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Army Men Lore, Curiosities, News & Press

Army Men TV Tropes

September 20, 2025 Mr. X 2002 Leave a comment

What is TV Tropes?

TV Tropes (https://tvtropes.org/) is an online wiki that catalogs and analyzes “tropes”, the recurring narrative devices, patterns, or conventions found in various media, including video games, films, TV shows, books, and comics. Launched in 2004, it started with a focus on television but now covers all forms of fiction. Users contribute to create a dynamic database of tropes with examples and explanations.

What is a “Trope”?

A trope is a storytelling tool, like a cliché or pattern, used to convey ideas or structure narratives. Examples include the “Reluctant Hero” or “Evil Overlord.” TV Tropes documents these, showing how they appear across media, such as “Color Identified Factions” in *Army Men*, where factions are defined by colors like Green (good) and Tan (evil).

Purpose and Use

TV Tropes helps fans, writers, and creators understand narrative structures by breaking down stories into their building blocks. It’s a resource for analyzing how tropes are used or subverted and inspires creative storytelling. For this *Army Men* project, it provides detailed trope lists that can be considered when shaping the Toyverse.

Cultural Impact

Popular among fans and narrative enthusiasts, TV Tropes is known for its engaging, sometimes humorous style and interconnected structure, often leading users down a “rabbit hole” of related tropes. It’s a valuable tool for studying storytelling patterns and ensuring unique content creation.

This series has examples of:

- Skilled Aviator: Captain William Blade. He’s basically the commander of the entire Green Army air force.
- Increased Action Sequel:
  - Army Men was a real-time tactics shooter in an isometric view, that often saw you having to plan your next move carefully, as some areas were so fraught with enemy soldiers venturing into them would be suicide. The next game lessened the need for this, as little things, like having to account for soldiers hearing incoming mortars was removed, and rarely was it not beneficial to clear a map of enemies. Before long, the series shifted into a third-person shooter.
  - Zig-zagged regarding the third person shooter games. The “World War” series leans on the tactical side, with Team Assault in particular dramatically reduce soldier’s health, both you and your enemies side, while Sarge Heroes is often about charging, shooting, and dodging as lone soldier Sergeant Hawk, and Air Assault features a single helicopter force as the protagonist.
- Spotlight Moment:
  - The Game Boy Color port of Sarge’s Heroes 2 (which functions as a completely different game compared to the console versions), Riff, Scorch and Vikki are the only playable characters, and they even have their own personal vehicles to ride.
  - Hoover also has a level dedicated to himself in Army Men RTS where he proves to be actually pretty good at leading a team.
- Friendly Villain: General Plastro. He may be the bad guy, but at least he’s honest enough to admit it, as well as to compliment the enemy when they do well. This is best shown in the opening cutscene for the final level of Sarge’s Heroes, where he and several Tan troops get the drop on an empty-handed Sarge, only for Sarge to take out the troops by kicking a block at them. Plastro genuinely compliments and congratulates Sarge on his cleverness, admitting he didn’t even see it coming; however, when Sarge asks why Plastro doesn’t drop the gun and fight him one-on-one, Plastro straight up tells Sarge it’s “because I’m the bad guy.”
- Spray Can Fire Thrower: An aerosol is one of the weapons you can get in the second game.
- Time Period Mishmash: The game’s weapons and vehicles are a combination of those from World War II and The Vietnam War. For instance, the standard rifle is based on the M16 and the standard tank is based on the M48 Patton, both from the Vietnam War era, alongside Huey helicopters. However, there are also propeller fighter planes, half-tracks, and mass paratrooper drops that were either not used or phased out by the Vietnam War.
- End of World Record: The Colonel’s final report before losing contact in Sector C-4 in the second game.
- Cool but Inefficient: Hero Units in RTS. They do more damage than their normal counterparts and can usually take more punishment than them, but the lack of healing means that you need to be careful in how you use them, lest you lose out on a strong unit for the rest of the mission.
- Tough Team: Bravo Company is apparently feared by the Tan army. In Green Rogue, the mere information that Bravo is going to be out of action for several weeks recovering from surgery is enough for the Tan to decide to launch an all out assault against Green positions, reasoning that Bravo was literally the only thing that could have stopped them.
- Terrible Leader: Plastro, from punching out underlings that bring him bad news to actively plotting betrayal against allies for little reason other than that’s what bad guys like him do.
- Villain Victory: Malice gets what he wanted in the end, to make Sarge suffer and destroy everything and everyone that he valued. The only mitigation is that Sarge is able to take revenge and, by the time it is all over, ultimately seems to regard Gooding with more pity than anger.
- Main Antagonist: General Plastro for most of the series. Unless noted below, Plastro is often the overarching villain who is also never directly fought.
  - Major Mylar for Army Men 2.
  - The alien leader in Toys in Space.
  - Colonel Blintz in the RTS game.
  - Lord Malice in Sarge’s War.
  - Major Malfunction in the game of the same name.
- Witty Post-Kill Remark: Blowing up tents in one level in Army Men 3D will cause Sarge to quip “Knock knock.”
- Infinite Ammo: Most of the games tend to give your starting weapon infinite ammo, sometimes with a drawback (the M16 in the N64 Sarge’s Heroes games has a very slow rate of fire, the PS1 Sarge’s Heroes 2 makes it overheat when fired too much) and sometimes with an ammo-guzzling upgrade available (the BAR in the original two games, which trades the infinite ammo for a much higher rate of fire).
- Scare-Induced Incontinence:
  - Implied with Hoover immediately after regrouping with him in Sarge’s Heroes:
  Col. Grimm: Do you think he can make it back to the landing pad on his own?
  
  Sarge: That’s a negative sir; moisture is imminent.
  
