So it’s only been a week since the demise of “Flappy Bird” and you’re having a tough time staying afloat after the news that it has been taken down from App Stores. Well, you could always shop around on eBay for a phone that has it preinstalled, but it turns out that may not work out so well.
Fear not, it didn’t take long for a wave of replacements, knock-offs, and spiritual successors to flood the digital marketplaces. The question is, which one’s are worth getting up early for and which ones seem to have flown the coop?
Flappy Bird
.GEARS Studios
That’s right, there’s still a chance you might be able to download the original Flappy Bird. If you ever downloaded it while it was available on the marketplace, you can follow the direct links to the app and reinstall it to any of your linked devices. This works for those of you that might have replaced your phone or just deleted it because you weren’t feeling the hype and now regret it. Obviously there’s no better ‘replacement’ than the original, but if you didn’t think ahead, this one’s not an option for you. Of course, this is the internet so there are other means to acquire it… but we’re going to run this list without getting our hands dirty.
Verdict: Download it!
Clumsy Bird
Candy Mobile
Merging two of the most popular games on the market, “Clumsy Bird” takes the gameplay of “Flappy Bird” and mixes it beautifully with the art style and presentation of “Angry Birds”. With the same adorable graphics and even the micro-cinematics popularized by the series, “Clumsy Bird” puts together a very impressive albeit not very original package. The physics in “Clumsy Bird” are probably the most accurate representation on this list. The gameplay is tweaked ever-so-slightly with the concept of gems used as saves like in “Temple Run”. The graphics look like a Disney-inspired take on Angry Birds. “Clumsy Bird” also take a wide screen presentation for the gameplay as opposed to the portrait orientation of “Flappy Bird”. The only thing missing is the implementation of medals, but in the very least, there is a high-score system.
Verdict: Download it!
Chicken World Trip
Dexati
"Chicken World Trip" has a very cartoony look to it like something right out of a Warner Brother's short. Like "Clumsy Bird", it also borrows an element from "Angry Birds" however this time around it's the level by level structure for game play instead of the art style. "Chicken World Trip” does have an endless mode like the original "Flappy Bird", but you'd be awfully lucky to notice it. "Chicken World Trip" is riddled with ads, and it's incredibly distracting and frequently interrupts the flow of the game. It's clear it's more of a cash grab than an actual attempt at emulating its predecessor. Likewise, the physics are completely off, and although it uses the same 'tap-to-flap' control, the bird does anything but float the same way.
Also important to note, during the process of writing this article, this game changed its name from “Flappy Chicken” to “Chicken World Trip” and lost its iOS version, so if you had by chance downloaded this already and were wondering where the new “Chicken World Trip” game came from, now you know. Unfortunately, the name and graphics were the only things that went through a metamorphosis. The game is still terrible.
Verdict: Skip it!
Floppy Bird
Thanatos Games
“Floppy Bird” is probably the most accurate representation of “Flappy Bird” on this list. The graphics are a close psychedelic reskin with the only caveat being the bird character looking more like some weird “Flappy Bird” and “Nyan Cat” hybrid animal. It uses a “trophy” system to emulate the medals and the rest of the gameplay is virtually identical. The biggest difference between “Floppy Bird” and “Flappy Bird”, however, is the level of difficulty. The gaps to fly between on “Floppy Bird” seem to be ever so slightly wider than that of the original game, making it just a bit easier to progress. All in all, it’s not a bad alternative if you’re looking for a true replacement to the game.
Verdict: Download it!
Ironpants
Eduardas Klenauskis
If you’re a fan of the classic “Helicopter” flash game, this game should feel right at home. “Iron Pants” merges the gameplay of it with the level design of “Flappy Bird”. Instead of tapping to fly, you hold down on the screen to rise up and let go to float back down. It also happens at an extremely fast speed which is actually hindered by the decision to maintain the portrait style presentation that “Flappy Bird” uses. If what you’re looking for is a game that’s as phone-smashingly difficult, you’ve found your winner. Graphically, it’s a solid presentation, but because of the poor decision to forgo the landscape view, it becomes a little frustrating as the game turns into more of a battle of maintaining your position in the middle of the screen and making split second decisions as to whether or not you move up and down rather than an actual process of navigating through gates. This is made even more painful by the overly generous hit boxes on both the player model and obstacles. “Iron Pants” is still doable, and it certainly looks pretty, but too many poor decisions and an intentionally deceptive ad placement make it one of the weaker choices on this line-up.
Verdict: Skip It!
Splashy Fish
Massimo Guareschi
“Splashy Fish” could be viewed as the most ‘catered-to-a-very-specific-nitch’ game that ever happened. It’s basically a “Flappy Bird” clone developed for fans of the SNES educational game “Mario Is Missing!”. OK, so it’s probably not that at all, but it’s hard to relate it to anything else when you see Cheep Cheep swimming his way through some Roman Columns in an underwater environment that graphically looks like a “Super Mario World” inspired take on the classic World 2-2 from “Super Mario Bros.” As far as level design and physics go, the game is virtually identical. The only difference really is the lack of a score screen. It does keep track of your high score, but when you fail, you’re greeted only by an 8-bit game over and a second tap restarts the game. Even without the score screen, “Splashy Fish” still manages to implement a medal system, and perhaps even manages to improve upon it by turning medals into a wearable trophy you collect as you progress through the level. Each item you collect will be worn from that point on as a trophy of your high-score progress. The overall presentation is very pretty and “Splashy Fish” benefits greatly from quality craftsman ship and the fact that, unlike a few other games on this lists, its in-game ads are anything but obtrusive. All-in-all, it’s a great example of a gaming app done right, even if it may be a knock-off. That aside, it’s tempting to say that “Splashy Fish” does “Flappy Bird” better than “Flappy Bird” does “Flappy Bird”…
Verdict: Download It!