Life, Death and the Afterlife in Frogger 2: Threedeep – Beyond the Pond

I've got to be honest – when Frogger 2: Threedeep – Beyond the Pond first came out, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy over it. I can't quite put my finger on why, but perhaps I had simply had my fill of Frogger by that point. Regardless of the cause, it's taken me quite some time to truly appreciate the game's mechanics and, of course, its not-so-subtle allegory for the birth-death cycle of frogs that's cleverly woven into the gameplay.

Once you start playing, you'll immediately notice that the gaming mechanics haven't strayed far from the original Frogger. What stands out are the changes in the various levels – both in their appearance and how they correlate beautifully with the stages of a frog's life cycle.

You begin beneath the water's surface, traversing the bottoms of vividly illuminated ponds. Succeed here, and you'll breach the water's top layer, breaking through to the surface.

As you float atop the water, your mission is to navigate to a cozy nook on the opposite side of the pond. Along the way, you'll be dodging critters and a host of other moving obstacles, much like the first level of the classic Frogger. Imagine the original Frogger, but swap out the cars for an array of lively animals. Successfully make it across, and you'll advance to the final level.

In this ultimate stage, you find yourself transitioning from life to, well, the afterlife. Your task is to ascend skyward into Froggy heaven. Succeed, and you'll find yourself perched on a fluffy cloud, surrounded by moist air and a sky teeming with plump, succulent flies. Fail, and you're in for quite a different fate – roasting in a pit, forever doomed to attempt crossing a bustling road for all eternity in a distinctly froggy twist on damnation.