Pig Up! on Facebook: Flapping about is fundamentally flippin' fun
You know, EA has good reason to celebrate buying PopCap for a potential $1.3 billion. For one, it has made some of the most recognizable casual games ever created. But for two, when it crafts new IP (intellectual property), you can bet that brand will be around for a long time.
The very same goes for Pig Up!, the studio's first original IP since Plants vs Zombies. It's as simple as it gets when it comes to casual gaming (Note the absence of social gaming.), but equally as addictive.
From the adorable pig that you keep in the air with Flaps, or finite clicks of the mouse, to the twangy banjos and roar of "Hoooogg Wiiiiiiilld" as you crush evil bees beneath you, everything about Pig Up! is memorable. The game tasks players with launching a brave little piglet into the air with a shoddy cannon strapped to a pickup truck, and keeping it in the air for as long as possible. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds.
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First of all, you're only given so many Flaps to start, because the piglet can only fly by flapping its arms, strapped to wooden planks--can you tell Pig Up! is oozing with southern backwoods flair? Luckily, the game knows for how long you hold the mouse button pressed, as the longer you do, the higher your piglet will reach with a flap of its makeshift wooden wings. This comes in handy when directing your piglet into Flapples, or green (Granny Smith?) apples that restore your number of Flaps by one or two.
As you flap higher and higher, you'll reach new levels that increase your score multiplier (you start at 2X), but the position of the Flapples and bees on screen will remain the same. Speaking of bees, these buggers will hover for a moment and come charging toward your piglet in a straight line. Being hit by one consumes one of your Flapples, but closely dodging bees applies hefty bonuses to your score. Dodge enough bees in succession, and your Hog Wild meter will fill. Once the meter fills, your piglet will become invincible to what sounds like a war cry the dudes from Deliverance would let out, and will gain Flapples from bashing enemy bees. But only for a few moments, so be mindful of when your meter runs out.
As you continue besting your own high score--and your friends', which appear as Flapples to eat in-game--you'll unlock powers to enhance your piggy-piloting abilities a' la Zuma Blitz. Powers like extra Flaps to begin each round with or better yet, rocket packs! (Seriously, could anyone resis a piglet on a jet pack?) These power-ups cost Pig Pence, the game's one and only currency, that players accumulate through playing more rounds or buy outright for Facebook Credits.
The game has little to no social features to speak of (at the moment) other than leader boards, weekly tournaments and posting scores to your Facebook News Feed. Though, that might not be where PopCap is looking with not only Pig Up!, but Facebook gaming in general. Players who thrive on sending gifts to and visiting friends daily won't find much in this new PopCap game. For the rest of you, the game's anime-esque art style, simplistic if addictive gameplay hook and charming humor will certainly keep you coming back for one more flap.
Click here to play Pig Up! on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Pig Up! on Facebook yet? What do you think of PopCap releasing another IP before bringing another of its iconic brands to the social network? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
