Angry Birds and Other App Store Greats Are Making a Comeback on Apple Arcade

Back in April, Apple announced some big changes to the content strategy for its Apple Arcade game subscription service, moving away from focusing solely on original game titles to add a back catalog of older games from the golden age of the App Store.

In doing so, Apple split Arcade into three categories: games produced specifically for the service became “Apple Arcade Originals” while “Timeless Classics” featured familiar puzzle and board games like Sudoku, Backgammon, and Solitaire, and “App Store Greats” delivered well-known and classic iPhone titles that were once paid or ad-supported games, made available through Apple with no ads or in-app purchases.

The includes games like Monument Valley, Mini Metro, Threes!, Fruit Ninja Classic, Badland, and The Room Two, many of which were from developers who have also released newer titles as Apple Arcade Originals.

Of course, none of that meant that Apple had any plans to abandon its originals, and it offered up some fantastic new games as part of the same announcement just to hammer the point home — that the best content on Apple Arcade would still come from its originals, with the others being more of a value-added category.

Still, it’s also clear that these new categories weren’t a one-time addition either, and Apple plans to continue adding to its “App Store Greats” with three new recognizable games announced this week.

These latest entries, however, aren’t merely Arcade-enabled copies of older games, but rather reimagined and enhanced versions of beloved classics from yesteryear.

For example, first up is Angry Birds Reloaded, based on the classic that took mobile gaming by storm when it was released by Finnish developer Rovio back in 2009. It’s arguably been one of the most successful mobile game franchises in history, spawning everything from stuffed toys to comic books, an animated series, and even two feature films and a Broadway musical.

While Angry Birds had a seemingly endless number of sequels, this one is a remastering of the very first one. Although it adds a few new characters from the movie universe, plus along with a new game mode, new power ups, and new levels, it’s expected to remain true to the original gameplay experience.

The third chapter in Snowman’s Alto franchise is also finally arriving, in the form of Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City. While the Toronto-based studio has already released two other popular Arcade Originals, Where Cards Fall and Skate City, this will take it back to its roots with the classic Alto’s Odyssey. Much like Angry Birds Reloaded, this is more of an expansion than a whole new game, but that’s arguably all that an eminently replayable game like Alto’s Odyssey really needs.

Last up is a redrawn version of Doodle God Universe, a world-building puzzle game that puts you in the role of omnipotent ruler of an empty planet that must grow it into a thriving world starting with only four elements.

So far, Apple has only teased the new games on its Apple Arcade Twitter account. There’s no word on exactly when they’ll be arriving, although we’d imagine we’ll see them sooner rather than later, and of course like all Apple Arcade titles, they’ll be free of ads and any kind of in-app purchasing systems, and available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, so you’ll get the full gaming experience as part of your Apple Arcade subscription.