  Hoover: Aw, geeze!
  - A “You Lose” scene in Toys In Space depicts a Green soldier surrounded by Tan troops laughing at him while dropping his weapon and wetting himself.
- Reinforcements Arrival: Air cavalry, to be exact. This is the role that Capt. Blade’s squad plays. He even wears an old cavalry hat.
- Proud Evildoer: Plastro, especially in Sarge’s Heroes, knows he’s the bad guy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Lampshaded all throughout.

Sarge: Plastro! Why don’t you drop that gun and face me like a man?

Plastro: Because I’m the bad guy, that’s why!

…

Plastro: Burn it all, starting with [Bridgette’s] blasted Blue homeland.

Vikki: Plastro! How could you?

Plastro: Well, somebody’s not paying attention. I’m the bad guy!

- Important Later Character: In Sarge’s War, Major Gooding, who is mentioned all of one time before the reveal.
- Prove Innocence: Blade is forced to do this, after the actions under pretend traitor, and does it by delivering much needed supplies to besieged Green forces, and helping either Sarge or Vikki take out a Tan base.
- Possessive Jealous Female: Bombshell really doesn’t like it when Capt. Blade flirts with Vikki.
- Icy Marksman: Bullseye, the Bravo Company sniper introduced in RTS. He’s even called the ice man in the game’s manual.
- Color Identified Factions: Every faction across the series. The four most common are Green being good guys, Tan being evil, Gray being, well, gray (in some games they’re allied with the Greens, in others they’re against everyone), and Blue being spies, typically allied with the Tans.
- Resource Management System: Army Men RTS, natch.
- Story Restart:
  - The last two games, Major Malfunction and Soldiers of Misfortune, have an all new plot and characters.
  - Sarge’s Heroes was a lesser case – it’s still the same setting, with the same war and even the same bad guy, but all of the other characters were newly-introduced; even Plastro had his characterization played up more compared to the slightly more serious villain he was in the original two games.
- Scary Roaches: Starting with Army Men II, they start appearing in the real world. Due to the limited graphics of the PlayStation games, they can be downright horrifying.
- Grimmer and Harsher:
  - Sarge’s War, to a large extent. Sometimes borders on parody of the gritty war hero type film.
  - Before that were the World War games, which played war is hell devastatingly straight.
- Dry Wit Commentator: Sarge in the Sarge’s Heroes games, when he isn’t being a dutiful soldier. Captain Blade meanwhile is in snark mode 24/7.
- Aerial Attack: One of the power-ups invoked from time to time.

Sarge: This is Sarge, I need an air strike, over.

Programmer Prediction: In the mission where Capt. Blade has to pick up a squad led by either Sarge or Vikki to blow up a radar station, picking Vikki while Bombshell is your co-pilot causes her to get really jealous, to the point she will actually ask you to pick Sarge.
Craven Traitor:
- Hoover, the team’s minesweeper, looks like he wished he called himself a conscientious objector, and will retreat in RTS if he takes even a little damage.
- Though Plastro has his moments of villainous bravery, suicidal or otherwise, when he’s captured at the end of Sarge’s Heroes 2 and Sarge threatens to punch his lights out, his reaction is to shout “not the face!” and immediately faint.
Depressing Conclusion: Army Men: Sarge’s War is pretty much this for the whole series. Bravo Company, Grimm and Vikki are melted, Lord Malice was Major Gooding all along, and Sarge feels empty inside after killing him.
Sudden Death Offscreen: Them, if you may. The aforementioned Sarge’s War has every named character and series mainstay since Sarge’s Heroes, except for Sarge himself, killed off by an explosion hidden in a peace monument orchestrated by Lord Malice, the new villain.
Bland Reaction: Tina Tomorrow is not the most expressive person.
Last Words of Affection: Vikki’s last words to Sarge in Sarge’s War.
Initial Entry Oddities: The first game lean towards a top-down tactical shooter where your soldiers can easily die. Furthermore, the tone is more sombre and the plot is minimal, and the sequel hook ending where your soldiers enter the real world is treated as a surprise. The second game took the “toy soldiers fighting in the real world” plot and ran, becoming a denser and wackier increased action sequel as the soldiers fight other toys and insects over kitchen counters and gardens.
Laser Armament: The aliens in Toys In Space use them. Sarge can even find a laser rifle, an upgrade to the auto-rifle and Vulcan gun.
Protect Task: These have been around since the first game, they range from barely an escort (being able to just order your men to hold while you kill everything along the way and/or the VIP being almost as badass as Sarge) to almost controller-breaking frustrating.
Villainous Cackle: Plastro is a fan of this, even when so badly injured from being used as a literal chew toy, twice, that he can’t stop coughing every time he tries.
Hero to Villain Switch:
- Colonel Blintz in the RTS after quite literally losing his mind.
- Major Gooding in Sarge’s War. He becomes Lord Malice after a mission where he is nearly killed and blames Sarge for leaving him behind, although Sarge couldn’t have known he was still alive given the amount of damage he took.
Alignment Flip-Flop: Bridgette Blue, and all of the blue nation really. They’ll work for whoever pays best, whoever isn’t trying to kill them, or even whoever currently suits their own agenda.
Imaginary Equivalent Society:
- The Green Nation is Type I or “The Great” Eagleland.
- The Tan Nation is a combination of common media belligerents such as World War II Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, or Ba’athist Iraq, complete with something of a mix of Saddam Hussein (the face) and Fidel Castro (the name and build) as their leader General Plastro.
- The Blue Nation is an analogue of the various French sides in WWII that works out as a villainous version of cheese-eating surrender monkeys – they have an extensive spy network, but they also work with the Nazi Germany analogue and are very quick to surrender.
- The Gray Nation, in turn, ends up as a heroic version of the Vietcong, essentially North Vietnam’s guerrilla warfare expertise (usually) combined with the South’s loyalty to the USA analogue.
Pretend Traitor:
- Captain Blade spends half of Air Attack 2 on the run, after being court-martialed and then breaking out of prison for his actions almost getting his wingmen killed.
- Vikki pulls this briefly in Sarge’s Heroes after getting captured, as part of a honey trap.
- Bridgette Bleu is revealed to be this in Sarge’s Heroes 2.

