Submitted to the App Store by a first time developer (Andres Illiger), Tiny Wings has risen to the top of the Paid App Store as of today, knocking off another app of the avian variety, Angry Birds.  The concept of the game is a simple one; you play a bird that constantly dreams of soaring through the air, but cannot due to undersized wings.  However, our little friend can use his girth to slide down hills and launch himself into the air.  While the little wings flap frantically to keep him in the air, the bird eventually falls to the earth.  If timed correctly, you can hit another slope to slide down, tuck in the wings to move faster and launch the bird even higher.  You are racing against time and trying to keep the bird moving quickly through the landscape before nightfall descends on the fairytale landscape. 

Each portion of landscape is broken up into islands and these islands are littered with coins, yellow and blue.  The yellow coins give you three points each and the blue coins increase your speed dramatically.  You can also earn points by sliding perfectly through a valley as well as getting high enough to touch a cloud.  If you nail three great slides in a row, you unlock a 2x multiplier for earning points called Fever mode.  In addition, you can increase your points even further by completing objectives in the game.  An objective could be as simple as reaching a specific island or as tough as staying in Fever mode for a long time.  Objectives don't have to be completed all at once and can be checked off on multiple playthroughs. 

Controlling the bird is incredibly simple only requiring a single finger on the screen to go into Tuck Wing position.  It's basically as simple as Angry Birds for anyone to pick up and play. Included in the opening package is OpenFeint achievements, but GameCenter achievements along with multiple leaderboards are in the blueprints for future versions.  This really isn't the type of game that would utilize a competitive multiplayer mode, so obviously nothing beyond the single player is included.  

Graphics:

Visually, the subdued colors are gorgeous on the iPhone 4 (but not upgraded for the Retina display yet) and the hand drawn, artistic style reminded me of Braid to a certain extent.  In addition, the patterns and colors randomly change.  Hill structure stays exactly the same for each playthrough though.  The rolling backgrounds, especially the day to night darkness sequence is also exceptionally animated.  Finally, the physics engine works perfect with the control scheme.  The simplicity of the graphics engine also speaks to the core Apple audience, adoring fans of minimalism. 

Audio:

The light, playful tune that plays while your feathered friend races along the hills is perfect for the type of game.  However, the little "Yaahoo's" emanating from the bird steal the show and help solidify the concept that the bird loves to fly.  Other sound effects, like the dinging of collecting coins and the power boosts through the air are equally entertaining. 

Conclusion:

Probably one of the most charming iPhone games that I've played this year, Tiny Wings instills a feeling of calm within you while playing; quite opposite from the continually infuriating Angry Birds.  There's a natural feeling of elation when you hit several ramps in a row correctly and rocket up into the sky with those tiny wings.  Does it have the lasting power of Angry Birds?  Probably not, few apps do.  But for 99 cents, it's a wonderful way to to make a cute little bird endlessly happy as well as put a smile on your face.  Highly Recommended!