Frogger Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 12 July, 2006

Road in this morning.

Version tested: Xbox 360

One of the good things about being a youngster and a 16-bit Internet hack is that I've never had to talk about pumping coins into an arcade machine. Coins? Get lost Granddad! My memories are better. For example, I used to play Frogger on my Dad's Amstrad PC in the garage. Sometimes it had spiders in it. And when Konami people threw Frogger t-shirts at my head during E3, I didn't raise them to my face to help choke back the tears of nostalgia; I threw them back and knocked over a cardboard Solid Snake.

This is a good thing. Because science (well, made-up science) tells me that sentimental attachment is parasitic; a long-term decomposition of objectivity, which transforms the chambered muscular organ in your chest into a chambered round of rose-tinted aggression, ready to be fired off with indignation whenever somebody mucks around with your childhood (another upshot of being young and having no past to speak of is that you have lots of time to waste on rubbish gun metaphors).

So it's handy I'm not like that, because one of the things games companies often do when they bring us updated versions of their old games is, well, update them.

Frogger, for example, has new graphics and sounds. I am untroubled by this. With the extra time I gleaned from not angrily firing my vital organs at people's heads, I was able to explore the menus and discover you can turn them off. So the choice is simple: pixellated old-days graphics and dodgy sounds, or the sorts of thing that, as you can see in the screenshots, you'd probably expect the Master System to aspire to.

Another thing you'll note is that the game only occupies a section of the screen, as though it's being played sideways on a 4:3 television that's been kicked over. This is fine too. Stretch it out using the options menu and it looks horrible, but, again, the option is there. This optional-update stuff is becoming a bit of a theme.

'Frogger' Screenshot 1

Updated graphics! Frankly I prefer the old ones because it's easier to judge the absolute end of a log or car.

From which you'd be forgiven for inferring that Konami hasn't done much to update Frogger at all. But that's not the case. Actually what they've done is rather clever. Instead of changing things and winding people up, they've used the Xbox 360's system of achievements to encourage you to concentrate on different aspects of the otherwise simple task of delivering frogs across a road and over a river. And online they've added leaderboards, which you can only contribute to if you don't muck about with the default lives setting, and a couple of multiplayer game modes.

The single-player first. Without paying attention to the achievements, it's much the same. Using either the left analogue stick or directional pad, you move your little frog across a road in-between traffic, which comes at you from both sides, pause for a moment on the opposite verge, and then spring deftly across logs and turtles that are flowing along in parallel opposing currents. The idea is to deliver five little froggies into the five little slots on the opposite bank. As you might imagine for a console that costs £279.99, uses three processor cores and has more redundant memory in it than an old-people's home, the 360 deals capably with all of this. The only slight niggles are the game's own - you have to be quite precise when leaping into the slots on the bank, for example.

It's when you first complete a level, the game awards you a few points and you hit the Xbox guide button to see what you've been rewarded for that you spot the others. And they're quite good fun to go after. Of course you're given points for completing levels one through five, but you're also given a few points for delivering the frogs to their river-side homes one by one from right to left. You're rewarded for saving five lady frogs, who pop up occasionally on a mid-river log and need collecting and depositing too. You earn yet more points for completing a level in less than 45 seconds, by eating three bugs, or by playing chicken with the traffic - these are the best achievements really, the idea being to remain in the flow of traffic on level one and two until the time limit approaches and then scamper across the river before time runs out.

'Frogger' Screenshot 2

Online play adds something. There are leaderboards to 'log' your high scores, too.

Then there's the multiplayer. You can play ranked versus matches, where the goal is to outscore your opponent - a byproduct of which is that you've generally outlasted them - with the action split down the middle. If you're not bothered about rankings, you can take a friend on in a general or private friends match in versus, versus-speed or co-op modes. Versus-speed is about getting all five of your frogs to the other side of the river first, while co-op is a straightforward game of Frogger that combines your scores with those of another player. Lag doesn't appear to be much of an issue, since you're not interacting (although the game does helpfully tell you if the other player has a rubbish ping during the lobby phase), and although I experienced some trouble setting up a private game I didn't have any difficulty hooking up with random strangers (if only life were like that etc.).

And that, really, is your lot. There's not a lot to criticise. A restart option would've been nice for those occasions when you foul things up immediately on the first level - and no I don't think that's just me being young and stupid. Other than that, Frogger is a well-worked update that meddles with a classic formula without actually changing it. It's a role model for arcade updates.

