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Superfrog
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Superfrog
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Superfrog
DeveloperTeam17
PublisherTeam17
DesignerMartyn Brown
ProgrammerAndreas Tadic
ArtistRico Holmes
ComposerAllister Brimble
PlatformsAmiga, CD32, MS-DOS
Release1993: Amiga
1994: MS-DOS, CD32
GenrePlatform
ModeSingle-player

Superfrog is a scrolling 2D platform game, originally developed for the Amiga and published in 1993 by Team17.[1] Later releases were handled by Ocean Software and GOG.com.

Gameplay

[edit]
World 2: "Spooky Castle"

The objective of the game is to find and defeat a witch, thus rescuing a princess, whilst achieving smaller objectives throughout the game, such as finding a golden key or escaping from captivity in a circus.

There are 24 regular levels, divided into six differently themed worlds. The goal of each level is to collect a set number of coins, and then reach the exit, which will only open if Superfrog has collected enough coins. Extra factors of gameplay include a timer countdown and a number of health points, both of which can be restored by finding bottles of Lucozade among the levels.

Depending on the number of coins and fruit collected, and on how fast the player finishes the level, a number of credits (up to a maximum of 15) are awarded at the end of each level. The player can then choose to either collect the credits for a score or gamble them in a slot machine-style minigame for more bonuses. The most important function of the slot machine minigame is the chance to win a level code, enabling the player to restart the game from the beginning of the next level at a later time.

An extra level between world 5 and 6 takes the form of a side-scrolling shoot 'em up called Project-F in homage to Team17's own Project-X (even going as far as using a remixed version of the original game's theme tune). Rather than collecting coins, the objective of this stage is to survive to the end. This level was omitted from the PC conversion of the game. After completing all six worlds, the game ends with a small boss fight against the witch in a castle setting.

Plot

[edit]

The story, present in the game's manual but mostly conveyed through the introductory animation by Eric W. Schwartz, concerns an unnamed prince, who is turned into a frog by a jealous witch, in homage to the Frog Prince fairy tale. His princess girlfriend is then abducted by the same witch. Subsequently, sulking by the "River O' Despair", the prince chances upon a floating bottle of Lucozade, which confers upon him super powers. With his new powers, the prince heads off to fight the evil witch and save the princess.

Development

[edit]

Superfrog was developed in 1993 and released for the Amiga in the same year by Team17, acting simultaneously as developer and publisher. The release was popular enough to spawn an Amiga CD32 version, which could also be played on some Amiga computers fitted with a CD drive. Due to its enduring popularity, it was then converted for the PC by Bubball Systems in 1994, running as an MS-DOS program. Eric W. Schwartz provided the animation for the introduction. The Amiga version was re-released by Islona Software in 1999, with slightly different box art. In 2012, Superfrog was, along with other games by Team17, released as a legitimate digital download from GoodOldGames.com,[2] this version being the first compatible with Windows.

Reception

[edit]

Team17's earlier games became relatively obscure after the release of the hugely popular Worms series, though many gamers remember Superfrog fondly for its solid gameplay, smooth scrolling, cartoon-quality graphics, and upbeat music by composer Allister Brimble. Although a relatively small release by the standards of blockbuster platformers like Sonic, it was well received and has retained a fan base which considers it an excellent example of the genre.[15]

Rerelease

[edit]

An HD version of the game, Superfrog HD,[16] was co-developed by both Team17 and TickTockGames, formerly Bubball Systems, the company initially responsible for the MS-DOS port of Superfrog in 1994. It was released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, then later for Microsoft Windows via Steam,[17] OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS.

In May 2016, Superfrog HD was discontinued by Team17; due to low sales and negative reception,[citation needed] the game was removed from PSN, Steam, App Store and Google Play. At the same time, the original Superfrog game was removed from GOG.com.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Superfrog

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Superfrog is a 2D platform developed and published by for the in 1993. In the game, players control a prince transformed into a by an evil witch, who must navigate 24 levels across six themed worlds—such as a , , and —to rescue the kidnapped by collecting coins, keys, and power-ups while avoiding enemies and hazards. The game features smooth , cartoonish graphics, and chiptune music composed by Allister Brimble, with additional minigames like a for bonuses. It was ported to and in 1994 by , re-released digitally by in 2012, and remastered as Superfrog HD in 2013 for platforms including , , Windows, macOS, , Android, and —though the HD version was discontinued in 2016 due to low sales. Praised for its solid and humor upon release, Superfrog has maintained a among retro gamers but was overshadowed by Team17's later success with the Worms series.

