Frogger (Frogger) Discussion: One small hop for Frogger, one giant leap for frogkind!

Frogger debuted (and earned his place) in the video game world in 1981, being the protagonist of the arcade game named after him. Although Frogger never became successful like Mario or Sonic, he “transitioned” into the 3D environment successfully and has had around 28 (!) games, including spinoffs. For better or worse, Frogger’s design has never remained constant for too long and has undergone great changes over the years. The same could be said for his games, which had differences in plot, artistic direction and atmosphere, although the gameplay of most 3D games excluding The Great Quest was heavily influenced by Frogger 2.

Nevertheless, Frogger retains his title as a videogame mascot and represents the history of videogames much like Pacman, Mr. game and watch and Mario. As for his depiction in Crusade, although he has appeared as a biped or wearing clothes (a vest and shorts, for example) his most recent showings have reverted to the simple frog look he had in his first games. Because of this, I think that the best way to represent him would be to use his look from Frogger: He’s Back! and Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge as it had the most characterization without making him look too anthropomorphic.

Frogger Games:

*A seperate game than Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge.


MOVESET

General Attributes: Frogger is a lightweight fighter with a mediocre ground game and strong aerials. As Frogger hops all around the place, he specialty is air to ground transition. Thus, all of Frogger's aerials have minimal landing lag in all situations, and his aerials tend to function better when used near the ground. Frogger also has various ways to transition into his unique grab.


MISCELLANEOUS


Jab: 2 Direct Punches and a Frontal Kick
Origin: Frogger: The Great Quest.  In this game, Frogger was a biped and... well... he knew "Frog Fu". This game's combat engine was atrocious; Frogger would do a random attack with the dedicated attack button, such as a Frontal Kick, a Roundhouse Kick, a Leaning Overhead Punch or 2 Direct Punches.
Description: Frogger stands somewhat upright and performs 2 Direct Punches in quick succession, and then ends the jab by leaning backward slighty and performing a Frontal Kick with decent range.


Dash Attack: Wall Squeze
Origin: Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge. In that game, whenever frogger would pick up speed and run to unaccesible area (either due to the fact that it was unaccesible, or because Frogger had to jump to access it), Frogger would comically squeze himself to the wall, making a hilarious sound.
Description: When the Normal Attack Button is pressed, Frogger sprint-hops. If he comes into contact with an enemy he is squezed like in Frogger 2, sending the opponent in an arc and enabling Frogger to follow up with his aerials. Frogger also generates the sound from the game.

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TILTS


Side Tilt: Side Tongue Whip
Origin: Frogger Advance: The Great Quest. In this specific game for the Gameboy Advance, Frogger used his tongue for combat instead of his body as in the console version of the game. Frogger was able to use his tongue in air as well, and point it to the side, upward or downward.
Description: Frogger extends his tongue out of his mouth and moves his head so that his tongue generates momentum, acting as a weapon.

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Up Tilt: Coin Toss
Origin: Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge, Frogger: Beyond, Frogger Ancient Shadow and Frogger Helmet Chaos. In all of those games, Frogger is able to collect coins that act as currency for concept art or gameplay modifiers.
Description: Frogger throws a large coin upwards. It lands behind him. By pressing the Normal Attack Button right after the first coin is tossed, Frogger tosses a second coin that lands in front of him. When an opponet is hit by a coin, the coin acquistion sound from Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge plays.


Down Tilt: Cautious Handslap
Origin: The teachings of Masahiro-kun
Description: While Frogger is crouching and being very close to the ground, he begins slapping in front of him. Keepaway properties. Can be spammed.


AERIALS


Forward Aerial Attack: Leaning Overhead Punch
Origin: Frogger: The Great Quest.
Description: It's quite similar to Bomberman's Fair.


Backwards Aerial Attack: Frog Kick
Origin: The teachings of Masahiro-kun.
Description: Frogger kicks by extending his legs behind him.


Neutral Aerial Attack: Side Aerial Tongue Whip
Origin: Frogger Advance: The Great Quest.
Description: An aerial version of the side tilt. It acts as a sex kick (sex tongue ).


