Small Soldiers (PS1) Is Pretty Good Actually | Sean Seanson

[@SeanSeanson]

Thanks for watching! Is there a licensed game you think doesn't get enough love, any bad games with amazing soundtracks? Let me know in the comments below.

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

Monty on the Run (C64), Silver Surfer (NES), and Devilish (Genesis) are all games that would be mediocre at best, if not for soundtracks representing their themes better than the games themselves ever could.

[@somehuman1901]

Small soldiers for the PC.

[@auritone]

Lord of the Rings vol. 1 on the Amiga has an incredible title track. Space Hulk on ps1 was quite cool (so was the Amiga version). Die Hard Trilogy doesn’t get enough love in my book. Wargames Defcon 1 was actually alright - as far as I remember.

[@jarsenberg]

Toy Story 2 and A Bug's Life on PS1. Toy Story 2's gameplay stands out out of the two. Both have great soundtracks, but the quality and vibe of A Bug's Life's soundtrack transcends just about anything else I've heard on a home console of that generation.

[@njalsand133]

Wargames defcon 5

[@guillelopez4222]

I actually think it's a genius touch that the game is not about the movie, but about the game that would exist in the movie based on the toys. Brilliant.

[@HIMfan42069]

Not gonna lie the soundtrack actually scared me when I was younger so I played with the music off but now I see how amazing it actually is

[@albowenal]

Not as amazing as CKY. classic band.

[@PotatoMcWhiskey]

Genuinely a brilliant review video, algorithm doing work sending it to me

[@SeanSeanson]

Algorithm is a Small Soldiers fan, who knew 😅 Thanks for watching man!

[@MalloryKnox.]

Loved this game as a kid. Never realised how great the soundtrack was but thinking about it now, it definitely stuck in my head as a huge part of my somewhat vague memory of the game.

[@OrlaLaDuck]

Never knew Michael Giacchino did that soundtrack for this, that's mad! 😊

[@swosho]

You had me in the first part, the OST reveal was terrific. I remembered this game as a TPS Quake and nothing more, and now I know why - because the music by default is touch too quiet to pay attention to.

[@SeanSeanson]

I've made a habit of checking the volume sliders in every game I play now... just in case!

[@ThePlayer387]

THE PORTAL AWAKENS That phrase echoes in my head to this day. In all honesty I thought the draw distance added mystery when I was a kid. You would hear your enemy or have a laser shot come out of the darkness before you see them. In the gorgon levels it felt like you are skulking through caves.

[@mario-mario822]

You're so lucky you got to see this when it came out. My parents were "it's too violent" lol I never wanted to see a movie more. Your humor is so entertaining! Keep up the retro love.☃️

[@nessus47]

I was an adult woman who loved Small Soldiers when the movie came out..( still do).I bought the ps1 just to play this game..and had many many hours of fun doing so.In fact I think I still have the game somewhere :)Now I really want to try it out again.So many good memories are tied to this game.

[@Jensen-qb1uf]

Had the game back in the day like 2000-2002, played it with a lot of friends and they all liked the game. to my memory the game was superb - the large mutiplayer maps where very fun and yes the game had a lot of atmosphere.

[@Clarke73lol]

Would love a second movie/ a remake or even a remaster of this game, loved it when I was young

[@GooberLeague]

look up Small Soldiers War for the Nekron

[@PatKerleyVA]

It's amazing how powerful music can be! But that draw distance though, holy moly!

[@SeanSeanson]

its ROUGH

[@Corvus8]

Hearing you talk about Michael Giacchino here was a surprise. To this day I still keep listening to his Medal of Honor and MoH Underground OST. They are amazing.

[@HulksterHogan]

This was one of my favorite PS1 games as a kid. I'm also glad I'm not the only one that loves the music in this game, It's amazing and comes completely left field since you don't expect it in a movie game like this. The sound design in general is great too.

[@unexpectedmastaj]

I just came looking up a random old game i had nostalgia for. And found a new favorite youtuber. Great video man!

[@SeanSeanson]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@phazebeast7373]

I played the game in 2002 back in the day as a child and oh my god it was super fun! I played it all day and loved the soundtrack & I totally miss the good old days man 😭

[@Marxism_Today]

Claasssss :D Really solid production here as well. Keep it up!

[@robinmattheussen2395]

I had this game as a kid, it was pretty damn good for a licensed game. And the multiplayer was pretty fun as well, even with just me and my brother playing. And that soundtrack!

