Army Men 2

My kids (10 and 12) pounced on this game when it arrived - something to do with the attraction that toy soldiers have always had for boys of all ages. The instruction booklet advertises it as 'real combat / plastic men' and it is essentially an arcade shoot 'em up game with multiple levels and a top down viewpoint. My older son became a little bored with it after his initial enthusiasm but his younger brother persisted and has only slowed down at the last few levels, which are very hard to beat.

This is one of a series of Army Men games. Start off in Boot Camp, where you pick up and try the available weapons and learn how to move Sarge (your character) around obstacles like signs and jacks (remember that Sarge is a small plastic soldier so he is dwarfed by objects like tennis balls). Move and turn Sarge around with the arrow buttons, shoot with A and change weapons with B. There are also more complex combinations that allow Sarge to get in and out of vehicles (tanks and jeeps) and dive to the ground or stand up again.

Equipment includes weapons like an automatic rifle, mortar, bazooka, grenades and a flamethrower (Sarge can only carry three at a time). There is also a minesweeper which prevents mines from blowing up, and 'instant health' boxes and first aid kits to heal damage. Sarge picks up some weapons in Boot Camp and, if he avoids the minefield and deals with the snipers, emerges to the accolade 'Outstanding job, Sarge'. He then starts in on over twenty missions. Each comes with instructions on mission objectives, and a Strategy Map that shows the terrain and the location of enemy toy soldiers.

Levels are set in locations around the home, like the Yard, the Garage, the Kitchen and a room with toys (this has a toy fort with a maze-like interior and is pretty tough to beat). Sarge gets to dodge around apples, oranges, salt shakers, pencils and flowers. He must clear out all the Tan soldiers at each level. When he shoots or flames them, they fall down, dissolve into plastic pieces or you see a small explosion. The game can be played in English, French or German; alone or in two player mode (using a Game Link cable) against a friend. Two players can play 'Capture the Flag' or 'Blitz'.

Given its shoot 'em up nature, is this a suitable game for children? People have different viewpoints on this. Personally, I would be reluctant to let younger kids play this sort of game, but had no concern about my own 10 and 12 year olds' exposure to animated toy soldiers. My 10 year old enjoyed it and informed me that there was a fair amount of planning and good tactics involved in beating the levels - working out what order to go after the enemy Tans at different locations and taking into consideration the locations of 'instant health' packs. On the other hand, I would not encourage my kids to play the competitive two player version as this sort of thing has overflowed into real conflict in the past - it's a shame the designers did not build in a cooperative two player mode, allowing them to fight the Tans together.

Overall, while I would not like this to be the only kind of game my kids played, Army Men 2 provided hours of entertainment for them, and they enjoyed the challenge of progressing through the levels. Having weaker arcade and tactical skills, I stuck to the sidelines but enjoyed reading the instruction booklet with its tongue in cheek comments like 'Harden yourself into the mold of a plastic soldier' and 'All your training, determination and good ol' polyurethane-grit will see you through!'