Angry Birds Star Wars II

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Angry Birds Star Wars II
Angry Birds Star Wars II.png
App icon
Developer(s) Rovio Entertainment
Publisher(s) Rovio Entertainment
Series Angry Birds
Engine Box2D
Platform(s) iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Microsoft Windows
ReleaseSeptember 18, 2013
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player

Angry Birds Star Wars II was a 2013 puzzle video game and a crossover between Star Wars and the Angry Birds series, released on September 18, 2013. [1] The game is the seventh Angry Birds game, developed by Rovio Entertainment. The game is a prequel to Angry Birds Star Wars and is based on the Star Wars prequel trilogy, as well as the television show Star Wars Rebels . [2]

Contents

In the game, birds and pigs play the roles of characters from the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Characters from the original trilogy and the television show Star Wars Rebels also make appearances in the form of a bird or a pig. In official books and annuals, characters' names are changed to fit whether they are portrayed by bird or pig.

Angry Birds Star Wars II was discontinued on February 3, 2020, along with Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Rio .

Gameplay

In Angry Birds Star Wars II, players must destroy targets fortified in or out of their created fortresses including various bosses, depending on the side they are in (Bird or Pork side). Players also earn up to 3 stars, as of other games in the series. The game features over 56 playable characters. [3] The game differs from the other Angry Birds games because the player can summon a specific bird/pig instead of the pre-determined selection. This summoning can be done to replace each bird/pig.

Telepods

The game is compatible with Hasbro's Telepods line of toys-to-life figurines, allowing the player to summon a specific character into the game via its QR code; this summon is once per level, but the player can use multiple Telepod summons per level. Each Telepod can be used on up to 15 separate devices and one must rescan the Telepod to get access to the particular character if the game is fully closed.[ citation needed ]

As of December 2013, Hasbro has sold over 1 million Angry Birds Star Wars II Telepods units. [4]

Shop

The player can via in-app purchase or through achievement rewards, have the use of certain birds or pigs during gameplay. With the Revenge of the Pork and the Rebels update, the former Watto's shop, which was a separate area of the game to buy playable characters, was removed and was merged within the character swap menu.

Release

The game was released on September 18, 2013. Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X versions of the game were announced, with the former being released on October 24. The Mac version's release plan was discontinued, and on November 13, 2014, the Windows PC version was no longer available for purchase or download and would not be updated. [5]

Discontinuation

The game was discontinued on February 3, 2020, alongside every Angry Birds title released before Angry Birds Transformers (excluding Angry Birds Friends and Bad Piggies ). It was removed from both App Store and Google Play. In a 2021 interview, nearing the rerelease of the original Angry Birds, Rovio employee Steve Porter stated that the Rio and Star Wars games were unlikely to be re-released due to third-party licensing. [6]

Reception

The game has received generally favorable reviews with a Metacritic score of 77/100 based on 24 reviews. [7] While the game continues the gameplay of its predecessor with fun new ideas, some reviewers[ who? ] have noted that the increase in the number of playable characters may make the levels unbalanced due to characters having different powers. Some reviewers[ who? ] did not like the numerous microtransactions but found the game fun. [9]

At the 2014 Kids' Choice Awards, Angry Birds Star Wars II received a nomination for Favorite App Game. [10]

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References

  1. "You waited, and waited, and waited. So... Here it is! #AngryBirdsStarWars2 is out a day early on iOS, Android & WP8!". Facebook . Rovio Entertainment. September 18, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  2. "More Angry Birds Star Wars On The Way". The International House of Mojo. August 2, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. The Verge (July 15, 2013). "'Angry Birds Star Wars II' will follow the prequel trilogy and feature physical toys". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  4. "Review: Angry Birds Go! Toys Extend Telepod's Form and Function". Forbes. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  5. AMslimfordy (November 25, 2014). "PC Versions of Angry Birds Apps Officially Discontinued". Angry Birds Nest. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  6. "Bringing Back 2012 – Dev Diary 2: Your questions answered!". Rovio. December 22, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Angry Birds Star Wars II for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  8. Hodapp, Eli (September 18, 2013). "'Angry Birds Star Wars II' Review – We Joined the Pork Side and So Should You". TouchArcade . Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  9. Jenkins, David (September 18, 2013). "Angry Birds Star Wars II review – Forced sequel | Metro News". Metro.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  10. Couch, Aaron; Washington, Arlene (March 29, 2014). "Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards: The Winners". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.