Transformers

Other products by Atari

Product Features

• Play as one of three heroic Autobot leaders - Optimus Prime, Red Alert or Hot Shot
• Convert from robot to vehicle mode on the battlefield, as you collect countless power-ups
• Build up your combat abilities with rocket launchers, homing missiles, stealth options and tractor beams
• Countless enemies to fight through, for hours of wild Transformers action -- destroy all-new enemies like Decepticlone Soldiers, Spider Tanks, Sentry Drones and Drop Ships
• Fight against the most powerful Decepticon leaders - Starscream, Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, and finally Megatron himself!

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0000V48MA
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 5.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: May 11, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,966 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Game Informer Review

As soon as Transformers fans see this score, the hate mail will begin. To them I say: "Save it." You guys will absolutely adore this game. So don't waste your time telling me how much I suck (I already know), and go play this game. You'll be glad you did. Those who aren't hopelessly devoted to this franchise, on the other hand, won't be quite as enamored. It's certainly not a bad game – in fact, I'd say this could be the start of what is potentially a very good series – but it makes too many missteps to truly appeal to a wider audience.

But before I get into what this title does wrong, let's talk about what it does right. First off, the graphics simply rock. The stages are incredible to look at, and the Transformers themselves are just as impressive. The first stage, the Amazon, is one of the best-looking environments I've ever seen on the PS2, and the others are nearly as good. There are a few bland elements, such as the Decepticlones, but none of the visuals are at all bad. The look is great all around.

I also really liked…well, the graphics are the only thing I really liked. Having only three playable Autobots was a bummer, especially since I found no reason to play as anyone except Optimus Prime, as he felt the most balanced. The gameplay let me down in just about every way possible. Combat is repetitive and boring, the controls are goofy, and the rewards you earn simply aren't that rewarding.

In each stage, you'll face the same generic robots (who are actually pretty tough – even on the lowest difficulty level, this is a pretty hard game) in some very familiar third-person action. Run around, shoot the bad guys, and pick up the health power-ups they drop. It's standard stuff, and it would be second nature to play if the control scheme weren't so weird. It uses all four of the shoulder buttons, but the face buttons are virtually forgotten. Even on the last stage, I still hadn't completely adjusted to hitting L1 to jump.

Finally, the Mini-Con system, which is the basis of the entire game, also left a lot to be desired. As you progress through the stages, you'll discover Mini-Cons: little robots that can be equipped for additional powers. Only four can be equipped at one time, and they all have different power requirements, so your best (and most power-consuming) Mini-Cons can never all be equipped at the same time, and certain ones can only be used in particular slots. I would have liked to have had certain Mini-Cons grant permanent attribute bonuses; the enemies you face (especially the bosses) get tougher and tougher, and you really don't. Those that do increase your defenses typically have to be left behind in order to equip those that are essential to completing your mission.

Every time I started to enjoy Transformers, it did something to let me down. But I still have a lot of faith that it could grow into a great series. This title has plenty of flaws, but the main issue is that it's simply too typical and too clunky. By embracing what is so cool about the franchise, this series could really grow into something special. Consider this not a failed game, just a rocky start.

Concept:
Everyone's favorite shape-shifting robots are back in an adventure that ties into the recent Armada cartoon

Graphics:
The environments are amazing, and the character models are sharp and detailed

Sound:
Meh. Not even the once-cool transforming sound is that impressive here

Playability:
The wacky default control scheme cannot be remapped and is hard to get used to no matter how long you play

Entertainment:
The cool license isn't enough to overcome the so-so gameplay, making this one for fans only

Replay:
Low

Rated: 7 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss
Issue: June 2004

2nd Opinion:
I had hoped that in my lifetime I would never have occasion to say "Optimus Prime is a fragile pansy." Unfortunately, I found myself repeating this phrase time and time again as he was blasted, punched, and hammer-thrown across all creation. Even without this inherent conceptual flaw, there are still some serious problems in the gameplay department that keep Transformers from reaching its potential. The controls are clunky, the objectives unclear, and the boss battles frustrating, making this nothing more than your average action title. However, I was amazed by how great the game looked — the cutscenes in particular are gorgeous. Plus, the ability to transform at will between vehicle and robot form lends itself to some cool moments. Maybe I even whispered "transform and roll out" to myself once or twice. Maybe.

