Army Men
Encyclopedia
Army Men is a series of video games developed by 3DO
and Global Star Software. It is based on various conflicts between four kinds of plastic army men
, distinguished by their color: the Green, the Tan, the Blue, and the Grey. Two other factions, the Red and the Orange, as well as a much smaller army, the Black, also contribute to the story. Two additional factions, the Galactic Army and the Alien Army, were introduced in Army Men: Toys in Space
.
There is a Pacific island area (stated in "World War"). The eastern part of the world houses the Blue Nation (a border is seen but it is unknown if this is another country), while the Western part houses the Tan. It is unknown where the Green, Orange, and Red Nations reside, as it is never stated.
The Gray Nation is in the western area as well because it borders the Tan nation according to Army Men. The only thing known about the Green Nation's homeland is that it contains desert, alpine, and bayou regions.
As seen in Army Men (the first game in the series) during the beginning movie, it is revealed that the Green Nation is almost completely surrounded by Tan territory. The bayou is in the south.
Company before they filed for chapter eleven bankruptcy
. The major franchises were auctioned off, and Army Men was purchased by Global Star Software (now known as 2K Play).
In 2004, Global Star published Sarge's War. The PS2
and Xbox
versions were completed by some members of the original Sarge's War development team from 3DO. Global Star then released Army Men: Major Malfunction for the Xbox (as well as for the PlayStation 2 in limited regions), and planned a Nintendo DS
version, which was not released. Army Men: Mobile Ops is currently the latest game in the series. Future installments are possible, but unlikely, due to the poor critical and commercial performance of Major Malfunction and Soldiers of Misfortune.
and Seanbaby
of EGM
, for the frequency and declining quality of each new title.
Reviews frequently emphasize the series' lack of consistency. Gameplay constantly changed in a game from version to version. There is also an inconsistency in the time period in which the series takes place. Many of the games, such as the Sarge's Heroes games, employ World War II and Vietnam war era weaponry (Ex. the M16
assault rifle and the M2 flamethrower
), whereas the Air Attack/Air Combat games use helicopters from the Vietnam War era.
3DO
3DO may refer to:*The 3DO Company, a video game company that developed:**3DO Interactive Multiplayer, a video game console, 1993–1996***List of 3DO games, a list of games released for the 3DO...
and Global Star Software. It is based on various conflicts between four kinds of plastic army men
Army men
Army men, or plastic soldiers, are simple toy soldiers that are about 5 cm tall and most commonly molded from green or other colored relatively unbreakable plastic. Unlike the more expensive toy soldiers available in hobby shops, army men are sold at low prices in discount stores,...
, distinguished by their color: the Green, the Tan, the Blue, and the Grey. Two other factions, the Red and the Orange, as well as a much smaller army, the Black, also contribute to the story. Two additional factions, the Galactic Army and the Alien Army, were introduced in Army Men: Toys in Space
Army Men: Toys in Space
Army Men: Toys in Space is the third game in the 3DO series: Army Men, released for the PC in the US in late 1999 and in Europe in early 2000. The game is played as a real-time strategy game from a top-down perspective...
.
Factions
- Green – The protagonists in the series, the Green are a representation the U.S. Army of the Vietnam era. . In the first few army men games, the political balance is unstable, and they are fighting against the Tan and the Blue, with the Grey being sometimes allies, sometimes enemies. In Army Men: World War, the Green side with the Blue against the Tan. In Army Men: Sarge's Heroes, the Blue are spies for the Tan, and the Grey are allied with the Green.
- Tan – The Tan are the usual antagonists of the series, with influence from the real-world German and Japanese armies of WW2.. They started the current war with the Green when they invaded three main areas of the Green Nation: the Desert, Alpine, and Bayou regions. At the beginning of the game, they have a partial alliance with the Blue Information Network, though this alliance remains solid throughout the series.
- Grey – The first encounter with Grey forces is in the original PC game: Sarges heroes is attempting to outflank the Tan and finds himself on the Grey-Tan border. While they are both at war with the Green, they are also at war with each other and Sarge finds himself in a three-way shooting match. Shortly after, Sarge discovers the Grey have formed an alliance with the Tan in order to generate some rather bizarre weapons of mass-destruction Seen in the later games as a magnifier glass.
- Blue – The Blue Army (often with a French influence) seem to have very fluid alliances. They are rarely seen on the front lines. The Blue Army's real talents lie in espionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
, sabotageSabotageSabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
and other kinds of covert missions. The Blue Nation is often depicted as working toward anything they see beneficial, often meaning that they offer their services for a charge. In some of the games, they have an alliance with the Green Army, but in others they are on the opposite side.
- Red – They appear in the Multiplayer mode in "Sarge's War". One of them is rescued from Dr. Madd's castle. Additionally, in Sarge's Heroes, there is a cut-scene where Shrap is rescued from the spider machine. Although they are really supposed to be gray.
- Orange – They are mentioned only in Sarge's Heroes 2, when General Plastro is bragging about conquering all the nations in the plastic world. Not related to the Orange Aliens. Not much is really known about the Orange as they are never really seen and only mentioned. However, in the multiplayer mode of Army Men RTS, you can play as the Orange army.
- Black – Like Orange, they are not involved in any of conflicts, and appear about as much as the Red. Black civilians are seen in a level in Toys In Space. As zombies in Army Men II, they also may occasionally sport a black-colored limb or head.
- The Aliens – The main enemies in Toys in Space. They appear only in Portal Runner and Toys in Space. As Tina Tomorrow secures an alliance with Sarge, the aliens form an alliance with the Tan Empire and join in their quest for domination by providing a whole new armada of lethal creatures and deadly new weapons to make Sarge's life miserable.
- The Galactic Army – Allies of the Green Army in Toys in Space. They only appear in that game. Led by Tina Tomorrow, the Galactic Army is light blue in color. The main army is female with the support troopers (e.g. Mini-Gunners) being male. The Galactic Army provides a number of unique weapons to assist Sarge through Toys in Space.
- The Cult – Only appears in two levels of Army Men 2. They are composed of Blue, Green, Tan, and Gray soldiers, as well as suicide bombers, led by an AWOL ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
from the Green Army. Sarge was originally tasked to locate the Colonel, but after learning of the Colonel's insanity, he is ordered to kill him instead along with his cult followers.
- Malice's Tans – They only appear in Army Men: Sarge's WarArmy Men: Sarge's WarArmy Men: Sarge's War is a game in the Army Men video game series. It was the first game in the series to be created by Global Star Software instead of series creator 3DO and the last game to follow the series. The game is more mature and darker than earlier games in the series. Sarge makes no...
. They are responsible for planting the bomb in the statue and delivering it to the Green/Tan peace ceremony which destroyed it, with all Greens (except Sarge and the remnants of the Green Army) and all of General Plastro's Tans caught in the blast.
- Bugs and Insects – While not always seen in the Army Men Series, Bugs and Insects appear in Army Men: Air Attack (2), Army Men RTS and several other games. They are usually hostile to every army and pack some heavy firepower.
- Dr. Madd's Creations – The demented Grey doctor's creations range from the walking dead to mutated, mutilated varieties of insects. The doctor is often seen working for the Tan nation, however, due to his mental instability, it is believed that his reasons for experimentation stem from his state of mind, rather than to please Plastro's desires. These creatures are trained to attack only the Green Army and their allies, though they may sometimes harm the enemy.
- Other Toys – Other everyday toys, such as action figures, robots, and even Lego figurines make an appearance in the series. Other species of plastic include (or sometimes include metallic) creatures. They are used and controlled by every nation. These "other" toys are very commonly used in the Air Attack games.
- Purple – The purple army are usually just high ranking soldiers in the blue army although rarely seen they do play a role commanding most of the blue army.
