EA really dropped the ball at its E3 press conference earlier today—it announced Peggle 2, that is. The sequel to PopCap's pachinko-like hit is coming on [date] later this year to [platforms], and those are the hard facts. Alright, we don't even have a screenshot, but we do have extreme fever dreams of what we hope Peggle 2 is all about.
We expect, at the very least, an all-new cast of characters with new special abilities and 60-some new levels. That's a given. I'd also love to see more pinball-inspired elements in the levels—there are already a few in the more advanced Peggle: Nights stages. Other bouncing ball related game modes would be welcome too, perhaps with more physics elements. Battlefield 4 isn't the only game that can have destructible terrain. And if not all that, an official level editor would be ace.
Going further, a deeper adventure mode, perhaps with RPG like progression, skills that level up, usable items, and...am I ruining Peggle right now? Maybe a little. Simplicity is part of what makes it great, but as long as the standard just-hit-pegs-with-balls game is there, I don't see why it couldn't safely test a grander scale. I'd be cool with a world map.
There's also the possibility of multiplayer—it doesn't mesh with my "I'm going to play Peggle now so please go away, everyone in the world, this is 'me' time and don't care what you think" attitude toward the game, but a co-op mode could work. One player aims the ball, while the other controls a secondary function like pinball paddles? Either that, or head-to-head competition, but that seems even more in conflict with the spirit of Peggle.
In the end, all I really want is the rush of power sliding the ball down a slope of pegs and into the 100,000 point bonus slot—a joy I scoffed at before finally trying it for myself. Peggle already offers that, but I trust PopCap can find a way to keep it exciting. Let us know in the comments how you'd expand on the Peggle formula, and for the latest from E3, check out our complete coverage .
