In addition, gamers can indulge a total of seven delightful, single-player mini-games, ultimately adding a significant degree of replay value. Some events aren't immediately accessible and will require a bit of time and diligence to satisfy certain conditions (i.e. successfully collecting the bevy of coins scattered throughout each level). Thankfully, there are some cool default pickings such as the frog-themed version of tag called "Rib-It," and another event known as "Gator Gotcha," which I found some difficulty getting a hang of -- especially without the aid of an in-game tutorial. Out of the default selection, my personal award for "Best Mini-Game in a Frogger Game" goes out to "Frogger Classic" mode, allowing old-timers like myself to get a taste portable taste of the 1981 arcade hit. Nice touch, Konami - everyone loves extra content.
The game's A.I. is a walk in the park (read: it's easy), which shouldn't come as a surprise to older players since Helmet Chaos is primarily aimed towards younger audiences. Thankfully, those looking for ideal, formidable competition can indulge the multiplayer option -- supporting up to four players via the Ad Hoc and Game Sharing modes.
Almost Perfect
If there's anything to be particularly picky about, it would have be the fact the game's cheap with the amount of lives it gives out. Frogger's energy bar consists of a mere four blocks, which when fully depleted from things like enemy contact or an accidental dip in the water can end your game. While this is offset by an unlimited supply of continues, I am still of the opinion that incorporating a true "lives" system would have made the game a bit easier for younger gamers who may be turned off at having to restart an entire level from the beginning.
Further, the dialogue fails to synch with the on-screen text, even if the player opts to breeze through the sequence. Nor did I particularly care for the time limit, especially during the few instances where I faced a mind-bending puzzle that kind of damaged my ego as an elite gamer. Okay, so I am reaching a bit -- but that's simply because there aren't any aspects that one would find critically disappointing. Well, other than that matter about Frogger and water…
Making A Splash
All told, this is definitely one of the more enjoyable platform games I've played on the PSP this year. It's a shame the selection isn't more plentiful at the moment (c'mon, let's face it, the ratio of UMD movies to games simply boggles the mind). Compared to the barebones, disappointing release that is Death Jr., Konami comes back with the rebound, offering players a solid title that's simple to play and enjoyable for gamers of all ages.
