Fresh Android Games for Mar. 23: Angry Birds Rio, DragonFight

The birds are back but this time in Rio (Angry Birds Rio). After you’ve played every level of it, go train a dragon (DragonFight).

Angry Birds Rio (Free, $0.99 soon)

Pop the champagne! Amazon.com’s new Amazon Appstore is now open for business and to draw attention they’re giving away a brand new version of Angry Birds – a tie in to the upcoming movieRio – called, cleverly enough, Angry Birds Rio.

Is it really a different version or just the same game with a new label? The mechanics are the same – you slingshot the famous birds with anger management issues at challenging forts, trying to knock them down. But, the plot is all-new. The birds have been abducted by smugglers and taken to Rio de Janeiro. They must bust out and save other kidnapped birds to win the day.

Note: It’s only free for a very limited time. Thereafter, it will be 99 cents.

DragonFight *FIRE AdSupport* (Free)

Maybe you’ve seen How to Train Your Dragon. This game lets you get in on the action over your Android phone.

Create your own dragon from the elements of fire, water, and earth. Then, teach him how to fight and survive quests. You’ll find over 50 challenges from finding rare gems to flying adventures.

Connect using Facebook to see if your friends have their own dragons. If so, challenge them to a battle that will determine who is the greatest dragon trainer of all.

[Update] Jet Set Games launches Highborn turn-based strategy game exclusively on the Amazon App Store

The crew over at Jet Set Games have launched a wicked looking turn-based strategy game called Highborn onto the Android platform. Now this is were you'll have to get used to hearing this next line. It is available exclusively on the Amazon App Store. This is obviously going to be a trend if it wants to compete with the Android Market.

Previously, Highborn was only available on iOS and the Chrome Store, that's something you don't read every day. Well now it has been brought over to Android as well. While the action takes place on a large map as you move your forces around and engage in combat like a normal RTS, the story is more or less just for fun and is filled with all sorts of humor.

“Highborn has been a great success on iOS devices and we’ve wanted to port the game to other operating systems for some time now,” said Rade Stojsavljevic, president of Jet Set Games. “The expansion to Google Chrome late last year was the first step, but releasing Highborn for the Android OS will make the game available to millions of new players. We look forward to watching the community grow, and continuing to release new content for the players.”

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Features:
·  A Light Touch – Highborn is a casual mobile strategy game that offers a satisfying experience for players, no matter if they spend minutes or hours in the game.
·  Time for a New Strategy – Highborn features a unique blend of strategic movement and 3D combat that caters to a variety of gameplay styles and offers a great deal of replayability.
·  Many Styles of Play – Players unlock hero characters as they progress through the game, giving them access to different abilities and play styles, along with different strategies to use against their opponents.
·  Achieve Greatness – More than 20 single- and multiplayer achievements to unlock, including judicious use of turns, using units as bait, and making it through an entire mission without capturing support structures.

If you have been waiting for a solid RTS game, since there isn't a huge selection of them yet on Android, then this will be one to check out to fill that void. Highborn should work on most newer Android phones with Android 2.1+. Again, you'll have to use the Amazon App Store to purchase this game which will set you back $0.99. Full press release below.

Aircell Android handset announced as “the world’s first airborne smartphone”

Aircell – the only company in the US authorized by the FCC and FAA to use frequencies in the 800 MHz band for inflight communications – has announced its first smartphone.

Called Aircell Smartphone, the device is based on an unspecified version of Android – another proof that Google’s OS is conquering everything.

The new smartphone will “allow passengers to place and receive voice calls aboard business aircraft.” Designed specifically for aircraft use, the device has a large 3.8 inch touchhscreen display (of unknown resolution), Bluetooth, integrated audio jack, and an alphanumeric keypad: