This game absolutely luxuriates in its existence as a video game. You can practically see the designers standing around a whiteboard jotting down ideas for how to use the quirks and foibles of this little adventure game engine to tell as many stories and make as many jokes as possible. The combat system is purely deterministic which might be annoying in a lesser game, but here is used to great effect both cinematically and from a design perspective—grinding is replaces by moving through the game's many subplots and exploring its areas while still capturing the joy of numbers going up.
And what better platform for a game that wants to show off its materiality than the original Game Boy? Such a tremendously underpowered little thing, barely able to hold a game together, but Kaeru no Tame manages to flip that into a strength. Every new interaction and mechanic feels like a magic trick: the game pulls a zip line out from behind your ear in the final act with a flourish, and it startles and amazes precisely because you can tell that it's at the limits of what the system can accomplish.
They don't make 'em like this anymore, and I'm not sure they even can—at least not from a major video game studio. Now it's up to hobbyists and indies to keep these platforms alive and spin their restrictions into gold.
And what better platform for a game that wants to show off its materiality than the original Game Boy? Such a tremendously underpowered little thing, barely able to hold a game together, but Kaeru no Tame manages to flip that into a strength. Every new interaction and mechanic feels like a magic trick: the game pulls a zip line out from behind your ear in the final act with a flourish, and it startles and amazes precisely because you can tell that it's at the limits of what the system can accomplish.
They don't make 'em like this anymore, and I'm not sure they even can—at least not from a major video game studio. Now it's up to hobbyists and indies to keep these platforms alive and spin their restrictions into gold.
I had to look up that you need to barge into the elder's house while the frog is going inside to confirm that you're not allowed in, but honestly that might be the rawest character moment to ever be used as a puzzle solution.
This game is insane for being on the Game Boy. The perfect length for a portable system, with a short yet satisfying tale of platforming, rescue, and transformation. The music is especially beautiful for again, being on the Game Boy and the graphics are crazy good, I was absolutely shocked at the visuals, and never felt bored in gameplay or story. On top of all that, the humor got quite a few laughs out of me, with the Prince (who I named Ringo/Apple after the food dessert theme... Hey! I panicked! Apple can be a dessert!) getting all types of trouble from being an accidental pervert and constantly being jumped in the middle of the street. After a fun and increasingly challenging adventure, you save the princess (with extra twists involved, but I'll keep the surprise for you to experience) with you and Prince Richard also returning to your familiar ways and fighting for her hand in marriage. An amazing game for the original Game Boy, that it's no wonder this is such a classic in Japan.
Screenshots I took that I liked during gameplay:
Fun Text. Translation: hahaha
Cardinal Directions. Don't know how they did this in the English edition and wonder if they just changed it to arrows.
Pervert Prince!
Pervy guy excited that the onsen is mixed bathing lmao
Screenshots I took that I liked during gameplay:
Fun Text. Translation: hahaha
Cardinal Directions. Don't know how they did this in the English edition and wonder if they just changed it to arrows.
Pervert Prince!
Pervy guy excited that the onsen is mixed bathing lmao
It's been so long since I've played something so fresh and charming while still being very familiar. For years I wrote this game off as a beta Link's Awakening, but it's so much more than that. I loved the story, the characters are all fun, and the platforming was actually really fun. It's a short game, but it was as long as it needed to be.
Really though, was in it for my bro Richard, love you man.
Really though, was in it for my bro Richard, love you man.
A cute, charming, funny-in-a-smiling-not-laughing-out-loud-way little linear adventure game that will mostly be of interest to young kids and fans of Link’s Awakening curious to see where its engine developed.
Mechanically, there’s nothing particularly interesting or challenging about Kaeru no Tame. Most of it is an exercise in walking from one cutscene trigger to another, punctuated by trivial platforming sections and periodic automated combat. Occasionally an item exchange is involved, presaging to some extent the trading minigame that serves as a minor side attraction in Link’s Awakening. Talking to an NPC with the correct item is inventory is about the extent of problem-solving Kaeru no Tame demands of a player.
Still, the personality and presentation which would make Link’s Awakening an enduring classic are out on full display here, albeit with an even lighter and goofier tone. It’s hard not to find something to like in this frog-themed children’s story even if there’s not much of a game surrounding it.
Mechanically, there’s nothing particularly interesting or challenging about Kaeru no Tame. Most of it is an exercise in walking from one cutscene trigger to another, punctuated by trivial platforming sections and periodic automated combat. Occasionally an item exchange is involved, presaging to some extent the trading minigame that serves as a minor side attraction in Link’s Awakening. Talking to an NPC with the correct item is inventory is about the extent of problem-solving Kaeru no Tame demands of a player.
