I confess I've never quite understood how that hard-plunge skill shot on Creature works.

That's a fun game--it's a *tough* game that feels to me like it's trying to reward real skill. The fact that the main "storyline" of the game revolves around a two-ball multiball where you must keep both balls in play is an indication of that (though that might not be the easiest way to rack up a high score).