CJ Frog is an adventurer in search of the lost city of Ursulab. He discovers a tablet that holds the key to finding the city, which must be powered by rubies and diamonds. Every time a diamond is found and placed in the tablet, one of the elders of Ursulab appears, revealing more about what happened to the city.
Along with his sidekick, Edison Firefly, CJ travels to exotic locations around the world to find the necessary jewels. The player must complete educational games that test their reading and vocabulary skills to be given access to each location's jewel room. Meanwhile, the evil Dr. Listick is trying to sabotage CJ's quest and find Ursulab for his own selfish purposes.
This game provides examples of:
- Adventurer Archaeologist: CJ takes on the role of one in this particular game.
- Atlantis: One of the locales where you can collect jewels. Apparently, knowing the location of Atlantis is not as big of a deal as knowing the location of Ursulab.
- Awesome Aussie: Bingo, the dingo who is the guardian of Ayers Rock.
- Barefoot Cartoon Animal: CJ is wearing a full Adventurer Outfit, except for the fact that he has no shoes.
- Cardiovascular Love: Hearts fly out of Edison when he looks at Sybil.
- Character Name and the Noun Phrase: The game opens with the onscreen title CJ and THE LOST CITY, written in an Indiana Jones-esque font.
- The Chosen One: The last elder reveals that only the one whose hand fits into the print on the tablet is worthy of Ursulab. Naturally, it turns out to be CJ.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Edison whenever he sees Sybil.
- Gentleman Adventurer: Between his globetrotting exploits, CJ lives in "stately Frog Manor" with his butler McCloud.
- High-Class Glass: Dr. Listick wears a monocle.
- Hopeless Suitor: Edison has a crush on Sybil, who is completely uninterested in him.Edison: Let me just say that I ne'er saw true beauty till this day.Sybil: [dismissively] That's nice.
- Hostage for MacGuffin: The game ends with Dr. Listick kidnapping McCloud and holding him ransom for the jewels.
- I'm Going to Disney World!: This line is spoofed during the ending, when CJ is asked what he's going to do next and he proclaims that he's going to Ursulab.
- The Jeeves: McCloud is this to CJ.
- MacGuffin Delivery Service: Right at the beginning, Dr. Listick steals the tablet that CJ found. The scene plays out very similarly to the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark when Belloq and the Nazis steal the Ark and seal Indy and Marion in the Well of Souls. At least the chamber that CJ and Edison get sealed in isn't filled with snakes!
- Magic Carpet: In the Egyptian game, the answers are on flying carpets.
- Oh, Crap!: When Dr. Listick realizes he can't be The Chosen One whose hand fits in the print on the tablet that reveals Ursulab, because as a snail he has no hands.
- Only Smart People May Pass:
- Throughout the game, players must test their reading and vocabulary skills to be given access to the various jewel rooms.
- Deconstructed at the end, when it turns out Dr. Listick was able to defeat McCloud's door challenge, leaving behind a note that mentions, "you really need a better security system." Turns out an educational puzzle is actually not a foolproof way to ensure that only CJ can get in.
- Proper Lady: Sybil, the graceful, poised, and elegant guardian of the Caves of Cumae.
- Raiders of the Lost Parody: It's that same kind of archaeological adventure story, with CJ filling the role of Indiana Jones and Dr. Listick filling the role of René Belloq. And as noted under MacGuffin Delivery Service, one scene from Raiders is homaged.
- Riddling Sphinx: A sphinx in Egypt challenges CJ with the task of properly completing sentences.
- Sexy Cat Person: Sybil is a very beautiful anthropomorphic feline. When he sees her, Edison falls head over heels in love with her.
- Slippery as an Eel: Though not a villain, the eel who lives in Atlantis is a fast-talker and Edison appears to mistrust him.
- Species Surname: CJ Frog and Edison Firefly.
- Taken for Granite: In the end, Dr. Listick and his henchman Stanley are turned into jewel statues.
- Token Human: Ursulab's elders seem to be the only humans in what is otherwise a World of Funny Animals.
- Tuckerization: The villain is named after JumpStart producer Barton Listick.
