Although the information about the project is classified so as not to reveal the story, what we can do is talk a little about the development process.
Using TEN Engine, a new updated Tomb Raider Level Editor, we are going to develop a second part of Portal Runner. With no need of more introduction, here we go with some of the development notes for future reference.
Tomb Engine test / Showcase:
During the presentation of the project idea with our collaborators, we made a demonstration of how it works and how to work in Tomb Engine (TEN)
In the graphics we can see the simple geometry of a stage, the texturing and then the lighting. None of this is a final product, just an early test.
Level Design:
In Portal Runner 2 we will visit new scenarios, but also several places and worlds already known, therefore we will imitate the designs of other games.
Level Textures:
We are going to extract and use textures from old games, to imitate the look and feel of those games. But there is a problem, at least with the textures of the Playstation 1 games, which are mostly 32px, while the old Tomb Raider ones are 24px (or 48px). Well, they are 8px X 4 = 32 and the TR ones are 8px X 3 = 24. That is, multiples of 4 when in TR they are multiples of 3, therefore they have to be converted to multiples of 4 without changing the appearance, because then when putting them next to other textures the image limits can noticeable.
Army Men 3D Texture (x32)Army Men 3D Texture (upscaled to x48)
For now, the textures will remain as they were originally, but manually enhanced with the “nearest” resampling method. We will only add a few new variants. But as soon as we see that they work well, we may remaster them.
Major Mylar’s initials are MM (he uses them on his badge). Major Malfunction’s initials are also MM. Major Gooding was Lord Malice, so in “Major Malice” we can also find MM. Which member of the 3DO team that designed some of the games has those initials: Michael Mendheim.
But before you think anything of it, this is just a joke, we’re not theorizing anything 👀. But here’s what it’s all about… and this is the fun part.
Theories in fandoms are exciting for a number of reasons:
Creativity: They allow fans to use their imagination to fill in gaps in the official story, creating new narratives and possibilities.
Connection: They foster a sense of community, as fans discuss and debate their theories, sharing their enthusiasm and passion.
Deepening: They help fans explore the story’s universe further, uncovering details and connections that may not be apparent at first glance.
Interactivity: They make the fan experience more interactive, as fans don’t just consume content, but actively contribute to it.
By the way, it has been proven that some theories in other fandoms were so plausible and amazing to the creatives behind that fandom’s franchise, that they ended up making these fans’ “dreams” come true.
Here are some instances where fan theories or requests influenced the creators to make changes or additions to the story:
Peter Parker in “Iron Man 2”: This theory suggested that a young boy wearing an Iron Man mask at the Stark Expo, who is saved by Iron Man, was actually Peter Parker. Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man, confirmed this theory in an interview, stating that the boy was indeed Peter Parker.
Rex in “Return of the Jedi”: Fans speculated that the bearded Rebel trooper seen on Endor in “Return of the Jedi” was actually Captain Rex from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels.” This theory gained traction when “Star Wars Rebels” confirmed that Rex fought in the Battle of Endor. However, the character in “Return of the Jedi” was originally named Nik Sant, and while the theory is popular, it remained a bit complicated for some time, because was not officially confirmed by all sources. But later Dave Filoni itself confirmed it on X, and this was confirmed in “Galaxy of Adventures” animation and in a newly released Star Wars children’s book titled: “I Am A Clone Trooper”.
Desperate Housewives: Fans were so vocal about wanting Mike and Susan to end up together that the show’s creator, Marc Cherry, changed his original plan. He had intended for Mike to marry Katherine, but fan demand led him to pair Mike with Susan instead.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Fans were eager to see Keith Richards, who inspired Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow, appear in the films. Due to this overwhelming demand, the writers included Richards as Captain Teague.
Lord of the Rings: An unnamed elf in “The Lord of the Rings” films became a fan favorite and was given the name Figwit (Frodo is great — who is that?). Due to the character’s popularity, director Peter Jackson gave him a speaking role in “The Return of the King”.
Supernatural: The character of Castiel was originally intended to be a short-term character, but fan enthusiasm led to him becoming a series regular.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Fans shipped the characters Jake and Amy so strongly that the writers decided to develop their relationship into a central storyline.
