Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)
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| Developer | Hasbro Interactive | ||||||
| Platforms | PlayStation, PC | ||||||
| Release date | December 5, 1997 (PS), May 31, 1998 (PC) | ||||||
| Rating | ESRB: E | ||||||
Beast Wars: Transformers is a third-person shooting game released for the Sony PlayStation platform in 1997. It was later ported to the PC platform in 1998.
Players picked their side and sent their Transformers on missions against both the opposing side and the extradimensional Skriix aliens.
Plot
A small group of Maximals and Predacons crash-land on a planet, similar to Earth when Dinosaurs ruled the planet.[1] The Predacons have stolen the Golden Disk, an artifact that will lead them to a large supply of Energon, fuelling their dreams of conquest unless the Maximals stop them. Due to the high level of Energon present on the planet, both factions need to adopt beast forms in order to shield themselves from the Energon’s radiation.
The battle on the primitive, Energon-rich planet rages on, and each Transfomer of both both factions settle in distinct areas on the planet. They each also come to possess their own base, protected by an army of drones. The situation is further complicated by the arrival of the inter-dimensional aliens, the Skriix, forcing both factions to take arms against this new threat.
Maximal Campaign
Urban
Retaliation
Rhinox’s base has been taken over by the Predacon’s chief scientist, Tarantulas, who has reprogrammed its defences. Recapturing this location, the “Urban” area, is the Maximal’s first mission. The Maximal enters by cover of night the small Cybertronian-esque city. Once inside, he must bypass electrical barriers and evade fire from stationary artillery towers and a variety of drones. The Skriix are also already infesting the area, their large “Scorpion” units. being occasionally encountered. Surmounting these obstacles, the Maximal completes the first phase of his mission by destroying a large “Centaur-bot” drone.
Perimeter Defence
As day breaks, the Maximal further works his way through Rhinox’s base. Tarantulas has retreated to the base’s perimeter, and the Maximal's mission is now to destroy the remaining forces within the base and to secure the area. To do so, the Maximal navigates through a network of exhaust vents, the gaseous expulsions from which causes him severe damage if he allows himself to be hit. Nearing the base’s perimeter also means being exposed to Energon radiation more frequently, limiting his time in robot mode. After defeating three more of the “Centaur-bot” drones, the mission moves to its final phase.
?
When Tarantulas attacked Rhinox’s base, the Predacon was able to procure sensitive data. In order to prevent the Predacons from using this information against them, the Maximal is tasked to enter Tarantulas’s underground lair and eliminate him. Avoiding seemingly-bottomless pits by using Tarantulas’s own webbing as bridges and large cocoons as platform, Tarantulas is found, alone at a large computer module. After engaging him in combat, the Maximal shoots Tarantulas until the Predacon collapses to the ground and promptly explodes.
Desert
Powerlines
It comes to the Maximal’s attention that Scorponok has begun a mining operation in the desert, actively harming the environment in the process. In order to rectify this, the Maximal is sent to destroy Scorponok’s Transport Tower and his Energon Prospector Ships.
The Maximal arrives at a stone ravine near Scorponok’s base near twilight. There, new breeds of Skriix are encountered, including units that ressemble armless Velociraptors, and large organic mounds that regularly birth slithering snake-like units.
The Maximal enters the base proper by destroying a key defence tower, makes his way through the base’s defences and destroys the first of the Energon Prospector ships, completing the first phase of this mission.
Search and Destroy
Despite the Maximal’s success so far, scans indicate a Predacon presence still active in the desert. The large quantities of Energon being processed are too big a threat to be ignored, and it is decided Scorponok must be stopped.
Braving deeper into the arid landscape, the Maximal continues to encounter drones, Prospector units and the occasional Skriix. Transformation capabilities are once again impeded by the high concentration of Energon in this area.
The second phase of this mission comes to an end when the Maximal encounters Scorponok’s Giant Purple Mechanical Scorpion drone, and destroys it.
Desert Stronghold
Scorponok has retreated to within the confounds of his base to rebuild his personal army. As the base is protected by an ion force field, the Maximal must first destroy the shield generators before being able to confront Scorponok himself.
Once within the base, the Maximal travels deeper underground and is assaulted by Scorponok. The mission is complete once the Maximal kills his assailant.
Polluted
Polluted Zone
A stasis pod has recently landed in the polluted zone; an area that has become highly unstable due to the last war that took place here. Energon are especially high in this area, making it difficult to remain in robot mode for anything but a very short period of time.
