Mission: Paintball Powered Up

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Mission Paintball: Powered Up was made in 2006 by Tiger Electronics as a plug and play device. It was distributed in 2007 by Hasbro. It was the third and last entry in the Mission: Paintball series. I have covered the first game of the series in episode 64.

The gun looks like a real paintball maker and like so many of them it lacks sights. It feels very nice and is of a high build quality. On the front handle is a button which lets the player duck behind cover during the game. Behind it is a D-pad for menu navigation and movement during certain segments. This is the pause button. This is the on/off switch. Similar as with the Tiger handhelds the unit has a difficult to press reset switch, which would be used if the device had major problems. This is the reload button. Contrary to the first Mission: Paintball marker it doesn't move when shooting. Instead a rumble feature for the whole gun can be enabled. The gun is powered by four AA cells. It connects to the TV via two RCA connectors using composite video. The light sensor is actually a separate unit and is removable.

Although the game plays similar to the previous two entries in the series, the art style took a different approach in Powered Up. The graphics look more realistic and adult in this game. Also new are paint grenades, which allow the player to attack enemies behind cover. An audible warning will sound if the player is low on ammunition or pressure. Both stocks are replenished by picking up icons which are revealed upon destroying objects. Getting shot or running out of either pressure or ammunition will take away a life. Per level there are two continues, which allow the player to carry on immediately.

The shop system was reworked and is now more complex. Besides helpful upgrades there are fun items too which can be obtained in exchange for points. Points are gathered upon completing a level. A new addition to the series are places which allow for long range shooting. These segments don't control very well. During them the light gun goes into a relative mouse like behavior. For the first time in the series the player may replay already completed levels allowing for points accumulation. The game allows different user accounts and saves the progress and high scores.

The game consists of seven levels. The first level takes place in a forest. The second level introduces the player to the sniper mechanic. In the next level the player protects a fortress on a junkyard. In the forth level the player raids an enemy fortress. For this mission visual augmentation can be obtained from the shop. The next level is an escort mission. Shooting the teammate will end the level immediately. Level six lets the player search and destroy five enemy fortifications. The last level takes place in the warehouse again. The aim is to hit all enemies before the own teammates got marked.

Personally I like Mission: Paintball Powered Up. I think the animations are rather fluid for a plug and play game of this age and I like the music. Of the Mission: Paintball series I like the first entry the best for its unforgiving difficulty, but Powered Up has its own advantages which make it appealing to me. Technically Powered up has the cleanest video output with the least amount of noise.

The packaging puts all the attention on the lovely gun. I think the design of the box is rather intriguing.