Transformers: Prime — The Game is a game for the Wii, Wii U, and the Nintendo 3DS and Altron for the Nintendo DS. Transformers: Prime The Game is based on the Transformers: Prime series. The game features the voice cast from the show such as Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, to name a few. The game focuses on Team Prime (consisting of Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ratchet), Jack, Miko, and Raf's fight against the Decepticons and their new secret weapon.
The Decepticons have intercepted a large meteor full of Dark Energon approaching the Earth, and the Autobots arrive to try and thwart the Decepticons' plans to use the Dark Energon. A massive eruption of power during the battle on the meteor breaks out, and the Autobots become separated from Jack, Miko and Raf, who are monitoring them at base. Unknown to the Autobots and the humans, the Decepticons have uncovered Thunderwing, an ancient being that they will use to try to take over the Earth.
This game provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Arcee, Airachnid for the Decepticons (and Miko's still trying).
- Adaptational Badass:
- Thunderwing, who's already quite dangerous, receives this treatment. Not only is he a dangerous combatant, but he's also bigger than any Transformer other than Unicron himself.
- Ratchet taking on whole hoards of Vehicons isn't too hard to imagine, but beating back Soundwave (who is equal parts The Juggernaut and Lightning Bruiser in the Prime continuity) is stretching it.
- Arm Cannon: Everyone basically has one, achieved by reformatting it into their blasters. Megatron gets a special mention for having his Fusion Cannon mounted on his right arm.
- Thunderwing one-ups Megatron by having two arm-mounted cannons, both of which are located on his forearms.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Ratchet builds a device that kills Thunderwing, once Jack places it inside him.
- Back Stab: How Thunderwing thanks the Decepticons for healing him: by blasting Megatron and Starscream and escaping.
- Bad Boss: Megatron once again shows far less concern for his troops. Using Starscream as a shield is a perfect example.
- Big Bad: Megatron takes a backseat to Thunderwing, who intends to complete his mission to destroy the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.
- Big Damn Heroes: Optimus saves the day, duh. Most notable example is barging in as Megatron prepares to off Arcee.
- Jack gets his moment when he uses Ratchets device to de-power Thunderwing.
- Bring It: Thunderwing vows he'll destroy the Matrix even if exhausts his energy to last drop. Optimus's reponse?Optimus: You want the Matrix? Come and get it.
- Canon Discontinuity: The game's events are seldom mentioned in the series, and the Decepticon lineup is too contradictory to have it take place in any area in Season 2.
- Canon Immigrant: Thunderwing here is adapted from the Generation One continuity.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Not Starscream, oddly enough. Thunderwing betrays Megatron after agreeing to help him fight the Autobots once he's been repaired.
- Competitive Balance: Essentially the way the Autobots differentiate from each other; the faster they are, the less damage they do with their melee attacks and guns, though they have a faster fire rate to compensate. In order from fastest/weakest to slowest/strongest: Arcee, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Bulkhead.
- Composite Character: Thunderwing borrows elements from his two main appearances. He's a deadly Transformer with an obsession with the matrix ala the Marvel comics, and he's a giant Person of Mass Destruction like his appearance in the Stormbringer miniseries, with his design borrowing from both. In addition, he's a servant of Unicron, much like the time his G1 self cameoed in the Transformers: Armada comics.
- Continuity Snarl: According to a producer at Activision, the game takes place alongside the second season of the animated series, but could be "wedged in" anywhere in the season. However, this is impossible thanks to the makeup of the Decepticon team:
- Starscream is the main problem do to his defection long before the events of the game.
- Airachnid isn't much better, her Insecticon minions were only under her control while she was an independent agent, and really only for a single episode. That episode ended with her being locked into stasis and losing control over the swarm to Megatron.
- And of course Dreadwing and Starscream never worked together at any point during the series.
- Dark Action Girl: Airachnid. Like Arcee, she's the only female of her faction.
- Determinator: This is one of Thunderwing's defining characteristics. He will not stop until the Matrix of Leadership is destroyed, even if he has to expend every last drop of Dark Energon in his systems. Having his weak spots exposed from Ratchet's device do nothing to deter him from completing his task.
- Difficult, but Awesome: Downplayed with Starscream; his ranged attack and supercharged range attack are difficult to master as they fire missiles that curve to meet the target rather than firing directly like the other characters. His rockets have difficulty in targeting short ranged moving enemies, but if one learns to use him as a ranged character, then the attacks are quite powerful and good at knocking other bots down.
- Disney Villain Death: Played straight with Thunderwing, Optimus, Jack and Arcee manage to defeat him by blowing up his power core and causing him to fall into a volcano.
- Eleventh Hour Super Power: For the final phase of Thunderwing's boss battle, Optimus activates the Matrix which puts him into permanent Upgrade status.
- Elite Mooks: Megatron pulls out a new batch of Vehicons to fight Optimus and his men.
- Airborne Mook: Vehicon Helicopters are Decepticons that transform into flying vehicles.
