Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)

This article is about the Nintendo 64 game. For the PlayStation game, see Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS){{#switch:{{#sub:Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)|-1}} != .= ?= .

}}

<imagemap>File:BWlogo.jpg|center|400px default {{#if:Beast Wars|Beast Wars|Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)}} desc none </imagemap>

{{#if:Generation 1 continuity family|{{#if:|[[Generation 1 continuity family|]]|Generation 1 continuity family}}|}}
{{#if:Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise) | «}} Beast Wars|Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)}} {{#if:Machine Wars: Transformers | »}}
{{#if: |[[|«]]}} {{#if: |[[|»]]}}
{{#if: |[[|«]]}} {{#if: |[[|»]]}}
{{#if: Beast Wars Transmetals N64.jpg | {{#if: | {{#if: Locomotive
GenAzea (NA) | {{#if: Takara (JP)
BAM! Entertainment (NA) | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Nintendo 64 | {{#if: | {{#if: October 1, 1999 (JP)
July 12, 2000 (NA) | {{#if: | {{#if: Beast Wars continuity | {{#if: | {{#if: ESRB: T | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)/credits |
{{#if: |[[|«]]}} Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals {{#if: |[[|»]]}}
{{#if: |[[|«]]}} {{#if: |[[|»]]}}
{{#if: |
}}}}
{{#if: トランスフォーマー ビーストウォーズメタルス64|
トランスフォーマー ビーストウォーズメタルス64 {{#if: Transformers: Beast Wars Metals 64|
(Transformers: Beast Wars Metals 64)}} {{#if:|
""}}
}}
Developer }}
Developers Locomotive
GenAzea (NA)}}
Publishers Takara (JP)
BAM! Entertainment (NA)}}
Publisher }}
Writer }}
Written by }}
Additional writing }}
Story }}
Platform Nintendo 64}}
Platforms }}
Release date October 1, 1999 (JP)
July 12, 2000 (NA)}}
End of service }}
Continuity Beast Wars continuity}}
Chronology }}
Rating ESRB: T}}
Ratings }}
Standard Retail Price }}
Credits}}

Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals is a Nintendo 64 video game, released in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in North America. It and its PlayStation counterpart share a primary theme—characters from the second season of the Beast Wars television series duking it out in one-on-one combat—but the games differ in their stories, gameplay styles, character selections, and bonus features.

Plot

[edit]
The following story details are exclusive to the English release, as the Japanese version contains no story content.

With their capture of Predacon commander Megatron, the Maximals are led to believe the Beast Wars have finally come to an end. As they make their way back to Cybertron via an Autobot shuttle, the captive Megatron manages to send a message through transwarp back to his past self earlier in the conflict, warning him of his own defeat. As a result of the interference, history has already begun to change, with some Maximals and Predacons gaining powerful new Transmetal forms. And as the timeline continues to diverge, it remains to be seen how the future will be rewritten...

Endings

[edit]

While the PlayStation game has a very vague ending for either faction that generally upholds the status quo, the Nintendo 64 game features individualized ending text for each character. One ending is only accessible via cheat device, and is marked in italics.

Maximals

[edit]
  • Optimus Primal: Primal's leadership skills eventually result in the destruction of the Predacons and the capture of Megatron. The Maximals attach Megatron to the exterior of an Autobot shuttle and fly back to Cybertron. Little do they know that Megatron's arm has gotten free of his bonds and he's about to send a message back to himself in the past... (Whoa, déjà vu!)
  • Rattrap: Rattrap launches a cunning sneak attack that results in the complete destruction of Megatron. After returning to Cybertron, he happily spends his peacetime hopping between all the local restaurants and pubs, saying, "We're all gonna di-...dine!"
  • Cheetor: When Optimus is damaged in battle, an enraged Cheetor charges in and swings the tide in the Maximals' favor. With the war over, Primal remarks that Cheetor showed the makings of a great leader; the kid jokes that leadership is Optimus's department, but who knows? Maybe in another universe...
  • Airazor/Tigatron: While they play critical roles in the victory, Tigatron feels his true place is on Earth; Airazor, in love with him, decides to stay there as well. As they spend centuries watching the planet heal from their war, they think of their comrades, pondering a visit to Cybertron some day, and wonder if Maximal and Predacon could ever live in peace.

