Oh Angry Birds. . . Has there ever been a better way to spend a dollar? The addictive downloadable pig-killing simulator, which has been the top seller on the Apple App Store since April, has long been known for not only great gameplay, but consistent free updates. In the past, these updates have added everything from bug fixes to new birds with new skills to whole new levels, and, again, they've all been free. Today Rovio, the game's developer, has announced a new Halloween update for the game. This time around it's not a free add-on, but rather a brand new version of the game for 99 cents.

Released exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch (sorry Droid users. . .), Angry Birds Halloween includes all seven of the birds slinging their way through 45 brand new spooky-themed levels with appropriately themed music and backgrounds. Even the pigs get to hide inside of jack-o-lanterns. As Rovio points out, 45 levels is essentially three times mroe than the normal update, hence the need to charge for it.

In a statement, Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio, laid to rest some peoples' fears (mine included) that Birds would only get paid updates moving forward, "With Angry Birds Halloween, we wanted to provide our fans with a special treat. In addition to this new experience, we will also keep providing continuous free updates for Angry Birds."

Above you can see the trailer for the Halloween edition, and below there are some new screenshots. I've already downloaded it. Anyone else interested?