Frogger Redemption Game

2600 here with my impressions of the Frogger Redemption game by ICE/Raw Thrills. Imagine, hopping across a bog as you try to eat up some bugs all in the name if tickets. Sounds good, no?

The answer is a resound NO. The game is terrible. Everything from the classic Frogger game has been stripped down to make a simple "drop coin and hope to score some big tickets game". That's it for the gameplay. It is almost like a video coin dropper. The real shame is that this game could have been good. The game could have provided the quick coin sucking that defines redemption games while also allowing for some classic arcade gameplay. Currently you drop in a coin, hit the lit up frog button, and watch the frog hop across the screen eating bugs and collecting tickets. There are some timing skills involved, but these only get you so far in a bastardization of the classic Frogger game.

This game could've been saved by adding some simple gameplay controls. Instead of hitting the button once, why not have to hit the button for each hop? Or if instead of hitting the frog button for each hop, why not allow a few presses that result in the frog making a brief stop? These little touches would add enough of the classic Frogger gameplay. If the manufacturers were afraid of people winning too many tickets, or were worried about the game lasting too long with these extra control options, then they could have simply either added a time limit or a limited (lets say 3) amount of presses for stopping the frog. Reducing the amount of tickets payed out could also help in balancing out the addition of being able to somewhat control when the frog hops.

It's a real shame and a missed opportunity for ICE/Raw Thrills. While taking this video I noticed quite a few classic gamers spot this game from the other side of the arcade, proceed to walk over to it (showing some signs of excitement and glee), drop in a few tokens and become greatly disappointed once they realized it is a one button push game. Some were even trying to press the frog button again, or waiting patiently for the button to "light up" again due to the misleading directions (press the button when lit). I myself was one of these classic gamers who made his way across the arcade and proceeded to wait on line to get a chance to play this game.

Again it is a missed opportunity to widen the redemption audience. Just imagine a redemption game that has the true spirit and gameplay of a classic arcade game mixed with a ticket pay out. It isn't like this has not been done before for ICE/Raw Thrills to look at and model. The fairly new Sea Wolf ticket redemption game is just that. Sea Wolf combines the classic gameplay of the original with updated visuals, all confined in a redemption game. The game is fun, score based, and quick. Unfortunately Frogger only has the quick part down.