Predacons

[edit]
  • Megatron: After defeating the Maximals, Megatron enters the Ark and destroys the legendary Autobot leader Optimus Prime, ensuring an easy victory in the Great War for the Decepticons. However, the Matrix of Leadership is also destroyed with Prime, something which has dire consequences in 2005 when Unicron attacks Cybertron...
  • Tarantulas: Turning on both sides, Tarantulas batters everyone in pursuit of what he needs to escape Earth. He then leaves the Beast Wars, returns to his time, and reports to the Tripredacus Council about the Ark's discovery. The Council promotes Tarantulas, and he leads a hundred transwarp battle cruisers back to prehistoric Earth to finish the Beast Wars for good...
  • Waspinator: Waspinator finally snaps, deciding he isn't going to take it anymore, and beats up every single Transformer. He then quits the Predacons and the Beast Wars, and after both sides depart Earth, he remains behind and is worshipped as a god by the local protohumans.
  • Terrorsaur: Terrorsaur bludgeons both sides into submission, obliterating the Maximals and finally dethroning Megatron. Unfortunately, the new Predacon leader spends too much time reveling in his new position instead of finding a way off the planet. As a result, the Predacons are unprepared when the Ice Age comes, leaving them frozen alive for the next hundred thousand years.
  • Ravage: Ravage betrays Megatron, seizes the Ark, and builds a device to download the dormant Decepticons' memories and personalities, planning to create clones of them in new protoform bodies via transreplication technology. As he returns to future Cybertron, his plan for the revived Decepticons is clear: it's time for them to conquer time itself!
  • Blackarachnia: Silverbolt convinces Blackarachnia to switch sides and become a Maximal; her defection brings down Megatron and ensures victory. However, on peacetime Cybertron, she begins to wonder what it'd be like if she'd stayed a villain, and starts working as a double agent for both the Tripredacus Council and the Maximals, loyal to neither faction.
  • Starscream: Given a new body by the quantum surge, Starscream destroys the Maximals and Predacons before breaching the Ark, finding his original body still in stasis. Infusing himself with the power of his past self, Starscream is reborn in his original body, more powerful then ever, and begins making his way through transwarp back to Cybertron...
  • Megatron X: Created when Megatron is infused with and possessed by the power of the original Megatron, Megatron X leads the Predacons to victory over the Maximals, destroying Optimus Primal. Seizing the Ark and taking its escape shuttle back to Predacon space, Cybertron soon falls to him as well. With the planet now under Predacon rule, Megatron X turns his sight towards a new target—the Vok!

Characters

[edit]

{{#if:true ||(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)}}

{{#if:* Optimus Primal (Garry Chalk)
Hidden characters
{{#if:* Optimus Primal (Garry Chalk)
Hidden characters
Hidden characters
Hidden characters
Maximals }}{{#if:* Megatron (David Kaye)
Hidden characters
 Predacons }}{{#if:| Humans }}{{#if:| Others }}{{#if:| Misc }}{{#if:| Misc }}
Hidden characters
 
}}{{#if:|

}}{{#if:|

}}{{#if:|

}}

* Playable only in the North American release.
** Playable only in the Japanese release; boss character in all regions.

Secret characters

[edit]

The North American release of Transmetals includes a handful of secret playable characters, each of which is a palette-swapped variant of an existing character with their own unique voice lines and arcade ending. Each hidden character requires a variation on the same code: Highlight the character they are based on at the character select screen, hold Z, and press A. Then move left or right to cycle through their alternate color palettes until the secret character appears. Using this method, Cheetor can be highlighted to access Tigatron and Ravage, Tarantulas to access Blackarachnia, and Waspinator to access Starscream. These characters cannot be used in Team Battle, as the mode does not allow the use of alternate colors.

