Previous Next

This is the second game to come out of those expensive little toys that have a knack of breaking in your hands when you're trying to "transform" them. Ocean's earlier version, courtesy of Denton Designs, was a simple and mediocre platform game.

Activision's new attempt was coded by Little Computer People supremo David Crane. He has dropped the platform angle and made Transformers a cross between arcade and strategy.

The Decepticons (they're the evil enemies of the Transformers) have decided it's about time they had another go at taking over the world. When the Decepticons decide this, nobody is amused for they are about the most evil bunch of robots you're ever likely to meet. They have formulated a plan for world domination which involves using certain key locations on planet Earth.

A map screen shows you the areas which the Decepticons plan to attack. This is the main play screen as it is where the decisions to locate your eight Autobots are made. When the Decepticons are attacking, a certain area will flash and you can then deploy an Autobot to that area. But before you can get to grips with the enemy, you must choose which of the eight Transformers to get inside, preferably the one at the troubled location.

This is where the arcade section comes into play. You view the planet from inside the Autobot, shooting down the Decepticons that you see flying about the screen, with the aid of your crosshair sights. The only problem is that there is a long delay between firing the shot and it actually hitting the spot. This makes any serious Decepticon blasting extremely tricky.

And just shooting Decepticons isn't enough [Tt wouldn't be, would it? - Ed]. You must find out what they are trying to achieve at that particular location. That's not easy to fathom because it could be anything from stealing energy to making a 100 foot rhinocerous.

Deciding where to send each Autobot is crucial as they can run out of enemy and firepower very quickly. To help in this, a status screen gives you a rating out of ten for each ability - speed, firepower - and a percentage rating for energy.

Another key decision is to choose which Autobot is to be your strongest. This one will have longer lasting energy and more blasting power. This 'limited edition' Autobot will be despatched to the location where the Decepticons are strongest.

The strategic element of Transformers works quite nicely with useful straightforward commands. It's the arcade section that lets the whole thing down with dated shoot-'em-up play. After seeing the spectacular cartoons where Decepticons are being blasted all over the place with innumerable types of weapons, you'd think Activision could give us a bit more than a crosshair and a few round balls.

As for the name "Transformers", the transforming element only comes into the game when dealing with key Autobot. And although it may look very pretty, it is of little or no importance. Graphically, Transformers is attractive but the sound is sparse. This is a fun game for a while, but even the most ardent Transformers fanatic will tire shortly.

It's good to see that Activision have tried to do something original with a licence, it's a pity the programming just doesn't come up to the mark.