Guide to Understanding & Using the Space Eagle in Angry Birds Space

Ever since Angry Birds Space was released people haven’t stopped talking about the Mighty Space Eagle. For good reason, it’s much different than the Mighty Eagle we all know and love. Not only is how you procure the Space Eagle different, but the mechanics of how you use him are quite different as well. Below I’ll try to break this all down as best I can, though, before I get started I should preface one thing. I know the Space Eagle’s pay-per-use model upsets a lot people, but I’d like to leave the rants for the forum. This guide is aimed at helping those who truly want to understand and use the Space Eagle. A big thanks to lostgreybird for his write-up in the forum and to AMSlimfordy for his hard work on the Space Eagle video walkthroughs.

Table of Contents

  1. What is the Space Eagle?
  2. Purchasing the Space Eagle
  3. Which Space Eagle pack is right for you?
  4. Collecting those Feathers: Some Tips & Tricks
  5. Helpful Links
  6. More Info About Angry Birds Space

What is the Space Eagle?

The Space Eagle is similar, yet quite different, to the Mighty Eagle. On iOS we first see the option to use the Space Eagle on level 1-11 of Pig Bang. After you tap the eagle eye icon your slingshot is loaded with a can of sardines (Yes! It seems the Space Eagle likes sardines as much as the Mighty Eagle), which you in turn fling into space. A couple seconds after the can of sardines comes to rest a wormhole opens, out of which comes the Space Eagle. As the Space Eagle zooms by he blasts the surrounding area much like the bomb bird. This blast causes quite a bit of damage, but does not clear the level of all pigs.

Why don’t I have the Space Eagle?

The Space Eagle is only available as an in-app purchase for iOS devices at this time. We are not aware of if or when the Space Eagle will come to other platforms. If you are using an iOS device, the Space Eagle does not become available until you pass level 1-10 of Pig Bang.

Update: The Space Eagle is now available for Android via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore! Everything said about iOS seems to apply equally to Android, including the pricing information. Refer to the release post for additional information.

Are the Space Eagle and the Mighty Eagle the Same?

Most of us feel they are one and the same, but the official stance is that they are not. I know, I know, but it does make sense if you think about it purely from a gameplay standpoint, as the mechanics are quite different. Notice, I didn’t say better, just different.

How is the Space Eagle Different?

  • You must have at least one unfired bird in the slingshot to use the sardine can.
  • He’s weaker. Using the Space Eagle does NOT automatically pop all pigs and clear the level. You must keep flinging.
  • The Space Eagle comes at you straight on, not from the side.
  • You can use more than one Space Eagle on a level.
  • Unlike the Mighty Eagle, the Space Eagle is not unlimited use.

It’s Not Unlimited Use? Are You Kidding Me?

Nope. The fact that the Space Eagle is not unlimited has upset many players across all skill levels. Players who want to complete Angry Birds Space in its entirety now have to pay a lot more money to do so. Others just see it as greed. I don’t think the latter is true, as my gut tells me they’ll actually make less money this way. That said, I do hope some changes are made. To truly grasp the problem we need to understand that the Space Eagle — and the Mighty Eagle for that matter — have conflicting uses:

  1. Casual players can summon them to help pass a level. While this is not a cheat, it is a way to make the game easier so one can progress faster.
  2. Die-hard players treat collecting feathers as a game within the game, so most will not rest until they collect all the feathers (at least when they were unlimited use).
  3. Kids LOVE the Mighty Eagles of all types! As a parent I know this first hand. My son can summon 100 eagles in 10 minutes. This could get expensive! Good thing I have in-app purchases disabled (most of the time).

I believe these conflicting uses have led us to this problem. In my opinion, it is okay to charge players for the luxury of skipping levels (or making them significantly easier to pass). On the flip-side, I don’t think you want to dissuade your most loyal players from completing the game in its entirety. I also don’t think the plan was to make it so parents have to take the game away from their kids for fear they’ll burn through their precious Space Eagles or rack up a huge bill. These kids are the future, at least that is what Whitney Houston told us!

