"Classic arcade-style fun (and good-looking too!)"

To make a good game for the Atari 2600, you just had to follow the simple rule of “Easy to learn but difficult to master,” and Frogger obeys this rule to a T. It's an action-packed arcade port that relies on the player's dexterity and quick-reaction solution. What's preventing it from being an outstanding game is that it gets a little tiring after a while, but it's still fun to play after extended breaks.

PRESS FIRE TO START

The game is a basic Sisyphus-style arcade port. You control a frog that must cross a five-lane highway and then successfully hop over five rows of logs and turtles en route to a “safe zone” at the top of the screen - all within 30 seconds per attempt. There are five safe zones and once all are filled you move on to the next stage with faster moving traffic and additional enemies such as snakes and alligators.

You start out with five Froggers (boy, this game sure likes multiples of five, eh?) and are awarded a 1-Up after scoring 1,000 points. The majority of your points will come from reaching the safe zones because you receive all of ONE point for each successful lane of traffic or row of logs and turtles you pass. You can receive bonus points for “picking up” the white “lady frog” that appears every now and then, as well as landing in a safe zone with a fly in it.

PLAYER 1 – READY!

Although Frogger is a basic action game, it does have a bit of a puzzle quality to it in that you must carefully watch the patterns of the traffic, the logs, the turtles and the occasional snake so you can move without being hit. There aren't really enemies in the game as much as there are obstacles to avoid. “Enemies” would imply there's a way to fight back against them (even Pac-Man had the Power Pills), but all Frogger can do is hop out of the way.

The only problem with the game is the fact the same screen constantly repeats. Sure, the difficulty increases as you advance in the game, but it's still the same obstacles only faster. Therefore, once you get the pattern down it becomes quite repetitive. You can modify the challenge by selecting a faster-paced game or simply switching the console itself to the difficult setting, but these things don't make the game any more fun to play – just harder.

Playing with the VCS in the difficult position is no misnomer. In this position, Frogger cannot float off the screen on the logs lest he be smooshed. This makes trying to reach the far left safe zone a near impossibility. Playing the game in the higher difficulty options simply speeds up the pace. You're going to reach those speeds of gameplay anyway, so why not work your way up and earn some points?

JOYSTICKING

Since there is nothing more to this game than simply moving around, it'd better have good play control – right? Fortunately for Frogger, it does. The character is controlled in individual movements so you must keep flicking the joystick to move him in any direction. Simply pushing the stick in one direction won't keep him constantly moving. I find this works well, because this is a game of finesse movements where the slightest mistake will cost you a life.

The play control can be appreciated if you attempt to play the game at the highest difficulty setting because the slightest nudge of the joystick will send Frogger flying, making the game virtually unplayable. Sure, having to constantly move the joystick might sound like a chore, but it's truly the best way to play the game.

SPRITES & PIXELS

If nothing else, Frogger is a success story for the Atari 2600 due to the constant motion happening on the screen. Think about it: a total of 10 rows of traffic or logs moving, plus the turtles appearing and disappearing and the addition of snakes in later stages, plus the freedom of movement for Frogger himself – it's quite an achievement for the little processing and memory of the console. There is a bit of flicker on the horizontal row wherever Frogger is located, but it's not distracting and is hardly noticeable after a while.

Of all the games in the Atari 2600's library, I can't think of many that are as colorful as Frogger. I counted 10 different colors on the screen at once, which is amazing considering how primitive the technology was. Some people claim the VCS was only able to display four colors at a time, but this game proves them wrong (I think the max is 16, actually).

As an arcade port, this cart is surprisingly faithful, too. Everything on screen has quite a resemblance to its arcade counterpart. The cars look like cars and not the generic “Combat” type. The logs look like logs and of course Frogger looks like a frog. The only things you have to add your imagination to are the blue and red turtle backs which are simply ovals.

CHIPPED TUNES

There aren't a lot of sounds to be heard in this game, which is fine by me. The sound palette of the VCS was never impressive, so sometimes less is more. What you'll hear the most is Frogger hopping around, the tones signifying you did something good “splat!” when he dies.

What's most interesting about the sonic aspect of this game is the use of a few different tunes played when you start the game, whenever you clear a stage and whenever the game is over. It's a short little ditty that sounds like a nursery rhyme, but is certainly tolerable. The problem is waiting for it to end so you can start playing!

INSERT COIN TO CONTINUE

Since Frogger falls into the classic arcade Sisyphus style of games, it has a bit of an addictive quality to it. You'll often find yourself re-playing the game over and over just to surpass yourself. It does become tiring after a fairly short while, though. However, you can take a long break and it'll be just as fun to play again.

GAME OVER

In retrospect, it's a little difficult to understand why Frogger is considered such a classic because it's such a repetitive game. It's certainly fun to play, but it does have a tendency to wear out its welcome a bit quicker than other games of the genre. In the end, it's a worthy addition to the Atari 2600 library and that's what counts.

Recommended:
Yes

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/19/08

Game Release: Frogger (US, 1982)