These examples show how powerful fan voices can be in shaping the stories they love. But on other occasions, the fandom simply came up with their theories about something that would be a reality later and that had already been thought of, end even executed, by the creators of the franchises. We have the examples of:
Jon Snow is a Targaryen: In “Game of Thrones,” fans speculated that Jon Snow was not Ned Stark’s illegitimate son but the child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. This theory was confirmed in the series, revealing Jon as Aegon Targaryen.
Stan Lee in the MCU: Before it was confirmed, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans theorized that Stan Lee, the creator of many Marvel characters, was playing the same character in all his cameos. This was confirmed in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” where he is seen talking to the Watchers.
Palpatine’s Return: In the “Star Wars” saga, some fans speculated that Emperor Palpatine didn’t actually die in “Return of the Jedi.” This theory came true in “The Rise of Skywalker,” where Palpatine returns as the main villain.
Snoke’s Identity: In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” fans speculated about the true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke. While many theories were incorrect, the revelation that Snoke was a creation of Palpatine in “The Rise of Skywalker” was anticipated by some fans.
Bruce Willis is Dead in “The Sixth Sense”: Fans speculated that Bruce Willis’s character was dead the whole time in “The Sixth Sense.” This theory was confirmed in the movie’s twist ending.
The Identity of the Man in the Iron Mask in “The Flash”: Fans of “The Flash” theorized that the Man in the Iron Mask was Jay Garrick, the original Flash from the comics. This was confirmed in the season 2 finale.
The Joker’s Identity in “Batman: Arkham Knight”: Before the release of “Batman: Arkham Knight,” fans speculated that the Arkham Knight was actually Jason Todd, the former Robin. This theory was confirmed in the game.
The True Nature of Westworld: In the TV series “Westworld,” fans theorized that the park was actually on another planet or in a different time period. It was later revealed that the park is on a distant planet.
The Real Villain in “WandaVision”: Fans speculated that Agatha Harkness was the true villain behind the events in “WandaVision.” This theory was confirmed when Agatha revealed herself.
But in our case we are just connecting unfinished dots with factual possibilities, within the possibilities of the Army Men universe (which we call Toyverse) and trying to fix the inconsistencies that plague the entire saga in a convincing way, which will also require the generation of convincing images, since many times “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
The best enemies ever molded: friends!
Did anyone notice how many traitors there were in the Green ranks alone? The Green Colonel in Army Men 2, H.F. Blintz turning into King Plurtz the First in Army Men RTS, Major Godding turning into Lord Malice in Sarge’s War and Sarge Hawk himself turning into Major Malfunction in (right) Army Men: Major Malfunction.
Another plausible theory (within this theory) is that the AWOL Green Colonel and Blintz knew each other, or at least talked about the same crazy stuff.
We’re going to tie all of this together in a convincing way, adding Major Mylar betraying Plastro in Army Men 2 (talking about the same crazy stuff). But we’ll leave that to the narrative of our project.
Sarge is Sarge Hawk?
A much discussed theory with a simple answer: there is no official answer, and there never will be one. 3DO don’t want to answer the question because they wanted us to believe they are the same, but it was OBVIOUS they are visually very different (the voice of Jim Cumming tried to be the same than the original Sarge). And if there was one answer today, it is unlikely to be genuine.
The reality is that Sarge Hawk and the whole Sarge’s Heroes era was a “soft reboot” where 3DO wanted (without saying so) that people believe that it was the same protagonist, so as not to lose that initial push of the first games. Something like those franchises where the actor changes without any explanation of why, like the 007 films: each film is usually just a stand alone installment, although later there was a series of films where the stories were a continuation (although this did not impact much on the story of each film). But when the 007 franchise changes actors, they simply continue creating films without specifying if it is about the same individual, if in fact the agents are different people who are named as such and finally, there is not even a real temporal progression. This writer’s theory is that different agents are called 007 as they die or retire. This can be seen in Daniel Craig’s latest film, where another female agent is called 007 because Craig’s character was missing ad considered MIA (or AWOL).
So there you have the answer. As far as we are concerned, it’s not about what we believe, but about what we want to do. And we have a GREAT answer to this question that will satisfy everyone… you’ll see!
