Apple Arcade review #35: Fledgling Heroes

Basically a prettified Flappy Bird, Fledgling Heroes is surprisingly unforgiving. You start by playing a parrot (referred to as “son” by, I assume, his parrot father) and you tap the screen to flap your bird-wings. Also, you can bounce on the ground and on chests. And on enemies, like a feathered Mario. And you collect coins, lots and lots of coins, because I guess parrots and pirates, right? What is it with all these cartoon animals and gold coins? Turtles, parrots, plumbers — they’re all after those sweet, sweet doubloons. Not that Marino’s a cartoon animal. He’s a cartoon Italian.

The parrot is soon replaced by a very cute baby penguin who swims underwater. Later, you play a toucan. The scenery changes but the music never does, or at least it feels like it never does. It’s very upbeat.

Despite all the graphics and the bouncing and the baby penguin, Fledgling Heroes is not as satisfying as Flappy Bird. I’m not sure who this game is for: it feels too hard for younger children, and too shallow for older children and adults. Maybe it gets better — I didn’t have the patience to keep going past the first handful of levels. This one feels like a product; one that quickly fades in comparison with Arcade’s better, and more personal, games.

Link: https://apps.apple.com/no/app/fledgling-heroes/id1273891738