The Blue Flamingo

 PC
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. Games Master UK
    Jan 31, 2015
    74
    The game is more than worth its equally miniscule 4 quid asking price. [Feb 2015, p.79]
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  2. IGN Italia
    Feb 13, 2015
    70
    A bizarre shooter with an original and beautiful artistic direction but not much meat under it.
  3. SpazioGames
    Jan 5, 2015
    70
    The Blue Flamingo is a small pearl in the sea of indie games that is slowly yet constantly pouring Steam's servers. It is certainly a niche title that tries to evoke with simple but challenging dynamics some important titles of the past, however, only partially succeeding.
  5. CalmDownTom
    Nov 30, 2014
    50
    It’s saddening that all of the effort the creators have put in to building such a quicky, charming visual style has gone to waste with such barebones gameplay, but the game’s low price and arcade-esque stylings may make it a nice little timekiller for some.
  6. 4P.de
    Dec 5, 2014
    44
    The art direction is worth mentioning but not worth the entrance fee since the mechanics of this vertical shoot-em-up are as basic as anything.
  7. GameCritics
    Mar 18, 2015
    10
    It's a technical disaster that fails to deliver any of the arcade bliss typically found in shoot 'em ups thanks to weak action, wimpy explosions and whacked controls. Leave this one in the digital bargain bin.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.3

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 4 out of 7
  1. CaKeS
    May 12, 2015
    5
    The Blue Flamingo is one of those games with a TON of potential but fails to deliver on many levels. It has some of the most unique art I'veThe Blue Flamingo is one of those games with a TON of potential but fails to deliver on many levels. It has some of the most unique art I've seen in a long time, especially when it comes to vertical shooters, but the gameplay just doesn't feel fun. It's more of a chore to play than a pleasant experience, as the gun is obnoxious to use (since it has no spread, very narrow missiles, and the bullets alternate back and forth from left to right so there's no constant stream of fire), and it cannot be fixed.

    It's a very "grab-bag" style game, meaning you start a new game, play through until you die, then repeat. Each time starting from scratch. It's more of a mini-game than a full game, and is basically priced as such ($4.99). For the asking price I wasn't too upset with my purchase, also considering it came in a bundle that I got even a better deal on, but the game just isn't as fun as it should be.

    There is no variety, it's the same thing over and over again, with very little change in enemies in the later levels if you're lucky enough to get that far. But aside from that, there is only one gun, upgrades only upgrading it's damage, not it's looks or speed, and there is one super weapon, which is a bomb which can also be upgraded but the upgrades only speed up the recharge rate. You only have one playable ship, and from what it looks like-one playable map (though the enemy patterns change each level, and later levels introduce a few new ones).

    The controls are also terrible, and in a bullet-dodging vertical shooter, controls mean everything. You have to use the WASD (re-mappable) keys to move, and left-click to fire, right-click to drop a bomb. The problem I have with this is that you can't move with the mouse which allows for SO much more precision in games like these. Though I can usually deal with the keyboard movement in most vertical shooters, I can't in Blue Flamingo, because it's extremely sensitive which makes you fly across the screen and smash into incoming bullets and enemies if you're not very cautious.

    Overall, The Blue Flamingo is one of those incredibly pretty games with a lot of potential, but it seems unfinished and has very wonky controls and gameplay. It's not an enjoyable experience and I'm sure if you buy it you'll get about an hour or two of playtime out of it before you uninstall it and probably forget about it. That's what I did, then I came back and played it for a bit more and decided it was time to call it a day, forever.

    I would honestly look forward to a new vertical shooter by Might and Delight, assuming they learned from their mistakes this time around.    … Full Review »
  2. fartheststar
    May 9, 2015
    6
    The Blue Flamingo is a cool looking vertical scrolling shooter with relaxed vibe. Pros: Has a cool look - real physical models are used. IThe Blue Flamingo is a cool looking vertical scrolling shooter with relaxed vibe. Pros: Has a cool look - real physical models are used. I like the music. Relaxing shooter. Day night missions are used. Cons: You can't repair your ship, so you'll be restarting from zero alot. There's no real progression of story - so each time you play you'll play the same levels attempting to improve scores and reach new level. That gets old pretty quick imho. Only upgrades are offensive guns or bombs - and I really can't tell what the gun upgrade does. Enemies are not very varied. From what I can tell from some reviews, even the players that say they like the game alot often don't have high playtime - the repeated levels and repeated restarts give the game limited lifespan unless you love that kind of thing.

    Overall, I got it cheap and enjoyed it for what it is (the artistic flair is very nice and is recommended just for that), but enjoy it for what it is and don't expect it to be more than it is.    … Full Review »
  3. BasilZero
    Jul 23, 2017
    4
    Game: The Blue Flamingo
    Genre: Side Scroller Shooter
    Publisher/Developer: Might and Delight System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 41/100 Value    Game: The Blue Flamingo
    Genre: Side Scroller Shooter
    Publisher/Developer: Might and Delight
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 41/100
    Value Score: 4.1/10

    • Story: 2/10
    • Characters: 2/10
    • GamePlay: 3/10
    • Graphics: 7/10
    • Sound: 6/10
    • Music: 3/10
    • Length: 1/10
    • Replay Value: 4/10
    • Player Value: 3/10

    Pros
    +Scoreboard that updates daily

    Cons
    -No way to repair plane
    -Cant exit game mode otherwise you would start all over
    -No progress in story despite the opening note
    -Upgrades do not do anything
    -Animations are poorly done
    -Optimization of overall game is bad
    -No other modes    … Full Review »
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