Angry Birds Ovi tips and tricks

Angry Birds, Rovio's bird-catapulting physics puzzler, is the runaway mobile gaming hit of the year. Having started life on iPhone and taken a detour on Android, Angry Birds most recently crashed into Nokia's Ovi store.

Nokia's version is half the size of the version currently on the App Store and 50 per cent smaller than the Android one, but it's still a winner. With its mix of charming visuals, accessible gameplay, and pick-up-and-play appeal, the game fits any touchscreen platform like a glove.

But it's definitely not easy, and it's full of secrets you might not be aware of. So here's a guide - one that's suspiciously similar to the iPhone guide - which covers everything from basic tips to secret goodies, helping you get the most out of Angry Birds.

Angry Birds depicts the life-long struggle of bird-versus-pig, and its your job to catapult these kamikaze birds into the pig's towers, knocking down their houses and defeating the green swines inside.

Simply killing all the birds will unlock the next level, but if you want to get the maximum three stars on each stage, you'll need to aim for some high scores.

The key to getting a high score in Angry Birds is a mixture of deadly efficiency (unused birds net you an automatic 10,000 points each) and unrelenting damage (smashed objects give off small, but quickly accumulated points).

You'll often need to use both strategies at once, though: simply using a very small number of birds might not get all three stars if you didn't make much damage.

Angry Birds renders a pretty convincing simulation of physics, so off-setting balance and attacking weak points is always a more effective strategy than blindly firing at the main reinforced walls.

Plus, some materials are sturdier than others. It's no use fruitlessly bashing away at a stone wall (especially because it takes about three direct hits to finally smash one) when you could focus on the easily destructible wooden platform that's holding it up.

Pinch and zoom to see the entire battlefield on one screen, so you can quickly see how far away your catapult is from the pig's base.

Every bird leaves a trail of dust behind, meaning you can replicate (or slightly deviate from) previous throws without the tedious guesswork.

You don't always have to attack from left to right: if you aim the bird high enough you can attack from above. Perfect for levels with fortified walls, but exposed roofs.

Wait until your previous bird disappears. If you hit your last bird's dazed body, your attack will be significantly dampened.

Red
Unlocked: From beginning

Plain old projectile birds. Won't do anything when tapped, and isn't very tough either.

Blue
Unlocked: World 1, Level 10

Scattershot birds dissipate into three small projectiles when the screen is tapped.

Think of these little guys like a shotgun. You can make a scattershot early to hit a good range of targets, but ideally you want to release these fellows close to the target so all three birds will smash into a small area at once. That's how you inflict the most damage.

Yellow
Unlocked: World 1, Level 16

Kamikaze birds rocket at super speeds when the screen is tapped.

Despite their greatly increased velocity, they still won't do much damage on materials like stone and glass. They rip through wood like it's wet paper, though, allowing you to quickly attack enemies buried deep within a structure.

Black
Unlocked: World 2, Level 5

These are caustic birds that explode to create shockwaves and destroy close blocks and birds. They blow up in their own time, but if you tap you can explode them instantly.

Remember, these guys are so heavy that they'll destroy even a large chunk of stone in just one hit.

White
Unlocked: World 2, Level 14

Egg dropping, maternal birds. Tap the screen to launch an explosive egg from your backside, before firing your now deflated friend into the stratosphere. Get as low to the target as possible for maximum splash damage.

Don't forget: these enemies can still be used as classic red-styled birds if you don't tap. Useful if you just need a boring old projectile.

Developer Rovio has posted videos of every level in themes one through five on its YouTube channel, showing off the best strategies to three star any level.

The bird placement will also help you pass a level if you're just plain old stuck, regardless of star rating.

Here are links to all the videos. Each video contains multiple levels: