Superfrog HD Review

When human civilization falls and alien archaeologists begin digging through our remains, they'll assume every game developer in the 90s was obligated to create a side-scrolling mascot [Editor's Note: You mean they weren't?]. The penalty for failure, they'll tell each other, was a slow crushing death by gold rings and coins. They'll shake their three-eyed heads. "What a horrible, brutal civilization," they'll say. Those of us that lived through the era know the deluge of mascots wasn't so bad. Yes, by the end of the millennium every video game system had its own spokes-animal, but not all of them were ill-begotten Mario or Sonic clones.

For example, Superfrog for the Amiga is still regarded as a decent platforming game. A high-definition upgrade to the original title was made available on the PlayStation Network in 2012, and now that HD froggy fun can be downloaded for mobile platforms. Truth is, Superfrog HD is a decent platformer that will definitely appeal to retro enthusiasts (especially those that grew up with the Amiga). But interested parties should grab the game off the PlayStation Network since, unsurprisingly, control issues gum up the mobile port.

The action in Superfrog HD takes place across 24 levels spread through six worlds. Players adopt the role of a prince that's under a curse - the kind of curse that makes skin turn green, slimy, and warty. Oh, and there's a princess that needs saving, of course.

Superfrog HD features a lot of running, jumping, and collecting of fruit, coins, and helpful knick-knacks. There are hidden passages galore, and tons of enemies to stomp. In fact, levels are quite huge, which can make them difficult to complete within the allotted time limits.

Timing admittedly wouldn't be as much of a problem with a traditional controller. Superfrog HD's biggest flaw is simply its format: On-screen buttons are no substitute for the real thing when there are so many tricky jumps to be made. As a result, the mobile version of Superfrog HD features a lot of accidental run-ins with enemies, missed leaps, and falls off platforms.

It's too bad, because there's a lot of content up for grabs in Superfrog HD. Players can even unlock the original Amiga levels (along with the original soundtrack, which still sounds excellent all these years later). At its core, Superfrog HD is still a good action game, but the mobile port's controls make the experience more frustrating than fun.