Episode 698: The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls (Patreon)

Hi everyone, Diamond Feit here. June in Japan means the start of the rainy season, a time when the sky threatens to open up and pour just about every day for about four weeks straight. This rain is a boon for many flowers and amphibians; when I lived closer to farmland, I remember hearing a cacophony of frogs bellowing to one another in their newly-moist dwellings.

Plenty of video games feature frogs, but this week we're looking at one game in particular with a LOT of frogs, including a main character who is a frog sometimes but is also a person or a snake. As I promised one year ago, here is an episode of Retronauts dedicated to The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls, aka Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (カエルの為に鐘は鳴る).

Joining me are fellow frog aficionados Christa Lee and (first-time guest) npckc. We do our best to sell you on this Japanese-only Game Boy game based on the personnel behind it without giving away too much of the plot or jokes, because we're all of the opinion that this game is special and worth your time.

Edits by Greg Leahy, art by Nick Wanserski. Music heard in this episode (all from this game unless otherwise noted):

08:31 - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch, 2019): Richard's Villa

18:22 - Mario Artist: Talent Studio: So Kawaii!! ~ Info Editor | The Prince's Adventure

33:26 - Port Saltwater

41:46 - Nantendo FunCenter

52:07 - Éclair Palace

1:01:07 - Hop Hop Springs

1:05:18 - Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru TV Commercial

1:09:04 - Eskimo Village | Slay the Snake!

1:18:47 - Wario Land 4: Puzzle Room

1:30:48 - Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club: Main Theme

Closing - Credits Roll