Oh joy! Peggle is free on Origin right now
Feel that EXTREME FEVER
PopCap's peg-pinging puzzler Peggle, a most joyous game, is free for keepsies right now on Origin. Yes, it has been free many times before. Yes, it does requires EA's own store client. But if you'd scoff at more people getting to enjoy the joys of Peggle, buddy, you don't deserve Peggle.
First released in 2007, back before EA bought PopCap, Peggle is an arcade puzzle game that sits somewhere between pinball, pachinko, and bagatelle. Each level is a field of orbs and tiles, with certain ones being targets we need to hit, some giving power-ups, some giving megapoints, and some just regular points. Aim your ballshooter, watch the ball bounce around pinging pegs, and enjoy the noises.
I've just popped back to Peggle and ah, it still makes me so happy. The pings. The pows. The hand sliding down a piano as the ball rolls along a run of tiles. The drum roll for the zoom in as the ball approaches the final peg. And finally, Ode To Joy for victory. Peggle is good.
It gets tricky too, with later levels and certain power-ups requiring careful planning to pick up bonus balls. Sure, there's a large element of luck, but it feels skilful enough--and just so damn pleasant--that it's a delight.
For further reading, check out the old men discussing Peggle on our 2007 advent calendar.
You can grab Peggle (download size: one Peggle) from Origin, which will require using EA's Origin client (download size: two Peggles and then some).
