Frogger Advance is a side-scrolling platform game starring a revised model of the classic character first introduced in arcades in 1981. After learning about the story of the frog who became a prince, Frogger embarks on a quest to find a princess to kiss him. Players will traverse a total of four themed regions: River Town, Fairy Town, Starkenstein, and Castle Joy. Each area spans three action levels and one boss encounter.
Frogger begins the game with the power to jump, attack enemies with his tongue, and throw stones, but new powers are granted after completing a region. Frogger will learn to double jump, freeze enemies with stones, smash barriers with his tongue, and glide short distances. Training levels before each new locale help familiarize players with the new techniques. These moves can help players defeat enemies or to reach new areas.
After completing a world, players will earn letter rankings in three categories: coins, diamonds, and lives. Players must collect a certain number of coins, retrieve nine diamonds, and finish the world without losing a life to receive an overall A or A+ rating. Achieving an "A" is required to unlock one of the four bonus levels, but it is not needed to finish the game. Players can resume their progress via passwords, allowing them to return to earlier worlds with new abilities to earn higher rankings.