From out of nowhere, Frogger returns in 1984’s Frogger 2: Three Deep. A strange name for a strange game. This is one of the more bizarre sequels I’ve ever played. A game clearly inspired by the original, similar to the original, but not at all like the original.

Frogger is still trying to make his way through traffic, but this time it’s giant fishes and alligators to reach logs, which then teleport him to a river where he’s hopping on Pac‑Mans and alligators, and then he rides a bird into the sky where he hops on clouds. Yeah. It’s like the developers had a great idea but then ran out of money before they finished the game. It feels half‑baked. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not bad. It’s good. Just not as good as the original.

As the title indicates, there are three levels in Frogger 2. Three deep—no, I ran into the fish butt. Died. The first level is where you make your way up to the logs, fill all three logs, and then move on to the next level where you make your way across the river traffic to… to what are those things I think there’s a giant donut behind that boat. Or maybe it’s a giant donut hole. I don’t know. I reviewed this on the Atari 2600 years ago. The Colecovision version is good. It’s different from the original, but it’s good. Frogger flies. Flying frog.

The Colecovision version is good. It’s different from the original, but it’s good. Frogger flies. Flying frog. The second level is the river level, and the third level is the sky level. It’s a weird game, but it’s fun. It’s Frogger, but it’s not Frogger.

Frogger 2 is very different from the original Frogger. The Colecovision version is good. The 2600 version is good. The 5200 version is good. They’re all good. But they’re not the original. The original is still the best. In Frogger 2 you ride a magic turtle. You hop on clouds. You hop on Pac‑Mans. You hop on alligator butts. It’s weird. But it’s fun.