Finally, an iPhone game that beats Angry Birds to get the top spot in the App Store. Meet Tiny Wings, a brand new iPhone game which has rushed to become the top selling game in almost no time.
Before I got my first iPhone I have owned several other phones including a few smartphones. However, never before I have found myself playing games as much as I do on my iOS devices. It’s not because I wasn’t into gaming before(fact is I’m addicted to games on my PS3). What’s most amazing is that before iOS & Android, the mobile platforms weren’t targeted by developers the way they are today. Therefore, the addictive and immersive gameplay on our mobile devices today.
Getting back to Tiny Wings, read the full review after the break. While this is not a game you are going to spend as much time as you probably did and still do with Angry Birds, you’ll enjoy the fresh & simple game design as you help the tiny bird fly.
In Tiny Wings, you are a bird with (you guessed right!) Tiny Wings. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fly. Developer Andreas Illiger has invented a new way to do it. Rush down a hill to gain speed and fly for a bit as you exit the valley. Thankfully, the world is full of hills to help you get into the air again.
The gameplay is extremely simple. There is just one control to learn. Tap and hold the screen anywhere to fold your wings. Doing this increases your weight and speed while moving downhill.
The right combination of momentum and timing will get you far in this game. The objective is to get far as you can before the sun sets again. You will be treated by coins & speed bonuses as you move forth. Take a look at the video at the end of the post.
High Scores & Game Center Support
There isn’t any Game Center support yet. Only OpenFeint. Twitter & Facebook is apparently integrated but for some reason neither worked for me. The developer will most probably add Game Center in the next update.
Locally, you can change the player’s name before starting the game to compare individual high scores. As you can see for yourself in the following screenshot, the kids in my household did a better job than me!
It’s commendable indeed to see a one man team get this far in such a short span of time. The game background seems more like a fairytale come alive. If you have kids they’re going to fall in love with this game. The much simpler gameplay as compared to Angry Birds will draw some extra attention to it, in my opinion. I really enjoyed the cheerful background music as I crossed the first three islands in my first attempt. The occasional cute sounds made by the bird did remind me of my old mate Om Nom from Cut the Rope.
I think that this game has a great potential to do even better than it does presently. I found the ability to go back to previous levels lacking, even though you can reset it to the beginning.
That being said, you should definitely get this game for your iPhone & iPad. The app can be purchased from the App Store for $0.99. No free/lite version yet(surprisingly).
That’s all for now. Now I have some islands to cross before the sunset!
