Transformers: Prime - The Game (3DS)

Note: The following review contains spoilers for Transformers: Prime - The Game and the Transformers: Prime cartoon.

In 2010, Hasbro launched what is known within Transformers fandom as the “Aligned” continuity family, which was intended to create a more unified Transformers universe rather than the regular reboot every five or so years. As some continuity kerfuffles (patched up largely through the Covenant of Primus book) and the advent of later continuities have proven, such as the current-airing Cyberverse cartoon on Cartoon Network and IDW’s Transformers comic receiving a complete continuity reboot earlier this year, this obviously didn’t pan out as well as intended. However, the central piece of fiction was the Transformers: Prime cartoon on The Hub Network (which I have talked about before). While the Prime cartoon was in its second Season, a video game adaptation telling an original story, dubbed Transformers: Prime – The Game, was released on Wii, DS and 3DS in October 2012, with a Wii U version released a month later as a launch title for the system. Unlike many previous Transformers games, what makes this game unique is that the story is the same across all platforms, with only the presentation being different. As I had been wanting to play the game for a while, I would eventually obtain the 3DS version, and even then I only got around to playing it recently; though it didn’t take as long to play as I thought it would, it was still overall a fun experience while it lasted.

A large meteorite made of Dark Energon is looming towards Earth, with the Decepticons attempting to claim it for themselves using their ship, the Nemesis. However, the Autobots use the GroundBridge to teleport to the Nemesis, with Ratchet staying behind and Optimus Prime managing to stop Megatron and the Decepticons’ plans. Despite this, the Dark Energon still makes its way towards Earth, breaking apart and separating the Autobots. Though Starscream believes they have won, Megatron instead orders the other Decepticons to retrieve as much of the Dark Energon as they can.

The story is pretty easy to follow, though it generally assumes you already have an idea of who the characters are after watching roughly the first two Seasons of Prime. That being said, its written such that it feels like an episode of the show, perhaps even a multi-part story, which shows that some amount of care went into the writing process. What helps is that the voice cast from the series returns to reprise the returning characters in the game, with Metal Gear and Kingdom Hearts alum Robin Atkin Downes playing the game-original character Thunderwing, himself a clever amalgamation of more notable Thunderwings from other continuities. One downside, though, is that the game does not seem to feature a subtitle option whatsoever.

As for its placement within the Transformers: Prime canon, it has been noted that, despite a statement from publisher Activision that it could “wedged anywhere within Season 2”, this is ultimately impossible due to the specific selection of Decepticons the game represents. The exact specifications have been noted, though to summarize, the main point of contention is Starscream, who abandoned the Decepticons prior to Season 2 and didn’t join them again until Season 2’s antepenultimate episode, and even then he lost his T-cog for a majority of that time, stripping him of his ability to transform in the show (while he can in the game). To get more specific, the Decepticon Dreadwing, who also appears in the game, was introduced to the show right after Starscream lost his T-cog, only to be killed off right before Starscream regained his ability to transform, which renders the events of the game impossible to play out in this timeframe. On a lesser note, Airachnid has control over an army of Insecticons in the game, which she only had for one episode of Season 2.

With that out of the way, the gameplay itself is actually pretty good. Much of the gameplay involves battling Vehicons with a mix of long-ranged and close-range attacks, however this is broken up with some occasional vehicle segments. The transformation gimmick of the franchise is also worked into the normal gameplay itself, with some gaps requiring jumping while in vehicle mode to cross and some enemies requiring you to perform an attack from vehicle mode to break their shields. During combat, a special Upgrade meter also fills up that, when activated (by pressing a button on the touchscreen in the handheld version), gives you a temporary power boost. Some levels also have a small number of Artifacts scattered throughout, which unlock extra content, and completing certain objectives in the game rewards you with a special Emblem.

3DS gameplay (pictured: Bumblebee fighting a Vehicon).
The top screen features the health and Upgrade meter while
the touchscreen features a mini-map and the button
to activate the Upgrade.

The game also features a multiplayer mode, for which characters and locations can be unlocked through the campaign. As the campaign itself can be finished fairly quickly, this mode provides some amount of replay value, on top of finding the Artifacts featured in the main game. This mode can also be played single-player with bots, allowing you to experience this feature even if you can’t find someone else who also owns a copy of the game.

Despite the graphical limitations of the 3DS, the graphics are actually pretty decent. Though somewhat pixelated, the character models and level designs look straight out of the Prime cartoon, even replicating the characters’ usual body language from the series. The generic Vehicons original to the game, as well as the aforementioned Thunderwing, also bear designs that look like they would fit right in with the source material.

For what it is, the 3DS version of Transformers: Prime – The Game is actually pretty fun, especially if you are already a fan of the show. The gameplay has some good variety and a combination of good writing and music allow it to feel like part of the Prime series, even though it makes itself unworkable with the actual canon. For those going into this game without having watched the show, I would suggest watching at least the first two Seasons to get a better understanding of the characters (the show itself is good anyway), otherwise it’s a well-designed game on its own and is best viewed as a stand-alone non-canon story.