GameCube

Frogger: Ancient Shadow

There's really not much to this game, yet it still had me coming back for more, trying to finish the single player mode. If you're a fan of puzzle games, check this out.

Not great, not terrible, but somewhere in between. There are many ways in which Ancient Shadow could have been better, but in the end it's still engaging. Only the patient need apply.

Frogger: Ancient Shadow arrives as a smack-in-the-middle average update to the classic dodge-and-run game of old. Developer Hudson Soft seems to have the right idea. There are some smart environmental puzzles in the title and with 28 levels and a multiplayer mode to boot, there are also some reasons to keep playing. But the control mechanics in the title, initially jarring and overly complicated, aren't likely to mesh well with younger players, and the die-and-retry level design can be tedious. As a result, Ancient Shadow is fun and rewarding at times and cumbersome at others. There is some undisputed good news, though: the game ships with a competently emulated version of the 1981 classic Frogger, which remains as enjoyable as ever. And at only $29.99, the control drawbacks are a littler easier to stomach.

Ultimately, no one is going to buy this game based solely on the strength of its multiplayer aspects. There are numerous full-featured party games out there that offer dozens more minigames for the same price. Sadly, the multiplayer component is really the only thing Frogger: Ancient Shadow has going for it. Its single-player component doesn't bring anything new to the table, and, what's worse, none of the problems from previous games have been fixed or improved.

Ancient Shadow's multiplayer mode complements the game's family-friendly feel by giving up to four players the chance to compete head-to-head in eight simple mini-games. None of them are any more complex than the original 1981 arcade classic (which is included), meaning that gamers of all skill levels can join in the fun. The multiplayer games, like everything else about Ancient Shadow, feel rushed and slapped together, assembled from fragments of other, better games. With the wide assortment of great kids' games available on the GameCube, there's simply no reason to spend a dime on an uninspired and frustrating title like this one. Maybe one day Frogger will get his chance to recapture his '80s video-game glory, but if Ancient Shadow is any indication, you can probably expect a new hit single from the Bee Gees first.

These types of games are easy to write off without so much as playing the first level. However, Frogger: Ancient Shadow defies many platformer stereotypes by being smart, skillful, and relatively robust. It's not an uber-polished title--awkward control, too much loading, and too few levels hold it down--but those adventurous enough to give it a rental won't be disappointed. Don't send this froggy to the fryer yet. At only $30, it might even be worth buying if you've got a little tadpole around to share it with. It's definitely preferred to the average character-based kids' games; just don't expect to cast your Tony Hawk or Katamari aside to play it.