***** Brother Reed is proud to present ***** _________ / ___ ) THE | / *--_ __ ____ _ ____ _ ______ __ __ \ |___ | / \ _____ / _ \ | / _ \ | / ___ \| / \ \ __)| |\_// ___ \| (_) || (_) |( ___/| |\_/ \ \ | | ( (___) )\___ | \___ | \______)| | \__| |__| \_____/____/ /____/ / |__| (_______/(_______/ FAQ For the Super Nintendo version Version 1.4 May 24, 2001 This FAQ is copyrighted 2000, Brother Reed E-mail: Stealthman04@aol.com _______________________________________________________________________ ======================================================================= _______________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- 1. Introduction to FAQ 2. Legal Information 3. Hoppers and Hazards 4. Getting the Point 5. Level Breakdown: Hints and Tips 6. Miscellaneous Frog Guts 7. Credits and Thanks 8. Contacting the Author _______________________________________________________________________ ======================= 1. INTRODUCTION TO FAQ ======================== _______________________________________________________________________ Well, this is it. The very first Frogger FAQ on GameFAQs, and possibly anywhere else for that matter. I guess that's because, being the type of game that it is, Frogger is a difficult game for which to write a FAQ. I mean, just hop across the street and into the bays; how hard could that be, right? Harder than you think. But, ever attempting the impossible, Brother Reed hereby presents to you the unofficial Frogger FAQ. The timeless arcade game has finally come to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System; but it's still the arcade game. I mean, there isn't anything we haven't seen before. So, if you're one of those people who has a Frogger arcade game set up in your house, no need to go buy the SNES release, because it is EXACTLY the same thing. If you want a NEW Frogger adventure, go buy the Playstation version. By the way, did I mention that this FAQ is NOT for the Playstation version? Good. Got that out of the way. Got questions? Additions? Vital strategies that I missed in my clumsiness that you just have to share with the world? PLEASE send them to me post haste and let me include them, credit given, in the world's first ever Frogger FAQ. See the Chapter 8 of this FAQ for specific e- mail instructions. So what are we waiting for? Let's get hopping! _______________________________________________________________________ ====================== 2. LEGAL INSTRUCTIONS ========================== _______________________________________________________________________ If you want your site to be able to boast this small and insignificant FAQ, just e-mail me and ask permission; I will probably let you post it. Just make sure that you give the name and address of the site, because I want to have a list of all the sites where this is posted. By posting this FAQ, you affirm that all of the following conditions will be observed. 1. _ALL_ of this FAQ must be included in its original form. It must NOT be altered, changed, added to, subtracted from, or otherwise tampered with in any way, shape or form, electronically or otherwise. 2. My name, the version, and this fine print must be included. 3. This FAQ must not be posted with a banner add or anything similar. 4. I ask that you update this FAQ within a week of the time the update is sent to GameFAQs. If you do not want the responsibility of updating it, then don't post it. 5. You may convert this document to HTML, change the colors, add game pics, etc., as long as the content remains unchanged, and I am previously informed that the change shall take place. 6. YOU MUST NOT attempt to revise or update this FAQ apart from the updates that I make myself. If you think it needs updating, tell me about it. Don't take matters into your own hands. This FAQ is intended for individual use. It must not be used for financial purposes, i.e. buying, selling, bartering, etc. You may however, if the web site allows, print this document for personal use. Frogger is a registered trademark of its respective company(s). I am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, Kanomi, Hasbro, Majesco Sales, and/or any other persons/companies that are/were involved in the production and marketing of this game. All copyrights are acknowledged that are not specifically mentioned in this FAQ. _______________________________________________________________________ ======================= 3. HOPPERS AND HAZARDS ======================== _______________________________________________________________________ Frogger has a very interesting concept. Get the frogs safely across highway and river and into a warm, cozy stone bay on the other side. There are several "characters" (hahaha) in Frogger, and so this section will give you a brief over view of the nice, and the not-so- nice. FROGGER Your character. No, there is actually not one frog, but several frogs, and you have the ability to gain even more as the game goes on. The more the merrier. These are just small green blobs with legs basically, and they make a little boing noise when they hop. Cute. BAY GATORS Bay gators are bad. Why? Because they appear just inside the safety of a bay, waiting to gobble up unwary green travelers. You can still jump into bays occupied by bay gators, provided the head has not fully appeared (this has occurred when you hear it growl). SWIMMING CROCS Think of swimming crocodiles as green logs with a death trap on one end. These appear in level three and swim along in the last