- Knights,Dragons,& Dinosaurs; Knights vs. Dragons and Dinosaurs both make their only appearance in "Portal Runner".
Games
| Title | Release date | Platforms | Information |
| Army Men | 1998 | Windows, Game Boy Color | The first game of the series. It was originally released for PC, then was later ported to Game Boy Color Game Boy Color The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than... . Regarded as a classic by fans, this is one of the few games to actually display Sarge and his squad as merely pawns in a bigger battle. Two features that make this game almost unique in the series are its storytelling (Black and white spoofs of World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... -style newsreel Newsreel A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers... s), and the fact that it often depicts fighting that doesn't involve the main characters. Many fans of the series as well as reviewers rate this game the highest. |
| Army Men II Army Men II Army Men II, released in 1999 is the second game in the long running Army Men video game franchise from The 3DO Company and a direct sequel to 1998s Army Men. The game differs from the first one in that it has battles in both the "real world" and the "plastic world." It is also the first to... |
1999 | Windows, Game Boy Color | This game is a direct sequel to the first game. The enemies in this game are diverse, ranging from suicide bombers, to zombies, cult members or cockroaches. There is also a wide range of battlefields, such as a kitchen in the "Real World", or a tank factory in the "Plastic World". |
| Army Men: Toys in Space Army Men: Toys in Space Army Men: Toys in Space is the third game in the 3DO series: Army Men, released for the PC in the US in late 1999 and in Europe in early 2000. The game is played as a real-time strategy game from a top-down perspective... |
1999 | Windows | This sequel introduces two new armies: the Space Troops and the Aliens. It introduced a science fiction element not present in any other Army Men games. It also reorganized the control of squads and brought in new weapons and units such as Alien Laser Troopers, Tina's Freeze Ray and her Mini-gun Troopers as well as a small selection of new vehicles. |
| Army Men: Air Attack Army Men: Air Attack Army Men: Air Attack is a shooter game developed and published by 3DO for the PlayStation, Windows and for Nintendo 64 by the name "Air Combat" . It was released in North America on October 13, 1999.-Story:... |
1999 | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows | The main character in this game is a Green Air Cavalry pilot named Captain William Blade. This game has 16 missions with three extra helicopters to unlock. The available helicopters are a Huey Huey -People:* Huey * Huey Lewis, rock musician, noted for his band Huey Lewis & the News* Huey Long , US democratic party politician, known as "The Kingfish"* Huey Long , American musician* Huey P... , Chinook CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s... , Super Stallion, and an Apache AH-64 Apache The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the... . There are also four co-pilots to unlock. Their names are "Woodstock", "Rawhide", "Hardcore", and "Sgt. Hawk". There is also a Mr. Yuk Spoof that can be seen in the fifth mission. This game was also known as Air Combat on the Nintendo 64. |
| Army Men: Sarge's Heroes Army Men: Sarge's Heroes Army Men: Sarge's Heroes is an action-shooter video game that was released for Windows, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and PlayStation. It is part of the Army Men series of video games based on the plastic toy soldiers. It was preceded by Army Men 3D and succeeded by Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2... |
1999 | Windows, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast | This is a console to PC port of the PlayStation game of the same name. This is the first game in the series to appear on Nintendo 64 or Dreamcast. In this game, Sergeant Hawk must reassemble his squad of captured soldiers. General Plastro unveils his new "Super Weapons" (household items and toys) that were taken from the "Alternate World" through portals that connect to the "Plastic World". Sergeant Hawk must use his "Bravo Company Commandos" to help him defeat General Plastro and the Tan Army. |
| Army Men: Air Tactics Army Men: Air Tactics Army Men: Air Tactics, is a video game in the Army Men franchise released in 2000 for Windows by The 3DO Company. This game was also known to be similar to "Air Attack" , though others consider them to be completely different games... |