Still, the personality and presentation which would make Link’s Awakening an enduring classic are out on full display here, albeit with an even lighter and goofier tone. It’s hard not to find something to like in this frog-themed children’s story even if there’s not much of a game surrounding it.
It's the perfect game if you want the adventure-puzzle feel of Zelda in a simpler, easier format, with a charming story and cast and one of Kazumi Totaka's most characteristic and memorable soundtracks.
I love it. I'd love for Nintendo to properly localize - even remake it!
I love it. I'd love for Nintendo to properly localize - even remake it!
A short and sweet hidden gem, perfectly crafted for the Game Boy's portability. The game is very linear, but its pacing, both for the top-down and sidescroller sections, is very well balanced, also the overall presentation is cute and the writing is top notch (props to the English patch too). I really got hooked on this game, it aged very well and I think it is peak Game Boy. I would really love it to be remade in the style of Link's Awakening for Switch, maybe localized in the west this time!
Always love a game where you’re just a little guy going around.
A wonderfully charming adventure game. Bursting with humor, creativity, and heart (shoutout Yoshio Sakamoto for writing yet another good script back in these days, even though I can see just a bit of Other M poking through at the very end). This is a game that knows how games can be funny in a way a lot of modern games still don't understand. The combat system basically just being a pass/fail check for "did you explore everywhere and talk to everyone" for every big fight, with no player input during the battle actually affecting things, is super weird but also just hilarious. Nintendo did their own riff on Zelda before anyone else really even tried to. Would recommend this to anyone looking for some Game Boy deep cuts, the translation is easy to find and very well done.
Cute!
A neat pretty short forgotten Nintendo Ip. Plays like a 2D Zelda game the engine for this was later used for Links Awakening. The snake/frog/human platforming switch was an interesting way to change things up in a weird way and the story was charming and cute. I thought the removal of combat was also pretty interesting and was implemented pretty well although may have gotten tiring if it was a longer game, overall I enjoyed this game a lot and wish it was more widely known.
this game is literally charm incarnate and made me laugh more than i expected a gameboy game to. the combat is non-existant but the platforming puzzles made up for it for me
I played a fan translation of this after hearing about its connections to Link's Awakening and I'm so glad I did, it's brimming with personality and heart.
I liked this game. It's cute, short and has good eight bit music.
A delightful game that's part top-down adventure, and blends in side-scrolling dungeons. The game is plot/narrative-driven, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It has a ton of charm and is hard to put down.
In the same breath used to recall its lengthy name, Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru AKA For the Frog the Bell Tolls AKA The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls is often cast under the shadow of Link’s Awakening; cursed to become a mere footnote in Nintendo’s monolithic history.
The comparison is easy to validate looking at a few screenshots, but I would argue Frog’s side-scrolling sections are moreso a natural paring back of what Zelda II brought to the table, with Link’s Awakening being the conclusion of Nintendo’s brief infatuation with experimentation in the Zelda series. Frog engages with the player by providing a world with clearly laid-out rules and few tricks: either you out-DPS the opponent standing in your way or explore more to become stronger and do so later, sound familiar?
Don’t worry, I’m going to stop short of calling Frog a deconstruction of the JRPG genre, but it playfully flirts with its tropes in a very cute and endearing way that is hard not to smile at. In stark contrast to Zelda II, Frog is on your side and rooting for you all the way to the finish line. It does not waste the player’s time with long walks out of dungeons, nor does it mince words about whether or not the player is equipped to take on a certain foe, very bluntly telling the player exactly how much HP or what item is needed to progress. It was a breath of fresh air at that time in gaming and just the kind of game I need now at a time when my own prospects seem bleak. Bleaker still was the GameBoy’s library back in 92’, and it is a true shame this game never made it stateside to help break up the monotony of sokoban clone #6.
I’m unsure how much of it is owed to the fan translation, but Frog strikes a gleefully self-aware tone that lives on in the Indie games of today. Many find their inspiration in Nintendo games not unlike this one; but this one manages to stand apart from even its own peers. It’s not everyday you’ll see a major corporation break the 4th wall just to enthusiastically admit their championing of planned obsolescence, and all it asks of you is an afternoon’s worth of your time. Please check out the patch at the link below.