lane. You can jump on their backs and hitch a ride (you'll have to eventually), but if you get too close to the head... * snap * SNAKES Yich! Slithery slimy serpents! It seems snakes are doomed forever to such stereotypes, but in Frogger it is appropriate to dread these reptiles, as they will swiftly bring death to Frogger should he wander near one's head. Again, you may jump on its body with no adverse effects. They appear first on the center wall and later on some of the logs. FLIES Dragon flies appear randomly in the end bays of odd levels. Odd as in the opposite of even, not odd is in peculiar. If you eat one by jumping into a bay that it occupies, you get points. THE LOG FROG Another frog, possibly female (that is gathered from the supposed bow on her head) that sits on a log out on the river and drifts peacefully by, hopping every now and then to attract attention. This valuable amphibian wants to get home very badly, and there's a 200 point reward for the one who sees that she reaches the bay safely. To do this, merely pick her up by bumping into her and you will flash red. This is to indicate that you are traveling with the log frog now. Enter a bay with you passenger, and you get to pass go and collect 200 points. DIVING TURTLES Some groups of swimming turtles dive underwater, leaving you to make a hasty jump to a safer foothold or plop into the raging river (which, by the way, is a cause of instant death). Every third group of turtles dives. They have four stages: Surfaced (they appear a normal yellow), and several stages of diving, in which they get smaller and darker three times and then disappear. You can stand on them until they submerge completely. _______________________________________________________________________ ====================== 4. GETTING THE POINT =========================== _______________________________________________________________________ This section contains a small and simple chart of how you get points in Frogger, as seen in the instruction manual. WHAT YOU DO HOW MANY POINTS YOU GET ----------- ----------------------- Jump into a new lane .................... 10 points Jump onto a log or turtle ............... 10 points Reach a bay ............................. 50 points Eat a fly ............................... 200 points Deliver log frog to bay ................. 200 points Finish level (5 frogs) .................. 1,000 points It seems that you also get points depending on how much time is left on the timer when you deliver a frog to a bay. The more time left, the more points received. A warning bell (more like a cow bell) will sound when you have only 8 seconds left. Also note that you only get points the first time you reach a new lane, log or turtle. You can't rack up points by jumping back and forth between lanes. So what is the point of getting points anyway? Longevity. Need I be more specific? EVERY 10,000 POINTS YOU GET AN EXTRA FROG! You need as many frogs as you can possibly get, because it's so easy to squash the little buggers. So enter the bays with flies while carrying the log frog in as little time as possible to score maximum points. _______________________________________________________________________ ==================== LEVEL BREAKDOWN: HINTS AND TIPS ================== _______________________________________________________________________ LEVEL 1: Getting Started Start out with your first of five frogs. You must get him across five lanes of traffic, a stone wall in the center, three rows of logs and two rows of diving turtles. Almost any fool should be able to do this. No, I don't have a whole chapter dedicated to telling you how to control your frog, because it is entirely too simple. Let's go over it, shall we? Now listen closely, because this can get a little confusing: *speaks extra slowly, as if talking to someone dense* UP makes frog go up, DOWN makes frog go down, LEFT makes frog go left, and guess what RIGHT does... *listens for an answer but no one seems to know* RIGHT makes frog go RIGHT, okay? Do we need to review that again? If so, read that last sentence again. Then let's get on with it. Move your frog up when possible and right or left to avoid the cars. In the sparse traffic stage 1 presents, you can probably just wait for a clearing and then charge right through. If not, hop horizontally between vehicles (you can hop as fast or faster than all vehicles except for the red sports cars in lane 4) until the next lane has an opening. Frogger often requires you to take into consideration several lanes at a time, and this will come with practice. The wall is a safe resting ground, but don't dally too long or your time will run out. There will be three rows of diving turtles, one of which you must board. One group in three dives periodically and then comes back up. Jump preferable on one that likes the sunlight and go from there to one of the small logs, to the big ones in the middle. Try to pick up the log frog if you see it, because gaining as many points as possible in the early stages is essential for success later. Then catch a ride on a larger (but still stable) group of turtles, and than onto one of the long logs in front of the bays. From there you must press UP when in front of a bay to enter. Don't hurry to jump in too soon, or you'll go splat on the wall. Get the timing down now, because it only gets tougher in succeeding levels. Hard time deciding which bay to enter? If one of them harbors a tasty dragon fly, that should make the choice