Rocketmen originally started out as a constructible ship game from Wiz Kids, where players constructed fleets of ships. These ships were assembled from polystyrene, which is also used to make credit cards. This game was a tactical space combat game. They also produced seven short video episodes, available on the web here
. The first set, Axis of Evil, introduced the setting, letting players select forces from Mercury, Venus, the Terran rebels (good), the Legion of Terra, and Mars (evil). An expansion, Battle of Titans, add Io, Saturn (good) and Ganymede (evil).
Later, Capcom produced a Rocketmen video game, where players can play characters within the setting. Gameplay is a typical top-down shooter, with humorous (and plot-relevant) cut scenes. The first game consists of ten sequential missions, where the player helps foil a plot by the Axis of Evil to build and deploy a gravity gun. A sequel expansion pack — It Came From Uranus — adds three more adventures, where the player frees the forces of Saturn from being controlled by the Axis of Evil.
The central characters are Nick Sion, a stereotypical action hero, his buddy Zack. and the Venusian Alecto Mink. Empress Armada of Mercury also plays a role in both the video game and the movies, as does the Martian Captain Mash.
Clearly inspired by Buck Rogers era serials.
This setting contains examples of:
- Actual Pacifist: The Venusians as a whole. Alecto Mink has to overcome her race's anti-violent conditioning. Venusians accept physical contests such as wrestling though.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: The otherwise human Mercurians and Venusians are orange and blue, respectively. The winged Saturnians have red skin and white hair, but are otherwise human.
- Rivals Team Up: The hot-blooded Mercurians and the pacifist Venusians despise each other, but they join forces once Nick points out their combined strength.
- The Greys: From Io, but they're allied with the good guys.
- Those Wacky Nazis: the Legion of Terra are clearly Wacky Nazis IN SPACE!.
The Capcom video game includes examples of:
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Alecto and Armada are both quite attractive. So is the Saturnian Queen, once freed of the mind control device. The bad guys? Ogre-like Martians, mad scientists, and a sexy Baroness in the form of Ivana in the finale.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: "Go over to the control panel and hit the ACTION button with everything you've got."
- Gatling Good: the Vulcan is another weapon available to the hero
- Mad Scientist: The scientists working on the gravity gun play this trope straight.
- More Dakka: Several of the weapons don't need precise aiming skills, relying instead upon high fire rates.
- Navel-Deep Neckline: The female Venusian marine shirt has a plunging neckline.
- Shotguns Are Just Better: One of the many weapons available, and it does a great job of sweeping large areas.
- Whip of Dominance: The Legion of Terra commander, Ivana wields an energy whip as her main weapon. It's capable of long reaching melee strikes, firing ranged attacks, and allows her to swing across a battlefield, which she demonstrates as the final boss.
The online videos contain examples of
- Athens and Sparta: The Venusians are Actual Pacifists and the Mercurians are a Proud Warrior Race, and have naturally been rivals for ages. Legends say that long ago Venus and Mercury were sisters whose feud began over an Earth man.
- Black Widow: Evidently, Armada although it only applies to her husbands. Casual flings are safe.
- Catfight: Between Empress Armada and the Goddess (ruler) of Venus.
- Crystal Spires and Togas: The Venusians are an advanced society and they certainly wear togas.
- Pass the Popcorn: During the catfight between the Venusian and Mercurian queens, Nick promptly pulls out a large bowl of popcorn.
- Proud Warrior Race: The Mercurians are borderline space Amazons and their queen is their greatest warrior.