- Tank Goodness: Vehicon Tanks transform into tanks.
- Heavily Armored Mook: Vehicon Trucks are basically regular Vehicons, but with more armor allowing them to withstand massive punishment from the Autobots.
- Escort Mission: Bumblebee has to escort Raf to safety once he finds the boy. Ratchet later does the same for both Raf and Miko while the three of them are trying to escape the Nemesis.
- Evil Is Hammy: Thunderwing is a big fan of making grandiose statements, and he can back them up with the sheer amount of firepower he can bring to the table.
- Evil Sounds Deep: A given for Megatron since his voice actor is none other than Frank Welker himself.
- Thunderwing is no slouch in that department either thanks to Robin Atkin Downes, who gives him a roaring, bellowing voice fit for a gigantic bot like him.
- A Father to His Men: Optimus, as always, is compassionate to all of his comrades and even to their human allies. He even tries to stop Jack from helping Arcee slip Ratchet's device, knowing the danger it poses to the human.
- Gatling Good: Dreadwing carries one gatling gun in hand.
- Gameplay Grading: At the end of each stage, the player will receive a C, B, or A ranking depending on how well they did.
- Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: It's never explained where Thunderwing came from, or how exactly he got himself trapped in the meteor in the first place.
- Glory Seeker: Starscream, for his own personal glory of course.
- Guide Dang It!: When the game is explaining the Upgrade mechanic, what it doesn't tell you is by pressing the jump button in the middle of the melee combo, the Autobot will unleash a new attack such as Ratchet's spinning kick.
- Honor Before Reason: When Optimus tries to reason with Thunderwing, this is pretty much Thunderwings' response.
- Human Shield: Megatron uses Starscream as one when Thunderwing attacks and escapes the Nemesis.
- Humongous Mecha: Again, Thunderwing towers over every Autobot and Decepticon in the game.
- Idiot Ball: The shows cast as a whole is a lot dumber here. Jack walks right into a fight with Arcee and Airachnid, getting himself captured, and Megatron trusts Thunderwing even though the latter has no incentive to help him.
- Kick the Dog: Using the captured Miko and Raf to force Ratchet help repair Thunderwing? Really, Megatron?
- Left Stuck After Attack: In Knock Out's rematch, after he gains his Synth-En upgrade, he uses leaping attacks and gets stuck when he misses (complete with "Uh-Oh!") allowing Bumblebee to pummel him.
- Limit Break: The Autobots have the ability to "Upgrade" by filling up a gauge and pressing an appropriate button which allows them to use an extended string of melee attacks or unleash a rapid barrage of charge shots until the gauge runs out. In the rematch against the Decepticons, they gain the ability to inject themselves with Synth-En and boost their speed and damage.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: The Autobots and Decepticons can surround themselves with shields which can be destroyed with enough damage or a shield breaker move.
- No Indoor Voice: Thunderwing always blasts his sentences at the top of his voicebox, especially in combat.
- Offscreen Teleportation: After Bulkhead and Miko escape the underground temple, and Bulkhead is forced to fight some Veichons. Once outside, Miko calls him over to a nearby ravine. Bulkhead asks her how she got all the way over there without his notice, Miko just shrugs and tells him it's not important.
- Oh, Crap!: Megatron has this reaction after Thunderwing is completely repaired and makes his intentions clear.
- Plot Armor: With the exception of Thunderwing, every named character survives the game, likely to avoid any contradictions with the ongoing series.
- Recurring Boss: Megatron, fought three times over the course of the game.
- Scenery Porn: Many of the game arenas look very good.
- Sinister Scimitar: Megatron's sword is reimagined into one of these.
- The Smurfette Principle: Arcee and Airachnid are the only "female" Autobot and Decepticon respectively.
- Storming the Castle: Missions on the Nemesis feature the Autobots causing mayhem within its halls and decks.
- Tactical Suicide Boss: In the DS version, the second phase of the final battle with Thunderwing has him keeping his core shut most of the time and only opens it when he flies into the air to shoot a massive laser from his core.
- This Is a Drill: Knock Out's super attack has one of his hands turn into a drill like the cartoon, though much bigger.
- Transforming Mecha: It's Transformers, so everyone (minus Thunderwing) gets to transform at least once before our eyes.
- Turns Red: Megatron does in the second fight with him, doing more damage, and in the third fight does it twice.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Thunderwing's idea of thanking Megatron for his repairs? Trying to kill the Decepticon leader.
- The Voiceless: Soundwave has no lines throughout the game.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Once Knock Out falls off the Nemesis after his fight with Bumblebee, and Dreadwing gets buried under a rockslide. Neither are seen or mentioned again for the rest of the game.
- Wolverine Claws: Starscream and Airachnid as usual, but here, the Car Vehicons and Knockout weaponize their Femme Fatalons.
- You Fool!: Used by Megatron when he finds Starscream, trying to finish repairing Thunderwing scolds him about losing Ratchet.
