Transformers Decepticons is a video game based on fictional alien robots, Transformers. This version follows an alternate plot of the 2007 live action film Transformers. Most prominently, while the Autobots version has missions in the Arctic, the Decepticons version contain desert missions taking place in a Qatar military base.
The game consists of four large virtual locations, semi-destructible environments and enemies in the form of local law enforcement and opposing Transformers. Only cars and other robots may be destroyed. “Hazard levels” denote the extent of attack the player character comes under based on how much destruction they perpetrate. Glowing spots on the map denote mission markers, which come in two varieties – twenty-three story missions, which further the game storyline, and thirty-four challenge missions, for players to test their skills. The game also features a slight RPG element in the form of XP, gained by destroying enemies and completing missions, which steadily increases players’ levels (up to 20), unlocking new abilities and increasing stats. While a select number of missions allow players to take control of five of the Autobots or Decepticons featured in the movie, for the majority of the game, the player will control the “Create-A-Bot,” a customizable generic Transformer whose alternate mode the player can determine by scanning any one of over thirty-seven vehicles found throughout the game locations.
The games utilizes the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the “AllSpark Wars” online campaign, which pits players of the two different versions of the game against each other. Players are able to download one new special single player challenge each day and earn points upon its completion. Their score is then uploaded to a server at the end of the challenge and the side with the most points at the end of the day (Autobots or Decepticons) wins the “battle”. The first side to win seven battles wins the overall “war” and a new war begins. However, if the Autobots and Decepticons win at least one piece each, a “tiebreaker match” will be played until the whole Allspark is under control of either side. Players earn Wi-Fi tokens for their involvement, which will unlock additional vehicles and cheats for use while playing the main game. Despite the aforementioned Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support, multiplayer death-matches are limited to localized wireless play. Also G1 Starscream, a somewhat improved Starscream, is a secret form for the custom character in the Decepticons version, while countered by Skydive in the Autobots version. Both can be obtained by earning 2500 tokens through Wi-Fi play, and can be downloaded at target.
Levels…
Casino Strip
Create-A-Bot arrives on Earth and Starscream tells the former to assist Barricade in investigating a faint Decepticon signal that originated from the planet. The first half of this level serves as a tutorial for the player. At the end of the tutorial, Create-A-Bot scans a pickup truck and uses his navigation skills to drive to a parking lot to meet Barricade, who has been guiding him through the entire tutorial, only to reveal that he is not there, he is attacked by few Autobot drones sent by Bumblebee including a Copter drone but Create-A-Bot single handedly annihilates them all (The Rookie). Barricade radios in, tasking Create-A-Bot with destroying public property to lure all Autobots out of hiding. 4 Autobot drones show up, but are all killed. The Autobot Create-a-Bot from Transformers Autobotsshows up but is killed as well. Create-A-Bot now goes to Tranquility to meet up with Barricade and proceed with the investigation (Hazing).
Tranquility (1st visit)
Create-A-Bot meets Barricade in Tranquility and has to destroy 3 cars. But once he destroys one, police cars appear and Create-A-Bot has to destroy 3 of them. He then learns that the Decepticon signal came from Starscream’s predecessor, and former leader Megatron. He then gets struck by Barricade for calling him a joke and that he abandoned the Decepticons, and is forced to think about it (Beware of the Locals). Later, Barricade reveals that he tracked an Autobot to Tranquility but he’s in hiding. After scanning and destroying some cars, the Autobot gets flushed out and killed by Create-A-Bot. The duo learn that the Autobot Bumblebee has found a lead on Megatron’s whereabouts being somewhere in the Arctic. Barricade leaves to tail Bumblebee, and Create-A-Bot reports to Starscream of his findings (Robots in Disguise). Unfortunately, Barricade has trouble finding Bumblebee due to interference from the police. Create-A-Bot volunteers to distract the police from them, which he succeeds in doing by annihilating a huge police force on threat level 4 (The Diversion). Barricade eventually finds and pursues Bumblebee through Tranquility, but learns that the Autobot is distracting him from the humans. After knocking Bumblebee unconscious, Barricade learns that the Autobots have retrieved a file called Project: Ice Man that has information about Megatron and that he has been removed from the Arcti and moved to an unknown location. He has Blackout take Create-A-Bot to the Qatar desert to rendezvous with Brawl to hack into the human military server extracting info from the Artic(Stings Like a Bee).
Quatar Desert
Create-a-Bot scans a new form: a helicopter, and destroys 5 jets, 5 tanks, and 5 helicopters so that Blackout can cut off the human’s communications (Decoy). After doing so, Blackout has a limited amount of time to scan the info about Project Ice Man, which he succeeds in doing (Blackout at Qatar). Brawl is then sent to destroy the surviving convoys before they reach a village for backup (Leftovers). Create-A-Bot, Brawl and Blackout then prepare to destroy the SOCCENT military base until Ratchet shows up with reinforcements ready to defend the base. Create-A-Bot battles Ratchet and defeats him, and just as Create-A-Bot has defeated Ratchet, the Autobot flees. Some dialog goes on with Starscream and Create-A-Bot about Megatron, with Starscream revealing the truth of Megatron’s disappearance as part of the Allspark the item that created life for the Transformers, and his intentions to retrieve it and overthrow Megatron as leader, while Blackout and Brawl take out the last of the Autobots. After this, they head back to Tranquility so Barricade can decipher the file (Ratchet Retaliation).
