Finally, a Nintendo-only Transformers title that gets it right.
- Transformers Prime The Game Wii Iso
- Transformers Prime The Game Wii
- Transformers Prime The Game Wii Review
But – and here's the key to the game's success – the design actually does do things differently. So even while this development team was saddled with a too-familiar story from a too-familiar franchise, they managed to introduce innovation and fun where it counts – in the gameplay itself.
Transformers: Prime - The Game divides its story mode evenly between five different Autobot heroes, the same core set of characters that carry the cartoon. Optimus Prime leads things off – headlining the introductory tutorial level that teaches you the combat controls – and it seems like the game is setting itself up to be a standard, by-the-numbers string of missions based on bashing endless waves of bad guy bots.
But then Mission #2 takes a different approach, integrating a high-speed vehicle mode chase sequence starring female motorcycle-bot Arcee. Then Bulkhead takes charge of Mission #3, with his level focusing on a rushing escape from a collapsing cave. And then Bumblebee, in Mission #4, is given a more exploration-heavy stage to progress through, a non-linear dungeon that lets you choose which paths to take and when.
So you're met with a ton of gameplay variety right off the bat, which is probably not what you'd expect going in to a licensed release like this – but it's a very good thing. Several past Transformers games have offered only the same style of play in level after level, but here you never know if you're about to step into a boss battle, or a car chase, or a brawl against a dozen hungry Insecticons. Each character feels different, too. The diversity is great.Also crucially satisfying is the combat system featured here, which, again, has been a downfall of older Transformers titles – and, again, it's the variety factor that keeps things interesting. You can choose to engage Decepticons up close with traditional melee combos, which is standard. Or you can lock-on and pepper foes with lasers from a distance. Or you can put together a combination of the two, flowing fluidly back and forth between direct strikes and indirect shots – maybe you'll hit a baddie with a one-two punch to juggle him into the air, then blast him out of the sky to finish him off.
Or you could just crash into them. This is the coolest part of combat, and one of the most exciting inclusions in the game – your vehicle mode is actually integrated into each fight. I've been waiting a long time for a Nintendo system Transformers game that understands the importance of these characters actually transforming, and Prime - The Game is it – you can quickly shift into car form and charge enemies head on, then dynamically leap off the ground with preserved momentum to clear long gaps or throw a flying punch, and then automatically transform right back into a car to keep zooming right along when you land. It's fantastic, and finally makes it feel like you are a Transformer – not just stuck in one mode or the other.Now, at this point, I've got to acknowledge that some similarly satisfying Transformers work has been done through 2010's Transformers: War for Cybertron and its sequel Fall of Cybertron, released just a few months ago for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. But Nintendo systems never got those games. We've been stuck dealing with cheap, watered-down knock-offs like Wii's Cybertron Adventures or the abysmal Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Stealth Force Edition, a game that didn't even let you transform out of vehicle mode. Yeah. So it's a little bit groundbreaking that we've finally got a Transformers title here on the Nintendo side of things that makes it genuinely fun to be a Transformer again.
This game even finds a functional use for the unnecessary human friend characters. They serve as plot advancers by getting frequently kidnapped, of course, but beyond that they actually pipe in and talk to you during missions to offer advice and direction – in the grand tradition of the Star Fox franchise. (Though none of them ever told me to do a barrel roll.)
Transformers: Prime - The Game then rounds out its design with a fairly predictable array of extras, like a gallery of character bios unlocked by finding hidden items in each stage and a multiplayer mode that lets you deathmatch against your friends – provided everyone has their own copy of the game. And the whole adventure ends too quickly, too, a feeling that's only made worse by the division of labor between the five different hero bots – each character only gets a brief time in the spotlight.
For its Wii U iteration, Transformers: Prime - The Game doesn't offer much of anything special. It's clear that this version was crafted right alongside the earlier editions for Nintendo's less powerful machines, and so it simply looks like the same experience, upscaled. The high definition resolution makes it the best-looking of all the versions, but the models and textures are all the same here – much more could be done on Wii U, and hopefully a future Transformers release will be able to actually take advantage of the new system's power.
