Product: Angry Birds (iPhone) | Genre: Action, Puzzle

by Mark Brown

Angry Birds, Rovio's bird-catapulting physics puzzler, has broken more records than flimsy wooden houses in becoming the iPhone’s best-selling app of all time.

Something about the visceral, primal thrill of hurling disgruntled birds at houseproud pigs has struck a chord with the iOS audience, and we waste some 200 million minutes a day playing it.

But it's definitely not easy, and it's full of secrets you might not be aware of. We decided to throw together this Angry Birds walkthrough guide, which covers everything from basic tips to secret goodies, to help you get the most out of Angry Birds.



Angry Birds depicts the life-long struggle of bird-versus-pig, and its your job to catapult these kamikaze birds into the pig's towers, knocking down their houses and defeating the green swines inside.

High score

Simply killing all the birds will unlock the next level, but if you want to get the maximum three stars on each stage, you'll need to aim for some high scores.

The key to getting a high score in Angry Birds is a mixture of deadly efficiency (unused birds net you an automatic 10,000 points each) and unrelenting damage (smashed objects give off small, but quickly accumulated points).

You'll often need to use both strategies at once, though: simply using a very small number of birds might not get all three stars if you didn't make much damage.

Get physical

The iPhone packs a powerful processor that's more than capable of pumping out a pretty convincing simulation of physics. That means that offsetting balance and attacking weak points is always a more effective strategy than blindly firing at the main reinforced walls.

Plus, some materials are sturdier than others. It's no use fruitlessly bashing away at a stone wall (especially because it takes about three direct hits to finally smash one) when you could focus on the easily destructible wooden platform that's holding it up.

Assorted tips

Pinch and zoom to see the entire battlefield on one screen, so you can quickly see how far away your catapult is from the pig's base.

Every bird leaves a trail of dust behind, meaning you can replicate (or slightly deviate from) previous throws without the tedious guesswork.

You don't always have to attack from left to right: if you aim the bird high enough you can attack from above. Perfect for levels with fortified walls, but exposed roofs.

Wait until your previous bird disappears. If you hit your last bird's dazed body, your attack will be significantly dampened.



Red
Unlocked: From beginning



Plain old projectile birds. Won't do anything when tapped, and isn't very tough either.

Blue
Unlocked: World 1, Level 10
Achievement: Split it! (10 points)



Scattershot birds dissipate into three small projectiles when the screen is tapped.

Think of these little guys like a shotgun. You can make a scattershot early to hit a good range of targets, but ideally you want to release these fellows close to the target so all three birds will smash into a small area at once. That's how you inflict the most damage.

Yellow
Unlocked: World 1, Level 16
Achievement: Speed is the Essence (10 points)



Kamikaze birds rocket at super speeds when the screen is tapped.

Despite their greatly increased velocity, they still won't do much damage to materials like stone and glass. They rip through wood like it's wet paper, though, allowing you to quickly attack enemies buried deep within a structure.

Black
Unlocked: World 2, Level 5
Achievement: Boom Boom! (10 points)



These are caustic birds that explode to create shockwaves and destroy close blocks and birds. They blow up in their own time, but if you tap you can explode them instantly.

Remember, these guys are so heavy that they'll destroy even a large chunk of stone in just one hit.

White
Unlocked: World 2, Level 14
Achievement: Mother of all Bombs (10 points)



Egg-dropping maternal birds. Tap the screen to launch an explosive egg from your backside, before firing your now deflated friend into the stratosphere. Get as low to the target as possible for maximum splash damage.

Don't forget: these enemies can still be used as classic red-styled birds if you don't tap. Useful if you just need a boring old projectile.

Boomerang
Unlocked: World 6, Level 5
Achievement: Return to Sender (10 points)



Boomerang birds turn around and fly backwards at roughly double the speed when the screen is tapped. Learning their trajectory is just a matter of patience and experience. In the right hands, though, these exotic toucans can be deadly accurate, and very powerful.

You can fire them backwards, and then quickly tap the screen to make a fast-flying bird. You'll be hard pressed to make efficient hits in this way, but it's a useful trick to keep under your belt.

