Army Men Air Combat

Join the green plastic men as they battle their way across the backyard and other locales in a helicopter, retrieving needed supplies and weapons on the way. Enemies abound and are all gunning for you, so watch out!

It's green against tan, in an all-out war for supremacy. Play consists of flying a helicopter through various missions (16 in all), shooting at enemies, picking up supplies and power-ups, and dropping off supplies. Tactics are important, as you plan your path through the terrain after reconnoitering. Keep an eye on your energy level, it will show you how much longer your helicopter can survive hits. You'll have lots of ammunition and different weapons to shoot back with, so you won't have to worry about running out. Use your winch to pick up and drop off things. As you progress, more types of helicopters and weapons will be available to use.

The first missions in a game of this type are usually fairly easy, to familiarize the player with the different controls, and feel of the game. Not this time, though! The first mission is somewhat difficult, especially for the arcade-challenged. The movement of the helicopter itself is hard to control, and I kept flying around in circles trying to get lined up to shoot at the people who were raining fire on me. I kept dying, over and over again. Eventually I gained some experience flying the helicopter, and was able to progress. The graphics are good, and the helicopter looks very nice.

Even though I had problems at first, I really enjoyed this game. I'm usually not big on shoot-em ups, but this doesn't 'feel' like a typical shooter, maybe because everything is so small. I had a real sense of accomplishment upon finishing my tasks, and was motivated to move on. Strategy is important, and I encourage players to keep toggling back and forth between their map and regular view, to help in orienting yourself. Surprisingly, my 15 year old nephew wasn't very interested in playing after trying it, but he's more into instant gratification than anything that requires lots of patience.

Because of the mild violence in the game, I wouldn't recommend it to very young children, but it's fine for kids ages 9-up. There's no blood, and the soldiers just disappear in a tiny ball of flame when shot at. I feel no qualms about letting my 11 year old daughter play it.

If you're looking for something besides the endless platformers for your GBC, and like a little strategy with your arcade action, then this is a very good choice to add to your game collection.