(Note: This modified version is based on the original content from the link below, with trope names rephrased and order slightly adjusted for originality while preserving all original information, quotes, and details intact. Please, consider check the original link below)

Sources for this article:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/ArmyMen

3DO Company, Action Figures, Army Men History, Characters, Old Army Men stuff

Army Men Action Figures by Playing Mantis (2000-2001)

September 4, 2025 John Doe Leave a comment

Army Men – Real Combat (Playing Mantis)

In the early 2000s, the toy company Playing Mantis released a short-lived action figure line called Army Men – Real Combat, directly based on the 3DO’s Army Men Videogames franchise. The figures were around 6 inches tall and designed with a military theme, clearly inspired by the Army Men characters of Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes, but produced as articulated collectible toys.

Overview

Playing Mantis produced a licensed action-figure line based on The 3DO Company’s Army Men video games (notably the Sarge’s Heroes era). Contemporary materials explicitly state that Playing Mantis and 3DO teamed up to release six figures from the games.

Release window

Packaging and checklists place the line around 2000–2001. Listings show 2000 manufacture dates, while hobby write-ups and checklists tag the series as 2001.

Lineup (6 figures).

Sergeant Hawk (Team Leader)
Vikki Grimm (Lovely Soldier)
Colonel Grimm (Commander-in-Chief of the Greens)
General Plastro (Tyrannical Tan Leader)
Riff (Bazooka Specialist)
Hoover (Mine Sweeper)

Scale & features. Figures are roughly 6–7 inches tall with around 10 points of articulation, packed with weapons/accessories. Packaging commonly included a dog-tag style display base and a trading card, and used the franchise tagline “Real Combat, Plastic Men.” Some packaging/ads also used “Hyper Action!” branding.

Branding. Item specifics and packaging references connect the toys directly to the Sarge’s Heroes sub-brand and 3DO license.

Availability today

The run was short; figures surface mainly on the secondary market and collector blogs/checklists. Collectors remember this line as an unusual and somewhat obscure branch of military-themed toys from the early 2000s.

Video reviews of every Army Men action figure

Sources for this informacion:

figurerealm.com
Now And Then Collectibles
eBay

3D Models, Army Men Toyverse project, Concept Art, FMV / CGI, Making Of, Photoshop and Image editing

Creating Concept Art for the Toyverse

August 27, 2025 Malfunction Mylar Leave a comment

From Sketch to Complete Concept Art

The process of creating an illustration does not end with the first stroke. Every visual piece goes through different stages of transformation, maturation, and refinement. What begins as a set of loose lines on paper can evolve into a complex digital scene with depth, color, textures, and three-dimensional elements.

Below, we explore step by step how a simple idea becomes a finished work of art.

The Creation of a Forgotten Jungle

The process of this piece begins with the carnivorous plant, first conceived as a basic sketch with guiding lines. The initial strokes, just a skeleton of geometric shapes, captured the essence of its silhouette: the twisted stem, the oversized mouth, and the sharp teeth. Little by little, the drawing was refined until it gained volume, detail in the leaves, and a posture that conveys tension and aggressiveness. This creature became the central axis of the composition.

From Sketch to Complete Artwork: The Creative Journey of a Digital Illustration

With the base defined, the work progressed to the construction of the narrative environment: a dense jungle crossed by a river or spring flowing through the center of the scene. The vegetation grew in complexity: scattered flowers, trees with exposed roots, and an ancient temple made of massive stone blocks, hidden among the undergrowth. This drawing stage served to establish the visual structure of the piece, defining the relationship between the elements and the balance of the composition.

Slide from one image to another to compare

Slide from one image to another to compare

The next step was digital painting, where the setting gained life and atmosphere. Through layers of color, a humid, dark, and greenish environment was created, typical of a dense and oppressive jungle. The contrast between filtered light and deep shadows added depth and drama, enveloping the carnivorous plant and the temple in a mysterious ambience.

The piece evolved even further with the incorporation of a 3D model of the Spitfire of Flight Lieutenant Ruggels. Far from standing out as an external object, it was integrated into the visual narrative.

The fuselage was damaged by bullet holes, evidence of its violent fall.
Moss and vegetation had grown over its surface, symbols of the relentless passage of time.
The dents and metallic wear reinforced the idea of a war relic abandoned in the jungle.

In the post-production phase, plants in the foreground and overlapping vegetation were added to the 3D model, softening its outline so that it blended with the pictorial style of the illustration. Adjustments of color, texture, and line ensured that all the elements coexisted within a unified aesthetic.

The final result is a piece that tells a story without words: the confrontation between man’s destructive force and the resilience of nature. What began as simple sketch lines transformed into a cinematic and conceptual scene, where time, the jungle, and the remnants of the past interact in a visual balance full of mystery.

2D / 2.5D Sprites Design, 3D design, 3D Models, 3DO Company, Army Men History, Making Of

How PC Army Men 2D games were made

August 13, 2025 Ex3DevOTech Leave a comment

Army Men 2.5D games: Step by Step

The first Army Men games, Army Men (1998), Army Men II (1999), Army Men: Toys in Space (1999), Army Men: World War (1999, PC version), and Army Men: Air Tactics (2000) were developed by The 3DO Company during the late ’90s. These titles were created for PC, though some would later be adapted to consoles.

