Things get off to a decidedly perky start with an animated cut scene that we can only imagine is very much like the TV cartoon. Bright, colourful and pacy, it appears that the Decepticons have been up to no good and, um... well, to be honest, that's where we completely lost interest in the story. The AllSpark got a mention at some point and a variety of squeaky voiced supporting characters kept banging on about a variety of hi-tech sounding thingies, but it all boiled down to an urgent, universe-saving need to go from A to B, via lots platforms, doors and switches.
Fair enough. The majority of the game lets you manage a team of three Autobots, namely Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Bulkhead. Each has different abilities, and the gameplay is almost entirely focused on you using the right Autobot's skill at the right time, so that all three Autobots can eventually arrive at the end of a level. Optimus Prime has a grappling hook that lets him climb onto certain bits of scaffolding, as well as a throwable axe that functions very much like Link's boomerang in Phantom Hourglass - draw a path with the stylus and the axe will do your bidding. Bumblebee can jump over things, jump upwards from wall to wall, and can also hack into computer terminals. Bulkhead can knock down particular doors and can push or pull heavy objects around.
Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.
There's never much doubt as to what each Autobot should be doing at any given time. There are a few moments of genuine puzzlement but there's little room for creative solutions here. There's only one pathway through each level, so it's just a matter of having Bulkhead knock down a door so Bumblebee can jump up an elevator shaft to push a switch that will drop a door so Optimus Prime can throw his axe at another switch which will... and so on. It does become mildly taxing when you have to work out exactly where a door that just opened is in relation to your team, and how to get them there, but it's almost impossible to go wrong. Bumblebee is the most useful team member by far, thanks to his mobility and enemy-zapping powers. We couldn't help but feel sorry for Optimus Prime, the apparent leader of the Autobots , as he was obliged to spend a lot of the game standing around waiting while the leaping, bouncing, zapping Bumblebee had all the fun.
Every so often the platforming action changes to a 3D driving section. This is the only time you'll see any any actual transforming in the game, and it's dreadfully dull. In vehicle form, an Autobot can hurtle along a highway, switching from lane to lane, slot car style, to avoid traffic. When an enemy appears on the horizon, a quick tap on the 'transform' button will convert the Autobot back into robot form which allows them to shoot down the incoming enemy. More than anything it brings to mind the utterly basic racing gameplay of 80s era games like Pole Position with tacked on, mindlessly simple combat. It would have been best left out altogether.
The overall presentation of the game, on the other hand, is nicely done. The voice-overs are a step up from the normal dross, no doubt because - we are reliably informed - the voice actors from the TV series are all involved. The animation of the Autobots is particularly good, from the shadow-boxing Bumblebee to Bulkhead's weighty stride. The design, no doubt lifted wholesale from the TV show, is stylish and lends itself well to a video game.
Don't drive angry!
We did find the control scheme awkward, particularly when guiding Optimus Prime. Bumblebee and Bulkhead can be controlled entirely with the buttons on the DS, but the stylus has to be used to throw Optimus Prime's power axe. Every so often you'll need to quickly throw the power axe, and rapidly switching between characters means that the stylus has to be kept drawn and ready, either tucked uncomfortably between fingers or laid to one side. It's tricky when sitting in a chair at home, and makes playing Transformers Animated on the bus a terrific way to lose your stylus within seconds. You can always rely on a trusty fingernail, but this tends to lessen the accuracy of a lobbed power axe. It's a horribly clunky attempt to utilise the touch screen and should have been vigorously stomped on during the game's development.
Even though Transformers Animated is obviously aimed at a younger audience and wouldn't benefit from being incredibly difficult, it all feels a little flat and routine. The platform-switch-door mechanic is about as stock standard as you can get. Arriving at the end of a level produces the kind of satisfaction that comes from completing a chore, rather than from surviving an exciting and dangerous situation. 'Plodding' is a word that comes to mind, which isn't all that great for a game involving huge robots in a battle to save the universe.
It would be unfair, however, to write off Transformers Animated: The Game as a total waste of time. Judged against other cartoon cash-ins on the DS - an admittedly low benchmark - it does offer some solid, if uninspired, gameplay. A Transformers obsessed pre-teen could while away a few happy hours with the game, but it's not really going to appeal to anyone with wider ranging interests.
Loading...