This whole area is a maze of pipes snaking in and out of the ground and the artificial structures that populate the landscape. Entering the polluted zone to rescue the pod, the Maximal is welcomed by rainy skies… and more enemy units of course. Key among these are colossal Skriix units unlike anything encountered before. These large crawling brutes breathe fire and cause much more damage than any of the other previous breeds. A variant on the previously encountered snake-like Skriix abound as well, more heavily armoured than those seen in the previous areas.
Despite the escalating danger, the Maximal completes the first phase of his excursion to the polluted zone by reaching the stasis pod. At this point, a new Maximal merges from the pod...
The Skriix
Rattrap emerges from the stasis pod, and joins the Maximal ranks.
With this development, the Maximal’s mission is updated; this area must be cleansed of the Skriix infestation, and Inferno’s forces must be driven out of the polluted zone.
By navigating around the nearby dilapidated structures and bypassing Inferno’s defences, the Maximal must root out every enemy unit to complete the second phase of this mission.
Rescue Missions
The Maximals are able to launch a rescue mission in the event one of their teammates have been captured by the enemy. After flying through flocks of Predacon aerial drones, fields of hover-mines, and swarms of flying Skriix units, the Maximal arrives at their target: an large enemy vessel with flame decals. By blasting off the ship’s wings and engines, the prisoner within is rescued and the ship explodes.
Predacon Campaign
Gameplay
The basic object of the game is to run around blindly and shoot everything in sight. You have two meters: your life meter and an energon meter that drains while you're in robot mode (switching to beast mode stops the process and allows it to slowly refill, but you can't attack in this mode regardless of what dangerous beast you are). Both sides have four characters you can play as, and if you lose one, they're lost for good unless you can find a "rescue" icon in the level and complete the resultant rescue mission. It is generally a few shades this side of sadomasochistic.
Playable characters
- Optimus Primal (normal and "rescue" levels)
- Cheetor
- Rattrap (unlocked in the "Polluted" zone)
- Dinobot
- Rhinox
- Airazor ("rescue" levels only)
- Megatron
- Scorponok
- Tarantulas
- Blackarachnia (unlocked in the "Polluted" zone)
- Inferno (normal and "rescue" levels)
- Terrorsaur ("rescue" levels only)
Cheat codes
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| Pause the game, hold L2 and press Up, Down, Left, Right, Triangle, X, Square. Continue to hold L2 and then unpause the game. | Power-Up Weapons |
| Pause the game, then hold L2 and press the Up, Down, Left, Right, Triangle, X, X, Triangle, Right, Left, Down, Up. Continue to hold L2 and then unpause the game. | Complete the Current Mission |
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| ilikeiteasy | Unlock all levels |
| weloveithot | Unlimited smart bombs |
| rescueme | Unlock rescue missions |
Notes
- A comic was printed in the UK to advertise, and serve as a short "prequel" of sorts for this game.
- A game model was made for Waspinator with plans to have him in the game, but those ultimately fell through.
- The Beast Wars cast did not reprise their characters' voices for the game, and while their presence would have made the game WAAAAAAY better, it's probably best that they managed to avoid marching in this crap parade.
- Although none of the voices are passable sound-alikes, the Predacon Computer's voice is especially jarring, as it now possesses a male voice instead of the female one from the cartoon.
- Instead of his trademark eye-beams, Dinobot uses his combined tail-weapon as a blaster.
- While the PlayStation version of the game was limited to a single-player affair, the PC version surprisingly had an option to play with up to 8 people over LAN or online; in fact, for a while during the game's release, the MSN Gaming Zone reserved several rooms for multiplayer Beast Wars games. "Fans" of the game claim this is enough to dredge the game out from being horrible to barely mediocre.
- Upon its release in the UK, the PC version of the game was available bundled with a regular-class Beast Wars figure, making it a not-completely worthless purchase.
- Also in the UK, a comic was released as part of an advertising promotion this video game.
- The game was featured in the first episode of the Animorphs television series. The main characters are playing the game at an arcade, though the show makes no reference to the game being related to Beast Wars at all; in fact, the game narration has nothing to do with Beast Wars either.
External links
- ↑ Beast Wars: Transformers Video Game Website http://web.archive.org/web/20000816230906/http://www.transformers.com/story.html
