The Return of Lady Frog (set 1)

Microhard’s The Return of Lady Frog arrived in arcades in 1993 as a two-player shooter with an unusual twist. Players use bombs to systematically clear away a background grid, revealing a hidden image layer by layer. Each bomb detonates in a nine-square area, removing portions of the backdrop but proving ineffective against colorful balloons that drift across the screen. These balloons must be destroyed using bottle-rockets fired by the player. Successfully targeting balloons causes them to either explode for points or split into smaller balloons, adding complexity to the gameplay. Certain balloons marked with skull and crossbones are indestructible obstacles requiring players to carefully avoid them; contact results in losing a life. Gray square barriers can also be cleared through bomb detonations. The game concludes when all lives are lost, presenting a unique blend of puzzle-solving and shooting action designed for two simultaneous players. The Return of Lady Frog runs on a Motorola 68000 processor with sound provided by a Zilog Z80 and YM2203 chip.