It's been a while since anything has been heard from the creator of “Flappy Bird.” Finally, though, Dong Nguyen and .GEARS Studios have broken their silence and announced a brand new game that will be releasing later this week. It’s time to get addicted and frustrated all over again with the release of “Swing Copters” on Aug 21.

"Flappy Bird" goes viral

Back in February, a little game called “Flappy Bird” took the world by storm, blowing up almost overnight in popularity. Thousands of Tweets and Facebook posts seem to take over the social networking sites thanks to players expressing their frustration with the difficulty and inability to put the game down.The immense success, oddly enough, caused the creator to make the decision to remove "Flappy Bird" from the marketplace. Nguyen said he simply “cannot take this anymore” and went ahead with the decision to pull the title from app stores.

Potential legal issues

There were many accusations regarding the art direction of the title, as many of the assets seemed to be “borrowed” from Nintendo’s “Super Mario World.” Although not everything appears to be from the game, a lot of the sprites are clearly similar to those in "Super Mario World," if not possibly directly taken from. In fact, it's downright impossible to look at "Flappy Bird" and not instantly thing "Mario" when familiar with both games. Nguyen defended himself saying it was essentially a tribute to the game, much like the way that musicians often sample other songs that have inspired them.

"I just cannot keep it anymore"

This led many to question if the game was secretly being removed due to copyright from Nintendo. With artwork so strikingly similar and the absurd amount of press the game was receiving, naturally the conclusion would be drawn that someone at Nintendo would see the game and threaten legal action. Nguyen insisted that it had nothing to do with legal implications and he was removing the game for personal reasons. Again, he referenced the strain the publicity was taking on him and insisted that he just “cannot keep it anymore.”

"They are overusing it"

To justify the removal, Nguyen stated that the game was too addictive in nature and he was worried that people were “overusing it.” In an Interview with Rolling Stone, Nguyen elaborated, explaining that he was receiving thousands of messages from people about how the game was destroying their lives. People losing property or even losing their jobs because of the addiction, something Nguyen took to heart. In High school, he struggled with testing because of an addiction to the game “Counter Strike.” That was the moment he realized it had to go. However, this doesn’t mean it won’t be returning. He also revealed that he was working on a new version of “Flappy Bird” which will have warnings and insist players take the occasional break. No word on when that will be releasing.

"Swing Copters" has been announced

Fast forward to Aug 18 when, out of the blue, Nguyen drops a brand new game via Twitter. It’s called “Swing Copters,” and the formula looks very familiar. It’s somewhat of a vertical take on the “Flappy Bird” game, only with an added level of difficulty. TouchArcade received a hands on exclusive with the game and released some video of the gameplay. You play as a little orange character wearing a propeller hat. As the character flies up into the air, he also starts to move in one direction - either to the left or to the right. The player then taps the screen to switch his sweeping flight path in the opposite direction. This is done repeatedly to keep the character wiggling back and forth as he automatically moves upward at the same time. Just like in “Flappy Bird,” players attempt to navigate through an endless series of gates, only now there is a slight twist. To make the already-seemingly-impossible a little harder, Nguyen added swinging hammers below each vertical gate, further blocking the path and increasing the difficulty. Each gate equals one point and the game will use the same medal system as “Flappy Bird.” In fact, the overall presentation is virtually identical… minus the flying fish, that is.

"Swing Copters" release date: Aug 21

“Swing Copters” will release tomorrow, Aug 21, on Android and iOS as a free download. If you can’t stand to wait that long to get another “Flappy Bird” fix, or if vertical flight just isn’t your thing, check out this list of “Flappy Bird” alternatives to find out which ones you should and shouldn’t download.

For this week’s Get To Know Your Gamers, I reached out to a longtime friend of mine. We’ve known each other since grade school days and we still play video games together to this day. Besides being a great friend, he’s also a fantastic singing partner. If you think he’s talented at Halo, you should hear those pipes he’s got on him! Soak up everything you can from this article, because he’s probably going to be a famous singer in the near future. Then you can brag to your friends about how you knew about this kid before he was world-famous, and maybe even impress them by knowing what his favorite game is!