[@Terracorrupt0]

I am so here for weird video games with amazing soundtracks

[@SeanSeanson]

Ain't that the truth. I'm always looking for the next Waterworld on SNES

[@Terracorrupt0]

@@SeanSeanson Good for video topics aswell 👍

[@sdo1840]

Absolutely loved this game and film in the 90s. Games where very simple then with poor stories, but world design and simplicity just made them enjoyable. Croc, small soldiers, tomb raider, 👌

[@evillovekitty]

Gargoyles for the Sega was the game i was most obsessed with as a child.

[@DancingHedwig]

Thank you so much for making this video! I just remembered this game out of the blue and now I'm feeling validated for why I loved it so much as a kid. The story and the music was so much better than the movie! Thanks heaps, this video is excellent!

[@SeanSeanson]

No problemo! Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for watching 😁

[@IantheLiberal]

Great review, man! "Small Soldiers" has the BIGGEST soundtrack ever!!! An undoubtedly flawed but amazing game, for just the reasons you mentioned. Those "Dreamworks" PS1 games back then are quite underrated! Definitely hidden gems, for sure. And as an added bonus, was always fun seeing how they tweaked the actual Dreamworks logo for them!

[@slayerarken7044]

Accent or not - Turd Person Shooter is now a thing! 4:00

[@grandpajoe91]

One of the best games I ever stole as a kid

[@superbn0va]

There is nothing wrong with a game looking like a Ps1 game. It charming and games of that era can even have more atmosphere than current gen games. Ps1 ❤️

[@kaizarcantu8240]

1:14 Same story here. I would pop in the disc every now and then and play the final level just to enjoy the credits music.

[@MyStellarSpace]

Eyuuup I still come back to the soundtrack for both the game and the movie from time to time!

[@TidusX16]

I loved this game a lot as a kid! I was 6 when it came out and my friends right after kindergarten went to my house where I played it. We all took turns after each death or level completion and had such an awesome time! The music is what I remember so much of the game, didn't know it Michael Giacchino composed it, that guy is legendary! He also did Mercenaries which again I remember so much from the music.

[@danieltsss]

You are right, I probably never noticed this as a kid when the game came out, this was one of the games I really have a fond memory of and when you started playing the music i just recognized that that made the game for me feel very "interesting" I really liked the game and the music just put a vibe to the game that made me wanted to keep playing it

[@Steadysphere]

I watched this video not long after you upped it but forgot to comment xD Like you, loved this film as a kid and rewatched the VHS multiple times. But never got a chance to try this one. That soundtrack...tremendous! Might have to give it a go soon. Excellent coverage bud!

[@Dani_mayo]

i glad someone is showing love to this game also this is a pretty good video so good job

[@AppericateGamer]

wow holy snap that music crazy good on ps1. I feel speechless amazing video

[@t4washere384]

Had this as a kid, the atmosphere spooked me.

[@FigmentForever]

I loved everything Small Soldiers. Then you had to go & review Wild 9 & my childhood memories came back hard. These were more than filler between runs of Metal Gear Solid & Army Men. Love it!

[@bakemonking]

I'm so glad that i recognized great soundtrack when i was a kid so i now enjoy it regularly 20+ years after

[@SupportGamin2024]

Great review,I replayed this game and watched the movie many times as a kid

[@320zombie]

Basically if the toy line in the movie had a game based off of them, I like the idea instead of just a by the numbers movie adaptation

[@wh3nderson95]

I loved Small Soldiers as a child on VHS. It was the target demographic and loved nearly everything about it. I knew of the Playstation videogame but I didn't feel as urged to get into it. A friend of my mother and her children had the videogame. I played A LOT of videogames and had naturally got used to the combat. When we did PvP, I clearly was circle strafing the other kid and killed his enthusiasm for the game. I felt bad about it and never got into it. Now as an adult, I can't play the game, but I am interested in the soundtrack. The reason being I could use it for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign called Tomb of Annihilation. It is a setting with strong Amazon and African influences. I have been meaning to build a soundtrack to use for the setting. This helped me immensely. About 20 mins ago. I just finished rewatching the film on blu-ray. Now I want a T-shirt and a poster.

[@ozmond]

There was a period of my life when I watched this movie on VHS at least once a day.

[@Kinda_ANastyDude]

Loved this movie, I always wanted to play this game but never had a chance. Gonna have to change that after hearing this music!

[@razumijinatreides4691]

I had this game and it was one of my favourites, by far. The music it's incredible. Your channel is awesome.

