61–70 of 81 posts
Why do the houses containing pigs shake ever so slightly at the beginning of each game play sequence? I assumed that it's because the initial positions of the objects in the game are slightly off the equilibrium state, so when the physics is switched on they slump a little bit.
What I don't understand is how Angry Birds became so popular, but other similar (almost exactly the same) games failed (eg: Crush the Castle). Those games also tackles most of the issues that's talked about in the post.
What about the story ? As already stated in the comments, Angry Birds is almost identical to "Crush the Castle", another game, of which Flash versions were quite successful but mobile versions weren't. (It involves destroying castles with a trebuchet -- play it here: http://armorgames.com/play/3614/crush-the-castle ). It would have made for a more interesting article to compare Angry Birds and Crush the Castle (CTC)…
A huge difference is the controls. In CTC you aim by timing the release during the swing of the trebuchet. This is tricky, especially since you can't see the target. In Angry Birds you aim by pointing in the direction you want to launch the bird. A slight error in the timing of the trebuchet launch easily turns your shot into a complete miss. Angry Birds does introduce timing later, with the various types of birds wh…
In addition, for my son I've found that the physics element in Angry Birds has helped build interest in other physics puzzles, including those that don't have as much flavor, such as Ragdoll Blaster.
What about the story ? As already stated in the comments, Angry Birds is almost identical to "Crush the Castle", another game, of which Flash versions were quite successful but mobile versions weren't. (It involves destroying castles with a trebuchet -- play it here: http://armorgames.com/play/3614/crush-the-castle ). It would have made for a more interesting article to compare Angry Birds and Crush the Castle (CTC)…
While this reduces complexity in Angry Birds, it also means you can't always choose the most devastating ammo, which adds a bit to the challenge.
What about the story ? As already stated in the comments, Angry Birds is almost identical to "Crush the Castle", another game, of which Flash versions were quite successful but mobile versions weren't. (It involves destroying castles with a trebuchet -- play it here: http://armorgames.com/play/3614/crush-the-castle ). It would have made for a more interesting article to compare Angry Birds and Crush the Castle (CTC)…
"Crush the Castle" is associated whith old, slow and boring games with bad graphics. When you see "Angry birds" you wonder "Why are they angry ??!?" and from this point you really want to know.
2. Funny storyline/characters.
3. Simple. Can get in and out. Can play for 1 minute or 30 minutes.
4. You can play the same level over and over and it's different every time due to the mechanics of destroying things that have their own physical properties. It's hard enough to get you to try again but not so difficult that you're driven away.
Points 1 and 2 are what I would call The Draw. They bring you in.
Points 3 and 4 and what I would call The Keeper. They bring you back.
This is why I think it's a good game. There are lots of good games that aren't popular. The reason why it's popular probably has more to do with word-of-mouth advertising and then media coverage. There are probably a high number of addicts (myself included) that go on to evangelize the game to other device owners.
I realized it while playing the game, and to a greater extent after reading the article, but it's a very meticulous game. The amount of detail and thought into all the aspects of the game are top notch. I really respected the architecture of some of the more complicated levels in regards to all the little angles, small blocks scattered, combination of material types, etc. In my opinion it's what the game is centered…
Angry birds reminds me a lot of the gameplay and level design of Lode Runner for the Apple IIe. Simple concept, artistic levels that were pictures or boats or houses, and totally addictive gameplay. Now all we need is a level editor for angry birds...
Why do the houses containing pigs shake ever so slightly at the beginning of each game play sequence? I assumed that it's because the initial positions of the objects in the game are slightly off the equilibrium state, so when the physics is switched on they slump a little bit.
It's to show you that the house is an object which can be moved/destroyed.