A while back, I was charged with the task of reviewing a game that I had very little (if any) knowledge about. All I heard about this game was that everyone I knew was excited about it. When I downloaded the game form the XBLA and played it for hours on end, I knew Peggle was something special. And, throughout my playtime with it, I was wondering to myself why this game was not on the PSN. I mean, this game needed to be played by everyone! Well, with the release of Peggle Nights, PlayStation 3 owners finally get to experience the incredible addiction that is Peggle.
By now, everyone should know what kind of game Peggle is. It is one of the best puzzle games since Tetris. The premise is simple: shoot a ball and destroy pegs. When you first sit down with the game, you only have Peggle’s version of a story mode unlocked. In this mode the goal is to only destroy the orange colored pegs and blocks. Sounds easy, but it gets difficult as you progress. Also, there are ten different “masters” that lend a hand by giving you special powers. These are activated by hitting the green color pegs or blocks. Each of the ten masters gives you different powers that range from a small “space” explosion to lobster claws that act as bumpers similar to pinball. Each master has five levels for a total of 50 levels! That’s huge! Like I said before, as you progress the game gets a lot tougher so you will not only need to use the green pegs wisely, you will also need to use the purple pegs which gives you a points power up.
Controlling where the ball goes is a snap. Just use the left analog stick (or d-pad) to position the cursor where you want to shoot the ball then hit the X-button. If you can master this, then you are that much closer to being a Peggle Master. There are other little helpers that you can use. For example, if you need speed up the obstacles that move back and forth to get that perfect shot, just hold down the square button. And once you made that perfect shot that hit all the orange pegs and you want to see the shot again, just hit the triangle button. The only problem I had was that when I shot the ball, it slowed down a bit. I know that that is just being nit-picky, but it’s just weird.
The game itself is gorgeous. The pegs are nice and bright and the background pictures are amazing looking for a downloadable title. On top of the gameplay, the thing that stands out in Peggle is the music. This really stands out when you have one orange peg left to hit. When you shoot the ball towards it, the screen zooms in, the action slows down so you can see if you hit it head on or just missed it by a hair and, if you did hit it, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” starts playing which just makes you smile as you know that you just completed a level in the greatest arcade game in recent memory. As you get further in the game (and unlock the Challenge Mode), and you are stuck on a level for a while and all of a sudden you finally beat it and that music starts playing, I bet you will stand up and start talking smack. I dare you not to.
Besides the Adventure Mode (which is the Story Mode), there are Quick Play and Master Duel single player modes. Quick Play should be obvious to you what it is and Master Duel has you taking on the ten masters. You each take turns shooting the ball with the goal of scoring more points than your AI foe. Be careful however, if you don’t hit an orange peg on a shot, you will be penalized points. You can choose which master you want to play as and which one you want to beat at their own game. In Challenge and Quick Play modes, there are 72 levels each bringing the level count to an astonishing 194.
In multiplayer, there are three different modes: Online Peg Party which lets you play with up to four players, online Duel which is just a two-player game, and Same Console Duel which is a local two-player funfest. Peggle is a blast to play online, especially with four players. The best part is that there is absolutely no lag. Although, if there was I would think the game would still be a blast to play.
That brings me to the recently released DLC for Peggle entitled Peggle Nights. Essentially, it is the same awesome game but with a ton more levels. Of course the Adventure Mode returns but this time the masters are asleep and you get to discover their alter egos (what they dream about being). This is kind of cheesy, but that doesn’t take away from the fun of the game. Peggle Nights also adds more Challenge Mode levels to the party.
Peggle has finally come to the PSN, and it’s about time. Nothing has changed from the XBLA version, but that is not a problem at all as Peggle is a very addicting game that will have you playing for hours. And with the release of Peggle Nights to bring the level count to well over 200(!), that life you had before Peggle, yeah you might as well kiss it good-bye. Welcome to the PSN, Peggle, you will be loved by many.