Upwards Aerial Attack: Spit
Origin: Frogger: The Great Quest. In the game Frogger could, besides attack via "Frog Fu", also spit as a method of attack.
Description: Frogger points his mouth upwards and spits. The spit is projected almost completely vertically and begins to fall in an arc once its vertical momentum is depleted. This is an Air Control attack.


Downwards Aerial Attack: Frog Spring Kick
Origin: Frogger: The Great Quest. Since Frogger was bipedal in this game, his jump worked completely different. Frogger when jumping would bend his knees much like Ganondorf and Captain Falcon, except that his knees would be in a more sideways position with the legs slighty pointed forward.
Description: Frogger bends his legs as much as possible in a 300 degrees angle and forcefully extends his legs. Works like Captain Falcon's dair, but is more diagonal in function. When this attack hits a standing opponent while Frogger is almost directly above them, Frogger grabs them (see Up Special and Grab sections).


SMASH ATTACKS


Side Smash: Crouch Kick
Origin: The teachings of Masahiro-kun and Artistic Licence - Frog Biology.
Description: Essentially Pikachu's Forward Tilt.


Up Smash: Pseudo-cartwheel Jump
Origin: Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge. In that game, whenever you complete a level by acquiring all little frogs, the game displays a stage completed screen with frogger (or the character you chose) standing in front of the little frogs. Frogger also occasionally claps or dances while voccaly expressing his amusement. One of the movrs he perfroms is a rotated jump that looks like a cartwheel, limbs extended, but with Frogger landing in the same spot.
Description: Frogger jumps and performs a pseudo-cartwheel in the air, damaging opponents with his extended limbs. Has good range.

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Down Smash: Crocodile Emergence
Origin: Most Frogger games ever. In most games, Frogger has the chance to use crocodiles as means of transport across rivers. However, landing on the head of the crocodile was dangerous as a quick snap of its jaws could kill Frogger instantly.
Description: Frogger jumps upwards, dodging 2 8-bit crocodiles (stylized like those in the arcade game) which make a cross with each other trying to bite frogger. Long horizontal range.


GRAB


Grab: Tongue Grab
Origin: Frogger: Ancient Shadow and Frogger: Helmet Chaos. In both games, Frogger is able to use his tongue in order to pull and push objects as well as to hang from tree branches. The jumping on top of the opponent bit is from Frogger: He’s Back and Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge.
Description: Frogger extends his tongue and pulls the enemy to himself. Once he does, he violently jumps on top of the enemy and subdues them to the ground. It is also possible to grab enemies via his Upward Special. It also acts as a tether grab in the air, since Frogger is also able to pull himself to objects.


Pummel: Hammer Hop
Origin: The teachings of Masahiro-kun, plus Frogger: He's Back and Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge.
Description: Frogger pummels the opponent by hoping continuously on top of them.


Throws
Frogger does not throw like most traditional fighters in smash do. Instead, he can only jump off his opponent, releasing them and initiating a tech chase. If Frogger manages to use dair perfectly again he can re-grab his opponent, resulting in a chain grab.



SPECIALS


Neutral Special: Heat-Seeking Tongue
Origin: Frogger: He’s Back! and Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge. In both games, by pressing the dedicated tongue button, Frogger’s tongue would immediately come out and gulp flies or butterflies. In Frogger 2, it was possible to unlock a specific feature (Feeding Frenzy, by acquiring all coins in all levels) and have Frogger be able to consume enemies with his tongue. The latching part is from the Lady Frog in the arcade game.
Description: Frogger uses his tongue to gulp or to grab an item or a projectile. Unlike the tongue of normal frogs, Frogger’s tongue automatically seeks and grabs the closest viable item. If there is no such viable item, the tongue will exit shortly and go back into Frogger’s mouth. The tongue will target food (they will be consumed upon being gulped), usable items (Frogger will grab them) and projectiles (Frogger's movement speed will increase significantly. His attack speed will increase slighty. This buff has a short duration of 6-4 seconds). Alternatively, Frogger's tongue will also target the colored little frogs which can be deployed with S. Spec, and grab them. These will latch onto Frogger, providing bonuses to him (less knockback etc).

