Review - Flappy Birdby Matt Taylor
Format reviewed on; iPhone 5 running 7.0.4 |
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Flappy Bird is the perfect mobile game. The iOS game developed by Dong Nguyen and published by independent developer .GEARS Studio was originally released in May 2013, steadily growing it’s player base and profile until it topped Apple’s App Store charts last month.
Gameplay is simple and infuriating, and at least in the time I could manage playing the game, short. You’re given control of a semi-flightless bird that scrolls horizontally towards a Mario-esque pipe; the player using the touch interface to flap the birds wings and get through the opening between the two halves of the pipe. If the player fails to thread the needle the bird instantly falls to the ground and forces you to start over. My "high"-score sits at five. iOS games are difficult to get right. Complex and intricate games suffer from poor control schemes and battery life issues; simple games can’t capture the imagination or sustain interest. My App Store purchased list is full of games that looked great but failed to keep me interested. I’ve already relegated Flappy Bird to this list. Flappy Bird has used a strange combination to achieve it’s infamous status among iOS users. It’s extremely difficult but very basic. It almost tricks you into believing that you can get the ‘knack’ and figure the game out. It reminds me of ring-toss carnival games; the ring being only slightly bigger than the object, making you feel that you need just one more shot before you’ll get it over and win your prize. The only gauge of your progress or achievement is a high-score system that prompts you when a personal best is achieved. All this is painted in a Super Mario Bros. 3 aesthetic, almost ripping the artwork straight from the game. Flappy Bird is also free. Charging nothing for your game is a smart tactic used by countless iOS developers, who usually offer an advertisement free paid version of the same program or dreaded in-App purchases. This is where Flappy Bird is different. The game uses it’s gameplay hook to keep you playing and displays advertisement on the top and bottom of the ingame screen. Advertisements help earn money and make the game financially successful. I don’t recommend playing Flappy Bird but if you feel like torturing yourself the game is available on the iOS App Store now. As well as the Google Play store but only for a very limited time. |
Game from reviewers own title
Images - from Screenshots
Images - from Screenshots