At the time, 3DO’s internal development relied heavily on a mix of 3D modeling tools, custom engines, and asset pipelines tailored for low-end consumer hardware. Each game was built with a relatively short development cycle (often under a year) requiring assets reuse, modular design, and a streamlined production process.

The visual style combined pre-rendered 3D elements (created in 3D Studio Max software) with in-game sprites and textures, carefully optimized to run within the memory and performance constraints of computers of the time. Meanwhile, cutscenes and promotional material often featured higher-quality renders that were directly representative of in-game graphics.

The combination of these production methods, rapid iteration, and the particular creative direction of 3DO’s art team gave the early Army Men titles their distinct aesthetic… halfway between miniature toy realism and stylized video game worlds.

1. Concept and Scripting

Designers began with a concept document defining the environments, enemies, mission objectives, and available weapons.

These documents were usually very functional, focusing on mechanics before narrative (although Toys in Space and Air Tactics had more elaborate storylines).

The narrative script and dialogues were written in parallel with level planning so the story wouldn’t interfere with technical limitations.

2. Creation of 3D Assets

Models of soldiers, vehicles, and environments were made in 3D Studio Max.

Sarge 3D model from Army Men Toys in Space

Although the final game used highly simplified sprites, high-quality 3D model versions were created for marketing renders and cutscenes.

The models were “baked” into sprites or textures, trimming polygons and reducing color palettes to fit within RAM and VRAM limits at the time.

It’s important to note that the 2.5D Army Men games were developed exclusively for PC; console versions used different adaptations of the game engine and design approach.

So… how?

2.1 – 3D Modeling and Texturing

The visual production of the early Army Men titles was a meticulous and multi-step process that combined 3D modeling, detailed texturing, and careful sprite rendering. Development teams began by designing each character, vehicle, and object as a fully realized 3D model in 3D Studio Max. These models were built with more geometric detail than the final games would ever display, ensuring that the rendered sprites would look crisp and convincing even at the relatively low resolutions of late 1990s PC games.

Textures were then painted by hand or derived from scanned materials, giving plastic surfaces their distinctive molded look. Special care was taken to simulate the subtle light diffusion and shading characteristics of plastic, which gave the Army Men their iconic, toy-like presence. Vehicles, buildings, and environmental props followed the same pipeline, often modeled with exaggerated proportions to read clearly from the game’s fixed viewpoint.

The process began in 3D Studio Max, where artists modeled soldiers, vehicles, weapons, and environmental props in full 3D.
Although the game ultimately used sprites (2D images), the models were initially built with full geometry, high-resolution textures, and realistic proportions for marketing renders and cutscenes.
Textures were painted by hand or generated from photographic references, then downscaled and palette-limited to fit the technical constraints of the game engine (often 256 colors per set).
Each model was rigged with basic skeletons in Max’s “Biped” system for posing, not for real-time animation. All movement was baked into pre-rendered sequences.

Once modeling and texturing were complete, the development team moved to the rendering stage. Instead of importing the 3D models directly into the game engine, they were pre-rendered into 2D sprites. This technique allowed for a higher level of visual fidelity than real-time 3D of the era could achieve on average home PCs. Animations (such as walking, firing, or rotating turrets) were rendered frame-by-frame in 3D Studio Max, then exported as sprite sheets to be used in-game. Special effects like muzzle flashes, smoke, and explosions were often created as separate rendered sequences and composited on top of the base sprites.

2.2 – Environment Creation

The environments followed a similar principle. Terrain tiles, buildings, and interactive objects were modeled and rendered in segments, allowing designers to piece together maps within the game editor. Lighting was baked into these renders, giving the illusion of complex shading without taxing the PC’s hardware.

The gameplay itself was presented from a fixed isometric camera perspective, tilted at roughly a 45-degree angle. This viewpoint was carefully chosen to maximize the clarity of the battlefield while retaining a sense of three-dimensional depth. From this angle, players could easily distinguish elevation, obstacles, and the orientation of units. It also allowed artists to control exactly how models were rendered, ensuring consistent proportions and lighting across the entire game world.

The combination of high-quality pre-rendered graphics, baked lighting, and the stable isometric viewpoint gave the early Army Men games their distinctive “miniature war” aesthetic, striking a balance between technical limitations and the highly artistic ambition of 3DO’s Trip Hawkins.

Game environments were also modeled in 3D, but separated into terrain layers and static props.
Terrain tiles were rendered at fixed angles to match the isometric view, then stitched together in the in-house map editor.
Static objects (buildings, trees, fortifications) were rendered as isometric sprites with multiple damage states where applicable (e.g., intact, damaged, destroyed).

2.3 – Rendering Sprites

The 3D models were placed in a rendering scene with lighting and camera settings that matched the game’s perspective.
Soldiers and vehicles were rendered in 32 or 64 different angles, depending on their importance.
Animations (walking, shooting, reloading, turning) were rendered frame-by-frame into sprite sheets.
Each frame was then processed to remove the background, optimize colors, and align pivot points so the engine could rotate and move them smoothly.

In the image below we can see the “Tile Cam,” or sprite capture position camera. A graphic that 3DO developers always kept in mind to know the angle of each of the multiple images they had to capture of each 3D model, to obtain the 360-degree motion effect of soldiers, vehicles, etc., in addition to each set of images carrying a weapon and the like. The yellow arrow, in addition to functioning as a clock hand indicating the angle of capture, also marks the height at which the camera should be positioned. The object/model goes in the center of the graphic.

2.4 – Special Effects

Explosions, muzzle flashes, smoke, and fire were usually hand-drawn frame-by-frame in a pixel art program to achieve a stylized look and keep file sizes small.
Some effects, like shadows and ambient lighting, were faked by rendering a semi-transparent dark shape beneath the units.
Transparent effects (glass, water, energy shields) were simulated with dithered patterns instead of true alpha blending, to ensure performance on lower-end hardware.