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Side Special: Little Frog Throw
Origin: Frogger (The Original), Frogger: He's Back! and Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge. In these 3 games, Frogger's objective was to collect 6 little frogs in each level. While there was no distinction between them in the original game, they had different colors in the 3D games. When collected, they would either shatter (Frogger: He's Back!) or vaporise into a column of colored light (Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge). In Frogger: He's Back, Frogger could also collect additional Golden Frogs which could be found in various areas while the Lady Frog from the arcade game would wander around on an individual tree trunk. These colored frogs would also respond to Frogger's croaks by croaking back giving an indication of where they are.
Description: Frogger throws a little clored frog that travels in an arc, and travels moderately fast to fast. If the frog comes into contact with an opponent, it latches onto him. When an opponent that a Little Frog has latched onto is spiked against the stage, that opponent recieves significanlty more knockback, as well as extra damage. If the frog lands into a platform, it wanders around on its own. While wandering, it can be interacted with via Down Special.


Upward Special: Great Hop
Origin: Frogger: He’s Back, Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge. Both games had a multiplayer mode in which players could jump on top of and trap one another. Of course, besides making regular hops Frogger could also make a larger hop in order to dodge enemies or access areas in higher elevation. The slow falling was possible only in Frogger 2. In Frogger: Beyond and Frogger: Ancient Shadow, Frogger was able to make large vertical hops in order to acquire coins.
Description: Frogger makes a large hop that travels a large distance, both vertical and horizontal. If Frogger lands into an opponent, he stands on them and essentially grabs them, and can pummel and throw them. If Frogger lands on an airborne opponent, he jumps upward once more and meteor smashes them. While Frogger is descending from Great Hop, you can have the Special Button Pressed to have him spread his limbs out and reduce his falling speed. The jump itse;f generates a grey line that follows frogger much like Frogger: He's Back, and the hop sound from that game is also generated. This recovery has very little landing lag and generally is very safe to use.


Downward Special: Croak
Origin: Frogger: He’s Back, Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge. In both games, Frogger was able to croak. In response, the little frogs would croak back indicating their distance from Frogger. Whereas in Frogger: He's Back croaking only provided acoustical indication, this was changed in Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge where Frogger's as well as the little frogs' croak manifested in an optical manner (an enlarging ring).
Description: Frogger croaks and, if a little frog is wandering around, it croaks (damaging all opponents around it) and then shatters. The shatter and the croaking are sources of damage with the shattering being more powerful but having a smaller hitbox. Frogger's own croak also has keepaway attributes. If a little frog is latched onto an opponent or frogger, it buffs Frogger for a short while and damages the opponent. It should be noted the reaction of the little frogs is somewhat delayed. There can be a maximum of 6 frogs on stage.



FROGGER SUPPORTERS (20)

• Slissith
  
  
• Dr. CanadianBacon
  
  
• Johnny64
  
  
• HypeConduit
  
  
• Naughty Ottsel
  
  
• Kerbal64
  
  
• CJ
  
  
• Roy
  
  
• Pakeli
  
  
• Moats
  
  
• OmegaSteve777
  
  
• Skyrunner65
  
  
• Lego Shaq
  
  
• TaXMaN
  
  
• desu
  
  
• Smash King
  
  
• Hydrori
  
  
• Dustination
  
  
• Geno Boost
  
  
• Vulture Duck
  

If your name is listed here incorrectly, please notify me!

SUPPORT
PLEASE YES

Seems intriguing, but I'll need to see more work on the moveset before I'm convinced.

Great post Sliss.
Makes me want to buy a copy of the PS1 Frogger again, haha.

Supporting Frogger, cause it's Slis, and because it's not really a bad idea

C_Mill24 wrote:

Seems intriguing, but I'll need to see more work on the moveset before I'm convinced.