Big Brother
Unlocked: World 9, Level 1
Achievement: Seeing Red (10 points)



At the time of writing, the Big Brother bird is the game’s final poultry-type, offering up enormous power. This pot bellied evolution of the classic red starter rips through wood and glass like butter, and can take out concrete without too much bother either.

He has the destructive power of the black bomb bird, just without the explosive finale. His giant size makes it tough to squeeze into tight corners, but he can wipe out entire structures just by wiping out the bottom foundations.

There’s little strategy found here: just let him loose and watch materials smash and pigs pop!

Orange
Unlocked: World 18, Level 1
Achievement: None



This new bird was actually introduced in Angry Birds Seasons, but has since made his way to the original game. He looks like a scrawny little chap when he's sat in the catapult, but one tap of the screen unleashes his true power.

He puffs up like a self-inflating dinghy, forcibly pushing aside blocks and pigs alike. He's a little like the bomb bird but smaller (perfect for entering tight spaces) and his power is more destructive than explosive.

Look for tight openings and fire the Orange Bird right in. When he puffs up you'll dislodge the foundations, making anything above tumble to the ground.



Want to know what came when? Here’s our handy guide of when developer Rovio Mobile unleashed the extra Angry Birds goodies.

Angry Birds first launched on December 10th 2009, with just one world (Poached Eggs) and a meagre 63 levels for you to play. The first major update (1.2.0) came out on February 11th 2010, bringing the Mighty Hoax world and all 42 levels therein.

After that, Rovio began to dole out new levels in much smaller quantities. It kicked off the Danger Above world in update 1.3.0 on April 23rd, with just 15 levels. To be fair, it also introduced a new avian pal: the hateful boomerang bird. It also introduced the golden eggs.

Danger Above continued in 1.3.2 (May 18) with 15 more levels and another golden egg, and concluded in 1.3.3 (June 22nd) with the final 15 stages and a special level by five-year-old Ethan from Texas. It’s a good level, we’ve got to admit.

We didn’t have to wait long for more. The Big Setup, a new world featuring reconstructed levels, landed in update 1.4.0 on July 16th, with 15 new levels and the last bird: the whopping Big Brother bird. We got 15 more stages and a golden egg in 1.4.1 (Aug 30th) and a final 15 in 1.4.2 (Sep 30th).

The game’s next world, Ham ‘em High, opened for business in version 1.5.0 (Dec 23rd), a wild west themed world with cowboys, Indians and watermelons. Oddly enough. The last 15 levels of Ham 'em High arrived on 18th March.

Rovio dropped yet more levels in version 1.6.0 (June 16th) by unleashing the first 15 stages of Mine and Dine. The next batch came in 1.6.2 (July 25th) and finished up with 1.6.3 (August 24th).

Angry Birds celebrated its second birthday with the appropriately numbered version 2.0.0 (December 11th). To mark the occasion Rovio added 15 new levels under the title Birdday Party.

Welcome to 2012! The next big update was 2.1.0 (March 20th). It added 15 levels from the Surf and Turf level pack - previously exclusive to the Facebook version. 



Developer Rovio and some ardent Angry Birds fanatics have posted videos of every level, showing off the best strategies to beat the stages.

If you’re stuck on a particularly tough stage; don’t waste your cash on the Mighty Eagle, just watch the pros in action.

Click here to find Pocket Gamer's collection of video strategies for Angry Birds.



In Angry Birds's 1.2.1 update, Rovio introduced the golden eggs - a collection of hidden Easter eggs designed for the most fanatical supporters of this app.

You're expected to hunt high and low for the golden eggs, but we'll save you the effort with this handy step-by-step guide.

Click here to find Pocket Gamer's complete guide to finding every golden egg in Angry Birds, on part 1 and part 2.

Now that you know how to beat Angry Birds, why not take a look at the Angry Birds Seasons-based companion to this feature: How to kill pigs all year round: Angry Birds Seasons tips, tricks, and golden eggs.

 

Pocket Gamer's Guide to Angry Birds Basic Tips - Video Strategies - Golden Eggs (Page 1) - Golden Eggs (Page 2) Other Angry Birds Guides:

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