[gameinfo title=”Game Info” game_name=”” developers=”Zombie Studios” publishers=”Konami” platforms=”” genres=”” release_date=”July 6, 2012″]
Not content to rest on their laurels and let Namco Bandai be the only studio releasing updated eighties classics with remixed gameplay and graphics that would feel at home in a neon sign out of Las Vegas, Konami and developer Zombie Studios brings us Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition. Zombie Studios, best known for their development of free to play first person shooter Blacklight Retribution, is tackling a different beast in terms of gameplay with Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition. Games with simple gameplay elements like Frogger require more fine tuning of controls and balance of different gameplay elements since there is not much else to the games to distract the player.
The core gameplay of Frogger is back. You hop a frog across a road with traffic and then across a river via logs and lily pads where timing between rows is key. Make it across and land in one of the 7 goal slots. Repeat this until all slots are filled and move on to the next stage. There are 5 stages and when completed they loop back to the first stage. The classic gameplay feels the same as it did 30 years ago. So why get Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition? Zombie decided to throw some of that variation stuff in the mix with various graphic styles to customize your good time.
Outside of the Classic game mode, there are seven other modes. Twin Frogger has the player controlling two frogs at once. Jump forward and both jump forward. Paint is a series of levels with two sections of road rather than one road and one river with patterns that the frog must jump across. Challenges mode has a set number of challenges to complete like paint this stage in 20 seconds. There are a few challenges from each single player mode to round out the variation. Frogger Freakout mashes up Classic, Paint, and Twin Frogger so that you are playing a random mode each stage. Then there are three multiplayer modes that can be played locally or against AI and have you trying to score points by turning the stages into more of an arena setting. It is curious that there is no online multiplayer component but it’s not like you would be able to quick match a game of this anyways. Despite having all of these modes, there just isn’t enough variation to bring this title up to the level of Namco’s recent releases like Pac-Man CE.
Before you start a game you can choose between various graphics modes including 8 bit, Next Gen, Hyper, DDR/Karaoke Revolution, Castlevania, and Contra. The gameplay stays the same and the elements of Frogger’s stages are just style with different sprites. The DDR graphics were the most confusing because it was unclear when the lily pads were safe to jump on. You also get to choose your music from eleven Frogger themed instrumentals that will probably make you want to turn your sound off.
Score: 6.5/10
Frogger is a classic that is celebrating 30 years of entertaining gamers. With multiple releases this generation most of the platforms, bringing out another iteration with little to no change to the core game makes little sense because fans of Frogger probably already own a version. That being said, if you don’t actually own Frogger in any form then Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition will make a nice addition to any 24+ year old gamer’s collection.
