Trog
System: NES
Release Date: October 1991
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Genre: Maze
Avoid becoming the caveman’s next meal in Trog! You take control of a Dino-Mite, either Bloop or Spike. These Dino-Mites are hungry and their favorite meal are Trog eggs. So get ready to collect all you can while avoiding the Trogs who want to make YOU their meal! Can you make it through 50 islands of Trogs and finally fill your belly?
This is a much smaller Pac-Man clone if I’m going to be serious. What is important is realizing that Bloop and Spike continue moving in a direction until you change it. I didn’t realize this right away and kept falling off the edge of the map. Once I figured out that control quirk, life became a little easier. You just collect all the items while avoiding the Trogs. You can punch them with either the A or B Buttons. As long as your timing doesn’t suck, this will knock them away, but they’ll quickly respawn.
To help you along, there are items that randomly appear as you’re collecting eggs. Do you want to go fast? Grab a red flower to increase your speed. Do you want some protection? Snag the yellow horseshoe. An ice cube freezes all enemies on screen. A hot tamale gives you the ability to shoot fireballs instead of punch. The pineapple is the most fun of all. Eat one of these to grow big and eat the Trogs in your path.
Enemies aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer. They wander around the path trying to get to you, but they are mostly avoidable. As you increase in levels, some enemies will jump around, trying to kill you from above. Others will start fires that burn you to a crisp. There are also items you have to be careful of. For instance, the mushroom slows you down and tar pits will goo you up.
Once you collect all the eggs, the exit to home appears and you’ve got to escape without dying. After you defeat a number of levels, you’re taken to a bonus wave. This may task you with shooting Trogs, or eating them, or collecting all the gems. Occasionally, you’ll come across a warp zone that can jump you ahead a bit.
Graphics: 2.0
Not great, not offensive.
Sound: 1.5
Music is uninspired and sound effects are kind of bad.
Gameplay: 3.0
It’s an easy formula that isn’t messed up here.
Difficulty: 3.0
Levels are pretty easy to get through and do well on.
Fun Factor: 3.0
I enjoyed myself more than I expected, especially with the pineapple.
Overall Rating: 2.5
Trog earns a B-. This is a much better game than it has any right to be, I suggest trying it.