Toy Commander
Encyclopedia
Toy Commander is an action game
for the Dreamcast made by No Cliché
and published by Sega
.
Each boss in the game has taken over a specific area of the house, serving as one of Huggy Bear's Generals.
The game has five basic types of playable vehicles: race cars, which were primarily used in racing missions (though some missions would have the player navigating mazes in race cars), armed ground vehicles such as tanks or trucks with rocket launchers, airplanes, helicopters, and transport vehicles (which are always unarmed, but would typically be used to transport various smaller toys). Not all vehicles are available for use outside of one-player.
A battle mode, with other modes, is also available in the game for mutliplayers, allowing up to four players, with no online play.
-themed demo of "Toy Commander" exclusive for Official Dreamcast Magazine. The game, entitled "Toy Commander: Christmas Surprise" appeared in both the U.K.
and U.S.
editions in their Holiday 2000 issues.
A true sequel, entitled Toy Racer
was released in Europe. It didn't meet the same commercial success as its predecessor, having a much more limited single-player mode.
gave it a 8.9, claiming "The strong sense of atmosphere can be attributed in large part to the game's subtle but spectacular visuals." but also had said "Most of the time, the game finds a nice balance between challenging and competitively frustrating." Gamespot
gave it a 6.7, Stating "Toy Commander does a nice job in the graphics department, The game has an extremely frustrating learning curve, since you must get used to the control while dealing with missions that require an extremely delicate touch." Then remarking at the end of the review "It should make for an excellent rental, but most players won't remain interested for more than three days." In most of the causal reviews of Toy Commander, players enjoy the graphics more than the tricky control scheme on difficult levels.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
for the Dreamcast made by No Cliché
No Cliché
No Cliché was a French-based game development company who created games for the Dreamcast, lead up by notable French developer Frédérick Raynal...
and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
.
Plot
The game's plot revolves around a child named Andy (Guthy in the European game, mostly referred to on screen as "Toy Commander"), who gets new army-themed toys for Christmas, and neglects his childhood favorites. The toys, led by Huggy Bear, Andy's childhood teddy bear, rebel and try to destroy the new toys.Each boss in the game has taken over a specific area of the house, serving as one of Huggy Bear's Generals.
Gameplay
In the game, the player must complete missions by controlling toys (usually in the form of vehicles). These missions take place in rooms of a house. The game is known for its unique tasks themed around the various household areas. For instance, the first mission, which takes place in the kitchen, is a basic training level involving swapping vehicles and different types, including a helicopter, pick-up and plane. Meanwhile, the second level involves using a toy car to roll eggs over to a pot of boiling water.The game has five basic types of playable vehicles: race cars, which were primarily used in racing missions (though some missions would have the player navigating mazes in race cars), armed ground vehicles such as tanks or trucks with rocket launchers, airplanes, helicopters, and transport vehicles (which are always unarmed, but would typically be used to transport various smaller toys). Not all vehicles are available for use outside of one-player.
A battle mode, with other modes, is also available in the game for mutliplayers, allowing up to four players, with no online play.
Sequels and Remakes
No Cliché created a special ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
-themed demo of "Toy Commander" exclusive for Official Dreamcast Magazine. The game, entitled "Toy Commander: Christmas Surprise" appeared in both the U.K.
Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK)
The Official Dreamcast Magazine was a video game magazine published by Dennis Publishing in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2001. The magazine featured news, reviews, previews and features on Dreamcast games. The magazine held the official magazine license for the Dreamcast in the UK and...
and U.S.
Official Dreamcast Magazine (US)
The Official Dreamcast Magazine was a video game magazine for the Dreamcast published in the United States. The magazine's initial issue "0" was released in June 1999, a full 3 months before the launch of the system. This rare issue featured Sonic the Hedgehog on a black cover, along with the...
editions in their Holiday 2000 issues.
A true sequel, entitled Toy Racer
Toy Racer
Toy Racer is a racing game for the Dreamcast made by No Cliché and published by Sega.The game is an extension of Toy Commander racing sections, designed exclusively for both offline and online multiplayer modes for up to four players...
was released in Europe. It didn't meet the same commercial success as its predecessor, having a much more limited single-player mode.
Reception
The game had a number of mixed reviews, IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it a 8.9, claiming "The strong sense of atmosphere can be attributed in large part to the game's subtle but spectacular visuals." but also had said "Most of the time, the game finds a nice balance between challenging and competitively frustrating." Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it a 6.7, Stating "Toy Commander does a nice job in the graphics department, The game has an extremely frustrating learning curve, since you must get used to the control while dealing with missions that require an extremely delicate touch." Then remarking at the end of the review "It should make for an excellent rental, but most players won't remain interested for more than three days." In most of the causal reviews of Toy Commander, players enjoy the graphics more than the tricky control scheme on difficult levels.