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Tiny Plane isn’t a very good name. It’s not memorable. It’s not unique, and frankly,
it’s about as descriptive as the pairing of a generic adjective and noun can be. That
is to say, not at all. But I only bring it up because after you hear “Tiny Plane,”
chances are good you’ve already forgotten it before you can even make a response.
And that’s no good, because this game is awesome.
Developed by PowPowGames and brought to the App Store by Chillingo, Tiny Plane is a first-class
flight back to the days when games didn’t end and getting a high score was something
the entire arcade took notice of. It’s simple, it’s repetitive...and unless you’re good,
it’s very, very short. But it’s also delightful.
Despite the presence of the canine in the cockpit, you control the plane. Touching the
right side of the screen makes it nosedive, touching the left makes it pull up. Of course,
your objective is to go as far as you can before crashing...which in a sense, makes
the game like a tragedy.
Poor little puppy is doomed from the start.
Fortunately, it’s at least good fun. You have to avoid all kinds of obstacles floating
in midair, from mines and missiles to balloons and bad weather. Meanwhile, you have to keep
an eye on your plane’s fuel, as well. When it starts running low, you better find a place
to land and refill the tank. Otherwise—spoiler alert—you’re going to crash.
In addition to the enemies, there are three main things up in the sky. You have bonus
items, like speed rings and extra fuel...but you also have fruit and coins. Now, the fruit
increases your plane’s speed, and with your coins, you can eventually purchase new planes...each
with a different strategic attribute.
So both fruit and coins are good, and you want to collect as much of them as you can...except
for maybe the fruit. That’s because once you reach a certain speed, it’s almost impossible
to actually see what some of those hovering items are. Is that an apricot, a doubloon...or
a freaking bomb? I can’t tell. It’s all a blur.
So obviously, luck plays a bit of role in Tiny Plane. But that might make it even more
addictive. When you get screwed, you’re always thinking, “Man, there’s no way
that’s going to happen again. One more try.” And then you try 20 more times. This game
is that addictive, and if you’re looking for a fun iOS game with an old-school approach,
Tiny Plane delivers. It can be frustrating, but you’ll always want to try again.
And that’s kind of the point.