Watch Out! You Can Now Play Angry Birds on TV

by Lori Cunningham

Play Angry Birds on TV?  That’s cool!  It’s funny, in the “old” days, many video games would be created off of things on the big screen – whether from the movies or on television.  Today, apps are making it big time, getting their own video game version.  The new Angry Birds Trilogy for the Wii and Wii U, allows you to play three great, well-known games like Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, and Angry Birds Rio on your TV.

My son learned how to use the iPad because of Angry Birds.  He intuitively got it and went on to complete most of the levels of each Angry Birds game I downloaded.  How we loved it when a new season of Angry Birds became available.  I thought I had gotten most of them, but after playing Angry Birds Trilogy, I can see there are a lot of games I missed.  The most comprehensive collection of Angry Birds yet, Angry Birds Trilogy for Nintendo offers over 140 hours of gameplay, including 165 holiday and seasonal levels.  Phew!  That’s a lot of Angry Birds!

Previously available on XBox and PlayStation 3, Angry Birds Trilogy became available for Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U systems last month.  As an added bonus for Nintendo Wii and Wii U users, Angry Birds Trilogy comes with the original versions of Anger Management and Fowl-Tempered Packs, previously only available as downloadable content.

Play Angry Birds on TV – How Does it Compare?

Obviously there’s a big difference in playing Angry Birds on TV versus a tablet or smartphone.

The two main differences are:

1.) Size – playing Angry Birds on TV looks fantastic in HD and it allows you to share the game with more friends/family, it makes the game more social.  Plus it’s fun to see your favorite characters…well…bigger!

2.) Tactile – there’s something to be said about touching your finger exactly where you want and flinging the bird.  This is much more difficult to do with a controller.  It takes a bit more time at first but gets easier.

I love all the creative levels available in Angry Bird Trilogy.  You don’t have to start at the first level.  You can dive into any one that sounds good and start from there.  Once you complete first assignment, the next one is opened up.

Here’s the Angry Birds Classic game.  I went straight to the Birthday theme.  You can’t help but love the creativity of Angry Birds and seeing Angry Birds on TV is even better!  Cake anyone?

Here’s the menu screen and a scene from Angry Birds Rio. There’s nothing like watching the colorful birds fly away after rescuing them.

Secret Weapon

Angry Birds Trilogy comes with with a special power-up called the “Mighty Eagle.”  I have not seen this power-up before.  By clicking on the Mighty Eagle button, you receive a tablet to sling at the pigs.  Once it’s slung, a massive fast flying eagle swoops in and pretty much destroys everything on the screen.  No piggy is left standing, unless you totally miss.  You can use the Mighty Eagle before or even after you fling all your birds.  Is it cheating?  Perhaps, but it’s a great tool for many beginners who just can’t get beyond a round to open up additional stages.  You don’t start automatically with the Mighty Eagle, but you earn it early enough to help you.  And best yet, once you earn it, it’s available in any of the Angry Bird themes.

I wanted to show you the Mighty Eagle in one of these pictures, but try as I might, they Mighty Eagle flies in so fast, I couldn’t capture him.

 Angry Birds Trilogy includes ALL of the various holiday themes for three seasons!  So you can play various Halloween levels on all three seasons!  I love all the Angry Birds content in one place!

The Downfalls

Angry Birds on TV begs to be a multiplayer game, but unfortunately, it is a one-person game.  Fortunately, however, up to six profiles can be created so each family member and progress at their own pace.  Another disappointment is that Angry Birds Space is not included in the game.  Of course, rumor has it that Angry Birds Space for gaming consoles is coming out in a month or so and this game will be multiplayer!

Angry Birds Trilogy is rated E (Everyone) by the ERSB.  It’s a great family fun game.  It’s available for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation3.  According to PriceGrabber, Angry Birds Trilogy runs anywhere from $14.00 – $49.99 dependent upon version and store.

A Mom’s Perspective

Angry Birds Trilogy is a lot of fun, it’s a great family game, one that most members of your family probably already know how to play.  No matter what format I play it on, Angry Birds has a way of putting a mischievous smile on your face as you sling those birds and destroy the pigs’ fortresses.  Seeing the Angry Birds on TV make them larger than life, making you feel you’re more part of the action than ever before.   While it’s true you can get Angry Birds  for free on your smartphone, if you have some fanatic Angry Bird fans in your household, like I do, this brings gameplay to a new level.

I am disappointed that there is no multiplayer though, that’s a major flaw.   Because even though each family member or friend can have their own profile, taking turns is difficult if you have to go back to the main screen and change your profile each time…unless of course, you don’t care sharing your profile and you just want to get ahead…then there’s no problem.  My son is seven, and truthfully, he’s fine with sharing his profile, anything to get ahead to the next level.  So I guess it depends on the player whether this is an issue or not.

With Angry Bird stuffed animals, pajamas, apps on every phone and tablet…and even Angry Bird underwear all around our house, Angry Birds Trilogy is a real hit for us.