Frogun
Of the many video game genres out there, platformers are among the best when it comes to versatility. Most classic games from the 64 bit era included a winning formula of a lovable mascot, colorful backgrounds, various goals to achieve for replayability, and tight controls that anyone from any skill level can play. Frogun is an example of a "retro-inspired" platformer that stands on its own as a modern title, simply because it is an infectious sugar rush from start to finish.
Renata is the daughter of archeologists who travel around the world in search of artifacts, treasure, and raiding the occasional tomb. While on their latest expedition, Renata's parents leave her alone at base camp as they search for treasure. Days pass and Renata, becoming both impatient and worried, decides to take the family heirloom, the Frogun, to save her parents. Because three whole days have passed and her parents definitely need saving, right? Surely they aren't that negligent to find themselves in peril after leaving a child at base camp for seventy-two hours.
As the player quickly finds out through each level, the parents are indeed not okay. Each level requires Renata to collect several artifacts to consider a level as "complete." One of the most important items are pages from Renata's parents' journal, with each entry highlighting an instance of turmoil that is preventing them from returning back to camp. Other items include two green gems that are hidden out of the way and a "death gem" that can only be obtained by clearing a hidden route that's far difficult to traverse.
This is similar to how the colored gems worked in older Crash Bandicoot titles, one of many retro platformers that Frogun is a love letter to. Fortunately, the goals are simple. Aside from the previously mentioned goals, things like collecting every coin, having no deaths, and clearing the level in the alotted time are all that's needed. Like most platformers, there are boss fights that require the player to put previously learned skills to the test.
Even in the menu design itself, Frogun brings a Croc-style platformer that is far more linear than the anthropomorphic crocodile from that era. It reminded me of another retro-inspired platformer, Lunistice, yet Frogun's level designs are different. While the goal of each level is to get from "point A to Point B," there are a lot of branching paths that the player can take.
It feels less like a "point-to-point" level and more of an open world environment. The best example I can give are the Spyro the Dragon levels. Each level has an "end point," but the player will find themselves having to climb and platform to get there. Some levels are designed to loop around itself, the best example being the racing levels.
Occassionally, Renata will have to race against her "rival," Jake. In what I can only imagine to be an Ape Escape reference, largely due to the similar name, build, and obnoxious attitude of both characters from both games, Jake challenges Renata for the treasure. Despite saying that she has no interest in the treasure, only her lost parents, Jake refuses to listen and the races begin. The races are easy enough to clear, but the player will never have enough time to collect everything plus win the race.
The developer's solution was to make the racing levels a "circuit" in which beating Jake equals to a lap complete. At the end of the level, there's a door a player can activate that warps them back to the beginning of the level, allowing them to collect the items they will have missed. This limits the number of times the player is required to redo levels as well as give players the challenge to make it to the end. Plus, having a once go-around a level doesn't hurt to know where the interesting spots may be at. Frogun has some of the best level design I've seen in a modern platformer, proving less is more.
Frogun has been a fun game to play to unwind from the seasonal blues. It's a sugar rush of nostalgia, hitting the player with vibrant colors, cartoonish animations, and tight platforming mechanics that are easy to learn yet satisfying to master. Anyone needing a game to unwind should check this one out. Frogun is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.