What do you think?. If you have any good theories, leave them in the comments!
P.S.: Because of this last theory and the statement: “The best enemies ever molded: friends!” we want Hawk to fight the copies of him an his friends of the Bravo Company Commandos. The same for the female protagonist being a Tan version of Hawk’s girlfriends, Vikki.
Flags, logos, and other visual representations are powerful tools in graphic design, serving as symbols that convey identity, values, and messages of groups, nations, factions, and communities. Let’s explore these elements from a graphic design perspective, focusing on representation, iconography, and the meanings behind various design elements and their users.
Army Men Nations flags
Flags in the Army Men franchise are somewhat diverse. Some use Real-World references, their initial font, or some kind of Shapes or Symbols. Black and White are used for the contrast element.
Army Men Green Army FlagGreen Flag from SH DreamcastArmy Men Tan Nation FlagTan Flag from SH DreamcastArmy Men Blue Nation FlagBlue Flag from SH DreamcastArmy Men Red Nation FlagSarge’s War GC Red flagGrey Flag from SH Dreamcast
Toyverse Project Original Flags
White Army FlagOrange Army FlagCyan Nation FlagViolet Nation Flag
In the case of the Orange and White armies we used the W and O from the “Real World” logo, which is heavily based on the “Real” slogan from 3DO. But the most for the White Army, because that W is too captivating for us to leave it alone in that logo. It also follows a bit the design aesthetic of the T of the Tan Army.
In the case of the Cyan Army, it is a flag more in the classic style of a Real-World country flag.
But in the case of the White Army flag, we are considering this idea for the design. Although it may end up being a mirror image… or even more distant, it may end up being the logo of Lord Malice or Major Malfunction!
Lord Malice possible logoMajor Malfunction possible logo
Representation in Graphic Design
Representation in graphic design involves creating visual symbols that encapsulate the essence of the entity they represent. This could be a nation, a company, a social movement, or a community. The goal is to create a design that is instantly recognizable and communicates the core values, ideas and identity of the group.
Other flags & logos
Storm Legion Flag (AM Strike’s Tan Colonel Destruction)Colonel Destruction’s Storm LegionBaron Von Beige squadron flagBaron Von Beige squadron CGI original textureAqua Marines flag (Water or Winters Marines)
Iconography
Iconography is the study and use of images and symbols to represent ideas, concepts, or information. In graphic design, iconography is crucial because it allows for the quick and effective transmission of messages. Symbols and icons are more than decorative elements; they are the shorthand of communication, cutting through the clutter of words to convey complex messages swiftly.
The Army Men video game franchise, which began in 1998, is known for its distinctive iconography that draws heavily from the classic green plastic toy soldiers. Here are some key elements:
Color-Coded Factions: The games feature different factions represented by distinct colors, primarily the Green and Tan armies. Other factions like the Blue and Grey armies also appear, each with their own unique characteristics and allegiances.
Toy-Like Aesthetic: The visual style of the games emphasizes the plastic nature of the soldiers. When characters are defeated, they often melt or shatter, reinforcing the idea that they are toys.
Real-World Settings: Many of the battles take place in exaggerated real-world environments, such as kitchen counters, gardens, and bathrooms. This juxtaposition of small toy soldiers in large human environments adds a playful and imaginative element to the games.
Military Symbols: The games incorporate traditional military iconography, such as medals, ranks, and insignias, but with a playful twist to fit the toy soldier theme.
Vehicles and Equipment: The franchise includes a variety of toy-like vehicles and equipment, such as jeeps, tanks, and helicopters, all designed to look like they belong in a child’s playset.
These elements combine to create a unique and nostalgic experience that appeals to both fans of classic toy soldiers and video game enthusiasts.
Original logotypes:
A remake of the Army Men Classic Logo
This was the first logo for the game franchise, later used in Army Men 3D. Later they used different versions for Army Men 2, Army Men Toys in Space and even Sarge’s Heroes and Air Attack. But it was right during the release of these last 2 games that they came up with the final version:
Definitive Army Men logo, with “Real Combat .Plastic Men.” slogan
This version was used in most (if not all) of the later games, with out the slogan. It was used for last versions of Sarge’s Heroes and Air Attack, until 3DO went out of business. Even after that it was still used for Sarge’s War and Major Malfunction.