2.5 – Movement and Animation Systems

Despite being based on 3D models, all gameplay movement was sprite-based. Each unit had pre-rendered frames for each movement direction.
The engine swapped frames quickly to simulate animation, while changing the sprite set to match the direction of travel.
Rotation was not continuous but snapped between the pre-rendered angles, giving the characteristic “stepped” turning look.
Collision detection was based on simplified bounding boxes rather than the full shape of the sprite.

2.6 – Integration into the Engine

All assets (units, terrain, effects) were packed into proprietary resource files.
The engine combined terrain tiles and object sprites in real-time, overlaying animated units and effects according to their Z-order (depth).
Lighting changes were simulated with palette swaps, allowing entire environments to shift from day to night without rerendering the assets.

3. Maps and Levels

Environments were built using an in-house proprietary editor designed specifically for the Army Men engine.

This editor allowed placement of terrain, static objects, and “event points” (enemy spawns, mission scripts, sound triggers).

Maps were generally small to keep loading times low and were often connected through transition screens or cutscenes.

4. Programming and Engine

The Army Men engine was an evolution of a framework that 3DO had already used in other strategy and action games.

It supported:

Pseudo-3D sprites and pre-rendered rotations.
Multiple terrain layers to simulate elevation.
Basic AI scripting and enemy behavior.
The code was primarily written in C/C++, with auxiliary tools in Visual Basic for resource conversion and packaging.

4.1 – How camera, pathfinding, and depth sorting worked

Since that’s what made Army Men’s isometric view feel dynamic despite being built entirely from static sprites. That part connects directly to how the movement system was implemented.

The isometric camera itself was fixed in angle but could pan across the battlefield. Camera movement was tied to mouse edges or keyboard input, and it followed a smooth scrolling pattern to maintain player orientation. Since the camera never rotated, all sprites could be pre-rendered from the same set of angles, greatly reducing memory use and production time.

Pathfinding relied heavily on an A* (A-Star) algorithm adapted to the isometric grid. The system calculated optimal routes while accounting for terrain type, impassable objects, and unit collision. Because maps often featured elevation changes (ramps, cliffs, and bridges) the pathfinding system also factored in “height layers,” preventing units from attempting impossible routes. This was especially important for vehicles, which had stricter movement constraints than infantry.

Depth sorting (deciding which objects should appear in front of or behind others) was handled through a “Y-sorting” system. The engine drew objects in order of their Y-coordinate in world space, meaning that units lower on the screen (closer to the player’s viewpoint) would be rendered on top of those further back. This simple yet effective technique ensured consistent layering without the need for real-time 3D z-buffer calculations.

4.2 – Movement, Interaction, and Technical Implementation in the Isometric Engine

The fixed isometric perspective of the early Army Men titles was not just a visual choice.. it directly influenced how movement, interaction, and gameplay logic were implemented.

Unit movement was handled on a 2D coordinate grid that corresponded to the isometric map’s tile layout. Each tile represented a fixed unit of space, but because the camera was angled, the game had to apply a transformation to convert “world” coordinates into their isometric screen positions. This meant that while players saw units moving diagonally across the battlefield, the game internally calculated their positions in standard X-Y Cartesian space.

Interaction with the environment followed a “selection → command → execution” model. When the player selected a unit, the game temporarily highlighted its sprite and displayed its selection circle, a 2D ring projected onto the ground plane. Issuing a movement or attack order triggered an internal check: the game verified whether the destination tile was valid, whether the target could be reached, and whether line-of-sight was available (a simplified visibility check rather than true 3D ray tracing).

Together, these systems created a smooth and intuitive gameplay experience despite the limitations of late-90s PC hardware. The isometric rendering allowed for highly detailed graphics, while the underlying grid-based logic kept gameplay predictable, readable, and strategically satisfying.

5. Testing and Optimization

Testing was intensive because different PC systems required different optimizations to work. Back then, consoles were a single, unified system, but on PC, there are multiple different systems that require tweaking the game for proper universal operation. At that time, the game that was launched usually was the final version, with no DLC to fix the game post-launch. Although patches did exist, usually just one. Everything was always released in physical format…

On consoles, animation frames, polygonal 3D objects and texture details were reduced, and sometimes entire environmental elements were removed. But in this 2.5D games, usually was a matter of programming tweaking and fixing.

Testers reported bugs using printed screenshots (yes, on paper) with handwritten annotations.

3D design, 3D Models, 3D Print, Making Of

Army Men 3D models

August 10, 2025 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

Several 3D models from the Army Men franchise have appeared over the years. Here’s a compilation of the ones the fandom have and the ones we’re missing…

Here you can find links to download some of the 3D models made or acquired by 3DO. All of them will be made available gradually.

1. Official but non-original Army Men 3D models used in the franchise, purchased to third party by 3DO and used as obtained, or modified by 3DO

Models used by 3DO in the Army Men video games, but which were acquired from third-party 3D model banks, used as acquired or with some modifications. In this case ViewPoint 3D models.

Plastro from Army Men — Original Plastro

2. Official original Army Men 3D models used in the franchise made by 3DO

3D models created by 3DO.

