1. Marvel Comics
Some may believe that I strictly hate G1, but that's not really the case. In fact, there are a few things I like about the G1 series, and one of them is the original Marvel Comics. To those unaware, this comic series was from a time when Marvel would be given the license to produce comics based on other franchises, though they're not exactly owned by them. Transformers was one of the few series that got involved with the craze, including stuff like Star Wars, Power Rangers, and Godzilla, to name a few. They were also involved with the creation of the cartoon as Hasbro enlisted them, so for some of the youngin's not aware of how old Marvel works (and only knows the Disney Marvel stuff), this is why Marvel doesn't own Transformers as they were only partners in producing Hasbro IP media. But as for the comics themselves, while some G1 fans may prefer the cartoon (because of course, they will), I prefer the stories done by the Marvel Comics as they tend to be a little more creative and progress into having greater stories after beginning with the simpler ones (trust me when I say that Shockwave's attack on the Ark was pretty ballsy).
The story is similar to that of the cartoon, where the main plot revolves around the Autobots and Decepticons fighting for fuel resources on Earth, but things start to get a little different in terms of character roles, story, and the general mythos behind the Transformers race, as the stories go past the norm expectations and instead delve into their own, unique continuity. For example, this panel is from "Afterdeath", a time when Optimus Prime and the Protectobots take on Megatron and the Combaticons in a video game to prevent any destruction from taking place in the real world; Optimus Prime would admit what he did to win made him a cheater (while not being aware of Megatron cheating, too), so he requested that he dies in the game, though his data is saved in a floppy disk. While this issue may seem somewhat trippy, it does present one of the more unexpected moments in the Transformers series, even if it's different from the outcome of the 1986 movie fans and normies may be familiar with.
Additionally, while characters from the show are also in the comics, we also get characters from the 1988-1990 toyline as the original comic run didn't end quite as soon as the cartoon, which gave us fan favorites like Nightbeat, Thunderwing, and Bludgeon, along with the niche Circuit Breaker and Death's Head (who are both Marvel-owned characters now). It was also well-known for The Pri￠e of Life, where Megatron and Ratchet were both fused into a single being (not in the safest way, but in a trippy awesome one nonetheless). It's great to have these characters, especially when they've got more to do than just be toy characters (and it's also great that some of the characters that were in the cartoon were given better treatment from time to time).
Is it all perfect? Not quite, as the artwork was kind of inconsistent depending on the issue, and it doesn't help when there are plenty of artists that take over from one another. Here are a few examples from Issue 1, with the first image using generics with reused bodies as the Decepticons as well as displaying the nature of color-blocking. The other image is Ratchet in a toy-accurate design that would later be replaced by his more humanoid character model. In its defense, this is one of the earlier pieces of fiction that would later be improved with more consistent artwork, though a couple of discrepancies creep their way back in.
Did you know that the UK had more to work with than the US? Aside from their run already being larger than the US's 80-issue run due to its additional comics, it also received other content to dig into for UK fans. Aside from covers of their own with their new issues, they also received Annuals that expanded their stories and the somewhat hard to connect Earthforce comics.
What about the continuations to the original Marvel Comics? Well, aside from spin-off material mentioned, there's also plenty of sequels that each tell their own stories that take place after End of the Road!; if you read past a few G.I.Joe comics that bridge the gap between G1 and G2's own comic runs, you will get to War Without End!, the first issue in the Generation 2 series. I love the artwork in this comic, though I have to admit that it was certainly a departure from the tone of the G1 comics, and it was also a short-lived run that had to come up with only 12 issues (at the time, Transformers had been in a weak return along with toys that weren't liked as much back then and a cartoon re-run with annoying transitions). Next up is the Classics continuation, and done up by the Collector's Club, this story uses other TFCC stories and the actual Classics toy design in the mix, so be sure to get a good understanding of it all if you're new to this. And then the somewhat recent continuation to the Marvel Comics, that being IDW Publishing's Regeneration One, a series that many didn't like for the slow pacing and some of the characterizations, but I personally love it. I do look forward to seeing what Transformers '84 has to offer with its stories on Punch and the sweet artwork that beats the attempts at replicating the cartoon-style in other comics.
