Frogger
&emdash;Basic Info. &emdash;Release Date: November 3rd, 1997
Developer: Hasbro Interactive
Publisher: Hasbro Interactive
Number of Players: 1-4
System: Playstation
Genre: Arcade
Frogger.
Everyone loves Frogger. It's an Atari game, originally. The idea is simple, you're a frog. There's a big busy road in front of you, and beyond that road is your river. Across your river, is your home. Or, tadpoles or flags, depending on how you play. Anyway, you have to manipulate this tiny frog across the road, and across the river without getting squashed. Sounds simple enough, right? Frogger drove many an early Gamer to the end of their wick with frustration. But, that's all in the past. Or is it?
Hasbro brings to us Frogger. And no longer do we see the trucks and cars as rectangles and squares sliding back and forth on the screen. Now, thanks to our friend the polygon, Frogger has a fully three-dimensional world to hop in. With remarkable graphics, Frogger has come to life. Every detail is there. From the exhaust from the cars, to the scales on alligators. The entire game is viewed from a Birds-Eye view on Frogger, unless you level limits otherwise. Changing view angles happens rarely, but is a huge pain in the rear. But, we can all acknowledge Hasbro's amazing job creating a world for our friend.
The controls to the game are simple. Left, right, up, down--- you just press in the direction you need to go. The face buttons even add something new for our Frogger, he can hop. Instead of just marching along, Frogger can hop up and reach platforms out of reach. And there is a heat-seeking tongue to collect items such as lives and tadpoles (Hey, tadpoles are items, okay?)
Playability on the other hand will go mostly to Old Skool gamers. The first 5 levels are the Retro-Original levels. Following this, there are 9 more themed levels, such as traveling from island to island. Mind you, I have one real pet peeve about this game. Frogger. He's a frog, right? And frogs, they can swim, right? Well, why if Frogger jumps in the water, does he die? Just a little thing that bugs me. Anyway--- the levels start out simple, and gain difficulty rapidly. Prepare to be frustrated. You will die, and you will die. It's like learning to play DDR. It takes more time than you want to give&emdash;and even DDR is simpler. In each level, you must travel the course 5 times to find the 5 tadpoles (Look, they used to be tadpoles. I don't care if they look like tiny frogs, they are tadpoles.) . This is a perilous journey. Pack light.
This new version of the Arcade game does come with a multiplayer ability. You can play with 2 to 4 others, and the objective is to collect the flags. These flags will be distributed over the mulitplayer levels exactly where the tadpoles are in the real levels, but this time you are hopping against time and your friend. The multiplayer levels consist of the first 5 levels of the game. The winner is he who collects 5 flags the fastest.
I will not shoot down Hasbro's sound effects though. There is a multitude of sounds. From car rumbling, to lawn motor grinding, to lava bubbling&emdash;it's all there. The music is something left to be desired, though. While it's happy and perky, it's really annoying. And it doesn't help your frustration when you are trying to get the last tadpole for the 15-bagillionth time. Infact, the adds to it. Mute the music. Trust me. Cute, happy, yes. Likable. Yes. Tolerable… in attachment to that game? I think not.
Frogger is a classic game. It'd be difficult for people who have little to no patience (Infact, then it would be impossible) and those to whom Frogger is a new scene. Try it though. For some, it is hell in a box. For others, it is the most amusing thing they have ever seen. Afterall, the froggy gets squished.
&emdash;Scores&emdash;
Graphics: 8
Music/Sound Effects: 5
Plot: 2.........There is no plot. Save the tadpoles. There ya go.
Controls: 9.........Camera Angle: 7
Replay Value: 3........You're forced to. It's an interesting thing.
Originality: 2........It's a remake.
Overall: 5.1