Sarge Hawk:
3D Studio Max 2014, for animation only. https://mega.nz/file/II8DQDzK#M3Bu8QaNUzrAeZLHH-Qa5uqDU3EoBcT1emRUUF6AnR4

Sarge V2 (Sleeves rolled up + Chevron insignias):
3D Studio Max 2008, for animation only. https://mega.nz/file/NB0hkaoK#F3uNwV5LmVlehJ8F9E8jC9BbaDecQC7OoZn50sktzOs

Tina Tomorrow:
3D Studio Max 2008, for animation only.
https://mega.nz/file/NU13AK5L#OOl2Dp-Iid_s1ysNXzs7uMd7Cf7baiMV83PRztodABU

Captain William Blade:
3D Studio Max 2008, for animation only, with Morph heads for lip sync.
https://mega.nz/file/BIMQDBCZ#Qbqmkms1YagFOOmBTquNlhgmYmW3Dfr1UExmZ55zjz4

Colonel “Happy” Jack Grimm:
3D Studio Max 2008, for animation only.
https://mega.nz/file/1YFhiZ5C#1MGmrsqO8cb7WsY9L0OdO5VYifpmeT7tle_teuk4f_8

General Plastro (V2):
3D Studio Max 2008, for animation only.
https://mega.nz/file/lFtm3LTQ#IVjqtTg0FkomSVO9WKUeqgEosXSuZewZUa-v6MKhy6k

Dr. Madd (Insane Grey Doctor V2):
3D Studio Max 2008, for animation only.
https://mega.nz/file/Idc2BQKa#XW5laPN9U3wloqMajWpiNFaHtkOmxuVWChDjJYsz5RM

General Plastro’s Colt 45:
3D Studio Max 2008.
https://mega.nz/file/hAUlxYJR#6-9deY2JLYKOJXe7FDOehtGDxXv8Xjsevm1Xoq15Jj8
Standard Army Men M16A1:
3D Studio Max 2008.
https://mega.nz/file/ZUlAiKIJ#Tp_5D7GoDCxqw7FMPgop4Fq7IZ-b8nQqk01F5YkXVMw
Sarge Hawk’s M16A2:
3D Studio Max 2008.
https://mega.nz/file/5AlSzBwT#oKJ88D49Bn9798RbHsEDB2E3go12PWe1K6tn2eAMA78

3. New and non-official screen accurate copies of Army Men 3D models used in the franchise made by the Toyverse project

Some of these models are loosely or heavily based on the 3DO models seen on screen. Rather than making exact “screen accuarete” copies, we created these vehicles or characters as versions of themselves after what was seen in Army Men, as a sequel to the characters.

Army Men logo V2 (2000) for 3D print: https://mega.nz/file/UNF3nRJJ#yc9FdfTdIRNFSrt_bbrarmEK6hZlBr1Xnoo4scUSMv8

Non-official Original Army Men Toyverse Project 3D models made by the Toyverse project or third party

Some of these models are loosely or heavily based on the 3DO Army Men 3D model style. But also, rather than making an original 3D model, we have adapted 3rd party 3D models. In this case ViewPoint 3D models from the same model batches, also used by 3DO.

The Biker's Red Motocross Toy Bike — Toyverse Original CGI Motocross

Army Men Lore, Army Men Toyverse project, Characters, Making Of, Microverse, Scientific Study

From Identical Soldiers to Individual Warriors

August 10, 2025 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

The Evolution of Plastic Soldiers in the Army Men Toyverse

Like the clones in Star Wars, Plastic Soldiers are mass-produced with a single purpose: to fight. Fresh out of the mold, they are identical in appearance and function. They have no personal identity, no opinions, and no customization. Their abilities are the same, their uniforms are standard, and their mindset is programmed to obey orders without question.

Initial Uniformity: Born from the Mold

Their existence is purely functional. They are replaceable, interchangeable, and in the chaos of war, individuality is not a priority.

Battlefield Marks: Experience and Change

However, war is unforgiving, and no soldier remains the same after facing the reality of combat. With each mission, Plastic Soldiers begin to develop their own instincts. The scars of battle (cracks in the plastic, burns, improvised accessories) become marks of identity.

Just as the Star Wars clones adopted unique hairstyles, armor modifications, and personal emblems, Plastic Soldiers also find ways to stand out. Some reinforce their weapons with duct tape, others paint symbols on their helmets or adjust their posture, slightly bending their joints to differentiate themselves. These small adaptations become badges of veteran warriors.

The Awakening of Individuality: More Than Just Soldiers

Over time, the standardization of their existence begins to crumble. Those who survive long campaigns develop their own thoughts, question orders, reflect on their purpose, and adopt an identity beyond their initial function.

The Star Wars clones evolved from mere troops to individuals with distinct voices, such as Rex and Cody, who led with autonomy and genuine emotions. In the Toyverse, Plastic Soldiers follow a similar path. Once uniform figures on a battlefield, they become characters with distinct personalities, choosing how to fight, what to preserve, and how to leave their mark.

The Experienced and Enhanced: Beyond Natural Evolution

Not all Plastic Soldiers follow a progression solely based on combat experience. Some, whether through battlefield merit or strategic necessity, are selected for enhancement programs (similar to the Super Soldier project or cybernetic modifications seen in Star Wars with Clone Commando Echo, or even characters like Cable from X-Men and Bucky Barnes, Marvel’s “Winter Soldier).

These soldiers undergo physical and tactical upgrades that elevate them beyond their comrades. Some receive structural reinforcements, advanced armor, or bio-mechanical enhancements that increase their endurance and strength. Others are transformed into hybrids of machine and soldier, integrating advanced communication systems, improved sensors, or even prosthetics with specialized abilities.

However, the cost of these enhancements is not just physical. Like Echo in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, many of these upgraded soldiers face an identity crisis: Are they still Plastic Soldiers, or have they evolved beyond what they were created to be? Are they tools of war or individuals with their own purpose?

For some, enhancement is a blessing; for others, a curse. Their role in the Toyverse becomes a dilemma between utility and individuality, where war reshapes them not only physically but also spiritually.

Conclusion: Evolution Beyond the Mold: More Than Plastic, More Than Soldiers

A Plastic Soldier’s fate is not set at the time of its creation. Though they are born with a fixed purpose: war, experience gives them something invaluable: identity. Thus, what was once a homogeneous army transforms into a brotherhood of unique warriors, each with their own story sculpted in plastic.

