Froggo's Adventure: Verdant Venture
- March 20, 2024
- SmellyFrog
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreFroggo's Adventure: Verdant Venture is a retro-style 2D platformer featuring a frog on a side-scrolling adventure. The game offers 7 levels with various collectibles and slow-paced, simple gameplay. Players can eat or "yeet" bugs at other bugs to progress through the game, providing a unique twist to the traditional platformer genre.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Charming and nostalgic art style reminiscent of classic Kirby games, providing a cozy experience.
- Simple and smooth gameplay with tight controls, making it accessible and enjoyable for all players.
- Incredible value for the price, offering a fun and engaging experience packed into a short playtime.
- The game is very short, with completion taking around an hour, leaving players wanting more content.
- Some mechanics, like the kicking action, can be confusing and not well explained, leading to frustration.
- Frequent deaths and distant checkpoints can make the game feel punishing at times, especially for less experienced players.
- gameplay70 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Verdant Venture" is characterized by its cozy, retro-inspired aesthetics and straightforward mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like "Kirby's Adventure" and "Yoshi's Island." While it simplifies some elements, such as removing grapple mechanics, it compensates with polished controls, tight level design, and a variety of unique mechanics introduced throughout its seven levels. Players appreciate the nostalgic feel, engaging challenges, and the intuitive yet deep interactions that make the game enjoyable, despite some criticism regarding difficulty spikes and specific mechanics.
“It's got a similar style, sound font, and color palette as your typical Game Boy Color fare; and the gameplay feels similar to that of Kirby's Adventure, a game it takes clear and heavy inspiration from.”
“The mechanics are satisfying to master and use, making it very fun to go very fast.”
“This game feels classic, teaching mechanics without a tutorial, and conveying a sense of progression as you move through its levels with good controls and pacing.”
“Level difficulty is immediately overly challenging with many beginner traps and complex use of mechanics which cause deaths and unnecessary frustration.”
“Admittedly, losing the grapple mechanic means it also loses a big part of what made the first game stand out from other retro platformers; but I think Verdant Venture makes up for that by being a far more polished game overall.”
“Gameplay is somewhat like Kirby, but with a jump more like Mario's, no copy abilities (at least as far as I've gotten so far) and the difficulty turned up quite a bit.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, reminiscent of classic NES titles like Kirby's Adventure. Reviewers highlight the effective use of parallax mapping, vibrant visuals that pop on OLED screens, and cute animations that enhance the overall aesthetic. The cohesive art style, combined with a fitting chiptune soundtrack, contributes to a delightful and nostalgic gaming experience.
“The music fits perfectly and the visuals are satisfying with a good touch of using parallax mapping in the background.”
“Beautiful art style that pops on an OLED deck.”
“Super cute graphics that use NES aesthetics well; it has unique mechanics inspired by games like Yoshi's Island or Kirby, but does something new with them.”
“This game reminds me of Kirby's Adventure for the NES in terms of art style and gameplay.”
“Art style reminds me a lot of Kirby's Adventure for the NES.”
“It's got plenty of content to justify the price and is a perfect rainy-day game with really charming visuals and graphics, and a cute chiptune backing track.”
- music16 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its fitting 8-bit soundtrack, which complements the vibrant visuals and cute animations. Reviewers highlight the overall aesthetic appeal, noting that the combination of music and graphics creates a satisfying experience, especially given the game's low price. The upbeat and pleasant musical elements enhance the gameplay, making it a standout feature.
“The music fits perfectly and the visuals are satisfying with a good touch of using parallax mapping in the background.”
“The music and aesthetics are aces, it's just a great little game, especially for the tiny bit of money.”
“The 8-bit soundtrack is perfect.”
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story is described as a compelling, country-hopping crime narrative that effectively engages players for the duration of the game, with a satisfying twist that meets expectations. While some reviewers note the simplicity of the plot, they agree that it is sufficient and enhances the overall experience.
“A compelling, country-hopping crime story kept me on the hook like a freshly lured barracuda for the 50 hours it took to complete, and the vibrant new levels and unique combat arenas ensured that the fighting continued to feel fresh.”
“That's all the story you get, and it's all the story you really need.”
“The story's twist is exactly what I expected, but it's exactly what I wanted, and it was a satisfying payoff.”
“That's all the story you get, and it's all the story you really need.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers replayability through collectible items and the incentive of unlocking a new hat upon completion, making it a worthwhile experience for its low price of 99 cents.
“You also get a new hat at the end of the game that adds to its replay value.”
“This game is 99 cents and has collectibles to find for replay value, so give it a shot.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its cute animations and an adorable ending that elicits genuine laughter, making it a standout feature alongside its impressive music and visuals. Players find the comedic elements, particularly in the context of a "funny frog game," to be a delightful and memorable experience, especially given its low price point.
“Great music and visuals as well, but I think my favorite part is the cute little animations and the adorable ending that had me laughing out loud.”
“Funny frog game, beautiful graphics, best 79 cents spent in my life.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is consistently described as heartwarming, evoking feelings of warmth and positivity in players. This sentiment highlights the game's ability to connect with its audience on a deeper, more personal level.
“Heartwarming”
“Heartwarming”
“Heartwarming”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Froggo's Adventure: Verdant Venture has successfully minimized the need for repetitive grinding by smoothing out its difficulty curve and enhancing the combat system, allowing players to engage more with the game's rich environment filled with diverse activities.