It's also rather quickly dispensed with. Getting to levels four and five, reaching 30,000 points in a co-op game and managing to deliver 15 frogs to the other side of the river on one life are tricky tasks that'll keep you going for a bit, but otherwise Frogger will probably take you less than an evening to exhaust. So really it depends how much 400 Microsoft points is worth to you. It's worth £3.40 to me.

7 / 10

Frogger is out now on Xbox Live Arcade and costs 400 Microsoft points, which is £3.40 in old money (and EUR 4.65 and USD 5.00 in other types of old money).

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • AHiFi #1 6 years ago

    I just want SFII. ='[

    Nice, brief review though.

  • Blerk #2 6 years ago

    Updated graphics don't look nearly as bad as I imagined they would! They're bordering on 'quite nice'.

  • yorkiebar #3 6 years ago

    I still want JetPac...

  • Blerk #4 6 years ago

    There should be an option to play a single game for 10pee. :-)

  • nickthegun #5 6 years ago

    Remember, If you download games, you are downloading communism.

    And, yeah, goddamit, is SFII the new Duke Nukem Forever or something?

  • djchump #6 6 years ago

    wtf? How can Frogger be a 7 out of 10? :-/
    I really don't get that... it's Frogger ffs, Frogger's crap! Even when I had it on the Atari 2600 it was crap, let alone when you pay for it again to play it on a next-gen console and HDTV...

    Now Zuma/Puzzloop, Geometry Wars etc. - those look like they're worth a pop... but Frogger?! Bag o' shite.

  • HairyArse #7 6 years ago

    "....and has more redundant memory in it than an old-people's home....."

    That's just made my afternoon. Thanks Tom.

    :)

  • Kiigan #8 6 years ago

    But but but... it has ugly updated graphics, and you have to play in a teeny little window with a big stupid swirly pattern in the background!

    I mean, if you're gonna go to the trouble of updating the visuals, why not allow a bigger play screen?

    Looked bad from my cursory glance earlier today, tbh. Bad and disappointing and sloppy and not worth 3.40 despite being a huge fan of Frogger.

  • DNM #9 6 years ago

    Running out of things to review? :)

  • neilka #10 6 years ago

    Foghornin' Frogger Fact: Set the graphics/sounds to the originals and you should recognise the sound you hear when you pick up the purple frog, even if you've never played Frogger before.

  • Huntcjna #11 6 years ago

    /returns Chromehounds

    /pays money for a proper game like frogger

  • Frogger #12 6 years ago

    What a great game

  • Xerx3s #13 6 years ago

    lol

  • Kiigan #14 6 years ago

    Ack it appears that the option to set normal gfx etc isn't in the demo version. Madness.

  • Zero Beat #15 6 years ago

    Free with Amiga Format!

    Oh.

  • IP #16 6 years ago

    Oh, man, I feel old when a reviewer starts talking about playing a game on his DAD'S Amstrad CPC. *SAD SMILEY FACE CONSIDERING ENDING IT ALL*

  • Schiraman #17 6 years ago

    £3.40 actually seems pretty damn expensive for a game as old and tired as this. Surely there are better things to play on the 360?

  • effinwooly #18 6 years ago

    £3.50 is not lot of money ? am i right aren't I ?

  • Teeth #19 6 years ago

    Next up is Hangman btw

  • Luigi #20 6 years ago

    5€ (sort of) for a 25 year old game with slightly updated graphics. Don't get me wrong, I'm a nostalgic person, but this is crap. A game like this, no matter how legendary is, It's a bit of a joke nowadays. 5 € for 15/20 minutes of nostalgic fun is too much. Who wants to play Frogger after playing Halo 3 or PGR3? My watch has better games than frogger :) Salut from Lisbon carago !!

  • JackB #21 6 years ago

    Gas in the US costs me $3 a gallon in California... It costs me about .40 cents a mile to operate my car. It's 10 miles one way to the store to buy a game. That's $8 round trip.

    With Live Arcade, I push a button and I've got the game for $5 US. I saved myself a drive to the store and $3 in the process.... (ie $8 US to drive their and back).

    I'm guessing gas is more expensive in Europe. $5 US is an impulse buy on an evening when I'm looking for something fun for a couple of hours...

    That's what Live Arcade is all about. Impulse buys and convenience. You've had a couple of beers and you don't want to get off your couch unless it's to get some chips and dip.

  • Teeth #22 6 years ago

    Actually we use petrol or diesel to power our cars.

  • login_name #23 6 years ago

    Are people that bored/tired of their 360 that such an 'impulse' buy is necessary? I'm sorry but this is a poor addition to the Live! catalogue. More should have been done to freshen up this already weak 'classic'. Think I'll stick with Uno and GW2.

