"Yup, it’s Frogger. Even the game’s title is suspiciously similar. That said, it blows Frogger's 3D remakes out of the water."

Considering how little exposure Frogger's among the 360 / PS3 / Wii console generation, it's hard to imagine that there were a whopping four Frogger games for the Nintendo Gamecube. Three games of grid-based hopping and bopping were based on a tried-and-true, decades-old formula, and one was a poorly-received 3D platformer. This can only mean that Zapper, a game so similar to Frogger that it borders on plagarism, is already in fairly good company; having so many similar games alongside it can only mean that the gameplay style's popular enough to warrant so many similar games. Or, more realistically, Zapper's a superfluous title, underscored only by an overflow of games starring a much more popular character.

Whichever way you slice it, I've had more fun with Zapper than with the 3D iterations of Frogger, and I'll tell you why. The story, for one, is presented differently; each Frogger game had a ridiculous story that players were forced to sit through. There are no strange complicated controls bogging down the gameplay, like Frogger using his tongue to swing from posts, or jumping straight upward. And there are no “systems” to complicate things, like using coins collected in the levels to buy upgrades or silly clothes for Frogger to wear.

These might seem like things that improve and deepen the experience; heck, I usually criticize a game that comes out in this day and age that lacks a story. But I found that they got in the way in the Frogger games, and they were prevalent in all three Frogger arcade remakes. After all, if you're going to put in a story, why put in such a poor one, and present it so poorly? Zapper has streamlined the whole process, trimming away the fat from the Frogger trilogy (no more will be written about that supposedly-awful 3D platformer in this review) and delivers a straight-up, arcade-like experience. And trust me: I was ready to write this one off as well.

Zapper has the trappings of a classic-style game done right. The story starts innocently enough; Zapper's sibling has been captured by the maniacal Maggie the Magpie, and it's up to this “wicked” cricket to hop his way through a handful (yes, only a handful) of levels to get back at Maggie. The story is taken care of right out of the way, and it only serves to bookend the game. The cutscenes are cute, and there's no dialogue. Even then, we still get the impression that Zapper is kind of a jerk, and he does fit the bill of “animal mascot attitude” fairly well. If this turns you off - especially since this simple story and character are put forth genuinely and do not serve as a parody - then we might be missing the feeling of games from the 80's and 90's, something I feel Zapper is trying to emulate.

If you've played any of the 3D iterations of Frogger, which have been coming out at a steady clip since the late nineties, you'll have a good idea of what to expect in Zapper. In fact, there's very little that differentiates Frogger from Zapper. Zapper's interacting with a 3D environment, but his world is a giant grid. He can only hop one or two tiles ahead at a time, and it's always in the direction he's facing: he can't strafe, and he can't hop backward. He can rotate ninety-degrees at a time, so he can make a double jump in any direction if need be. He's more or less dead after one hit, he can't swim, and he's quite susceptible to falling. Sound similar?

From a gameplay standpoint, there's just one major difference between Zapper and his amphibian amigo. At least Zapper can defend himself properly! You see, Zapper has the ability to emit electrical charges with his antennae. Alone, his shock can reach only one square ahead, but, by coming in contact with lightning bugs, he can increase his firepower. The bugs transfer their energy to Zapper's antennae, allowing him to walk around with an electric charge. This charge comes in handy in several ways: in addition to zapping enemies, Zapper can activate switches, open up certain crates and cut ropes, all from several feet away. These all serve well in navigating the environments and getting all the goodies stashed within them.

Zapper reminds me a lot of Donkey Kong Country in that each level is filled to the brim with secrets. The ultimate goal of each level is to simply collect six eggs scattered about the levels, but each level also has one hundred orbs to collect. While a lot of them are strewn about haphazardly in each level, a select few of them are stashed away in crates or in secret areas. Zapper will have to explore every nook and cranny of a level to snatch all one hundred. Some might even have to be collected in a certain order, and doing this successfully opens up secret passageways. These bonus areas are usually not to easy to find, and players might be hard-pressed to collect one hundred orbs in one try through each level; most require exploration, cunning and good timing.

This game is short, but the experience is worth it. The environments and obstacles are varied, and players will need their wits and platforming prowess about them if they're planning on nabbing all 1600 orbs. There are no boss battles in Zapper, save for one - something the game would greatly benefit from - but what's here is challenging, and it's presented well. This kind of small game would not have been adequate at a full price back in the day, but now's the time to nab it.

The graphics and sound work well in Zapper's favor. In fact, I quite enjoyed the soundtrack in this game. The soundtrack is, as I was surprised to hear, mostly jazz and R&B music. I expected the pop-heavy, kooky instrumentals of a “kid's game”, but Zapper blew me away with music featuring blaring trumpets, nice guitar riffs and steady drum backbeats. The music is just about mp3 player-worthy, and that's saying something. Voice work is minimal - mostly Zapper's goofy comments and Maggie the Magpie's shrieks - but the sound effects are, like the gameplay, quite arcade-ey in nature.

As one can probably imagine, the game employs a goofy, cartoony aesthetic. Everyone in Zapper's world has large, googly eyes, and everyone is ready to mug at the camera. Zapper's always got a snarky expression on his face (remind you of any mascots? Honestly, I sometimes think this game is a mirror to the 90's game industry). The environments are quite varied, and I enjoyed exploring them. I wouldn't say this game employs great graphical prowess, but the lighting effects are nice, and I noticed no glitches or tearing. It's a solid graphics engine.

For what it's worth (and, if Gamestop's prices on pre-owned games are any indication, it's not worth much these days), Zapper is a nice purchase. Yes, the game is beatable in a steady few hours, but there is a fair amount of gameplay here, with great level variety and panache. There are even a multitude of multiplayer features, and an arcade challenge mode. It's just the right difficulty, just the right value and, if you're craving a nice arcade-like adventure, just the right game for you.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/11

Game Release: Zapper (US, 11/06/02)