The complete blog: Angry Bird

ANGRY BIRD

Angry Birds is a video game franchise created by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Entertainment. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the first game was first released for Apple's iOS in December 2009.^[1] Over 12 million copies of the game have been purchased from Apple's App Store,^[2] which has prompted the company to design versions for other touchscreen-based smartphones, including the Android, Symbian andWindows Phone operating systems. It has since expanded to video game consoles and forPCs.

Angry Birds has been praised for its successful combination of addictive gameplay, comical style, and low price. Its popularity led to versions of Angry Birds being created for personal computers and gaming consoles, a market for merchandise featuring its characters and even long-term plans for a feature film or television series. With a combined 1 billion downloads across all platforms and including both regular and special editions,^[3]the game has been called "one of the most mainstream games out right now",^[4] "one of the great runaway hits of 2010",^[5] and "the largest mobile app success the world has seen

Game series

Angry Birds app icon on iOS.

Angry Birds

Main article: Angry Birds (video game)

The initial version of the game was released on iOS in December 2009. In the game, players use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playing field. As players advance through the game, new types of birds become available, some with special abilities that can be activated by the player. Rovio Mobile has supported Angry Birds with numerous free updates that add additional game content, and the company has also released stand-alone holiday and promotional versions of the game. There have been free upgrades released by Rovio:^[7]

"Poached Eggs"
"Mighty Hoax"
"Danger Above"
"The Big Setup"
"Ham 'Em High"
"Mine and Dine"
"Birdday Party"
"Bad Piggies"
"Surf and Turf"
"Golden Eggs"

Special editions

Angry Birds Seasons

Main article: Angry Birds Seasons

This game contains several holiday-themed episodes:

"Trick or Treat": Halloween-themed levels
"Season's Greedings": Christmas-themed levels
"Hogs and Kisses": Valentine's Day-themed levels
"Go Green, Get Lucky": St. Patrick's Day-themed levels
"Easter Eggs": Easter-themed levels
"Summer Pignic": Summer-themed levels
"Mooncake Festival": Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival-themed levels
"Ham'o'ween": Halloween-themed levels
"Wreck the Halls": Christmas-themed levels
"Year of the Dragon": Chinese New Year-themed levels
"Cherry Blossom": Japanese-themed levels
"Piglantis": Summer-themed levels
"Back to School": School-themed levels
"Haunted Hogs": Halloween-themed levels
"Winter Wonderham": Christmas-themed levels

Angry Birds Rio

Main article: Angry Birds Rio

Angry Birds Rio was launched in March 2011.^[8] The game is based on the 20th Century Fox animated film Rio^[8] There are several episodes included:

"Smuggler's Den"
"Jungle Escape"
"Beach Volley"
"Carnival Upheaval"
"Airfield Chase"
"Smuggler's Plane"
"Golden Beachball"
"Trophy Room"

Angry Birds Space

Main article: Angry Birds Space

A new game in the Angry Birds franchise called Angry Birds Space was launched on March 22, 2012,^[9] The game features elements from the preceding Angry Birds games as well as new gameplay mechanics.^[9] The stage is no longer flat, instead comprising several different planets, each of which has its own gravitational field that affects the trajectory of the birds after launch.^[10] The episodes included are:

"Pig Bang"
"Cold Cuts"
"Fry Me to the Moon"
"Utopia"
"Red Planet"
"Eggsteroids"
"Danger Zone"

Angry Birds Star Wars

Main article: Angry Birds Star Wars

Angry Birds Star Wars was announced in October 8, 2012, and was released on November 8, 2012. Merchandise related to the game was released on October 17, and October 28. The game is a crossover with the Star Wars original trilogy, and casts the Angry Birds as the Rebels and the Bad Piggies as the Empire. The chapters included are: