Angry Birds Star Wars has already had quite a few level updates for Android and iOS, but Windows Phone 8 users have largely been left behind when it comes to this additional content. The good news is that the Hoth update is now available for these Windows Phone 8 users.

This is about two-and-a-half months after the update arrived to everyone else, but late is certainly better than never. The Hoth update also will merge the two previous Hoth releases, giving Windows Phone 8 users 40 new levels and several bonus levels.

Any Windows Phone 8 users grab this update yet, if so what do you think of the newly added levels? How do you feel about being the last ones to get the content, bothered by this or just part of life for those that don’t chose the more mainstream iOS or Android OS?

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Hooked on Angry Birds Star Wars and want even more? Rovio is more than willing to help you out, announcing twenty new levels for its “Escape from Hoth” content pack.

While the gameplay in the Star Wars variant of Angry Birds isn’t dramatically different, it is a refreshing update that truly is worthy of being considered the best Angry Birds experience to date. With the new content pack for Android and iOS users, there are 20 levels as already mentioned, plus 2 bonus levels.

Here’s what Rovio has to say about the new expansion pack:

“After the epic Battle of Hoth, the Rebel Birds have barely escaped the ice planet with the Pigtroopers in close pursuit! There’s an asteroid field close by that could provide some cover… but watch out, there’s more to it than meets the eye!”-Angry Birds Star Wars “Escape from Hoth”

What do you think of Angry Birds Star Wars, loving it or becoming tired of the whole franchise?

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You know the old saying, time flies when you are attacking structures built by pigs– or something like that.

Can you believe it has truly been three years already since Angry Birds first hit the scene? In that time we’ve seen quite a few special editions, including the recent Angry Birds Star Wars.

To celebrate their third year of flinging fun, Rovio is celebrating their “happy birdday” by releasing 30 new levels for Angry Birds. The app has also now been updated to version 3.0.0 (coincidence? I think not).

The new levels include a big “birday cake” and two new themes. 15 of the levels are about the birthday theme, the other 15 are themed after the other Angry Birds spin-off, Bad Piggies.

So if you are ready to get in on a bunch of new levels for the iconic mobile game, this is your chance. So happy “birdday”, Rovio and Angry Birds. Here’s to another three years of revenge against those bad piggies!

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Looking to get the most out of your Angry Birds Star Wars experience? A new update has now gone live that includes 20 new levels set on planet Hoth.

The new levels not only introduce icy planet action and AT&T walkers, the Princess Leia bird character is now a playable character as well. Leia adds a new ability, which shoots targeted pink lasers somewhat like Han Solo but hers spread outwards and can hit two targets at once.

So what do you have made your way through all 20 levels? Patiently wait for the 10 more that are currently marked as “coming soon”, that’s what. For those that need the reminder, Angry Birds Star Wars is available on a huge variety of platforms including iDevices, PC, Mac, Android, Windows Phone 8, and Windows 8/RT. Some of these platforms offer free basic versions, others will set you back a little. You can also check out our review if you aren’t sure if you want to put up the cash to snag a copy.

For those that already have the game, have you updated yet? What do you think of the new expanded levels?

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Angry Birds is no doubt the most popular game on smartphone markets today, and as the franchise has progressed, some games and remakes have made the series feel a little stale. However, Angry Birds Star Wars has produced a refreshing breath of air onto the Angry Birds line of games and playing it feels like playing Angry Birds for the first time all over again.

The Birds

If you’ve never played an Angry Birds game before, I’ll give you a quick introduction: In Angry Birds you are given a set of birds at the start of the game which can be fired at different enemies on the other side of the screen. Different Birds have different powers, so the game requires tactics and good thinking to take out all the bad guys before running out of birds to fire.

For those that have already played it (most of you, I hope.) Angry Birds Star Wars is still the same old concept as before, but they have renovated some areas, and it’s made for a completely new experience. Each Bird now portrays a Star Wars cameo, and with each Star Wars Bird there comes an ability that is unique to that Star Wars character in the movie. Most of the abilities are completely new in regards to previous Angry Birds games, and thanks to Star Wars these abilities actually make sense when playing.

I won’t go into too much detail about what characters do what, as you can all find that out for yourself, but as an example, Han Solo has a blaster ability that can shoot once he’s left the catapult. The Han Solo bird is based off of the yellow bird, and the blaster follows a similar rule to the speed boost of the yellow bird, as the blaster bullets will go in the direction of where you tap on the screen. However, Han Solo will keep flying through the sky, making it useful for tricky situations where you’re needed to divert your fire. Blaster bullets can also bounce off of metallic objects, and this here alone opens up a huge range of possibilities for new maps and level mechanics.

The Levels

There’s moments in Angry Birds Star Wars where I’ve been astonished at the clever level designs and the intricate detail to different mechanics within each level. Unlike previous games, the levels don’t just feel like a bunch of towers stuck to different scenery. All the scenery in AB: Star Wars work together to create a whole level that just would not work if you were to take a small piece of scenery out of the level. Angry Birds Star Wars also includes a lot more levels with moveable hinges and other mechanics such as Storm trooper pigs that fire back at the birds. It doesn’t just take a well-placed tap of the screen anymore; Star Wars encourages players to think about their movements carefully, whilst timing them up to achieve the biggest potential.

I quickly skimmed through a lot of the levels and found myself constantly hitting one or two stars, and this is because the levels have been planned out well enough that only the most well thought out plans will award the players with a full three star rating. There’s also a lot less of a need to worry about misplaced shots or super accurate aiming on this game either, and although I haven’t played through every single level yet, I haven’t once come across a level where I needed to waste a lengthy time to aim up a perfect shot.

Each level also caters well to the birds you’ve been handed, and each bird has their own weaknesses and strengths against different elements within the level.

Gimmicks, Cutscenes, Game Progress and Unlockable Levels

One of the major things about the Angry Birds series that I have loved is the huge amount of content within the game. Some of it is available right away, but most of it takes skill and a well-trained eye to unlock. Star Wars Angry Birds follows this fashion and includes golden eggs that unlock bonus levels just like previous games. I’ve come across a few golden eggs, and they’re pretty difficult to reach! From the menu, you can see the different pigs and birds you’ve seen in the game, whilst all the others yet to be seen are blacked out. This screen isn’t really anything special, but it feels nice to watch our progress by keeping an eye on this screen.

There are a lot of levels available in the free version, however some need to be paid for. The price is only $1.99 to unlock all of the levels, which is incredibly reasonable in my opinion.

There is also one item that can be bought with in-app purchases, and that’s the Millennium Falcon. The Millennium Falcon basically destroys everything in its path with a high-powered super-cannon, and although it’s useful for getting past difficult levels, it’s not really worth buying any with in-game cash because you will unlock Millennium Falcon uses by earning stars whilst playing. The Millennium Falcon is a bit game-breaking, and it seems a little pointless to spend money on something that completes the game for you.

I would find it much more appealing if pay-to-receive content included cool costumes for the birds or crazy effects in the game that don’t take too much from the basic gameplay experience.

Graphics and Sound

If you’re an avid Star Wars fan you’re going to love this one; AB: Star Wars incorporates a lot of authentic sounds from the Star Wars movies, and although the game is cartoony and unrealistic, it still captures the essence from the original Star Wars trilogy. The different pig and bird models are very playful, and once again Rovio have done a wicked job at capturing all that is Star Wars in their new Angry Birds game. If you’re not into Star Wars, the new Angry Birds still feels like an Angry Birds game, and even with the different sound effects and graphics, the basis of the game is still of an Angry Birds origin.

The graphics quality has been improved a whole lot from the first game, and the different scenery and backdrops are very unique and well stylized. For a 2D game like Angry Birds, Rovio have pushed the graphics content to the limit.

Summary:

Pros:

• Lots of new Angry Birds abilities
• A lot of variation in levels
• Authentic Star Wars sounds and characters
• Level designs work superbly with the new birds

Cons:

• Pay-for content a little pointless
• Adverts on menus
• Not as easy as previous Angry Birds games

Download Angry Birds Star Wars:

• On iOS
• On Google Play
• Windows 8
• Windows Phone 8

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So it’s been about a month since Rovio gave us a hint about their new Angry Birds-Star Wars mashup, and today they have now announced a release date for the new sci-fi themed Angry Birds game.

