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| {{videogame | | {{videogame |
| |title=''Bin Weevils'' | | |title=''Transformers Rescue Bots: Hero Adventures'' |
| |image=BinWeevilsLogo.png | | |image=RescueBotsHeroAdventuresTitleScreen.jpg |
| |caption= | | |caption= |
| |developer=[[55pixels]] | | |developer=[[Budge Studios]] |
| |date= | | |publisher= |
| | |date=May 5, 2016 |
| |platform=Android, iOS | | |platform=Android, iOS |
| }} | | }} |
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| '''''Bin Weevils''''' was a virtual world browser game, launched in 2004. | | '''''Transformers Rescue Bots: Hero Adventures''''' is a mobile game released by [[Budge Studios]]. |
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| Bin Weevils included promotional content for several Hasbro properties, including [[My Little Pony]], [[Nerf]], [[Furby]], and several different promotions for Transformers.
| | ==Plot== |
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| There was also a spinoff title, named '''''Weevil World''''', released in 2017. It also had a promotional tie-in with Transformers.
| | Natural disasters are occurring all over [[Griffin Rock]]. The Rescue Bots are tasked with saving as many people as possible, as they try to figure out who's causing them. |
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| Bin Weevils was shut down in 2021.
| | Considering [[Doctor Morocco]] is on screen as [[Cody Burns|Cody]] is narrating to explain this, it isn't really much of a secret. He's using a [[weather machine]] attached to a buoy to control the weather. |
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| | The Rescue Bots save people from wildfires, volcanic eruptions, avalanches and earthquakes. |
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| | After the Rescue Bots save many people from several natural disasters, Doctor Morocco appears on the screen at the firehouse, laughing evilly, and an invasion of [[Morbots]] begins causing trouble around Griffin Rock. |
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| | [[Bumblebee]] keeps the Morbots from attacking the civilians, fending them off with lasers. [[Chase]] leads the Morbots into a trap. In a bit of a non-sequitur, [[Optimus Prime]] runs towards a single Morbot and takes it out. [[Heatwave]] sprays the remaining Morbots with water, and [[Blades]] carries them into a crater. [[Boulder]] then clears a path from a nearby river to flood the crater, defeating the Morbots. |
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| | Dr. Morocco retreats in [[Nemo]], plotting his revenge. |
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| | ==Featured Characters== |
| | |
| | {{featuredcharacters |
| | |nonumbering=true |
| | |c1= |
| | *[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] |
| | *[[Blades (RB)|Blades]] |
| | *[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] |
| | *[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] |
| | *[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] |
| | *[[Boulder (RB)|Boulder]] |
| | |c3= |
| | *[[Cody Burns]] |
| | *[[Doctor Morocco]] |
| | }} |
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| ==Gameplay== | | ==Gameplay== |
| ===Bin Weevils===
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| Bin Weevils, unsurprisingly, took place in a trash bin. Player avatars took the form of colorful weevils. They could chat, play games, and earn Mulch to buy items to decorate their nest. The world included a mix of both 2D and 3D areas.
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| Like many virtual worlds, it had a premium membership that allowed players to access more features. It also made money with a large amount of sponsored content. These sponsorships frequently included games, videos in their in-game theaters, or scavenger hunts to find various sponsored items.
| | Natural disasters appear on a menu showing a map of Griffin Rock. The player selects a mission, and then chooses from the six available Rescue Bots. The earlier levels require only one, while eventually they require up to four Rescue Bots to be selected. |
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| ===Weevil World===
| | After this, the player transforms their Rescue Bot of choice by swiping a slider--up for robot mode, down for vehicle mode. This then begins a minigame. The game played depends on the Rescue Bot selected. There's different set dressing for them depending on the natural disaster selected, but they boil down to two kinds of mission per Rescue Bot, one for their vehicle mode and one for their robot mode. |
| Weevil World was similar in art style and basic content to Bin Weevils, but had a different, 2D platformer like layout. The game had more customization options for dressing the player Weevil, who walked on two legs and was generally more humanoid than the avatars found in Bin Weevils itself.