  • Fatnick #24 6 years ago

    You do realise you can play frogger for free on the 360 don't you? If you don't want the score boards, the achievements and the multiplayer you can download the free trial version.

  • Xerx3s #25 6 years ago

    You do realise you can play frogger for free on the 360 don't you? If you don't want the score boards, the achievements and the multiplayer you can download the free trial version.

    What? You mean like with GW? ;)

  • Helios #26 6 years ago

    Live release list:

    July 12 - Frogger
    July 19 - Cloning Clyde
    July 26 - Galaga
    August 2 - Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting
    August 9 - Pac-Man

    http://ww w.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_in...
    Edited by 1 at 12/07/06 @ 19:54

  • MasterThief #27 6 years ago

    What I don't get is that for a game that is essentially shit, and could easily be played free online, why aren't the developers bothered making it full screen, if they're to have the temerity to charge for this?

  • djchump #28 6 years ago

    @Wonga

    I can fully understand Microsoft's intent to appeal to the massmarket/non-hardcore gamer audience by pimping old/nostalgic games such as Frogger - in the same way that Nintendo will re-release downloadable back-catalgue NES and SNES games on the Wii.

    The problem for me is, I still classify the Xbox360 as very much a "hardcore" games console as it is still next-gen and still quite costly. Nintendo's Wii is a different prospect as it will be low cost and IMHO more accessible.

    My problem with Microsoft concentrating in re-releasing old-school/retro/crap games like Frogger,Galaga and Pac-Man over XBox live arcade is that I don't fell they have done enough to reward their hardcore early-adopters... there's been quite a slow Xbox360 release schedule lately and XBLA is a prime candidate for filling slow release schedules with decent and inventive new minigames, but instead it is been used to try to attract massmarket punters instead of rewarding the current owners/early-adopters.

    And for everyone saying "£3.50 isn't a lot" - true, but I don't consider £3.50 for Frogger to be good value for money. Fair enough if people feel they have got £3.50 worth of enjoyment out of it, but 10 more releases like this down the line, you'll have paid £35 for Pac-Man, Pong, Frogger and a host of other pap that you won't play and you could have got a full price game or it ;-)

  • Drakron #29 6 years ago

    I kinda agree ... this stuff belongs in a portable console, not in a €300 plus console that requires a 1000€ TV set for its full potencial.

    It seens Xbox problem continues with Xbox 360, in a way its understanble with the competition still not releasing their consoles 3rd party publishers are still waiting to see the future trends but really, MS sould expand a publisher ... Mistwalker is both a good and bad example.

  • Jeepers #30 6 years ago

    Two pints of beer for £3.50?

    I want to live where you live.

    Actually, no, I'm not sure I do.

    Blerk: Charging 10p a game is a cracking idea - I'd love to see MS adopt something like that - add a nice lobby system like DOA and you've got a magic little Virtuarcade.

    j

  • JammyB #31 6 years ago

    I paid £1.38 for a pint last week here in sunny York. I could get two of them and a pork pie too and still have change left for the whippet racing!

    I don't think £3.50 is very good value for money at all, but then again I don't earn very much. I'd rather go for the above.

  • Stickman #32 6 years ago

    You wait till albundy gets in here. He's going to go postal on your retro asses! Possibly in the form of some rambling diatribe, but it'll be cutting, just you wait!

  • hoof #33 6 years ago

    ooh ooh! will he mention forza/halo/pro evo/splinter cell?

    I love it when that happens!

    *sigh*

  • Xerx3s #34 6 years ago

    Halo.

    /brings out barb wire and sandbags

  • Bill Gates is Evil #35 6 years ago

    I don't see how any of you can complain about the price tag of Frogger. Seriously, don't try to fool us: you're not good with your time or money anyway. If you were all about frugality and efficiency, you wouldn't be utilizing your time discussing how you don't wish to utilize your time.

  • reality_cheque #36 6 years ago

    This is about £1.70 for anyone who got the cheap points from Game :D

    I'd forgotten how amusing Blackdogs comments are. I'm glad I unignored you now dude!

  • mechamonkey #37 6 years ago

    Ended up playing this for a few hours last night 3.40 well spent.

    Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease bring hypersports online !

  • Mr_Whacker #38 6 years ago

    The price of Live games like this is fine. Its the appalling selection I complain about. I've always thought Frogger was shit. So where's the alternatives? SF, Gauntlet, SmashTV, had them all for years. You can't appeal to casuals with a handful of retro games.

    And don't get me started on the state of the 360 D-pad a factor that turns me right off anything pre-analogue.

  • peterfll #39 6 years ago

    You are joking right? 7/10?

