TG-11 Ultra Magnus
Takara TG-13 FOC Voyager Soundwave & Takara TG-14 Soundblaster
ultra magnus
Transformers:More than meets the pixels
Over the past 27 years, we have been privy to many tie-in media for the Transformers. Unfortunately, in the area of the video game, this franchise seemed to fall short of the mark.
The Commodore 64: a platform / shoot ’em up game.
It was written by Denton Designs and released by Ocean Software for the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64 home computers in 1986.
The object of the game is to navigate through a blue highway, dodge enemies, and collect pieces of Energon.
Next came Activision
It was the first Transformers game by Activision, which subsequently published more games for the franchise over two decades later.
A few side-notes about the game: for reasons unknown, Rodimus Prime and Hot Rod appear in the game as separate characters, despite the fact that they are the same character. This was also one of the few Transformers games to not include Optimus Prime.
The next big jump into video games came on the Famicom system (when I say “jump”, I mean jumping the shark).
Transformers: Mystery of Convoy or as it’s real title is called, Fight! Super Robot Life Form Transformers: Mystery of Convoy (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー コンボイの謎(ナゾ)
So what is the premise of the game? Well, if you remember, I talked about the fact that the movie wasn’t released in Japan till 1990. This story is the journey of Ultra Magnus as he goes on a solo mission through various Decepticon strongholds to find out exactly what happened to Optimus Prime. Hence, Mystery of Convoy!
A second game followed called, Transformers: The Headmasters
This takes place after the Mystery of Convoy as you jump from Earth, Cybertron, Master, and Jail.
Over the course of time, we got other Transformer games from Beast Wars: Transformers by Hasbro Interactive. Takara published Transformers: Tatakai,(not real title just fan named) a PlayStation 2 action-RPG. Atari released Transformers (aka Transformers: Armada–Prelude to Energon) and we also got War for Cybertron.
gameinformer has published their latest exclusive Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.
“Transformers: Resurrecting The Dinobots”. <–not sure if this is in the right place…
If you are a fan of the Transformers you will love the idea of having them in this new video game. Check out the images below courtesy of Game Informer.
Hit up the PCN forums and thanks for reading.
“Till all are one”
Transformers:Scramble City
With the release of the Transformers animated movie being held until 1990, The Japanese market needed a filler show to bridge the gap between season two and season three of the Transformers cartoon series.
This show would introduce characters that only debut in the animated film. Ultra Magnus and many of the films co-stars needed to be seen as soon as possible as well as add them into the mythos of the Universe of the Transformers.
The show starts off with a recap of the Transformers coming to Earth. It quickly covers the story of Devastator as well, and then gets right into the action.
The Autobots are shown in the middle of constructing the powerful “Scramble City,” Metroplex for the G1 purist. Its construction is being held by Ultra Magnus. The Decepticons send out Soundwave’s minions Laserbeak, ravage and ratbat to see what the autobots are doing and soon learn of the build. Megatron sends out his mighty Combiners or if you prefer Gestalts and soon all hell breaks loose!
A battle between them and their Autobot counterparts turns into an old ECW match. This animated one off wanted to focus on their “Scramble abilities “which is their interchangeability of their outer extremities.
(Get it? Cause you can scramble the limbs up!)
So much so that at one point, Breakdown of the Stunticons connects into Superion’s leg to damage him (it looks a bit weird but I assume Cybertron doesn’t have a good sexual assault law). As the show comes to a close, Scramble City himself is activated and Transforms its super cool robot mode Metroplex!
The Decepticons however, have an ace in the hole and from the deep dark part of the ocean comes Godzilla ….wait no sorry about that, it’s the Decepticons’ very own base, Trypticon.
Scramble City is one of those amazing animated shorts that we wished was in our collection but due to a whole bunch of copy right legal mumbo jumbo its only a part of the Japanese continuity.
Hit up the Pop Culture Network forums and thanks for reading
“Till all are one!”