Post by Pimpjira on Jul 21, 2016 15:12:27 GMT
It’s been a while since there’s been a good Frogger game(I suppose now it has been again since this was released three years ago). Recent games in the series either felt too old or tried to be too different and failed. Thankfully, Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition strikes a perfect balance and proves to be a very fun game. This entry was a worthy release in celebration of Frogger’s 30th anniversary. This review is for the Playstation 3 version although from what I've seen and heard there are no differences between the different consoles.
For those not familiar with Frogger, the premise is very simple. The mission is to get the Frogs safely across the street and river to get home without being squished by cars, or eaten by alligators, and other dangers. Hyper Arcade Edition brings the classic game play back but with some updates. Originally, Frogger could only hop once per press of the d-pad or push of the stick, now he hop continuously in the direction that is pressed. This makes for more fluid and quicker movement that is a very welcome edition, especially for some of the new modes available. For those that prefer, the classic control style is also an option and trying both are very welcome as there is even a trophy/achievement for trying both. The classic control style actually feels a bit better for the Classic Frogger mode when speed is as much of a necessity when not playing against other players or CPU opponents.
The graphics and music are great with plenty of options. To start off with the game already has plenty of graphic skins(8 bit, Hyper, etc) and more can be unlocked such as getting Castlevania and Contra styles. The look is simple and fits the game perfectly and the look doesn’t get old thanks to the different styles. The music is also very fitting and retro with different tracks to choose from. There are also a Castlevania and Contra song to fit with the skins when unlocked, the only issue is that the Castlevania song doesn’t quite loop properly but overall everything is good. For a downloadable PSN/XBLA/Wiiware release, the game has very good presentation.
The Frogger game play is very retro and could get old quickly but Hyper Arcade Edition adds plenty of modes to keep players busy. There is Classic Frogger which has the five classic levels which are a bit of a challenge to get through and should satisfy old school Frogger fans. Then there is Tile Capture mode where players compete to have the most colored tiles that gets old with the CPU but is fun with other players. Lady Frog Rescue is a mode where the objective is of course rescuing the lady frog, which is one of the less interesting modes. Paint mode, like Classic Frogger is another single player mode consisting of levels where the player needs to hop on all the tiles to paint them and each level is a different image.
Twin Frogger is another single player mode where the player controls two frogs at most, this mode is pretty difficult as keeping track of two frogs is a challenger. Battle Royale makes for the most fun of the multi-player modes as the objective is first to rescue Lady Frog than become big and to squash the other players, which can also be played with CPU opponents. Frogger Freak Out is just a random mix up of the other game modes. Challenge Mode presents challenges from all modes which is where the other graphic skins/music are unlocked.
Those who absolutely hate the Frogger series probably won’t be swayed but for anyone who has had even a little fun should check this game out. It’s still classic Frogger style but more than enough editions to make the game feel new and provides plenty of game play and fun for the 10 dollar price tag. It will definitely last some time for those who play multi-player or compete for scores on the leaderboards. Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is a great game that updates the Frogger formula in the same way that Pac-Man Championship Edition DX did before it. And now that is getting a sequel, unfortunately the same probably won't happen for Frogger because you know, Konami.
+ Fun and addictive game play
+ Plenty of different game modes
+ Stylish look with different skins to choose from
+ Control and difficulty options to suit just about any player
+ Fun multiplayer
4.5/5
4.5/5
