Sep 112015
In 2014, a sidescrolling game called Flappy Bird took the mobile market by storm. Although it had been released in 2013, January 2014 saw such a spike in Flappy Bird’s popularity that the creator felt guilty and took it down.
Since then, many games tried to capture the feel of Flappy Bird, including Impossible Flappy – Flappy’s Back, available from the iTunes App Store.
Although I never played the original Flappy Bird, I received a request to review Impossible Flappy – Flappy’s Back. Therefore, this will be a review solely of that game, rather than a comparison of the two.
To play, you tap the touchscreen in order to make the bird flap his wings. In this way, you must fly in between green pipes. Each pair of pipes you cross earns you a point. If you hit the pipes or ground, it’s game over. You also have the ability to watch a replay of your game whenever you die, if you want to relish your triumphs or see where you failed.
While the colorful visuals are vivid and clear, there is no music. This could be considered a positive or negative, depending on whether or not you like in-game background music when you play.
There are four difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Impossible. As the game becomes more difficult, various things change. For example, the gaps between pipes become smaller, the bird’s flying speed increases (giving you less time to react), and the pipes begin to move up and down. This makes the app accessible to both newcomers and Flappy Bird veterans who want a challenge.
Despite the plague of microtransactions that haunt the mobile market, Impossible Flappy has only two in-app purchases. You can upgrade to the Pro Version to play without ads and access more colors for the bird, and you can buy an upgrade that gives you an extra life each game. The colors can also be unlocked for free by completing various tasks offered as you play, such as sharing a video or giving the game a positive rating. This means the in-app purchases are completely optional, a refreshing change from games that limit your playtime or options if you don’t pay.
Although Impossible Flappy – Flappy’s Back isn’t really my sort of game, it’s a great Flappy Bird alternative for fans of endless runner games that challenge you to get as high a score as possible.
Did you play Flappy Bird? Do you like this game or another Flappy Bird clone? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Full disclosure: I was compensated for this post, however the thoughts and opinions given here are my own.
(Pft, I wouldn’t pay you to write this.)
This seems exactly like what the original Flappy Bird is, so this is sorta boring.
(I’m not surprised. Don’t you abhor all things iOS related?)
I think that’s the point. Since Flappy Bird itself no longer exists, people want Flappy Bird clones.
(Yes, but it was also a knock on your writing.)
No one should want Flappy Bird clones.
(What’s wrong with my writing?)
Yet they do.
(Well there’s literally going to be no return on investment from this from your client because it’s very obvious you just went through the motions.
…I mean, good effort on your part, but there really wasn’t much content to review…)
Do they actively clamour for them or do folks just make them?
(Hey, I tried the game and reviewed everything I could. xD And my client was pleased with it, so that’s the important thing.)
Well, the reviews I’ve seen for this one are mainly people happy they’ve found a good Flappy Bird substitute. It’s also been rated by 94,000 people, and it’s only one of many games inspired by Flappy Bird. Plus there are all the articles you can find discussing which the best/closest to the original. So there seems to be some clamor.