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    The wait is finally over — Angry Birds Stella is out now for iOS and Android via Google Play, NOOK, and Blackberry 10 with Windows Phone coming soon! Download the app now and join Stella and her friends Dahlia, Poppy, Willow and Luca in their battle to defend the Golden Island from Gale and her band of portly pigs.
    Important! Currently, your score is ONLY shown when you complete the level. In other words, it’s not shown in the top right of the screen like normal. Until this is fixed, I recommend you note your score and grab a screenshot before the level exits. We have informed Rovio of this, so hopefully it is changed.

    • • •

    Let’s jump right into it shall we!

    At this time we aren’t exactly sure how many levels there are, but Stella is broken down into two main episodes. In the first episode each batch of levels introduces a new bird and is finished off with a super fun “Wall of Pigs” level. At the end of the first episode there is “Giant Gold Flower” bonus level.

    All told, episode one contains sixty normal levels, five Wall of Pigs, and one bonus level — so 66 levels in all. Wow! We will update this as we know more about episode 2, which is Beach Day.

    While Stella gameplay is familiar, there are a number of things that take some getting used to. The fact that your highscore is NOT displayed while playing a level is by far the biggest (how do I improve my score or compete against my friends?). I just can’t imagine that was intentional. Anyhow, I digress. The other big difference is that you don’t just tap to trigger a bird’s ability, rather you tap AND hold. While this takes some getting used to — especially with Dahlia and Willow — it’s actually really cool and I find it quite helpful.

    It goes without saying, but Angry Birds Stella is story driven, so it follows a more linear path than the other Angry Birds flinger apps. As you progress through episode one each area reveals a new character and their house. Let’s break those down.
    Birds + Abilities (in order of appearance)

    Angry Birds Stella Character Stella

    Stella | Superpower: Pink Flash
    She will ricochet off various types of materials, but not all (e.g. glass).

    Angry Birds Stella Character Poppy

    Poppy | Superpower: Tornado Dive
    Unlocked after level 12. She goes wild and spins straight down through most types of blocks, but better through wood and glass.

    Angry Birds Stella Character Luca

    Luca | Superpower: Soundwave Shock
    Unlocked after level 23. His sonic blast shatters glass and goes through wood effectively. It doesn’t travel through stone.

    Angry Birds Stella Character Willow

    Willow | Superpower: Vortex Spin
    Unlocked after level 34. As you tap and hold she pivots and upon release she saws through wood and glass like a knife through butter, but they will alter her trajectory. Definitely a bit tricky to get used to.

    Angry Birds Stella Character Dahlia

    Dahlia | Superpower: Science-Fu
    Unlocked after level 47. This is a neat ability, but also tricky to master at first. The key here is to remember that she will teleport in the direction she is headed. Tap and hold and then release when she’s where you want her.

    Now that we have Stella and friends out of the way let’s figure out some ways to master the actual gameplay.
    Gameplay Tips

    • As I mentioned above, when triggering a bird’s ability you can now tap and HOLD for a certain amount of time. This allows you to aim more precisely and get an idea of the bird’s trajectory and final destination.
    • The total number of stars you’ve accumulated is shown in the top left corner. Earning stars is important as the extra birds in your line-up are unlocked when you achieve a certain number. Without these extra birds you don’t get your 10,000 point bonuses.
    • You can bounce off large drums and still use the birds’ ability afterwards.
    • Look for sparkling flowers and try to destroy them, as they will earn you 3,000 points each.

    Other Useful Info

    • At this time we are unsure if there are any hidden items to collect (ala, Golden Eggs).
    • The scrapbook allows you to access the characters and costumes you’ve unlocked
    • There is a hammer Power Up that is first unlocked on level 13. After using it it takes a certain amount of time for it to recharge or you can spend coins and use it immediately.
    • As you enter new areas a smoke screen comes up that forces you to either wait a certain amount of time or spend coins to proceed. See screenshot below.
    • Certain pigs release floating coins. Either tap them or simply wait for the bubble to pop.
    • Your earn bonus coins each time you beat a Wall of Pigs level. The amount varies by level.
    • Starting with level 5 the scores required to earn 1, 2, and 3 stars are revealed and the line up of birds is set.
    • No Rovio Accounts option … yet.
    • You can connect to Facebook and compete against your friends; however, currently your scores are only shown upon completing a level.
    • Game Center support with achievements and leaderboards.
    • Let us know if you find any other mini-games, such as the one in the credits that we revealed here.

    Helpful Links

    Screenshots
    [gallery ids="62169,62167,62168,62170,62171,62166" cols="2" size="medium"]

    • • •

    So there we have it! Angry Birds Stella definitely doesn’t disappoint. It’s a fun new adventure that offers enjoyable gameplay and an immersive story. My only real gripe is that I want it to be easier to see my scores so I can improve them and compete with others! I’m sure you will all agree.

    Now it’s your turn. Share your thoughts below? Did we miss something? We want to know that too!

  • I think it synchronizes trough facebook

  • Hi @kathy nice to have you around here. What this game concerns: pull the bird in the same way as @E-star did and release. That, you repeat until you got a good score. Scores vary enormous. Good luck

  • Thank you so much for sharing your alternate 2nd bird shot, @swelld!! The swirl didn’t seem to match up, but it didn’t take too long (or, more likely, luck) to land Terrance on that horizontal stone plank just right.

  • Today’s Challenge is Angry Birds Star Wars Death Star 2 Level 6-2! Can you top the average score of 109,288 or the highscore of 125,110? Head over to the Angry Birds Challenge page to find out!

  • New My Name is Poppy vid has been released on AB Toons. I can’t get a Youtube link, but you can look it up. I haven’t seen anything about it on the site yet.

  • @mpg973 nice job indeed! as usual ur videos just make me smile when I watch them!

  • Well, I sent an email to Rovio. All I can do is wait and see if they respond…

    EDIT: Got a response. It says they are going to have to look into it further.

    On the plus side, they gave me 100 free Lucky Coins as compensation!

  • @gelfling First off, I really appreciate the feedback and you bringing this stuff up.

    First things first, awhile back I implemented an email that is sent to new users after they activate their account here. I just tweaked that email to include some additional links:

    Hi [username],

    We are delighted that you have joined, and we want you to…[Read more]

  • @hemma thank a lot, you saved me from getting insane

  • Today’s Challenge is Angry Birds Space Red Planet Level 5-5! Can you top the average score of 146,552 or the highscore of 172,840? Head over to the Angry Birds Challenge page to find out!

  • Not sure if this is a bug, but…I was able to get the Archmage hat, because I have an Android tablet. I also have the game on my iPhone4S.

    I was able to upgrade the Archmage to Elite status. However, when I later tried playing on my tablet again, I saw there was a letter in my inbox offering the Archmage again.

    Being the idiot I am, I clicked…[Read more]

  • Hi, Yellow should straighten out when you tap the screen.

  • 387230 with Jingle Sling, all birds and Wingman.

    First bird up to the bottom of the left, detonate on impact. Pops the stone planks up on the left column and gets the glass planks on the right moving. […]

  • @cosmo2503 I saw this available to download in the Finnish iTunes App Store today. My guess is it’s not yet available worldwide. If you happen to see it pop up please let us know.

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