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Frogger Helmet Chaos
Reviewed October 2005 by Corbie Dillard
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami HWI
Release Date: September, 2005
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: $29.99
It's hard to believe it's been almost
25 years since our slimy friend Frogger first appeared in
arcades back in 1981. Over the past several years, Frogger
has made his way onto several console systems in one rendition
or another, and now he finds himself making a home on Sony's
PSP system. Building on the classic Frogger "hop and dodge" gameplay
mechanics, Konami has crafted a puzzle-laden platformer that
requires as much thinking as it does quick reflexes. So how
exactly does the legendary Frogger gameplay hold up in its
fancy new 3-D world on Sony's high-tech handheld? Surprisingly
better than it does on the console systems, to be honest.
Story
The story in Frogger Helmet Chaos follows the adventures of
Frogger as he sets out to rid his swamp of the deranged crocodile
scientist Dr. Wani. Dr. Wani has created mind-controlling helmets
and is outfitting all of Frogger's friends and family with
them. Frogger now has to traverse area after area, defeating
all of Dr. Wani's henchman along the way, in order to put a
stop to the scientist's evil plans to take control of Frogger's
once-peaceful world. All in a day's work for such a well traveled
toad.
Gameplay
Frogger Helmet Chaos features two game modes. Story mode allows
you to play through the many puzzle-filled levels as the story
unfolds in catchy little cut scenes at various intervals. Mini-game
mode allows you to play mini-games that you purchase with the
coins collected throughout the story mode. As you advance along
in the game you will reach points where you can visit a traveling
caravan. Here you can visit with many of the shop owners and
purchase these mini-games, which vary in cost.
Story mode is the heart of the game, and obviously where you'll
spend the majority of your time. Armed with not only the standard
hopping move, Frogger has also added a few new moves to his
repertoire. Frogger can now use his tongue to not only move
blocks and pillars, but also to grab onto golden rods in various
places that allow him to cross gaps too wide to jump as well
as swing from these rods in trees. Using these different moves,
you have to successfully find ways to navigate the well-laid
out levels in the game, all the while avoiding the multitude
of enemies scattered throughout these levels. Every so many
levels, you'll encounter a boss that must be defeated in order
to move on in the game. Couple all of these things together
and you can bet you're going to be in for a serious challenge.
You'll soon be wishing for the days when all you had to do
was cross a busy freeway.
There are basically two words to describe
the play control in this game: responsive and unforgiving.
When you press a direction on the d-pad, Frogger immediately
hops in that direction with no hesitation at all. Same goes
with the button assignments, as every move in the game is easily
and functionally pulled off instantly. While this is inevitably
a good thing, it comes at a price. Since the game's levels
are set up for precise movements, if you get in a hurry or
panic, this tight and responsive play control can work against
you, making it easy to make a wrong move. This is where the
real challenge of the game comes into play. Part of the challenge
of the game comes in not only solving the many puzzles in each
level by moving blocks and pillars, but also in learning how
to use these tricky controls to your advantage and to keep
your cool when things in each level become intense. All in
all, the game has a terrific gameplay system, but one that
will take a little getting used to.
Graphics
There's no denying the charm found in Frogger Helmet Chaos'
zany visuals. Colors are bright, almost painfully so in some
areas, and everything seems to jump right off of the PSP's
screen. The game has a very cel-shaded look to it, as if it
came straight out of an animated cartoon. While the look of
the game fits in perfectly with the presentation you'd expect
from a Frogger game, many of the textures in the game just
seem a little uninspired, especially considering the power
of the PSP's graphics engine. The game does feature a very
steady frame-rate, and everything in the game, especially the
enemies and characters, move silky smooth. So while the visuals
in the game are about what you'd expect from a Frogger game,
it's hard to play it on the wonderful technology of the Sony
PSP without wishing for a bit more eye candy.
Sound
Sometimes a game soundtrack is just plain corny. Other times
it's corny, but with substance. Frogger Helmet Chaos tends
to lean towards the latter. Most of the tunes in the game sound
like they were pulled from a Saturday morning cartoon or an
old-fashioned carousel ride, but the way this music is pulled
off just seems to blend in perfectly with the tone of the game.
Each level has this sticky-sweet, upbeat sound to it that's
just creative enough to make it likeable. The voice acting
that's used during the game's many cut scenes is also surprisingly
well done. You'll even notice that the professor manages to
pull off a solid Sean Connery impression, whether it's intentional
or not. Sound effects, which are crisp and almost as cheery
as the rest of the audio in the game, round out a surprisingly
entertaining soundtrack.
Conclusion
While most Frogger fans are going to immediately assume that
Konami's latest rendition of the Frogger series is nothing
more than a thrown-together port whose purpose is nothing more
than to take advantage of the popularity of the current handheld
systems, many of these fans are in for a nice surprise. This
game manages to take most of the endearing aspects of the console
versions and somehow mold them together into a solid portable
platforming experience that even eclipses the high-powered
console releases in many ways. It's not going to revolutionize
the platformer, but the many puzzle elements and tight play
control at least offer up an enjoyable playing experience that's
easy to pick up and play anytime and anywhere. At the very
least, Frogger Helmet Chaos proves that our old pal Frogger
still has a little jump left in his step, even after all these
years.
Screen shots:
Deals
and Shopping
Playing Hints and Tips
- With the ultra-sensitive play control, you've really got to be
careful where you jump and what direction your facing when you do
jump.
- If you're having trouble beating a boss, chances are you haven't
memorized its pattern correctly. Every boss in the game has a distinct
pattern. Use it to your advantage.
- Don't forget to collect lots of coins so you can purchase mini-games
at the local caravans.
- You can use the PSP's "L" and "R" shoulder
buttons to turn Frogger around without having to actually move him.
Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):
Graphics
While some areas in the game lack the
type of detail we'd all like to see in a PSP release, you can't
help but admire the simplicity and bright color scheme the
game presents. Storybook visuals, a very steady framerate,
and some of the brightest and almost psychedelic colors ever
seen in a game, all come together to form an appealing, yet
somewhat plain graphical experience on the PSP.
Sound
The upbeat and cheerful styling of the
soundtrack somehow seems to amplify the cartoonish theme the
game carries throughout the story. Strong and convincing voice
acting also helps compliment the game's many cut scenes, and
the sound effects are top notch. It's safe to say that it's
the type of audio experience you're either going to love or
hate.
Fun Meter
The many puzzle elements found in each
level will keep players guessing, and the touchy controls will
keep them falling into the water trying to figure out how to
successfully navigate each level. The bosses in the game are
a little on the difficult side, but most of the time all they
require is some serious practice. If you're looking for a solid
PSP game for short spurts of portable gaming action, then Frogger
will not disappoint. If you're looking for a Crash Bandicoot,
or Spyro the Dragon type platformer, then you may want to look
elsewhere.
Addictivity
Since most of the fun in the game
comes with figuring out the puzzle elements of each level,
once you've accomplished this, the game loses a lot of replay
value. The mini-games, while a nice change of pace from the
story mode, don't offer much in the way of extreme enjoyment,
not even the wireless versions. It's nice to have a solid
version of the classic Frogger game to play, but other than
that, most gamers won't get too much mileage out of the mini-games.
