So you like Oz: The Great and Powerful, you dig Judy Garland, and you’re a big Angry Birds fan. Great news: a new app called Witches vs. Monkeys, which is free for iOS, lets you play as two iconic characters from the Wizard of Oz, but in an Angry Birds sort of way: players use a giant slingshot to catapult broom-riding witches at winged monkeys.
A melange of Angry Birds and The Wizard of Oz, Witches vs. Monkeys is a 30-level game that’s surprisingly challenging. Witches come in five different colors, with varying powers, but all weigh the same. Winged monkeys of various sizes sit in, on, or under collapsible stacked structures, and they die from direct or indirect hits, but they can have several lives.
Perhaps the game played more hours on smart mobile devices than any other, Angry Birds has spawned its own sub-genre of slingshot-based games. Witches vs. Monkeys takes the best from the classic series and makes improvements to various aspects of gameplay. The setup of the two games is the same – players fire living projectiles from left to right across the screen. Gamers can control both the direction and force of their shot when pulling back on the elastic slingshot. And players can choose between direct (flat trajectory) or indirect (ballistic trajectory) fire.
Witches vs. Monkeys incorporates a more powerful slingshot, requiring greater skill to prevent undershooting or overshooting. Witches/projectiles are all the same mass, making it easier to approximate their flight. However, it is impossible to view the targets when firing in WvM. Players can drag from right to left to view the monkeys, structures, and obstacles, but they must scroll fully back to shoot. This means that gamers must maintain a mental picture of the target area while firing, more difficult than firing at a target that is visible.
While all the same weight, witches have different levels of magical powers and can cause varying degrees of damage, often accompanied by eye-catching special effects. In order of power, the five witches are: Black, Red, Brown, Blue, and Green. There are five sizes of animated monkeys, and following a non-lethal hit each may wear one, two, or three bandages before exploding. All monkeys must be cleared to advance to the next level.
Witches vs. Monkeys includes a variety of interactive objects placed near the monkeys, including: a witch’s cauldron, crystal balls, treasure chests, gold bars, candle holders, rubies, diamonds, precious stones, and more. These can help a player achieve a higher score while leveling up.
Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3GS/4/4S/5, iPod touch (3rd/4th/5th generation), and iPad
* Requires iOS 5.1 or later
* Universal app optimized for display on all iOS devices
* 61.6 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Witches vs. Monkeys 1.0 is free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Entertainment category. Unlocking the last 25 levels requires an in-app purchase of $0.99 (USD).