By JOSEPH HONG
Staff Writer
“Why……no…. no”…..”Wayyyto Hard”………“addictive rage game”…..”Flappy Bird’s evil twin” are just some of the reviews about an emerging new game (Google Play Store users: Nicholas Colledge, Anisha Bhura, Pratama Hernu, Orion Cartright). The game “Swing Copters” was released on September 3 , by .GEARS Studios, which is operated by Dong Nguyen, the same maker of the infamous Flappy Bird. Swing Copters focuses on moving a little guy wearing a helicopter hat upwards through a series of openings in bars while avoiding hammers which swing constantly near the openings. The goal of the game is to simply get as far as one can without not hitting any of the hammers, sides, or bars. According to the official description, one can apparently unlock more characters, which are sprites of the original character, after receiving four medals.
The game is played by tapping the figure to change directions from left to right while the figure automatically goes upward; however, what makes this game different from Flappy Bird is that the acceleration can go both ways. In other words, the longer the character remains in the same direction, the faster the character will go and will eventually crash on the side of the screen, resulting in a disappointing loss. The addition of the hammers also adds a twist to the Flappy Bird-esque game. The hammers continually swing around and the need to avoid them adds a challenging dimension to the game.
Swing Copters is already beginning to see its fair share of rip-offs. On the day it was released, many others released apps with similar pictures and names. Apps named Swinging Copter, Swing Copters, and Swing Copters Free were released by developers with  names such as “Dong’s Entertainment,” “Nguyen Ha Dong,” “Dong Nguyen Gears,” and many similar names relating to the maker, Dong Nguyen, or Gears, the actual company under which Swing Copter was released. Fortunately for the original developer, both iOS and the Google Play Store have deleted the majority of the copies.
Although the game has been released, there are still some glitches in its leader board and some other bugs. Nevertheless, the game is currently seeing a surge in popularity and is currently ranked highly on the top charts of the Google Play Store. Students at University High School (UHS) have tried this new game. Hyun Park (So.) said, “It was SUPER annoying and wasn’t actually fun,” while Cody Pham (Jr.) said, “Swing Copters is a very frustrating and challenging game. You swing back and forth dodging swing hammers, dying time after time. But after hours of trying and failing, you finally get 1 point, and it’s an amazing feeling.” Although there are mixed responses from UHS students, the consensus is that no matter what, it is truly a frustrating game. The game does have its merits in its endless qualities along with its ability to inherently persuade the player to continue playing and to reach higher levels within the game. To some, the game may seem so annoying that it may impede one’s ability to take enjoyment in playing the game. Even though Swing Copters has its flaws, it will most likely continue on this path and may possibly reach the same level of popularity that Flappy Bird once held.