The progression of Plastic Soldiers in the Army Men Toyverse mirrors the journey of Star Wars clones: from interchangeable units to unique individuals with their own stories. But in the case of the enhanced ones, a new element is at play: transformation not only as a result of war but also through deliberate intervention.

From mass-produced warriors to experienced soldiers who choose to forge their own destiny, each Plastic Soldier faces a different path. Whether shaped by battle or by technology that turns them into something more, their evolution defines the true weight of individuality in a world where they were created to be identical, and for war.

3DO Company, Army Men History, News & Press, Reviews and opinion

How Marvel’s Missteps Mirror the Fall of Army Men: A Lesson in Creative Oversaturation

July 27, 2025 GigaHawk c3 1 Comment

When James Gunn (now the creative head of DC Studios) was recently asked what he believed had hurt Marvel, his words were both honest and damning: “Too much content. Not enough planning. It killed them.” His remarks, aimed at the overextension of Marvel Studios in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, could just as easily describe what happened to the Army Men franchise in the early 2000s.

Back in the late ’90s, Army Men stormed the gaming world with a simple yet irresistible premise: toy soldiers brought to life in an imaginative, war-torn plastic world. The original titles stood out with charming aesthetics, quirky humor, and solid gameplay. But the publisher, 3DO, quickly turned that initial success into a production frenzy. From 1998 to 2003, they pushed out over a dozen Army Men titles—a pace that left little room for refinement or reinvention.

Back in the heyday of 3DO’s rapid-fire release strategy, even those of us in the The Army Men videogames channel were caught off guard. Titles arrived so frequently that not even the fans seemed fully aware of what was launching (or when). By the time a new game crossed our radar, it was often already out in the wild, too late. In an industry where annual sports releases were considered the norm, Army Men shattered expectations by flooding the market with an unrelenting stream of entries. No amount of pre-release buzz could keep up. The public wasn’t just underprepared: they were overwhelmed.

Much like Marvel’s recent deluge of films and Disney+ series, 3DO’s Army Men games began to feel rushed, repetitive, and disconnected. Without a clear long-term narrative or gameplay evolution, fans began to lose interest. By the time fresh ideas were needed most, the brand had burned out… and 3DO filed for bankruptcy in 2003.

James Gunn’s criticism of Marvel’s strategy (greenlighting projects without finished scripts and saturating the audience with underdeveloped content) perfectly echoes the pitfalls of 3DO. Both cases show how creative properties, no matter how beloved, can collapse under the weight of rushed schedules and corporate overreach.

The Lesson? Sustainability in storytelling matters more than ever. The audience craves meaningful worlds, not just more content. In the age of ever-growing universes (cinematic, gaming, or otherwise) the smartest path forward is one paved with vision, patience, and purpose. Part of what was missing in those years was the breathing room—a chance for the audience to anticipate, absorb, and get excited. Great franchises don’t just drop content; they build moments. But with Army Men, there was rarely time to prepare the public or give each title its spotlight. Without that crucial window to inform and engage players, even solid ideas were lost in the noise.

3DO Company, Army Men History, Army Men Toyverse project, Army Men: Sarge's Heroes, Magazines & Printed stuff, Making Of, News & Press, Old Army Men stuff, Photoshop and Image editing, Reviews and opinion

Fake Army Men images

July 26, 2025 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

The Truth Behind the Famous “In-Game Screenshots” of the First Army Men Games

There are phrases that have become part of gaming folklore. One of the most common (and persistent) is:

“It was from a beta version…” —said with the tone of someone convinced they’ve uncovered a hidden development secret.

But when it comes to Army Men, many of those promotional screenshots were not beta versions of anything. In fact… they weren’t even screenshots.

Slightly modified screenshot of PS1 Army Men: World War used in ads all over the internet at the time

What Looked Like In-Game… Wasn’t

Back in the golden age of 3DO, when Army Men was just beginning to take shape as a franchise, the creative team had a challenge: They needed a visual way to pitch the idea before the game was even fully designed.

Veteran developer Michael Mendheim, who played a crucial role in conceptualizing the Army Men universe, would put together digitally composed images to present the tone and feel of the project.

These images were a mix of:

Independently rendered 3D models.
Partial engine screenshots, when available.
Added effects like smoke, fire, and lighting.
And of course, a healthy dose of Photoshop.

They were never meant to be real gameplay footage: they were visual mockups, created to evoke the style, mood, and action the final product was aiming for.

Slightly modified screenshot of N64 Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes used in ads all over the internet at the time

Although with minor modifications to the images, these are surely from the Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes engine for the Nintendo 64, but before going through the final version for the N64, it was actually a beta version of the levels and functions, not very different from the final version.

When Marketing Takes Creative Liberties

What’s interesting is that, even though the developers understood these images were purely conceptual, 3DO’s marketing team used them in advertisements as if they were actual in-game screenshots.

These images showed up in:

Magazines
Game boxes
Promotional flyers
Manuals
And even official press kits

The result? Players thought that’s how the game would look. And while that wasn’t exactly true… it worked. The hype exploded. The visual concept of Army Men (green plastic soldiers fighting battles in real-world environments) instantly captured players’ imaginations, long before the games were even finished, even a few years before 1998 Army Men.

The Speculation That Never Died

Even today, many fans still insist that those images came from early builds or beta versions of the games.

You’ll still hear comments like:

“This must be from a lost prototype…”

Or comments like:

“They had to downgrade the graphics later due to hardware limitations.”

And while it’s true that Army Men underwent plenty of visual changes during development (and yes, they had to scale things down to run on systems like the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64) those promo shots were not captured from actual working versions of the game.

People who worked with Photoshop or 3D Studio Max back then can clearly recognize the techniques used in these composites. If anything, they were stunning examples of concept art disguised as gameplay.