You might actually recognize him already if you find yourself frequenting the Iowa State Fair, because he’s sung there multiple times. You may have even seen him perform elsewhere. Until now, though, you probably never knew about his gaming si-

Wait, wait, wait… this all sounds very familiar doesn’t it…? That’s because you’ve already read this intro. Don’t worry though, you’re not seeing double. Well, ok actually you are, just not with the article. It’s all new this week, but the reason it sounds so familiar is that this week’s interviewee is last week’s brother; and together with their sister, they’re triplets. So yes, they may look very similar but as you read on you’ll see they’re very different. It’s fascinating to see how two people with the same roots and similar talents in real life take such different branches when it comes to video games; but don’t take my word for it. If you’d like a refresher on Adam Bogh’s interview, you can read up on it here; but for those of you who still have a vibrant memory of everything, here is his brother, Mr. Alex Bogh.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?

I am from Coralville, Iowa. Besides video games, I enjoy designing, drawing, playing piano, playing basketball, and watching football. After graduating from Luther College this spring, I plan on moving to the Chicago area and working as a designer.

What got you into gaming and what was your first console or game?

My first console was the NES, along with my first game "Super Mario Bros.". I would say the first game that really got me into gaming on a regular basis was "Super Mario World" on the SNES.

Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?

I defiantly play some games for beautiful graphics, but bad graphics don't necessarily mean I won't play a game. Sometimes a really great game needs to sacrifice some graphic quality to have a better all-around experience, like faster load times or better performance. I think most companies have the ability to make the game look as lifelike as possible, but choose to better the playability of the game.

What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?

Along with long lasting playability, I look for a story that I can immerse myself in completely. The games I have the most fun with are games I can play with my friends, like any of the top FPS titles. However, when playing single player, I really enjoy RPG’s like Red Dead Redemption or Skyrim. Both of those games are good examples of a story you can really get lost in.

Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?

I would call myself a casual gamer. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy challenging myself or that I’m not competitive. I just don’t put in the time like some gamers do. However, when it comes to any of the Halo’s or Super Smash Brothers, I geek out and study pro matches and train like a pro gamer. So my “hardcore” side shows every once in a while.

Do you prefer a solo experience or a co-op / multiplayer experience?

If my friends are online, I prefer a multiplayer game where we can all participate at the same time (depending on how big the party is). More than often now, I am not online at the same time as my friends, so I enjoy putting on some good music and blasting through a campaign. As I said before, I also really enjoy a good story that I can get lost in; like you’re playing through a movie. If I can do this with friends, even better.

What are you playing right now?

Right now I am playing through Borderlands again, because I’m getting so excited for Borderlands 2. I also waste many hours of my life playing Super Smash Brothers Brawl, a series I have loved since the first one on the N64.

What is the worst game you’ve ever played?

I have to say I was pretty disappointed with Call of Duty: Black Ops. It’s not because it was poorly made, but because I felt it played so different from any other CoD game. The only thing I enjoyed about the CoD’s made by Treyarch were the Nazi Zombies, and even the WaW Nazi zombies were better than the Black Ops.

What do you consider to be the best game ever?

The best game ever made is Red Dead Redemption. It was masterfully done by Rockstar. It was a great story with a good mix of drama and humor. Although the game was a lot of fun to play, I found that the reason I wanted to play the most was to be in the story and act out my role as a cowboy, and exploring my way across this huge landscape. Also, the soundtrack was fantastic as well.

What is your favorite game console/handheld of all time?

My favorite console has to be the Super Nintendo, as it was my first love. I have fond memories as a kid playing Mortal Kombat and Super Mario World with my brother.

What are some games you’re looking forward to?

I really can’t wait for Borderlands 2, since the first Borderlands was so well done and a blast to play. And of course, being a long time Halo guy, the idea of a new studio (343) doing another Halo is interesting.

What game would you like to see get a sequel that likely won’t happen?

I’m going to kick it old school and say “The Simpsons Hit’ n Run” deserves another game. I loved the “Crazy Taxi” play mixed with the Simpsons world (one of my favorite shows, although the new ones are awful). Even “The Simpsons Road Rage” was a great game, and I think deserves another title. Grand Theft Auto + Simpsons = awesome.

Random Thought?

I stick to the Xbox 360. However, if the Halo’s were on the PS3, and I could use an Xbox controller, I would switch to the Playstation Network right away, mostly because you don’t have to pay money for online play if you don’t want to.

[08.20.14] 'Flappy Bird' creator returns with new game announcement