There’s a
bit more than a small sense of irony to this—to seeing the biggest mobile game of all-time
and a bellwether for the future of gaming on the go—playing on the Nintendo 3DS...a
product that, despite all its fancy bells and whistles, represents a business model
that statistics and experts suggest is losing relevance.
Sadly, this is not the time for a thesis on the evolution of handheld gaming and the impact
the mobile device has had on it.
This is a review of a really great puzzler.
Actually, three of them.
It’s Angry Birds Trilogy for the Nintendo 3DS.
Geez, it does feel weird to say that.
Angry Birds on a handheld.
I mean, talk about storming into enemy territory!
Not only are these birds angry...they’re merciless.
So if you’re one of those gamers who refuse to acknowledge iOS and other mobile devices
as legitimate gaming platforms—yes, I know you’re out there—let’s get up to speed.
Angry Birds debuted on iOS in 2009, it went on to take over the world...it has sort of
become a symbol for the pattern of portable gaming going mobile.
Copious merchandise and plush toys ensued, as did...more games.
Of course, if you don’t do mobile...you’ve missed out.
And that’s why this particular package is so symbolically interesting, but if you don’t
do symbolism, either...you’re at least getting a chance to crush some pigs.
Angry Birds Trilogy contains 2009’s Angry Birds, 2010’s holiday-themed Angry Birds
Seasons and 2011’s Angry Birds Rio...a game that will go down in gaming history as one
of the few movie games that will be remembered much longer than the film it’s actually
based on.
One cool thing is that Trilogy includes all the levels from each game...including the
extra levels that have been added since their release.
Trilogy is also available on home consoles, but...advantage 3DS in the sense that the
Angry Birds games were born on and optimized for portable gaming.
It’s best in shorter gameplay sessions, so it’s an ideal game to have in your pocket.
And having three in a single cartridge is definitely a nice idea for handheld devotees.
Ignoring that, you know...you could get even more on your...well, you know.
And again, the mobile/handheld dichotomy is kind of an unavoidable issue.
Angry Birds Trilogy costs you about $30 new, and you can get all three of its games in
the App Store for literally a fraction of that...like, a tenth of that.
So this one has 3D and two screens, neither of which add much, and it comes in plastic.
And there’s your luxury tax.
I find the mere existence of this game an interesting point in the progression of the
industry, but for the purposes of the traditional review...I’ve always found Angry Birds a
brilliant puzzle game.
Pull back, judge the angle, work out the physics, knock down the pigs.
It’s simple and accessible, which is why it’s such a hit, but it’s also really
clever.
And that doesn’t change on the 3DS.
But the problem with Angry Birds Trilogy is, fittingly, the same thing driving the change
that’s transforming mobile gaming.
It’s cheaper, faster and more convenient on your...well, never mind.