frogger

It's hard to believe, but Frogger has been hopping around the gaming business for 30 years now, and to commemorate the event, Konami has released a new installment of the franchise in Apple's App Store.

Dubbed Frogger Decades, the title gives gamers the familiar Frogger experience, requiring them to get across an area by maneuvering around obstacles and finding safe haven as they move to the other side. According to the description of the title in the App Store, the game offers classic D-pad controls for the nostalgic among us, as well as touch controls for those who want to experience the title in a new way.

Frogger first launched as an arcade game in 1981. The game, while quite simple, caught on with people around the globe who tried to get frogs across a road or river packed with obstacles. Over the years, as Frogger's popularity grew, several new versions of the title were made available, including Frogger II, Frogger 3D, and others.

But Frogger Decades is not the first title in the franchise to be made available on iOS; Konami already offered Frogger in the App Store. That title costs 99 cents.

Those hoping to get their hands on Frogger Decades can download it now to their iPhone or iPad. The game costs $1.99.… Read more

Banzai Rabbit challenges you to save the world playing as a superhero rabbit mutant. The story borrows from sci-fi classic "The Fly," as early on a rabbit, a flea, and two scientists get caught in a cloning accident that spawns the main character as well as his nemesis, an evil flea genius. Gameplay revolves around action like the old classic arcade game Frogger. Your job is to navigate Banzai Rabbit across traffic to save humans before they are infected by a deadly virus that transforms them into bugs.

Your enjoyment of this game depends largely on how much … Read more

As the World Wide Developers Conference winds to a close here in San Francisco, we hope developers who attended the many sessions and labs have been given plenty of inspiration to keep making great apps. Just like at every WWDC, Apple has announced the winners of the Apple Design Award. According to Apple, this year's Design Awards focused on "iPhone OS applications that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation, superior technology adoption, high performance, and outstanding design." They have some great picks in there, so be sure to check it out.

Notably absent from this year's offerings are … Read more

A few months back I briefly previewed Frogman, which, with its dazzling 3D graphics and comic-book-inspired storyline, came across as a kind of Frogger, Extreme Makeover Edition.

Somewhere along the way, the developer did a bit of gene splicing and turned Frogman into Banzai Rabbit. I'm not sure why--maybe Konami didn't like the similarities--but it doesn't matter. Frog, rabbit, terrier--the core game is the same, and it's awesome.

Rather than waste a lot of words describing Banzai Rabbit, I'll just invite you to watch the demo video. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Cool, right? The … Read more

Though it might seem otherwise just now, there's more to life than college basketball. Oh, who am I kidding? No, there's not. But you need something to keep you busy during those endless Southwest Airlines commercials, right?

With that in mind, here's this week's batch of new games for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and, soon enough, iPad.

1. Fisher-Price games Not all games are for grown-ups. Fisher-Price's App Store debut includes three titles for the toddler set: Chatter Telephone (99 cents), Little People Farm ($1.99), and See 'n Say ($1.99). I must admit I have mixed feelings about substituting an electronic screen for actual tactile toys--but if these apps can buy you a five-minute break from screaming, then I say, let 'em tap!

2. Frogman Look! Crossing the street! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's...Frogman! This Frogger-inspired, superhero-themed slice of 3D awesomeness isn't in the App Store just yet, but it's due "very soon"--and when you get a peek at the promo video, you'll understand why I can't wait. Kinda makes the original Frogger look like, well, roadkill.… Read more

Except for the much-ballyhooed arrival of Street Fighter IV, it's been a fairly quiet week in iPhone gaming. That said, there's always a steady stream of new and intriguing titles, as evidenced by this decidedly eclectic bunch:

1. Doodle Kart A charming little racing game in the increasingly popular "doodle" style, Doodle Kart offers top-down action across 25 different tracks. Collect power-ups as you go, unlock new stages, and try to beat the AI in all four difficulty levels. Alas, there's no multiplayer, but Doodle Kart offers plenty of fun for one. It's 99 … Read more

Students at Colorado University have reprogrammed five Roomba vacuum-cleaning robots to recreate the classic 1980s arcade game Pac-Man.

The machines move around a virtual maze, indicated by red tape on the floor, as the four ghosts Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde chase the Pac-Man Roomba as it vacuums up paper dots.

The Pac-Man Roomba is joystick-controlled by a user, but the ghosts navigate autonomously. They will try to chase Pac-Man until it sucks up a power pellet, which puts them into evade mode.

The Roombas are wirelessly linked to a laptop that processes their locations through an overhead camera positioning … Read more