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Thread: Random Game O' the Day: Frogger

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    Default Random Game O' the Day: Frogger

    Day 8.

    Yeah yeah. A few setbacks kept days 7 and 8 quite a few days apart but back into the rhythm we go.

    Frogger. You know it. You've played it. So tell us what you think? What was your favorite version and which home console do you think did the best job at capturing the arcade feel? What do you think of the updated Frogger for PlayStation? Are you good at the game? Are you a non-believer? Write your mini-review here!

    DP GUIDE sez (several random entries here):

    Frogger (Atari 2600, by Parker Bros) $3/R1
    Designed by Ed English. Based on the 1981 Sega coin-op. EASTER EGGS: Set the difficulty so that your frog may travel off the screen (on the back of a turtle or log), jump on a right moving log and go off the edge of the screen. The instant you see your frog reappear on the left side, jump left and you'll be warped to the middle of the screen. (and perhaps die if nothing is there). PERIODICALS: Named "Best Arcade to Home Translation of 1982" by Electronic Games Magazine. Voted one of the "Top Ten Games of '83" by Radio-Electronics Magazine. Listed as one of the "99 Favorite Classics" by Digital Press in 1997. c1982 Sega, Parker Bros.. #PB5300.

    Frogger, The Official (Atari 2600, by Starpath) $40/R6 +
    Designed by Stephen Landrum. Based on the 1981 Sega coin-op. In case you're wondering how Starpath could release Frogger when it was licensed to Parker Bros., here's the story: Although Sega licensed the rights for Frogger to Parker Bros., these rights only pertained to cartridges. Sega had licensed disk and cassette versions to Sierra On-line, who then sub-licensed Frogger to Starpath for release on cassette. The games were numbered sequentially (this one is number 9) as well as with a catalog number. Arcadia/Starpath games for the Atari 2600 are on cassette tape and require the Supercharger unit in order to play. The game is on cassette and requires the Supercharger. SANTULLI SLANT: See Parker Bros version. [Gr: 7, So: 7, Ga: 8, Ov: 7] #AR4105.

    Frogger (Atari 5200, by Parker Bros) $4/R2
    Based on the 1981 Sega coin-op. Game could be played with the joystick or keypad. Includes overlay(s). #9530.

    Frogger (ColecoVision, by Parker Bros) $5/R1
    Based on the 1981 Sega coin-op. PERIODICALS: Listed as one of the "99 Favorite Classics" by Digital Press in 1997. SANTULLI SLANT: A game is automatically dubbed "classic" when it's re-released in an "updated" version ten or more years later. Yep, I just made that rule up. Deal with it. Frogger is one of those, and for good reason. It has charming graphics and music, a solid control system, and it actually lets you jump on a member of the opposite sex and ride her home to your pad! Er, lily pad, that is. The ColecoVision version is the best conversion from the arcade game, and there are two versions for the Atari 2600 with the Starpath release being the superior of the two. [Gr: 8, So: 8, Ga: 8, Ov: 8] c1982, 1983, Sega, Parker Bros. #9530.

    Frogger (Game.com, by Tiger) $2/R2
    Based on the 1981 Konami coin-op. Supports multiple-system linking. BOX DESCRIPTION: ''How does the Frog cross the road? CAREFULLY! With obstacles everywhere, this frog doesn't know where to hop! You'll need to guide its every leap across hazardous highways, its every bound over wild waterways. Watch out for trucks and disappearing lily pads. One wrong jump and your frogger is road kill...or fish food. BE READY, OR BE DEAD. Includes: -Classic gameplay mode -Updated 90's version.'' Released 1999. c1999 Hasbro, Konami. #71-756.

    Frogger (Intellivision, by INTV) $0/R0
    Based on the Sega coin-op. Chalk-up another casing variation. It seems INTV picked-up a few licenses from third-party developers and re-released them in their own packaging. While the Parker Brothers version of this title isn't too hard to come by, the INTV version of Frogger's whereabouts are unconfirmed. INTV picked up a few third party titles which they re-issued late in the Intellivision's reign. If you can confirm the existence of the INTV version, please let us know. No overlay.

    Frogger (VIC-20, by Parker Bros) $2/R2 -
    Based on the 1981 Sega coin-op. Released in 1983. 8k cart. There is no gentle way to say this. this game gives you the distinct impression that they rushed it out the door, half-finished. Looking at the ROM code shows they wasted 3k out of the 8k that they had available. Why would anyone do that if they intended for the end result to be a high-quality game? Early ads from Parker Bros. show they were making and selling both C64 and VIC-20 games at the same time. Did PB consider it a conflict of interest to support an aging game system well, when its obvious replacement was already on the market? Maybe. The original Frogger arcade game was put out by Sega in 1981, who licensed it from Gremlin. According to info in the "2600 Connection" newsletter, Frogger itself was based on a relatively obscure arcade game from Atari called "Space Race". PERIODICALS: "Either you love it or you hate it. Maneuver your frog up the screen without getting hit by cars, eaten by snakes, smashing into walls or drowning. Bouncy music and colorful, cartoony graphics make this the ultimate cute game of all time. The only question is, with so many interesting new games coming out, do you still care about getting this old frog to the other side of the road?" Seen in Jan 1985 Computer Games, page 16. #PB1410.

