Toy Commander
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Every kids fantasy is to control the toys in their bedroom, secretly plotting out an overthrow of the world, while they sit back and watch former friends and loved ones grovel at their feet for mercy! Well some kids did. One kid. Okay, me.
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Toys Don't Cry
In Toy Commander, you pilot, drive, and commandeer over 35 vehicles as you defend you playroom against outside aggressors. Most of the action takes place in the larger than life house you live in - you'll fly around the kitchen sink, drive a tank into a bedroom dresser and blow it up, or race your jeep through the fireplace, across the stove, and down the refrigerator, just missing the unsuspecting house cat.
Why would you want to deliver such barrel-blasting fury onto your house? You're trying to beat the scores of certain appliances in the house, who've already run the gauntlet and come out with pretty speedy finishing times. If you happen to beat their times completing the mission-based objectives you will ultimately unlock a hidden area - and face one of the game's bosses.
The weaponry you're endowed with is inventive and lethal. You'll fire off pen caps and pencil missiles, eraser bombs, and pop-top soda can land mines. If you're lucky enough to find Power bubbles, you can upgrade those weapons to become even more damaging.
There are No Atheists in Pottys, Son
The graphics look similar to Sarge's Heroes for the Nintendo 64, but with a lot of added depth and some great details, like superior smoke effects and realistic explosions. Everything is kept in a fairly young vein, but the planes, jeeps, and tanks look like great reproductions of real vehicles.
The sounds have their highlights, like the aforementioned explosions, and the rattle of machine gun fire, but the game is devoid of any voices, and consequently, of much needed character. The absence of voice in the game makes you feel like your playing with your toys in a very quiet house.
The game's controls are a little off-kilter as well. You will have a hard time at first controlling the planes, as they take some special handling especially when trying to turn. You'll also have some difficulty in chasing down flying vehicles, catching them in your gunsight, and hitting them squarely with your weapons. The controls seem overbearing for such a light and fun game.
Praise the Dreamcast and Pass the Ammo
Toy Commander is perfect for those of you who like the idea of commanding your toys and attacking the evil appliances, but some may find that the game drags on in later missions, especially ones that look suspiciously like past missions redressed. But for the young at heart, especially the war-like Children of the Corn meets the Lord of the Flies young at heart, Toy Commander fires off the first salvo in fun war strategy games for the Dreamcast.