In the Japanese version, the boss character Megatron X can be unlocked as a playable character by completing Arcade Mode with Megatron and inserting Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle into the [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Transfer Pak|{{#if:Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak|Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak|Transfer Pak}}]] before turning on the system. The game will perform a check at start up to see if it can detect the Game Boy cartridge connected to either of the first two controllers; if the check is successful for the first controller, Megatron X will appear as Megatron's fourth selectable color palette in all modes. However, Megatron X does not stay unlocked and requires the Game Boy Color game to be connected each time the game boots up to remain accessible. The playable Megatron X retains all the advantages of his boss counterpart, including a double-length stamina bar and Energon Resistance Gauge; his only disadvantage is that, by virtue of being twice as long, his E.R.G. takes twice as long to fully recharge. There's no other official way to unlock Megatron X, but a [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}GameShark|{{#if:||GameShark}}]] code can also be used to unlock him: "801002FD FFFF" for the Japanese version, or "80101CFD FFFF" for the North American version. (Note that using the code will cause the game to glitch and eventually freeze if the player enters Toys mode, so beware!)

Gameplay

[edit]
Look 'em in the eye, aim no higher
Summon all the courage you require

Transmetals is a 1-on-1 3D fighting game. Battles consist of two opponents in an open arena attacking one another, with the match ending when either character's stamina is depleted or time runs out. Players move with the control stick and can press the Z button to jump or the C buttons to attack. The characters are able to switch between beast mode, vehicle mode, and robot mode during battle, each of which has unique attacks and abilities. Transformation is performed using the A and B buttons; players cannot directly transform from robot to beast, and must first convert to vehicle mode before being able to change from one to the other. Robot mode is the only mode that can block, performed by holding C-Down, but is also the most offense-based of the three thanks to possessing a variety of projectile attacks. These include the basic shot (C-Right), which can be fired while moving and jumping; the deluxe shot (C-Up), which fires missiles and bombs that home in on vehicle modes; and the mega shot (C-Left), which can instantly knock down an opponent at the cost of a long firing time. All three attacks can be charged to a second or third level, making them more powerful, though this charge can be interrupted if hit by enemy fire. In the case of the Mega Shot, the player cannot move while charging, but charging to level 3 will fire an Ultra Blast, which cannot be blocked or avoided. When close to an opponent while in robot mode, the attack buttons instead trigger a hand-to-hand attack, which has limited range but cannot be blocked and will cause a knockdown if it connects.

However, spending too much time in robot mode will gradually cause the Energon Resistance Gauge to drain; when it fully empties, the player will suffer an energon radiation surge, leaving them unable to attack or defend. The E.R.G. can be gradually replenished by spending time in beast mode, though players will be unable to use their ranged weapons in this mode. Instead, players gain access to three character-specific "beast attacks", which vary in both function and effectiveness: some might fire projectiles or energy waves, some might be physical attacks, and some might even be non-damaging moves used for evasion. Beast mode has the highest defense of the three modes, but its offensive capability is lower than the others and it struggles against opponents in vehicle mode, so it's best to only use this mode to minimize an Ultra Blast's damage or when an E.R.G. recharge is strictly necessary. The E.R.G. does not charge or drain while in vehicle mode, but while characters are much faster in this mode and can more easily dodge attacks, they cannot jump and their projectile attacks are just as easy to avoid. Characters in vehicle mode can perform a dash (C-Right), which becomes a dash attack at top speed; launch homing missiles (C-Up), which move fast but are ineffective at close range; and fire beam attacks (C-Left), which can be fired in rapid succession but require manual aiming. All three modes can also use a "Transmetal Attack" even when the E.R.G. is empty by pressing R, causing a powerful quantum explosion that can nullify enemy attacks, though some of the character's stamina is drained with each use. There are eight stages to battle on, one of which is exclusive to Arcade Mode, but the differences between them are purely aesthetic; regardless of which one you choose, you'll still be fighting on the same flat, unobstructed terrain.

The game features a single-player Arcade Mode, in which the player must defeat a series of seven opponents, the final battle being against Megatron for the Maximals and Optimus for the Predacons. After defeating the faction leader, if the player has not lost any battles, they are placed into a bonus eighth battle against "Megatron X", a winged clone of Megatron. While all other battles will allow the player to retry as many times as they want, the player only has one chance to defeat Megatron X. Whether they win or lose, the player is presented with their character's ending at the battle's conclusion. Other battle modes also support 1-2 players, including a standard Vs. Mode; and Team Battle Mode, a tag team match in which each player selects a team of four characters and switches between them when each one is defeated.

