Oh hey, it's the game I remember from the cameos in Link's Awakening and the Wario Land series. Honestly, I don't think anyone associates Mad Scienstein with this game anymore, given his appearances in Wario Land 3, 4 and Dr Mario 64.
Thea article says the title is a reference to Hemingway, but Hemingway's use of it was a reference to John Donne. The latter is far more familiar to me. Its no more relevant to the game though.
It's a really fun little game with lots of character. I played the translation and picked up an original copy on my last trip to Japan.
From the title I'd assumed this was a mixed metaphor between boiling the frog and facing impending doom.
Maybe I need to stop AI doomscrolling for a bit.
What amazes me is I thought the exact same thing, verbatim. And I hadn't thought about that boiling frog in years. I guess it scarred you and me both when we saw it.