I’ve never understood how a transmogrifying alien robot would know enough to be, like...“Well,
before I turn into this truck, I better make sure I have a license plate.”
You know.
Wouldn’t want to get a ticket or anything.
Of course, there are a lot of things I don’t understand.
Like why anyone would ever expect a film or television tie-in to be a promising video
game.
Because much like a heaping platter of German sausages, these things...are the wurst.
The point is I didn’t expect much when I popped in this particular licensed game, let
alone the fact that this is the Wii version of said game.
And typically, that’s a recipe for disaster, but lo and behold...with this one, there’s
more than meets the eye.
It’s Transformers: Prime for the Nintendo Wii.
At first, Transformers: Prime seems like a predictable 3D beat ‘em up.
Playing as various Transformers, you pound on bad guys before moving on.
But what makes it more entertaining than the average beat ‘em up...is the diversity and
polish of its gameplay.
For starters, each level focuses on a new Transformer, so you’re always using a different
character.
Not only that, but you’re also doing different things.
One stage provides classic brawling, but the next might be a high-speed pursuit.
There’s an awesome balance between vehicular and on-foot stages that breaks things up beautifully
and really keeps the game from feeling stale.
Another nice touch is that the two approaches aren’t separate.
The brawling and the driving can be combined...so you can transform into a vehicle, rush toward
a bad guy, transform back in midair and then hit a really brutal attack.
So the dynamic between driving and brawling benefits the game even when you’re on foot.
Of course, with all that said, you shouldn’t expect this game to blow your mind or anything.
It’s a good licensed brawler, but...keep things in perspective.
Some of the robot models look nice, but the environments can be a bit bland visually.
There’s a multiplayer mode, but not much in terms of other modes...you get the idea.
Still, this is a brand new Wii release, which is something we don’t get to say much anymore.
And the nice thing is that...it’s actually a pretty solid one.
Even during the system’s heyday, third-party licensed games were usually way worse than
this, so kudos to Now Production for treating it like more than just an afterthought.
Wii owners have waited a ridiculously long time for a decent Transformers game, but...finally...it’s
here.
In 2012.
It’s Transformers: Prime for the Nintendo Wii.