By Dan Gutman — originally published in COMPUTE!’s Gazette Issue 2, August 1983
Hardcore video junkies may find helping frogs cross the street to be task unworthy of their attention. But even they, I believe, will get some mellow enjoyment out of Sierra On-Line’s Frogger, which may he the first arcade adaptation to actually surpass the arcade version.
This 1981 Sega arcade game came out hot om the heels of Pac-Man and followed the Pac-Man formula better than any other game: Make it less violent to attract more diverse audience. Make it simple to learn (you can play the game with just one hand, and all screen movement is either horizontal or vertical), but difficult to master.
The arcade game was smash, the Parker Brothers Atari VCS version was smash, and Sierra On-Line’s computer version is at the top of the Softsel Hot List, where it has been residing for 34 consecutive weeks.
If you’re not familiar with the game, basically you’re a frog. You have to cross street and then river five times. The street is filled with motorists who most definitely do not have “I BRAKE FOR AMPHIBIANS” bumper stickers. The river is swimming with logs, snakes, crocodiles, otters, and diving turtles. You can jump on the logs (all the time), the diving turtles (when they’re not diving), the crocodiles (but just their stomachs), and the otters (if you want to expire). And just to make things interesting, every so often you can pounce on
wandering lady frog and bring her home.
At first glance the game seems too simple, but with all these elements it is very challenging and does keep you interested over the long haul.
Play With or Without Music
The Commodore 64 version of Frogger is, frankly, spectacular. After choosing the four keys that will represent up, down, left, and right (you can use joystick instead), you are greeted not only with the Frogger theme song, but also Yankee Doodle, Old McDonald Had Farm, and a few other ditties I didn’t recognize. This may be the best video game soundtrack yet. The music, like the game, is bright and cheerful enjoyable to listen to even when you’re not playing.
However, the music does become monotonous after while. Designer Chuck Benton kindly took care of this by giving us the option of removing the music temporarily – and not by turning down the volume. Hitting the F5 key stops the music, but other sounds such as frog hopping and frog-drowning will remain. Another option lets you choose fast or slow moving game, and hitting the F7 key will freeze the game indefinitely while you answer the telephone or converse with lady frogs. Other sounds in the game, such as the splash of Froggy
accidentally leaping into the drink, and the “nnnyeauuuu” that signals he got home safely, have been carried out very well.
Except for a few points, the graphics are very good. The diving turtles could use some more work, but the frogs, the logs, the cars, and the crocodiles are colorful and clearly defined. However, the five docks where you are trying to park your frog are almost invisible. The slots are black, as is the entire strip of ground that surrounds them. It takes bit of squinting to get those frogs home. This was not problem in the arcade version.
The play action of the game is excellent, both with the joystick and the keyboard. You have slightly better control with the keyboard, but it takes little while to memorize which keys you selected to maneuver the frog.
Frogger is good, basic, classic game and, at this point, one of the best offerings for the Commodore 64. If the game has drawback, it is that Frogger is now two years old, and you may have already overdosed on this game in the arcades. If not, I recommend Frogger.
Frogger
Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Coarsegold, CA 93614
(209)683-6858
$34.95