Boys and girls alike whittled away the long days of their youth with action figures, developing imaginary comraderies and epic conflicts between various dolls that may or may not predominantly feature burn marks.  It’s this global pastime that brings media featuring toys consistently resounding success, whether we’re looking at Pixar’s legendary Toy Story franchise, or the 1998 film Small Soldiers that charmingly showcased humans fighting against action figures in what I maintain is one of the best films ever made.

Hypercharge Unboxed brings much of the same flavor as these classics, featuring action figures fighting for dominance in aisles, bedrooms, and backyards around the globe in an attempt to defend the HYPER-CORE.

While the game featured an action figure known as Sergeant Max Ammo, players can customize their own fantastic plastic avatar, picking colors and pieces that best accentuate their own style.

The first person shooter also brings tower-defense aspects to the fray, allowing players to set up barricades and spike walls around the HYPER-CORE.  Turrets, walls, and various nefarious traps can all help Mister Ammo defend the HYPER-CORE from nefarious beings attempting to destroy it.  No worries if they do, of course; everything will simply cease to exist and die.  Absolutely no pressure.

The title features split-screen play as well, allowing you to sidle up next to a friend on the couch and blast other toys into oblivion in a feature that is all too often forgotten feature that has fallen wayside in more modern eras.  It can actually be a bit dull of a title if you’re not playing with others, as enemies will often forgo acknowledging your existence for a shot or to at the core, meaning players don’t often experience a sense of danger.

The framerate may be a larger deduction, however; 30 frames-per-second.

While it doesn’t drop below, the frame rate is decidedly blocky considering that the title is also purchasable on Steam, where it has received much more favorable critic reviews.  It’s also interesting that the Steam version is still considered Early Access, while the title brought to the Nintendo Switch is considered a fully-fledged game.

Regardless, even with the short-comings the title offers, its customization of characters and weapons more than enough makes up for what it lacks, along with the irrefutably adorable charm of playing as, and against, various toys.  From light-up robots to plastic tyrannosaurus rexes, it’s a fascinating escape, however brief it may be.