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| ==''Transformers'' content==
| | The vehicle minigame for Chase has him drive away from approaching danger, dodging various obstacles in the process. His robot mode game has him finding civilians in a dark room |
| ===Cyber Missions===
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| The first documented Transformers promotion occurred in 2010. They aired episodes of [[Transformers: Cyber Missions]] in Rigg's Palladium, a cinema area.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226233006/http://blog.binweevils.com:80/2010/04/transformers-cyber-mission/|name=Bin Weevils Blog|site=|title=Transformers Cyber Mission Premiere on Bin Weevils|year=2010|month=4|day=15|(defunct=)}}</ref> A billboard featuring Bumblebee was placed in front of the shopping mall to promote them.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://youtu.be/WGbkULJAOek?si=pdPlSwfsnuKs930X&t=40|name=ronnoc3k8|site=Youtube|title=How to rate your own nests on binweevils|year=2010|month=04|day=19|(defunct=)}}</ref> | |
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| ===Kre-O===
| | -blades |
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| A [[Kre-O|Kre-O Transformers]] event took place in 2011. The Dirt Valley area was redecorated for the occasion, including a link to the official website and a countdown to the Kre-O Transformers taking over, though what exactly that entailed is unknown.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuYF4PMAXrM|name=XDKnowYourLimitz|site=Youtube|title=binweevils track 3 racing glitch|year=2011|month=08|day=3|(defunct=)}}</ref> It was the first Transformers event to use the common 'scavenger hunt' base of finding themed items. This event involved finding four Kreons hidden around the map.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Kre-o Transformers are due to arrive any day now. Four Kreons have been sent first and they are hiding in the Bin. If you can find them you’ll be rewarded Mulch! Remember, they can change their form…. so finding them may be a tough challenge!|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810005943/http://blog.binweevils.com:80/2011/08/kre-o-transformers-hunt/ |name=Bin Weevils Blog|site=|title=KRE-O TRANSFORMERS HUNT|year=2011|month=08|day=|(defunct=)}}</ref> There was also a nest item, a poster featuring Kre-O Optimus Prime, which may have been included as a prize.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ6KuGKvArM|name=Weevil Wizzard|site=Youtube|title=Binweevils Optimus1's Nest
| | -optimus prime |
| |year=2012|month=07|day=23|(defunct=)}} It is not ''strictly'' confirmed that this is related to this particular event, but considering this is the only Transformers Kre-O event we know they ran, it is hard to imagine where else the item would have come from.</ref>
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| ===Beast Hunters===
| | -bumblebee |
| A scavenger hunt event promoting [[Transformers:_Prime_(cartoon)#Season_3:_Beast_Hunters|Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters]] took place in 2013. Players found bubbles hidden around the map, containing various Transformers characters. The outside of the mall had Optimus Prime, but it was not decorated to the same extent that the KRE-O event was.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://binweevilcompany.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/transformers-beast-hunters-hunt-answers|name=hf556|site=Bin Weevils Company|title=Transformers Beast Hunters Hunt Answers!|year=2013|month=06|day=03|(defunct=)}}</ref> This Optimus Prime was not only there as decoration, as it led to a toy giveaway, where Bin Weevils would give Beast Hunters figures to 10 players weekly.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://binweevilcompany.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/transformers-beast-hunters-competition/|name=Bin Weevils Company|site=|title=Transformers Beast Hunters Competition!|year=2013|month=06|day=18|(defunct=)}} Mirror of a post from the official Bin Weevils Blog.</ref>
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| ===Construct-Bots===
| | -heatwave |
| Another Transformers event took place in 2013, this one promoting [[Construct-Bots]]. It involved a scavenger hunt where players found Transformers, similar to the Beast Hunters and Kre-O events before it. It also included its own separate area, the Construct Bot Cybertron HQ. This area featured Optimus Prime and Megatron, and included quizzes and a multiplayer minigame known as the Energon Battle Arena, where players could choose between the Autobots and Decepticons.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://binweevilcompany.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/transformers-construct-bots/|name=Bin Weevils Company|site=|title=Transformers Construct Bots!|year=2013|month=09|day=4|(defunct=)}} Mirror of a post from the official Bin Weevils Blog.</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://binweevilcompany.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/transformers-construct-bots-energon-battle-arena/|name=Bin Weevils Company|site=|title=Transformers Construct Bots Energon Battle Arena!|year=2013|month=09|day=11|(defunct=)}} Mirror of a post from the official Bin Weevils Blog.</ref>
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| ===Robots in Disguise===
| | -boulder |