Is there a solution?

I think so. The solution we’ve discussed here on ABN is to make the Space Eagle unlimited use AFTER you 3 star a level. Completionist-style players could purchase a pack for $1.00 and wait to use them until they’ve 3 starred everything. Casual players, who just want help passing levels, could purchase Space Eagles as they need them just like they do now.

Problem solved? For the most part I think this would satisfy most people. There will still be some that don’t like it, but you can’t please everyone.

Earning Eagles for Free

You can earn a few Space Eagles during normal gameplay. The number you can earn at this time is not particularly large, but Rovio has said they will add more opportunities down the road. For now, you can earn Eagles as follows:

  • 3 Space Eagles for completing level 1-10 (originally 3, then 20 more given in the v1.1.0 update);
  • 3 Space Eagles for completing an episode (not including Danger Zone or Eggsteroids);
  • 10 Space Eagles for 3-starring an episode (including Danger Zone and Eggsteroids); and
  • 1 Space Eagle for opening the app daily (on a 24-hour cycle from your previous opening).

Which Space Eagle pack is right for you?

This is a tough one. The answer really depends on how you plan on using them and whether you believe Rovio will tweak how they’re used. For this I’m going to refer to @lostgreybird’s awesome write-up from the forum. Here’s what he had to say (I’ve edited a few parts just so it’s all clear):

I purchased 1,000 Space Eagles for $19.99. I had 8 levels feathered from the “free” Space Eagles I received after 3 starring both Pig Bang & Cold Cuts.

Pig Bang – After feathering the remaining 22 levels I had 840 Space Eagles left, thus I used 160 Space Eagles to complete Pig Bang.

Cold Cuts – I started with 840 eagles and ended with 716.

Danger Zone – I started Danger Zone with 716 and it took 250 eagles to complete these 30 difficult levels. Ended with 466 eagles.

Which pack may be right for you?

– Pig Bang and Cold Cuts took 284 eagles to complete. The $7.99 pack of 280 may be good for you, I feel like I wasted a lot.
– I feel confident that the $19.99 pack will get me through 6 chapters (the three current episodes and three future updates).

Collecting those Feathers: Some Tips & Tricks

I’m going to derive a large portion of this section from the hands on experience that lostgreybird and AMSlimfordy were so kind to share.

  • Clear Your Mind: Forget what you knew about the Mighty Eagle and — in terms of placement — use the Space Eagle like a Bomb Bird. Much like the Bomb Bird, the Space Eagle destroys — or sends out into space — everything within a certain radius.
  • Dry Run: Go through each level with the regular birds to make sure you know the right spots to to enter the gravity fields so you don’t send debris straight out to space.
  • Shoot First: With the Mighty Eagle one of the best strategies is to form piles of debris. This doesn’t seem to be as effective with the Space Eagle. Try using a Space Eagle as your first shot and if needed use another Space Eagle to mop things up.
  • Call for Backup: Expect to use a lot of Space Eagles on the Danger Zone levels, as some levels are easiest to feather when you use multiple eagles.
  • No Nukes: Unlike the Mighty Eagle, using the Space Eagle DOES NOT skip a level and/or pop all pigs.
  • Bird in the Hand: Birds left in the slingshot do seem to help increase the percentage of total destruction, but to complicate matters it seems that on some levels overall destruction matters most.
  • Double-Barrel: It may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes using two Space Eagles as your first two shots in a level may prevent you from failing multiple times with one Space Eagle. For my money I would rather snag a feather right away using two eagles than retry ten times, wasting one eagle per try. Make sense?
  • Take Out The Trash: On occasion it’s wise to send out another Space Eagle even when all pigs are gone to clean up the remaining debris.

Helpful Links

More Info About Angry Birds Space

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Comments (117)

By Andromeda

Thank You so much, BL.. Have a great weeekend..

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By Harrystar6 (@harrystar6)

Thank you for the tips AngryBirdsNest

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By darthvader (@orangebird09)

So nice!