Our Army Men Toyverse Project Logotypes
Army Men Real World Project
This logo is from our Toyverse project, the logo that the Army Men Alliance uses in their research initiative into the Real World, the world of humans. The design uses the REAL logo from the defunct company 3DO, a kind of slogan they used. It is worth noting that the 3 colors between the letters of REAL are the colors of the 3 pieces of the key that opens the portal in the first game and in Army Men 3D. Since we couldn’t find any matches for the font used, to add WORLD we cloned the R and the L, and created the other letters trying to respect the same style, giving a special emphasis to the W.
This logo captures the mystery and novelty that the Real World means to Army Men.
Army Men Revolution new videogame logo
This is the logo for our video game project. We wanted a somewhat innovative logo, without losing the essence of Army Men. And since it revolves around the Red Army, we gave it that color and some of the essence of the fonts used in the propaganda of the Soviet Union, in which our version of the Reds are strongly based (not for nothing their official flag is a star). Something that helped us finish the idea of the logo was the 2024 movie “Deadpool & Wolverine”, because of that texture of worn painted and metal underneath, which also alludes to the fact that one of the super weapons of the Red Army will be that they manufactured a massive army of vehicles and all kinds of war tools in Real World metal alloys.
Army Men Toyverse project
This is the logo for the Toyverse project, which serves to encompass other projects under the same initiative, in which ideas, canon and assets are shared. Read more in Army Men Toyverse project.
If you feel like the style sounds familiar, it’s because it’s very similar to the style of “Toys in Space”, which we think is a game that represents the imaginative diversity that can be brought to the world of Army Men.
Army Men REAL PLASTIC MEN logo
This is almost the same logo as the 2.0 logo, but in our case we used it for the branding of the plastic soldiers line in the Real World (Real Plastic Men).
Elements in design and their meanings
Colors: Colors play a significant role in visual representations. Each color can evoke specific emotions and symbolize different concepts. For example:
Red: Often associated with passion, energy, and danger. In the case of the Reds, it is appropriate because it represents their nationalist passion and protection of themselves and their culture. They believe that their ideals are correct above all other beliefs, and they defend their culture to the point of being totally closed to the outside world. At first they will be conservative and extremist in keeping it that way.
Blue: Represents calmness, trust, and stability. In the case of what brings us here, Blue is usually a color related to the sky, but especially to the Sea, Water and Ice. For this reason, the element dominated by the Blues will be water or ice, as we can see in the defensive towers of Army Men Warfare. Blue is also a cold and dark color, which helps to go unnoticed in the dark, which is what every spy needs to operate.
Green: Symbolizes nature, growth, and harmony. In the case of our project, it symbolizes the Greens’ initiative to respect the nature of the other worlds and maintain them in harmony, trying not to interfere with or modify them.
Orange: They represent fire, the element that the Orange Nation will dominate. Although the personality of some of its characters will go hand in hand with the intensity of fire.
Gray: They represent neutrality and the absence of diversity. In our Toyverse, the greys were like the Nazis: they rejected everything they considered incorrect or out of the normal status. Their colors lack individuality and diversity. It is also useful when it comes to camouflaging with the environment, one of the most neutral colors for this purpose.
Black: Can denote power, elegance, and mystery. You’ll know why…
Plants: Trees can symbolize life, growth, and wisdom, while flowers like roses can represent love and beauty.
Shapes and Symbols: Shapes and symbols are integral to iconography. Common shapes and their meanings include:
Circles: Represent unity, infinity, and protection.
Triangles: Can symbolize stability, power, and direction.
Stars: Often used to denote excellence, aspiration, and guidance.
Imagery: The use of specific images can convey deeper meanings. For example:
Animals: Different animals can symbolize various traits. For instance, an eagle often represents freedom and strength, while a lion symbolizes courage and royalty.
Historically, the Army Men franchise is full of cultural references from literature, film and television… and we are not going to be left behind of this habit.
Since many of us in the Army Men Toyverse project are fans of Sci-Fi, war and action films in general, we take references from here and there, not only visual, but from the personality of a character being based on an iconic popular character, to certain sounds or weapons based on popular sound pieces.
