Army Men RTS

Build and manage an army of plastic soldiers as you lead Sarge and his Green Army against Colonel Blitz and a band of Tan Army traitors.

In an ode to the war epic Apocalypse Now, a deranged colonel has formed his own army and you are called on to bring them back into the fold. The off-beat humor of the Army Men series shows up early as Colonel Blitz loses his mind quite literally when his head is emptied by a battle injury.

Full Plastic Jacket

A comprehensive tutorial called Boot Camp will explain the rules of engagement. As the name implies, this is a real-time strategy (RTS) game, in which you must out-think and outgun the enemy. There is no pause in the action so you must work efficiently.

With practice you can select groups of infantry easily, forming attack parties and setting rally points to take defensive and offensive positions. Specialized infantry units wield grenades, bazookas, flamethrowers and machine guns.

Using a Bulldozer, you can build structures like a Resource Depot, HQ, Barracks and more. The valuable Resource Depot harvests nearby plastic for constructing more units. This is vital to victory.

The opposition plays by the same rules, so you can plan attacks accordingly. Strike its Resource Depot to disrupt its supply line. Strategy is the name of the game, but often the key to victory is simply outnumbering the enemy.

Game Modes

In Campaign mode you engage the Tan Army in several missions to take back the yard. One early mission requires you to advance past a white picket fence to eliminate foes. You are awarded a medal based on your performance in each mission.

Great Battles and Special Operations set up scenarios that will challenge your skills. Earn gold medals in Campaign mode to unlock all 16 of these special battles.

Graphics and Sound

A typical suburban backyard is the battlefield for these tiny soldiers. The environments are detailed with common objects like a basketball, bicycle and skateboard. Each can become a huge obstacle.

The units themselves are easily distinguishable from each other. A thin bar displays the current health of a unit. Each type of unit barks out military lingo when commands are issued.

Special effects are minimal, but the low-key graphics give you an ideal view of the action. You can zoom the camera in and out.

Army Men: RTS introduces yet another genre to the world of plastic soldiers. The controls are easy to learn so you can concentrate on strategy and planning. Experienced strategy gamers won't find much new here, but well-designed battlegrounds make the most of the toy soldier theme.

Source:

www.nintendo.com – Nintendo GameCube