We now know just how desperately people want what they can’t have. Flappy Bird, a game that gained astronomic popularity over the last month, was removed from the Android and iOS app stores. But its spirit will live on through the absurd success of Fly Birdie – Flappy Bird Flyer, which is now the number one game on iTunes as of this writing.
Because I’m too curious for my own good, I played Fly Birdie – Flappy Bird Flyer. I’ll give you a short review: It’s exactly like Flappy Bird, except it looks like it was designed by a 3rd grader. (And not a talented 3rd grader.) But the gameplay is strangely comparable to Flappy Bird. It’s got a bird and you tap the screen as it flies forward to avoid Super Mario Bros.-style pipes that get in your way. Hit a pipe and your bird dies … just like in Flappy Bird.
But wait, there’s more! There are eight other games riding the Flappy Bird train into the Top 40 on the iPhone Games charts.
All the Flappy Bird Ripoffs Charting on iTunes:
#1 Flappy Bird Flyer
This has to be one of the worst games to ever hit the top spot on iTunes. See above for a “full” review, but seriously, how did this get to be the top game on the Free iPhone Apps chart?
#2 Ironpants
The #2 most popular game on the Free iPhone Apps chart is Ironpants, which still has a pixel-ey retro look, but replaces pipes for boxes and a flappy bird for a super hero wearing underwear.
#2 Bouncing Ball Spikes
The #2 game on the Paid iPhone Apps chart is now Red Bouncing Ball Spikes, which is another game like Flappy Bird that pits you as a rolling ball that you tap to make bounce over spikes and pits.
#5 Flappy Bee
The #5 game on the Free iPhone Apps chart is Flappy Bee, which has far worse physics than Flappy Bird and doesn’t punish you much for hitting things. It looks terrible, but better than some.
#6 Super Ball Juggling
This is one of two ranking games by the creator of Flappy Bird, Dong Nguyen. Tap the screen to keep your soccer ball bouncing. Like Flappy Bird, it’s also frustratingly challenging.
#11 Tiny Wings
This is not a Flappy Birds ripoff, but it’s riding the tide nicely. It’s more about skiing correctly than flapping. Check it out if you really need a bird fix. Glad to see it rising in the iPhone Free Apps chart.
#17 Shuriken Block
Also by the creator of Flappy Bird, this game still has black bars on the top and bottom if you use it on an iPhone 5 or higher phone. You have to tap on ninjas to help them dodge chinese stars.
#22 Flappy Plane
This game has you hold on the screen to rise up instead of tap, and the physics are worse than Flappy Bee. There is no flapping at all, actually, which is good because planes aren’t known to flap.
#34 Fluffy Flappy Birds
Believe it or not, Fluffy vs. Flappy Birds is the best ripoff. You hold the screen to fly up, but it has halfway decent visuals, and a shred of personality – enough to nab it the #34 spot.
Rest assured, there are many many more copies of Flappy Bird charting highly on iTunes. The real question is, why did Flappy Bird go so viral in the first place? It’s not a new or imaginative take on the auto-scrolling avoid-the-wall-genre. Maybe people just love flying birds. Maybe Angry Birds should get flappier?
Oh, and if you really need Flappy Bird and can’t settle for less, there are Flappy Bird iPhones going for $100,000 on eBay.
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