Tiny Wings HD Review

Tiny Wings was a surprise hit when it came out in the App Store last year. The cute bird who flies over rolling hills was such a fun pick-up-and-play experience that millions downloaded it, making it one of the best-selling games of 2011. Now there's a brand new update with even more features and chapters for those who not only have an iPhone, but an iPad as well.

Tiny Wings HD features the same familiar bubble gum colors and graphics from the first version and really comes alive if you have a new iPad. Chapter 1, titled "Day Trip," is still the main feature. The goal is to reach as many islands, score as many points, and collect as many coins as possible before the sun sets and night puts an end to your game. Keep the sun from setting by using the hills to gain speed and keep your bird flying through the air. Do this by tapping and holding the screen, causing your bird to dive. Dive too early or too late on a hill and your bird slows down, causing the sun to start setting. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you do, the addiction sets in and you're constantly trying to beat your previous effort. Achievements and goals keep the game fresh. Complete goals to build bigger nests and to increase your score multiplier.

"Flight School" is a new addition to the game. Choose one of four birds -- green, orange, blue or pink -- and race to see who can reach mama bird the first. You can choose to race on Clown Islands, Koi Islands or Orca Islands with more islands coming soon. To advance, you must place in the top three. Get first place and mama bird throws you the biggest fish, but if you get last place, a shrimp is your only edible award. Use flowers to springboard through hills but be sure to avoid water holes because they'll slow you down considerably. Flight School is pretty challenging but still a lot of fun. And yes, you can name your own bird.

New for the iPad version is "Hill Party," a fun multiplayer mode where you can either try to be the first person to earn 10,000 points on an island, or earn the highest score on five islands. It's a great feature because you and a friend can compete on the same iPad. You can also gift the app to someone if you think they'll enjoy the game.

Tiny Wings looks beautiful on the new iPad. Colors really pop, and it's always a fun game to play at least once a day just to see what the always changing hills will look like. The music is light and pleasant (I have it on in the background as I'm writing this), and the overall presentation is clean and attractive for gamers of all ages. iCloud support is also included so you can now sync your game between your iPhone and iPad.

If you own an iPad and are hesitant about spending three bucks for this HD version, don't be. Tiny Wings HD looks beautiful on the large retina display and the new chapters will keep you entertained for hours. Even if it's dark outside, the sun is always shining whenever you play this charming little title.

App Store Link: Tiny Wings HD for iPhone & iPad | By Andreas Illiger | Price: $0.99/$2.99 | Version: 2.0.1 | 22.4 MB | Rating 4+