[@SeanSeanson]

Appreciate the kind words friend!

[@andersdenkend]

Daaang, that OST. Never played that game, never interested in the movie that much (I was too old at that time I guess), but I've gotta check out that OST.

[@kenpe1455]

Best part of this game wasn't the single player but the deatmatch multiplayer!

[@TooDuelForSchool]

I feel like Insomniac just stole the idea for Ratchet and Clank off this game. Archer is just a gritty Ratchet.

[@SeanSeanson]

Ratchet learned how to strafe from Archer

[@jackkoffman5742]

Did someone mention my name? =)

[@Maxwel_Rodrigues]

Man, my father loves playing this game when I was a kid, I watched him play this game more than I watched the movie 😂 The soundtrack by Giacchino is amazing ❤

[@gregcalvert1604]

This was one of the first games I got for ps1 I still rember it till this day and finally someones done a review on it 👍

[@OnePolishMoFo]

Shit. Seeing this game again after all these years. I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. I remember playing this game alot and liking it. What I remember the most funnily enough is the draw distance. You were always surrounded by a black void. I thought this game was super scary as a kid because of the visuals. PS1 graphics in general spooked me. But I look fondly back on it.

[@SweatyCowch]

Well, Im embarrassed. Giacchino is my favorite composer and I somehow had no idea he worked on this game. Im not passing it up next time I see it.

[@MentalHaggisCosplay]

I got this game along with my PS1 during Christmas 1998, also known in my memories as Spooky Christmas. Between getting a Thomas the Tank Engine VHS that contained a lot of Spooky episodes and getting PS1 games like this and Tomb Raider, games with haunting levels, music and atmosphere, it was like Halloween and Christmas for an 8 year old rolled into one and I loved it. Still love this game :D

[@acetrigger1337]

I remember spending a lot of time doing multiplayer with my neighbors.

[@Manfurias]

First thing that I noticed about this game was just how freaking good the music is, and I'm a sucker for games with good soundtracks even if the gameplay is mediocre at best and this game is right up there with Tunnel B1 and AMOK

[@ajhardy1808]

I thought the same thing. This game was actually fun as hell. I rented it from blockbuster.

[@DarthLee117]

I am now trying to find a full Small Soldiers OST playlist.

[@SeanSeanson]

Genuinly don't think there is one, some guy has half of it uploaded and another guy has the other half haha. You know things are bad when nobody has made a playlist with the full OST

[@DarthLee117]

@@SeanSeanson yeah it's desperate, also highly unlikely to ever see a spotify playlist, unless i find the entire discography for Michael Giacchino, ha.

[@Dandys11]

Amazing review Sean, I really love your videos, your channel is a true hidden gem, so glad to be here. As I've never seen the movie I'd had really a hard time finding the game, I just remembered a few things from playing it as a kid with mom. I found it like 3 years ago and it was still amazing game. Giacchino really did well on this one, I also loved his take on ps1's Medal of Honor Underground soundtrack.

[@SeanSeanson]

Thank you! Really appreciate the comment :) You're dead right, the MOH Underground OST is some of his finest work.

[@RyumaXtheXKing]

1998 also saw the release of Square's Soukaigi, which features an insane live music soundtrack. A must listen! Rabbids Go Home on the Wii also gets really elevate by it's soundtrack.

[@SeanSeanson]

Live music soundtrack? That sounds wild, I'll check em both out! Thanks for recommendations.

[@spellxthief]

all i remember is running around empty maps, i think just multiplayer by myseld, and it was so scary and creepy to me. i love it now so much

[@bjarnivalur6330]

God, I'm so fucking nostalgic for this game.

[@Ryo]

I played this so much I need to replay it

[@mad_quack]

This is a game I’d like to see a remaster of and maybe a sequel exploring the lore of the Gorgonite world

[@0292-q3l]

The nostalgia is over 9000!!!

[@downnout9893]

This game was one of my favorites! Loved the movie and thought the game was super cool with all the turrets and different weapons.

[@mosesmoorhouse]

I remember specifically renting this from Xtra-Vision and then really pissing my dad off because I claimed I lost it when I didn’t… I just really loved this

[@SeanSeanson]

RIP Xtra-Vision 🙏

[@FigmentForever]

Also, worked with Michael at Disney & Dreamworks Interactive & on the Tomorrowland OST as a sound mixer & he’s a true talent and gentleman. I was the only female technician on staff & he was always professional, taught me so much, and randomly ran into him at BurningMan 2019 😂

[@SeanSeanson]

Aw wow what a story! Great to hear he's one of the good ones.