I said a lot about the Marvel Comics, haven't I?
2. Beast Wars
When I first saw the intro on MonkeyBarTV, I thought it was a spin-off series that used the Transformers idea but wasn't directly tied to the series. You know, sort of like Animorphs? I guess a better example would be how Masked Rider, Big Bad Beetleborgs, and VR Troopers are similar to but not exactly like Power Rangers. I didn't pay attention to anything Beast Wars related until years later when I saw a commercial for its Shout Factory release when it turned 15, and that started to make me wonder what this Beast Wars show has to offer. Thankfully, what I discovered was actually very good.
Beast Wars may seem like a forgettable 1990s TV show that had weird CGI and tropes from that time period, but the truth is, it's actually really good. The story itself begins with the standard arrival to Earth with the Maximals and Predacons, but it deviates from G1 by having a smaller cast for both factions, using the organic beast modes to survive the Energon radiation, and slowly introducing new characters. From time to time, there'd be episodes that contain plot points that are brought up in the future. In general, characters are also given easier time to focus than in G1, as it felt there's always felt like they're only there to sell new toys rather than be individual characters (it's also great that none of the characters feel like repeats on top of having unique characters like Waspinator, Rattrap, and Blackarachnia). Additionally, later seasons did spice things up with the robot designs by having the Transmetal theme take place while the story grew to focus on protecting the ancestor Transformers, that being the dormant Autobots and Decepticons in the Ark; thankfully, neither aspect overthrew the original intent of Beast Wars, though it's worth noting that Optimus Primal, Megatron, and Cheetor received the most amount of upgrades.
If there were a couple of things that I could criticize about this show, it's probably the fact that some aspects of the CGI could be a little dated by today's standards, though it's more noticeable in the older episodes. Thankfully, there is not so many errors as there have been in the G1 cartoon, and I also appreciate the CGI improving more in Beast Machines; plus, the CGI in these shows are better than Energon and (dare I say it?) Cybertron. On a side note, I also don't like how Optimal Optimus, the upgraded form of the Maximal Leader after fusing his spark with Prime's, tends to get his ass kicked on the same level of embarrassment that TFP Magnus had. This also isn't really a fault for the show in general, but I hate the Japanese dub of Beast Wars and just about any other Japanese dub of most TF shows.
Here's what a normie TF fan would like from this show, that being the G1 easter eggs. Aside from a few subtle ones here and there, the main focuses include an episode devoted to Starscream's guest appearance, Ravage's involvement with setting up Season 3 during The Agenda's 3-part episode, and the crucial protection needed to keep Optimus Prime and the Transformers in the Ark safe. I'm honestly not too sure how Beast Wars would work without them, but I can at least praise Beast Wars for treating these bits like bonus episodes rather than being the only things that matter.
At first, I didn't think I'd quite dig into Beast Wars with a huge amount of love for it, but I'm glad I stepped in and gave it a shot. It's some of the best Transformers media out there, and it's also neat to see a departure from the normal cars, jets, and other forms of machinery with the organic beasts. The best part is having characters that each get more spotlight than in G1 (which focused on select characters a little more than I'd like). It also sets up the norm for the Transformers shows that include smaller casts, a better focus on character development, and an overall approach in storytelling. Some may find its sequel, Beast Machines, to be weak, but I like Beast Machines and prefer it to the Japanese spinoffs and a good majority of BW prequel/comic material.
3. Playstation 2 Armada game
I feel bad for not including the shows or comics, but I'll certainly make up for it by including the PS2 video game based on Armada itself. Fans may think that this is the only good bit of Armada, but I think that combining the show, the comic, and the game makes for a pretty good series overall. This was from a time period where Transformers games were pretty rare, and before the movie tie-ins, the Cybertron games, and the games made to tie-in with the shows, all fans had was whatever was on the old computers, the bad Japanese NES games, the mediocre Beast Wars games, and a certain Japanese game based on G1...which we'll discuss in a later post. This was the first GOOD video game based on Transformers, and it's even better to see that it's on the PS2.