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    First off, the Seinfield Epsode "The Frogger" with George trying to get his high score machine across a busy street is as classic as the game itself.

    "GEORGE: (on telephone) I need a guy that can rig a Frogger machine so that I can move it without losing power, 'cause I have the high score. H-hello?"

    I played this game when it first came out, and I loved it. I played it quite a bit as I remember, getting to be pretty darn good at it. I haven't played all the home console versions, but I do like the Coleco version the most from what I've played. I finally got to play the Starpath version not to long ago when I got my Cuttle Cart, and the Stella Gets a New Brain cd. Needless to say, I was VERY impressed with that version. It gets a close second to the Coleco. Frogger is also one of my favorite video game theme songs. Awesome stuff.



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    Anyone ever play the Vectrex homebrew Frogger?
    My Gaming Collection (Now at Google Drive!)

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    It's the game that almost got George Costanza killed!
    Also, the Game Gear version of Frogger should be coming soon to an emulator near you, courtesy of Opoth, Zoop, and myself.

    JR
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    Well I have to give a little nod to the first PSX version of Frogger as my brother playtested it

    C64 Parker Bros Frogger is just about perfect though... Frogger 2 however is better

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    Atari 5200 Frogger is near-perfect (or, Atari 8bit for those of you with 5200-controller-handicaps ). I can't recall the CV version, maybe I have it on my Dreamcast emu disk ...

    Yes, once again, I chime in about the clearly excellent Atari 5200 Frogger. Yessireee. Good game.

    http://cafeman.www9.50megs.com/atari/5200frogger.html

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    I agree with Cafeman, the 5200 version is great. My wife gets that music stuck in her head every time I play it. Hell, I even enjoy the 2600 version. Frogger has to be one of the top 10 classics of all time. The fact that modern versions continue to be produced shows that simple, progressively challenging gameplay is timeless.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cafeman
    Atari 5200 Frogger is near-perfect (or, Atari 8bit for those of you with 5200-controller-handicaps ).
    It's not so much a handicap issue - it's that I never had (and I'm still looking for) a 5200

    The 8-bit *is* my favourite 'console' version (what I have on disk is probably a hacked 5200 version, but I can't say for sure while I'm here at work). But when I need a Frogger fix I boot up MAME.

    It's the quintissential 80s video game: a simple premise with a difficulty level that ramps up on you and gives you that "geez, I could've beaten that - let me try once more" feeling.
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    Into the dust, for all things have an end

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    I hate to say it but my fav is the comp verison and not the one the goes 3d

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    Frogger was one of the FIRST game I got with my 2600 when I was 5.
    I loved that game.

    About ten years later I happened to be staying in a hotel that had a few Arcade machines in the lounge. One was Samurai Shodown the Other was a cocktail version of Frogger. I played them both a LOT, but I found the arcade version of frogger a bit off.
    Gameplay was fine, smoother animation and stuff. But... the colors... to this day I CANNOT bear look at that bright purple grass
    EVerything Looks so much better and plays so much better than the 2600 version... but it's SO hard on the eyes.

    Then I played the "updated" one on the PSX when it came out. My ex-girlfriend loved those old arcade style games and it was her system, and I really liked that Frogger too! She knew I collected Sega Stuff and she was gonna get me a copy of Frogger she saw for the Genesis, it had the same cover art as the PSX version.
    So I figured, I'd get the ROM and see if it was a decent game to buy.
    It was the ARCADE VERSION TO A TEE. I thought... what a waste of the Genesis' potential...

    So, SOMEHOW I prefer the 2600 version.

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    Frogger was one of my favorite arcade games, and the 2600 version was surprisingly good. Even though the Starpath version is now probably my favorite home version, I like the Parker Bros version as well. It's funny I actually prefer the 2600 version(s) over the Coleco and arcade versions since the colors are now pretty garish (especially the liberl use of the color purple!)

    Cheers,
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    I'll never forget the first time I played Frogger. I was about six and had begged my mom for a quarter all through a visit to a department store. She watched as I started off on the first level, and suggested that I make the frog "hop onto a car." Not knowing the mechanics of the game, I took her advice. You can guess how well that went over.
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    Sega released Frogger for the Genesis pretty late in the console's life... that is a GREAT translation... my favorite!
    Load "*",8,1

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    thats funny- i was just playing this game a lot today! i have a new love and respect for the 8bit comp (and trust me- i loved it before) after getting a competition pro joystick last weekend!
    that joystick makes this game play so good!
    anyway,

    I like the 2600 version a lot... it's really simple and it plays fast and looks awesome. in some ways i prefer it to other graphically superior versions. I love the colecovision version also, but the 8 bit computer one just kicks butt.
    It just plays slightly faster I think... although, the CV one looks better.
    I don't think I have ever played the arcade version....


    willie

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    Quote Originally Posted by ManekiNeko
    It's the game that almost got George Costanza killed!
    Also, the Game Gear version of Frogger should be coming soon to an emulator near you, courtesy of Opoth, Zoop, and myself.

    JR
    Yup. Downloaded it a few days ago. Thanks for adding to the preservation of this unreleased game!

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