Format: Xbox 360

Release date: 11/03/2009

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Official site: PopCap Games

Like some of the most fondly loved video games, Peggle packs one of those ridiculously simple ideas that can’t fail to drag you back to your sofa time and time again.

Essentially you’re confronted by a screen packed with coloured pegs. The majority are blue, and act like the usual basic video game enemy by being both lowly scoring, and frustratingly obsessed with preventing your progression.

It’s those orange pegs that truly matter mind you. In order to advance to the next board, you’ll be required to touch each and every single one of them before you’ll be given the chance to move on. Pink pegs, which appear in a random location at each turn which gives your score a healthy boost, add a welcome touch of strategy for score whores.

The green pegs are the special ones. Touch one of these and you’ll activate a special power. What the power itself is depends on which character you’re currently in control of. Some offer flaming balls which plough through everything the board has to offer, while others tweak your shots for maximum results.

So far, so simple. The problem is, you start with only ten balls to fire. But adding to that number is something that will really test the old grey cells. A bucket flows from left to right at the bottom of the screen and if you’re ball happens to drop slap bang into it, you’ll get another one to fire off. And if you happen to have a high scoring round, again a fresh ball will be your reward.

It’s such an astonishingly simple title that you’d expect to tire of all it has to offer in mere hours. Instead, you’ll be regretting not being able to drag your chunky Xbox 360 along into work with you. There’s something so wonderful about watching all those pegs light up as you anticipate their removal from the board, that it’s little surprise to discover that the Peggle series from PopCap Games is one of the most money spinning franchises in gaming history.

For Xbox 360 gamers, the addition of online multi-player is the main bonus, and Peg Party Mode is certainly yet another fantastic diversion. Sadly that’s all in terms of brand new features which will no doubt disappoint owners of the hugely popular PC version.

But for the lack of true innovation, Peggle still maintains that wicked addictive quality that every game out there craves. There’s absolutely no reason why this one wont charm your socks off. Get it bought.

Rating: 4.5/5