Peggle continues to steal the souls of every single gamer it touches, leaving husks of the former person behind. This year seems to have been the “big” year for the franchise, as its appearance on the Xbox Live Arcade has brought forward a massive influx of brand new fans. Any wildly popular game can warrant a sequel. Peggle Nights is the official sequel to the astronomically successful original title, released late last year. Delivering more of the same Peggle action, this is one more gem from PopCap that you’re going to find yourself losing several hours at a time on.

If you’re unfamiliar with Peggle - wait, have you been living under a rock? - it’s a deceptively simple creation brought to us by PopCap Games. You’re allotted a certain amount of balls meant to knock out only orange pegs in a Pachinko-like setup. From the top of the screen, you’ll aim and fire to the peg setup below. If you can’t eliminate all orange pegs using the amount of balls given to you, then it’s game over. Occasionally, you’ll be able to utilize green pegs for different special abilities, such as lobster claws used as pinball flippers, an advanced guide to where the ball will land, and other awards. The beauty of Peggle is its real uncertainty. Once you’ve launched a ball in the direction of your choosing, you have no control over where it will ultimately end up. Because of this, many stages’ difficulty is a bit ridiculous. The amount of balls allotted will decrease over time, leaving you to rely on luck more than skill in the most crucial moments.

When you’ve hit the very last peg, fanfare and glitz will ensue, as your last ball bounces into a pit labeled with what bonus score you’ll be awarded. As you can gather, there’s nothing too spectacular about the gameplay, but it’s so accessible and easy to understand that it can be fun for absolutely everyone, even those who normally shy away from casual games.

While Nights is pegged (see what I did there?) as a direct sequel to the original, it feels like much more of an extension rather than a full-fledged followup. None of the game’s modes of play, mechanics, or rules have been changed in any noticeable way, which is admittedly a good thing. Wouldn’t want the game to lose its charm, now would we? The best way to describe Peggle Nights is over 60 brand new puzzles of Peggle, each with more colorful environments as the background and the addition of a new character. Marina, a squid whose green peg ability is a bolt of lightning that eliminates strings of pegs, is the only notably interesting new addition if you’re concerned with the Peggle cast.

The only real, discernible difference from the previous title is that this one’s set at nighttime. Environments are themed appropriately, as well as the music.  Unlike a good majority of Peggle’s boards, Nights has incorporated a slew of moving pieces in many of the peg layouts. This means you’ll have to be a bit more choosy when aiming, as some orange peg targets will be moving.

Everything else is your run-of-the-mill friendly, inviting, and colorful Peggle magic. Why fix something that isn’t broken?

Recommendation
If you’re jonesin’ for more of the same quality Peggle action you loved in the first game, then look no further. Peggle Nights serves up another helping of addictive, relaxing gameplay with some brand new levels to check out. While it can’t, in essence, be looked upon as a true sequel, Nights is every bit worth playing, because you know that you will. Who can escape the clutches of Peggle? Don’t use the excuse that it’s “stupid” - I know. I was once like you. Let go and let the colored balls overtake you. …Don’t dwell on that.

Peggle Nights
System: PC, Mac
Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games
Find: Amazon - Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.

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