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| [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]] promotion began in 2015, with episodes airing in Dirt Valley.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=There is a brand new Transformers Robots in Disguise episode now playing over at Dirt Valley!!!|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914163449/http://blog.binweevils.com/page/2/|name=Bin Weevils Blog|site=|title=New Transformers: Robots in Disguise Episode!|year=2015|month=09|day=07|(defunct=)}}</ref> On January 22, 2016, Dirt Valley was redesigned, and Transformers moved to a new 'Drive In Theater' area.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130125009/http://news.binweevils.com/the-new-improved-dirt-valley-now-open|name=Bin Weevils News|site=|title=The New & Improved Dirt Valley - Now Open!|year=2016|month=01|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref> In it, players could similarly watch Robots in Disguise episodes. They could also collect free nest items (8 posters and 12 other items), play games, or enter a competition to get driven to school in Optimus Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603201015/http://news.binweevils.com/win-a-ride-in-to-school-in-optimus-prime|name=Bin Weevils News|site=|title=Win a Ride in to School in Optimus Prime!|year=2016|month=06|day=16|(defunct=)}}</ref> These activities would earn players Energon points, which appear to have raised a player's regular experience points.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309142852/http://news.binweevils.com:80/brand-new-transformers-robots-in-disguise-episode-04|name=Bin Weevils News|site=|title=Brand New Transformers Robots in Disguise Episode!|year=2016|month=03|day=04|(defunct=)}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJJXvfLwgTg|name=Happyseahorse.Binweevils|site=Youtube|title=The New Dirt Valley Binweevils|year=2016|month=01|day=23|(defunct=)}}</ref>
| | After enough disasters are cleared, the game brings the player back to the map menu. A gauge is filled, and more disasters come to take the cleared one's place. |
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| ====Weevil World====
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| Weevil World, the spinoff game, had its own promotion for Robots in Disguise. It allowed players to dress their weevil in clothing based off of various Transformers characters, and go to a Transformers-branded cinema, complete with a personality quiz and Transformers characters in the theater itself.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://weevilpost.weebly.com/news_archive/weevil-world-public-release|name=Weevil Post|site=|title=Weevil World: Public Release|year=2017|month=06|day=08|(defunct=)}}</ref>
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| ===Power Heroes=== | | ==Notes== |
| A scavenger hunt based off of the Power Heroes toys took place in 2016.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=|link=https://x.com/Bin_Weevils/status/783252935652233216|name=Bin Weevils|site=Twitter|title=|year=2016|month=10|day=04|(defunct=)}}</ref>
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| ==References==
| | * As is common for Budge Studio games, ''Hero Adventures'' is free-to-start, but eventually requires money to progress, as the amount of Rescue Bots the player needs to complete a mission outpaces the two freely available, Chase and Blades. |
| {{Reflist}}
| | * Bumblebee and Optimus Prime were late additions who weren't in older builds of the game. This results in Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's segments being awkwardly shoved into the ending sequence. Bumblebee's feels somewhat natural, as it is incorporated into the beginning. But for Optimus, the camera in Chase's minigame 'still pans to Heatwave' before his part begins, |
| | * Fire safety tips are worked in occasionally between levels. |
Transformers Rescue Bots: Hero Adventures is a mobile game released by Budge Studios.
Plot
Natural disasters are occurring all over Griffin Rock. The Rescue Bots are tasked with saving as many people as possible, as they try to figure out who's causing them.
Considering Doctor Morocco is on screen as Cody is narrating to explain this, it isn't really much of a secret. He's using a weather machine attached to a buoy to control the weather.
The Rescue Bots save people from wildfires, volcanic eruptions, avalanches and earthquakes.
After the Rescue Bots save many people from several natural disasters, Doctor Morocco appears on the screen at the firehouse, laughing evilly, and an invasion of Morbots begins causing trouble around Griffin Rock.
Bumblebee keeps the Morbots from attacking the civilians, fending them off with lasers. Chase leads the Morbots into a trap. In a bit of a non-sequitur, Optimus Prime runs towards a single Morbot and takes it out. Heatwave sprays the remaining Morbots with water, and Blades carries them into a crater. Boulder then clears a path from a nearby river to flood the crater, defeating the Morbots.
Dr. Morocco retreats in Nemo, plotting his revenge.
Featured Characters
Gameplay
Natural disasters appear on a menu showing a map of Griffin Rock. The player selects a mission, and then chooses from the six available Rescue Bots. The earlier levels require only one, while eventually they require up to four Rescue Bots to be selected.
After this, the player transforms their Rescue Bot of choice by swiping a slider--up for robot mode, down for vehicle mode. This then begins a minigame. The game played depends on the Rescue Bot selected. There's different set dressing for them depending on the natural disaster selected, but they boil down to two kinds of mission per Rescue Bot, one for their vehicle mode and one for their robot mode.
The vehicle minigame for Chase has him drive away from approaching danger, dodging various obstacles in the process. His robot mode game has him finding civilians in a dark room
-blades
-optimus prime
-bumblebee
-heatwave
-boulder
After enough disasters are cleared, the game brings the player back to the map menu. A gauge is filled, and more disasters come to take the cleared one's place.
Notes
- As is common for Budge Studio games, Hero Adventures is free-to-start, but eventually requires money to progress, as the amount of Rescue Bots the player needs to complete a mission outpaces the two freely available, Chase and Blades.
- Bumblebee and Optimus Prime were late additions who weren't in older builds of the game. This results in Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's segments being awkwardly shoved into the ending sequence. Bumblebee's feels somewhat natural, as it is incorporated into the beginning. But for Optimus, the camera in Chase's minigame 'still pans to Heatwave' before his part begins,
- Fire safety tips are worked in occasionally between levels.
