Angry Birds [by Rovio] is a smash hit on App Store for iPhone (it’s been #1 paid app in US store for over a few months, I lost count!), and its Lite Beta version was recently released on Android, so I felt like I had to review it.
Android version works quite smooth for the beta, but it is a limited demo version, so I will be reviewing full version for the iPhone, no big deal since when Android version will be released it will fully resemble it. It is also worth noting that iOS version of the game still features 480×320 resolution, on Android devices it runs native resolution of up to 800×480 (Nexus One, Dell Streak, HTC Desire and so on).
First off, the game is very addictive. It features simple 2D graphics, nice sounds, and interesting puzzles to solve. The main story is that filthy pigs stole bird’s eggs and thus made them angry, so birds are eager to destroy them. You operate the slingshot that is used to launch birds at pigs and their forts made with pieces of different material, from glass to iron. You have to destroy all the pigs, and also, to make the game more interesting and make you go back and do levels again – you get star rating for each level, from 1 to 3 stars. The more structural material you destroy the bigger the star rating is. The key to succeeding in game is to perfect your flinging angle.
Thru the game you will get familiar with different types of birds. Most simple of them is typical red birds, that has nothing but its light weight and momentum to destroy enemies. Later in the game you will be introduced to other birds that multiply, accelerate on request, drop bombs (eggs), boomerang and heavyweight bird. It’s very easy to use them too, most of the time you just have to tap on the screen to activate ability of your bird.
I like puzzle games filled with action and variety like that, and fairly cool sound tracks and special effect sounds are pretty cool addition. For example pigs make fun of you when you make a lousy shot. What I also liked is the ability to zoom-out and see the whole level, or to scroll to see pigs’ fort at any time before making a shot.
What I like:
- Graphics, Sounds, and Navigation
- Puzzle aspect of the game (it really gets hard sometimes, especially if you are after 3-star rating)
- Game-play is very smooth, addictive and challenging
- Price, although not confirmed, should be $0.99, which is a great deal for game like that!
What I dislike:
- Still beta on Android Platform (at the time of composing this post anyway)
adorrable game