Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Attack Battle Game is fun, but I’m not sure how much of a game there actually is. There is no set way to set up the game and no specific scoring mechanism. In a way, this is actually a good thing. While it doesn’t really qualify as a game, as far as I am concerned, and seems more like a “play set” (if that term is used any more) it is a great way to spend time with the kids, or to simply keep them occupied for a good long while.
The instructions are pretty basic. Just a small 3 1/2″ by 8″ piece of paper with three panels on each side.
And so without any formal instructions on how to play the game, players are left to their own devices. This is actually one of the problems, but also a great asset that I don’t think Hasbro is capitalizing on.
At $40 it seems, and is, a bit expensive, especially when compared to other board games on the market. I’m sure that $10 (if not more) of this cost is for the licensing of Angry Birds and Star Wars.
While all the kids wanted to play, I let my 5 year old take the lead on this one. He needed help getting the AT-AT built but he loved launching the birds. By not including any rules, this allowed for some creativity. not only can a solid wall be built and used, intricate arrangements can be made and only Darth Pig the lone figure to be taken out with all the other figures to be used as launchables.
Scoring is what you make of it. Players can award points for pieces and figures knocked down or perhaps just style. One variation can not be point-based but simply taking turns and the last person to knock down the last pig wins. Another variation can be a cooperative game. Or make it a party game.
My biggest problem with Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Battle Attack Game (other than it being a little pricey and not actually a game) is the box. Games (using Hasbro’s wordage) almost always come in boxes that were designed to be reused over and over, storing the game while it sits on the shelf waiting to be played again. Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Battle Attack Game doesn’t. Once you take the items out of the box it will not function as a game storage box. The cardboard is flimsy and snapping together the 3 pieces for the front of the AT-AT makes it not fit inside. I am currently searching the house for an appropriate box to store this in.
Alright, so as a game Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Battle Attack Game isn’t much, but as a play set, it will occupy any number of kids for a good long while. If your kids like Angry Birds or Star Wars you will get some good value. If you’re kids are anything like mine, and enjoy BOTH Angry Birds and Star Wars, you’ll get your money’s worth.