Transformers Prime The Game - Nintendo 3DS Review

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Details

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Now Prouction Co., Ltd
MSRP: $29.99
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older - Fantasy Violence)
Also Available For Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo WiiU (on November 18th)


The Game

Transformers Prime is the first Transformers game set within the Transformers Prime universe, and is available exclusively on Nintendo systems. The 3DS handheld offering comes with a standard story campaign that you would expect, as well as local multiplayer (which we will touch on later). The first thing you will notice when starting up this game is the standard Transformers Prime intro you know from the popular Hub Network show.

Right after the familiar intro we are treated to a cinematic, which is the first of many cinematics throughout the game (there are 58 total). These cinematics really help drive home the story based experience being presented here and help to set the tone for the game that it really is like its own longer, interactive, installment of the Transformers Prime series.

The game structure isn't too surprising. There's a cinematic that introduces the main plot, then there is a level to play through, then a boss fight, and then a cinematic tying what you just played into what you are getting ready to play, and so on. The gameplay takes you through various locations that look as though they could have come right out of the Transformers Prime series (including a bit on the Decepticon Warship, The Nemesis), and also features most of the Autobot and Decepticon characters that show up weekly on the show (with one very notable addition introduced in the game).

One important thing to keep in mind (which I had to be very conscious of while playing) is that this is a game targeted to a much younger audience. Mature or more advanced gamers won't find too much of a challenge here nor will they find the game to be very lengthy. The story is what shines here and the cinematics in the game are what really help drive that forward. I would absolutely recommend playing through the single player campaign first before moving onto multiplayer as several characters and multiplayer maps are unlocked throughout the campaign.

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Multiplayer

There are three unique multiplayer modes to choose from, and in each of the three modes you have the option of playing local wireless, or single player vs. CPU opponents. If playing in a single player match vs. CPU opponents, you can choose to play against just one, two, or three other opponents. If you have unlocked everything in the single player campaign you will have your choice of 5 multiplayer map stages, and 12 different characters. Multiplayer is also the only way to play as a Decepticon in Transformers Prim for the Nintendo 3DS, so if you jump right in here without playing the single player campaign, you will be limited to only the Autobot characters.

In the Brawl multiplayer mode, you battle until you are the last one standing. This is basically a 4 way brawl, but not your typical deathmatch with respawns and kill counts. When a player is eliminated they are stuck in spectator mode until there is only one person remaining. At the end of the match the winner earns a point, and then you can play again, change characters/map, or just quit the Brawl mode altogether.

Energon Match is where you try to rack up kill counts. The more enemies you defeat the more points you can earn. Each player starts with very little health in their health bar as a way to expedite things in this mode. The battle in this mode is timed, the counter starts at 4 minutes and counts down to zero. You earn 10 points with each kill and lose 5 points with each death. So the aim should absolutely be to not only rack up victories over your opponents, but also try not to get yourself killed as it does mark against you.

Finally in Emblem Battle you just want to keep a hold of an emblem marker longer than your opponents. If someone has the emblem above their head, you hit them to take control of it and while it's over your head you earn points. The caveat here is that when you are in possession of the emblem your alt mode is disabled. The goal is to have held on it long enough to have more points than your opponents when the time runs out.

There is fun to be had here in multiplayer, and I think Energon Match is the mode that shines for me. The minimal health to start with always puts you on edge, and it's just a crazy rush to see how many kills you can get. There's a lot of turnover there and the point values can get high if you are good enough to avoid getting killed too much.

Soundwave was a bit of a disappointment to use in multiplayer, his ranged attack consists of a sonic pulse that really only hits at close range, so he basically comes with two close range attacks. Flying characters in general are not the most fun to use if you like making use of an alt mode, but your mileage may vary there, I just found them to be a little difficult to control in while in alt mode.

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Gameplay

The gameplay in Transformers Prime has pretty much the same perspective that we are used to from the Transformers Movie game offerings on the Nintendo DS. A standard 3rd person perspective action oriented gameplay, using the 3DS top screen as your main focal point, and the second touch screen hosting maps and your upgrade activation button. The shoulder buttons are responsible for shields and enemy lock-on while in robot mode and the X, A, B, Y buttons are responsible for transformation, melee, jump, and ranged attack respectively. I'm not quite sure if the button placement is optimal as I continuously ran into issues when attempting to switch between ranged and melee attacks where I ended up transforming to alt mode. It very well could have been an issue with my poor gameplay skills however, so you may not have the same issues with the button mapping as I did, I got used to it after a while but still ran into accidental transformations occasionally at the end of the game. The ranged attack is pretty straight forward until you want to use a charged shot, because holding down the ranged attack button just allows your character to fire continuously. To perform a charged shot you have to press the ranged attack button twice and hold it down on your second press (the game actually instructs this as: Y Y (hold) ), which is a little bit odd but you get the hang of it after a while.

