When Tetris came out, and especially when it was included as a pack-in Game Boy game, it became a worldwide success because it was such a great video game. However, it has stood the test of time not because it’s a great video game, but because it’s such a good puzzle game in general. The best puzzle video games are like this, and one of the most recent examples is Peggle.
Peggle first came out in 2007, and it’s hard to think of a more addicting game that’s been released since then. Each turn takes just a few seconds, and you can always play another round if you didn’t complete the objective. In other words, each round only takes a minute or two, but there’s no easier way to lose a few hours.
Another great thing about Peggle is that it’s a perfect example of Othello’s tagline, “A Minute To Learn … A Lifetime To Master”. In other words, if you can move and click a mouse, you got all the tools you need to play Peggle. However, you can also play a level over and over again, getting better with each round, until you finally clear all the orange pegs. This makes it all the more satisfying when you do finally clear a level, and also makes it so that you can play for hours and hours.
The way the levels are designed is also great. The adventure mode teaches you how to play the game and the special powers of all of the characters, and then the real game begins once you get to the master levels. These master levels not only up the difficulty, but they’re also more freeform, allowing you to pick whichever character you like to best accommodate your preferred playstyle. On top of that, you can always beat your high score, giving Peggle all sorts of replayability for such a cheap and simple game.
If you want to rekindle the magic, or if you’re ready to experience it for the first time, you can buy Peggle Deluxe on Steam for $4.99. It even has a free demo! In addition, you can buy it for $4.99 on Origin, or you can play it through Origin Access along with a number of other great games. Anyways, you don’t have to take my word for it, because once you fire Peggle up it’ll be a while before you finally put it down. Happy playing!
