The original Angry Birds is back, now as a modern Unity release. Rovio remade on eof the best Android games using a premium monetization model. Thanks to this decision, you can access the complete title for $0.99. Nostalgia is always a powerful draw, and Rovio has ensured the classic feels just as good as the original while modernizing the game's graphics, which is why it's an excellent remake worth revisiting.

If you never played the original, Rovio Classic: Angry Birds is a fantastic place to start. It's jam-packed with content offering eight Angry Birds episodes from the 2012 release. The premise of the game is pretty straightforward. Hoards of evil pigs are after your precious eggs, so it's up to an army of birds to stop them! Each level is a puzzle where you fling these birds from a slingshot in an effort to topple buildings where evil pigs are nested, leaving you plenty of ways to solve these puzzles. Levels are completed once you've cleared all the baddies.

Of course, if you're still unsure how to approach the game and its many levels, Android Police are here to steer you in the correct direction with some helpful tips and tricks.

Tips and tricks

Learning the unique traits of each bird

Angry Birds are deployed on each level by slinging them. You don't have control over which ones you get to use; you'll have to plan how to maximize each bird's potential based on its strengths.

  • Red: This game's mascot. A red-colored bird that doesn't offer any specialties.
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  • The Blues: A small blue-colored bird that sprouts three birds while tapping in midair. Best used against glass material.
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  • Chuck: A yellow-colored bird that accelerates in midair after tapping. Best used against wood.
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  • Bomb: A black round bird that blows up by tapping (or detonates after some time). Best used against stone material.
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  • Matilda: A white bird that drops bomb eggs after tapping the bird in midair. Best used to clear against pigs that are out of reach.
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  • Hal: A green toucan bird that returns like a boomerang after tapping in midair. Best used for alternative movement for extra collision in a puzzle.
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  • Terence: A big red bird that can break blocks easily.
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  • Bubbles: An orange-colored bird inflates like a giant balloon after tapping in midair. Best used to collide against wooden material, enter tighter spaces, and then use inflation to cause more destruction.
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  • Stella: A pink-colored bird that uses bubbles to lift enemies and material near her. Tap before colliding to generate a bubble, or wait a few seconds after impact.
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The size of the bird matters. Heavier birds travel less distance than smaller birds; physics indeed play a role. The travel speed for larger birds is exchanged for more substantial impact damage against objects (Terence is an excellent example). Due to Bubbles' small size, he can travel far distances, but you can alter his weight using his inflation mechanic, thus slowing him down significantly.

Playing the angles

Changing your angle just by a sliver can result in an entirely new course for your slung birds. A great deal of trial and error is needed to determine the best angles for each approach. Be warned that it won't be easy to reproduce the same angles. Pay attention to the last slingshot trajectory path. Always use that as a landmark to readjust to your following path.

Previous slingshot path showcased in Angry Birds classic screenshot

Generally, steeper angles of the slingshot will grant you tons of height, and shallow angles will launch you forward with a lot less height. Steepness and shallowness will also depend on the size of the bird you're launching.

Planning ahead

You hold all the cards. It's up to you to know which birds and which order they are in when trying to solve a puzzle. Consider using a bird's strength to set up the next bird for a more powerful collision. Also, check the environment the baddies are strutting around. Are there any weak points? Plan your attack around those weak points; anything to cause a domino effect when a building falls is a big plus. Can you spot anything that can cause more destruction, such as TNT crates? Exploit your environment to kill two piggies with one stone (bird).

Example of after impact damage in Angry Birds classic

Using the restart button

Patience is key. If you feel your plan didn't work out, pause the game and tap on the restart button to reset the level. There are no consequences for repeatedly restarting a level. Practice makes perfect.

Outlining the retry button in Angry Birds classics

Alternatively, you can retry levels after completing them to earn any stars you missed on the first go-around.

More than one way to solve a puzzle

Every puzzle offers more than one solution. Changing your approach to solving puzzles is encouraged. Experiment with which blocks to knock down first and alter how you use your birds. Sometimes it's all about how the birds collide with the objects versus the abilities they bring to a level. For example, Matilda drops an egg that can bomb in midair, but you might have better luck using Matilda to slam against an object or destroy a pig instead. Additionally, Bomb could be slung to cause more significant collision damage against a building. Try using Bomb for his timed detonation to get that extra damage afterward.

Mighty Eagle

Unlike the previous games, Rovio Classics: Angry Birds doesn't contain any in-app purchases. There's one caveat, a one-hour cooldown exists on the Mighty Eagle mechanics. So if you're too frustrated to complete a level, you can call on the Mighty Eagle to clear that level.

Mighty Eagle in Angry Birds classics

To summon the Mighty Eagle, tap on the Eagle Eye button (next to the pause button). Your birds are replaced by a single sardine tin positioned in the slingshot. Simply slingshot the sardine tin to finish summoning the Mighty Eagle. After using the Mighty Eagle, the Eagle Eye button is replaced with a cooldown timer that displays how long you have to wait until you can use this service again.

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Hitting the right note on a remake

Rovio has hit the nail on the head with its Angry Birds classic remake. Fans couldn't have asked for more. The revitalization of the familiar slingshot gameplay is enough to keep anyone hooked for hours at a time. With eight episodes to play through and almost 400 levels to keep you busy, you'll have plenty of content to work through. So if you'd like to give Rovio Classics: Angry Birds a try, you can purchase the game through the Play Store widget below.