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By lostgreybird (@lostgreybird)

Thanks, very excited, and great job

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By wrw01 (@wrw01)

Thank you for the information above and the first set of Space Eagle videos for the Pig Bang level. I used the 3 free SE with little success. Your article and video clarified the purpose and technique of this space creature.

I am the type of player that viewed the Mighty Eagle as a 2nd game within AB, AB-S and AB-R. I did not use the ME to go to the next level. The goal was the 100% destruction. Some took minutes and others took days. The satisfaction of “30 out of 30” feathers was the reward itself. The ME had a different challange when compared to obtaining 3 stars, golden eggs or a minimum score for a level. It was like the ME was playing you against yourself. Hard to explain but it was a positive bonus to the AB games. It was like an extra level of fun that kept one playing for one more day, week, or month.

I also purchased the $20.00 packet but have not used any because I did not want to waste them until I could not figure out their function. There was a sense of apprehension when launching each can knowing that it was connected to a financial value. The unknowing of “how many SE will I need to buy” was a deterrent from playing the Space Eagle part of the Space game.

Your videos and data above has eliminated that tension and now one can relax and play for the fun of the game. Thank you for the analysis of each level, recommended stratagies and efforts to produce the videos and assist the players to again enjoy the Space game in the SE levels.

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By sal9 (@sal9)

It is demystifying the whole thing. Nice

By Nanami Kamimura

Good resource. Another new informative source for the future ABSpace article in Wikipedia. (It’s still currently in the nomination and development stage.)

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By loox (@loox)

“There was a sense of apprehension when launching each can knowing that it was connected to a financial value.”

Well said.

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By georgerxtx (@georgerxtx)

Slim thanks for the write-up.

So far have avoided firing SE as did not understand the strategy.

I only used ME to collect the feathers.

Now I think I will buy the big Pack (will have to go and get an Itunes card).

Interesting the pricing on the games, I have said to friends that I would gladdly pay $20.00 for the initial apps. Though SE and Danger Zone appear to be helping the developers recover more funding from such an addictice app.

Buy the way today i’m using PC to view the angrybirdsnest site and it is a very different experience to the iPhone 4.

Admins keep up the great work love the site.

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By Very Angry At This Site (@angry-artist)

ugh i would hate to have to but the eagle, because the regular eagle seems more powerful

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By Very Angry At This Site (@angry-artist)

i meant buy

By Lilbabi

It’s still a lot of money . Worth buying the mighty eagle than space eagle still

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By MushMe (@)

Who’s voice was in the video? Slim? Nice video by the way.Really helped big time.

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Yes it is

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By Ernie The Boomerang Bird (@ernie-the-boomerang-bird)

Dude, that was YOU?! i should have guessed, you already have some facial hair
(i think)

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

I have quite a bit of facial hair. Not sure why that’s relevant though.

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By MVNLA2 (@mvnla2)

Why the nasty comment?

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By pianistrevor (@tnatiuk17piano)

Thanks! When I get an iPad 3 I will most likely need this! The space eagle is very different!

By MEGESE22

Wow, slim! You voice sounds less intimitating then i imagioned it, dude!

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Thank you? I never tought of myself as intimidating. I was typically the one getting bullied growing up. Haha

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By Rekrom123 (@rekrom123)

Hey I would like to use this mighty space eagle but does anyone know when/if the mighty space eagle will come for PC?

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By MUFC (@mufc)

Thanks for the video Slim. I hope that the Mighty Eagle and the Space Eagle wil come to the Android Market/Google Play version soon.

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By Angry_Bird (@angry_bird)

So what are the chances Rovio does the idea you had about being able to obtain the feathers after you 3 star a level? Cause that’s pretty much the best answer and the only way ill get to play with the space eagles. I know I’m not alone on this and I hope Rovio realizes that they are ruining the eagle!

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By Angry_Bird (@angry_bird)

So does anyone know the answer?

