Transformers: Animated gets its own video game, though "only" on the Nintendo DS handheld system. The game is different from most other Transformers video games, which tended to be combination platform/shooter games-- Animated is instead a primarily puzzle game, with a little platforming and racing here and there as well. There are two major modes of play, with 24 levels total. When you start out, levels will only take about 5 or so minutes to complete, but they'll be considerably longer by the end of the game. Still, all in all this game should only take about 5 hours to complete, and there are no collectables or achievements that you can go back and search for/accomplish, so it's not a game that has a lot of replay value.
    The main gameplay style, which comprises about 80% of the levels. involves you switching between control of Optimus Prime, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee, one at a time, to solve puzzles (and destroy the occasional enemy) to get through the level. Sadly, you never actually transform during these levels, so you're stuck in robot mode. There's also very little combat, with enemies being more of occasional minor hindrances than what the level focuses on. Your characters have plenty of health, and three "lives" (which are represented by keys on the upper screen), and if you run out of all three lives, you have to start the level over.
    As far as the puzzles go, each Transformer has unique abilities which you must use in combination with the environment in order to get all three Transformers to the finish. Optimus Prime can throw his axe in a guided manner to hit targets that may not be in a straight line (you use the touch screen for this), and he can also grapple onto objects and hoist himself up through platforms that the other 'bots can't go through. Bulkhead is heavy enough to push and pull objects, hold down buttons by himself, and punch through heavy doors either directly or via his wrecking ball (you use the touch screen). Bumblebee is the only one of the three Transformers who can jump (oddly enough), and he can also wall-jump up long shafts and use his electro-stingers to activate machinery. It may take a few levels to get the hang of who can do what, but after the game is pretty much cake. There's not really very innovative new problems to solve with each levels, just the same puzzles in different orders or used in slightly more challenging ways. There are four different environments that these stages take place in (Autobot homebase, Sumdac factories, Decepticon mining base, and Cybertron), though they differ only in appearance. For players who enjoy this sort of thing (which includes myself), this is no problem, but if you're a gamer who wants a real challenge, this may be an instant turn-off for you.

   There are another few levels that involve a driving/racing game. These levels go by pretty quickly, generally taking less than 2 minutes each to complete. Most of the racing levels have unique objectives, such as "hit an enemy/boss X amount of times" and "make it to the end before time runs out", so even though the core gameplay consists of just holding down the accelerate button and avoiding other cars, it can be a bit more complicated than that suggestion would allow. You can play as Optimus Prime, Prowl, or Bumblebee in these levels; the former two play the same and actually allow you to transform (in fact, you have to in order to use any weaponry, which is aimed using the touch screen), while Bumblebee stays in car mode and can use his rocket boosters to temporarily go faster.
    The story is fairly by-the-book, and roughly parallels Season 2 of the show, albeit in a dramatically stripped-down version and with far fewer characters. The story is told via text dialogue (though spoken by the show actors, thankfully) and screen caps from the Animated show (which, sadly, don't even always fit-- for example, often when you're on Cybertron, there'll be screencaps of the 'bot talking, but the background will obviously be Earth). In fact, that's one of my biggest beefs with this game-- there are only two Decepticons you face in any manner, Lockdown (who you face only in car mode, on the road), and Megatron (who you face twice). And neither of these are real "combat" battles, Lockdown's is more of a racing/target challenge and both of Megatron's levels involve repeated use of puzzles in order to knock down his health. No sign of Starscream or the like, and Lugnut, Blitzwing, and Shockwave only appear via the "cutscenes". For a show with so many characters, you'd think there's be considerably more variety when it came to boss battles.
    The graphics are fairly standard for the Nintendo DS, being neither particularly good no particularly bad, either. I wish some original art had been commissioned for the game, though, as all the character stills used for various parts of the game or for the cutscenes are taken from the show or publicity stills. The "unlockable extras" are also pretty lame-- they're just cutscenes from the show that show the various characters transforming with the Anime background-- and are just unlocked slowly as you progress through the game.

    Overall, when it comes to Transformers video games, you can do better than Animated, though you can also do worse. Animated is hardly a frustrating game or one with horrible gameplay mechanics, there's just... not a lot of meat on its bones. If you've played two or so levels, you've played them all, and the few boss battles are hardly exciting. Combine this with a retreaded storyline, hardly any parts where you can actually transform, and no real reason to play through the short game a second time, and I'd recommend this as a purchase only for Transfans who love simple, somewhat repetitive puzzle games without a lot of challenge. Otherwise, you may want to make this a rental or skip it altogether.

Graphics: 7/10
Music: 8/10
Gameplay: 14/20
Storyline: 9/10
Level Design: 9/10
Cutscenes: 4/10
Controls: 18/20
Replayability: 2/10

Overall Rating:71/100 Good

(Screencaps taken from Gamespot.com)

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