PixlBit

By now, I think everyone knows what Angry Birds is – since its release on the iOS in December 2009, it has swept the market. The object of the game is quite simple; slingshot a variety of birds with differing abilities at pieced together structures on the other side of a map in an attempt to destroy various pigs. Simplicity is what makes the game so attractive and easy to pick up on a whim. While Angry Birds is a well-done game, the PlayStation Minis port of the title is lackluster due to a jumpy frame rate and subpar controls.

As players work their way through the Angry Birds quest, it becomes immediately apparent just how massive it is. Consisting of hundreds of levels, players must try their hardest to both defeat the enemy pigs and destroy the structures that protect them, all while conserving as many birds as possible. By observing this delicate balance players can complete levels as well as earn a high score of up to three stars per level.

The basic level structure starts players on the screen's left side, with the very first bird in the arsenal starting in the giant slingshot used for sending the birds flying. From this point, players simply pull back on the control stick to produce the desired trajectory, and then launch the bird towards the other side of the screen. Upon colliding, the birds will either displace or destroy the pieces that comprise the structures holding or protecting the evil pigs. With semi-realistic physics effects in place, structures will tumble with relative accuracy, similar to what Wii players experienced in EA's Boom Blox titles.

Many levels in the game, though based on physics, have been set-up in such a way that hitting the proper block or object on the stage will cause a domino effect. This aspect morphs Angry Birds from a simple accuracy-based destruction title to a puzzle game that relies on accurate destruction. The resulting product is far more engaging than physics-based destruction as it promotes replayability. Nothing is more satisfying than figuring out the Achilles ' heel of a puzzle and using your accuracy-based skills to destroy it.

Surprisingly, it's not all that easy to pick out the exact block or succession of moves that will tear down an entire structure. With a variety of blocks in play that can only be destroyed by certain birds at certain times, things grow increasingly complicated as the levels press onward. Even after identifying the right way to complete a level, hitting the proper spot is by no means easy.

The blue birds, for instance, are able to split into three on command. Activating this ability at the proper moment is absolutely crucial. Invoking the command too early may cause the birds to spread out too wide and miss the target, whereas activating it too late could make them hit too small of a target, or worse, won't activate in time to spread out.

Both the black and white birds have explosive properties, though each work in a different way. Black birds will explode on command, even after coming in contact with a structure, while the white birds drop explosives below them and subsequently rocket off the screen. With the later levels in the game providing intricate defenses for the pigs, knowledge of how to exploit a structure's weakness, as well as proper execution of a skill, is absolutely critical for success.

While Angry Birds is undoubtedly an engaging game full of simple, but deep gameplay concepts, its port to the PlayStation Minis platform is truly under par. The most staggering issue is control; mainly because players will need to use a control stick in order to launch the birds, as opposed to a touch screen – the peripheral the game was developed for.

Conceptually, the control stick works great, but it lacks a certain finesse that only the touch screen can offer. Generally speaking, players will be able to easily adapt to the change – of course, only if they decide to play the game on the PlayStation 3. If you are purchasing Angry Birds for on-the-go play on the PSP, you might want to reconsider. The analog nub is absolutely atrocious for controlling the game as it is far too stiff and doesn't offer the fine-grained precision that Angry Birds demands. Even after hours of play, I still couldn't adjust to play with the analog nub.

Yet another concerning issue that spans both systems is the lack of ability to zoom outward at any given distance. Players have only two choices: too close to see anything or too far away to even tell where they're aiming. At least in the touch screen versions of the game, players can zoom to the perfect distance with a pinching or pulling gesture in order to take an accurate shot.

My experience with Angry Birds on both the iPhone 3G and a few different Android devices has proven that the game is smooth-running, with little-to-no slowdown or framerate dips. On both the PSP and the PlayStation 3, nearly every time a bird came in contact with blocks, the game started to chug. Though this is more understandable on the PSP, it is nearly unfathomable on the PlayStation 3. In either case, it's a poor representation of the original title.

I truly enjoy Angry Birds, just not in its PlayStation Minis form. If you don't have access to a smartphone of some sort and would still like to experience the casual smash hit, make sure you purchase it on the PlayStation 3. If your intention is to play the game on your PSP, don't bother – it poorly represents the game and provides for unbelievable frustration due mostly to the shoddy control scheme.