1999 | Windows | In this title, the player controlled character was Captain Blade of the Green Airborne Cavalry. This is an overhead view flight simulator in which the player can fly a number of different helicopters. Captain Blade's main responsibility is to act as aerial support for Sarge and his men. This game introduced abilities such as lifting heavy objects and transporting them to other locations, landing on the ground to load/unload soldiers and features unique airborne combat not seen in any of the other games. |
| Army Men 3D | 1999 | PlayStation | This installment is a 3-dimensional remake of the original "Army Men" game. The main character's goal is to collect the tinker toy keys which lead him to a Portal to the Real World. |
| Army Men: World War | 2000 | Windows, PlayStation | The first of the World War titles. This game focuses solely on combat in the "Plastic World", with most of the missions being based on World War II. The PC game starts with a D-Day D-Day D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar... style landing after which there are a number of missions that all have themes from World War II lore, such as "A Bridge Too Far A Bridge Too Far A Bridge Too Far is a 1977 epic war film based on the 1974 book of the same name by Cornelius Ryan, adapted by William Goldman. It was produced by Joseph E. Levine and Richard P... ". This is the only game in the series where vehicles can not be controlled by enemy forces. This game is the only PC game in the series without an appearance by Sarge. This game also has an in-depth system for organizing large numbers of soldiers under the player's command. This game was also known as "Operation Meltdown" outside the US and Canada. |
| Army Men: World War - Land, Sea and Air | 2000 | PlayStation | This installment is a sequel to "Army Men: World War". The game is made up of five operations with three missions in each one. |
| Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 is the sequel to Army Men: Sarge's Heroes. It was released in 2000 for Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation and PlayStation 2. Unlike the previous game where it was more dark in tone, this game has more of a lighthearted storyline.- Overview :SH2 starts where SH left... |
2000 | PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64 | This is the sequel to Sarge's Heroes. It introduces several new characters, and the concept of "Plastrification". Plastrification, according to Dr. Madd, is a condition that occurs when a soldier from the "Plastic World" spends too much time in the "Real World" causing the hardening of the limbs and the forming of a plastic base. However, the character Bridgette Bleu has developed a serum that reverses the effects of plastrification. |
| Army Men: Operation Green Army Men: Operation Green Army Men: Operation Green is a shooter game developed by Pocket Studios and published by 3DO for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America on December 10, 2001 and in Europe on March 15, 2002.-Reception:... |
2001 | Game Boy Advance | In this game, the player can take control of a generic Green soldier in a 3-D isometric world. This title is set almost exclusively in the Plastic World, and several vehicles are available to drive. |
| Army Men: World War - Final Front sometimes referred to as 'Lock N load' | 2001 | PlayStation | This game features four fronts with three missions in each one. The Tan Army once again launches an unprovoked attack upon the Green Army, so the Green retaliate by attacking the Tan capital. When they discover that the Tan have created weapons of mass destruction, they declare a full-scale war against the Tan and deploy their forces worldwide to destroy the revived Tan Army and its new weapons. This game introduces submarine Submarine A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability... warfare to the World War titles. |
| Army Men: Green Rogue sometimes referred to as 'Omega Soldier' | 2001 | PlayStation, PlayStation 2 | Set during the time of "Sarge's Heroes", the Green Army creates a super soldier composed of DNA spliced from all the members of Bravo Company. Plastro tries to capture the super soldier, but the crash-landing of the helicopter transporting it inadvertently awakens Omega Soldier, causing a one-man rampage against Tan forces. Unique to this game is the fact that all of Omega Soldier's weapons are made of metal instead of plastic. |
| Army Men: Advance Army Men Advance Army Men Advance was a Game Boy Advance launch title released by the now-defunct 3DO game company. It is a 2D game in their moderately successful Army Men franchise. Much like Army Men: Sarge's Heroes, the story has General Plastro and his army of tan figurines have decide to take over the world... |
2001 | Game Boy Advance | The player can choose between Sarge, or Vikki, and receives several objectives by radio, such as recruiting fellow squad members, escaping from prison, or breaking into enemy installations. |