We think that in the Army Men Microverse the toys themselves adopt and personify characters, as if they were children in a game, and that personality they adopt becomes the purpose that drives and defines them.
Army Men known references
Army Men: Green Rogue:
The introduction of the Omega Soldier in Army Men Green Rogue is almost a copy-paste of the storyboarding of the scene where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 appears in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgement Day T-800 introduction into the story
Army Men: Green Rogue Omega Soldier introduction into the story
The previous suspense, the tempo, the metallic beat music sound typical of the Terminator franchise and the nudity of the character, among other details, are totally based on these introductory scenes of the films of this franchise. For this reason one of the frames of reference for Omega’s personality will be Arnold’s T-800.
T-800 Arrival in The Terminator movie
T-850 Arrival in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes
Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes game cover
Kelly’s Heroes movie poster
Sarge’s Heroes is an obvious reference to Kelly’s Heroes, the film of the same name. In fact, each member of Bravo Company has a very different personality and appearance from each other, and each member has a different specialty. The same thing happens with Kelly’s men. Besides, everyone is crazy… in their own way.
The Red Baron and the Beige Baron
Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen, known as the “Red Baron” or “Baron Von Richthofen”, was a German fighter pilot during the human’s World War I. He is considered the ace of aces of war because he managed to shoot down eighty enemy airplanes. The obvious parallels with Baron Von Beige don’t need much clarification, but it has nothing to do with the Red Baron’s personality, except that he was an honor fighter equivalent to the English gentlemen he fought against. The Beige Baron has equal respect for his enemies, like Captain Blade and instead of finishing off his opponents, he just knocks them down and leaves them a Beige scarf as his trademark. Therefore Von Beige is not a murderer, but an avid fighter who likes to compete against other great pilots.
During the First World War, pilots were considered to be medieval knights “riding” the skies, and that rivals recognized each other as such when they crossed paths on the battlefield. Certain pilots had the habit of giving the military salute to their opponents when passing each other during a reconnaissance mission, but that solemn salute was soon replaced by a much more practical gesture within the context of a total war, although perhaps less chivalrous: the aviators began to carry guns (and use them).
One of the reasons World War I pilots wore scarves was not to be thrown at downed enemies (although they got used to doing it), was the combination of open cockpits and open engine oil systems, which used castor oil. Many early aeronautic engines used an open oil system, in which, instead of circulating the oil, it was dripped out of the engine and replenished from a reservoir, since being rotary engines, the castor oil used It was thrown in all directions, even towards the pilot. Ingesting castor oil not only tastes disgusting, but can also cause quite catastrophic effects on the digestive system. A silk handkerchief filtered out most of the castor oil.
Cajun Joe Colonel
“Cajun Joe’s mansion” was written in the back of the mission list, or description of some kind about missions, in the poster of an Army Men PC special edition, product of a partnership of 3DO with Ubisoft, which led us to the lyrics of a song, called “Cajun Joe (The Bully Of The Bayou)”, a “Country” 60′ style song that coincides in some sort of way with the Gray Colonel mission, like the terrain where the mission take place, the Bayou land.
Colonel Blintz, Lord Malice, Major Malfunction and a Green Colonel
Both the former Colonel Blintz, later called “Blintz” or “King Plurtz One” from Army Men RTS and the Green Colonel from Army Men 2, were clear references to the character of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz from the movie Apocalypse Now. In some very diluted way, the plot of both games, RTS & 2, was based on the primary idea of this movie: hunt down the renegade Colonel because he is out of control or knew a lot, and that is considered dangerous…
Even Lord Malice was also partially based on this character, and Sgt. Hawk goin evil when he became Major Malfunction. Or at least the game’s plot was. Only at the end of the game we found out that Malice was Gooding and Hawk was Malfunction (when in the movie the identity of the villain is known from the beginning). All of them were good men that went crazy.
The points to take into consideration for our Army Men concept artists:
Sarge Hawk Vitruvio Army Men Concept Art
At first the Army Men must look like real soldiers, realizing later during the that they are actually miniature.
Any childish item, like a teddy bear, should look fierce and terrifying. A serious threat, although it may seem harmless at first for the player to take it lightly.
