Transformers on PlayStation 2: A Retrospective
Transformers is a franchise that started almost 40 years ago with the primary goal of selling toys. Even after all these years, it remains a beloved franchise for many. Transformers Armada is one of the many chapters in this franchise and has both a cartoon and a PlayStation 2 game tie-in. The Transformers Armada PlayStation 2 game, which was released in 2004, is a blast to play and still holds up today.
Transformers Armada: The Mixed Bag
Transformers Armada is a part of the so-called Unicron Trilogy, which includes a cartoon and toyline. Upon release, the cartoon was deemed unsatisfactory, and the toyline was filled with assorted gimmicks, which resulted in limited articulation and transformation. Despite all these drawbacks, the game’s developer, Melbourne House, managed to deliver a solid third-person shooter game with open levels.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Transformers is executed superbly. As the player, you get to select one of three Autobots, typically Optimus Prime, and choose from the unlocked levels. Once you are on the level, you must tackle the Decepticons and fight them off until you have a showdown with the boss baddie. You can switch between fighting on two legs or transforming into the vehicle mode, which allows you to charge into the enemy and deliver a devastating blow. Hit-and-run tactics are very effective, and so is stealth.
More on the Source of Transformers
The Transformers brand is a mix of Japanese and American parts. The original toys were Japanese but were licensed, rebranded, and marketed to American kids. After licensing every random Japanese transforming robot toy, Hasbro started releasing its toys. Meanwhile, Takara, a Japanese company, imported the whole concept. Hasbro and Takara collaborated for the first time in Transformers Armada, which was made in Japan. It introduced the diminutive Minicons, which were depicted as a third faction of robots who could be attached to the bigger brutes to increase their power.
Minicons: Classic Power-Ups
In the game, Minicons serve as classic power-ups that can be collected throughout each level. Up to four can be equipped at once, mapping to the four shoulder buttons, and bestow a range of offensive, defensive, and support powers. Some can boost certain playstyles when used in concert. Minicons are sorted into color-coded groups, and equipping two or more of the same group results in power boosts.
The Best Bit of Transformers
Perhaps the most intriguing Minicons are the ones that enhance your movement capabilities, and one such Minicon is Slipstream, who acts as a glider pack. Each level shows how many Minicons are available, and completionists will find that a few are difficult to locate and reach. Transformers allows you to revisit levels from the hub to hunt down the remaining Minicons.
The most remembered bit of Transformers is reserved for the final levels, and we can’t discuss it without spoiling it. Suffice it to say, it is the most memorable level in the game.
Conclusion
All in all, Transformers is a great game despite its drawbacks, and it solidifies its position as a real PS2 legend. We hope that this game gets the recognition it deserves, and that more people get to relive the playing experience.