Army Men: Advance
Score: 55% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: 3DO Developer: DC Studios Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Shooter
Graphics & Sound: After at least one Army Men game on every system imaginable, the Game Boy Advance gets it's chance to try and inject some life back into this faltering franchise. Graphically, Army Men: Advance foregoes the usual Army Men style in favor of a more humorous, cartoon-like approach. This adds a real charm to the game as a whole, and is pulled off rather nicely, but they are also very lacking in detail and come off as being average when compared to the other GBA launch games. Many of the areas are very simple and you will find yourself walking through barren one-colored fields for most of your mission. There's really nothing to this game in the sound department because, except for the title screen, there is no music. I found this very disappointing considering the excellent title screen music (and yes, it does sound just like the Hogan's Heroes theme). The sound effects are also passable, with just the typical grunts, gunshots, and explosions.
Gameplay: All right, listen up troops. The evil General Plastro and his Tan army are once again threatening the peace of the world. Your mission is to guide either Sarge or Vikki (they are both the same, so it really doesn't matter who you choose to play with) through 17 levels spanning both the Human and Plastic Soldier worlds. To aid you in your mission, you will have access to the best weapons plastic can mold; including the M16 rifle, grenades and flamethrower (I'm for any weapon that actually lets me melt the enemy). You will also take command of tanks and planes at certain points of your mission. In terms of gameplay, Army Men Advance is a mixed bag. The game is set up in an overhead third person view similar to Commando. As I played through the game, I couldn't help but think how much better this game would have been if it all took place in the Human world. These are some of the most creative parts of the game, with you being attacked by giant dust bunnies and storming fortresses made of building blocks. It's a shame that most of the game takes place in the bland Plastic soldier world.
Difficulty: This game isn't very hard at all and can be beaten by just about anyone in less than a day. You are allowed to choose between three difficulty levels, but I noticed little difference between them. There is also something of a reverse difficulty curve present as the game actually gets easier rather than harder as you progress. What makes this game challenging is the lack of a continue option. Some of the missions are long, with many sub-levels, so when you are forced back to the beginning of the mission after you die, things can get frustrating.
Game Mechanics: The controls are simple and easy to use. The 'A' button fires your selected weapon, while the 'B' button throws grenades (when you have them in your arsenal). Holding the R1 button allows you to strafe, while the L1 cycles through you weapons. Overall, the controls are well done, but I found the response a tad sluggish. The time it takes to turn around is very slow and usually results in enemy soldiers getting a few cheap shots in before you're in the position to shoot them. Judging from past Army Men games, this one isn't all that bad, and is recommended for fans of the old Commando or Ikari Warriors games. While it gets monotonous at times, and there are a lot of things that could be worked on, this game is still fun to pop in and play to kill an hour or two.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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