The story's somewhat similar to that of the cartoon and comic, with the Autobots and Decepticons going to Earth upon witnessing a distress signal from the Minicons. The rest of the story is where things change. Megatron's Decepticlone army basically outnumbered the Autobots, meaning that if they're going to stop Megatron, Starscream, Cyclonus, and Tidal Wave, they're going to have to go up against these cannon-fodder foot soldiers. Optimus Prime, followed by Hot Shot and Red Alert, will search for the scattered Minicons and plow their way through the Decepticlone army before taking on the four villains...all while Unicron awaits his feast on Cybertron.
Now that we mentioned the story, let's go over the rest of the things that matter for a good video game: characters that are worth playing, graphics that look great for the hardware they're optimized for (bonus points for holding up today) and good gameplay. The characters we have in Armada are not only different in height and design, but we also have different stats for each character, with Hot Shot being the fastest, Optimus being the strongest, and Red Alert laying in-between them. The graphics are some of the best that the PS2 has, as the character designs remain true to the Armada series while also having a realistic look to them that works wonderfully. The environments are also done very nicely, and the variety between the rainforest levels, Antarctica, the drowsy shores where Tidal Wave awaits you, and Cybertron including the Unicron fight. The environments are open-world, encouraging you to explore the levels if you want to collect the Minicons and form the superweapons against Unicron. And for the gameplay, Transformers Armada is a third-person shooter that lets you blast your enemies with your blasters while also making use of the varying Minicons and their abilities, including slo-mo, gliding, rockets, and drain energy. As a bonus, the music is pretty amazing and accompanies the game sound effects pretty well.
Sadly, there are a few things that I wish could be better. The three Autobots are all you can play as, which not only means you can play as the other characters in the game, and you can't even play as the Decepticons in this game. Most games let you play as either faction, but it's weird how this game doesn't, not even with a single story that lets you go back and forth between each faction. Also, the game itself could be a little hard to beat if you're not used to the difficulty; it's not poorly made, but you're going to want to avoid enemy ammo as well as Megatron's dickishly throwing you like a ragdoll. And finally, it can be a little easy to get lost in the environments due to it being a little hard to keep track of where you're going.
Regardless, this game's got so much to love. The things I mentioned (excluding the negatives) are already neat enough, but the fact that you get a game that's polished is just too good for me to ignore. It's got great game design, a wonderful presentation, and the challenges make you want to keep trying until you make it to the end. You also get to fight Tidal Wave. Already a win in my book. And this game is probably the only one where Unicron's the final boss; I don't think any other game has Unicron as a boss, maybe I'm wrong. If that's not enough, you get cutscenes, galleries, and even the PSAs from the G1 cartoon that never aired. Yeah, it sucks that the Cybertron sequel never got to be made, but I'll still happily give praise to this game, and it beats a certain Transformers game on the same console...which shall be covered in another post.
4. War Within
People love to shit on Dreamwave for the art style and for the tone of the stories, but I think there's something to like about them from time to time. The War Within, followed by The Dark Ages and the Age of Wrath, is a backstory to the Transformers in the then-new Dreamwave continuity, where the war begins with Megatron killing Autobots left and right; this forces the High Council to choose data clerk Optronix as the next leader. The choice to surrender the planet to the Decepticons was one that made many allies hate the new guy, but now Megatron himself needs Optimus to remake Cybertron. The factions are made from the split across Cybertron, and the Fallen shows up to bring Unicron back. Then, Megatron ruins any attempt at peace with his drones, forcing a few Autobot freedom fighters to stop him.
This was from a time when Transformers backstories were new at the time, and also predated the likes of the Cybertron games as well as the obsession with Cybertron seen on the WFC trilogy, the Bumblebee movie, and new IDW. It was also one of the better-received bits of Dreamwave, though the last three issues didn't get published. What I like about The War Within is how it was more than just nostalgia, which is also applicable to the WFC series (albeit the marketing by the gaming press made it seem like it was all about the nostalgia). The character designs are obviously based on the original forms, but they have a more sci-fi look to them that makes, say, Optimus Prime look different than what other alien takes on Prime would be like. I also love how there are a lot more moments of doubt between our characters, even with Optimus Prime himself as well as the damage done to Cybertron under those following Megatron's non-Saturday-morning-cartoon vision of tyranny.
