Iron Maiden Mascot Turned Into Playable ‘Angry Birds’ Character
Iron Maiden are getting the video-game treatment this Halloween season. The band's mascot, Eddie the Head, becomes "Eddie the Bird," a playable character in the game's latest update, Angry Birds Evolution.
Eddie -- who has been featured on every Iron Maiden album cover, on singles, in much of their merchandise and in their live shows -- will appear in the game for two weeks, beginning Oct. 18. Players who successfully recruit Eddie the Bird to their team during that time will be able to keep him forever.
Rovio, the company responsible for the massively popular Angry Birds game, says the band's mascot was an obvious character for them to adapt.
"Our team is filled with massive Iron Maiden fans, and Eddie was both our first choice and a natural fit,” said Miika Tams, vice president of Games and Product Lead for Angry Birds Evolution. “It’s about time his status as a true rock icon was celebrated, and we know that fans will love seeing Eddie the Bird raise hell on Bird Island.”
Eddie the Bird will appear in four levels, each celebrating a different album in Iron Maiden's catalog. During this time, Bird Island will also be transformed into a heavy metal oasis for Halloween, full of tributes to the band and genre.
Recently, Iron Maiden have delved into additional product partnerships, announcing a new Belgian-style beer to join its existing lineup of brews. The brew's label also features Eddie.
The band wrapped up their Book of Souls tour this summer and has a new live album documenting it on the way soon. Meanwhile, singer Bruce Dickinson is on a book tour promoting his memoir, What Does This Button Do?
Iron Maiden Albums Ranked Worst to Best