giant robots

I have been a big Transformers fan from 1984 and probably will still be well into the future. A lot of Transformers games have been made in the past and all with disapointing results. They all just didn't capture the Transformers feel to it or have the capabilities to pull it off well.

So will this game be the one to break that mold? Well , yes and no. The game is fun. The fun of using one of 3 Autobots that you can Transform and shoot at evil Decepticon warriors makes the game fun for any Transformers fan. But the game seems to be a bit on the short side. You go through a few worlds that you can easily get through and the bosses aren't that tricky even on the harder levels. You sorta feel a bit let down that there isn't more to it then what we do wind up with.

A thing to note about the game is that it uses characters from the Armada toy line that was out in 2002. There is no real mention of this as they just call the game Transformers and nothing else. But it has all the elements and characters from the Armada series, including Minicons and all the characters from that wave of toys.

I am glad I bought the game as I had been waiting a long time to play a really good Transformers game but after you play it through you will see why it just didn't seem filling enough. You only fight some of the major Decepticons at the end of each stage in some boss battle that usauly isn't too tricky as long as you have the right minicon's equipped. You only get to use 3 Autobots and it just seems like so many characters were left out that could have been used in parts of the stages instead of these generic Decepticon warriors we get. The game feels a bit rushed overall and comes off as a good premiere game for what could be done in the future with more time and effort put into it.

If anything the game is a great stepping stone for what could come after it. It's fun, captures the Transformers flavor and has great effects and options. Next time for the sequal hopefuly they fill in some of the loose ends that seem to be felt as you play it and hopefuly a Generation 1 game won't be too far away in the future. Maybe on Playstation 3 ... here's hoping at least :)

Lastly the game has lots of extras that you can find and unlock as you play the game. They include some art pictures of some of the characters in the games, music renditions and some of the old Generation 1 lessons that were sometimes shown after a cartoon episode ended. That too makes the game worth it just to find all these hidden little treasures.

So definitely get the game, its fun and there are many things to shoot and explore and figure out, just realize that it isn't that long and will make you wonder what could have been if they developed what they had going for them here.

When I was a kid, I loved nothing more than playing with and watching Transformers. When the 32-bit era struck in the video game world years ago, I had hoped some developer would come up with the idea of a Transformers licensed game. A Beast Wars (based on the computer animated Transformers show that premiered in the mid to late 90's) game was released, but I longed for the days of the Autobots and Decepticons battling it out. Now, finally, Atari has crafted an action packed, and above all fun, game that fans have waited years for. Even though it's primarily based on the new lame cartoon and toy line; Transformers offers gamers the opportunity to play as Autobot warriors Red Alert, Hot Shot, and above all Optimus Prime. Playing as one of the three, you run and gun and transform your way back and forth through an onslaught of Decepticon baddies. Also, you can find scattered Mini-con which you can equip to gain new abilities and receive better weapons. Other than that, the game's main focus is on shooting, and on that it does a fine job. The game's combat system is surprisingly intense and is the main highlight of the game. You'll find familiar faces doing battle with the evil Megatron and Starscream, but playing as a few other different characters would have been welcome. The controls can be sluggish, and the game feels too short upon completion, and maybe a feature of being able to play as the Decepticons, are the game's only downsides. That aside, longtime fans of the original Transformers should check this out, and even with what it has going against it, the game succeeds mightily.

(...). What we have here is a well put together game, complete with a challenging difficulty, good graphics, tolerable voice acting (and despite what some reviews have said, Optimus and Megatron ARE voiced by their respective voice actors, Gary Chalk and David Kaye), and the real star of the show, GOOD gameplay. That in itself makes for a wonderful experience. But the added element of hunting down minicons(uuuuuuuugh....) is justified by actually having them enhance your "bot" with useful weapons and/or features.

All in all, a great experience.