Transmetals also features a Bonus menu containing a handful of mini-games and other extras. "Escape Race 100" and its longer variant "Escape Race 200" has players race to press all the buttons as rapidly as possible to escape approaching explosions and reach the finish before their opponent. "Sunset Showdown" is a quick draw mini-game in which players must be the first to press the Z button and fire their weapon when a prompt appears; a second variant, "Sunrise Showdown", adds a second command to cock the gun's hammer by pressing Down that must be performed after the prompt but before firing. Finally, "Disc Hunter" sees players compete to retrieve the most silver and golden discs that appear on the battlefield before time runs out. The Bonus menu also includes a "Toys" mode that allows players to view each character's profile, model, and animations, though no profile information is included for the secret characters; and "Kids Mode", a goofy Vs. mode variant in which all characters are squished down to have super deformed models and higher pitched voices, albeit with their transformation animations hidden from view. In the words of the manual, "Adorable? You be the judge."

Notes

[edit]

Regional differences

[edit]
Because that top color scheme isn't as important as making sure Cheetor keeps his Tigatron colors...even when Tigatron himself is there, we guess.

Continuity notes

[edit]
  • The story begins (and ends, in Primal's case) with Megatron strapped to the top of an Autobot shuttle as the Maximals head back to Cybertron, just as in "Nemesis Part 2".
  • Megatron's mucking with the timeline alters the effects of the quantum surge that occurred in "Aftermath", including averting Terrorsaur's death and granting him, Airazor and Waspinator new Transmetal bodies, none of whom ever underwent that upgrade in the cartoon.
  • The crashed wreckage of the Axalon is visible in the background of Stage 6.
  • Cheetor's ending alludes to a potential universe where he leads the Maximals, which is exactly what happens in the original timeline during the events of Beast Machines.
  • Megatron's ending sees him succeed in his plan to kill Optimus Prime, as he attempted to do in "The Agenda (Part III)".
  • Waspinator quitting the Predacons in his ending and becoming the protohumans' new god figure when the others leave is a repeat of the events of "Nemesis Part 2".
  • Starscream's ending features him absorbing the power of his original body to gain a new form, the same way Optimus Primal and Megatron did with Optimus Prime in "Optimal Situation" and the original Megatron in "Master Blaster" respectively. Similarly, Megatron X's ending reveals he was created through Predacon Megatron's infusion of Decepticon Megatron's power, just like his dragon form in "Master Blaster".

Errors

[edit]
  • The existence of the game's Energon Resistance Gauge seems questionable, as the episode "Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)" stated that the quantum surge that created the Transmetals also either destroyed or stabilized the surrounding energon deposits, meaning it should no longer be affecting the Maximals or Predacons. Perhaps we can chalk it up to another side-effect of Megatron's temporal meddling?
  • Rattrap's fourth color palette is an attempt to recreate his original organic beast mode using his Transmetal character model. This mostly works, but means the robot mode features the rat head as both its shoulder panels and chest.
  • Due to sharing a character model with Cheetor, Ravage is erroneously identified as a Maximal in Kids Mode.
  • The game's English manual claims the Autobots and Decepticons were in stasis for four billion years and that the Maximals and Predacons came from thousands of years after the Great War, rather than the four million and hundreds respectively depicted in the cartoon itself.

Transformers references

[edit]