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

No, Rovio has not said anything to us on the matter

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By Angry_Bird (@angry_bird)

Ok i was just curious…we should have a vote of some sort here in the nest!! then send the results to Rovio!! Could post like 3 options and have People vote for the best one. Idk..prob wouldnt listen to us on that anyway.

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By antwan83 (@antwan83)

just got all 90 feathers.. purchased 980, have 578 now, and had a lot of eagles that was spoiled.. so gotta say the 20$ purchase was best for me, didn’t need to feel i had to save them and be more careful..

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By lostgreybird (@lostgreybird)

Nice, roughly how many levels did you follow the Walkthoughs for? I think that once they are all up & everyone understands how to use them we may be looking at a figure that is really, really low/low cost.

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By antwan83 (@antwan83)

didn’t check any videos, the videos on here was just uploaded, and there hasn’t been any eagle videos uploaded on youtube until recently, enjoyed the challenge of not having videos.. :)

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By WikiRigbyDude (@wikirigbydude)

I think the latter is true.

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

That’s your opinion.

By Nanami Kamimura

“3.Kids LOVE the Mighty Eagles of all types! As a parent I know this first hand. My son can summon 100 eagles in 10 minutes. This could get expensive! Good thing I have in-app purchases disabled (most of the time).”

This is why I have to had tell my sister’s 4-year-old son to never play ABSpace with my iPod. When I handed them my iPod, I had earned six Space Eagles through finishing 1-10 and the entire Pig Bang episode and used only one. Nephew used all five by the time I got it back! I had since earned another three by finishing Cold Cuts. This restriction is only limited to my iPod because my father has an Android phone, so there’s no frivolous use of the Space Eagle to worry about (because are no Space Eagles in the Android version).

I had to do have to borrow my iPod however protective I am in not handing my iPod to either my nephew or niece because My father, being the doting grandfather, would see my protectiveness as miserly… and we know kids can get bored easily in “analog” mode nowadays.

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

You can disable in-app purchases (and turn them back on only when you want to use them) by going to iOS Settings > General > Restrictions > In-App Purchases > Off.

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By Und (@und)

It would also be nice to disable the usage of Space Eagles in the game settings…

My son becomes 4 this month. So far, I restrict him to use iPhone, only to carry to me without unlocking, but how long will it take for him to escape from the Eden of childish light-heartedness?

By lilbabi

is there going to be space eagle walkthrough for danger zone ??

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

I’m working my way through slowly-but-surely. Pig Bang is online here. I have finished recording Cold Cuts and hope to get those online early this week. Danger Zone will be after that.

By Lilbabi

Ok . Thanx

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By darthvader (@orangebird09)

Every Angry Bird were very powerful when they went to Space, except for the Might Eagle.

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By Darkbirds3 (@darkbirds3)

Did anyone see the new pic on the Angry Birds FB Page. It seems we either have a new bird or a new boss coming soon. Any thoughts?
P.S.
Sorry if this is not supposed to be here.

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By AngryBirdsFanGuy438 (@angrybirdsfanguy438)

Yeah, I saw it, I’m guessing it’s an April Fool’s joke.

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By kevin (@kcox2116)

yes, It now says “April Fools”

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By darthvader (@orangebird09)

The description says “Coming Soon”

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By darthvader (@orangebird09)

It may be another alien bird that we may meet

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

It’s an April Fools joke.

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By Oobgular (@oobgular17)

The skunkbird fooled you!

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By hristaki032 (@hristaki032)

I don’t think I will buy the MSE if it comes out on android.Well maybe 1 or 2 times just to try is out.

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By 3x3qui3l (@3x3qui3l)

Question: I know, we can’t use the ME in PC Version. But, I can see the bird in program files…

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Yes, the images exist, but the functionality is not yet there. Given time, I think it will be for PC eventually.

By BERTIE_1254

Can you give me the space eagle because I dont have and I am stuck in a tricky level

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Please do not post in all caps. It gives the impression that you are yelling at us.

We are not the developers of the app, nor can anyone “give” you a Space Eagle. You have to purchase them.