They should look like real little toys, plastic soldiers. There are details impossible to achieve on a certain scale, which make the plastic soldier 3D models look small.
Conceptual art is an artistic and simplified sketch in which the conceptualization or idea is more important than the drawn/conceptualized art. Ideas prevail over their formal or sensitive aspects so that the artistic aspect of the concept takes a back seat, favoring the speed of production time of the idea, also reducing the mental process of understanding the idea.
Sarge Hawk vs Ants
By dispensing with the complex creation of the final product before it is approved, so much time is not wasted on visual pieces that could not be approved. Therefore these sketches accelerate the idea production process. Regardless of the technique, material or form used to represent it is not something strict.
Before reaching the final choice of an idea, there may be several previously rejected conceptual pieces, and even this process can go through several steps, such as a very simple concept, which then evolves into a more complete and complex one (which is still a conceptual piece). After a concept art is approved, the chosen idea moves on to the actual production of the final product.
Classic Concept Art from 3DO
Sarge Hawk Concept art from Army Men
Bombshell Army Men
Character Concept Art (full color)
How do we interpret these Storyboards?
In the case of finding Conceptual Art of the original Army Men games, before the Heroes saga, we would need more information as it is in black and white, which would not allow us to interpret what colors each one is. The following is an example:
Army Men Air Attack Concept Art
Some of the ideas that want to be tested in helicopter games are interesting. They probably all would have been achieved in Air Attack 3, maybe?
Other Concept Arts
Others ways of making Storyboards
Both Army Men Revolution and our animations will take place in environments based on real places. Therefore, here is a simple example of a Storyboard made with photographs:
… So here we go with an in-depth study on the soundtracks of the Army Men franchise games…
Soundtracks are an indelible mark on a franchise’s identity. They are very important when creating a sequel video game to a franchise as established in collective knowledge as Army Men.
Sounds and Music Samples all around the globe!
Examples long used in the past like the introduction of “Stealth Frag” track of Quake 2, the first part was used in at least two FMV in Army Men games: in Sarge´s Heroes 1 or 2 and Sarge’s War. Listen the first part of Quake 2 “Stealth Frag” and some of those Sarge’s Heroes series.
Sonic Mayhem¿s Quaker 2 soundtrack “Stealth Frag”
Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes “Snow” Shrap mission CGI Cut scene
Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes 2 “Cashier” mission CGI Cut scene
The kitchen that brings back memories
Lot of this sounds came from “East West” sample CD’s like “Symphonic Adventures” & “Percussive Adventures”
East West – Symphonic Adventures
East West – Percussive Adventures
You can hear samples of these sounds throughout the Army Men productions after the first and second games, especially in the FMV CGI cut scenes animations, because they were all mostly produced by the same teams or because they used the same sound databases files.
Army Men (PC) & Army Men 3D
For the first Army Men, a few industrial soundtracks (among others) for film and TV by the Italian composers Armando Trovaioli (SIAE), Mario Nascimbene (SIAE) (likely among others) were used, such as the example below:
Strategy (410862) Armando Trovaioli (SIAE)
The following pieces from Armando Trovaioli’s-Mario Nascimbene “War / Danger” album were used for both Army Men and Army Men 3D
This 4 soundtracks are the same but remixed or just without some instruments, used in the first in-game soundtrack for PC’s Army Men Depot Run mission:
Night Attack (RCAL1010-4): Blaring brass and military snare drums followed by drop to distant timpani. Used in-game.
Marching Drums (RCAL1010-26): Snare drums. Medium tempo. Used in-game.
Dread (RCAL1010-27): Stacked chords of menacing brass. Suspenseful. Used in-game.
Unexpected Threat (RCAL1010-30) Menacing brass and snare drums. Used in-game.
Danger Ahead (RCAL1010-18): vObsessive theme in 5/4 time. Very agitated and intense. Featuring piano, brass, timpani, strings and xylophone. Fast tempo. Used in-game.
Mobilization (RCAL1010-24): Timpani intro, pounding percussion and horn fanfares make up military march. Used in-game.
This 4 soundtracks were used in the CGI Intro and Ending from both games, Army Men & Army Men 3D:
Choking (RCAL1010-21): Fast agitated theme with strings and brass. Used in the Green Plastic News intro.
