Peggle, although it’s less than two years old at this point (originally released in 2007 for the Windows platform), has taken the world by storm as the new puzzle craze. It can now be found on Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo DS, Mac OS X, iPod Touch, as a mini-game in World of Warcraft and the platform I am reviewing it on today, the iPhone. What may be even crazier is the fact that, until it’s release on the iPhone, I had never played the game. Thanks to the game going on sale one weekend (down from $4.99 to $0.99), I decided to give this craze a chance. I can tell you, with certainty, that the craze Peggle has created is warranted. Here’s a quick review for you|
Presentation|
The game takes longer to load than a lot of the other apps I have used, but after the (roughly) 20 second load time at start-up, the app runs smoothly until you quit it. The menus are set up well, and the start menu is inviting. Peggle presents you with four game modes (adventure, quick play, challenge, and duel). From the start menu, you can also choose to fiddle with the options, watch replays (explained later), or view your stats. I really have no complaints about the presentation. Everything is laid out clearly, and Peggle looks good doing it.
Score| 10 out of 10
Graphics|
Peggle is very bright, vibrant, cute and pretty. Its use of color leaves nothing to be desired. The graphics are very cartoony, and that’s exactly what a game like Peggle needs. All eleven characters in the game are very well drawn, if not too detailed. The graphics are almost a moot point in a game like this, unless they enhance the gameplay and entertainment of the puzzle game, and that’s exactly what Peggle does. The level designs never get old or boring (even though the background is generally just a still image), and fit the theme of the world you are playing in perfectly. The only minor complaint I could muster would be a lack of detail in the character designs, if I were forcing myself to find a flaw. Peggle even has a color blind mode where the special pegs are marked by shaped instead of colors for someone who is colorblind!
Score| 10 out of 10
Sound|
In a puzzle game like Peggle, sound plays basically the same role as graphics do- they’re only important if they add to the game. Again, Peggle’s sound effects are “just right”. The different characters draw unique sound effects (when hitting the green pegs), and the “bing” of the ball is exactly what it should be. Another excellent feature of Peggle is the fact that I can turn off the in-game music (and sound effects), and listen to my own music from the iPod half of my iPhone. Again, no complaints.
Score| 10 out of 10
Gameplay|
Now that the easy sections are out of the way, how will the meat of Peggle stand up on the iPhone?
The object of Peggle is to rid the board of all the orange pegs using only the ten balls you are allotted. However, you can earn free balls in various ways, and you will have to in the later stages. The best puzzle games are the simple ones, and you can’t much simpler than Peggle- make the orange pegs disappear by hitting them with your ball. It sounds easy, and it starts that way. But, the difficulty ramps up all the way until the end. One of my few complaints about the game is how dependant it is on luck. Skill is involved, but luck plays a huge part in the game.
The controls, though they are touch screen, are very intuitive, and I only found myself having minor problems with ball placement being precise. But, you can zoom in, and it makes the touch interface work better for when you are trying to line up that perfect shot. So, probably the most important aspect of Peggle on the iPhone, the controls, work very well. This was one of my concerns going in (and I am sure one of yours also), but Peggle was able to wash that concern away just minutes into the first world.
One of my favorite little features of Peggle is the ability to save replays and watch them later on. After you make that ridiculous “off the wall, off the bucket, hallelujah” shot, you can watch the replay, and save it to show off to friends later! This is a small feature that is an awesome addition.
I want to quickly explain the characters- there are eleven characters that you can play with through the game that will each give you a unique special ability (such as precision shot, spooky ball, or flower power) to use when you hit the green pegs in a level. This adds a very fun aspect to the game, and allows the game to feel different with every new world that you open up.
Again, simplicity is key to puzzle games, and Peggle is just that- extremely simple. This is one of those games that takes a minute to learn, and a lifetime to master (and plenty of luck).
Score| 8 out of 10
Replayability|
This is Peggles strong point. This little game packs a huge punch. Adventure mode contains 55 levels to play through, with eleven different characters to play with (five rounds with each character). Then, after you complete that mode, you have Duel mode, where you can play multiplayer against the computer or a friend (passing the iPhone back and forth). There’s Quick Play, which is pretty self-explanatory, and there is a Challenge mode where you are trying to finish different challenges (such as “complete this level with more orange pegs than usual”). Even though Peggle is an iPhone game, it can last you a very long time. It probably took me about 6-7 hours just to complete the Adventure mode by itself.
Score| 10 out of 10
Peggle is the epitome of an almost-perfect puzzle game- it’s simple, addicting, fun, and challenging. If luck were less of a factor, this would have been perfect. But, it’s about as close as any iPhone application I have ever played. Peggle is almost perfect. I only paid $0.99, which is an insanely good deal, but even if I had paid $4.99, I would say the same thing. Buy this app!
Final Score| 9 out of 10
Thanks for reading.
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