Overview

FPGA Frogger is a hardware-accelerated implementation of the classic Frogger arcade game, built on a Basys3 FPGA board. The project combines custom Verilog modules with C software running on a MicroBlaze soft processor to deliver smooth real-time graphics, accurate collision detection, and authentic retro gameplay. Players control the frog using a 4×4 keypad and navigate across traffic and rivers displayed on a VGA monitor, experiencing an arcade-like environment directly generated by FPGA hardware.

Key Features

• Real-time graphics rendering at 60 FPS with a double-buffered framebuffer
• Sophisticated sprite system supporting 54 unique sprites with animations (frog hopping, turtle diving, car movement)
• Tile-based static backgrounds for roads, rivers, and grass
• Comprehensive collision detection:
  • Car collisions (instant death)
  • Water drowning (if not on a log or turtle)
  • Valid lily pad landings (score and win conditions)
• User input via PmodKYPD 4×4 matrix keypad with debouncing
• Game state management (start, play, game over) with scoring and lives
• Progressive difficulty using timer-based pressure
• Visual feedback for collisions, scoring, and achievements
• Educational value in hardware-software co-design and embedded systems development

Technical Implementation

Hardware Components

• Basys3 FPGA (Artix-7): primary development platform
• PmodKYPD 4×4 keypad: directional input mapped to up, down, left, right
• VGA display: output for real-time game graphics
• Custom framebuffer: dual-port BRAM, double-buffered for smooth rendering
• MicroBlaze soft processor: handles game logic in C, interfacing with framebuffer and peripherals

Graphics and Rendering

• Framebuffer: 224×256 pixel resolution, 4-bit color depth with 16-color palette
• VGA timing generator: produces 640×480@60Hz signals with centered game window
• Sprite system: supports animation, directional rotation, and efficient blitting
• Tilemap-based background: 11 unique 16×16 tiles for environment rendering

Software Logic

• C-based game loop processes keypad input, updates game state, and renders frames
• Timer modules ensure consistent timing for object movement and difficulty scaling
• Interrupt-driven input handling for responsive gameplay
• Efficient collision detection for cars, logs, turtles, boundaries, and lily pads

Benefits

The FPGA Frogger project demonstrates how hardware-software co-design can recreate classic arcade games with authentic feel and minimal latency. Beyond entertainment, it provides hands-on educational experience in:

• Real-time graphics systems
• Hardware/software integration with FPGAs
• Sprite and tilemap rendering pipelines
• Input processing and interrupt-driven systems
• Practical challenges of embedded game development

This project’s educational value goes beyond just implementing a game. It provides hands-on experience with real-time systems design, hardware-software interface development, and the practical challenges of creating interactive embedded systems. This experience applies to many modern embedded applications, including automotive systems, industrial control, and consumer electronics