Mighty Fin Review

Cute main character? Check. Single-touch gameplay? Check. High-score focus with collectable items? Check. Gorgeous visuals and catchy tunes? Check. Mighty Fin by Launching Pad Games may tick all the boxes when it comes to feeling like Tiny Wings, but to discount it on this basis would be a crime - Mighty Fin sinks its teeth in early and helping the cute little fish on his world-wide holiday is sure to give you a smile.

Instead of riding hills and flinging yourself upwards with the momentum you've gained, Mighty Fin challenges you to use your buoyancy to give height to your jumps while seeking out trails of bubbles to add to your 'chain'. Touching the screen will weigh down Fin, allowing him to pop up faster and subsequently jump higher, hopefully avoiding shipwrecks and junk-laiden icebergs in the process. There's a lot of finesse in mastering the controls and the levels take advantage of this as the trails of bubbles lead you up and over or under hazards while also tricking you in to taking less 'optimal' routes.

There's only eight levels, with each one unlocking an endless variant once its completed, though ultimately you're only getting four levels with a repeated 'harder' version later in the game. With that said, the tricks, traps and enemies change in each instance and the last level in particular is very good at leading players by the nose and without exploration you might miss the 'hidden' paths available to you.

Your main incentive beyond simply finishing the game is to collect a variety of outfits that change the appearance of Fin, with some being collectable within the levels themselves, while others are awarded for getting 'gold' scores on the main levels. Mighty Fin's only let down is the weaker endless mode that's supported by 'randomized' levels comprising of a handful of repeated sections. It does make for a bit of a challenge, but it can get tiresome unless you're a die-hard high-score hunter.

Regardless of how long you keep playing it, Mighty Fin makes for a great distraction even if you only return to it now and then. A great addition to anyone's arcade collection.