================
https://www.romhacking.net/translations/1623/
The comparison is easy to validate looking at a few screenshots, but I would argue Frog’s side-scrolling sections are moreso a natural paring back of what Zelda II brought to the table, with Link’s Awakening being the conclusion of Nintendo’s brief infatuation with experimentation in the Zelda series. Frog engages with the player by providing a world with clearly laid-out rules and few tricks: either you out-DPS the opponent standing in your way or explore more to become stronger and do so later, sound familiar?
Don’t worry, I’m going to stop short of calling Frog a deconstruction of the JRPG genre, but it playfully flirts with its tropes in a very cute and endearing way that is hard not to smile at. In stark contrast to Zelda II, Frog is on your side and rooting for you all the way to the finish line. It does not waste the player’s time with long walks out of dungeons, nor does it mince words about whether or not the player is equipped to take on a certain foe, very bluntly telling the player exactly how much HP or what item is needed to progress. It was a breath of fresh air at that time in gaming and just the kind of game I need now at a time when my own prospects seem bleak. Bleaker still was the GameBoy’s library back in 92’, and it is a true shame this game never made it stateside to help break up the monotony of sokoban clone #6.
I’m unsure how much of it is owed to the fan translation, but Frog strikes a gleefully self-aware tone that lives on in the Indie games of today. Many find their inspiration in Nintendo games not unlike this one; but this one manages to stand apart from even its own peers. It’s not everyday you’ll see a major corporation break the 4th wall just to enthusiastically admit their championing of planned obsolescence, and all it asks of you is an afternoon’s worth of your time. Please check out the patch at the link below.
================
https://www.romhacking.net/translations/1623/
I've been in love with the end credits theme since I heard it on a Club Nintendo CD years back, but I never thought to actually play it, maybe because I don't have a lot of Gameboy nostalgia and I didn't want to risk breaking the spell. But then the other day Casey tweeted the title screen and I thought ah why not.
Imagine my delight to discover it's a masterpiece. Charming and funny right from the start, a combat system that makes exploring the cool little world a top priority, a JoJo reference, some proper head-scratcher navigation puzzles, and a brilliant soundtrack. At one point I stopped for a few minutes to tweet a screenshot and a joke, and all of a sudden Totaka's song started playing. Just lovely, lovely stuff all round.
When I finally got to the end, and the theme started playing, my eyes got a little bit moist. I love this game with all my heart x
Yeah it's a bit obtuse occasionally, but nine times out of ten the answer is "become frog".
Imagine my delight to discover it's a masterpiece. Charming and funny right from the start, a combat system that makes exploring the cool little world a top priority, a JoJo reference, some proper head-scratcher navigation puzzles, and a brilliant soundtrack. At one point I stopped for a few minutes to tweet a screenshot and a joke, and all of a sudden Totaka's song started playing. Just lovely, lovely stuff all round.
When I finally got to the end, and the theme started playing, my eyes got a little bit moist. I love this game with all my heart x
Yeah it's a bit obtuse occasionally, but nine times out of ten the answer is "become frog".
All I knew about this game was the Assist trophy in smash bros and the passion a friend of mine had fot it. Out of curiosity I tried in and...... Legit I don't get why nintendo never ported this game to the west.
One of the best Game Boy titles, that can rival Link's awakening in terms of charm and quality.
It's a goofier adventure compared to the one in Koholint Island, but it's able to entertain and make you laugh despite the limitations of the hardware it was made for.
It doesn't have the cleanest gameplay and combat ever made, but honestly.... it doesn't have to. The way the story of this dumb prince unfolds leads to some of the wackiest shenanigans.
A big pleasant surprise. Nintendo, bring it back!
One of the best Game Boy titles, that can rival Link's awakening in terms of charm and quality.
It's a goofier adventure compared to the one in Koholint Island, but it's able to entertain and make you laugh despite the limitations of the hardware it was made for.
It doesn't have the cleanest gameplay and combat ever made, but honestly.... it doesn't have to. The way the story of this dumb prince unfolds leads to some of the wackiest shenanigans.
A big pleasant surprise. Nintendo, bring it back!
With Nintendo being, obviously, a big name, it's delightful to get one's hands on old games of theirs that had the chance to be obscure, usually by not coming out in the West. Obviously, I am using obscure in a pretty loose sense here since anyone in Japan could probably get them just fine, but Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru isn't one that gets a lot of nostalgic reverence from the company. No Wario Ware minigame for this one. The footprint it left was simply a really big cameo in a Zelda game, which is not at all small since Link's Awakening rules, but was small enough that I never would have even realized it was a cameo without being told. I had no idea going into Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru what it actually was.
