Monday, November 11, 2024
GamingNews

Angry Birds Reloaded alight at Apple Arcade (and we take a quick look)

Angry Birds first came out in December 2009. This morning, July 16, 2021, Apple Arcade re-released the original Angry Birds as Angry Birds Reloaded. This is a release I’ve been eagerly awaiting since Apple first announced it would be coming. About 12:30 a.m. this morning, Angry Birds Reloaded was made available. This is by no means a review, but a quick overview after playing a little under an hour. (Yes, I woke up and played in the wee hours.)

The game play seems almost exactly like the original Angry Birds from 2009. It feels smoother and much more responsive. No doubt this is due to the tweaking of the code and having much better hardware on which to play. The sounds and actions are very familiar.

I’ve only seen the first four levels, and they look exactly the same with the exception of the background. It has been redrawn with more detail. Unlike the original game, there is a bar with powerups. I do hope that Apple adds a way to remove this bar as an option as I prefer to play with it off for a cleaner look. There are some new characters and new powerups as well.

If you log in with Game Center, your progress will sync across all your Apple devices. Make sure you have iCloud enabled along with Angry Birds Reloaded under the iCloud settings. All your progress will sync and backup when you purchase a new device.

My wife loaded the game on her iPhone and all her progress was mirrored on her iPad. Even as I write this review, she is playing Angry Birds and said, “You know, this game is addictive.” It has been fun revisiting.

The original Angry Birds is no longer available in the App Store. You can download it if you purchased it in the past. The reloaded version will bring the original game to a whole new audience or bring it back if you can no longer download it.

If you have not played Angry Birds in a while, but enjoy the simple game play, it’s worth subscribing to Apple Arcade. I have subscribed for quite some time with a package plan, but have never really enjoyed the offerings. Since Apple has started adding some classic titles, I find Apple Arcade much more appealing.

Besides Angry Birds Reloaded, Apple Arcade also released two other titles today:  Doodle God Universe and Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City.

Apple Arcade is available for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, a savings of $9.89 over 12 months. You receive one month free when you sign up. You can cancel the subscription before you are charged.

Marty Edwards
the authorMarty Edwards