Tranquility (2nd Visit)
Create-A-Bot is tasked with destroying all of the Sector 7 defense systems deployed all over Tranquility to buy Barricade time to decipher Project: Ice Man, which he barely succeeds in doing (Torching the Welcome Wagon). Brawl, meanwhile, has to protect 8 generators, and has 4 turrets to help him protect the generators from Sector 7, so S7 can’t destroy them (Code Breaker). Then the Autobots land on Earth, and Create-A-Bot is sent to destroy 3 Autobot drones at different locations. Then he decides to take down Bumblebee, seemingly helping Sector 7, to distract Optimus Prime. Bumblebee is then captured by Sector 7, Megatron’s whereabouts are soon discovered to be in the Sector 7 hideout in Hoover Dam, a heated argument begins with Create-A-Bot who defends Starscream as leader, after Barricade chastises him as a weasel and how brutal Megatron really is unlike his former student (Reinforcements).
Hoover Dam
Brawl takes out 3 communication dishes and plants 4 bombs along the dam. Just when Brawl is about to plant the fourth bomb, an Autobot drone steals the last bomb. Brawl kills the Autobot and is then attacked by S7 military tanks, he brings one of them later to Barricade for interrogation (Communication Breakdown). Create-A-Bot reveals to Barricade that the AllSpark is on Earth and that Starscream wants Create-A-Bot to kill Megatron before Barricade can revive him, so that he can retrieve the AllSpark without having to challenge Megatron. The Decepticons vow to revive Megatron and destroy Starscream for his treachary. Barricade proceeds to destroy a nearby bunker to locate information on how to get into the dam. Two Autobot drones show up, and both are killed. Barricade learns that S7 has teamed up with the Autobots and locates a way into the base (Cover Your Six). Blackout then flies Barricade to a radio tower and shoots the top off and drops Barricade inside, where he finds out that Megatron has been kept frozen by Sector 7 and starts the thawing sequence (Tag Team). Sector 7 and the Autobots start swarming Megatron, Barricade orders Create-A-Bot to protect him, ironically Create-A-Bot finally gives in to his loyalty to Starscream wanting megaton to perish and eventually fulfills his destiny as a true Decepticon. Megatron eventually frees himself and learns of Starscream’s treachary (Megatron’s Return). Blackout, meanwhile, is sent to retrieve Megatron’s weapon chip, which is being shipped out via a military convoy. Blackout manages to retrieve the chip and returns it to Megatron, who makes a speech about “dining on the sparks of all Autobots”, “reducing Starscream to a pile of scrap metal”, and recovering the AllSpark. Brawl then tells everyone that Bumblebee has taken the AllSpark and he’s heading for Tranquility (Get the Chip). The Decepticons head for Tranquility to revover the AllSpark, but then Megatron is shot out of the air by a missile turret. Jazz arrives and reveals that he destroyed the bombs that Brawl planted along the dam. Megatron destroys the turrets, along with a group of Autobots, and pursues Jazz all the way to a radio tower, where Megatron battles Jazz, killing him with a headshot (Ambush).
Tranquility (3rd visit)
Megatron arrives in Tranquility and orders the Decepticons to destroy the city in order to find the AllSpark. Brawl prepares to do so, but then Ironhide shows up. After a long brutal fight, through the streets Brawl manages to kill him (Street Brawl). Meanwhile, Starscream pursues Bumblebee for the Allspark. Starscream trails Bumblebee to a mall parking lot and kills him, taking the AllSpark. Blackout shows up to turn Starscream in for treason, but is shot in the chest and killed. Barricade shows up as well and tries to avenge his fallen comrade, but Starscream fatally wounds him in a duel before escaping. Create-A-Bot arrives and Barricade tells him, “Now, you see what it is to be a Decepticon” before he dies (Starscream’s Betrayal). Angered at the loss of his friend and that his former leader is a coward, Create-a-Bot pursues Starscream through the city but is delayed by 50 spark drones and 5 Autobot drones. Meanwhile, Optimus Prime shows up to fight Megatron, but is killed. Starscream shows up and wounds Megatron, challenging him to a fight with the winner leading the Decepticons before fleeing. Megatron and Create-A-Bot then pursue Starscream to the Casino Strip (Sibling Rivalry).
The Final Showdown
Create-a-Bot tries to knock the Allspark out of Starscream’s hands by hitting him in the back several times, in which he is successful. Create-a-Bot slams the AllSpark into Starscream’s chest, brutally wounding himself, but barely wounding Starscream. Megatron shows up and Starscream takes flight. Megatron pursues Starscream, eventually shoots him down from the sky and proceeds to punish his Second-in Command for charges of failure, Starscream snarls that someone will always be there to challenge his leadership, claiming he will not be last, to which Megatron without giving a second thought declares they shall suffer the same fate Starscream is about to suffer, Megatron proceeds to kill him. Then Megatron returns to Create-A-Bot and kills him for “being weak” declaring to him that the weak only serve to benefit the strong. The game ends with Megatron flying away (presumably back to Cybertron).
More Stories
Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior (1987)
Nosferatu the Vampyre (1986)
Chambers of Shaolin (1989)