Having beaten it, I still find it hard to desribe. Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru exists in a place close to some modern itch.io games but with certain technical limitations and a sense of humor that's still very 1992. I can point to a number of other games I was reminded of while playing, from the obvious Zelda comparisons to like, Prince of Persia platforming. There's some RPG in here in that combat is entirely a battle of attrition, but you don't have experience points. You do have stats, though, and you buy some equipment upgrades throughout the game. You solve a lot of puzzles by managing your ability to change between three forms with different abilities, but none of them are super complicated. I guess the way I'd describe Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru is that there are a lot of gameplay elements pulled from different genres, but all of them are pared down to the simplest form to keep things moving. Everything is in favor of a fun little romp of a story.
In other words, it's the things you're doing and reading that are the star attraction in Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru over any kind of puzzle or platforming challenge. Everything is a setpiece in a goofy little story about your little prince and his friend Richard (also a prince). I really like the dynamic between those two, as they are both good friends and extremely antagonistic towards each other. It's a dynamic that's very familiar to a lot of kids but isn't used as much in fiction, but I was always on board for any time they switch effortlessly between helping and hating each other. Your prince is a huge loser who is getting dunked on constantly, the source of the handful of jokes that I actually found funny enough to smile at. Most of it is just ambiently charming, you know? No segment or goof lasts long enough to annoy.
If I was to complain about Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru I would say that there are some rough segments where failing can cause you to have to repeat a chunk of platforming, and also that the english translators chose to name the northern snowy city with with a word that I would have absolutely avoided holy shit
Basically just use some save states. The games only a few hours long and very ahead of its time as far as narrative and setpiece-based games go. It's the version of Marvelous that I actually enjoy.
Ok one more time: Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru
Having beaten it, I still find it hard to desribe. Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru exists in a place close to some modern itch.io games but with certain technical limitations and a sense of humor that's still very 1992. I can point to a number of other games I was reminded of while playing, from the obvious Zelda comparisons to like, Prince of Persia platforming. There's some RPG in here in that combat is entirely a battle of attrition, but you don't have experience points. You do have stats, though, and you buy some equipment upgrades throughout the game. You solve a lot of puzzles by managing your ability to change between three forms with different abilities, but none of them are super complicated. I guess the way I'd describe Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru is that there are a lot of gameplay elements pulled from different genres, but all of them are pared down to the simplest form to keep things moving. Everything is in favor of a fun little romp of a story.
In other words, it's the things you're doing and reading that are the star attraction in Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru over any kind of puzzle or platforming challenge. Everything is a setpiece in a goofy little story about your little prince and his friend Richard (also a prince). I really like the dynamic between those two, as they are both good friends and extremely antagonistic towards each other. It's a dynamic that's very familiar to a lot of kids but isn't used as much in fiction, but I was always on board for any time they switch effortlessly between helping and hating each other. Your prince is a huge loser who is getting dunked on constantly, the source of the handful of jokes that I actually found funny enough to smile at. Most of it is just ambiently charming, you know? No segment or goof lasts long enough to annoy.
If I was to complain about Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru I would say that there are some rough segments where failing can cause you to have to repeat a chunk of platforming, and also that the english translators chose to name the northern snowy city with with a word that I would have absolutely avoided holy shit
Basically just use some save states. The games only a few hours long and very ahead of its time as far as narrative and setpiece-based games go. It's the version of Marvelous that I actually enjoy.
Ok one more time: Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru
i love how the numbers in this game function. go everywhere and speak to everyone - in a way that is most dragon questular - and you will JUST survive the big story fights. that captures the feeling of watching shonen anime more than any actual anime tie-in. it's also genuinely funny, in a way that nintendo is so rarely willing to be.
Thank you to that one Twitter user years ago for giving me an English patched rom of this
Agradeço ao AntDude por mencionar esse jogo num vídeo dele.
Um belo jogo que criou os fundamentos que seriam reutilizados para os jogos do Zelda para o Game Boy. Lindão demais, e com hack que traduz o jogo para "For The Frog the Bell Tools" não tem desculpa pra não jogar.
Um belo jogo que criou os fundamentos que seriam reutilizados para os jogos do Zelda para o Game Boy. Lindão demais, e com hack que traduz o jogo para "For The Frog the Bell Tools" não tem desculpa pra não jogar.
Um dos melhores jogos já feitos.
Do começo ao fim, Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru apresenta um humor excepcional que brinca com as convenções da mídia. Todo personagem e plot narrativo é pensado com tanto carinho em mente que é difícil de segurar um sorriso a cada caixa de texto.
