Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Army Men: Air Attack 2 builds on the formula established by its predecessor and borrows heavily from the fast-paced action of EA’s Strike series. You pilot a pint-sized green toy helicopter through sprawling suburban battlegrounds, tasked with an assortment of rescue, demolition, and escort missions. The controls are intuitive yet deep: you manage throttle, altitude, and weapons systems, all while juggling the delicate operation of your winch when the situation calls for a rescue or object retrieval.

One of the most engaging features is the pre‐mission selection of helicopter models and co-pilots. Each chopper boasts distinct handling—some favor speed and maneuverability, others carry heavier payloads—while co-pilots bring specialized bonuses. A gun specialist might improve your firing accuracy, whereas an engineer type could speed up your winch operations. This strategic choice adds replay value, as you experiment with different loadouts to optimize your approach for each mission’s objectives.

The mission design itself strikes a solid balance between variety and challenge. Rescue missions demand precision flying as you lower the winch to retrieve stranded troops or neutralize ticking time bombs. Demolition runs task you with obliterating enemy emplacements and vehicles, encouraging you to coordinate rocket barrages with strafing runs. Escort assignments test your multitasking skills, forcing you to shield vulnerable convoys from incoming toy soldier attacks while still meeting other secondary objectives.

Graphics

Visually, Army Men: Air Attack 2 embraces a charming plastic aesthetic that evokes childhood playrooms turned into warzones. The suburban environments feature oversized household objects—garden hoses become trenches, lawn chairs serve as cover, and flowerpots morph into artillery outposts. The sunny color palette keeps the tone light, even as explosions and incoming fire pepper the screen in bright, satisfying bursts.

Textures and object models are relatively simple by modern standards, but they work beautifully within the toy soldier motif. Helicopter rotors kick up distinct bits of dust and debris, and explosions send plastic shards flying with a snap-crackle-pop sound effect that reinforces the miniature scale. Enemy soldiers and vehicles animate with a comical rigidity that nonetheless makes every hit feel impactful.

If you play the PlayStation version, you’ll also appreciate the two exclusive missions, which not only extend playtime but showcase some of the best level designs in the game. These maps introduce unique terrain features—like backyard pools and garage interiors—that highlight the engine’s ability to handle indoor and outdoor spaces without missing a beat. Although the draw distance can suffer in busier scenes, clever use of scaling and fogging ensures performance remains smooth.

Story

Army Men: Air Attack 2 doesn’t aspire to be a deep narrative experience—it’s a shooting game first and foremost—but it still provides enough context to keep you invested in the plastic war raging across suburban vistas. Each mission briefing is delivered by a charismatic commander voice-over, outlining objectives with military jargon and tongue-in-cheek humor. This light narrative paintwork creates a playful contrast between the toy theme and genuine tactical scenarios.

The overarching plot pits the valiant Green Army against the scheming Tan Army, who have laid siege to neighborhood landmarks in their bid for plastic supremacy. You assume the role of an Air Command pilot, leading critical strikes to turn the tide of battle. While the story doesn’t evolve much beyond “blow stuff up” and “save your buddies,” the mission variety keeps the momentum chugging forward.

Dialogue and cutscenes are brief, functional, and laced with puns that will elicit a smile from anyone who remembers lining up toy soldiers on the driveway. There’s enough character in the co-pilots’ quips and mission debriefs to give the game a personality of its own, even if there isn’t a sprawling narrative arc or memorable villains. In this universe, storytelling takes a backseat to fun factor—and that’s perfectly fine for a title built around aerial action.

Overall Experience

Army Men: Air Attack 2 offers a satisfying blend of arcade-style shooting and light strategy, wrapped in the nostalgia-inducing package of toy warfare. The learning curve is gentle: early missions introduce you to basic flight and weapon systems, while later levels crank up the difficulty with heavier enemy resistance and more complex objectives. This scaling ensures that novices and seasoned aerial combat fans alike find a comfortable challenge.

The sound design, featuring whirring rotors, explosive “plink-plink” blasts, and chirpy radio chatter, enhances immersion and underscores the toy soldier theme. Background music strikes a heroic tone without overwhelming the battlefield audio. Combined with responsive controls, the overall presentation holds up well, even if it lacks the photorealism of contemporary helicopter sims.

Whether you’re flying through backyards or weaving between kitchen appliances, Army Men: Air Attack 2 remains an entertaining airborne romp with plenty of replayability. The addition of two exclusive PlayStation missions extends your flight hours, and the co-pilot customization encourages multiple playthroughs. If you’re in the market for a lighthearted, action-packed shooting game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this green-plastic adventure is well worth your time.

Retro Replay Score

6.6/10