Trivia

[edit]
  • In Team Battle Mode, characters will say different lines on the select screen if the player selects a team of all Maximals or all Predacons.
  • Silverbolt is mentioned in passing during Blackarachnia's ending, but does not otherwise appear.
  • Like nearly all Nintendo 64 games released past 1997, Transmetals includes support for the [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Rumble Pak|{{#if:||Rumble Pak}}]] accessory.
  • In the Japanese release, all of the actors from the Japanese dub of the cartoon reprise their respective roles. In the English release, most of the cast similarly reprise, with the exceptions of Airazor, the Predacon computer and the secret characters.
  • Whereas most of the playable characters use the traditional "maximize" or "terrorize" activation codes when changing to robot mode, Starscream is the exception and shouts "transform" instead.
  • Given the fact that he has an Arcade Mode ending, it sure seems like Megatron X was meant to be playable in the North American release as well. In fact, nobody even knew he had his own ending until April 2019, when a YouTube user managed to force the player character into being Megatron X via a debugger; this discovery went under the radar until January 2023, when a team of TFWiki.net users reverse-engineered the game and created the GameShark codes needed to play as him on real hardware. According to Chris Tang, while some details are hazy, a combination of Duel Fight Beast Wars not getting localized and a breakdown in communication with publisher BAM! Entertainment late in development were likely to blame for Megatron X's omission.<ref name=Tang/><ref name=Randomized/>
  • References to [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}B-Daman|{{#if:Super B-Daman: Fighting Phoenix|Super B-Daman: Fighting Phoenix|B-Daman}}]] and [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow|{{#if:Pocket Monsters Green|Pocket Monsters Green|Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow}}]] can be found in the code of the Japanese version. It's unclear exactly why, though, as they behave the same as every other Game Boy game when connected to the Transfer Pak. In the case of Super B-Daman, this lack of bonus appears to be the result of a mistake by the programmers—the internal header of the Game Boy game is spelled with spaces in between ("SUPER B DAMAN"), whereas the function in Metals 64 that tries to call the header is looking for a spelling without any ("SUPERBDAMAN")! Using the following Gameshark codes bypasses this check, granting the player the exact same health and E.R.G. extension as Duel Fight Beast Wars.
    • 8010030C 0005 8010030D 0004 (Player one)
    • 8010030E 0005 8010030F 0004 (Player two)
  • One mode Tang proposed during development was a sort of "create-a-Transformer" mode that would use the Transfer Pak to create a "randomized" Transformer design, applying a random name and color to the existing models based on which Game Boy game was inserted, similar to [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Monster Rancher|{{#if:||Monster Rancher}}]] or [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64|{{#if:||PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64}}]]. Sadly, the mode ended up on the cutting room floor, which may have also played a factor in Megatron X's absence.<ref name=Randomized>{{#if: I had plans for the Transfer Pack proposed to create mode like Monster Rancher; stick-a-game-in and a randomized Transformer design would be created to be playable (name/color swaps). Megatron X going poof likely connected to no NA BW GBC cart and those unimplemented plans. |"I had plans for the Transfer Pack proposed to create mode like Monster Rancher; stick-a-game-in and a randomized Transformer design would be created to be playable (name/color swaps). Megatron X going poof likely connected to no NA BW GBC cart and those unimplemented plans."—|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/strikeharbinger/status/1618054003363041282 |Chris Tang|Chris Tang}}{{#if: Twitter |, Twitter|}}{{#if: |, ""|}}{{#if: 2023 |, 2023{{#if: 01 |/{{#switch:{{#len:01}}|1=001|01}}{{#if: 24|/{{#switch:{{#len:24}}|1=024|24}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/strikeharbinger/status/1618054003363041282 ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/strikeharbinger/status/1618054003363041282%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/strikeharbinger/status/1618054003363041282%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/strikeharbinger/status/1618054003363041282%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/strikeharbinger/status/1618054003363041282%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>
  • In North America, Transmetals was initially exclusive to [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Blockbuster (retailer)|{{#if:Blockbuster|Blockbuster|Blockbuster (retailer)}}]] video rental stores, eventually receiving a limited retail release months later. As a result, Transmetals is among the rarest Nintendo 64 games, and even the cartridge alone without the box or manual still commands a decent price on the collector's market, though it doesn't go for nearly as much as other Blockbuster exclusives like [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Stunt Racer 64|{{#if:||Stunt Racer 64}}]] and [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}ClayFighter 63⅓|{{#if:ClayFighter: Sculptor's Cut|ClayFighter: Sculptor's Cut|ClayFighter 63⅓}}]].
  • The Japanese instruction manual contains advertisements for [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Penny Racers|{{#if:Choro-Q 64|Choro-Q 64|Penny Racers}}]], [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Jinsei Game 64|{{#if:||Jinsei Game 64}}]], Duel Fight Beast Wars, Jinsei Game Tomodachi Takusan Tsukurou yo!, Choro-Q Hyper Customizable GB, and the Beast Wars Metals toyline.

References

[edit]
<references />
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://tfwiki.duckdns.org/index.php?title=Transformers:_Beast_Wars_Transmetals_(N64)&oldid=1903747"