Tiny Troopers

 
Developer: Kukouri Mobile
Steam Release: August 2012
Hours Played: 8.1
Similar To: Cannon Fodder / Full Mojo Rampage / Gatling Gears / Utopia 9
Rating: 3/5 Parsons

GAMEPLAY
This is a Cannon-Fodder type game where you control a band of waddling soldiers over a desert, jungle or snowy terrain. At the start of a mission a helicopter descends and drops your party at the starting area of the battlefield. You peruse the objectives (to destroy all enemies, vehicles and/or buildings) and set off on your way which usually involves scoping out the landscape and blasting those who appear menacingly at the peripheries. This is done with rapid machine gun fire and an assortment of ballistic missiles. Your firing comes in the form of a slight conal stream of bullets that emanate from your party that don't always hit their target, even when the cross-hair is directly on the enemy. Movement of the group and the way the camera follows the action is smooth and well done.  

BALANCE & PACE
You can bring up a map at any time (M) to show the entire battlefield but for an extra 2500 points you can purchase an intel pack that shows all important locations. In addition, you can bring up a screen of supplies that sells useful power-ups like grenades, rocket launchers and health packs that are dropped at your location in a crate. You will certainly need those rocket launchers to take out some pesky vehicles. Your party moves as one unit where each soldier is like a segment of a snake that follows the head of the group. Retreating from a barrage of gunfire involves the backmarker getting all the damage. Once you've decimated the enemy, you move to the retraction point where a feel-good military tune plays as your party gives a wave and a cheer.

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
Settings give a limited choice of set-up but I'd recommend the WASD keys and firing with the mouse. Before starting you are shown a map, given a briefing, choose a difficulty and then spend points on enhancements and upgrades. The "tiny" theme of the title has been taken to heart as troopers let out comical war-cries as if they've swallowed mouthfuls of helium and even the deaths of enemies might be considered cute. Ominous wartime music plays in the background of the menu screens while a feel-good military tune bounces along after a victory. Graphics have a Warcraft-type feel and the camera follows the action smoothly. Gunfire, kills and explosions, especially the detonation of the rocket launcher, are all very satisfying.
 

PROGRESS SYSTEM
There are 30 missions in total with a Zombie mode that is essentially a Survival mode. When going for the Missions option you scroll through three screens of three chapters with each containing 10 squares representing the missions. If you've not completed the mission in Campaign mode the square is greyed out and padlocked. Once you click on a square of the mission you want, you are taken to the same screens as you would be taken in Campaign mode to choose one of three difficulty levels and which upgrades you'd like for your weapons and armour. For the Campaign, you just jump in from where you left off. Each mission gives up to three stars depending on difficulty. Its simplicity makes it a good and an efficient system because progress can be viewed at-a-glance.    

CONCLUSION
Tiny Troopers is a good casual game and it's a blast to plough through the battlefields one at a time and to destroy enemies on a first play-through but there's nothing really about the game that calls you back for another go once done. To play previous missions, for example (on the highest difficulty), might be considered a chore as the only productive reason to do this would be to mechanically grind to top-up points. This is not to say that I wouldn't recommend the game. It's designed very well and is a solid title with no glaring faults. And while not a stayer, it’s a reasonably fun gaming experience and well worth a casual purchase.