Rated: 7 out of 10
Editor: Joe Juba


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Product Description

Transformers for Playstation 2

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome, April 16, 2004

By A Customer

I had a chance to try the preview version of the game and I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the game very much. The game has awsome graphics (Hot Shot looked really nice). I can't wait till the full version out in May.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! A Game That Does The TransFormers Justice!!, May 10, 2004

By	Jarrod Leda (Tarentum, Pa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Based on how Transformers games have usually been(horrible), I wasnt expecting much. To my surprise , this game rocks. Best described as a mix of first/third person shooters, Smugglers Run , and mild platforming, it combines the best of those genres, and adds new elements to the mix. Transformations are both flawless and usefull, you can run down your enemies as a car, and quickly transfrom and start blasting. The power-ups(Obtained by collecting 'mini-cons') are very cool, and combine with each other.. adding missiles, sniper guns, night vision, ect set up in a combination you feel is best.The game runs quite smoothly, the level design is excellent, and the lack of radar or maps, gives it an adventure/exploration feel. The levels never feel repetitive or 'boxlike', the terrain, plants and little details bring it to life. The enemy AI is very good, if you fire and they dont see you, they will fan out and search, untill they have visual sight of you. Some will run and contact other bots to come help, with huge dropships adding more enemies where you have defeated them. The boss battles are what some of us have waited 20 years for, better than the original cartoon, and an absolute blast to play. (Tidal WAVE!!!)
The only strikes against it are it does run a bit short, and it is an absolute crime that the game is not 2 player. The replay would have been extended 100fold were the existing levels and powerups made available for 1 on 1 battles. Oh well. And as far as all the armada/gen 1 threads, who cares? Its about how the game plays, and this one plays well.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I've been waiting twenty years for this game, August 21, 2004

By	Bosco Hoggins (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Let me start off by saying that I am 28 and therefore the Transformers have been a major spiritual influence in my life. I quote Optimus Prime the same way others quote scripture. So, needless to say when I saw this game coming out, my interest was more than I little peaked.

When I received the game (via Amazon), I did approximately what I would have done at 8 years old. I ripped the box open, ran to the den, kicked my family off the TV, and counted each agonizing second as the game booted on the PS2. The opening screen and control panel interface are frankly amazing, the best I have ever seen. Of the three Autobots you can pick from, I naturally chose Optimus and started into my adventure!!

Well, this is where the story goes a little off track. I usually start with listing the good then the bad, but to communicate the magnitude of my disappointment, I will start with the bad:

The Bad
- This is not Transformers like I remember them. Sure there are some of the old characters (Optimus, Megatron, Shockwave), but there is something really different about them as if you were looking at them through the distortion of a fun house mirror. Megatron is no longer the hand held gun fired by Soundwave, but rather this big tank looking thing. I understand that this is actually not the original Transformers, but rather an evolution called Armada. I know that I am biased in this, but the originals were just...well... better. They looked cooler and were more fun. Oh well, I guess they were close.

- The story really is not all that great. You are hunting down a group of littel autobots called the Minicons. I understand the story comes from an Armada comic series that people liked a lot. Truth be told, unless you have read the comic strip, there really is not much there. Again, I was just so disappointed, because there is so much potential.

- The characters are ok, but you can only choose one of three. They are not really very different. One goes faster than the others, another is more powerful, and the third is balanced. If I remember correctly, there are at least 30 or 40 characters that could have been used, but alas. Alos, there are no hidden characters to unlock. As an aside, if you could have somehow unlocked the old school characters, there is nothing that could have stopped me from playing 200 hours straight to get to them.

- I am not going to tell you what the last level is, but it is a major disappointment. I am surprised that they wanted to end on such a sour note. It is hard to control, tedious, and (at the end of the day) just not very fun

Ok... enough with the complaints, here are the good:

-Slick, slick, slick interface. It looked really good and it was obvious that a lot of time has gone into polishing the game.

- Graphics are very nice. There is really a strong sense that Atari wanted to make this the best looking (if no the most fun) game around.

- Gameplay was somewhat fun and worth spending time on. Levels and bad guys were different to an extent. I kept wondering why they used such a small cast from all of the potential characters.

- Bosses were a lot of fun. Tidal Wave was incredible.

- Upgrades were fun to get especially the glider. There was a free-flow feel to the game created by the ability to fly pretty much anywhere.

Conclusion
Would I recommend this game? Well, for people in my peer group (28 year olds who still play video games), I would probably say go rent it. You get the same nostalgic feel in the first hour of playing it that you would in the 40th. For people younger than me whose first experience with the Transformers was one of the later genrationas, I think the production values alone would qualify the game for a hearty recommendation.