Fledgling Heroes Review

Developed by Subtle Boom, Fledgling Heroes takes us flapping into the wonderful and wacky world of side scrolling birds. A great title for kids, and just as addictive for adults, this little gem has a bit of everything, and plays like a dream on the Nintendo Switch handheld with one or two players.

Let me preface right now--Fledgling Heroes isn't going to to be a grueling, bloody battle for middle Earth, nor is it going to be some daunting, eye-opening wartime trench simulator. It's the perfect game if you're looking for some simple fun for you or a little one. Colourful animations that are fun and inviting are going to be throughout the whole game--in fact, most of Fledgling Heroes would be a brilliant colouring book page (which there is on https://www.fledglingheroes.com/!). The characters are adorable, ribboned with bright primary colours which would be hard not to put a little smile on your face.

Gameplay in Fledgling Heroes is physics based 2D side-scrolling. As you dive off your perch at the starting point, you're meant to keep flapping until your satisfied with the momentary height. A bit better of an explanation: it's a lot like controlling Kazooie in Banjo Kazooie, minus the need for red feathers to stay in flight. You tap to go higher, and do nothing to sink lower with different variations in speed. In each level, there's a multitude of bits and bobs to collect, such as gold coins and treasure chests. As you're always in perpetual flight, measuring your height becomes the trick of the whole game. It's a simple concept--easy to learn, but oh, so hard to master.

You're started off with a series of tutorial-like levels to ease you in. Despite my overly-complicated explanation of how flight works in the game, it really is quite simple to do. Of course, there's obstacles around the place, which gives it a very Temple Run feel, with an instant restart to boot. The levels themselves aren't terribly long, but even in their short stature, concentration is paramount. They're unique as well--the roster of birds you're alloted even extends to an adorable penguin. Instead of flying through the notoriously flightless bird, you're canopy will be swapped for the ocean sea. Some nice unlockables, such as player portraits, are also a welcomed incentive.

Fledgling Heroes does have a bit of an air of mobile game to it, but what really sets it apart is the level creator mode. You can make your own level from top to bottom, objectives and all, and it's dead easy to do so. It's a clever way to add something extra to the game, without falling into that boring, overlooked category of arcade games that resemble pay-to-play. There's none of that here, and hours of fun to be had if you're a kiddo looking for an age-appropriate, diet-Mario Maker. I recommend Fledgling Heroes in all of it's feathered cuteness, for you, or a half pint human to have some fun and bust some boredom!