Beyond the graphics, the gameplay is also nearly identical to the other editions. The Wii Remote + Nunchuck control scheme is carried over with no change from the Wii version, though you also have to option to play using just the GamePad. That's the best choice, because using the Pad eliminates the annoying waggle attacks and gives you a running stat tracker of how much damage you've taken, how many items you've collected and how much time has elapsed in the current mission – the three criteria that determine which ranking you'll earn in each level. It's kind of a bland usage of the second display, but it is a bit helpful.
You can also choose to swap the displays, letting you play the game fully removed from the TV if you like. That's a nice feature, and it shows that at least a bit of extra effort was put into this Wii U version.
Verdict
Transformers: Prime - The Game is fun while it lasts, and fun in any form is more than Nintendo fans could have hoped for after years of other, terrible Transformers titles. This game offers the same old story with the same old characters one more time, adding nothing new to the tired old rivalry between Optimus, Megatron, and all the rest of the robots in disguise. But the inventive, dynamic gameplay that captures the appeal of stepping into the shape-shifting body of a giant bot rescues the entire package from what otherwise might have been mediocrity. This is a truly fun game, and fans of the Transformers: Prime cartoon show should absolutely check it out.
Transformers Prime: The Game (Wii) Review. Transformers Prime: The Game for the Nintendo Wii is a completely new game set within the Transformers Prime universe. The heart of the experience is a campaign mode in a setup meant to act as a stand-alone Transformers Prime story. You play as the Autobots as they intercept Megatron. Transformers: Prime – The Game is a brawler video game developed by Now Production for the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS and Altron for the Nintendo DS. Transformers: Prime – The Game was published by Activision in October–November 2012. TRANSFORMERS: PRIME WiiU Wii U game *COM. $14.88 Buy It Now. Transformers Prime (Nintendo Wii U, 2012. $14.99 Buy It Now. Click on a tab below to view a list of sold listings for Transformers Prime for the Wii U. Loose Complete New Graded. Listing Title. Transformers Prime (Nintendo Wii U, 2012) $13.97.
In This Article
Rated 'E10+'
Transformers: Prime - The Game doesn't do anything special with Wii U, but the experience is still solid.
Recommends
Transformers Prime The Game Wii Iso
| 65.83% | Overall Rank: 12977 Wii Rank: 390 2012 Games Rank: 12952 2012 Wii Rank: 390 Score based on 6 reviews |
Based on the hit animated television show produced by Hasbro Studios and currently airing on The Hub television network in the U.S., the game lets fans play as their favorite AUTOBOT characters and embark on an action-packed adventure to save the earth from the evil MEGATRON and his new secret weapon. Players step into the roles of OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE, ARCEE, AUTOBOT RATCHET, BULKHEAD and more as they explore unique vistas all around the world with brawler-style combat and diverse driving sequences. Along the way, gamers cultivate friendships with Jack, Miko and Raf - the human characters from the show - as Team Prime sets out to protect mankind and eliminate the DECEPTICONS once and for all.
Transformers Prime The Game Wii
| Site | Date | Type | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming Nexus | 01/19/13 | Review | 8 out of 10 |
| Nintendojo | 12/10/12 | Review | C+ |
| Game Vortex | 11/25/12 | Review | 70 out of 100 |
| ZTGD | 11/16/12 | Review | 6.5 out of 10 |
| NZGamer | 11/15/12 | Review | 5 out of 10 |
| COGconnected | 11/15/12 | Review | 60 out of 100 |
| GameSpot | 07/10/12 | Screenshots | n/a |
| GameSpot | 10/29/12 | News | n/a |
| GameSpot | 03/15/12 | News | n/a |
| GameSpot | 03/15/12 | Movie | n/a |
Transformers Prime The Game Wii Review
Images, Boards and more
MetaScore: 66 (6 Reviews)