Frogger's been around for longer than you think. The original arcade game was introduced in 1981 under release by Sega, and the game's grown into a phenomenon ever since, even appearing on an episode of Seinfeld (the one where George tries to keep his high score intact forever by purchasing the machine and moving it across the street while it's plugged in). There's something simple about its appeal that makes it playable, even with today's audiences. That's why it's an ideal pick for the Xbox Live Arcade service, and why Konami's gone ahead and given us a "modernized" version of it.

The general gameplay still remains the same. You have to get frogs through traffic and then across a busy river filled with turtles and logs in order to get them home, into spaces on the top of the screen. However, as you complete each new level, things get more difficult. The rate of traffic picks up; alligators begin inhabiting the river; and more dangerous creatures like otters and snakes begin to show up. It's a nice, progressive difficulty scale that doesn't grow frustrating, but instead keeps you challenged as you try to keep your frogs alive.

Those expecting the original arcade game will be slightly disappointed. There is an option to have the arcade graphics from 1981 so you can see the arcade game as it once was, but the music is disappointly freshened up, and the original opening song is long gone. Those who go for the more "modernized" look will see slightly touched-up graphics that make the terrain look a little more like the Frogger platformers we see these days. You can also format the screen to stretch across, so it'll fit your TV a little better.

While I'm not really a big fan of the upgraded music and graphics, the gameplay is what's important here, and it still remains a lot of fun. The Xbox Live play feels more like a gimmick than a useful feature, but it's still worth a few tries. You also have access to a leaderboard so you can always see where your high score fits in, as well as achievements that you can unlock over the course of play. You'll score points for the completed second and third levels, as well as other goals.

Frogger probably would've fared best just staying in its original arcade format altogether. Digital Eclipse is a master of emulation and could've just made the game it was originally intended, instead of trying to spruce it up. However, the best aspects are still intact, and I suppose that's good enough to drop 400 points ($5) on a purchase. It's still pretty much worth it.

Our Final ScoreMediocre

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