Overview

Premise and Setting

Superfrog is rooted in a fairy-tale where a handsome prince, moments from marrying his , is transformed into a by a vengeful evil who simultaneously kidnaps his bride. This curse propels the on an epic quest for against the witch and to rescue the princess, blending whimsy with in a classic good-versus-evil storyline. The tale unfolds through an introductory by Eric W. Schwartz, establishing the frog's determination and superhuman resolve. The game's setting spans six progressively fantastical worlds, each comprising four levels rich in thematic variety and environmental challenges. Beginning in the with natural perils like pitfalls and watery streams, the journey advances to a haunted fraught with ghostly apparitions and crumbling , followed by a chaotic circus teeming with acrobatic foes and precarious platforms. Subsequent realms include an ancient Egyptian pyramid riddled with spikes and sand traps, icy caverns featuring slippery surfaces and freezing hazards, culminating in a futuristic interstellar base alive with beams and mechanical sentinels. These worlds escalate from earthly, folklore-inspired locales to otherworldly sci-fi environments, mirroring the hero's transformative odyssey. Integral to the lore, the frog acquires his extraordinary abilities by consuming bottles of , a product placement that directly fuels his and endurance throughout the quest. In the opening sequence, the prince-turned-frog drinks immediately after his transformation, donning a and gaining the power to traverse these perilous domains. This element not only sustains his energy against time-depleting forces but ties the narrative to themes of revitalization and heroism.

Release Platforms and Dates

Superfrog was first released in 1993 for the , where it was developed and published by Software Limited. The game saw ports to additional platforms the following year, including in 1994—handled by as publisher in certain regions such as the —and the console, published by Team17. A digital rerelease of the original version became available in 2012 on , allowing compatibility with modern PCs through emulation. In 2013, an HD remake titled Superfrog HD was launched, developed by TickTock Games and published by Digital Limited. Initial releases occurred on August 6, 2013, for and , followed by versions for Windows, macOS, and on September 12, 2013. Mobile ports arrived later, with support on May 1, 2014, and Android on July 9, 2014. Superfrog HD was discontinued and delisted from major digital storefronts, including , , , App Store, and , beginning in May 2016, primarily due to licensing issues involving the in-game branding.

Gameplay

Core Mechanics

Superfrog features side-scrolling 2D platforming , with the player controlling the frog character using standard directional inputs to move left and right across horizontally scrolling levels, while jumping allows navigation over platforms and gaps. Enemies can be defeated by jumping on certain ground-based foes like snails (requiring two jumps) or by using the Destructo-Spud power-up to throw a projectile at airborne enemies; hedgehogs and some others cannot be jumped on and must be avoided. Enhanced mobility comes from temporary s, such as wings that enable temporary flight and gliding in mid-air by pressing the fire button, and the character can use these to reach hidden areas. An pill renders the character temporarily invisible to enemies, preventing attacks and adding a layer of strategic risk avoidance during intense sections. The grants five hit points per life, which are depleted by one upon contact with enemies or certain obstacles, while hazards like spikes or bottomless pits cause instant and loss of a life. Players begin with three lives by default (configurable to one or five), and depleting all health on a life reduces the count accordingly, with the game ending upon exhaustion of lives unless continues are used. Bottles of serve as key restorative items, replenishing lost health points and extending the level's , which imposes urgency on and collection. Progression relies on collecting coins as the primary resource, requiring a set quota—typically 99 per level—to activate the exit door and advance, encouraging thorough navigation of multi-path layouts. Fruit items contribute to scoring but not exit requirements, while one-up icons appear rarely as high-value pickups for extra lives, supplemented by an additional life granted every 200,000 points accumulated through coins, fruit, and time bonuses. Bonus opportunities arise post-level via a performance-based , where accumulated points from coins, , and remaining time can be directly added to the score or risked in a machine resembling a slot mechanism. Successful spins in this yield enhanced rewards, including extra lives, substantial point multipliers, or codes for skipping to later levels, promoting replayability through elements. A distinctive interlude in the Amiga version occurs between worlds 5 and 6 as the Project-F segment, a side-scrolling where Superfrog pilots a spaceship through enemy waves to reach a , paying homage to Team17's earlier title Project-X; this sequence was excluded from the PC port due to technical constraints.

