Format: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Developer: Rovio
This game I think really was not that much of a surprise. With as huge a franchise as Angry Birds had become I think many of us knew that at some point we would get to play as the Pigs. Still though to Rovio’s credit the game that they gave us was far different than many of us probably imagined. All the while still keeping that same charm that is found in Angry Birds.
I know that the Pigs are the bad guys, but I just can’t help but like them. Does this make me a bad person? Perhaps, but I do not care. Bad Piggies keeps the same graphical style of the Angry Birds games and I am really glad to be honest. I have heard a couple of rumblings that it should have looked completely different, but I think that would have been ridiculous. Angry Birds is a franchise and to have this game look any other way would have been a very bad decision in my book. Still do not get me wrong Bad Piggies is still a great looking game. How can you not look at those Pigs faces and smile?
Game play wise is very different to that of Angry Birds. I was one of the people who thought when this game was first announced that all it would be was Angry Birds, but you shot the Pigs instead of the birds with your catapult. And you know what Rovio could have easily done this and the game still would have made them millions of dollars. So you have to give credit for them making a whole new game with Bad Piggies.
The game play here is fantastic as is the “story” the Pigs want to get the Angry Bird’s eggs, but they need to find maps to get to where they are. That is the idea of the game you need to get the maps. And how do I get the maps you ask? Well it is really cool the way that you do. At the start of a level you are given a few objects in the early levels it is just a couple of wooden boxes and wheels. You need to build a contraption that will drive your Pig to the end of the level and get the map.
The game is still physics based so you need to build your contraption with the terrain in mind. The stars return from Angry Bird’s so while building a contraption one way may get you to the end of the level. You might need to think a little more outside the box when designing to make sure you can get those stars.
As you progress it gets harder and harder, but you also get extra things to help you like propellers, fans and soda bottles that can be used to make you go faster and make jumps and get past other obstacles. The building mechanics is really fun and it is not unusual to spend a five to ten minutes trying to figure out what is the best way to build.
Bad Piggies is a great game, but it is so much harder than Angry Birds which I have found is less appealing to kids. My kids had quite a hard time playing this just after a few levels. While they enjoyed the game they did find it very tough. I am not saying that is a bad thing, but where as Angry Birds appealed to gamers of all skill levels I think that Bad Piggies may not be for everyone. Still though at the very least download the free version to see if it is for you. I would also recommend that if you are downloading it for your kids that you download the free version first before the paid version to make sure they like it.