Uma gameplay que abraça o Gameboy como sua plataforma ideal, sendo variada, simples, intuitiva e extremamente recompensadora. É um jogo feito com extrema criatividade e amor por parte dos devs. As portas que se abrem e se fecham a cada transformação provam o cuidado milimétrico em cada bloco do jogo. A estrutura geral é o mais próximo de perfeição que um videogame pode alcançar.
Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru é o jogo supremo do Gameboy. Nenhum jogo da plataforma consegue sintetizar a magia de uma aventura absurda como ele. É um mar de criatividade condensada que aquecerá até o mais congelado dos corações. Ao zerá-lo, senti uma parte minha sendo roubada.
Uma obra-prima. Trate de achar uma ROM em inglês, pois esse é um jogo como nenhum outro.
Do começo ao fim, Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru apresenta um humor excepcional que brinca com as convenções da mídia. Todo personagem e plot narrativo é pensado com tanto carinho em mente que é difícil de segurar um sorriso a cada caixa de texto.
Uma gameplay que abraça o Gameboy como sua plataforma ideal, sendo variada, simples, intuitiva e extremamente recompensadora. É um jogo feito com extrema criatividade e amor por parte dos devs. As portas que se abrem e se fecham a cada transformação provam o cuidado milimétrico em cada bloco do jogo. A estrutura geral é o mais próximo de perfeição que um videogame pode alcançar.
Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru é o jogo supremo do Gameboy. Nenhum jogo da plataforma consegue sintetizar a magia de uma aventura absurda como ele. É um mar de criatividade condensada que aquecerá até o mais congelado dos corações. Ao zerá-lo, senti uma parte minha sendo roubada.
Uma obra-prima. Trate de achar uma ROM em inglês, pois esse é um jogo como nenhum outro.
First GOTM finished for June 2022. Really liked this little Game Boy game. The dialogue was silly and fun, and while sometimes a little loose the story was serviceable. The "bump" gameplay was easy enough, though it was irritating that it was used for both combat and NPC interaction. Overall, really enjoyed my time with this one!
Kind of a Zelda clone in both it's atmosphere, some inventory mechanics and puzzle like worldmap. It does have automatic combat system instead of an active one, so i don't know if it's a recommendation for every Zelda fan (if it's not a dealbreaker then i'm sure a gbc/snes era Zelda fan will love this). Seeing this system in action i do totally get the vibe and animation the smash ultimate assist trophy of the prince went with. People should try this game just for that smash recognition.
The music is really great here, and the game is quite impressive for a gb title from 1992. Has everything a pre awakening Zelda gb title would have.
I guess this was a success in Japan (and hence the assist trophy). If this was released in the west when it came out it would have been an instant classic over here as well.
The music is really great here, and the game is quite impressive for a gb title from 1992. Has everything a pre awakening Zelda gb title would have.
I guess this was a success in Japan (and hence the assist trophy). If this was released in the west when it came out it would have been an instant classic over here as well.
Bursting at the seams with charm and never gets stale.
Wholesome frog game with ton of charm and decent gameplay. I'd die for Prince Sable and Richard, I love them both so much
7.5/10
Liked quite a bit
7.5/10
Liked quite a bit
What a wonderful little adventure game.
Played the fan translation, which seemed quite good. The story and characters are goofy and charming. The world is quite detailed and interesting for a gameboy game. The music is incredible. I love the weird battle system that’s entirely predetermined based on your stats.
This game reminded me a lot of Links Awakening and Pokemon Red/Blue. I know there’s a lot of connective tissue with Zelda but it feels like this maybe had a huge influence on the Gen 1 Pokemon games too.
Played the fan translation, which seemed quite good. The story and characters are goofy and charming. The world is quite detailed and interesting for a gameboy game. The music is incredible. I love the weird battle system that’s entirely predetermined based on your stats.
This game reminded me a lot of Links Awakening and Pokemon Red/Blue. I know there’s a lot of connective tissue with Zelda but it feels like this maybe had a huge influence on the Gen 1 Pokemon games too.
A fun little game that I beat in 2 sessions. It's more of a platforming adventure game than an RPG. The combat is just a number game with the purpose of gating progression. Love its small scale. Hated how punishing deaths could be.
A neat little gem that I'm glad I know about.
A neat little gem that I'm glad I know about.
Very cute and small game with good humor. It was really straight forward with only two or so parts that were too obtuse. It's nice!