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By AngryMiko (@angrymiko)

That’s why there is walkthrough…it can help you through tricky level….

By Hmm

Why’d they have to ruin Angry Birds by making it like a stupid gambling app. Gross. You have to PAY for the eagles more than once? And did I see a $20 package? Good lord are they not rich enough yet?

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Please read the first paragraph of this post.

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By stink_boy11 (@)

Hey guys, some merchandise for ABSpace is now available in Walmart (I just got a lazer bird clip on today)

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

That merchandise has been there for over a week.

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By Harrystar6 (@harrystar6)

awesome will this be in Australia

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

I don’t think country makes a difference

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By Harrystar6 (@harrystar6)

@Amslimfordy thats good nice job on the video!

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By Und (@und)

Great review, thanks!

But why don’t you put the quick sum up of where are the free eagles located and how many of them are there?

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

It’s said in the video.

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By MVNLA2 (@mvnla2)

@Slim — Wouldn’t hurt to include in writing in main post. Video doesn’t say how many you get. Seems to be a total of 49 free SE available so far: 3 after 1-10, 3 each for completing PB and CC, 10 for 3*ing each episode (PB, CC, DZ, E).

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By Und (@und)

I watched that, and now re-watched. Right, on 1:05 free Eagles are briefly mentioned. No offence, but I’d like to have the complete and scalable report to know exactly how many free eagles are out there, and where exactly to get them.

Sure, if authors find this type of info irrelevant, I have nothing but to keep this note on my iPhone :)

Getting Free Space Eagles

Along with in-apps, there’s a few places where you can find Space Eagles for free. The amounts are absolutely insufficient, still they can give you a hint on whether your capabilities to tame these creatures.

3 Space Eagles upon completing level 1-10 with any score to unlock the feature and get the first sample
3 Space Eagles as you master Pig Bang
3 Space Eagles as you master Cold cuts
10 Space Eagles for 3-starring Pig Bang
10 Space Eagles for 3-starring Cold Cuts
10 Space Eagles for 3-starring Danger Zone
10 Space Eagles for 3-starring Eggsteroids (note that you can earn Space Eagles here, but not to spend)

In total, 49 Space Eagles so far, while 90 levels are waiting to become feathered. Which leads us to the next chapter…

Which Space Eagle pack is right for you?

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Ok I’ll try to do this later on. I’m a bit stretched right now with the Facebook update.

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By Laurence (@laurence)

Not sure if this tweet or similar has been noted bofore. Key points are that they’re planning to give more away, and also planning on introducing more ways of earning them! :)

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

I think you missed the direct link. That’s just Rovio’s Twitter.

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By Laurence (@laurence)

Whoops, sorry! this should be the direct link!

By PDani

Hi All,
We need some help with my son, beacuse he discovered on youtube, there is Space Eagle. We ordered the PC version and he uses it on my android, also. He would like to have space eagle, but I do not find, where to order. And I do not understand, how we can “win” free eagles, however we completed more-more than this:
(Earning Eagles for Free

You can earn a few Space Eagles during normal gameplay. The number you can earn at this time is not particularly large, but Rovio has said they will add more opportunities down the road. For now, you can earn 49 Eagles:

3 Space Eagles for completing level 1-10;
3 Space Eagles for completing an episode (not including Danger Zone or Eggsteroids); and
10 Space Eagles for 3-starring an episode (including Danger Zone and Eggsteroids).

So, could please anybody help? My son is autist (asperger syndrome), and I am not able to explain him, that he must wait still I can solve this issue, so I will be very thankful, if anybody can help quickly. Thank you so much!

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By AMslimfordy (@amslimfordy)

Per the post:

Why don’t I have the Space Eagle?

The Space Eagle is only available as an in-app purchase for iOS devices at this time. We are not aware of if or when the Space Eagle will come to other platforms. If you are using an iOS device, the Space Eagle does not become available until you pass level 1-10 of Pig Bang.

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By psych (@psych)

What is the suggested amount of eagles to buy? I wish it was just like the other versions where you pay once and get unlimited use.

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