Alright, I have a copy of the Rio DVD in hand and I think it clears up a lot of confusion. I will do my best to articulate this for everyone. How you obtain the new “Golden Beachball” episode differs depending whether you’re on a iOS/Android device or PC/Mac. It’s unclear if other platforms will be supported, but at this point the instructions the come with the DVD currently say, “Available on iOS and Android only” (in addition to the PC & Mac). I’ve broken the instructions below and linked to the scanned images of the actual inserts found in the Rio DVD / Blu-ray (sorry, the code is obscured).
First though, a bit of background on the new episode. Currently the “Golden Beachball” episode contains 15 levels. Most of the levels are quite fun and some are actually pretty challenging. The leaderboard and walkthroughs are ready!
Updates:
The latest update for Symbian includes the Golden Beachball Episode
Weird bug (caught on video): for some people once you unlock the Golden Beachball levels it will show you have 17 out of 15 watermelons. If you watch the video below very closely you can see the count change after FujiToast returns to the episode selection screen after obtaining the Golden Beachball. Fixed in the Airfield Chase v1.3.0 update.
There are currently no achievements available in Golden Beachball (this was likely done to keep it a secret).
If you have issues it looks like Rovio and Fox have a dedicated support email address: angrybirdsrio@foxcustomercare.com.
Mac users can now obtain the Golden Beachball episode, but not in the traditional manner (see below).
To unlock the new episode you have to find the Golden Beachball that is hidden in an existing level (video walkthrough below). You DO NOT have to enter a code. This works in both Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Rio Free (as of the v1.2.0 update).
Launch Angry Birds Rio select Beach Volley and head to level 6-13. In Angry Birds Rio Free head to level 3-2.
Now you need to drop a bird below the slingshot platform as shown in the video below (click here to see the graphical instructions). To do this lightly pull back on a red bird and fire him almost straight up. You want him to fall in the crevasse right in front of the slingshot, but he’ll need enough force to roll for a bit. Once you drop the bird in the opening below the slingshot the Golden Beachball will pop up (it is not visible until you get your bird down there). If your bird has enough speed it will rollover and get it.
Once you hit it the levels will now be available. Head back to the level selection screen and swipe to the left in order to access the new levels!
If you already have installed the latest update (v1.2.2) for Angry Birds Rio PC open it up. If you haven’t yet installed it head over to download.angrybirds.com and download and install it.
Now launch Angry Birds Rio and click “Redeem Code” and enter the code found on the insert that came in the DVD or Blu-ray copy of Rio. Caution: per Rovio, this code will only work ONCE, so make sure your entering on the computer you want to play on. Also, if you purchase the movie digitally — say through iTunes — you won’t get a code, so take that into consideration.
Upon successfully activating your code the Golden Beachball levels will open up.
Note, for unknown reasons the Angry Birds Rio v1.2.2 Mac update didn’t contain the Golden Beachball episode, so Rovio has offered up a new method of obtaining it.
Once there scroll down a bit and in the gray instruction box click the “Mac” tab at the top.
The first arrow prompts you to, “Download Angry Birds Rio Bonus Version from here.” Download it to your Mac. Note, that is says “OS 10.6” or better required.
Once it’s downloaded double-click it and drag the Angry Birds Bonus icon to your Applications folder. It’s now installed. Launch it!
If you have a copy of Rio on DVD or Blu-ray and haven’t used the secret code yet, click “Redeem Code” and enter the code found on the insert that came with the movie.
