I have a confession. I’ve never played the classic game Frogger until now…or at least in some form. Frog Legs, by Elliott Dahle, is like a twisted fever dream of Frogger, leaping through the 2D world into the third dimension. It was up to my froggy hero to go where no frog has hopped before in this love letter to some great gaming classics with an amphibious twist.

Frog Legs starts as any game of Frogger does, with critters attempting to cross hazardous roads and rushing rivers to get home. Froggy friends Phil, Bill, Pete, and Carl set off to do just that. Frog Leg’s version of Frogger is a glorious recreation, with glorious 2D pixelation and arcade-style music and sounds. I wasn’t born in the 80s, but I still felt nostalgia for those classic retro sounds.

In an ill-fated attempt to cross the bustling roads, one of the frogs, to put it gently, “croaks”. This leads to his grieving friends fleeing the game world and going into another dimension, hoping there’s more to life than crossing busy roads. 

Frog Legs manages to seamlessly leap into the 3D game world and move forward in time with my froggy hero, Carl, who is now at home with his wife.

Horror fans know home isn’t always a safe haven late at night. When Carl is sent to “investigate” things that bump in the night, I feel the ambience shift and feel just enough on edge to fear opening doors.

However, I followed the typical horror tropes to their end while getting jump-scared in progress before being transported to the next world, which was filled with much less anxiety and more action. 

There are only a few puzzles in Frog Legs. Still, by the time I reached the ominous dungeon, there was a bit more to play with: a big, hefty boomstick to face off against demonic monstrosities that may or may not be about a well-known boomer shooter.

When I begin wielding the gun, the music amps up to match the action, feeling like a completely different game from what I had been playing. Frog Legs is a three-course meal of mayhem, with a retro entree, a horror main and a lot of action for dessert. 

Overall, the gameplay experience is solid, easy to play on a keyboard and mouse or controller, and not too challenging. Where Frog Legs shines is in its referential humour and understanding of gaming tropes. While the game is short, the variety of one casual session makes for one of the most enjoyable frog-based gaming experiences I have had thus far. 

Frog Legs is one to play for a cute, quirky quest. I definitely would have liked to play for longer – exploring more genres and styles with more puzzles and combat. Still, with the variety in this small love-filled package, it’s an inexpensive mini-adventure worth putting aside a little time for. So what are you waiting for? Hop to it!

Written by: Yasmin Noble