Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes

Army Men: Sarge's Heroes is a 1999 third-person shooter developed and published by The 3DO Company, and one of the more prominent entries in its Army Men toy-soldier franchise. Originally released on the Nintendo 64 and subsequently ported to the PlayStation, Dreamcast and PC, it stars Sergeant Hawk, the green plastic hero leading a small squad against the Tan Army and its commander, General Plastro. Departing from the series' more strategy-oriented installments, Sarge's Heroes adopts an action focus, sending the player through linear missions across toy-scale battlefields, from suburban backyards and kitchens to bedrooms and offices, that mix run-and-gun combat with light objective and stealth elements. Players wield an arsenal of scaled-down weapons, including rifles, bazookas, flamethrowers, grenades and mortars, and contend with household-sized hazards. The game also featured multiplayer deathmatch modes that became a draw on the Nintendo 64. It was among the better-received Army Men titles of the period, credited with translating the franchise's appealing premise into a more exciting action format, though reviewers still noted control and camera issues. Its relative success spawned a direct sequel, making Sarge and his squad recurring faces of the brand. It was followed by Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2, and Sarge later headlined further action entries in the franchise.