Frogger is one of Konami’s oldest and most marketable franchises. A Frogger game has been created for almost every gaming system in the past, and now the green hero hops on the Nintendo DS.
Just like every Frogger before it, Frogger: Helmet Havoc plays from an overhead view while the character moves one tile at a time. Hopping over holes, enemies, and other hazards while collecting goodies are once again the object of the game. Frogger’s tongue will also play a bigger role in the DS version as grabbing items and swinging from vines will often require the tongue’s extended reach. Unlike previous Frogger games, Frogger can jump straight up into the air to grab hard to reach objects; this feature also gives the game a more 3D feel.
Frogger on the DS is a landmark game for the series because it will be the first time the green jumper will appear in full 3D on a handheld gaming system. Thanks to a well thought out camera system, the screen never zooms too far in, which could reveal pixelation or other unfortunate limitations of the system. Konami is also working hard to make the game run with at least 30 frames per second. Full voice work has also been confirmed for this title.
The game will feature a tutorial mode, so players can get adjusted to the structure of the game before they jump into the main adventure. Giant boss battles have also been promised when the game ships in the future. Similar to Mario 64 DS, Helmet Havoc will contain numerous minigames which will use touch screen and single-gamecard wireless multiplayer support.
Frogger: Helmet Havoc is shaping up to become a decent DS game, but Konami has no intention of adding any type of touch screen support to the main game. Using the stylus will most likely be a minigame only option. This may sound like a let down to some, but just because the option is there does not mean it has to be used. And long time fans of the series will be pleased to know that the original Frogger from 1981 will be fully playable in classic arcade form.
The game’s title, Helmet Havoc, has yet to see any solid connectivity to gameplay as Konami has not fully released all the details. However, an educated guess might involve the collecting of helmets to gain additional power-ups or abilities.
Stay with MyGamer for more details as they arrise.