This series was known for introducing the character we know as The Fallen. He was created by Simon Furman and was designed by Pat Lee. The character of The Fallen may be seen at first glance as an edge-lord take on the fallen Prime compared to his other counterparts, but it's still great to see him grow into a more prominent character in fiction, whether it's his cinematic debut in Revenge of the Fallen, his stories in IDW, the Aligned continuity (notably RID15), and his appearances in both Prime Wars and Forged to Fight (despite the former sucking). His backstory containing elements of Unicron warping him was neat, if a little too coincidental with Sideways from the Unicron Trilogy.
While fans are generally going to want to desperately cling on the IDW stuff, The War Within trilogy is one of the best pieces of comic fiction done by Dreamwave, and I feel it surpasses the Armada and Energon comics (though I love those comics, too), and it's better than the present-day era of Dreamwave comics (which are still better than fans say they are despite some issues). It's just a shame that its last three issues weren't released at the time, and even Magnus is upset about that.
5. Transformers (2007)
You already knew this was going to be on this list. The first Transformers movie is one that most fans would love, though they are making a disservice to the rest of the film series. Anyways, while Cybertron was the version of the franchise that got me into Transformers, Michael Bay's first movie got me hooked even more, and it's one I'm still sticking with to this day. I know some will groan and think "bruh y u attack geewun fans for their nostalgia and then be hippocritical?" Well, is it weird to have someone share their childhood past that's different? Anyways, I'm sure you already know about the plot and characters of this movie, but for old time's sake, let's go over it again!
Story-wise, this film has just about everything we need to Transformers as both an introduction to the franchise as well as one for this series. Human boy Sam Witwicky gets the car of his dreams, which turns out to be an Autobot Transformer known by the name of Bumblebee. Upon meeting the Autobots for the first time, Sam and the girl of his dreams, Mikaela, learn from Optimus Prime and his allies that the Decepticons are searching for both the Allspark and their leader Megatron. This conflict puts not just the Autobots at war on Earth for the first time, but it gives Sam a coming of age story with the Autobots, the US soldiers, and the Sector Seven agents he meets.
Character-wise, I quite enjoy both the robot cast and the human cast. Some will think that humans get too much screentime, but I see them and the robots when not in their battle as somewhat like the moments in a comic book film where the protagonist is in their secret identity if that makes sense. The robots are a good selection of characters in my eyes as I never had too much of an attachment to G1 (since I didn't see it yet), and some will complain that the Cons didn't get to have much screentime, but it's fine for me, as they each had something to do compared to Megs's crew in TLK or those things from the Bumblebee movie that aren't Shatter or Dropkick. I didn't have too much of an issue with the humans, and even if some of them like Glen could be Koo-Koo Krazy, I at least credit him for his role in contacting the Air Force with his hacking skills (which he and Maggie share). Story-wise, it ticks the mark for an introduction to a new Transformers series, except not at a level of a Saturday-morning cartoon. And of course, the VFX and music are unbeatable, even to this day.
Now, let's make this conversation quick: fans tend to like this movie the most or have faint praise just because they bitched about the other films. I remember when this film was praised a lot more back when it first came out, and from a time when media based on pop culture wasn't about making people clap at references or nostalgia like we saw with Rogue One and Ready Player One. Maybe it's me, but a part of me feels fans tend to have a bit of selective memory to prove their points in making some petty complaints. Yes, I'm aware that there were legitimate people that made a few fair points against this film and the rest of the series in general, but for the most part, today's criticisms are less about actually delving into what they're given and more about using groupthink (and I hate groupthink with a passion).
With that out of the way, I still love this film and the franchise that followed it. Sure, people will think I'm hypocritical for defending this movie, but it's one that I've watched countless times and further kept me excited for a franchise that I still love to this day, even if some of the imagination is somewhat absent now. I'll always love the original 5 Autobots, listen to the music, quote the characters, and smile when I rewatch a clip or the whole movie. And here's a random fact: this movie expanded my vocabulary a lot more. Weird, yes, but I learned a lot of words from listening to the movie, which helped me understand dialogue in films that's not fairly basic or just reliant on facial expressions. In fact, I think this is the movie I remember the most amount of dialogue from, surpassing even Spider-Man 1 or Toy Story, films that I've seen before Transformers was released.
