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When applied to games, the term 'endless' is, in a way, a bit of a misnomer. Endless-runners,
endless-flyers, and endless-floaters all have very definite endpoints - it just so happens
that they're contrived by the player rather than the developer.
Tiny Plane is the next off the conveyor belt of 'endless' iOS games, all of which basically
challenge you to get as far as you can before you plough into the side of an obstacle.
And while Tiny Plane is undeniably derivative, it has enough ideas of its own to make it
worth taking for a spin.
You play as the titular flying machine, and it's your job to fly as far as you can, collecting
fruit, coins, and a variety of different power-ups as you do. By pressing on the left of the
screen, you gain altitude. By pressing on the right, you descend towards terra firma.
Storm clouds, bombs, and weights that attach themselves to your plane all try to slow you
down, but warning markers at the edge of the screen let you know when and where they're
going to appear.
In a neat twist, you have a limited amount of fuel on board your diminutive aircraft
- once that runs out, you'll be heading for an untimely death. There are a few canisters
of petrol hovering in the air, but the quickest way to refill the tank is by landing.
This poses its own problems, mind, because if you're flying too fast, hitting the ground
will prove as fatal as your running out of fuel.
Flying through a ring will send you hurtling forwards, and you can chain these speed boosts
together for extra points and maximum speed. Different planes - which you can buy with
the coins you pick up - grant you different bonus attributes, such as consuming less fuel
and being unaffected by storms.
In Tiny Plane's multiplayer mode, meanwhile, you fly head-to-head (or should that be nose-to-nose?)
against up to three other people to see who can stay in the air for longest. It's an interesting
addition, and while a bit jittery at times, it works well.
Though Tiny Plane isn't original, it is very well made, and the challenge it poses will
undoubtedly appeal to those seeking new and exciting ways to make endless games end.