Fledgling Heroes

With three main worlds to get through, Fledgling Heroes isn’t a very long game, but it is a lot of fun while it lasts. If you’re after a meatier experience, or even one that perhaps isn’t quite as cute as this, you might want to look elsewhere. For everyone else, Flappy Bird may well have struck gold when it was released 7 years ago, but Fledgling Heroes rises head and shoulders above it.

Fledgling Heroes soars above the rest and delivers an experience that I can enjoy even though I know it isn’t meant for me. When I was younger I used to like finding ways to make games break because I knew games made for children often times weren’t made well; it’s because of this that I can look at a game like Fledgling Heroes and respect what it’s doing and the time that went into it. I have to say that I recommend this game for anyone who is looking to give their kids a game that has what so many other auto runners lack: heart and soul.

Fledgeling Heroes might be a bit short in the tooth, game lengthwise, there's no doubting the fun. The game allows you to move forward without being perfect. Time spent on each level is based on the challenge to you weighted by how much you want to collect. Unexpected features like a level creator, cosmetics and styles for your birds, time trials, and score-keeping add to the overall enjoyment to a family-friendly game, and that's nothing to crow about!

For those who are looking for something simple to pass the time, or our younger, fledgling gamers, Fledgling Heroes is definitely one to add to your library.

Playing Fledgling Heroes, it's hard to shake the feeling that I haven't somehow time-traveled to the past. It feels like the sort of game I might've enjoyed reviewing seven years ago as a mobile port to the 3DS or Wii U eShop. Except it's 2020, and this is an original game on the Switch. Runners have come a long way, and players expect more from the genre's console counterparts.

There's no doubt a good reason for people to debate whether games like Fledgling Heroes "need" to be on Switch...

Fledgling Heroes is a simple, fun, and addictive experience that takes a tried-and-tested formula and adds a charming adventure to it. There’s a decent amount of variety to be found throughout the game, whilst the level editor gives players something to play around with once they’ve cleared it. It is a little bit easy though, with Fledgling Heroes easily cleared in a handful of hours. It’s not a big problem by any means (especially since the game isn’t too expensive), but it’s worth bearing in mind if you were hoping for a lengthy experience. Still, with its fun and accessible family-friendly gameplay, Fledgling Heroes is easy to recommend to players of all ages. It might be a bit simple and places and won’t take you long to beat, but you’ll have a good time leading your sextet of avian heroes on their pleasant journey.

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.

Come for the delightful artwork, stay for the level editor. You’ve seen everything else before.