After the success of the original Angry Birds Star Wars, which combined the popular, bird-flinging franchise’s action with characters from George Lucas’s beloved original trilogy of space-adventuring rebels, it’s not surprising that a sequel now finds its way to iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8 devices.
Angry Birds Star Wars II plays much like its predecessor, but with characters and levels based on the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films. You know, the bad ones. Although maybe The Phantom Menace‘s terrible story comes off a lot better when retold with still images and wingless birds dressed in robes. Also, unlike with the first Angry Birds Star Wars, you may play as the villainous piggies (aka the Pork side).
Angry Birds Star Wars II also takes a cue from toy-based games like Skylanders and Disney Infinity; you transfer action-figure versions of characters (called Telepods) into the actual game, as seen in the video below.
“Angry Birds Star Wars II combines the rich worlds of both Angry Birds and Star Wars in a unique way featuring fan favorite characters from both the dark and light side of the Force,” Rovio Entertainment executive vice president of games Jami Laes said in a press release. “We have taken the gameplay to a whole new level, giving our fans the option to play as both the birds and the pigs.
“We are also excited to introduce the amazing new Telepods from Hasbro. For the first time ever, our new characters will not only appear in future game updates but also on store shelves. We’ve heavily invested in the longevity of the franchise and have great updates already lined up for the coming months.”
Over 30 Telepods characters are available at launch. Please feel free to buy the Jar Jar Binks one and burn it.