Equal parts pachinko, pinball and pong, Peggle is a breeze to start playing but a total beast to master, and therein lies the game's addictive hook. Simply aim and launch a ball into the playing field, and let chance and physics take over from there as you try to clear each level of orange pegs. Ah, but don't get too cocky, because your ball supply is limited, and every new shot creates crazier obstacles than the last. The gameplay is so easy—rudimentary control of a mouse is all that's required—that even wee ones will become obsessed, and the kooky characters, level designs and ambient music are audiovisual crack (see the hilariously over-the-top "EXTREME FEVER" fireworks and "Ode to Joy" choruses every time you clear a level). Though PopCap Games debuted it earlier this year, the company has just made Peggle available in a free online version, but keep your credit card handy: It's an impulse reaction from there to the free, downloadable (and significantly more awesome) Deluxe edition, and just $19.95 from there to unlock all 55 levels.
