket which moves quickly from side to side  and if your ball deflects into this you gain a free ball and a boost in points and upon completion of a level you are presented with a close up of your final shot accompanied by a quick burst of classical music which really makes you appreciate your success.

 

 

The way each ball deflects off pegs certainly makes the game tactical particularly when you have one or two hard to reach pegs to eliminate and the way the balls deflect is pretty spot on in terms of in game physics.  This takes away a certain amount of the luck factor from the game and makes you need to study each level to ensure you approach them correctly.

 

 

The answer to that question is a big no!!!! Although the game so far may sound like it will not hold your interest for more than five minutes it is by far one of the most addictive games I have played in a long long time. Such is the level of playability that even my wife whom has absolutely no interest in gaming is addicted to the game, and to me that shows just how good Peggle is.

 

It is not just as simple as progressing through a number of similar levels as the game has an adventure mode which sees you play as initially a cutely animated unicorn through as many as fifty five different boards which are set over eleven different themes which are guarded by peggle masters. Each theme is presented in a bright and colourful way with some excellent backdrops and sounds to accompany them and the actual boards certainly increase in difficulty with the layout of pegs and moving pegs to add even more variety.