Army Men: Air Attack

Army Men: Air Attack
North American Playstation cover art
Developer(s)	3DO
Publisher(s)	3DO
Platform(s)	PlayStation, Windows, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color
Release date(s)	NA October 13, 1999
Genre(s)	Shooter game
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Army Men: Air Attack (released as Army Men: Air Combat on the Nintendo 64 and Gameboy Color) is the fourth game in 3DO's Army Men series. It is an arial shooter game developed and published by 3DO for the PlayStation, Windows, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. It was released in North America on October 13, 1999.^[1]

Army Men: Air Attack, similarly to its predecessors, was a mission-based shooter set in a universe of plastic toy army men, the biggest difference being the emphasis on aerial helicopter combat. The game received praise for its quality, but suffered criticisms for its presentation and minor gameplay issues.

Overview

In Army Men: Air Attack, the evil Tan army is making a move into Green territory. Only one man has the ability to stop their advance: Captain William Blade. Take command of Blade and his ragtag crew of chopper pilots as they fly one of four choppers Huey, Chinook, Super Stallion, or Apache through 16 missions of plastic carnage. Help them maneuver through perilous settings like the "Backyard" and the "Picnic." When you get tired of seeing your buddies melted on the barbecue, call a friend to help you in the Cooperative Play mode. If sharing is not your thing, knock your friend's chopper out of the sky in a head-to-head match up. Either way, with Army Men: Air Attack, it is real combat with plastic men.

Plot

The Green and Tan armies are once again at war, this time by air. Players can select either the Huey, Chinook, Super Stallion or the Apache. In addition to the Tan Army are hordes of insects that players must also fight off. Players must protect tanks, trucks, other helicopters, a train, a teddy bear, and a UFO. Pilot one of four helicopters through the treacherous terrain of the backyard, picnic areas, and nearby beaches. Engage in Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground combat with enemies ranging from battleships to butterflies. Utilize the unique abilities of each airship to capture giant Teddy Bears, blow up sand castles, and save Sarge from being melted by kids with a magnifying glass. The main character is a Green Air Cavalry pilot named Captain William Blade. This game has over 12 missions with three extra choppers to unlock. The first helicopter is a Huey, then a Chinook, a Super Stallion, and finally an Apache. There are also three extra co-pilots to unlock. The first pilot is 'Woodstock', then 'Rawhide', next is 'Hardcore', and lastly Sarge Hawk. Captain William Blade, the leader of the newly formed Alpha Wolf Battalion, does battle against the mighty Tan empire in both the real world and plastic world.

Sounds and graphics

With the exception of your copilot's chatter, which gets a little grating after a few levels, the sound effects are well done. Nothing too special or realistic-sounding. Little touches – like the bugs shouting, "We're free!" (in voices reminiscent of the little man insect at the end of The Fly) when liberated from their roach motel prisons – give the game a little more flair. The graphics are about as good as you can expect from a game based on a collection of green and tan plastic toys. Each unit has a bit of plastic shine. The terrain looks like grass, dirt, and mud without looking too blocky.

Two player

You can work together in cooperative mode or choose competitive mode where one player will be on the Green army and the other will be on the Tan army.

Difficulty

The main flaw of Air Attack is a general lack of difficulty. There are really only two or three missions that pose a real challenge; the rest of them are cakewalks once you've gotten the control down well enough to dodge bullets. But even though you'll be able to skate through most of the game, there are a couple multiplayer modes that keep the game interesting. Cooperative mode lets you go through the main game with a friend. Flag Nab-It is a game of capture the flag, where you must infiltrate your opponent's base, steal his flag, and take it to your base to score.

Reception

The game received mostly positive reviews. IGN praised the game's multiplayer, noting, "... Air Attack is a refreshing take on the shooting game".^[2] GameSpot noted that the game "... makes the little green guys fun to play with again."^[1]

References