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If you’d ask me what type of game Froggie – A Retro Platformer would be, before spending time with it, I’m pretty sure I’d have known how to answer. After all, the clue is very much in the name.
And shock horror, Froggie doesn’t ever deviate from that over some 100 levels of retro platforming.
But does that mean it’s good and worth playing? Well, in another shock, it ain’t bad actually, doing as it says on the tin. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no game of the year contender here, and it’s not even going to go toe-to-toe with the best platformers, but for a quick hit that can be done and dusted over a couple of nights, little Froggie covers what is required.
So, retro platformer. In Froggie terms, that means black and white monochrome visuals, very little in terms of character animation, a simple left stick (or D-Pad) to move, A button to jump. From there, a ton of levels that slowly – but most definitely surely – ramp up the difficulty.
Those levels are standard fare too. Froggie starts in one spot, left to navigate his way across traps, obstacles and past enemies without taking a hit. His end goal? A little doorway, situated somewhere throughout the stage.
Spike traps kick things off, but it isn’t long before those pointy things move to walls and ceilings too. Threading Froggie through with a well timed run and jump is the main focus. You should also expect platforms that move, conveyor belts, enemies that wander, more that occasionally chase you down, sometimes firing out death bolts, always ready to be bottom bounced.
The thing is, old Froggie isn’t blessed with much health. In fact, a single swipe of a spike or missed bounce will see the little guy pushed back to the start of a level, or at least the latest checkpoint he’s passed by. A pretty swift respawn will have him back on his hoppy way in no time.
Those checkpoints begin to feel vital the more you progress, if only as levels start to become longer. Never does it feel a ballache to be whacked by death either, mostly as the controls – those super simple controls – seem very much on the money. Froggie moves without lag, happily running and hopping about the place, a little bit of a slide as momentum brings him to a halt.
There are the odd moments of frustration though. Occasionally hit boxes feel a tad harsh, while jumping upwards, from wall to wall as single screens scroll and flip into another, can cause problems. And around the halfway point of Froggie – A Retro Platformer, there’s a definite spike in difficulty, as conveyors, spikes, enemies and tight jumps begin to combine as one. It’s here where we started calling out for additional checkpoints. But aside from that, we’ve found that Froggie is a more than capable little frogger.
And whilst nothing stands out visually, there’s never a problem in knowing what you are meant to do, or where you are meant to go; it’s all clear enough and well detailed. At least for a retro, black and white, platformer.
Surprisingly though, the sound, or at least the soundtrack is a cracker. Put together by Abyss, it’s a proper banger that consistently wows. Perhaps it can get a little repetitive, much like the gameplay, but we’ll be honest – at no point did we expect such cracking tunes to go along with this little adventure.
Consider some relatively easy Gamerscore and achievements, given up as you progress through the first 50 stages, as well as a low asking price, and Froggie – A Retro Platformer is certainly worth consideration. Go in with expectations low, and you should be pleasantly surprised by how well this retro platformer holds up.
And it’s nearly worth it for the cracking soundtrack alone.