As quickly as Flappy Bird found an audience of devoted, furious players tap-tapping away at their phones in frustration, so it has disappeared from Google Play and the App Store. But amid all the thinkpieces wondering whether it was a ripoff or work of minimalist genius, there are now the requisite parodies. The Sesame Workshop whipped up Flappy Bert, a browser version replacing the bird with Bert from Sesame Street, held in the air by a bluebird. (Presumably the version with Ernie would have a rubber duckie instead.) Instead of the green Super Mario pipes, players must navigate the bird and puppet through pipes with Bert’s distinct striped sweater pattern. Upon losing each round, he cries out for Ernie’s help, making it both funnier and more obnoxious than the original.
If that kid-friendly version isn’t enough, Fall Out Boy announced it’s also making a version of the game called Fall Out Bird, which users can play as a distraction from seeing an ex making out with someone else.