Transformers Prime: The Game

A solid interactive companion to the television show and will please fans in the right age group, even if it's just for a weekend.

Transformers Prime: The Game might not be the hardcore experience that a lot of gamers want or expect, but I really don't think that this was ever its intent. Although it is a solid experience for the young gamers in your family it is one that parents are likely to navigate away from.

Transformers Prime is not a bad game. It just lacks any sort of pazazz. The levels are straight-forward, the gameplay non-offensive and the multiplayer is just throw-away. Fans of the show might find enough to warrant their purchase, but if you own a 3DS, you can get the same experience for a lot less money. This is definitely one of those instances where the game was a quick port to fill a slot in the launch roster, nothing more, nothing less.

I consider myself a Transformers fan, but no amount of appreciation for the series makes me comfortable recommending Transformers: Prime. The benign gameplay may be a good option for fans too young for the gritty action of High Moon's excellent series, but that's about it.

If you are a new Wii U owner, make sure you play New Super Mario Bros. U, Skylanders: Giants or any of the other big name games hitting this holiday season. But once those have come and gone, keep your eyes open and trained on the bargain bin. If you see Transformers Prime: The Video Game in there, it's one afternoon of fun might just be worth it as you wait for the next big release.

As a cartoon tie-in aimed at a very specific demographic, Transformers Prime does a pretty good job defining its setting an action. It just doesn't go far enough. A decent kids game that gets old a little bit too fast, Prime just won't quite measure up for Transformers fans that frankly have shinier, better toys to play with.

Young gamers, especially those who enjoy the Transformers Prime cartoon, will find a lot to like in this Wii U adaptation, but everyone else will be put off by its simple gameplay and lack of content.

The varied options are a nice addition, but most importantly, the game offers off-TV play. As a game geared toward children, allowing kids to play remotely is a fantastic feature. This is arguably the port's biggest upgrade in the transition between consoles.

There are only two potential audiences I see for this game: small children with incredibly short attention spans and Transformers fans blinded by nostalgia. It's an incredibly expensive way to waste a few hours.

Transformers Prime feels most at home on Wii U: increased visual fidelity makes it more striking and true to the cartoon than the cruder Wii and 3DS editions, and predictable yet appreciated flexibility offered by the GamePad brings a bundle of convenience. Just as on other platforms, though, the game is aimed squarely at the younger/casual Transformers crowd.

Avid, younger fans of the show may find value in this release but for any parent considering the purchase, I would advise a rental first.

An absolutely basic game that does nothing to impress the player. It doesn't do anything terribly offensive, it's just a bore to get through and is over far too quickly.

The highest praise one can afford this game is that it's playable. It's not broken, nor is it really that offensive. It's just a condensed exercise in bromidic game design, a brief waste of time squirted out of some mercenary developer's squalid hole.

The very definition of shovelware, Transformers Prime is a woefully undernourished release that damages both the Wii U and Transformers brands. A budget downloadable than a full title, it's debatable if Prime should have even seen a release on handhelds, let alone Nintendo's flagship console.