for you. ******************* LEVEL 2: Watch Out for Bay Gators in Level Two In stage two the traffic is still fairly slow and spread apart, and you should have no trouble if you don't get careless. The river still moves slowly enough, and there are no notable changes in the level other than the slight increase in traffic and the obvious bay gators at the end of the stage. The bay gators should be none too difficult to thwart, just don't jump into a bay bearing the zipper-like grin of a fiendish alligator. Like I said earlier, if the bay gator is just beginning to move into the bay, jump in anyway. He won't hurt you unless he has fully occupied the bay. The log frog is especially important here because you won't get any flies. ******************* LEVEL 3: Try Not to Croak in Level Three This is where beginners often lose their first frog. It is also where most players gain their first frog. By the time the first three frogs have reached their bays, you should have surpassed the ten thousand point mark. The traffic has picked up considerably, and now there is also another major change. Swimming crocodiles alternate with the long logs just before the bays. You may have to jump on them to get into your desired bay, just stay away from the head. The flies have returned to raise your point total, so go for them if you can. I think some of the logs are getting shorter now, but I'm not certain. I do know that the river is increasing in speed, so keep developing your reflexes. Don't think that you have to wait on each log/turtle that you come to. For instance, if you are trying to get into a certain bay and you are riding on the last string of turtles and the log you would have to use is about to pass you up. As soon as you are lined up with the bay with a log between you, do a quick double hop forward and spring right from the log and into the bay. You will definitely have to employ this method in the faster stages. ******************* LEVEL 4: One Snake Bite and You're Hisssssstory No longer can the street be traversed in a straight line; you will need to maneuver between cars. Now, as the stage title implies, a snake has appeared to trouble your one place to stand, the rock wall in the middle of the screen. It slowly and unwaveringly patrols its post. Most of the time you can skip right by him, but he will still limit what turtles you can climb on. You may end up sliding to the far left and be in danger of going off the edge of the screen. If you find yourself in the aforementioned predicament on the first set of turtles, get to as far right as you can and wait until you get to the very left edge of the screen. Then, at the last nanosecond, jump up. You should land on the edge of a passing log. Also, sometimes if you are waiting on the last lane of turtles to try and get in the left most bay, you will be pushed off the screen before a transport arrives. Note whether the last thing past was a log or a gator. There is more space between gators and logs than there are between logs and gators, you know? That doesn't make sense? Try it this way. If the last thing past you was a log, wait for the gator to show up and help you into the bay. If the last thing past was a log, get out of there fast; you aren't gonna make it. ******************* LEVEL 5: Hop Right Up to Level Five What? Has the world swallowed a hyper pill? It seems as though everything has suddenly undergone a dramatic increase in speed. You will need to sharpen your skills for this challenging level. The traffic has intensified into a moving wall, and the river is racing so fast it'll make your head swim! Stop for a moment and notice the traffic patterns before you hop blindly into the mix; you'll thank yourself later when you have time to take a breath. You will really have to work hard to correctly time your jumps into the bays from the backs of crocodiles and the short wooden stubs that would have been logs in previous levels. What's worse is that those stupid diving turtles always show up right where you need to hop, forcing you either to wait for the next ride and hit the edge of the screen or jump onto them and drown. In stages such as this and all those following, try to get in the left-most bay first, because it is the hardest to enter. Then go for the simpler ones. If you are transporting the log frog, go for the easy finish to ensure your points. ******************* LEVEL 6: Level Six is Pretty Slithery Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse. Now there is not only a snake at the wall, but also on the big log at the center of the river, and it's been too long since either has had a nice dish of frog legs with ketchup. You're lucky just to cross the street (there's never a crossing guard when you need one) let alone traverse the rapidly flowing river. There really isn't any more strategy to give, you just have to be fast and smart. I wish I could offer you an easy way out. The one thing I can tell you is, if you lose a frog (and you WILL lose a frog) DON'T PANIC! Panic is a gamer's worst enemy. What often happens is, when a player loses one frog, he loses them all in a matter of seconds. Just watch your step, and be fearless. One more thing, don't think you can slide too close to a moving vehicle. Just barely grazing the edge of a fender can squash you flat. ******************* LEVEL 7: Jump Right into Level Seven AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T DO IT! IT'S TOO MUCH! IT'S TOO FAST! I'M JUST A LITTLE FROG, HAVE