The first thing that strikes you about Grasshoper Manufacture’s first iOS game, Frog Minutes, is that it’s not exactly what you’d expect from the Japanese developer responsible for such stylish cult classic games as Killer 7 and No More Heroes. But then the company’s legendary leader, SUDA51 is anything but predictable, so it would be just like him to produce something so completely different for the company’s first foray into the App Store. Frog Minutes is a soothing, beautiful game where the object is to collect the different organisms that live in the tranquil natural environments depicted in the game. Catch the butterflies and grasshoppers and feed them to the frogs that appear within the time limit, then catch the frogs to add them to your collection. As you go along you’ll build up an encyclopedia full of information about the creatures you’ve caught as well as the different croaks of the various frogs in your collection. You’ll also earn achievements by completing your frog puzzle. It really does seem fascinating, and such a departure for the developer!

Grasshopper Manufacture, which is based in Tokyo, has just announced that all proceeds from the sale of the game will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross to support earthquake relief in northeastern Japan.

Click here to download Frog Minutes for $0.99/£0.59: FROG MINUTES for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Source: GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE, Frog Minutes preview: Our first few Frog Minutes | Joystiq