I'm on it!

You know what? The more I look at this, the more I recognize that Frogger has had a huge lineage of games, and the arcade classic is a game almost anyone knows. He has a very Pac-man style of evolution, from basic concepts to fully-fledged anthro platforming. If anyone, he'd be another perfect ambassador for Golden-Age gaming, not to mention another one for Konami.

Another semi-interesting thing to note is that he would be Smash Brothers' very first Hasbro rep, and perhaps the only truly possible instance that would count.

So, yeah, I'm rambling, but yes, Frogger definitely has my support.

Ok guys, I did a little more research, and added a couple more attacks.

Ok guys I've notived that the current Side Special isn't really fitting, and I 've come up with an idea to not only replace it but also make way for a down special.

In the original arcade game there were these golden frogs hopping around the level which you could collect (they'd latch onto you) and you'd be awarded extra points when you collected a common little frog. These golden frogs also appeared in Frogger: He's Back and were required in order to fully complete the game.

So what I'm thinking is that for his Side Special, Frogger could throw one such little golden frog which would latch onto an opponent or hop around the stage if it doesn't collide with an enemy. While the golden frog is latched onto an enemy, he suffers significantly more damage (but not knockback) (the frog remains for one hit only).

In Frogger 2, when Frogger croaked the little frogs would croak back. So maybe for his D Special Frogger croaks. If he does and if the little golden frog is hopping around the stage, it croaks back damaging opponents or something. Or perhaps this could also be possible while the golden frog is latched onto an opponent. It would vanish but the croak could damage shields or something.

What do you guys think?

Well, that's a fighter I'd have to see to believe.

Spoon300 wrote:

Well, that's a fighter I'd have to see to believe.

At least it's not Marco or Cress

Slissith wrote:

Spoon300 wrote:

Well, that's a fighter I'd have to see to believe.

At least it's not Marco or Cress

You blew it, NICE

Slissith wrote:

Spoon300 wrote:

Well, that's a fighter I'd have to see to believe.

At least it's not Marco or Cress

OHHH YOU MIGHT WANNA HEAD TO A POKEMART AND GET SOME BURN HEAL!!!!

Also, yes on Frogger. He's iconic, got an interesting moveset, and he'd compliment Pac-Man nicely. Got my support!

I definitely support Frogger!

Support

Thanks for the support guys!

I took out the Stone Throw, and added Golden Frog Throw and Croak, opting to represent Frogger's older side even more as well as provide a more interesting overall moveset.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Hm, interesting thus far. No one can deny Frogger's background, he is very well known. I do have a couple suggestions, though:

- For Neutral Special, I feel like it is too useless in normal competitive settings, depending on the opponent. Sure, other specials are worthless as well (Pocket, PSI Magnet) but they generally provide another benefit in the newest iterations of Smash (Pocket can plant flowers via custom, PSI Magnet has a pushbox upon release). I don't know enough about Frogger to give an idea what to do with it, though.

- Try combining down and side specials. From what you have, it sounds like it's as if Snake had C4 on side special and detonate on down special. Why not just only allow you to have one golden frog out at once, and if you press side special while one is out, you croak?

Roy wrote:

Hm, interesting thus far. No one can deny Frogger's background, he is very well known. I do have a couple suggestions, though:

- For Neutral Special, I feel like it is too useless in normal competitive settings, depending on the opponent. Sure, other specials are worthless as well (Pocket, PSI Magnet) but they generally provide another benefit in the newest iterations of Smash (Pocket can plant flowers via custom, PSI Magnet has a pushbox upon release). I don't know enough about Frogger to give an idea what to do with it, though.

- Try combining down and side specials. From what you have, it sounds like it's as if Snake had C4 on side special and detonate on down special. Why not just only allow you to have one golden frog out at once, and if you press side special while one is out, you croak?

Thanks for the reply, Roy.

-You're not wrong I suppose. In Frogger: He's Back and Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge some flies/butterflies provided bonuses. The only examples I can remember right now are giving an extra life and giving Frogger a speed boost. So maybe if Frogger used his N. Spec to gulp food/[rojectiles he could heal and/or gain a speed boost.

