Angry Birds Go! is a Mascot Racer Spin-Off of the Angry Birds franchise, and the first completely 3D game in the series. It was developed by Exient and published by Rovio Entertainment.
The story goes simply that the pigs are having a racing competition for a delicious cake. The birds come across it, like the cake as well and decide to join in. Yeah, that's about it but hey, at least both sides aren't fighting over eggs this time.
The game is a one-lap downhill racer where you guide your selected character in handcrafted carts to make it to the finish line. The modes are as follows:
- Race: Standard racing, beat the other opponents and try to finish in the top 3.
- Vs: A one-on-one race with a randomly chosen character. Unlike other modes, you don't have to qualify for this one. Though the higher the difficulty you choose, the faster your opponent will be.
- Time Boom: A solo race where you try to beat the clock, avoiding obstacles in your way.
- Fruit Splat/Ice Splat: A race done against pig opponents. The object isn't to win, but rather to smash enough fruit/cold desserts before you reach the finish line. The pigs, however, can do it too.
- Champion Chase: A one-on-one race against a certain character. You must beat them three times, after which they can be recruited for your character selection.
- Slalom: A combination of Time Boom and Fruit Splat where players need to go through gates before the timer runs out. Missing a gate spawns TNT crates and reduces the timer. Exclusive only to Sub Zero tracks, which replaces Champion Chase. Removed in the second version.
The more races you win, the more coins you get to upgrade your ride and qualify for other events. There's also challenges once the main modes (save for Vs and Champion Chase) are beaten five times.
An interesting thing about the game is that it's more based around characters than around the karts, as they all share a version of the selected kart beforehand.note However, as of version 1.2.0, a random kart is chosen. (ex: Bubbles racing in the Home Runner L3 can be 435cc. Each character has their own special move, which makes for some good strategy on who to use for certain races. The game was soft-launched in New Zealand on November 26, 2013 and in Australia a day later and was released worldwide on December 11, 2013 for iOS and Android and December 24 for Kindle Fire and is free to play. The game also supports the Telepods (first seen in Angry Birds Star Wars II) where you can buy the toys and place them on your tablets to unlock characters.
On June 30, 2016, version 2.0 was released. The update completely overhauled the game, redesigning the game's main campaign, adding new features, and more. In 2019, the game was delisted from stores.
Angry Birds Go! contains examples of the following tropes:
- Achievement System: This game has achievements tied to your Game Center (iOS) and/or Google Play Games (Android) account.
- The Alleged Car: You start out the game with this on your first playthrough, which breaks down after your first race. Not that it's a poor quality kart, though.
- Allegedly Free Game: As expected for an Angry Birds game. The game is free to play, but players can buy Gems using real money, though Gems can also be accumulated in normal gameplay.
- Anti Poop-Socking:
- In version 1.0, supposedly, the cupcakes serve this purpose, as well as forcing you to use a variety of characters instead of sticking with one or two that you consider to be the best. In the earlier parts, this kinda worked, but once you have a lot of characters to race as, this trope has less effect unless you're spending a few hours grinding for coins/jewels. Even more so if you join an online multiplayer team, as every member can send a cupcake to each other.
- Version 2.0 instead uses the more conventional Energy system used in most multiplayer mobile games. While there are some differences compared to the "cupcake" system, it's still fundamentally the same.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: When you beat Matilda and Foreman Pig in their respective Champion Chase battles for the third time, their ending cutscenes show Matilda kissing the player and Foreman Pig throwing "TNT" at the player respectively.
- Bribing Your Way to Victory: Par for the course with an Angry Birds game, you can buy more coins and jewels if you don't feel like racing for them. As well as buying the customized carts. Likewise using the Telepods.
- Car Fu: Since the cars are made of easily breakable material, it's encouraged to slam into them to wreck your opponents ride.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: In version 2.0, the obtainable Upgrade Parts are colored based on their rarity: Gray (regular), gold (Rare), and purple (Epic).
- The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: On Champion Races, the computer-controlled opponent can spam special moves repeatedly. Also, don't expect to beat Chuck on your first try if you get him in Vs. mode.
- Crutch Character: The "Ayrton Senna" Chuck, for the newcomers who got the game when the update that introduces him took effect. Anyone can "try out" the character, but seeing that he retains Chuck's special power... (however, since kart customization is also a key to winning races, using only that Chuck can only get you so far before those cheating AIs begin to kick in). He was eventually removed in the version 2.0 update.
- A Day in the Limelight: Chuck is pretty much the main mascot of this game seeing how he's the fastest bird of the flock. Not surprisingly, he's also the final character you have to unlock. He's also the one who is the center of the "Formula 1 legend tribute" update, as another, separate Chuck character dressed up as Ayrton Senna is made available temporarily.
- Everyone Has a Special Move: Wouldn't be a racing game without 'em. Though unlike most examples they're available from the start though how many uses depends on the character (or how much your willing to spend).
- Excuse Plot: Everyone wants a cake, let's have a race! Note that what little of "plot" as mentioned above was removed in the v2.0 update, making this a case of No Plot? No Problem!.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: The Angry Birds go karting with the pigs who keep stealing their eggs.
- Gusty Glade: All of the tracks in the "Air" course have strong winds blowing through to support flight.
- Nerf: All special powers cannot remove obstacles after the Weekly Tournament Update patch.
- No Plot? No Problem!: The game originally had a plot, but it was removed in version 2.0.
- Product Placement: The game has had items based on products from Jenga (which the obstacles are made from in Fruit Splat mode), Pepperidge Goldfish (a powerup you can use at the starting line that grafts a goldfish-shaped booster on your cart, spewing out little goldfish during the race) and State Farm (a power-up that, fittingly enough, repairs your kart during the race). Version 2.0, however, removed all references to those products except for Jenga, turning the power-ups back into ordinary-looking items (and in Turbo Kart's case, a poorly designed version of Kyle Larson's NASCAR).
- Recycled with a Gimmick: Basically Mario Kart with birds and pigs.
- Red Ones Go Faster: The Turbo Kart is fast, and mostly red. Downplayed for Red and his ability, though.
- Spiteful A.I.: Opponents will quickly use their special moves if you get too far ahead (especially in Chuck's case) or they're driving right next to you.