Army Men II

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Army Men II
Developer(s)The 3DO Company
Publisher(s)The 3DO Company
SeriesArmy Men
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
Game Boy Color
  • NA: November 22, 2000[3]
  • EU: November 24, 2000
Genre(s)Real-time tactics
Mode(s)Single-player

Army Men II is a real-time tactics video game developed and published by The 3DO Company for Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Color. The game differs from the first installment in that it has battles in both the "real world" and the "plastic world". It was also the first to introduce the concept of portals between the real world and their world, a topic that was expanded upon in later games.

Plot

Background

In Army Men, the Tan commander Plastro, invades the green lands. At the end, Sarge races the tan forces to a portal and enters, finding himself in a kitchen. The game begins with a massive tan force including Plastro himself chasing him through the portal. Major Mylar betrays Plastro, destroys the portal as he enters it and takes control of the tan army and territories.

Levels

The game continues from the kitchen with Sarge and a small squad fighting their way across the kitchen counter, finding a portal back to the plastic Jungle (Level 1). Securing a radio installation, Sarge contacts HQ for instructions (Level 2), using which he wins a tank fight (Level 3), save a blue spy from the tan forces and escapes through an airfield (Level 4).

In search for a missing colonel in plastic tropical islands, Sarge finds soldiers from all four armies banded together in what is called "the Cult". Colonel, gone mad, is found to be the leader of this cult (Level 5). He escapes through a portal and is followed by Sarge into a front yard where he is taken out by Sarge himself (Level 6).

Sarge's plane is shot down into a plastic tropical island full of zombies created by Dr. Madd, an insane Grey scientist working for the Tan Army, who creates Cult forces by injecting different color liquids to soldiers. Sarge destroys the zombie mold factory generators (Level 7) and chases Dr. Madd to a desert where he must take out other scientists (Level 8). He then goes through another portal to a hobby table in a garage to stop several scientists from escaping back into the plastic world (Level 9). Through a portal he emerges at a forested, middle-of-nowhere tan base to fight the last enemy scientists protected by zombies, suicide bombers, etc. (Level 10)

Sarge finally attacks the tan fortress, evades a massive wave of angry soldiers, rescues the blue spy, finds a key leading to a weapon of mass destruction located in the center of the fortress. bombs and destroys it before the tans use it, and goes out through a portal (Level 11) to Mylar's HQ in a child's bedroom, crawling with tan soldiers. He takes out Major Mylar on a fortress-like playset (Level 12).

Epilogue

In the closing movie, the greens swoop in, taking out the remaining tans and enjoying a major victory for the Green Army. On top of a nightstand or dresser, General Plastro can be seen spying on them. Under his breath, he "thanks" Sarge for getting rid of Mylar, and "encourages" him to revel in his victory for now. Laughing maniacally, he says that he something special planned for the next time they meet.

An ominous scene involving Dr. Madd working on the remains of Mylar in his lab concludes the ending movie.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GBCPC
AllGameStarStarStar[5]StarStarStarStar[6]
CGSPN/AStarStarStar[8]
CGWN/AStarStarHalf star[9]
GameProN/AStarStarHalf star[11]
GameSpotN/A6.9/10[12]
IGN7/10[13]4.4/10[14]
Next GenerationN/AStarStarStar[15]
PC Gamer (US)N/A68%[17]
Aggregate score
GameRankingsN/A56%[4]

The PC version received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4] However, the Game Boy Color version was met with slightly more positive reception than the PC version.[5][13] Next Generation said of the same PC version, "If you can overlook the flaws, Army Men II is a guilty pleasure."[15]

References

  1. "Gone Gold : EuroGold". 2001-02-10. http://www.gonegold.com/golden/eurogold99.shtml. 
  2. IGN staff (March 3, 1999). "News Briefs". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/04/news-briefs-403. "3DO Sends Two Out The Door: 3DO announced today that...Army Men II [has] shipped for the PC." 
  3. "3DO Ships New Army Men(R) Games for Game Boy(R) Color". November 22, 2000. http://www.3do.com/investors/pr_112200.html. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Army Men II for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/132695-army-men-ii/index.html. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Thompson, Jon. "Army Men 2 (GBC) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=25406&tab=review. 
  6. House, Michael L.. "Army Men II (PC) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17601&tab=review. 
  7. Schuytema, Paul (March 16, 1999). "Army Men II (PC)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2567,00.html. 
  8. Smith, Peter (April 8, 1999). "Army Men II". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/019/012/armym2_review.html. 
  9. Chick, Tom (June 1999). "Battle Fatigue (Army Men II Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (179): 143. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_179.pdf. Retrieved May 5, 2021. 
  10. Conlin, Shaun (August 16, 1999). "Army Men II (PC)". Greedy Productions, Inc.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=839&full=1#mr_toppy. 
  11. Brenesal, Barry (1999). "Army Men II Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/746.shtml. Retrieved May 11, 2015. 
  12. Ryan, Michael E. (March 17, 1999). "Army Men II Review (PC)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/army-men-ii-review/1900-2538044/. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 Harris, Craig (November 8, 2000). "Army Men 2 (GBC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/09/army-men-2. 
  14. Butts, Steve (April 5, 1999). "Army Men 2 (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/06/army-men-2-4. 
  15. 15.0 15.1 "Army Men II (PC)". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (53): 95. May 1999. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_53/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved May 5, 2021. 
  16. Klett, Steve (May 1999). "Army Men II". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (9): 90. https://archive.org/details/PCXL09May1999/page/n93/mode/2up. Retrieved May 5, 2021. 
  17. Williamson, Colin (June 1999). "Army Men II". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (6): 136. https://archive.org/details/pcgamer199906/page/n145/mode/2up. Retrieved May 5, 2021. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari






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