Sunday Morning Goose Step (RCAL1010-23): Military marching band featuring bass drums, tubes and piccolos. Used in the Green Plastic News intro.
The Assault (RCAL1010-34): Violent then eerie dramatic theme featuring brass, bassoon, clarinet, strings and timpani. Medium tempo. Impending attack. Used in the Green Plastic News intro.
Strategy (RCAL1010-35): Forceful intro leading to action and then to standstill; featuring brass, strings and timpani. Medium tempo. Used in the Ending.
The album description from Universal Music Database is: “Music for action movie; soldier march with full orchestra; agitated and intense; military march.”
The menu music was “Larry’s Orchestral Adventure” from “Drama – Volumen 1” (Universal Production Music) Killer Tracks. Description of the track in the Universal Production Music website: “An abundance of colors and dynamics marching through a full orchestra.”
Larry’s Orchestral Adventure (KT34-7) from “Drama – Volumen 1” album – Universal Production Music “Killer Tracks”
On the other hand, Army Men 2, for some reason, chose to use pieces of classical music (with expired copyright) composed in an electronic style, very similar to MIDI.
The final part of “William Tell Overture”, named “March of the Swiss Soldiers”
The “William Tell Overture” is a piece of music by Gioachino Rossini. He wrote it for his opera, William Tell. The opera was first performed in 1829. The overture has four sections: Dawn, Storm, Call to the Cows (often used in animated cartoons to signify daybreak) and the one used in the first Army Men 2 mission “Kitchen”, March of the Swiss Soldiers, famous for being the theme music for the “The Lone Ranger”.
Johann Strauss “The Blue Danube” AM2 version
“The Blue Danube” is the common English title of “An der schönen blauen Donau”, Op. 314 (German for “By the Beautiful Blue Danube”), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 February 1867 at a concert of the Wiener Männergesang-Verein (Vienna Men’s Choral Association), it has been one of the most consistently popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire. Its initial performance was considered only a mild success, however, and Strauss is reputed to have said, “The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda—I wish that had been a success!
L’apprenti sorcier (the Sorcerer’s Apprentice) by French composer Paul Dukas in 1897
L’apprenti sorcier (the Sorcerer’s Apprentice) is a symphonic poem by the French composer Paul Dukas composed in 1897 and based on the ballad of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Always (Album Version) from the Rock band Halfcocked was the song from the menu of the game (very consistent with Vikki’s personality and the intention of the game).
Always · Halfcocked – Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
The initial animation of Portal Runner, like the rest of Cut Scenes from Army Men games, has pieces of varied musical samples, some of which we can even hear in other media today, and during that time, such as the introduction of the song GUMMY by BROCKHAMPTON, from the album SATURATION II (EMPIRE Distribution). As you can hear in the attached videos. It should be noted that on our YouTube channel we have received several copyright claims, as in this case, but Portal Runner was released in September 2001, and the GUMMY theme song was released in 2017.
Portal Runner Sep 2001 intro section wit the intro music
GUMMY song by BROCKHAMPTON (2017)
In any case, this is usually a common mistake on the part of YouTube and other social networks, since they are mostly managed by AI, and the history of sound and music samples business from more than 20 years ago, before the internet today and online business models, is very poorly documented and is very difficult to verify or even find out.
Other examples of this stock sound samples used in other media
From 2:34 we can hear the first part of the Macross 0 soundtrack below…
The first part of this soundtrack in 2:34 is the same of Starship Troopers movie main themeSources for this article:
Weapons will work in a very particular way in Army Men Revolution. They will work normally in the worlds they come from, but will stop working in other worlds, or will be nerfed. In this way we ensure that the seemingly weak plastic weapons can compete against the new metal weapons. And we also make sure that you must use swords, axes, hammers, bows and arrows in the Medieval World. So in every world you must behave “in-universe”.
Functionality and materiality, not composition
The materials composition are not modified, but the shapes of some objects are, as is the case of Vikki and her bow in Portal Runner. These unique and exceptional cases allow us to make visual skins that change depending on the universe being visited. But it’s not discarded that in some way the materials may also change in the future, or that some world may produce this effect.
