This is a great approach IMHO. Sure, have all the video modes you want, but if you don’t play the field, they’re worth squat. Similarly, if you’ve blown up the game, the video mode value scales along. Seems very reasonable.
Of course, this is all just fun conversation unless/until @Dwight wanders along and says he’s actually planning on making significant code changes to GB…
If there was a way to disable the newer video mode, setting the game on tournament settings (Negative Reinforcement gives X/10 rounded down right answers; X is number of ghosts) would slice the strategy up nicely.
Plunge it ball 1? Enjoy your wasted skill shot as you’re doomed to guess wrong and fail!