Army Men: Operation Meltdown
Once again the miniature plastic heroes from the huge Army Men
 series are set to splatter our screens and monitors with molten
 goo as the Tan’s and Greens take their combat to new heights in
 ARMY MEN: OPERATION MELTDOWN. In this one, originally titled
 Army Men: World War, they are using the WWII beaches, jungle
 settings, abandoned cities and ravaged countryside to wage
 their all-out attacks for overall supremacy and, as supreme
 commander of the Green army, it’s up to you to make sure they
 succeed. 

The third-person control is the same as in previous titles but
 for anyone new to plastic combat a comprehensive tutorial is on
 hand to guide you through the basic training. You’ll learn to
 aim and fire rifles and bazookas, accurately target mortar fire
 and take control of heavy artillery before embarking on your
 quest to eradicate the terrible Tan’s once and for all…. Well,
 not really coz there’s a few more titles planned for the 
future…! 

Each of the 16 missions has a specific objective to achieve but,
 thankfully, an accurate terrain map will help you reach your
 goal. On the other hand, most missions rely upon the exploits
 and skill of a lone soldier, which means that some sort of 
tactical expertise is needed by players to survive the often-
overwhelming odds. Armed with only a rifle and infinite shells 
you must guide your man through this hostile territory using any 
cover to your best advantage. More powerful weaponry can be
 collected along the way but these rely on you locating suitable
 ammunition for them. Once it’s gone…! 

Grenades and flamethrowers cause some graphic animated damage to
 the opposition and use some very nice pyrotechnic effects that
 light up the immediate area. Good thing too…! As you would 
expect in actual combat situations the scenarios are often dark
 and dreary, reflecting the horrors of war. Damage to your lone
 hero is repairable but you’ll need to keep an eye open for the
 first aid boxes amid the molten carnage. Thankfully, especially
 for the squeamish ones, blood is not an issue but you will come
 across lots of plastic puddles of dubious origin. 

While this is mainly a game of hunting down and disposing of the 
enemy some of the graphics and audio effects are very good. The 
stirring background music also plays a big part and helps you to
 realise why, throughout history, soldiers have taken their
 musicians into battle.