User:Telephone/sandbox

Cut Content

As typical with many games, Transformers had a good chunk of content which was cut or changed prior to release. A nonexhaustive list includes:

• Jetbikes were a vehicle which allowed Medium Units and the player to drive around in. Medium Units piloting the Jetbike can be observed delivering out-of-range Medium Units to the player in order to sustain firefights. As the Jetbike is a two-seater, this isn't a very effective way of transporting troops. The bike also has a built-in machine gun which the player can utilize as a weapon.
• Unused data suggests that two playable characters were cut from the game, Scavenger and Smokescreen. Unfortunately, it appears there wasn't much work put into them.
• Two enemies were cut from the game, the Lightning Rod and Heavy Tank. Both enemies were implemented to some extent. While the Lightning Rod has concept art available, the Heavy Tank only appears in two Pacific Island storyboards.
• At least 21 Mini-Cons were cut from the game. Three of the most notable ones include:
  • Endgame (Dark Energon Gun) is capable of charging up a black hole to fire at enemies. The longer it's charged up, the larger and more powerful the black hole is. Enemies can be ragdolled into the center of the black hole, granted they don't explode from its immense power. This Mini-Con was cut very late and still has most of its data present in the final game. Endgame was originally found on the lone Dropship patrolling the volcano in Pacific Island. The Mini-Con's appearance would be similar to Twister, with a red color palette.
  • Bug-Out (Emergency Warp Gate) can summon an emergency warp gate in front of the player, taking you back to HQ. The player cannot warp back to placed Warpgate from HQ.
  • Fake-Out (Decoy Launcher) is described as summoning a holographic projection of the Autobot to lure enemies. Fake-Out is the least functional, failing to distract enemies and its holographic projection being a mere half-ellipse.
  • Other Mini-Cons which were cut include a tier 1 Ribbon Beam, an upgraded Energon Shield, a tier 1 Heavy Cannon, a Repulsion Beam, an Airstrike weapon, a stronger version of the Impact Gun, an Energon Whip, and whatever "Cold Projector" is supposed to be.
• Most of the music underwent changes prior to release. Some of the more interesting changes include:
  • An early version of Tidal Wave's theme featured flailing guitars one minute into the soundtrack.
  • Cyclonus' theme was completely different early on, and was replaced a mere 1-2 months before the final builds were made.
  • Probably by accident, the intro to Megatron's fight theme doesn't play. Whoops. The game goes straight into the main composition upon starting the fight.
  • An early build contains an instrumental version of the Armada theme.
• Earlier iterations of Pacific Island featured rainy weather. While rain is disabled on the level, various regions of the level are still set up for rainfall.
• Easy difficulty was cut. The game's difficulties, in descending order, are internally referred to as Normal, Hard, and Extreme.
  • Evident by unused strings, the Turbo Mode cheat code was considered to be a difficulty mode at some point, with Extras Menu items locked behind it.
• A variety of audio transmissions belonging to both the Autobots and Decepticons were cut which detailed an ongoing side-story regarding the origin of the Decepticlones or featured interactions between the Decepticons. These only exist in text and were not professionally voice acted.
  • The Autobot transmissions detail Scavenger, Smokescreen, Jetfire, Blurr, and Side Swipe investigating the "Hyper Power cloning tech" being used to create the Decepticlones on Junkion. It's eventually found that Junkion was raided by Decepticon forces to steal the Hyper Power cloning tech and left the planet in ruin. The transmissions eventually conclude with Junkion being destroyed by a monster, with it heading straight for Cybertron.
  • Decepticons audio transmissions often involved Megatron bickering with or demanding the other Decepticons to complete various tasks. Interestingly, Tidal Wave speaks in the Mid-Atlantic transmission, while Sideways shows up to intimidate Megatron on behalf of Unicron in the Pacific Island transmission.
• Sequel bait where Megatron proclaims "I still function!" was cut from the credits.