Frogger

Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Konami
Review Type: Touchy
Version: Retail

Xbox Live Arcade has been doing a bit of counter-programming the past couple of weeks. While everyone else releases, um...nothing, they're debuting a new game a week for download. The first was Frogger, a game that's more memorable and fondly remembered for its quirky premise than for being a fun game. Thing is, Frogger is really difficult. The game demands near inhuman patience from players. And as sure as those fricking turtles will dive on your ass, there's sure to be some new high scores set by players of this incarnation of the game. And that I'm down with.

What I wasn't too happy with was the updated look of the game. In fact, I was pretty ticked until I discovered that you could swap the game back to its classic form by changing the options in the pause menu. For some reason, this feature isn't available in the top options menu.

Anyway, if you're interested in game design, Frogger is worth a download just to see how not to overhaul a classic game. Digital Eclipse managed to make the game uglier than the chunky original. And the "richer" melodies they programmed to replace the bleep and bloops made Frogger sound more like a slot machine than a video game. Very tacky.

I'm sure Xbox Live Arcade is recording which version of the game players prefer. And knowing my luck, folks probably prefer the new one. The conspriacy nut in me wonders if that isn't why Digital Eclipse buried the old school option in the less-obvious pause menu. It would be a shame for the graphical overhaul portion of the game's budget to suddenly be determined unnecessary.