Angry Birds (iPhone)

Someone call the RSPB, there are some extremely ticked off birds on the loose. These birds call themselves Angry Birds, strangely enough and they have a serious vendetta against a group of green pigs that have stolen their beloved eggs. These green pigs have only gone and barricaded themselves into any structure available to them (without hands their resources are already limited), therefore the Angry Birds must work as a team to collect all their stolen eggs and take out every single thieving pig in the process. They won’t stop until their work is done.

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Angry Birds.

This iPhone/iPod Touch app has reigned supreme at the top of the app charts for many months now and it would appear it shows no signs of slowing down. These Angry Birds can be downloaded for only 59p and the app requires approximately 12MB of memory, so very small, however you look at it.

There’s a reason Angry Birds has been top of the app chart for so long - simplicity and addictiveness. They say that the best games are always the simple ones and this rule applies in abundance to Angry Birds. What Angry Birds has that other successful apps like Doodle Jump (my personal favourite) doesn’t have, is strategic value. The aim of the game is to catapult the seething creatures into the barricades that the green pigs have built. As you progress through the game you’ll be faced with barricades made out of different materials, from glass, to wood, even stone and you’ll also be introduced to 5 different birds as you make your way through each level. Each bird has a different attribute which can aid you in your quest to take out the pigs. These range from dropping bombs, gaining speed to splitting into 3 different birds. Each bird is easy to distinguish which makes the simplistic value of the game soar into overdrive.

The strategic aspect of this game is what keeps me coming back for me. With the introduction of the different birds and the variety of different barriers between you and the pigs you’ll need to think to yourself where to fire the birds, when to use their unique technique and you’ll need to decide which pig you’re going to aim for. The birds all line up and take turns to be catapulted towards the barricade, however, unfortunately, you aren’t able to decide on an order of which birds to use. This would make the game a lot more strategic, however, I do think it might make the game a bit less of a challenge. The game is frequently updated with new inclusions to make this game, not only time-consuming and highly entertaining, but also give the game some much needed longevity.

Controls wise, the game couldn’t be any simpler if it tried. The birds automatically jump into the catapult and aim by simply pressing your finger on the catapult and dragging it back. An arrow appears above the catapult to show where you’re going to fire the bird to give you a bit of a helping hand in terms of accuracy, but the rest is left up to you. Once you’ve completed a level you’re given a star rating out of three, three of course being the best. The score is calculated by how many objects you eliminate. Of course the main objective of the game is to take out the pigs and you still progress on no matter how many one star ratings you achieve. However, the rating system is another aspect of the game that gives Angry Birds a bit of longevity as once you’ve completed all the levels you can go back and gain three star ratings on every level to unlock the ’Golden Egg’ levels. There are 105 different levels, plus the seven Golden Egg levels to make your way through which sounds like quite a challenge, but your competitiveness, coupled with the addictiveness will see you waste hours of your life on this game completing level after level.

The game, understandably gets tougher as you progress. The first level requires you to take out one pig which can be done with only one of the three birds you’re allocated. However, as you get further and further into the game you can be faced with numerous pigs, sometimes around 20 and these can be protected by moving objects or jigsaw like barriers, so your strategy really does play a huge part in the game. Making this one of the most enjoyable apps I’ve played.

Looks wise, Angry Birds is a winner. You’ll need to tilt your iPhone or iPod touch into a landscape view and the game undeniably makes the most of the large screen. There is an introduction with no words (they’re birds after all), but the slides of pictures are extremely easy to follow and it tells us exactly what’s going on. The birds are all bright and bold colours with interesting landscapes. You’d be mistaken for thinking this game is aimed at children. Infact any age can enjoy this game which is part of Angry Birds charm. The easy on the eye graphics make this game a real pleasure to play and is a game that will quickly become impossible to put down. In terms of sound effects the game is very much the same. Simplicity is key here, there is a simple soundtrack which doesn’t grate on your nerves as much as I expected it to and the sound effects are absolutely excellent. From the pigs sniggering and goading you when you make a mistake, to hearing the irate noises that emit from the birds themselves. The sound effects along provide hours of entertainment. Not forgetting the catapult and the smashing noises incorporated into the game too.

From the implicitly simple game play, to the hilarious animation and soundtrack, Angry Birds is a real winner and by the time you’ve experienced it yourself, you’ll be lost for hours trying desperately to annihilate those exasperating pigs.

Please pledge 59p to support the birds.

Highly recommended.