- Again, valid critisism, and it even gives me an idea. Perhaps S. Spec could remain as is, except for the fact that Frogger throws the classical coloured little frogs which latch onto opponents or wander around (Maximum number canonically is 6, but that may be too much). Then, with down special, all of the Frogs (latched or not) croak back and shatter, causing damage. Shattering and croaking both cause damage, with shattering being more powerful but having less range.

Hm... it kind of has a Pikmin vibe with that. I do have 2 suggestion to go with this, though:

- What if his neutral special could eat those colored frogs? That way he can still take advantage of it if his opponent won't throw anything at him.
- The croak should do something outside of detonating the colored frogs, imo. Perhaps a little shockwave comes out from him, doing a bit of damage/knockback?

Hey Roy.

-Eating the colored forgs is not a bad idea, because he can still get the buff regardless of whether the opponent throws a projectile or not. However what bothers me is that these are the frogs he's supposed to be saving those frogs in the games. So maybe, instead of eating them, they could latch onto him with N. Spec and provide a buff when D. Spec is used.

-Yeah, not a bad idea.

That could work. Either that, or make it able to target enemies (dealing knockback or something) if the little one is attached.

Overall, I'm liking Frogger here. Definitely got my support.

I certainly support him!

Fleshed out specials and aerials.

Improved OP and added Up Smash.

Added down smash.

Any ideas/suggestions/criticism?

I prefer Frogger's Ancient Shadow design the best. Cartoony style that fits with Pac-Man, Mario and Sonic.

Wait... He completes the main four colors in gaming... Like Pac-Man's trailer 'Red, Blue & Yellow'... He'd be green.

Mario
Sonic + Megaman
Pac-Man
Frogger

I could see this really working somehow...

HypeConduit wrote:

I prefer Frogger's Ancient Shadow design the best. Cartoony style that fits with Pac-Man, Mario and Sonic.

Wait... He completes the main four colors in gaming... Like Pac-Man's trailer 'Red, Blue & Yellow'... He'd be green.

Mario
Sonic + Megaman
Pac-Man
Frogger

I could see this really working somehow...

Hey hype.

To be honest, I prefer the Frogger 1 and Frogger 2 design, but that's mostly because it's what I grew up with. The ancient shadow design is not bad but is too anthro and cartoonish for my tastes. The older Frogger looks and behaves more like a frog and I prefer that.

Slissith wrote:

HypeConduit wrote:

I prefer Frogger's Ancient Shadow design the best. Cartoony style that fits with Pac-Man, Mario and Sonic.

Wait... He completes the main four colors in gaming... Like Pac-Man's trailer 'Red, Blue & Yellow'... He'd be green.

Mario
Sonic + Megaman
Pac-Man
Frogger

I could see this really working somehow...

Hey hype.

To be honest, I prefer the Frogger 1 and Frogger 2 design, but that's mostly because it's what I grew up with. The ancient shadow design is not bad but is too anthro and cartoonish for my tastes. The older Frogger looks and behaves more like a frog and I prefer that.

Fair enough I suppose, Sliss.

HypeConduit wrote:

Slissith wrote:

HypeConduit wrote:

I prefer Frogger's Ancient Shadow design the best. Cartoony style that fits with Pac-Man, Mario and Sonic.

Wait... He completes the main four colors in gaming... Like Pac-Man's trailer 'Red, Blue & Yellow'... He'd be green.

Mario
Sonic + Megaman
Pac-Man
Frogger

I could see this really working somehow...

Hey hype.

To be honest, I prefer the Frogger 1 and Frogger 2 design, but that's mostly because it's what I grew up with. The ancient shadow design is not bad but is too anthro and cartoonish for my tastes. The older Frogger looks and behaves more like a frog and I prefer that.

Fair enough I suppose, Sliss.

Thanks for understanding Hype. I won't hide that I'm biased towards the earlier designs I can totally see why you'd prefer the more modern designs.