MERCY! Oh, sorry. It's just that this stage is so fast and frantic that if you're not careful you'll be re-paving the road with frog guts. Not a pretty site. The river is flowing at extremely high speeds, the red sports cars are racing by in threes, and the relentless snakes are yet hanging around to make you miserable. If you can get through this level with a few frogs, you have a fighting chance at the last and most difficult frog trap yet. Wait, you say. How could any level be more difficult than the one I just beat? You're about to find out. ******************* LEVEL 8: Level Eight is the Toughest Yet Not only is the traffic going faster than ever, especially the red cars that cross the screen in a second's time, but also the cars are more evenly spaced so there are no large gaps. To make things worse, when you get out of the traffic, TWO vile serpents are patrolling the center wall. The river is racing at top speed, the logs have been shortened, and not only that, but now there aren't any logs in the last river lane, just gators, and they have a lot of space between them. Already know you that which you need. You need only fine tune your speed and accuracy to make it past this final test of your amphibian abilities, and hey; a couple of extra frogs wouldn't hurt either. ******************* !!!!! 1-8: Beyond the Levels If and when you complete level 8, you will be given a brief and highly anticlimactic message saying, "Great job! You wrapped the levels!", and then you will start at !!!!! 1. This is a stage exactly like level 1, all the traffic and things are back to normal, but all of the snakes are still there. You will have to get through the whole set of levels again, with all the snakes wearing you down and chipping away at your extra lives. Should you make it through this time, you will then start once again at !!!!! 1. Does this ever end? My personal opinion is, no. The purpose of Frogger is to get as many points as possible, mostly by getting through the levels as many times as possible. So go as far as you can until you either die or get bored. _______________________________________________________________________ ==================== 6. MISCELLANEOUS FROG GUTS ======================= _______________________________________________________________________ Mostly this section is for the posting of things that anyone wants to say. Meaning, you are supposed to e-mail me with any comment, strategy, etc., so long as it pertains to Frogger, for me to post, and in turn, people to read. So PLEASE, I'm begging you, write to me with SOMETHING that I can post here. I don't care if you are reading this fifty years after the original date and people no longer know or care about Frogger, I (hopefully) will still be around and more than happy to put it in. I reserve the right to edit and/or add a title to any entry containing strong language or bearing no title. Before, though, I have just a few things to say: A WORD ABOUT SCORES: by Brother Reed This game is so much like the original arcade game it makes me sick. Why, you say? Isn't that a good thing? Well, not entirely. You see, on the original game, high scores were saved because the game was never turned off or unplugged, and this game is the same way. There is no battery backed game pack memory, which means that unless you plan to keep your SNES on for the rest of eternity, you cannot keep your high scores. So much for motivation... _______________________________________________________________________ ======================= 7. CREDITS AND THANKS ========================= _______________________________________________________________________ This FAQ and the strategies contained within written by: Brother Reed ASCII original title art by: Brother Reed Thanks to CjayC at GameFAQs for posting this FAQ, and having the best gaming site on the web Thanks to Hasbro, Kanomi, Majesco Sales, and Nintendo for this simple yet perplexingly challenging game Thanks also to the other sites that post this FAQ. I will update this list every time a new FAQ posts this. If this FAQ is posted on any site not listed, that site has illegally leeched the file, other than vgstrategies.about.com. Al doesn't even have to ask me to use this FAQ. He's EARNED the right. *GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) *Video Game Strategies (www.vgstrategies.about.com) Check out these other FAQs by Brother Reed ------------------------------------------ Rogue Squadron Shadows of the Empire Shadows of the Empire Boss Guide Mega Man X Boss Guide Frogger DKC Guide to Finding Everything Mario Paint _______________________________________________________________________ ======================= 8. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR ====================== _______________________________________________________________________ Well, that's pretty much a wrap. If you find any typos, additions, corrections, suggestions, or if you have any questions regarding the game or this FAQ, e-mail to Stealthman04@aol.com. Try to be nice and exclude any strong language. The latest version of this FAQ can always be found at gameFAQs.com. If you see this FAQ on any site other than those listed above, it has been illegally leeched. Please tell me about it and I will take care of it. Meanwhile, aside from any of the things mentioned above, (i.e., typos, additions, new sites posting my FAQ, etc.) I will probably not have to update this. It is fairly complete in its current form. Hope it helped you out.