Flappy Bird Review

Although the game is gone, it left enough impact that it still deserves a quick look at.
Review Played on Moto X (Kit Kat 4.4)

If you are constantly on your phone’s app store you have probably seen the newest hit to come out – Flappy Bird. People are playing it everywhere: on the bus, in class, and even competing against their friends. Flappy Bird hit the mobile market by storm and is even bringing in $50,000 dollars a day in ad revenue. This game is a gem to people who like replay value, but may not interest those who want to invest time in a mobile game.
The object of Flappy Bird is to get the bird on the screen between green pipes that look like they came straight out of a Super Mario game. The faster you tap the screen, the higher the bird flies. The difficulty here is that the space in the pipes are randomized every time you play, so there is no learning from your previous death. Each pipe the player goes through gives them a “1” to their score. In the end this all adds up to create your final score, which can range from 0 to 100+ depending on how often you dedicate your time to the game.
Flappy Bird is not a very aesthetically pleasing game, especially on iPhones, as the scenery does not change between playthroughs. On Android 4.4 devices the bird may change colors between playthroughs along with the time of day. The background never changes and neither do the pipes. Every playthrough is usually the same, which can make the game get boring very easily. The iPhone 5 also experiences frame rate drop from time to time that can make the game harder than on an Android.
The gameplay of Flappy Bird is brilliant. It brings mobile gaming back to its roots in the fact that you do not have invest any time into it. I have always stuck by the thought that meaningful mobile games should be played on handhelds by Nintendo or Sony, and that fun, short, competitive games should stick to mobile devices. The addicting gameplay makes you want to come back for more, and the quickness of each playthrough makes it easy to play on the bus or with a group of friends. As for the game being changed, don’t expect much. The developer .GEARS Studio has said that they do not plan on changing the formula or adding micro transactions. This is important to note, as the gameplay was well worked on to the point where they had reached perfection.

The game has many negatives surrounding the gameplay too though. For starters, the hit detection is very off and sometimes the bird will die without even hitting a pipe. Another negative is that the game does not get more difficult as it goes on. Some may find this a positive, but once one masters it they can make it to 150 one round, and then 5 the next round. The game is plagued with inconsistent scores which causes people to hack to become top in the world.
The replay value in this game is very good as the short games allow for the player to play whenever they are on the bus, or just bored. This is where the game excels, as the multiple failures one may experience make them want to play again and again to beat their high score. There is nothing else to be said about the replay value, except that it performs like a mobile game should – short and sweet with no real story.
Flappy Bird is a good concept and has caused an environment of competition between groups of friends throughout the world. The game thrives because of this, and I hope that in the future they implement a local multiplayer feature, which can show you people’s scores in the area, so friends can play against each other. The gameplay succeeds at being a mobile game, but struggles at being anything more. Flappy Bird is indeed a success when it comes to the amount of money it brings in every day, but the future of Flappy Bird is almost non existent, as the lack of level progression and customizability will make the users move on to something better.

What do you think of Flappy Bird? Do you agree with the Review? Let us know in the comment section below.

Positives – Competitive gameplay, Brings mobile gaming to its roots, No micro-transactions

Negatives – Boring atmosphere, terrible hit detection, No difficulty increase