Frogger

If you have been alive for the last 20 years, chances are you would have heard of ‘Frogger’ by now. It was a game that hung around arcades and your favorite Pizza joints. I remember begging my mother for some change, telling her I was going to get a hot dog only to go spend it at the arcade playing this game. This time around I can relax at home, not paying $.25 every time I want to play it. The game is now only 200 MS points on Xbox Live, which is a discount from the normal 800 MS Points for an arcade game. There is also a bundle of Gamerpics for download if you’re a huge Frogger fan.

Frogger on XBLA is your same basic game that your father and his friends played decades ago but with updated graphics and an advanced control system. There is another addition this time around with the arcade-game; Xbox Live, where you can play against others in the world in such modes as ‘Versus’. Versus is a ranked game type that has you going against another player over Live to see who can achieve a higher score and reach the other side. If you feel like taking it easy and playing with some of your pals you can go ahead and set up a player match where you’re introduced to Versus, Versus Speed and Co-Op modes. Each one of these modes is fun and offers some true challenges. I found the co-op experience the best since you and a buddy have to work together to achieve a high score.

As said, the gameplay in Frogger retains the same old formula that has been around for the last 20 years but now with a co-op mode it definitely makes the experience a whole lot better and in some cases more intense.  There are a few achievements you must do with a partner in co-op to unlock which can be challenging, yet rewarding.  For example one achievement has you working with your partner to achieve a high score of 30,000 points in co-op.  I’ve played it for months now and still can’t reach said high score.  Not to worry to those achievement whores though, Frogger does throw some easy ones at you to balance out the more challenging achieves - you’ll easily squeeze out 7-9 achievements out of this title.

It’s truly challenging to complete all stages of Frogger, since the Xbox 360 controller is not the easiest to use when it comes to the directional pad. You do have the option to go with the analog stick, but that simply takes out the true feel.  I would say definitely pick up an arcade stick, because that’s the way Frogger was meant to be played, and completing the necessary stages will be much easier using the stick.  As in the original Frogger at the arcades, local leader boards were offered, but now the leader boards are offered on an even grander scale.  You can view how you stack up against the rest of the world and your friends to see who the ultimate Frogger champ is.  This is another nice addition to the game, so now you can rub it into your friends face and have the proof that you are a better player!

If you’re wondering whether or not to get this game since it’s been out for sometime, I’m here to say that it’s never to late.  While you may not have the easiest time finding a partner in co-op, you will still enjoy playing the game alone and trying to unlock the few achievements that are not specific to co-op.  There is a sure challenge in completing all the stages and that will take some practice and dedication, plus you get to play along to Yankie-Doodle.  My verdict on this game is that its a buy, and you can’t go wrong with 200 MS points for the 200 Gamerscore that is obtainable with this title.  Have fun and enjoy the good old times.