Portable Game of the Week: Bug Wings

13 Aug 2011 at 11:00:00 by John Robertson

Platform: iPhone & iPad
Developer: DR Studios
Price: £1.49 (free 'lite' version also available)

One line review: One of the best examples of how to properly use the iPhone/iPad’s gyroscopic functions. If you're a fan of tilt controls, you'll be a fan of Bug Wings.

[UPDATE: Enter our Bug Wings competition to win yourself a free copy of the game.]

There are a lot of iOS games that make use of the iPhone/iPad's gyroscopic functions but few of them make as good use of them as DR Studios’ Bug Wings. The premise, as with the best iOS games, is simple – slingshot a bug from a leaf and try to land on a lily pad or brightly coloured flower, land in the water on which these flora are floating and you die.

However, the real aim of the game is to collect as many points as possible. Points are awarded for collecting stars and pieces of pollen that hang in the air, as well as by landing on the smallest of flowers. Landing on any old platform is easy - collecting enough points to progress is not.

When in mid-air you can tap on the screen to open your bug’s wings and then tilt your device to alter your flight path in a bid to collect as much pollen/stars as possible. Length of flight is determined by the amount of speed you’re carrying - meaning regular dips to increase velocity, followed by sharp lifts an glides, are the order of the day.

Hitting the reeds and long grass that jut out from the pond’s surface causes your wings to close, which in turn causes you to fall into the water. High scores are difficult to achieve due to the fact that many of the collectables are located in spiral patterns around these obstacles, forcing a risk/reward decision as to whether to go for broke or play it safe in an attempt to score enough to unlock the next level.

Thankfully, however, the tilt controls work well enough to prevent things from getting too frustrating and with practise all of the game’s levels can be conquered without resorting to Angry Bird levels of blind luck. This past week has seen six additional levels added for free, making Bug Wings well worth the price of admission.

Plus, the visuals are lovely.

Comment