Angry Birds Space

Common Sense Media says

Sequel introduces new levels that have gravitational pull.

Age(i)

2
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5
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17

Quality(i)

 

Learning(i)

(i)
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Angry Birds Space gallery

What parents need to know

Ease of play

The controls are as easy as ever, but puzzles can be quite tricky. Instructions are shown in pictures, so no reading is required.

Violence & scariness

When birds make contact with an obstacle they disappear in a tuft of feathers, but they demonstrate no pain and seem perfectly willing participants in the mayhem. Defeated pigs disappear in a puff of smoke. If players burst the oxygen bubble around pigs that are floating in space, the pig will turn to ice and explode (representing what happens to life forms in space without protective equipment). Pigs that are damaged but not yet defeated display bruising.

Sexy stuff
Not applicable
Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

The app contains links to download Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons, and visit the developer's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Weibo pages. The first two worlds (60 levels) and bonus levels are free to play, but players must pay another $.99 to unlock the third world. Players can also pay to purchase Mighty Eagle power-ups, or earn them in-game.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable
Privacy & safety

Some privacy concerns. Players on iOS devices can opt in to Apple's Game Center to track scores and achievements, and for some games, challenge friends. Players can send and receive friend requests using an email address or Game Center nickname, revealing the first and last name associated with each party's Apple ID and, in the case of email requests, the sender's email address. With iOS 5, players can opt to have a private or public profile, which can include a photo. With a public profile, your real name is visible to all other players, and Game Center will recommend you to other players using your real name. With a private profile, only your friends can see your real name, and Game Center will not recommend you to other players.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Angry Birds Space is the first true sequel to the incredibly successful Angry Birds. It features the same fun and challenging physics puzzles that made the first game and its spin-offs so popular, but the levels now take place in outer space where objects are affected by gravitational pull in ways that shake up the gameplay significantly. There are 60 new free levels spread across two worlds, plus 15 bonus levels. An additional world can be unlocked by paying another $.99. Might Eagle power-ups are now pay-per-use rather than permanently unlocked by a one-time purchase as in previous games, but players can also earn them in-game. The app's cartoonish violence is unlikely to upset anyone. Users can share high scores via the Game Center social network, but participation is optional. HD versions for the iPad and certain Android devices are available for $2.99. From now through April, players can unlock a bonus Golden Egg level by participating in MTV's "A Thin Line" anti-bullying campaign.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Science

  • gravity
  • motion
  • physics

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • hypothesis-testing
  • solving puzzles
  • strategy

Engagement, Approach, Support

Engagement

The game, as evidenced by the popularity of the whole series, is addictively fun.

Learning Approach

Kids may need some explanation about the gravitational pull of larger objects related to smaller objects to reinforce the physics concepts.

Support

The dotted line showing the trajectory helps players master the level and also reinforces the physics behind the game. The NASA link is fascinating; kids may be more eager to delve into it when they're not in the thick of the action.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Science

  • gravity
  • motion
  • physics

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • hypothesis-testing
  • solving puzzles
  • strategy

Kids can learn about gravity, momentum, and trajectory with Angry Birds Space. The space setting teaches kids how small objects are affected by the gravitational pull of much larger objects such as planets. Kids can also observe how different physical surfaces are more or less destructible (ice, for example, is more breakable than rock), and use momentum to cause asteroids to ricochet off each other at different angles. Kids can link through to a NASA website with educational links and videos about gravity and the space station. Angry Birds Space may be set in a fantasy world, but it can teach plenty about real-world physics.

This Learning Rating review was written by Erin Bell

Parents say

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Kids say

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What's it about?

Kids drag and tap their finger on the screen to aim and launch birds out of a giant slingshot to collapse structures and destroy the pigs that are hidden on and inside them. By observing how the birds behave in flight, players learn how gravity and momentum affect objects in motion. Players can retry a level as many times as they want without penalty, leaving them free to experiment with different strategies until they've mastered the level.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

The birds in ANGRY BIRDS SPACE all sport futuristic new looks (no doubt a new line of Angry Birds Space plushies is already on the way), but the sequel offers more than just cosmetic changes. The outer space setting introduces the new physics concept of gravitational pull, so birds that are launched out of the slingshot can now curve around large planets, and crash into asteroids and other obstacles to push them and cause chain reactions. The result is gameplay that is familiar but different, and that challenges players to come up with new and increasingly creative solutions for each puzzle. Other minor -- but welcome -- enhancements include new birds (such as one that turns anything it touches to ice) and an aiming guide that shows what the trajectory of the bird will be before it launches, which improves accuracy and cuts down on wasted turns. Angry Birds Space is an enjoyable sequel that takes the series in a refreshing new direction.

Families can talk about...

  • Visit your local space museum or science center so kids can learn more about gravity and outer space.

  • Contrast the physics of this game with the first Angry Birds game. How does gravitational pull change the way objects behave?

App details

Devices:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
Price:$.99-$2.99
Pricing structure:Free, Free to Try, Paid
Release date:March 22, 2012
Category:Puzzle Games
Topics:Space and aliens
Size:15.70 MB
Publisher:Rovio Entertainment Ltd
Version:1.0.0
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.0 or later; Android 1.6 and up

This review of Angry Birds Space was written by

Erin Bell

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

Find out more

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

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What parents and kids say

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Kid, 12 years old March 22, 2012
AGE
4
QUALITY
 

new angry bird game is the best yet

Best new game ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Kid, 10 years old March 26, 2012
AGE
5
QUALITY
 

Great time killing game

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Teen, 16 years old Written byZambrak March 30, 2012
AGE
3
QUALITY
 

Great Time Killer

Rovio has done it again. The incredibly popular Angry Birds series' newest addition is insanely addicting, providing complex gravity puzzles and cartoony humor, all at a $1 price. The in-app purchases are only $1, so this is a really cheap game. Do your kids a favor. Get this for their iPod/iPhone. Your's too.
What other families should know
Educational value
Great messages
Too much consumerism
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