Peggle Deluxe free on Origin

Originally published on Kupeesh!

EA's got another freebie for you but unlike last month's brief offering of Battlefield 3, it isn't exactly anyone's idea of a triple-A title.  

The game is called Peggle Deluxe  and like Plant's Vs. Zombies, it's another PopCap offering.    After more violent titles like Dead Space, this decidedly non-violent entry may be a nod to the more casual and less bloodthirsty gamer.

In Peggle Deluxe the premise is simple.  Your job is to shoot balls at pegs in hopes of removing as many orange colored examples as you can in one shot.  Clear them all and you advance to the next level.  Along the way you will be aided by Peggle "masters" who will deposit specially colored pegs that impart additional abilities like activating a second ball or allowing more control of your ball's trajectory.

The gameplay is loosely based on Pachinko with elements of pinball and Bejweled thrown in for good measure.

Along with the requisite single player there is also a multiplayer mode called "Duel" that allows players to take turns to beat the other's score on the same level.  There's also an "Instant Replay" function that activates when a particularly spectacular event happens such as a difficult scoring combination or clearing of the level. 

It's a PopCap game so don't expect a lot of depth.  It's a guilty pleasure and a guaranteed time sink that just about anyone can play.

If there's anything wrong with the game it's the overly cutesy Rainbow Brite theme of the game.  There were just a few too many unicorns and rainbows for my taste.

Peggle Deluxe is available for PC and Mac via EA's Origin service and free of charge until August 5th.