Game Stooge

REVIEW: Peggle (Xbox 360)

• Scribbled on March 14th, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
• Filed in Casual Gaming, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle, Reviews, Xbox Live Arcade

Peggle has become a casual games phenomenon, on the level of earlier games such as Tetris and Bejeweled. It’s hit the PC, Mac, Nintendo DS, and mobile phones, so it was only a matter of time before it hit Xbox Live Arcade; Popcap’s been successful on the Xbox 360, so it was only natural that they’d give people a version they could increase their Gamerscore with.

For the three or four of you who don’t know what the game is, or didn’t read our review of Peggle or its sequel, Peggle Nights, it’s a modern version of Plinko, in which you shoot a ball at a series of pegs. The first twist is that pegs touched by the ball vanish, and some of the pegs are orange: the object of the game is to eliminate all of the orange pegs with ten balls.

The additional twists to gameplay involve the bucket and green pegs. Any balls that sink in the bucket award another ball. Hitting green pegs enable a special effect enabled by the animal who’s running the board. For instance, the dragon turns a ball into a fireball that eliminates everything in its path, while the beaver causes multiball. Purple pegs give scoring bonuses.

The magic of the game comes from its simplicity and presentation. Anyone can aim the shooter and fire the ball. It’s pleasurable when the ball does long stretches, and earns bonuses from weird things like long bounces between orange pegs, eliminating a bunch of pegs in a long slide, or unlikely bounces into the bucket. When strange things happen, the player is rewarded for it. Finishing a level is a celebration, as Beethoven’s Ode to Joy blares as rainbows and stars explode.

The Xbox Live Arcade version not only shows off the standard leaderboards along the breadth of Xbox Live, but includes new multiplayer modes. Players can face off on a board, alternating shots, with the player who gets the last peg receiving the coveted bonus. Up to four players can play online, while two players can face off locally. The multiplayer is welcome and fun.

If there’s one thing that’s off about Peggle is that as a casual game on the Xbox 360, it’s not very casual. One of the strengths of Peggle on a computer or the Nintendo DS is that you can load it up quickly, then save anywhere. On the Xbox Live Arcade version, it’s sort of cumbersome to quit and save, and the fact it’s on a television defeats the purpose of playing a little Peggle in between commercials of your favorite show.

Nevertheless, the multiplayer and Achievements make getting Peggle a fun experience, as well as being introduced to a whole new audience.