[@lordkiza8838]

Multiplayer is what this game is about thats it. It's amazing if you had an older/little brother to play with like I did you know how good it was.

[@greatdirector70]

Imagine if this happens in Toy Story Woody and Buzz fighting Lots-o’s army of bad toys

[@sharperguy]

Played so many hour of this as a kid. Completely forgot that it was the music that really draws you in. Funny they basically took quake and combined it with tomb raider.

[@emodante1084]

Game Designer: We're making a game about two armies of toys at war. Michael Giacchino: Alright, time to make an epic war soundtrack!

[@joelayala2952]

I remember I was 7 mashing buttons at the password screen and getting into the later levels.

[@Rawhaki]

I think I finally understand why I love watching your reviews/videos: A. You review average/above average games and emphasise on what makes them great and worth playing. B. You focus a lot on their music and compositions. C. Lastly of course, you review obscure games. Looking forward to watch more of your reviews. I've been avoiding a lot of other reviewers because of spoilers, but I simply cannot miss yours. You and a few other obscure game reviewers have established a great reviewing culture that was I honestly felt was missing in KZbin. Thank you for the hard work and I hope you get the subscribers that you definitely and rightfully deserved. Also, you're the first person that I've turned my notification bell to 'all'. Looking forward to more of your stuff Seanson :)

[@SeanSeanson]

Aw thank you so much, really appreciate the kind words! I'll do my best to make hitting that notification bell worthwhile ☺️

[@Aswad99]

We still mumble the music of this game in our house 20 years later

[@sherlock5720]

Remember playing this when it first came out. The graphics although dated now, aren’t actually as bad as I remember. The multi player was fun

[@Vonboon11dy]

I played the demo for this endlessly

[@avisal3645]

now I remember why I thought this game was super epic as star wars when I first played

[@TheJacklikesvideos]

i had a demo of this, and it was clearly a competent and solid fun multiplayer title.

[@naomiplumb9668]

i have been humming that first levels song for over 20 years lol heeees an artooo lol

[@The_Garrett_White_Show]

Underrated game

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

im pretty sure this might have been the first video i saw on this channel

[@Jacobowitness]

Always wanted this game as a kid

[@jeffwhiz6380]

Two words, E-Bay

[@TarkBaranUnlu]

8:16 Booooooring Zzzzzz.... 8:21 OMG ! OMG !! OMG!!! I'm crying for epicness of my childhood! And still, more epic than my childhood now...

[@vodka590]

Hey Sean, what PS1 emulator are you using? I'm curious because most people are used to epsxe, but there are better alternatives.

[@SeanSeanson]

I think at the time I put together this video I was using epsxe, but have long since switched over to Duckstation, and whenever I get the rare compatibility issues on that I opt for Mednafen. The dynamic duo hasn't let me down yet!

[@vodka590]

@@SeanSeanson Haha, good! I asked because I wanted to spread the good word about Duckstation, but if you are already using it, then it's alright.

[@SeanSeanson]

@@vodka590 Praise the duck! Keep spreading the good word friend :)

[@chrisschreier8433]

I loved this game. Still do to this day. I just wish they had all the Commandos as playable characters and more in detail about their story.

[@HyperXcube]

I used to put th ps1 disc in cd player and listen to the music before sleep.

[@CadillacDream]

You sold this game to me in the music section lol, i definitely wanna try small soldiers soon. My favourite movie ever is the mummy and the big reason why is ost. So even when i play the mummy on ps1, even though the game is clunky i still enjoy it when the music kicks in and fits the mood of the situation. Any chance you make music yourself/playing instruments?

[@SeanSeanson]

LOVE The Mummy! Will almost definitely cover the game at some point too. I'm a bassist and dabble in some electronic stuff, but it's been a long time since I focused or dedicated time to music making. I'm just more of a music appreciator these days!

[@TheStewieOne]

One Year Later: What the hell is this Mitchell vs the Machine movie all about?

[@daymonwinder7913]

This was the first game my brothers and I had for the ps1. I don't remember it being that great but I was like 6 or 7 then

[@odalchiszaratutu6793]

dude the moment i saw the thumbnail of the vid i tought: "dang i remeber that game, it has an amazing soundtrack!" XD

[@Tyr-qz2lo]

Yes, come for a review of the Small Soldiers game, but stay for the brief music appreciation course.