6. Animated
I'm still a big fan of this show, and I don't care if people think it looks babyish. At the time, I was happy to see my third exposure at a Transformers series that still looked different from what was previously made, and I was even tempted at making a drawing of Optimus's Cybertron, Movie, and Animated counterparts hanging out. As for the show itself, it's one that fans already love, but I feel that it's the almost 2000s take on the Beast Wars attributes of action, story, and humor that make it well-loved, despite sharing the aesthetics of fellow Cartoon Network shows Ben 10 and Teen Titans. Still, Animated's a show that deserves another look for the fans that are still unsure if they should like it or not.
This story may seem like it's filtered through a kiddy lens at first glance, but there's actually more to Animated as the series progresses. The Autobots, being a small repair crew, must learn what it takes to rise up and face the larger threats of the Decepticons, especially when they show up little by little. Apart from them, they must also contend with human adversaries in Detroit. After the build-up to the Decepticon threat is done, Season 2 and especially Season 3 start to go into more complicated matters, including the likes of a traitor among the Autobots, the creation of a space bridge, and Sari learning about who she really is. Season 3 is well-known for the larger attacks on Detroit, the themes it presented, and Sentinel Prime growing into a corrupt Autobot who started to take his beef against Optimus Prime a lot more seriously.
The best thing about this series is that it's got the references you'd expect, yet they're not only varied with other franchises or more unexpected characters, but they also remain in the background and don't just turn to face you and remind you that what you just saw was an easter egg. And thankfully, with non-G1 stuff Waspinator, Blackarachnia, Hot Shot, and Red Alert thrown into the mix with new characters like Lugnut, Lockdown, Bulkhead, and Slipstream, Animated certainly takes me back to when it was all about making stuff feel new while also making callbacks to the G1 past somewhat subtle.
Still, I wish we got the Season 4 conclusion before Cartoon Network ultimately cancelled it all. This is a screencap from The Trial of Megatron, an unofficial-yet-official three-part episode that would have kicked off Season 4 and provide a continuation to Season 3's ending. For those that don't know, concepts like Sentinel Prime attempting to team up with Megatron, the Maurader design of the Decepticon leader, Jazz and Ironhide teaming up with three of the main Autobots (and having some details match up with the Movie team), and Optimus's Powermaster form would have been some of the many highlights of the canceled fiction. Alas, it all never came to be, but at least TFNation got to share these concept episodes; they're not quite official, but their involvement with the people behind the show makes these feel pretty canonical, especially considering they were from the intended stories for Season 4. On a side note, this story took place after the BotCon stories "The Stunti-CON Job" and "The Return of Blurr".
Transformers Animated makes me happy for changing things up in a good way. It's not just a kiddy show that others would laugh at, and it's not too reliant on the easter eggs either. Instead, this show manages to do what Beast Wars does and go from a small show at the start to slowly building up and becoming a more complicated story for fans to dig into. It's just a shame we never got Season 4, and it's also infuriating that the only Transformers show that has more than three seasons is Rescue Bots (as well as having the most episodes); not saying that I hate Rescue Bots, but I do hate how Cartoon Network basically gave up on Animated when its fourth season was in production.
7. Cybertron games
These games are so good I almost don't have to mention them. They're pretty much the peak-Cybertron origin story that Transformers received once in a while and is starting to make a bigger than necessary return in 2020. The thing about the Cybertron games is the fact that they're more than just mature versions of Transformers with G1 aesthetics, as they have some worthwhile stories and great gameplay thrown in the mix. I also appreciate Hasbro attempting to make these games tie-in with the rest of the Aligned Continuity in some fashion (even if the aesthetics don't match up).
