Trog hits different when it boots instantly in your browser. Released in 1990 on the Arcade, this retro classic from Bally Midway is ready the second you press start — no downloads, no setup.
In the game, players control one of four dinosaurs chased by the titular cavemen. Conversions for the Nintendo Entertainment System and MS-DOS were released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1990 and 1991 respectively, reducing the number of simultaneous players to two.
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| Action | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| D-Pad Up | ↑ | D-Pad up |
| D-Pad Down | ↓ | D-Pad down |
| D-Pad Left | ← | D-Pad left |
| D-Pad Right | → | D-Pad right |
| B (bottom) | X | Bottom face |
| A (right) | Z | Right face |
| Y (left) | S | Left face |
| X (top) | A | Top face |
| L | Q | Left shoulder |
| R | E | Right shoulder |
| Start | Enter | Start |
| Insert Coin | V | Select |
⭐ Premium members can click any key below to remap this game's controls. Go Premium
| Action | Keyboard | Arcade input |
|---|---|---|
| Move | · · · · | Joystick (4-way) |
| Punch | · | Button 1 |
| Start | · | Start |
| Insert Coin | · | Select |
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The Story Behind Trog
The NES version has a number of key differences such as visuals and sound, two-player support with Bloop and Spike as playable characters instead of four, among other changes. However, the DOS version only supports two players instead of four, featuring Bloop and Rex as playable characters. In 1990, a faithful conversion of the game by Software Creations was released for DOS computers.
However, this idea was heavily panned and ridiculed during testing, with one tester allegedly defacing one of the cabinets to add an "R" to the label of the bone button. In October 1991, the title was then ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System by Visual Concepts and first published by Acclaim in North America and later in Europe. George Petro and Kurt Mahan worked as programmers, with composer Chris Granner scoring the soundtrack and created the sound effects.
How Trog Plays
Advanced Mode rewards a 200,000 level bonus and Expert rewards a 400,000 level bonus. They eventually create fire pits and wheels to burn and flatten, respectively, the character and springs to bounce themselves all over the screen. Trog is a maze game reminiscent of Pac-Man where players assume the role of Theropod-like dinosaurs (with Styracosaurus-like heads) Rex, Bloop, Spike, and/or Gwen, through 49 islands set in the land of "Og", home to the one-eyed cavemen known as the "Trog".
The multiplayer mode consists of two to four dinos on the same screen competing to get all of his/her same-colored eggs first, and players can either attack or protect each other (though power-ups indiscriminately hurt anyone that is in the way regardless). As the levels progress, the cavemen become smarter and invent new ways to capture the dinosaurs. The power-ups randomly spawn to help finish the level; these include red flowers that increase the player's speed; ice cubes that freeze all on-screen Trogs; pineapples, which turn the character into a full-grown T-Rex and temporarily eat Trogs (similar to Pac-Man's Power pellets, except the power-up occurs randomly); and a firebrand which bestows a temporary fire breathing ability on the dinos.
Why Players Still Load It Up
Initially envisioned as a hybrid puzzle/strategy game, its original concept was later reworked into a Pac-Man-like title after bad reception from testers and features claymation graphics, advertised as "Playmation" by Midway. Trog is a maze arcade video game developed and published by Midway Manufacturing in 1990 in North America under the "Bally/Midway" label and later by Williams Electronics in Europe. The Nintendo Entertainment System conversion was met with positive reception from critics.
Conversions for the Nintendo Entertainment System and MS-DOS were released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1990 and 1991 respectively, reducing the number of simultaneous players to two. Both the arcade and NES versions garnered positive reception from critics. In the game, players control one of four dinosaurs chased by the titular cavemen.
Trog — Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Trog?
Trog was developed by Bally Midway and published by Bally Midway.
Where can I buy the original Trog?
Scroll to "Other Places You Can Get This Game" beneath the write-up — it lists trusted stores selling official copies.
What console was Trog released on?
Trog was released for the Arcade in 1990.
Can I save my progress in Trog?
It does — with a free account you can snapshot the game at any point using save states, then pick it up later from exactly that spot.