Rovio's new game, Amazing Alex, loses the pigs, keeps the physics

July 12, 2012|By Deborah Netburn

<p>Getting sick of hurling birds at pigs? You're in luck.</p><p>Rovio, maker of the Angry Birds franchise, released Amazing Alex on Thursday -- the first game from the Finnish mobile gaming company that does not involve pigs, birds or sling shots.</p></div></div><div class="float" style="clear:both;height:1px;line-height:1px;"><img src="/images/pixel.gif" height="1" width="1" alt="" /></div><div id="mod-ctr-lt-in-top" class="mod-latarticlesadcpc mod-adcpc with-fourth-cpc"><script type="text/javascript"> var adSkipCounter = 0; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "amazing alex mobile gaming new game game makers";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200"; google_ad_output="js"; google_ad_channel="5212128158,5696524716,8321278795,8261105409"; google_ad_type="text"; google_image_size="300x250"; google_safe="high"; google_feedback="on"; google_max_num_ads="2"; google_skip="" + adSkipCounter + ""; google_adtest="off"; google_page_url=document.URL; function google_ad_request_done(ads) { if (ads.length == 0) { return; } // If no ads are returned then dont build the ad block if (ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { adSkipCounter += ads.length; } // Increment ad skip counter when cpc google_ad_request_done_internal(ads, "", "", "true", "medium_rectangle", "", "", "pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=32654087&cat=hobbies+%26+leisure&pe_id=32654087&tv=ap-LA12-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=5696524716&rnccn=g1-Hobbies+%26+Literature&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=8261105409&rnlcn=8261105409&rnp=c&rt=cpc&paidClick=1&placement_id=ctr-lt-in-top", "", "", "", "", "", "ap-LA12-G02", "Los Angeles Times Articles"); } //]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/google_ad_request.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para" class="mod-latarticlesarticletextwithadcpc mod-latarticlesarticletext mod-articletext"><p>What Amazing Alex does share with the company's family of insanely popular Angry Birds games is play based on the laws of physics.</p><p>Amazing Alex's game play revolves around a curious little boy, Alex, who builds <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/rube-goldberg-PECLB001976.topic">Rube Goldberg</a>-esque contraptions in order to complete simple tasks like cleaning his room. In the game, players can use soccer balls, toy cars, tilting shelves, scissors, magnets, pails and boxing gloves to accomplish a task.</p><p>The game is based on a now defunct iPad game called <span>"Casey's Contraptions" from game makers Snappy Touch and Mystery Coconut Games, which Rovio bought and tinkered with to create Amazing Alex.</span></p><p>"The gameplay is a perfect fit in our arsenal with its approachable, fun and highly addictive take on the physics puzzler genre," Rovio's vice president of franchise development Ville Heijari <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/170084/Rovio_confirms_acquisition_of_Caseys_Contraptions_IP.php">told</a> the website Gamasutra in May when the new game was <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-rovio-introduces-amazing-alex-20120514,0,7289271.story">announced</a>.</p><p>Amazing Alex comes with 100 levels, but players are also invited to design new levels using 35 interactive objects and share them either among friends or with the entire "Amazing Alex" playing public.</p><p>The big question, of course, is whether Amazing Alex has the kind of legs that Angry Birds has. In May of 2012, Rovio said that various versions of the addictive Angry Birds game had been downloaded more than 1 billion times. </p><p><strong>ALSO:</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-rovio-introduces-amazing-alex-20120514,0,7289271.story">Rovio to follow Angry Birds with Amazing Alex</a></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-apple-video-iphone-20120712,0,6934180.story">Does an Apple video recruiting video reveal a bigger iPhone?</a></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-yahoo-confirms-hack-20120712,0,2875544.story">Yahoo confirms 400,000 accounts hacked, some passwords hacked</a></p><p>Follow Deborah Netburn on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/DeborahNetburn">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109675776633752908527/posts">Google+</a></p></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para-ad-cpc" class="mod-adcpc"> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; 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