Whether as kids or adults, we have all heard the saying, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” But I don’t think we have ever heard, “Why did the frog cross the road?”, until 1981 when a game was released in arcades to pose that question. And that game was called Frogger.
Developed by Sega in conjunction with Gremlin Industries, this game was yet another title that helped appeal to both male and female arcaders, and it was just the simplicity of the game that helped keep everyone coming back for more. The objective of the game was to guide your frog across the road to the other side, and then start again until the frog manages to clear all five spaces on said side in order to progress to the next stage. Sounds simple, right? Well, it would be if you didn’t have to worry about cars, falling into the water, and then there’s of course snakes, dogs, and gators later on.
Plus there’s also the fact that as you progress through the levels the cars and logs start to go faster and faster, to the point where you really have to be on your toes.
Like all classic Arcade games, this one has ways of boosting your score. With every step upward you take you gain 10 points. With every successful cross to the other side you gain 50 points, with every five frogs you save you get 1000 points, and with every remaining second you still have when you cross to the other side to gain an extra 10 points. Not too shabby in wracking up high scores.
To no surprise this game has made it’s way into just every single console out there, but I think the port on the Atari 2600 is the one that stands out to me, but then again it was the first time I had ever seen the game so I guess it’s the nostalgia glasses talking.
And of course, let’s not forget commercials like the one above, or this catchy tune:
In all, Frogger is definitely another of those classics that is a must-have.
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