Plastic soldiers!
Real time strategy!
Apocalypse Now references!
Yes, the mentally unstable Colonel Blintz has suffered a rather large head wound, but
plastic soldiers have a long shelf life, and he has survived to turn tail against the Green
Army, occupying a house and all the soldiers within.
It's up to Sarge again to track down the crazy kook before his entire regiment is melted
into sticky green goo.
It's an installment in a series that never takes itself too seriously while at the same
time keeping that gung ho wartime spirit.
If you've ever watched Toy Story, hell, if you've ever been a kid, you remember the green
plastic soldiers and their demeanor.
Take the platforms out from under them and you've got Sarge's army.
Throw them into a Command and Conquer situation and you've got Army Men RTS, developed by
Pandemic Studios and released by 3DO, the last Army Men game to be published by the
former console makers under Panasonic.
For this contribution, I extend my personal thanks to my good friend, Jason in Pennsylvania.
Just about everything in this game takes you back to the days of old, when you were a kid
playing in your backyard, leaving your toys outside after your mom calls you to dinner.
This scenario is the battleground for Army Men RTS, where you are in charge of commanding
your troops, building up your base, acquiring resources to keep your operations running
smoothly, and ultimately achieving your objective of advancing towards Colonel Blintz's headquarters
inside the house.
Finding a balance between all these elements, just as in any other RTS, is crucial to your
success, and there's no shame in getting your practice in Boot Camp before tackling
the campaign.
I had a hard time building and upgrading my bases by itself, let alone advancing my troops
whilst doing so.
To your advantage, however, you'll work with special soldiers as well as the grunts, such
as Hoover the minesweeper with a wide range or Bullseye the sharpshooter.
Accomplish each mission with minimal harm and receive a freakin' medal.
Bronze, silver, or gold, it's usually a measuring stick of Tan soldiers defeated, how many of
yours are still alive, and the amount of resources you've spent.
Although I am pretty shoddy at RTS games, Army Men RTS is still a lot of fun to play.
The obvious scenery of a suburban backyard combined with the tactics and action of real-time
combat is a fantastic combination, and one that will charm and challenge you to the fullest,
soldier.