Flying Bunny (PlayStation 4) Review

It is no coincidence that Flying Bunny and Flappy Bird both share the same initials. This was likely intentional on Zepetto's part, since the developer saw no point in being coy about its inspiration. The Flappy formula is game design at its most basic and superficial, relying on the barest bones of Skinner Box blueprints: press the button and get a point. Flying Bunny sought to do something a bit more daring by incorporating some bullet-hell elements and various tweaks in the form of multiple power-ups and character selection. It can be kind of mind blowing that such a brain-dead concept could actually have some kind of depth and stimulation put into it, but Flying Bunny makes it all work!

Continuous play and reaching certain milestones unlocks various characters and starting power-ups. One of the best is the girl who has an innate magnetism for collecting the massive quantities of delicious treats that fill the screen. Like always in Flappy-style games, tapping a button gives a slight boost. What Flying Bunny does differently from the competition is add automatic firing, which is tied to a gauge that can be filled by eating food. When the gauge is full, the player character will automatically fire a constant stream of bullets, so the user can focus on manoeuvring around enemy turtles and stray bullets. Flying Bunny was even bold enough to have massive boss battles, where things get really hectic.

This game manages to be a simple yet easy to pick up and play game that is not afraid to get really intense and heat things up. Most bosses are basically giant cute blobs, sure... but they all have varying bullet patterns. The gradual powering up keeps the rising action engrossing, and the chance of losing it all upon death keeps tension high. The simplistic graphics that look like Flash animation may not seem like much, but they get the job done and keep things lively even when the screen is teeming with chaos.