Challenges & Dueling
If you've made it to the challenges, congratulations — you're a Peggle Master! But there's lots more Peggle to play. To succeed in dueling and beat the 75 Grand Master Challenges, you'll need to summon all the strategies and skills you've learned along the way and, most importantly, choose a fitting master.
Some levels and challenges are designed for specific masters, but, with many of the challenges (and most certainly in dueling), a variety of masters could theoretically work. To choose a master, take a look at the level and decide on the most challenging factor. Are there a lot of tricky pegs? Are there lots of obstacles to maneuver around? Are the pegs evenly distributed? Are the pegs clustered close together? Then, go back to Meet the Masters and decide which master would be up for the particular challenge.
Peg Challenges
Flower Power clears the most orange pegs (proportionately), so Tula is a no-brainer for the 35-, 45- and 55-peg challenges. Hit the green pegs as quickly as you can. With 55 pegs, you can clear 10 or more on one turn.
Scoring Challenges
The strategy for winning the scoring challenges is multi-faceted. You can't rely on one trick or you'll inevitably fall short of your goal. Here's what you'll need:
- The right master. No one can maneuver Pearl Clam like Claude. Hit the green, get the Flippers, and keep flipping the ball back and forth to rack up points. Renfield Pumpkin and Warren are also both great default masters for the scoring challenges.
- Style shots. It's important to master style shots. Go for Long Shots (25,000), Super Long Shots (50,000), Extreme Slides (50,000) and a Cool Clear (50,000). You can also use the one-by-one strategy in the "Try This!" section below and go for Crazy Mad Skillz (10 balls in a row in the Free Ball Bucket for 100,000).
- Ultra Extreme Fever. Clear all the pegs on the board to guarantee 100,000 points.
- Fever, multiplied. Use the masters' Magic Powers to multiply Extreme Fever by saving one or two greens and the final orange peg for the last shot. To do this, you have to plan ahead. At the beginning of the game, select and isolate the pegs you want to save and be sure to remove any blue pegs in your way.
- Warren. Save a green 'til the very end. Hit the green on your second-to-last shot and the last orange peg on your last shot. If Warren's wheel lands on Triple Score and you clear the board, you'll score 300K in one shot.
- Renfield. Again, save the green for the end. Hit the last orange and the green with one shot. Watch the video >>
- Jimmy Lightning. Same trick with Jimmy. Hit a green and the last orange on one shot and you'll have two balls headed toward the Fever buckets.
- Go purple. Try to incorporate the purple peg in as many of your shots as possible. They're worth 50x the blue pegs.
- Leftover balls. They're worth 10,000 points each, so decide whether it's worth shooting them.
All-Clear Challenges
The key to clearing all the pegs is getting a lot of free balls. Hit the orange pegs as quickly as possible, then play off the purple to get more points (and more free balls!).
Survey the level carefully before choosing a master. Decide on the most challenging factor and then figure out which master would be a good fit. In Translucent, for example, the pegs are very evenly spread out. Renfield is a good choice (early on) since the Spooky Ball takes two passes through the board.
TRY THIS! If the going gets tough, hit one peg at a time and land each shot in the Free Ball Bucket. If you take it slow and time each shot, this one-by-one strategy is a sure thing for clearing any board.
Dueling
The strategies for dueling are the same whether you're up against the computer or a friend. Remember these five rules to dominate the duel:
- Pick a good master for the level. If you don't have a specific character in mind, Master Hu, Warren and Bjorn are solid choices.
- Don't pass up the power-ups. Always go for the green pegs. You'll only help yourself (and you'll take the magical opportunity away from your opponent).
- Maximize your points. Remember, the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Go for style shots and purple pegs.
- Control your fever. Slow down as the game nears its end. Orchestrate your shots so you (not the other guy) get Extreme Fever. (By the way, the computer isn't that smart as far as Extreme Fever goes, so take advantage of it.)
- Don't miss. The penalties are rough in dueling. If you don't hit an orange on your shot, you'll lose 25% of your overall points. Take your time. Breathe, plan, then fire!
Insane Challenges
As the name suggests, the insane challenges are insane. But they're not impossible.
15.1 – Two Balls Left
In this challenge, your goal is to beat the level, but you start with only two balls. Use Renfield and try to get as many free balls as possible.
15.2 – Last Ball
Now it gets a bit trickier. You have to beat the level, and you start with only one ball. Use Renfield again. Get the green pegs at the beginning of the level and don't forget about the purple peg.
15.3 – Ten Ball Trial
Again, count on Renfield. He's the best Peggle Master for free balls, and that's the key to beating these first three insane challenges.
15.4 – 750,000
This is the ultimate challenge, not to be taken lightly. First, select a level and a master (see our favorites below). Then apply as many of the strategies for scoring big as you possibly can!
Our picks for the 750,000-point challenge:
Das Bucket with Warren: Hit the green peg on your first shot and hope for the Triple score (or, restart the level until you get Triple Score on your first shot – and don't feel guilty about it). Watch the video >>
Pearl Clam with Claude: Hit the green and purple pegs on your first shot, then just keep flipping the Flippers and tossing the ball back and forth.
Beyond Reason with Splork: Keep restarting the level until both greens are in the center spiral. Wait until the purple is also in the middle and then hit the greens for a grand explosion of points. Watch the video >>
15.5 – Decathlon
This is where all your training comes into play. Beat ten random levels in a row using everything you've learned at the Peggle Institute! It's important to not let the multi-level challenges get away from you. If you're on a roll, it can be easy to get sloppy or careless with your shots. Stay sharp, and you'll have no problem finishing the Decathlon.
