In the Army Men franchise, including Army Men (1999) and Army Men 2, the Mortar is a powerful heavy weapon used to lob explosive shells over obstacles to clear enemy plastic soldiers. Similarly, it serves as a high-trajectory explosive weapon in the tank shooter Mass Destruction (1997) and as a projectile power-up in Hot Wheels Beat That! (2007).
In the tactical design of
Army Men and
Army Men 2, utilizing this weapon requires players to carefully calculate distance, as the firing unit remains stationary and vulnerable during the targeting process. Ammunition is typically limited, forcing players to scavenge the battlefield for green crates to replenish their supply. This strategic resource management defines its role in cooperative and multiplayer modes, where one player often provides cover while another coordinates the bombardment.
In
Mass Destruction, the weapon is integrated into the tank's auxiliary arsenal, acquired through specific power-up icons scattered across the destructible environments. It allows players to bypass defensive walls and neutralize stationary turrets from a safe distance. Meanwhile, its inclusion in
Hot Wheels Beat That! adapts the weapon for high-speed racing tracks, where players collect the item from floating canisters to target leading vehicles. Across these diverse titles, the weapon represents a crucial mechanical bridge between realistic military artillery and stylized, toy-themed interactive combat, cementing its legacy as a staple of late-1990s and 2000s action gameplay.