Levels and Worlds

Superfrog consists of 24 levels spread across six worlds, with each world comprising four levels that emphasize time-limited navigation through increasingly complex layouts, where players must collect a minimum number of coins to unlock the exit while avoiding hazards and enemies. Difficulty escalates progressively, introducing faster-moving threats, more intricate platforming, and tighter timers in later worlds. The game's worlds feature distinct environmental themes that influence obstacle design and enemy behaviors, providing variety in visual and mechanical challenges:
  • World 1: Magic Woods – A lush forest setting with branching paths amid trees and foliage, populated by ground-based foes like hedgehogs and snails, as well as airborne nuisances such as wasps and birds that drop projectiles.
  • World 2: Spooky Castle – Dark, gothic interiors filled with swinging ball 'n' chain traps and ethereal enemies including invincible ghosts and bats that swoop toward the player.
  • World 3: Fun Park – An motif with colorful tents and water features, featuring rolling turtles, slithering snakes, and flying ladybirds amid gun turrets that fire across pathways.
  • World 4: Ancient – Egyptian-inspired ruins with crumbling platforms and pounding blocks, guarded by mummies, rolling balls, and projectile-shooting eyes embedded in walls.
  • World 5: Ice World – Slippery caverns and frozen ledges complicated by penguins hurling snowballs, patrolling snowmen, and falling spikes that crash from above.
  • World 6: Space Station – Futuristic corridors with zero-gravity sections and emitters, challenged by patrolling robots, homing shooters, and mechanical flyers that launch across open voids.
Progression relies on a password system integrated into a minigame accessed after levels, where accumulated credits from coins, fruits, and completion speed allow players to gamble for bonuses or generate codes to resume from specific levels, effectively enabling skips or retries without restarting the entire game. A notable secret level, Project-F—a side-scrolling homage—appears between Worlds 5 and 6, offering an alternate challenge with spaceship combat against waves of alien craft. Upon completing all six worlds, Superfrog faces a final boss fight against the witch to rescue the , concluding the campaign. The port, released in 1994, removes the Project-F interlude entirely, streamlining the transition from World 5 to 6 but altering the pacing and omitting the genre-shift bonus content present in the original.

Development

Conception and Team

Superfrog was conceived in 1993 by , a British video game developer founded in 1990 and riding high on the success of Amiga hits like Alien Breed (1991), as their venture into the mascot platformer genre. The project sought to fuse fast arcade action with a humorous take on fairy-tale tropes, centering on a prince transformed into a frog who must thwart a witch and rescue his princess through superpowered antics. This blend reflected Team17's ambition to deliver a distinctly Amiga-friendly title amid a market dominated by console platformers. The core development team comprised programmer Andreas Tadic, who handled the foundational coding; artist Rico Holmes, responsible for visuals and animation; and composer Allister Brimble, who crafted the game's eight-track soundtrack using the Amiga's audio capabilities. Martyn James Brown served as project manager, overseeing the effort (died December 2024), while Eric Schwartz contributed the animated introduction sequence. As a small, tight-knit group from Team17's headquarters, they drew on prior experience with action titles to prototype quickly and iterate on the frog's fluid movement and level structures. Creative inspirations included the speed and momentum of (1991) for Superfrog's leaping mechanics and the whimsical world-building of games, infused with dry British humor evident in the narrative's absurd fairy-tale twists. Sponsorship was integral from early concepts, with the initially tied to before shifting to for funding support, making the energy drink a core gameplay element that restored the frog's health. To maintain dominance in the ecosystem, imposed a compressed timeline on development, leading to and a 1993 launch that capitalized on the platform's loyal user base. This urgency underscored the team's resourcefulness, enabling Superfrog to emerge as one of their most polished early efforts despite the constraints.