| Army Men: Air Attack 2 Army Men: Air Attack 2 Army Men: Air Attack 2 is a shooter game developed and published by 3DO for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. It is a sequel to Army Men: Air Attack.-Reception:The game received above average reviews, with a 75% from Metacritic... sometimes referred to as "Blade's Revenge" |
2001 | PlayStation, PlayStation 2 | The sequel to Army Men: Air Attack. It includes 2 new helicopters, the "King Cobra" and the "Osprey", in addition to the Chinook and Apache. There is a new co-pilot named "Bombshell". In this game each co-pilot has a special secondary weapon which can only be used by that co-pilot. |
| Portal Runner Portal Runner Portal Runner is a video game series produced by 3DO and Handheld Game and distributed by 3DO for PlayStation 2 game console and Game Boy Color handheld on September 10, 2001 in the US and one month later on October 19 in the UK... |
2001 | PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color | This spin-off of Sarge's Heroes focused on Vikki Grimm and Bridgette Bleu. In this game, Bridgette Bleu traps Vikki Grimm in another dimension through the use of a portal. Vikki and a lion named Leo must find the right portal to take them back to the "Plastic World". |
| Army Men World War: Team Assault | 2002 | PlayStation | The last game released in the World War series and the last one released for the PlayStation. |
| Army Men: Air Combat - The Elite Missions | 2003 | Nintendo GameCube | The Final game in the air combat series gave gamers the same experience from the N64 original with upgraded features, graphics, and new levels. |
| Army Men: RTS Army Men: RTS Army Men: RTS is a game in the Army Men video game series. It is a real time strategy game. The game includes 15 campaign missions, 8 "special operation" missions and 8 "great battles" missions. The game revolves around collecting resources and using it to build structures and troops while... |
2002 | Windows, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube | This game was one of the last Army Men titles released before The 3DO Company filed for bankruptcy. This Army Men installment is a 3D Real Time Strategy game. It provided a brand new perspective on the Army Men game - base building, and a fully 3D camera. The game does provide some unique elements such as collecting the melted plastic after a battle and recycling it to create a fresh supply of troops. It is also unique (along with Army Men: Sarge's War) in that all of the soldiers in these games are equipped with metal Metal A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light... weapons, grenades and minesweepers as opposed to most other games in the series, which offer plastic weapons. This may have been used to give clarity to what the individual soldiers were holding, which would be more difficult with colored weaponry. |
| Army Men: Turf Wars | 2002 | Game Boy Advance | This is a shoot 'em up Shoot 'em up Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what... game for the Game Boy Advance. The Tan Army has struck once again and has taken over a Green Army base. Colonel Grimm has formed a two-man team: Sergeant Hawk and a blue spy to fight the Tan Army. |
| Army Men: Sarge's War Army Men: Sarge's War Army Men: Sarge's War is a game in the Army Men video game series. It was the first game in the series to be created by Global Star Software instead of series creator 3DO and the last game to follow the series. The game is more mature and darker than earlier games in the series. Sarge makes no... |
2004 | Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube | Sarge's War is the last game to follow the series. Lord Malice has formed a secret militia of Tans, who have attacked the Green and Tan nations at the Green-Tan peace ceremony. Everyone, including Colonel Grimm, Vikki, and General Plastro, have been killed. However, Sergeant Hawk and Malice's militia have survived. Sarge then seeks revenge on Lord Malice. This game was initially developed by the 3DO Company, but after 3DO filed for bankruptcy, the game was purchased, completed, and released by Crave Entertainment Crave Entertainment Crave Entertainment is an American video game company. It was founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters is in Newport Beach, California... . The game's tone is darker and more realistic than its predecessors; for example, when Sarge is shot, holes will appear in his body. |
| Army Men: Major Malfunction Army Men: Major Malfunction Army Men: Major Malfunction is a game in the Army Men franchise released by Global Star Software in 2006 for Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles. The name Major Malfunction is derived from R. Lee Ermey's quote in Full Metal Jacket, "What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?".-Story:The main character... |
2006 | PlayStation 2, Xbox | Major Malfunction was released by Global Software. The main character is a soldier named Private Anderson and the villain is a character named "Major Malfunction", The game received largely negative reviews, although graphically it is regarded as the "best looking" game in the series. |
| Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune | 2008 | PlayStation 2, Wii, Nintendo DS | Soldiers of Misfortune is the latest game of the series, published by Destination Software, Inc. The plot of Soldiers of Misfortune is a major departure from the rest of the series. No reference is made to the regular Army Men characters, or to any of the events that occurred in past games. The player assumes the role of a young boy named Timmy, who imagines himself as a toy soldier and uses weapons such as a miniature dart. This game is not officially part of the series, and is not considered canonical. The game was a failure and received largely negative reviews similar to Major Malfunction, many fans consider Soldiers of Misfortune to be the worst game in the series. |
| Army Men: Mobile Ops Army Men: Mobile Ops Army Men Mobile Ops is a shooter video game and is based on the Army Men series. The game reastablishes the conflict between the Greens and the Tans. The game takes the gameplay back to its roots as a strategy game. The player can choose to play as 7 different soldiers, with 3 units per mission... |
2010 | Mobile | The newest mobile game brings back the original story: the war between the Green and the Tan army. |
The Plastic World
Much is unknown about the Plastic World, mainly because it is never shown on a map or discussed for an extended period of time, though there are certain things that can be inferred.There is a Pacific island area (stated in "World War"). The eastern part of the world houses the Blue Nation (a border is seen but it is unknown if this is another country), while the Western part houses the Tan. It is unknown where the Green, Orange, and Red Nations reside, as it is never stated.
The Gray Nation is in the western area as well because it borders the Tan nation according to Army Men. The only thing known about the Green Nation's homeland is that it contains desert, alpine, and bayou regions.
As seen in Army Men (the first game in the series) during the beginning movie, it is revealed that the Green Nation is almost completely surrounded by Tan territory. The bayou is in the south.
End of 3DO
Army Men: RTS was the last Army Men game to be released by the 3DO3DO
3DO may refer to:*The 3DO Company, a video game company that developed:**3DO Interactive Multiplayer, a video game console, 1993–1996***List of 3DO games, a list of games released for the 3DO...
Company before they filed for chapter eleven bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. The major franchises were auctioned off, and Army Men was purchased by Global Star Software (now known as 2K Play).
In 2004, Global Star published Sarge's War. The PS2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
versions were completed by some members of the original Sarge's War development team from 3DO. Global Star then released Army Men: Major Malfunction for the Xbox (as well as for the PlayStation 2 in limited regions), and planned a Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version, which was not released. Army Men: Mobile Ops is currently the latest game in the series. Future installments are possible, but unlikely, due to the poor critical and commercial performance of Major Malfunction and Soldiers of Misfortune.
Criticism
While originally well-received, each title seemed to decline in quality. The Army Men series has been heavily criticized by several parts of the video game media, including X-PlayX-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
and Seanbaby
Seanbaby
Sean Patrick Reiley , better known as Seanbaby, is an American writer best known for his comedy website and frequent contributions to video game media outlets Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1UP.com. He is also a regular contributor to the humor website Cracked.com...
of EGM
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, for the frequency and declining quality of each new title.
Reviews frequently emphasize the series' lack of consistency. Gameplay constantly changed in a game from version to version. There is also an inconsistency in the time period in which the series takes place. Many of the games, such as the Sarge's Heroes games, employ World War II and Vietnam war era weaponry (Ex. the M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
assault rifle and the M2 flamethrower
M2 flamethrower
The M2 flamethrower was an American man-portable backpack flamethrower that was used in World War II. It was the successor to the M1 and M1A1 flamethrowers. Although its actual "burn time" was around 47 seconds and the flame was only effective out to around 20 metres , it was still a functional...
), whereas the Air Attack/Air Combat games use helicopters from the Vietnam War era.