There’s a new Angry Birds game out, and this one features “birds disguised as robots in disguise.” Angry Birds Transformers is a play on the Transformers movies and is right in line with the previously released Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Rio games.

Much as Rovio did with Angry Birds Star Wars, Angry Birds Transformers aims to cash in on nostalgia while also enticing younger players that are just getting into Transformers.

Gameplay

You have to love the names that Rovio has come up with here including “Autobirds” and “Deceptihogs.” As you might have guessed, the Angry Birds take on the names and of your favorite Transformers, only instead of car heads the birds have robotic-looking bird heads - and, yes, they still transform into vehicles of various kinds.

While the formula might seem familiar, this Angry Birds game doesn’t include flinging any birds across your screen. Instead, Rovio has decided to make this version a much more hands-on experience that involves tapping on background images and enemies to either blow up an enemy or to make something happen in the background, all while your robot birds runs across the screen at top speed. So don’t expect to throw birds in this version of Angry Birds.

Angry Birds Gets Social

Not only is Angry Birds Transformers completely different as far as gameplay goes, this version of the game also includes a lot of social networking tie-ins. Users can connect with other players via Facebook, and bring friends to join in a game. To ask a friend to join in the game, users just have to tap a button that asks friends for game help.

Of course, Rovio has to make money with the new Angry Birds Transformers game too, and revenue in this game comes from “gems” that users can buy to speed up gameplay time. Gems are priced around $4 per gem, though it depends on the kind of gem used. Gamers can also purchase packs of gems for a much higher price (around $100 for a bundle). If gems aren’t purchased, the wait between levels can be many hours (gems let you level up instantly).

Overall Impressions

Angry Birds Transformers is a lot of fun to play, and it’s a nice change of pace from the Angry Birds of old that we all grew to love. This isn’t a game where throwing birds is at the center of gameplay, but it’s still a game that’s unique and colorful and fun to play. Sure, Angry Birds Transformers might exist in part to help the Transformers franchise expand and sell more things, but the game is actually a lot of fun - so much fun that it might even help Rovio out of the slump the company is currently in.

Angry Birds Transformers is available for iOS right now, but Rovio has stated that the company is working on the Android version of the game, so you can expect that version to appear very soon. This game will appeal to the nostalgic part of you, but it’s also something that most kids will enjoy too.