Remember the Army Men-series? We do, and we've just received the first batch of screenshots of Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune for the Nintendo DS and Wii.
DS-x2.com writes: "If you've been given this title or you've bought it, then it is you who is the true soldier of misfortune because you won't find any fun here, other than that which you'll get from removing it from your console and putting something else in."
WP: "How annoying is it to finish playing with your toys, only to find out that they've separated into inexplicable factions and declared war? It's even worse to find yourself suddenly having to choose a side and go to the front lines of battle. For some reason, the main character in Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune, Timmy, has to deal with this exact scenario. The little boy who's suddenly caught up in this inexplicable plastic conflict seems to thrive on the wartime environment, instantly grabbing up his dart gun and shrinking down to enter guerrilla combat. Maybe I would do the same if combat were as simple, predictable and safe as it is in this title, but then again, maybe I wouldn't, if I knew how boring this game would turn out to be."
TheGamersTemple:
"Those two words, wasted opportunity, are Soldiers of Misfortune's M.O. Everything about the game felt like a rush job, a an oversight related to developers who maybe just didn't care enough. The groundwork is there – the revamp of a long running series, a clever approach, a premise any kid could fall in love with… and it all just falls flat. You shouldn't beat yourself up if this game never makes it to your DS; you won't be missing out on much of anything if you skip this one. If, however, this game gets a sequel, I'd advise giving that one a look. With a little TLC, the game could be improved and provide a fun shooting experience for the younger set. And since so many shooters are drenched in blood and gore, the "kid-friendly" shooter is a rare occurrence indeed. Army Men represents a nice attempt and the fundamentals are there, but Army Men 2 could be the game that this one had the potential to be."
Oh geez. Was there actually an executive sitting in an office somewhere that said "Hey, you know a franchise that we could *really* stand to see more of? Army Men!"
That prospect truly frightens me.