Fifth Avenue Frogger: Real-Time NYC Traffic Used For Reinvention Of Classic Game [Video]

George Costanza tried to navigate New York City traffic Frogger-style in a classic episode of Seinfeld. Now you can do the same, but you know, without the danger. Fifth Avenue Frogger uses real-time traffic rolling down fifth avenue in a re-creation of the classic 80s video game.

The International Business Times reports that “5th Ave Frogger” was created and developed by Tyler DeAngelo. DeAngelo told Plugged In that he decided to create the new game because he was tired of the same traffic patterns in the original game. In “5th Avenue Frogger,” the traffic patterns are always new because they mimick real NYC traffic.

DeAngelo said:

“I think what makes this version of Frogger so special is that the game’s experience changes based on events that are happening in the real-world, and in real-time.”

Unfortunately, in order to play the game you have to be in Manhattan.

The IB Times reports that DeAngelo used a camera with a birds-eye view of Fifth Avenue and wrote a code to track the movement of traffic. The images from the camera are transferred to the game, giving people a real-life Frogger experience.

DeAngelo writes on his Vimeo page:

“5th Ave Frogger is an attempt to imagine what the Frogger arcade game would be like if it was created today. This version of Frogger is similar to the original, except the traffic you dodge in 5th Ave Frogger is actually traveling down 5th Ave in New York City as you play.”

Here’s a video of the reinvention of Frogger.