Rovio has released a trickle of less-than-one-minute trailers to show us different Star Wars characters in bird form, then show off the new birds in action. The three trailers so far show Luke skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3P0, R2-D2, Han Solo and Chewbacca being catapulted across different Star Wars themed levels.

When I first heard about the Angry Birds and Star Wars crossover, I was already quite bored of the Angry Birds franchise, and I wasn’t expecting that much new from the Star Wars version either. However, the trailer has shown that Rovio has managed to pack in all the features from their previous games into one single experience, with new backgrounds, birds, pigs and scenery, all snazzed up in an iconic Star Wars style.

The new Angry Birds title will include average ‘on-earth’ levels as well as levels in space, with each bird having their own special ability that reflects their character; Luke Skywalker can slash his lightsaber at oncoming objects, and Chewbacca can smash through large objects due to his heavy weight.

Angry Birds Star Wars follows a trend of Rovio birdifying real life characters or people, after their Angry Birds Green Day game on Facebook, and a Freddie Mercury Angry Birds themed video. If you’ve enjoyed previous Angry Birds games, then Angry Birds Star Wars will be a refreshing experience. The game will be available to download on November 8^th, and you can watch the three trailers below.

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Consider other popular mobile games like Words with Friends and Draw Something. Both of them have a social element where you are actively playing with another human being. Yes, there were leaderboards in Angry Birds before, but it’s just not the same. So, what’s new with the “Friends” update to Angry Birds?

No, you don’t get Chandler and Joey, but you do get weekly tournaments. Every week, you can compete with your friends on four different levels. This aids in the social competition aspect and you earn gold, silver and bronze trophies to keep each week. The added bonus is that you get those four extra levels every week too, instead of having to wait for another Seasons update or a new Angry Birds game altogether. Tournament mode also reveals power-up bundles for winners and participants.

It’s not quite as “out there” as Angry Birds Space, but at least Rovio is doing something to keep the franchise fresh.

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A teaser trailer has been released (embedded below), but it really doesn’t tell us much about how the newest pig-squishing mission is different from the others. Thankfully, we have found some of the changes that we should expect. For starters, we’re in space.

The biggest impact there is that we will now be treated to stages with zero gravity, completely altering the physics of loading and shooting our feathered friends into the air vast vacuum of outer space. They’re also mentioning slow motion and light speed destruction. In addition to the old cast, some new birds will be introduced with some new powers too. The expectation is that Angry Birds Space will launch on multiple mobile platforms on March 22.

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North American General Manager, Andrew Stalbow, announced the new download numbers as well as the fact that they were selling 1 million t-shirts and plush toys a month. We are curious to see exactly how many they will sell for the special Halloween collection or for Christmas, as we are fairly sure they will hit new records.

Stalbow has also mentioned that there are 130 million monthly users, 30 million daily active users and 300 million minutes of gameplay each day, as the game has already reached the 400 million downloads mark this month, up from 350 million last month.

Also, the Angry Birds movie has been confirmed although it was a known fact that David Maisel, producer of Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America and Rio, was hired for the project a few months back.

The post Angry Birds The Movie Confirmed appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Weee. Oink, oink, oink. Few games in recent memory have captured the same kind of mass market hysteria as Angry Birds. It started on the iPhone, but the franchise quickly expanded to all kinds of other platforms. So, what’s next for Rovio? NFC, it seems.

All of the Angry Birds games thus far have been fundamentally the same: use a slingshot to hurl some birds toward increasingly complex structures. Well, there’s the WIMA conference in Monaco next week and it looks like Rovio Marketing Manager Matthew Wilson has a keynote called, “Introducing Angry Birds Magic with NFC.” That happens on April 20 at 2pm.

And that’s all they’re telling us. The assumption is that Angry Birds Magic is yet another iteration of the Angry Birds franchise, not unlike what we’ve already received with Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio. The kicker, of course, is that “with NFC” that they tagged onto the end.

So, we’re left to speculate. How can NFC possibly integrate into a game like Angry Birds? Will we finally be seeing a multiplayer variant where you sling birds from one device to the other, battling it out to see who can destroy whose structure first? Is this how we bring a mechanic similar to Worms or even Battleship to the Angry Birds universe?

What do you think? What would Angry Birds with NFC look like?

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Photo: itsybitsyspidercrochet

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