Collection essentials #150: Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru / The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls (Game Boy)

This is a gem from Nintendo that somehow didn’t get an international release despite being one of the most impressive Game Boy games.

The game resembles a Legend of Zelda game, which is not a coincidence, as a future Game Boy Zelda title I haven’t gotten to yet was directly built on some of the foundation set by this game. It’s hardly just a Zelda clone, though. You play as a prince who goes off to rescue a princess, which is also not too unlike Zelda, but this game is also much more whimsical and cartoony than Zelda. The gameplay is similar in some ways, with advancing a linear plot and solving puzzles also being a major factor, but this game has more emphasis on platforming (there are 2D side-scrolling sections in addition to the overhead view seen in the picture), and features the ability to transform into a frog and a snake as well (A Zelda game did do something similar, but it was years later). Combat is also entirely different from most Zelda-like games, with you and the enemy entering into a giant dust cloud not unlike something you’d see in an old slapstick cartoon, and the player has little input as the two fighters exchange blows. You usually need to be at a certain strength level to win; if you’re not strong enough for an enemy, that usually means that you have to go off and do something else, rather than adjust your play style in some way since the fights aren’t very interactive.

The big draw with The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls is the charm and personality it has. There are some genuinely very funny moments, good graphics by gameplay standards, and a catchy upbeat soundtrack. Over the years Nintendo has referenced this game at times, perhaps most notably having the protagonist appear as an “assist trophy” in Super Smash Bros. Brawl who comes out and attacks an opponent in a dust cloud much like in the game he’s from.

I’m not really sure why this game wasn’t released outside of Japan. Maybe they just felt that the international Game Boy player base wasn’t up for this particular style of game. Thankfully, an English fan translation is available for modern gamers. The game exceeded my expectations when I finally played it, achieving essential status as an old Nintendo classic that didn’t quite get the full recognition it deserved.