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The Rumour Mine: Angry Birds tie-in with National Geographic, Green Lantern and Babysitting Mama games on iPhone

New habitat for familiar franchises

The Rumour Mine: Angry Birds tie-in with National Geographic, Green Lantern and Babysitting Mama games on iPhone
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iOS

When Rovio claimed that Angry Birds is an "entertainment empire" during Game Developers Conference, eyebrows were raised. Even so, the game is perpetually in the news.

Even here in the dark confines of the Rumour Mine, Angry Birds makes frequent appearances. Just how those birds stay alive in this dark hole is anyone's guess.

There's such a thing as too much of a good thing, and a rumoured tie-in with National Geographic could be a little much. Still, the success of Angry Birds Rio shows that the series is stronger than ever, and it may very well fly high for quite some time.

Rovio working with National Geographic on new Angry Birds title

Seasons change, but Rovio's Angry Birds stays the same. The ever-popular physics puzzle game is set for another cross-promotion following the success of Angry Birds Rio, this time with the highly respected National Geographic Society.

According to a source that wishes to remain anonymous, Rovio is crafting a special version of its puzzle game that features bird-flinging action in a variety of ecosystems. The National Geographic Society wants to educate gamers about endangered birds and their environments across the globe, hence the desire to pair up with the recognisable franchise.

While National Geographic is a brand that has been present on the App Store for some time now, this marks a big showing that could boost awareness. Furthermore, it's another chance for rabid Angry Birds fans to get even more levels.

Warner Bros prepping Green Lantern game for iOS based on upcoming movie

Green LanternGames based on movies are common fare, but with Warner Bros recently upping the ante with high quality titles including LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and Tapper World Tour, it's worth giving the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad game based on the upcoming Green Lantern film some attention.

The 2D arcade action game naturally puts you in the role of the hero himself, warding off bad guys with lantern light. Think Helsing's Fire with an eye for more action and styled after the movie. Characters from the flick will make appearances and there's even the possibility of some from the graphic novels finding their way into the game too.

It'll be out for iOS devices - a word of caution on second-generation iPod touch, which probably won't be supported - in June alongside the movie's theatrical release.

Babysitting Mama scheduled for iPhone and iPod touch release Babysitting MamaYou loved her in Cooking Mama, she grew on you in Gardening Mama, and now she'll shut your little one up with time out in the corner in Babysitting Mama.

Taito's ubiquitous homemaker is returning to iPhone and iPod touch in this third game that initially saw release on Wii. As you'd expect, this port won't feature all of the content of the Wii version - in particular, there won't be a doll peripheral that was packaged with the console game - instead, a few revamped mini-games with new touch controls will be offered.

Think feeding a baby by gentling tilting your device, burping it with taps of the screen as though you're tapping its back, and shaking your handset when it won't stop crying.

Okay, that last one is made up, but you get the drift. Look for Babysitting Mama on iPhone and iPod touch later this year.