Portal Runner

Infobox VG
title = Portal Runner


developer = 3DO
publisher = 3DO
designer = Michael S. Maza
engine =
released = flagicon|US start date|2001|09|10
flagicon|UK start date|2001|10|19
genre = Platformer
modes = Single player
Multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: T
platforms = Playstation 2
media =
requirements =
input = DualShock 2 controller
Misc =

"Portal Runner" is a video game series produced by 3DO and Handheld Game and distributed by 3DO for PlayStation 2 game console and Game Boy Color handheld on September 10, 2001 in the US and one month later on October 19 in the UK. The game serves as a spinoff of the Army Men series.

Plot

It all started when General Plastro, the general of the Tan army, was captured by the Green Army and Vikki didn't have a good story for the newspaper called the Green Plastic News. Vikki found out that Sarge, her boyfriend, was going on a dangerous mission. She decided to follow him.

As Vikki follows Sarge to his mission, she ends up in a giant chessboard and a candy store. Then Vikki had to fight off gingerbread men to continue her mission for a better story. Now, Vikki found Sarge trapped in a castle by the gingerbread men and has to save him by using her arrow techniques to shoot down a plastic pig.After Vikki saves Sarge, he snitches on her by telling her father, Jack Grimm. Vikki starts an argument with her dad and stormed out of the room. Then as she walks back to her army base, a green army soldier gave her a letter from an unknown person. The letter said, " Follow this map to find a better story. Leave now and don't tell anyone." Vikki did what the letter said.

Vikki uses a camera to take all of her pictures on her trip. During her trip, she was ambushed by Rage, Bridgette's robot friend who will do whatever she says, and was forced to the prehistoric jungle toy world. That was also when she met Leo the lion, who was also forced to the same world. Vikki befriends the lion and they both help each other on this great adventure.

Bridgette didn't stay hidden in the game. She was one of the main characters of the game. She had a crush on Sarge and wanted to marry him. Bridgette had a love gun and she used it on Sarge. She almost got married to him, but Vikki stopped them, and found out that they had a bigger problem in their hands.

Characters

*Vikki Grimm - This sexy young woman isn't one to mess with. She proved it by surviving on the game and saving all the toys. The only daughter of Jack Grimm and the girlfriend of Sarge. She is a skilled at shooting arrows and was the only weapon used in the game. Vikki proved that she was a very important tool.
*Sarge - Sarge is the hero of the Green Army Men and the boyfriend of Vikki. Sarge is a brave and muscular man and was the apple of Bridgette Bleu's eye. Was almost forced to marry Bridgette by a love curse, but Vikki changed him back to normal by being the first person to kiss him. Sarge teamed up with Leo and Vikki teamed up with Bridgette to save all of the toy worlds.
*Bridgette Bleu - Bridgette was the woman who tried to marry Sarge. She was the main foe but was a friend, for a while. Bridgette was known as the "queen" of her Medieval toy world and decided that she needed a king. To bad it didn't work out. She sent Rage to vanish Vikki, but Rage was the one who ended up losing his arms and legs by Leo for revenge.
*Rage - He was the robot toy servant for Bridgette. Rage would do anything for his "queen". Rage almost killed Leo in the game but Leo escaped (Causing the reason for Rage to lose his arms and legs).
*The Magic Wizard - The wizard made minor appearances but was named as a main character in the game. He was forced to make a magic mirror to see anything for Bridgette. That was how she caught up with Vikki and Sarge. Then Bridgette locked him in another giant chessboard full with some of her medieval soldiers in her world. Vikki saved him and the wizard gave Vikki and Leo directions to Bridgette's castle.
*Jack Grimm - Jack was the father of Vikki Grimm and is colonel of the Green Army Men. Jack is a widowed man. He searched for his daughter since she ran away.
*Leo the Lion - You know him from the zodiac sign Leo, but now you will know why they gave him that name! Leo met with Vikki a little bit later in the game. At the end, Leo was returned home to his family.

Weapons

*Basic Arrow
*Fire Arrow
*Lighting Arrow
*Water Arrow
*Piercing Arrow
*Explosive Arrow
*Golden Arrow
*gas arrow

Controversy

The game gained notoriety when it was panned by GamePro Magazine, with a rating of 2.3 out of 5. GamePro was the first to review the game. Trip Hawkins, then-president of 3DO and publisher of Portal Runner, sent an angry email to John Rousseau, who was president of GamePro. The email was published on the internet in its entirety. In the email, Hawkins told Rousseau that Rousseau's customers were the advertisers, not the readers, and implied that the reviews should be written to keep the advertisers happy. Wrote Hawkins, "...there is something wrong with (the reviewer), not with Portal Runner. If you disagree with me, you do so at your own peril.... I should mention in passing that 3DO has been one of your largest advertisers. Effective immediately, we are going to have to cut that back." [ [http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2005/01/shame-of-trip-hawkins.html Dubious Quality: The Shame of Trip Hawkins ] ]

References

External links

*moby game|id=/portal-runner_|name="Portal Runner"