GAME
OF THE
DAY
Mama Hawk
Rule the skies.
Angry birds, meet hungry birds. In Mama Hawk, your job is to keep your baby birds fed.
Start by snatching mice from a side-scrolling landscape, swiping to fly. Then return to your hatchlings, who are high up in a tree chirping for sustenance. Tap to drop your catch into their eager mouths.
Assuming your aim is true, the little birds grow up and fly away to live their own lives, hopefully calling home from time to time. Fail to feed them and they float away to the sweet hereafter. But don’t stress too much: The whole time, you’re guided by soothing acoustic music that’ll put you in a maternal mood.
Still, the game is harder than it sounds. Not all nearby animals are food. It’s best to avoid skunks, as their toxic stench makes swift work of your life bar. Other critters are just plain tough to grab – rabbits, for instance, make a strong effort to avoid being eaten (can you blame them?), jumping out of the way if you get too close. Deer run away as soon as they see you and are too heavy to lift. Good luck catching them.
Successfully feeding the chicks in each level – while scooping up floating coins – lets you upgrade your mama hawk’s outfit and skills. You’ll need these: Boosts in speed, health and claw size are all super-helpful for getting your birds fed before their hunger meters drop to zero and you’re left with an empty nest. We recommend prioritising wing strength first – you’ll need it to pick up heavy deer.
After each level, you’ll be treated to a great slo-mo fireworks effect. It’s not quite the same as an action hero coolly walking away from an explosion without looking back, but you’ll feel like one just the same.