The camera movement is one of the more frustrating things about the control but it wasn't something that I had to deal with too much. You are able to pan the camera around your character by using the D-pad, and movement is done using the analog, which means to pan the camera you have to stop moving. This gets mildly annoying at some parts in the game, but I didn't find it overly detrimental to the gameplay experience. Most times I was able to press the L shoulder button to lock onto an enemy which would force the camera back behind my character, so the only real issues with camera placement came when there were no enemies on the screen.

The melee system in Transformers Prime is more than just mashing down the A button, which is refreshing. Instead we are given a minimal combo system where you can mix the B button in (normally used for jumping) to augment your attacks. Pressing A, A, B in succession will give you a slightly different attack combo than pressing A, A, A in succession. Activating your upgrade power extends you melee combo capabilities, even more so if you activate your upgrade combo while in the middle of a melee attack. The game is very good about letting you know what you can use, and how to use it by way of on screen prompts, or tips during load screens, this will key you in to button presses that you can try to maximize your melee prowess.

I used the term "upgrade" a few times in this review already, which is actually just another status bar beneath your health bar that fills up over time. When your upgrade bar is full you can activate your upgrade by pressing on the illuminated icon on the Nintendo 3DS touchscreen, and this will enhance your character's abilities for a short amount of time. Ranged attacks are more powerful, melee attacks are more powerful and you can pull off a few more button presses for combos, and most of the characters will even move faster during this time. Throughout the levels there are some blue crates that can be broken open for health, and there are even fewer green ones that can help regenerate your upgrade bar faster.

When transformed into vehicle mode, the R button that was your shield now becomes your boost ability. Pressing the jump button while in vehicle mode will transform your character into robot mode and propel you forward farther than you would travel with a normal jump. This is handy for getting across farther than normal gaps and distances. As soon as your character lands on the ground it is back in vehicle mode again, so you don't have to worry about transforming back after a jump. Each vehicle also has the ability to used ranged attacks as well, so you are not left defenseless in alt mode.

All of the characters feel a little different and that is a good thing, and this goes for both bot and alt modes. Bulkhead is a little muddier to control and he feels heavier and more lumbering than all of the other characters while Arcee is the fastest and can maneuver the best. Each character feels unique enough that I was never bored of the gameplay and had fun with each character. Each character's combos come out a little differently too, which further helps give each character a unique feel.

Basic level structure involves being confined to one small starting area until you defeat all the enemies, progress through a very short level defeating enemies along the way culminating in a boss battle against one of the main Decepticon characters from the show. There are collectibles along the way which are usually pretty easy to get, though later in the game there was more of an attempt to make you search for them. Many of the health and upgrade boxes as well as collectible emblems are all marked on your minimap on the Nintendo 3DS touchscreen. Occasionally there is a driving sequence you are forced into, usually a pretty brief and straightforward affair, and there are not too many of them.

Battles can be pretty simplistic (remember the target audience for this game is children) and the game really never gives you much more than you can handle. You will never face more than three Decepticons at one time, so there really is never any moment where you are getting overwhelmed. Some battles can be as overly simple as just holding down the ranged attack button while using the L shoulder button to lock on to your enemy and circle strafe. Sometimes you are seemingly punished for trying to be strategic by timing your ranged shots or using a charged shot. In these cases primarily with flying characters, the enemies will just dodge out of the way, and the only way around this is to hold down the ranged attack button allowing your character to constantly fire, which sometimes feels as more that I am guiding the game rather than actually playing it.

Most boss battles consist of learning their patterns and how to deal with them, and will really be the only spot that tests a veteran gamer. Some of the later boss battles are refreshingly challenging after quite a bit of simplistic gameplay and some require quite a change of tactics from what you are used to throughout the standard level gameplay.

Score: 6 out of 10


Graphics and Visuals

I have had my hands on pretty much every handheld Transformers game that has been released (with the exception of the Dark of the Moon titles) and this one by far is the best looking one I have played. The character models are definitely smoother and true to their design from the show. Keep in mind this is all relative to other Transformers releases on the Nintendo DS, don't pick up Transformers Prime looking for the same HD experience you get from the show. It won't look as bright and refined as a flagship Mario title, but for a Transformers game I would have to say this looks pretty good.

The environments are diverse enough but nothing really stuck out to me. The levels are all fairly small so you won't be confined to one environment for too long. There's not much to the levels, and you will find yourself breezing through most of them. I never saw the environments as badly designed or distracting, but definitely not too notable either.

The 3D available exclusively to this Nintendo 3DS version of Transformers Prime was in short, unremarkable. I tested it out in several parts of the game with varying intensity and never felt like it added much depth at all. I spent a good portion of the game playing with the 3D rocker turned all the way off.

