Just played the first levels of A Hat in Time and Frogun. I loved both almost immediately. What can a say I love anything with a fun adventure setting with quirky and charming characters, and a adventurous protagonist who keeps going to places they really shouldn't go to.
'Frogun' (2021) by @molegato (Original Game)
A cute 90's style 3D platformer - with a Frogun! Now available on Steam and Switch!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1575470/Frogun/
Frogun is a 3D platforming game by Molegato! Save your parents (and coincidentally find some treasure) through these crazy ruins!
First off, I am astounded by the number of people (in the Steam reviews) who absolutely hate the controls and the checkpoint usage. I can understand their gripes from the "precise platforming that the controls don't accommodate" but damn. I've had my fair share of frustrating moments, for sure. Frogun is definitely a difficult and (for me, mildly) frustrating time because of the later levels. However, it definitely does not detract from its experience.
In terms of controls, my issue was that at certain angles (too angled/obtuse) and distances (way too close or too high) and timings, the grapple simply does not work. The reticle would say you can grapple, but you'd still be too high to connect, so the grapple just goes right over. Sometimes it should've and sometimes it shouldn't have. Either way, I got through this pretty awesome game just fine.
The biggest issue with the game is while 100%-ing it. In which case, you need to be good enough to perform the platforming skips. And once you know the basics, you don't even need to do the more difficult ones. But most of all, you need to farm 30,000+ coins after you've beaten all the levels. It was at that number for me since I'd only completed each level 2-3 times for the medals. It's an absolutely insane 4 hour grind where you only collect 360 coins per run on one kind of annoying level.
Setting grievances aside, the game is pretty great. The art style and music feels very retro, reminiscent of my days of playing Mario 64 at the dentist's office when I was a kid. Or more recently, it felt similar to playing Here Comes Niko at the end of last year. I do absolutely love the choices I have for hats too. My go-tos were the froggy hood and the red box that I don't know the name of.
The level design is pretty interesting for the most part. There are, of course, a lot of areas where it was frustrating for the same reasons I stated above. But overall, it does a nice job of easing you into the mechanics before it gets too hard. As well, when you're used to the basics, it always adds a new thing for you to pay attention to.
Surprisingly, where this game really shines is the boss battles. They started off super simple, but by the end, the boss battles were my favourite thing and got me super excited for the boss rushes. Which were also surprisingly enjoyable given their difficulty.
As a platformer, Frogun isn't for everyone. But if you love this style of game, definitely give it a shot.
Just gotta say, Frogun is my FROGOTY! Such a delightful little game brimming with charm and challenge. Renata is absolutely adorable and the music is marvelous. Definetly recommend checking it out! I also love that the game is fully playable with the Switch's N64 controller. 🐸
As we’re currently in a retro revival trend for fifth gen console games, specifically platformers, there’s no shortage of options for a nostalgic buzz. What makes Frogun stick out from the pack, though, is that it doesn’t have the same sort of inspirations as the majority of the crowd. Instead of Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, or one of the PS1’s major platformer hits, Frogun is more interested in giving a new stab at the attempts of the middle market, particularly Chameleon Twist. The end result is something that feels unique while dressed in old school aesthetics.