War for Cybertron provides an origin story for the Transformers on Cybertron, from the rise of the Decepticon army to Optimus becoming the next Prime. Megatron believes that Dark Energon will be a great asset to his caste system, while the Autobots must keep the core of Cybertron safe from a disastrous poison found within the resource. From there, they must avenge Omega Supreme and find a way to save the core. While they learn that the core will take millions of years to be restored, it at least gives Optimus the Matrix of Leadership, further helping him in stopping the Decepticons.
Fall of Cybertron continues this story by having the Autobots and Decepticons face the darkest of times, as they see how their war has forever tarnished any life on Cybertron. Both factions are not going to stop, and they'll do whatever it takes to survive the fall of their home. Unexpectedly, Grimlock, who was experimented by Shockwave into a Dinobot, discovers a new piece of hope for their species, as they can find all the resources they need to survive on the planet Earth, with a new challenge being the escape from the planet itself.
What about the other versions of the games? WFC was the only one to receive alternate versions of itself in the form of the DS Autobot/Decepticon campaign games as well as a Wii-version of the game called Cybertron Adventures. Neither game is too great, as they are (understandably) pushed back by the limitations both consoles' hardware present. Sure, it's neat for fans that only have Nintendo consoles to still get a piece of WFC pie, but these ain't it.
All in all, these two games take me back when Transformers had console games worth playing. They're both great in terms of looking good, but they also present plenty of creative stories that fans should remember exist instead of begging for more stuff to take place on Cybertron, and they also don't make nostalgia the only thing that matters (even if they aesthetically don't match up with TFP-onwards). If there is one game set around the same universe that I don't like, it's gotta sadly be Rise of the Dark Spark.
8. Transformers Prime
Everyone loves this show, and it's not hard to know why. It's got all the characters fans love and post gifs about, the humor tickles their fancy, and they also have plenty of great moments, be it small or large ones. Honestly, what has been said with Transformers Prime should be common knowledge at this point, so I'll try and give my own thoughts on the series.
While it may seem like a cartoon tie-in to the movies, it's actually more than that. The characters are somewhat like them, but the stories and everything else is entirely new, and it doesn't help that there's a bit of animated influence here and there. It's not like a continuation series some would think of like The Clone Wars, though it's got more on-par with superhero shows that certainly tie-in with a new movie (thinking of Green Lantern, Beware the Batman, and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes).
Each season has unique attributes from one another, with Season 1 being all about going up to the status quo while also providing more Decepticons to join the faction than there are new Autobots as well as the build-up to Unicron's arrival. Season 2, on the other hand, starts with Optimus losing his memory and believing he's friends with Megatron before it focuses on the retrieval of the relics and other plot devices, notable examples including the Star Saber and Forge of Solus Prime. Season 3 begins with the scattered Autobots regrouping before they take on the Decepticons and their new weapon: a Predacon.
I already mentioned that Season 3 was a little lacking for me due to the lack of Predacons and how short its episode count was compared to Seasons 1 and 2. I still feel upset that we never got to see some of the plans for Season 4, much like with Animated. I believe the Star Seekers would have been involved along with the Maximals while Ratchet and Agent Fowler were involved with Unit:E. It's a shame, too, especially considering that The Hub didn't get as many viewers as planned (this is why it shouldn't have been hard to access).
While this series may be seen as overrated in a way, I still appreciate Transformers Prime, from the first time I saw trailers of it to the experience of seeing it all end in Predacons Rising (and a few weeks earlier, too!). It was great, and it's a shame that Robots in Disguise 2015 felt like a throwaway series compared to its predecessor.
9. Dark of the Moon
Still hoping I wouldn't include another Michael Bay film, huh? Dark of the Moon is my all time favorite Transformers movie, and I still stand by my opinions on how it remains my favorite. There are plenty of aspects to enjoy from it, and that even beats MV1 in my opinion! With that said, let’s dive into what makes Transformers: Dark of the Moon not just the best Transformers movie of its universe, but also the best Transformers movie of all time!
NEST, the Autobot-Human team, becomes publicly prominent as they're used to keep peace between the human race and different countries. The discovery of Sentinel Prime and his artifacts results in how little is being revealed to Optimus by the US Government. Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky attempts to live a normal life but is then forced into the war once again upon hearing of the complicated nature between the Decepticons and the humans they work with, resulting in somewhat of a struggle that the Autobots and NEST face as they're not too focused in going after the Cons and instead work with other matters until halfway through the movie where Sentinel reveals his true colors and joins Megatron solely to bring Cybertron in orbit of the Earth.
