A QUICK, FUN GAME TO KEEP YOUR FINGERS FLAPPING

CHRIS GIANCAMILLI
MEDIA MANAGER

Tiny Wings might not be a game with a whole lot of depth, but it does find its way into the growing genre of addicting games. Players begin as a small bird with big dreams of flying high in the sky. Simple enough, right? Well, not exactly. You are faced with a number of big hills and valleys to slide down and launch off in order to reach your goal.

The game only has one button: speed up. But that is all you really need. Your bird starts by sleeping in his nest as the sun rises. Then, with the touch of your iPhone screen, you begin your journey. Your bird must keep a quick speed because night is constantly on the chase and when night catches your bird, it’s game over.

Like other score-based games, you receive points and a high score. Your score depends on how well you time your slides, how many coins you earn, how far you travel and how many times you touch the clouds. If you complete three perfect slides, your bird enters Fever Mode. While in Fever Mode, the points you earn double. However, one missed slide and your bird loses Fever Mode. Your bird must accomplish a one of three objectives or beat the high score. Each objective consists of a few tasks such as completing a number of perfect slides or cloud touches. As you complete each set of three goals, you upgrade the color and style of the nest your bird sleeps in.

Tiny Wings features a number of unique islands, which get increasingly difficult as the game progresses. Each island has its own quirky and colorful design. The game’s graphics engine changes the style and pattern of each island every 24 hours, giving gamers a reason to play every day.

The game’s audio complements the fun and interesting landscape perfectly. Your bird’s chirps of joy and disappointment are very reminiscent of Angry Birds, but they lend themselves well to the game. Although there is only one song that plays throughout the entire game, it is an extremely catchy trumpet and piano tune that will stay stuck in your head, like the “Small World” song at Disneyland.

While Tiny Wings does not offer a large variety of game play, it does give gamers a light and fun experience that is not too complicated to jump into. The game is quick enough to turn on and play between classes or while waiting for friends before lunch. Unfortunate for Android users, Tiny Wings is only available on the Apple App Store. The game sells for a reasonable 99 cents.

Photo courtesy of theappera.com