Toy Commander
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Sega Developer: No Cliché Media: GC/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: How can you say anything bad about Dreamcast graphics? Only if you're blind. Toy Commander looks great. The toys that you get to play with actually look like real toys, and the completely interactive backgrounds have color and detail that no other system could touch. Unlike some of the other titles, clipping was nonexistent. The smooth, detailed clarity in the graphics really brought this game to life. It is hard to think that a completely 3D environment could have such flawless clarity and smooth transitions, while maintaining a high frame rate. Well, Sega did it. Toy Commander enhances its gameplay with great graphics.
Gameplay: So, what is Toy Commander all about? Well, it's an all out war between the toys. The concept is simple and somewhat Disney. Your first ever toy (Huggy Bear) feels neglected and is jealous of all the newer toys. So, what else can he do? He takes over the house. Assuming command of an army of toys, he sets up some 'test' in each room. If you want control of your house and toys back, you must defeat this self acclaimed 'toy commander'. In each room of the house, you are give certain missions or 'tests'. The missions start off easy, but get pretty difficult after a while. Once you complete the missions for the room, you must face the toy boss of that room. If you defeat him, he changes allegiance to you and you can move on to the next room, ultimately ending with Huggy Bear himself. Not your style? That's okay, deathmatch is here. Play up to four players in an all out toy brawl. With three different deathmatch modes and 35 different toys to choose from, the party can keep going all night. The multiplayer mode assures that Toy Commander has the replay ability that everyone wants.
Difficulty: I'm going to be one hundred percent honest with you, the game is hard. Either that or I just suck. Okay maybe I do suck, but still, the game is not easy. With only 50 missions, I guess they had to make it somewhat difficult, so it will last longer. Really, it wasn't the missions that were that hard; it was the 3D environment itself. Remember when games were in 2D - it was real easy to look at your radar and find the enemy to shoot him down. Well, what happens when the enemy is not only in front or behind, but also above or below you? As you can see, a true 3D gaming world will take some getting used to. Until you do, sometimes the game just seems boring and very difficult.
Game Mechanics: Not too much to complain about here. Everything was smooth and responsive, and with VMU, Jump Pack, and four-player support, how can you go wrong? I found that the controls were easy to learn and even easier to master. The lack of options and desire to keep everything simple really helped this one out. It's not often than I can say that. The smooth gameplay, flawless graphics, and multiplayer capability makes Toy Commander a good war game to bring home. Just don't let your old toys watch you play; you never know what might happen.
-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Ultimate Fighting Championship