Design and Technical Features

Superfrog's core engine was crafted in custom 68k assembly code tailored for the hardware, allowing for smooth 50 frames per second scrolling that contributed to its fluid platforming experience. This low-level programming approach maximized the processor's capabilities, enabling efficient hardware sprite handling and blitter operations for dynamic level transitions. To enhance visual depth within the Amiga's 32-color palette limitation, the game utilized for layered backgrounds, where foreground, midground, and background elements moved at varying speeds, and sprite multiplexing to reuse the eight available hardware sprites across the screen for additional elements like enemies and collectibles without exceeding hardware constraints. The audio design leveraged the Amiga's Paula sound chip, employing the 4-channel music format for its , composed by Brimble to create looping tracks that seamlessly transitioned across levels and emphasized action cues like the frog's tongue lash. Sound effects were directly tied to actions, using sampled audio for impacts and power-ups, with the MOD format's tracker-based structure allowing for rich, chiptune-style compositions that fit within the system's 4-channel, 8-bit audio constraints. A notable design decision involved integrating for the British energy drink , which appeared as branded power-ups that transformed the frog into Superfrog and as billboards in levels, stemming from a sponsorship deal during development. This embedding created later challenges for rereleases, as licensing restrictions led to the replacement of Lucozade branding with generic "energy potion" items in the 2013 Superfrog HD remake, altering the original narrative tie-in. Porting adaptations were made to accommodate different hardware. The MS-DOS version utilized VGA graphics for 256-color support, enhancing visual fidelity over the Amiga's palette but at the cost of reduced audio quality, relying on or for simpler sound effects and music instead of full MOD playback. The port, released in 1994, is a direct port of the original version without significant enhancements, though it utilizes the drive for distribution.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Reviews

Upon its 1993 release for the , Superfrog received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics, who highlighted its engaging platforming and whimsical tone. CU Amiga Magazine awarded it 89%, praising the excellent gameplay and great humor while criticizing the game's short length. Amiga Format similarly scored it 85%, commending the addictive gameplay and humor but echoing concerns about its brevity. The port, released in 1994, was noted for maintaining solid controls that translated well from the original, though its sound design was considered weaker due to hardware limitations compared to the Amiga version's digitized effects. The 2013 HD remake garnered mixed reviews, with critics appreciating the visual overhaul but pointing to persistent issues from the original. rated it 6/10, highlighting the updated visuals in a charming style but noting imprecise controls and unresolved quirks like inconsistent enemy interactions. Push Square also gave it 6/10, praising the colorful aesthetics while criticizing repetitive level structures and the lack of a save system, which forces players to complete stages in one sitting. Across platforms, the HD version holds a average of 61/100 based on 13 reviews. Common praises across reviews of the original and ports emphasized the vibrant and catchy , which contributed to the game's lively atmosphere. Criticisms frequently included the absence of a save feature and difficulty spikes in later worlds, where precise platforming becomes more punishing.

Rereleases and Modern Availability

In 2012, rereleased the original DOS version of Superfrog on , utilizing emulation to ensure compatibility with modern Windows systems. This digital edition preserved the 1993 PC port's gameplay while including extras such as a scanned manual in PDF format and the game's as downloadable files. The rerelease was available until it was delisted from between March and May 2016. In May 2013, Team17 issued Superfrog HD, a remastered edition with enhanced high-definition graphics and touch control support tailored for mobile platforms. Available initially on PC through Steam and GOG.com, as well as on Android and iOS devices, the update removed branded elements like Lucozade references from the original game due to licensing constraints. Superfrog HD was delisted from these storefronts around May 25, 2016, on GOG.com and May 31, 2016, on Steam, amid broader trademark disputes involving the "Superfrog" name. Following the 2016 delistings, no official rereleases or new ports of Superfrog have occurred, and the game is no longer purchasable through digital platforms. Preservation efforts rely on fan-hosted sites, where ROMs of the and DOS versions are accessible for emulation. As of November 2025, Superfrog remains playable on original hardware or via compatible modern emulators like FS-UAE, with no announced plans from for further distribution.

