Peggle is a computerized version of a pachinko or pinball machine. You aim little balls at a screen full of pegs and rack up score multipliers by hitting lots of pegs in one shot. There are blue pegs, which just add to your score, green pegs which give you two Peggle Masters powers to choose from, and orange pegs which must all be cleared to complete the level. A bucket glides back and forth at the bottom of the screen and you get a free ball if your ball happens to fall into the bucket. Great shots (hitting multiple pegs or getting a long ricochet) earn bonus points.

Basically, at the beginner stages, that's it. The first few shots bounce and careen around and hit multiple pegs before dropping out. After that, some aiming is necessary. But the only element of the game the user can manipulate is shooting. There are no flippers to keep the ball in action, no way to position the basket to earn extra balls; basically, it's just luck and no skill.

There are different modes but they all seem to be variations on a basic theme. Adventure mode has stages 1 to 3, each with five levels, and introduces various characters each with a unique power. Powers that can be earned include multiball (instantly spawns another ball), flippers (pinball-esque paddles appear for a few shots), a fireball (burns through pegs without bouncing), a Zen ball (optimizes your shot trajectory), and more. Two-player duel mode allows you to compete against a friend or the computer. Quick play mode just recaps the stages you've already beaten. Challenge mode presents 75 challenges for "advanced" players. I wasn't motivated to earn my way in.

While I found the game rather boring, I was impressed with Peggle's music and graphics. The "morning song" (Peer Gynt?) that most of us remember from watching Saturday morning cartoons on TV, plays as the game loads. It's pleasant, but it doesn't prepare you for the big finale that bursts forth every time you successfully complete a game.

As a dramatic slow motion camera zooms in to focus on the ball hitting the final peg, Beethoven's Ode to Joy blares, fireworks explode, rainbows appear, and lights flash. Once is surprising, twice is cute. After that, it's definitely much ado about nothing.