Composition is the proportion of the different constituents of the material (chemically and physically different). Structure, on the other hand, refers to the spatial distribution, orientation and association of the constituents. Characterizing a material is determining the parameters necessary to identify and describe it. In simpler words, it is impossible for a world different from where a weapon comes from to transform its plastic into metal. But you can modify a banana-shaped plastic weapon to an apple-shaped one, always maintaining the same composition and proportion. The characteristics for the most part, although this can change radically to the point that, for example, a bow becomes a bayesta (which is almost the same, just seen differently by the Army Men).
What is more difficult than creating a character from scratch? Recreate a pre-existing one from low resolution images
Something extremely difficult is to imitate a 3D model only with poor quality reference images. It is a tedious and slow job, much more difficult to do than creating a character from 0, at least from the point of view of whoever writes this article, especially if the intention is for the imitation to be as accurate as possible.
Recreating Major Gooding
So let’s start at the beginning… we’re going to design Major Gooding, before he became Lord Malice, for a flashback animation. So let’s “hunt” the reference images directly from the source: the CGI FMV of Sarge’s War
The kitchen that brings back memories, the perspective of Hawk
Sarge’s War ending, the perspective of Gooding / Lord Malice
We have 2 640×480 blurry CGI scenes where we see Lord Malice’s past, when he was Major Gooding. One is Sarge Hawk’s point of view when he arrives at the kitchen that brings back his memories, the other is Malice’s point of view before he dies, when he tells Hawk what really happened. From these 2 scenes we captured the following images…
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Army Men Lord Malice / Major Gooding
Another source of reference could be the 3D model of Lord Malice that we fought at the end of the game. But that is a topic for the second part, perhaps.
Recreating original Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland
In this case we have the reference illustrations for Alice’s original design, from which we will create the 3D modeling
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland John Tenniel drawing
Alice in Wonderland original design
Alice in Wonderland original design
Alice in Wonderland original design
…Creating…? Bullseye
Bullseye is the latest addition to the Bravo Company Commandos, seen only in RTS. Although he has an in-game model and a piece of concept art, we never saw his CGI look like the rest. So here’s an exploration of how we’ll get his look.
Bullseye Original Concept Art Army Men RTS
Bullseye Original in-game 3D model Army Men RTS
Bullseye Original Concept Art modified Army Men RTS
Designing Bullseye using the frontal in-game 3D model Army Men RTS
Anyway, we’ve spoken directly with RTS designers, and through them and the obvious on-screen, the look of the Commando’s Ice Man will be almost the same as in-game, as the in-game models are based on the CGI models.
This article is being written and will be completed soon.
Characters, vehicles, weapons and other 3D models for the project. Below is a series of galleries showing some of the 3D models for Revolution and the rest of the Army Men Toyverse projects.
Characters
Great War Gray Soldiers
Grey Army Men from the past
Green Army Men Plastic Soldier
Original Army Men
Army Men General Lilac
Army Men Zombies
Plastro from Army Men
Sarge after Army Men: Toys in Space
Army Men Dr. Madd
Army Men William Kirk
Army Men Orange Army
Army Men Orange Army
Tan Vikki Grimm Army Men
Private Driver from Army Men Major Malfunction
Private Wires from Army Men Major Malfunction
Private Anderson from Army Men Major Malfunction
Agent Blue 001
Vehicles
Army Men Huey Helicopter
Army Men Toys in Space Huey
Army Men 2 Huey
M48 Army Men Plastic Tank
Making of 3D models & 3D printing
Grey Colonel
First Real Life Army Men videogame printed 3D model
Tone, hue, or tonality: the degree to which the visual color stimulus can be described.
Shades of Violet Army Men
The Army Men armies in our project, especially in canon and in Army Men Revolution, will have different shades within their own ranks, just like plastic soldiers in the real world.
Over the years, the different generations of Army Men have changed in hue. From the Olive Green in Army Men 1, to the English Green in Army Men 2, to the Apple Green in Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes. Even in Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes 2 on Playstation 2 we could see plastic soldiers of different shades within the Tan. So it will be a thing in our project.
Shades of Tan Army Men Plastic Soldiers
And maybe some soldier has a hue that is between two worlds… between Blue and Violet, Red and Orange, or Green and Tan…
