Peggle to the Metal

Any game that involves balls, Abba inspired unicorns and totally sweet physics has my blessing. Therefore it is my pleasure to present you with the latest creation from the brains behind the PC phenomenon Bejeweled – PopCap Studio’s Peggle, now available for the iPhone and iTouch. A game so devilishly addictive, so perfectly suited for touch controls that it makes it almost bearable to wade through crApp like iJiggles and it’s successor iJiggles: Yo Mum to get your grubby hands on what I believe to be the greatest iPhone game since 2008′s LocoRocoesque hit, Rolando.

I wasn't kidding.

The concept is simple; you have a ball, you indicate the direction in which it will launch, you send that mutha flying – then grit your teeth and hope the physics don’t fail you. The aim is to successfully hit every glowing orange peg within the allocated number of attempts, or ‘lives’. It is possible to earn more ‘lives’ by racking up combos and in some cases, score extra attempts simply by being….shit at the game.

Evidently, Peggle borrows elements from games of it’s genre; it was hard to miss the creative whiff of classics such as Space Invaders and the psychedelic Bust-A-Move during my initial play-through. Improving on a tried and true formula whilst adding it’s own whimsical, kooky touch makes Peggle an overwhelmingly positive experience. There are a veritable smorgasbord of stages to conquer, each carrying a distinct theme and an overall visually orgasmic artsyle.

Balls deep.

The games sound is another one of it’s many strengths. Every peg the ball bounces off gives off it’s own , like a note on a piano. These notes rise in pitch as the ball continues on its path of destruction – if enough pegs are lit up, bonus points are earned and along with them more chance for you (the player) to gather those blasted orange pegs before your balls run dry(…uhhh). 

The most enjoyable moment for myself is cautiously lining up my one remaining ball, firing, and successfully nabbing that final orange sonofabitch. Then the absurdity really commences. The games campy vibe is sent into overdrive as a slow motion camera captures your victory (as I punch the air as well as connecting with the unsuspecting Asian next to me on the train). This event is promptly followed by a flash of congratulatory fireworks and what is undoubtedly the most inappropriate use of a piece of classical music EVER – a stirring rendition of Beethoven’s Ode To Joy playing oh so joyously in the background.

A happy ending.

In conclusion all I have left to say is, if you have an iPhone – you MUST OWN THIS GAME. If you don’t have an iPhone, don’t get one! …Well, wait until July when Apple announces the not so secret next iteration of it and then GO AND BUY IT. Although PopCap has made Peggle available on virtually every other electronic device know to man, the touch controls and sheer ease of use on the iPhone platform makes Peggle the ideal killer app.

Did I mention it has a unicorn mascot? Bjorn. Bjorn the unicorn. Not even shitting you.