    I'm one of those people who were pumping coins into machines like Frogger, but I tell you what. I downloaded this last night and I played it twice before switching it off. It should have been left in the past........

    ......... and there are so many other worthy titles they could have released in its place.

  • Rambaldi #40 6 years ago

    Errr, ok, a 7....

    /get back to playing a Chromhounds - a lowly 6

  • Darren #41 6 years ago

    I downloaded this last night and was alarmed at the postage stamp sized playing area on my HDTV. Thankfully there's a window resize option so you can make it fill the screen albeit it's 4:3 only with side borders. Why the game defaults to such a tiny window I don't know. Still it's a cracking game, perfect for Xbox Live Arcade. Roll on Defender...

  • Stickman #42 6 years ago

    "PC gaming is dead for me, I can't imagine playing games on the PC ever again."

    Why's that then? You could have been playing Frogger years ago.
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/06 @ 09:55

  • Tejstar #43 6 years ago

    I get a really small window on the trial - anyone know why?
    Edited by 1 at 13/07/06 @ 10:03

  • Tejstar #44 6 years ago

    Ok thanks - worked a treat!

    Also can change from Classic to Enhanced version too!

  • gizmo #45 6 years ago

    Thank god for that, I'm using a 50" screen and I was squinting :p

    I have to say, I'm seriously unimpressed at the XBLA service at the mo. I'm hoping cloning clyde is good next wednesday, It looks it in the gameplay vids I've seen.

  • Wobble #46 6 years ago

    AUGUST SECOND??!

    It's taking longer to port this than it probably took to write it in the first place.

    $%@*&!

  • NthSimulachum #47 6 years ago

    Remember that optimising an ancient game for net play, too allow smooth and silky gameplay isn't exaclty the same as just emulating the old SFII.

    /looks forward to galaga

  • Jesus: Action Figure #48 6 years ago

    http://lostfrog.org/

  • JayScott #49 6 years ago

    Geez. I've just read this whole page of crap and all I can say is stop fucking whingeing! Who cares? It's on there. If you want it, buy it. If you don't, don't. If you want to try it, download the demo, that's what I did. It's not like they're stuffing it down your throat as a pack in game, or a 'my-next-gen-high-def-xbox-360-system-won't-run-unless-i-ins tall-this-25-year-old-crappy-frogger' arcade game, is it? For fuck's sake! XBox Live Arcade, although admittedly slow in doing so, is doing exactly what it was designed to do. Offer a mixture of retro and affordable modern pick up and play games for a minimal cost. If you don't want them, don't buy them. Just trying to even compare their review scores with scores for full priced games is bullshit. Please. Get a grip.
    Edited by 2 at 13/07/06 @ 20:48

  • bloodflowers #50 6 years ago

    Fun game. Used to own an arcade machine of it until I ran out of floorspace. I want to see more of this - pint sized arcade conversions for low prices. £3.40 isn't even enough to cover 2 days lunch money at work, it's absolutely nothing in the scheme of things.

  • cyber_nicco #51 6 years ago

    I agree with JayScott, but I don't have the energy to get so worked up about it.

    On a related note...

    Frogger doesn't particularly interest me, but I have had two girlfriend's in the past 4 years that have asked me if my system played Frogger.

    I guess it appeals to more people that one might imagine. Hooray for choice!

  • Mr_Whacker #52 6 years ago

    I don't agree with JayScott (soz dude). I think we have a right to demand from Live Arcade the variety and experimental / indie games we were promised. As well as the arcade conversions that I have no problem choosing not to buy. At the mo its all a limited mix of classic arcade games and me-too puzzlers.

  • NthSimulachum #53 6 years ago

    What about the excellent Outpost Kaloki, the frog thing(not frogger), and Monkey Ball*cough* Blast?

    Plus Cloning Clyde is out next week.

    Patience.

  • JayScott #54 6 years ago

    @ Mr Whacker

    I agree it's been slow, but I think now that developers are seeing that the idea is successful the titles should begin to flow. For me the big advantage of Live has been the downloading of game demos. Try before you buy in the comfort of your own home. That's great. It's the reason I bought Condmened in the end - I really enjoyed the demo and found it for $70 (Aus). Anyway, hopefully things do pick up because the service has great potential. I just got frustrated reading people even trying to compare the review scores of full priced titles to Live Arcade titles. Perhaps Eurogamer should post in a different colour or something, make it easier for people who seem to be having trouble.
    Edited by 2 at 15/07/06 @ 02:53

  • Bidermaier #55 6 years ago

    This is the first time a use the 360 D-Pad and i am happy to see it is better than i expected.