The cinematic cutscenes are where the graphics really shine. Sure it isn't like watching on your TV, but it is really not all that bad. At times I felt like I was watching an episode that I compressed to watch on my 3DS. I never felt that the animation was lacking or needed more, it felt just right for me.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

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Audio

One big thing that I noticed right away is that this game is fully voice acted by MOST of the Transformers Prime cast from the Hub Network cartoon. One noticeable absence is that of Tony Todd who voices Dreadwing in the show, those duties are being handled by Fred Tatasciore here in this game. Dreadwing doesn't sound bad however, but his is the only voice that feels a little out of place given the different actor.

The music tends to take more of a background during the standard level play, so sometimes I kind of wanted more from it. The music that plays while the game is paused and at the end of the game during the credit scroll are the two most notable musical arrangements for me in the game (aside from the all too familiar intro to the game and cartoon).

Score: 9 out of 10


Final Thoughts

Transformers Prime for the Nintendo 3DS is short. I spent 5 hours of constantly interrupted play by a very active 2-year-old and was able to finish the campaign in that time. Given a private space to really play the game uninterrupted I would hazard a guess that the campaign can be finished in 3-4 hours. While there are multiplayer modes to be enjoyed, I don't see that having much life on its own outside of events like TFCon or BotCon where you will have like minded Transformers fans all in one place to play together (remember, local wireless for multiplayer only). There are unlockables if you are into that sort of thing, you could always attempt a second or third playthrough to try to unlock all of the art and models in the game.

Transformers Prime is probably my favorite handheld Transformers outing to date. It really is well done on all levels when compared to its predecessors. This game really is aimed at a younger audience, and kids will no doubt find challenge here and have a lot of fun playing with their favorite characters from the show. If you are an older fan and take the approach that this is a standalone piece of Transformers Prime fiction to be experienced I think you will have a good time. It's a well written story, and feels like an extended episode, almost like a Transformers Prime interactive movie if you will.

With a short campaign, and a likely singular playthrough experience, it is understandable for a gamer to be weary of spending the $29.99 MSRP on this title. But for hardcore fans of the Transformers Prime fiction, there is definitely something here for you.

Score: 8 out of 10

 

Be sure to drop your thoughts on the game as well.

 

3-4 hours story and local multiplayer only? That only should warrant it nothing more than 6, at the absolute max and being nice.

 

Quality over quantity goes a long way. I'd much rather play a tight fun 3-4 hour game than a longer game that goes absolutely nowhere. Review scores have always and will always be opinion-based and completely up to the review to make.

 

Yeah if this is something I will want to pick up and play over and over, I have no problem with the length.

 

sweet, but how does it stack up against the 2007 Transformers: Decepticons game?

 

And here is my question: do the wii and 3DS versions have the same storyline in single player mode? Or are they different?

 

Shame the single player sounds like crap.

 

Damnit, I was really hoping for online multiplayer.

 

Are the 3ds and wii versions similar experiences? Do they play the same?

 

How does the game look with the 3D turned on?

 

I'm sorry. But I see that as an excuse for not even trying.

 

Do you know if the multiplayer supports the download and play functionality? That is, can you play with two 3DSs but only one cartridge?

 

Looking forward to this, though it might be a bit before I get it. Just got the new Skylanders and can't justify buying a new game just yet. Though, it looks to be fun. I got the DOTM 3DS game and it was fun, though more of a Twisted Metal thing where I'd like a standard robot game.

 

Not to get off topic, but how is Skylanders?

 

I personally was not a fan of the 2007 DS games. Before Prime my favorite Transformers handheld game would have been the Transformers Animated game. I feel I enjoyed this game on every level more than the previous movie titles. It feels like a more polished and competent product, even if it is shorter and simpler.

As Joe and I each played our own versions separately I can say I am not 100% certain. Though reading through his review it sounds like the same plot device to start off the entire game is present in both of our versions. Also given the length he estimated for his game I would say these two titles may be pretty close to the same story wise.

Ah! This was something I meant to cover and had forgotten to write it into the review! Thanks for bringing it to my attention, I actually edited the review to reflect this (in the Graphics and Visuals section).

But in short: I saw no benefit to using the 3D whatsoever. It added no depth as far as I could tell, and spent most of the game with it turned off.

This I am not certain of as I had no way to test it. It wasn't mentioned in the manual as far as I can tell. But if I find out any more information about it I will update here accordingly.

 

Picked the game up today. I got past the training level and I am on second. The controls are good, similar to Ocarina of Time. I've been playing most of the $30 licensed games (cap, thor, green lantern, amazing spider man) and this seems to be the best of that style game.

 

Now I thought the 2007 DS Game was possibly the best game ON the DS......so following that logic I am going to think that TFPrime 3DS is the greatest game ever made! LOL

 

Thank you for the clarification! This will definitely help in Influencing a purchase.  

 

I love it. It's what I wish Pokemon would have been. The newest game, Giants, is also great. To try and stay on topic, couple of TF voice actors are in the game. For example, Prime's Bulkhead is Tree-Rex, and it's basically the same voice with a little difference.