Game Reviews

Ancient Frog

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Ancient Frog
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| Ancient Frog

Frogs have a bit of a bad rap.

Whether they’re being portrayed as the binary opposite of a beautiful princess in fairy tales, or the most revolting cuisine possible by those with a conservative palate, the common consensus is that they’re horrible.

Ancient Frog sticks up for the little green fellers by putting them in one of the most beautifully elegant puzzlers on Android.

Frog-march

As with many recent Android releases, Ancient Frog is a conversion of a relatively old (about 18 months) iPhone game. Remarkably, though, it still impresses with its style and originality.

The goal is to help move a frog towards its supper (an unusually docile fly). You do this by picking up each limb with your finger and placing it on one of the sticky water marks that’s been laid out for you.

Negotiating each glistening path isn’t simply a matter of finding hand (and foot) holds, but thinking a few moves ahead so that you don’t shuffle into a cul-de-sac. There’s a strict 'par' to aim for, with each move shifting you closer to the limit.

When reaching for a new grip, the alignment of your other three limbs plays a major part. If your frog is contorted around to the left, it’ll restrict your range of movement to the right, and so on. It’s quite ingenious.

No flies on this

Adding to the unique brand of puzzling is the game’s stunning presentation. That’s stunning not in a Reckless Racing “look at the 3D graphics it's chucking around” kind of way, but in a “by golly that’s pretty” kind of way.

The way the frog, the fly, and the leafy/shrubby backgrounds are rendered is like something in a BBC nature documentary. Subtle shadow effects only add to the sense of a living, breathing natural world.

Even the menus are gorgeous, with an attractive 3D effect on the flower that signifies your progress.

Some will quite rightly point out that the game lacks variety, or any of the trappings we associate with modern smartphone games (online highscores, achievements, etc.). The core concept is enduringly solid, though, and the absence of such trinkets arguably serves to enhance the zen-like calm of the game.

Ancient Frog belies its age with a timelessly fresh concept and a unique visual style. It’s just a kiss or two away from smartphone gaming royalty.

Ancient Frog

Ancient Frog is a uniquely beguiling puzzler with a strong visual style. Quite unlike anything else on Android
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Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.