Portal Runner

Overview

Portal Runner is an offshoot of the Army Men franchise developed by 3DO for the PS2, with a separate game of the same name made for the Game Boy Color. Both versions were released in September of 2001. A platformer, the game stars Vikki Grimm in a world-hopping quest to save Sarge from Bridgette Bleu.

Released to poor reviews, the game is perhaps best known for then-3DO president Trip Hawkins's reaction to GamePro Magazine's review, which awarded the game a score of 2.3 out of 5. In a letter sent to John Rousseau of the magazine's staff, Hawkins blasted GamePro for its "slam-job" on Portal Runner. Claiming to know the game "intimately," Hawkins accused the magazine of impropriety in its review of the game and that 3DO would reevaluate its relationship with the magazine. He went on to state that the company would cut back on advertising in the magazine "effective immediately."