Cultural Impact and Fanbase

Superfrog holds a significant place in Team17's early history as one of the studio's breakthrough titles on the Amiga platform, contributing to its reputation before the blockbuster Worms series redefined the company's output in the mid-1990s. Released in 1993, the game helped solidify Team17's standing in the British Amiga scene, with its commercial success providing resources and experience that paved the way for subsequent projects, including the development of Worms in 1995. Among Amiga enthusiasts, Superfrog endures as a cult classic, celebrated for its polished platforming and memorable soundtrack, often cited in retrospectives of the platform's golden era. The game's dedicated fanbase remains active through various community-driven activities, including emulation-based ports that allow play on modern hardware like the Raspberry Pi via tools such as Amiberry and FS-UAE. These efforts, supported by platforms like Amiga Forever, enable fans to run and modify the original Amiga version, fostering a niche modding scene focused on graphical enhancements and compatibility tweaks. Additionally, a vibrant speedrunning community has emerged, particularly on platforms like Twitch and speedrun.com, where players compete for world records in the Any% category—typically under 40 minutes—highlighting the game's tight level design and exploitable mechanics. Superfrog has appeared in several retro gaming documentaries exploring history, such as those in the Amiga Works series, where it is showcased as a quintessential example of British innovation. The game's inclusion of a as a source marked one of the earliest instances of overt in video games, earning recognition in advertising chronicles for its bold integration of real-world branding into . Beyond immediate acclaim, Superfrog's whimsical frog protagonist and humor-laced mechanics—such as the absurdity of a prince-turned-superhero via an energy drink—have subtly influenced indie platformers emphasizing playful, character-driven narratives, as seen in later frog-themed titles that echo its lighthearted tone. Preservation initiatives further underscore its legacy, with organizations like the Software Preservation Society archiving the game's original IPF disk images and facilitating legal distribution through partners like Dream17. In 2023, Dream17 released a free version of the original Amiga game using SPS-provided disk images, ensuring accessibility for emulation and future generations and affirming its role in 90s British gaming culture.

References

  1. https://www.mobygames.com/game/7463/superfrog/
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20000517202557/http://www.team17.com/softography.html?submit&topic=superfrog
  3. http://www.lemonamiga.com/games/details.php?id=2015
  4. https://www.gog.com/en/game/superfrog
  5. https://www.indieretronews.com/2018/05/superfrog-team-17-game-commodore-amiga.html
  6. https://www.giantbomb.com/superfrog/3030-12022/
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pL9PZK0P2E
  8. https://www.lemonamiga.com/review/superfrog/92
  9. https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/381633/is-the-lucozade-can-bonus-in-superfrog-just-a-troll
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  16. https://delistedgames.com/superfrog-hd/
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  21. https://team17-games.fandom.com/wiki/Superfrog
  22. https://dream17.abime.net/sfrog/enemies/1.html
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  30. https://modarchive.org/module.php?66205
  31. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/12/feature_10_of_the_most_blatant_snack_sponsorships_in_retro_gaming_history
  32. http://www.gaminglives.com/2013/10/14/superfrog-hd-review/
  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U-fP4xzQ3Y
  34. https://amr.abime.net/review_4059
  35. https://amr.abime.net/review_2311
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  37. https://www.eurogamer.net/superfrog-hd-review
  38. https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/psn/superfrog_hd
  39. https://www.metacritic.com/game/superfrog-hd/
  40. https://delistedgames.com/superfrog/
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  42. https://www.gog.com/forum/superfrog_series/where_is_the_soundtrack_from
  43. https://www.gaminglives.com/2013/10/14/superfrog-hd-review/
  44. https://www.myabandonware.com/game/superfrog-21p
  45. https://fs-uae.net/
  46. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/06/history-of-team17-and-worms/
  47. https://retrogamecoders.com/raspberry-pi-amiga-emulation/
  48. https://www.speedrun.com/superfrog
  49. http://www.retrogamesmaster.co.uk/paul-bridger-the-amiga-works-documentary/
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  51. https://www.softpres.org/
  52. https://www.reddit.com/r/amiga/comments/14zf3qe/free_amiga_game_superfrog/
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