Olliefrog Toad Skater Preview

Have you ever been playing a Tony Hawk game, busting out crazy combos with one of the real-life pro skaters and thought to yourself, “Man, I wish I could do this but with adorable, squishy frogs instead”? No, me neither. But clearly, someone over at developer Mr. Thee has, as they’ve created Olliefrog Toad Skater, a charming skateboarding title that combines cuteness with combos to create something rather special.

Starting out in the demo, I created my very own cartoon amphibian with a decent amount of customisation options. Once my bright pink, green spotted toad was finished — complete with a spaghetti and meatball hat, smoking pipe, and bow tie — it was time to set off and try out the tutorial.

 The tutorial teaches you everything you need to know to pull off slick combos, just as you would if you were playing any game in the Tony Hawk franchise. I was genuinely surprised at just how similar this felt to the Birdman’s classic shred-em-ups. My muscle memory instantly kicked in and off my little toad dude went, tearing up every half pipe and rail in sight.

Outside of the training level, the demo also includes the same level, but with the classic two-minute arcade runs, so many extreme sports games from years past featured. You’ll try to beat high scores, collect OFTS letters, hunt for delicious-looking collectibles (doughnuts in this level's case) and more. Aside from this skate park-styled level, we also have two more open levels: Riverbank Hotel and Twilight University. It was here I discovered that a trip into water doesn’t end your combo and reset you at a spawn point nearby but actually has more skateable terrain hidden in its murky depths! This shouldn’t be too surprising — we are playing as a toad, after all — but it felt like I’d discovered a secret area, something that took me back to the days of playing THPS and finding a rooftop kicker or bowl.

Anyone who loves pulling off insane combos will be glad to know that the revert and manual mechanics (first introduced into Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3) are here, complete with flat-ground trick variations. The timing for a revert is ever so slightly different, though, meaning you’ll need to press the trigger just a fraction of a second sooner than you would in THPS, but after a few minutes, it becomes second nature. What did throw me slightly were the lip tricks. You’ll have to hold the grind button down as you approach the edge of a pipe instead of a quick tap as you come into contact with it, and you’re unable to jump out of the trick, instead having to force your balance meter to the side the ramp is on.

It’s clear to see the inspiration behind Olliefrog Toad Skater, and it doesn’t try to hide it, instead wearing it proudly upon its soggy green sleeve. Its pastel colours, low-poly aesthetic, and smooth hip-hop beats give it its own unique charm, though, especially the adorable little squeak your toad makes if they bail.

A short and sweet experience though it was, I absolutely fell in love with Olliefrog Toad Skater’s demo and can’t wait to see how the game progresses. I will play any skateboarding game possible (now that I’m too old with messed-up knees to skate in the real world), and Olliefrog Toad Skater certainly hits the spot. If you want to try an arcade-like throwback to the 90s, complete with your own toad creation, then you absolutely have to give this one a try!