Snoopy vs. The Red Baron: In the Nick of Time, a Hero Arose...
Company: BANDAI NAMCO Games America, Inc.
When faced with the challenge of bringing the Peanuts license into the world of video games, developer Smart Bomb Interactive had a difficult task. The easy way out would have been to stick Snoopy and pals in an uninspired platformer. However, the team was looking to do something different, resulting in a game adaptation of Snoopy’s rivalry with the infamous Red Baron. Snoopy vs. The Red Baron places Snoopy and his other Peanuts friends in war time roles. Snoopy, of course, takes the role of Flying Ace while others take the roles of various support staff. Lucy lives up to her bossy nature by taking over as General while Linus acts as her Intelligence Officer. Nearly all of the Peanuts characters are in the game, each with a job appropriate to their personalities.
One of the bigger challenges in making a kid-friendly fighter pilot game is, of course, weapons. With the exception of his machine guns, all of Snoopy’s weapons are comical in nature. In addition to the aforementioned machine guns which can be upgraded, he can also use a flaming boomerang, fireworks and water balloons. Two of the more entertaining weapons are the Woodstock-guided missiles (don’t worry, Woodstock jumps off before impact) and a pumpkin gun, which sends farm-fresh produce at enemies. In addition to a single-player mode, which should provide plenty of special unlockables for dedicated flyers, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron will also feature a two-player multiplayer mode. Here you’ll be able to control several well known (and not so well known) Peanuts characters. Each will have their own planes with their own special stats, so each should have their own feel.
If anything, Smart Bomb looks to be on the right track in making Snoopy vs. The Red Baron something that both young kids and even some adults can enjoy. Snoopy’s Sopwith Camel flies into stores later this month.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: Snoopy vs. The Red Baron -- Official Page Smart Bomb Interactive Namco/Bandai Games
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