What makes Dark of the Moon special is that it doesn't heavily with the typical "action movie" tropes people would try to bitch about. The fact that there are humans secretly working for the Decepticons was already a crazy part of the film, but the reaches Sentinel Prime went in betraying the Autobots and going against Optimus Prime's new goal of protecting the Earth gave this film the extra layers that many tend to overlook. Dark of the Moon is more than just CG spectacle, and it's pretty satisfying when you get a better understanding of what goes on between the characters.
If there is one thing I kind of wish would be in this movie, it's another space battle. The opening was pretty based already, and I kind of wish we got one to go alongside with the return of Cybertron. Would help break up the fights that usually take place on the ground, even if a space battle with some of the Autobots in a few stolen ships would lean heavily on Star Wars or Star Trek (which somewhat influenced this movie, especially with Leonard Nimoy voicing Sentinel).
But who am I kidding, this film's great! I love the more intricate storytelling, and it's also great that the action, characters, and music still improve on what we got since 2007. I'm sour that I didn't get to see the film crew during the Chicago scenes, but at least it was the first time I saw a Transformers movie in theaters. The ending may seem like a good finale, but I'll be honest and say that I'm fine with Hasbro continuing the movieverse, as unlike plenty of franchises, there's a lot to work with in terms of story and characters with Transformers (though I would mostly be happy with 6 movies).
10. Devastation
At first, I thought I wasn't going to like this game due to how "style-over-substance" it looked, but it's actually a lot better than I expected. I'm sure people will think I'm not making my mind up with my opinion on G1, and while I stand that the cartoon is trash and the 86 movie is overrated, stuff like the old comics are pretty good, and this video game is nothing but cum. It's more than a cash grab for the nostalgia people, and thank Primus it's not some HD G1 fanservice with minimum effort, as Devastation is actually good.
The story itself feels relatively new for G1 and isn't in an established continuity (even though it does have the cartoon aesthetics but done up in a beautiful way). Megatron, now in possession of the Insecticons and the Proudstar, plans to Cyberform the Earth in a few days, forcing Optimus Prime, Grimlock, Sideswipe, and Wheeljack to hack and slash their way through plenty of Decepticons in different designs. They also learn that a Transformer by the name of Nova Prime has been corrupted at one point, and the character would later reawaken when the Decepticons are taken care of.
While the visuals are the good kind of G1 eye-candy and the inclusion of some of the surviving voice actors from the cartoon is neat and all, the gameplay feels like the best part of Devastation. It's fast-paced and reminiscent of Bayonetta and the like, but it also feels creamy, even if I'm used to the third-person shooters from previous Transformers games. I love how each character still shares their own unique stats in terms of speed, strength, and the like, but the thing that I love is the ability to upgrade and even switch out weapons. We even have weapons from other franchises, like the Star Saber and Forge of Solus Prime from TFP, Movie Prime's Energon Blade as well as Movie Megatron's fusion cannon, and even the Magnus Hammer from Animated!
If there is a complaint I have, it does suck that much like with the Armada game, I wish the game it had more characters to play as, though we have 5 Autobots instead of 3 like in the Armada game. The DLC is appreciative, though it's weird that we have Sideswipe cosplay as another Autobot that's already his own character in G1 (Red Alert). Still no Decepticons to play as. While we do have plenty of Decepticons to fight against, it does feel a little lonely to have 15 Autobots compared to the 30+ Decepticons, though it beats having too many Autobots in the cartoon. I kind of wish the game would have a few more levels, as only having 7 chapters kind of makes the game feel a little too small for my tastes. And worst of all, we have no sequel! Aside from wanting Animated and TFP Season 4 as well as a Transformers 6, I still want a sequel to Devastation, and it sucks we haven't gotten one. But despite those complaints, it's a great game to play, obviously for G1 fans but even those that don't like G1 as much can get a great kick out of it. I did!
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