The platform adventure will never die. And that's a good thing! Frogatto & Friends injects a little more life into the classic genre, placing great-looking pixel art and a satisfying action/exploration game in front of your eyes for the low low price of free!
Good morning, everyone! Oh, wait, it's the afternoon. Looks like Frogatto slept late again. Breakfast (er, lunch) isn't ready yet, so Frogatto decides to head into town to see if he can find a job. Things go wonderfully awry from there as you embark upon quest after quest, all in the name of earning a bit of cash.
As with most platform games, you can walk, dash, swim, jump, and stomp throughout the delightfully-drawn 2D world. Enemies are usually harmless unless they're carrying something dangerous, so don't be afraid to bump into them (or stand on their head). Frogatto's main trick is his ability to nab enemies with his tongue and spit them out as projectiles. Your reach is laughably short at the beginning of the game, but collecting coins throughout the stages will allow you to buy upgrades at the store. You can also purchase other upgrades such as power-ups to grant temporary invincibility, extra life hearts, a longer spit reach, and more.
Frogatto's world is vast and filled with neat surprises, and oftentimes you'll have to find (or open up) new paths to get to where you want to go. Frogatto can carry an item in his belly, so lugging keys from one place to another often becomes a necessary task. You can't wall jump or swim while your belly is full, though, so your traveling plans will probably change while you're chubby.
Analysis: Aah, old school platforming. Few game genres seem as comforting as a good old run through a 2D world. Frogatto & Friends incorporates a lot of elements to flesh out its environments, including an open, Metroidvania-style level design, parallax backgrounds, and upgrades to find in the wild and purchase in the store. You feel a little more drawn into the world as you play, an important part of the experience that keeps you engrossed in the game.
Frogatto & Friends was designed for the casual player from beginning to end. You aren't penalized for dying, and oftentimes you respawn at the exact same area. The challenge level isn't too high, either, allowing you to sit and play without wanting to throw your keyboard/joypad across the room. The length is also about right, ranging from 4-6 hours depending on how thorough you are with exploration.
One thing worth mentioning: wall jumping is unreliable, as if our amphibious protagonist will only stick to walls when he's in the mood. When a wall jump should work, it sometimes doesn't, leaving the player scratching their head in confusion. This never turns into a game-breaking issue, though, and with a little practice you can wall jump with a fair amount of reliability.
Frogatto & Friends is a beautiful platform adventure that calls forth nostalgia with a healthy smattering of modern gaming sensibilities. The project code is open source, meaning you can contribute to the development if you so desire, and the team has plans to add a lot more to the game as time goes by.
Also be sure to grab the iPhone version of Frogatto & Friends if you want to take the game on the go.
Windows:
Download the free full version
Mac OS X:
Download the free full version
Linux:
Download the free full version



















































