Review | Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition (XBLA)

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Plot: What’s it about?Video: How does it look?Audio: How does it sound?

Plot: What’s it about?

Just in time for the thirtieth anniversary, our favorite jaywalker returns in Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition. One of the most popular and iconic games of all time, Frogger never seems to fall out of favor with gamers. The concept seems simple, just guide a small frog across a series of roads. You just need to dodge the cars, hop across some logs, and you’re safe and sound, tucked into your lily pad. Of course, while the early levels tend to be as simple as that sounds, soon the game ramps up the speed and that poor frog is bound to get squashed. In other words, Frogger has what makes some of the best games, a premise that is simple enough to jump into, but requires dedication to master. Hyper Arcade Edition lets you experience the classic Frogger, but that is just the start of what you’ll find. You can choose from numerous incarnations, change the visuals, the music, the control schemes, you name it and you can tinker with it here. This is a boon for Frogger fans, as you can now customize the experience to your own preferences or just try them all out.

But the fun doesn’t end there, not even close. The classic game is a blast of course, but Hyper Arcade Edition offers up seven other modes when you need a change of pace. Think you have mastered the roads in classic mode? How about trying to control two frogs at once, creating artwork using your movements, or enduring a chain of challenges dished out in random order? These modes really are fun and as a bonus, help your sharpen your skills. If you spend some time with these game types, you are bound to notice a step up in the classic mode. Perhaps you want to test yourself against others? Local multiplayer options let you take on friends in a variety of games, from collecting female frogs to a battle royale with all kinds of power-ups. While I like the inclusion of multiplayer, I was let down that no on-line modes were offered. But that aside, Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is chock full of content and is sure to keep fans busy for countless hours. A true classic that continues to keep players enthralled, Frogger is back and better than ever, so don’t miss this Hyper Arcade Edition.

Video: How does it look?

The game’s visuals reflect whichever version you choose, so it could 8 bit or an HD revamp, but in all cases, the game looks as it should. You can even swap out the default graphics for ones with a Contra or Castlevania theme, so you know this game brings the heat in terms of visuals. The images look good across the board and since you dictate the graphical style, you should always be pleased with what you see here. When you can play a Dance Dance Revolution version of Frogger, you know the presentation is just awesome.

Audio: How does it sound?

The sound design is simple of course, but well replicated The music has been given some new options, as you can choose between various remixes. If you want to dodge traffic to dubstep for instance, you can now do just that. Another example of how Hyper Arcade Edition lets you play however you want to. The sound effects come across well too, so this is just a great audio presentation all around.

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Plot: What’s it about?

Video: How does it look?

Audio: How does it sound?