Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (1992)

Preliminary: Ooo the reviews are really good. And there is a fan translation available.

The music is hit or miss so far, but now that the adventure actually is beginning it's better. And the wave sounds are nice. And the Look is nice and crisp for a GB game.

Oh.. the combat system is... odd. I don't like that I have no control over it... but I read there are also side scrolling parts so hopefully those shine.

Oh boo and apparently no leveling system? You find items to upgrade, it seems, and now I'm just kicking the slugs away with no chance of being harmed myself lol. Interesting...

Day 1

Like with Zelda games, I like the triumphant heroic music, but never find it moving. And I get annoyed with the dungeon-y music. This is all very straightforward and a bit empty-feeling but I can never deny an action-adventure style gameplay. I likely will play through this even with what feels quite mediocre/okay so far.

I dunno.. this is all so blah so far. Hopefully it gets better. I just got the power to switch back to Human. Apparently that's already mid game? So maybe I will just revisit this tomorrow or Wednesday and it'll feel worth completing. But so far it's feeling like a 2 or 3 star and move on situation. If only I foudn it funnier or the music/Look better.

I think it'd be more itneresting if like what angle or direction you run into an enemy mattered? I like the map tho

The creature changing reminds me of FF Legends too :-p

But gosh, the npc pathing is terrible and so many times I got perma blocked and had to reset a screen. Also the way that you automatically talk to an NPC could've been convenient but with this pathing, just got annoying.

Quite empty feeling with villages not having names and all seeming to look the same from outside. Yet here I am, still playing. I like how there are little things like you Bite as Snake to maek a block etc. Results in a bit of a puzzle feel but still just meh.

I am keenly aware this likely will not get above a 4 star without a spectacular change in Play or if the Look and Sound really grow on me, so not sure why I am not just giving a 3 star and moving on when there are still so many games to play. I guess it's that usual hook. I will take a break for today (I just went back to the castle with the ability to move blocks from the Power Bracelet) and play some more tomorrow then make my decision.

Day 2

So I'm feeling more rejuvenated with this, and I enjoyed this run in the Castle where it sorta felt like these were powers I was using to get through adventure parts, rather than just mere straightforawrd puzzles of just use this then (which, in the end, they were). The battle system is still just really boring, you basically can or can't beat an enemy and there are usually healing orbs nearby for any potentially complex situation. Even tho this is not looking likely to over a 3 star, it seems I'm committed to the long haul. On to the Frosen North... Like I mentioned before, if there were more sentimental music or I foudn it funnier/more engaging in the plotline, I think the simple gameplay and silly gimmicky "puzzles" would be more interesting.

Day 3

Yeaaaa this is officially getting old. I made it about halfway through the game, so it's still worth a play. Just missing something.

Look: 7.5/10 Boosted .5 by the world map. I'm a sucker for those. Tho they are becoming the norm so I should probly stop boosting for them

Sound: 7/10

Play: 7/10

Feel: 7/10

Attachment: 7/10

Overall: 7.1/10

Completion: Was heading to the Island after getting the Heart Key

Playtime: ~2 hours

Kaeru is an odd but incredibly charming little title, an action-adventure (leaning more towards RPG than action) packed with humor and influential toward the creation of Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

The player takes the role of Prince Sable, a good natured prince with more money than sense. In his rivalry with a neighboring prince, they work towards saving the Princess Tiramisu from the evil King Delarin. As the princes get transformed into frogs and snakes, the adventure grows into an epic journey.

As for the gameplay, there is a mix of top-down movement and sidescrolling gameplay, the latter of which has platforming thorough enough to include ledge grabs and high jumps. If the player runs into an enemy, they automatically fight turns until either the player or enemy loses. The player may interrupt the automatic battle to attempt escape or use an item, the latter which can be used for some unwinnable scenarios. The combat is largely window dressing, with the player's upgrades that they find nearby determining if they can advance. Some platforming hazards can push the player to the limit with regards to health, though there's usually a health-regenerating Wonder Ball close by.

The animal transformations are cute and useful - the frog can swim in water and jump much higher, and the snake can crawl into tight spaces and bite enemies to turn them into blocks. The item system used to control these transformations can be a bit awkward, but money never usually runs too low so the player can readily restock.

The game is relatively simple to play at its core, but the humor in the story is what really shines. With egregious spending for trivial items, mecha suits, Nintendo parodies, being so powerful you knock enemies off the screen - Kaeru has plenty of little touches that make this game truly special. It helps that the game has charming and cute graphics for a Game Boy game, with a few full anime portraits of a certain pretty lady to flex the art design. The music is also cute but can drone on a bit and get grating in some areas.

Kaeru is a great game that lays the groundwork for far more popular Game Boy games but has a charm of its own that makes me wonder why our frog prince hasn't been revisited outside of a Smash trophy.