Army Men: Air Combat Preview

Army Men on red alert! Another attack from the evil Tan army is about to take place, and this time it's coming from the skies. The 3DO Company is continuing to mass-develop games based on its Army Men franchise, and the next title in the ever-growing series, set for release on the Nintendo 64, is Army Men: Air Attack. The mission set upon you in your role as Captain William Blade, an all-new hero, is to lead your air cavalry in a battle to rescue POWs, recover downed allies, steal enemy war plans, and once again attempt to eradicate the Tan army.

As captain, you pilot one of four helicopters through areas such as your backyard, the playground, picnic areas, and beaches and take on several types of enemies while you take charge in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. The four helicopters in Army Men: Air Attack include the Super Stallion, the Huey, the Chinook, and the Apache. For weapons you get to use pyrotechnics such as bottle rockets and roman candles as you take on the Tan army and real-world enemies. In addition, your helicopter's winch is largely used in missions to pick up and use objects such as soda cans, doughnuts, chicken legs, and cherry bombs.

Don't be fooled though - helicopters won't be the only things you can make use off. You will also be able to direct, in conjunction with Sarge, a full arsenal of ground troops, tanks, jeeps, trains, windup robots, infantry, and even UFOs. For those who don't remember Sarge, he is the one whom gamers took control of in past Army Men games.

There are 16 single-player missions in the game. The types of missions include destroy, rescue, escort, and delivery. As for multiplayer, The 3DO Company is including a cooperative mode plus four competitive modes, including Flag Nab-It, Air Rescue, Food Fight, and Bug Hunt. Up to four players can participate in the competitive modes.

Fans of the Army Men series should keep a close eye on Army Men: Air Attack. For you beginners, don't worry, The 3DO Company is making the title so it is simple to pick up and play. The 3DO Company doesn't seem to be running out of ideas to implement in the franchise, and with the new air-centric strategy being put into this title, people may find it very refreshing. Be prepared to go into the mind of plastic soldiers this spring.