[@NewCanada]

I prefer the game over the movie honestly. I think this franchise works better when it is about both factions fighting each other on their own planet. As opposed to them being toys on Earth. I wish we got another game similar to the PS1 game. I think a lot more could be done with a modern Small Soldiers video game. Especially lore wise. I do remember enjoying the game on my PS1 though.

[@MurphySR8]

First 8 minutes : yeah I mean this looks pretty fun but why whole vide-oh.... Ohhhh That soundtrack Is amazing I never knew that

[@SeanSeanson]

When you eventually see The Batman next year, remember that its the Small Soldiers for PS1 guy doing the music. It's such a leap haha

[@MurphySR8]

@@SeanSeanson that's very cool. Another great video tho man I'm loving them

[@SeanSeanson]

@@MurphySR8 Delighted to hear, thanks as always for watching :)

[@austism1]

wow this brought back flashbacks lol

[@Steelspoon]

Hey Sean, great video. I love your content and the stuff you cover on your channel, thanks for the entertainment. This video in particular made me yearn for more games like Small Soldiers - i.e. 3D adventure games like this, Soul Reaver, Tomb Raider and so on... I'm fairly new to the PSX format, though I played some when I was younger at my friends. Could you be so kind and point me in direction of similar titles like those previously mentioned? You seem to have a pretty good grasp of the PSX library. Again, thanks for the amazing content and keep it up!

[@SeanSeanson]

Thanks for the comment! Appreciate you watching :) You know it's surprisingly tough to think of 3D action games that at least come close to the quality of the Soul Reaver / Tomb Raider games. Akuji The Heartless is a good one and I also had a lot of fun with the movie tie in for Blade. The Disney game Atlantis: The Lost Empire kinda plays like a more kid friendly Tomb Raider, the graphics in it are really nice. There's also Deathtrap Dungeon, which admittedly has aged like milk, but I still enjoy playing it from time to time 😅

[@Steelspoon]

@@SeanSeanson Thank you so much for your reply! I've actually set my sights on the Blade game because of your Marvel video, just waiting for one to pop up for me to put my greasy paws on it. Both Akuji and Deathtrap are EIDOS games, right? Damn those guys were on fire during the PS1 era. Will try to score those as well! I've been meaning to check out the Atlantis game too, looks sweet with its cartoony visuals. I really like your obscure series, when's the next installment coming up? :)

[@SeanSeanson]

@@Steelspoon Eidos had a great run during the era! I really miss the Eidos jingle when you boot up their games, it was real chill. I don't really have a schedule, I usually just put whatever free time I have into making these videos. So I usually say somewhere between a week and a month haha I'll be updating the format of the series going forward, I'll have an update video out about it shortly so keep an eye out for that 👀

[@MennyRus]

I am not sure about Jurassic Park PS1 being the first game to have orchestral music. Intelligent Qube (one of my favs) came more than a half of year earlier and it had orchestral music done by Takayuki Hattori. But yes, in the US, IQ was released after Jurassic Park, so... in the US, Jurassic Park was the first PS1 game with the orchestral music 🤔

[@SeanSeanson]

You're right for sure! I should have been more clear that I think the accolade Lost World holds is that its purported to be the first game soundtrack that's consists entirely of a live orchestral score, but then again that could just be the intetnet lying to me! Wouldn't be the first time 😅

[@aranerem5569]

I played it back in the day

[@somehuman1901]

I hope you take a look at the PC one next. Like you I played that way more than I should have. It's a fairly decent RTS license game.

[@Antz3The3rd]

I wish they took the concept of the ps1 game to make it a PVP multiplayer. Play as Commandos or Gorgonites and battle it out in the world of Gorgon. Add Modern Day settings as DLC.

[@maxims.1045]

I litrly just bought this game out of nostalgia reasons today :)

[@thesteammachine1282]

I only wish you could play the main story or even multiplayer with more selectable characters . I mean, they are there and looking at you and you cant have them :(

[@CinderSnake]

I remember renting this game at the icelandic version of blockbuster and i didnt give it enough of a chance because it creeped me out (i was maybe 7-8) i played it for maybe 10 minutes before i had enough i think i played some skirmish mode because i just kinda remember chip appearing out of that black fog of war and i have no idea why but that unsettled me to my core. other than that the game looks cool and i would probably enjoy it if i played it today. I agree with the missed opportunity for lore, its always seemed really odd that there wasnt anything to chew on when it came to the world they came from, an animated small soldiers tv show about that would have probably been pretty profitable, i remember the toys being everywhere so there was clearly a market to capitalize on. anyway good video :D