Tiny Wings HD Review

By , on July 12, 2012


Tiny Wings HD
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • 'Flight School' adds an AI-based racing challenge with hand-crafted stages designed to trip you up.
  • 'Hill Party' means you can share the game with a friend for even more fun.
  • The same bright and colorful graphics with a Retina overhaul.
  • iCloud sync for progression saving across devices.

CONS

  • Separate purchase required for iPhone and iPad versions; more of a minor quibble than a real complaint.
  • New music loops wouldn't go amiss either.

VERDICT

Tiny Wings HD is bigger and better in just about every way, and while more of an expansion to the original mode would go over well, the new Flight School and Hill Party modes add a multiplayer twist that means you can start sharing the fun with all of your friends.


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With so many auto-runners and endless titles attempting to pack in bigger environments, faster gameplay and deadlier enemies, the appearance of Tiny Wings by Andreas Illiger wasn't just a breath of fresh air, it was a complete game-changer. All of a sudden gamers had objectives to complete with tangible rewards and challenging achievements to attempt - the fact that you were playing as a bird with tiny wings that's unable to fly properly was the cute icing on the cake.

Now almost a year and a half later we find ourselves playing Tiny Wings 2 - or rather, Tiny Wings 2.0 - a significant update to the original that costs nothing for those who already own it. Included in the update is the brand new 'Flight School' mode and for those who purchase the brand new iPad 'HD' version, you'll also gain 'Hill Party' mode.

Much like the original the game continues to revolve around helping a flightless bird attempt to slide around as much as possible, touching the screen to add weight and almost 'slingshot' your way out of sloping hills. Nail three perfect slides in a row and you'll enter a speedier bonus mode for more points, while coins and other boosts can help to do much the same thing.

Now thanks to 'Flight School' you can compete against three other AI opponents on one of 15 stages over 3 new islands. Unlike the regular game that features graphics and landscapes generated randomly each day, these levels are fixed and hand-designed to trip you up if you're not careful about maintaining your flow. It's a surprisingly challenging mode - one that doesn't forgive mistakes lightly - though practice does make perfect, especially if you can land on the brand new 'rubber flower' plants littered around the stages.

Admittedly, the HD version gets the best deal of all with 'Hill Party', allowing two people to play head-to-head simultaneously on the iPad. Two game modes are available with a toggled automatic-handicap system also being used to keep things fun for everyone.

For those who already own the game, make sure you update as soon as possible. If you own an iPad, it's definitely worth throwing down for a new copy as you not only get the above features, but iCloud sync and new, crisp Retina graphics.

Screenshots

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