Bird Strike

When did birds get so militant? Just weeks after Clickgamer's plucky Angry Birds transformed them into dive-bombing missiles intent on taking out packs of pigs, Bird Strike comes along, flinging our feathered friends vertically into the sky, pelting them towards any passing UFOs with menacing intent.

It's probably the appeal of transforming something traditionally seen as cute and cuddly into a weapon of warfare that makes the premise so appealing.

Getting as high as you can is the aim here. Launching your bird is done by dragging a finger down from the power line on which your bird roosts, then letting go to send him flying. Controlling the little guy - bizarrely called Gerald - in the air is done by tilting your device left or right.

Of course, there's little point in Gerald simply shooting about willy-nilly. The idea is to use his momentum to pick up the lines of seeds that decorate each stage. Points let you advance to the next level, should you meet one of the three posted targets.

Yet, Bird Strike doesn't hand over a blue sky free of hazards. Poor Gerald finds it especially easy to fly headfirst into various parts of the city architecture en route. Girders are the most common obstacle, knocking him out temporarily and sending him diving back towards the ground with gusto.

Hit the floor and it's Game Over. Airtime is a very precious commodity, and keeping Gerald soaring for as long as you can is the only way to move on from one stage to the next. Directing him towards rockets evenly spaced out as you zoom upwards is the key, each one giving you a short burst that allows you to reach the next row of rockets with ease. String enough together and you can reach the outer limits of the atmosphere.

There are other objects that impede and support progress. Pockets of balloons halt your progress, but add to your score, while helmets enable you to crash through obstacles. The latter brings an element of strategy - choosing just where to fly with your helmet equipped is often pivotal in making it to a level's higher echelons.

When all these short bursts are stacked together successfully, it becomes a case of tilting Gerald gently so that he glides through as much empty air as possible, reaching the very top of the sky and triggering a mini alien invasion.

Said UFO then zaps Gerald and sends him on a frenzy back towards the surface on a smash and grab mission, each and every object you take down adding yet more points to your tally.

While the whole thing appears seamless when it goes well, Bird Strike is largely a game of trial and error. On new levels it's usually impossible to second guess just where the pitfalls will be placed. That means flying right into the jaws of danger - and therefore failure - is a regular occurrence on a first, second and even a third run through.

Though this adds a sense of achievement when you finally crack the code, it's also more than a little unfair. It's a bit of a cheap way of extending the game's lifespan.

What saves Bird Strike is that it's still fun just flying about and experimenting in the sky. Not quite the package it should be, but it proves that a good idea will always fly, even if there are a few too many obstacles placed in the way.