In a way, we wish they were real beta shots… it would’ve added an extra layer of mystique to the franchise’s development history. But no, it was just clever marketing. Fake… but effective.

Modified screenshots of the “supposed” Army Men 3D beta version for PS1, used in promotional content all over the internet at the time

Deception or Strategy?

Today, in the era of frame-by-frame breakdowns and mandatory “not actual gameplay” disclaimers, this kind of tactic would get you dragged online in seconds. But in the ‘90s, with a franchise as visually unique as Army Men, it was a legitimate (and successful) marketing tool.

Some might call it deceptive. Others see it as an effective way of presenting an evolving creative vision.

Either way, those images weren’t beta builds, they weren’t unreleased versions, and they weren’t screenshots from a hidden dev console.

They were Photoshop. Plain and simple. And in context… they were brilliant.

What Does This Say About the Toyverse?

Like many good stories in the Toyverse, this one also carries a lesson. Just as molded toys become soldiers with names, stories, and purpose, a fake image can become the spark that brings an entire world to life.

Those visuals (however artificial) were the first real representations of the Army Men franchise. Before missions, before bugs, before battlefield chaos… there was a carefully crafted picture. And it worked.

Heavily fake screenshots of Portal Runner (PS2) where they used heavy 3D CGI models to make concept screenshots that 3DO used in promotional content on magazines and all over the internet at the time

Bonus: Where to See These Images Today?

Many of these fake-but-iconic visuals still survive today in:

Archived game magazines (GamePro, EGM, etc.)
Scanned promotional material
Original manuals
The official 3DO websites via the Wayback Machine

Heavily fake screenshots of the “supposed” Army Men Sarge’s Heroes 2 for PS2, used in promotional content on magazines and all over the internet at the time

In the game’s different media promotional contents, these screenshots were used to show off the game in its Playstation 2 version. In reality, they are composites using partial images of the game’s actual stages generated in a different engine or stage editing program, along with CGI models of the protagonists and a lot of added effects, something impossible to do for the Playstation 2. These were most likely images made as concept art of how the game should have looked for its development.

And of course, at ArmyMen.com.ar, where fans are still collecting and preserving all official documentation and rare media.

True BETA with minor modifications

The last 3DO game wasn’t exempt from 3DO tactics. Although these are real in-game images from the game engine (Zero Engine), they have minor additions, such as some soldiers, tanks, and explosions. And these, as they didn’t report, are images from the actual beta, up to the point where 3DO worked on it, before Global Star Software took over and finished the game.

Epilogue: Not Real Gameplay, But Still Part of the Game

And óo players ever got to take control of Sarge.Because sometimes, a fake image contains a very real truth: The spirit of a franchise that helped shape an entire generation’s imagination.

This are some of our own “fake” promotional images. We usually use them for our video thumbnails… but from now on we’ll be using them to promote older 3DO games a little… excessively.

Army Men Revolution, Army Men Toyverse project, Development Diary, Making Of, Portal Runner 2, Revolution story concept

Dev Diary: Portal Runner 2

November 22, 2024 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

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.

3D Texture x32 — Army Men 3D Texture (x32)

3D Texture x24 (48) — Army Men 3D Texture (x32)

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.

Army Men Revolution, Army Men Toyverse project, Making Of, Revolution story concept, Storyboards

Making the Microverse, Part 11: Army Men Theory

August 29, 2024 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

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.

When the Fans Write the Story

Across pop culture history, fan enthusiasm has often rewritten the destinies of fictional characters—turning minor roles into legends, saving doomed figures from oblivion, and reshaping entire franchises.

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.

How passionate audiences became co-authors of the narrative

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 in other occassions, fandoms saved doomed character from death. Here are some of those examples and a few more of characters saved from oblivion:

Vegeta: Another powerful example of fan influence comes from Dragon Ball Z. The character Vegeta was originally intended to be a one-time villain, a Saiyan invader to be defeated and discarded. However, his overwhelming popularity among fans convinced Akira Toriyama to keep him in the story. Vegeta went on to become not only a central character but also a fan-favorite anti-hero with one of the richest development arcs in anime.
Harley Quinn: Originally introduced as a one-off henchwoman in the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn’s unexpected popularity led to her official inclusion in DC Comics canon. Today, she’s one of the most iconic female characters in the DC Universe. Born from animation, adopted by the fans, and cemented by demand.
Daryl Dixon: Created exclusively for the TV show of The Walking Dead, Daryl doesn’t exist in the original comics. He was meant to be a short-term character, but fan love kept him alive… and growing. He became a central figure throughout the series and now headlines his own spin-off, a testament to pure fan-driven evolution.
Castiel: Initially planned as a temporary character for a few episodes in Supernatural, Castiel became so beloved by the fandom that he remained a core part of the show for over a decade, deeply entangled in its mythos and emotional arcs.
Agent Phil Coulson: Introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a minor S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in Iron Man (2008), Coulson’s charm struck a chord with fans. He reappeared across several MCU films, became a fan favorite, and eventually starred in the long-running series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. after dying in the first Avengers movie. A character saved from death and elevated from background filler to franchise connective tissue.
Spike: What began as a secondary villain in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, evolved into a fan-favorite antihero. Spike was slated for a short run, but fans demanded more. Writers responded by developing his character across multiple seasons, turning him into a tragic, romantic, and unforgettable icon of the show.

This is yet another case where fan reaction reshaped the narrative, not through direct petitions or theories, but through sheer enthusiasm that creators could not ignore.

Jackpot!

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.

These cases show that sometimes, fandom isn’t just an audience: it’s a creative force. In the same way, Army Men fans have their own theories, headcanons, and alternate timelines. The microverse is always expanding… and who’s to say fans aren’t the architects of its future?

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.