Ben 10: Protector of Earth

- Reviewed on Wii -

Ben 10: Protector of Earth released on October 30th, 2007. 

The Cartoon Network original series, Ben 10, was a trail blazing hit that offered many kids back in the day (as of writing this blog post) a fun, enjoyable, and action-packed series of toys, collectibles, music, tv, and of course, video games.

One particular Ben 10 game that I adore and still do after revisiting it, is Ben 10: Protector of Earth.

Developed by High Voltage Software and 1st Playable Productions, Ben 10: Protector of Earth is an action-adventure title that captures the magic of the original cartoon.

The game isn't too long or too hard either, which is wonderful for any level of player(s). 

Offering amazing combat (gameplay), original voice actors, and containing good longevity with its extras (and collectibles), Ben 10: Protector of Earth surprisingly holds up today!

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The story of Ben 10: Protector of Earth begins with an alien bug of sorts sucking the DNA out of Ben's Omnitrix during Ben's slumber.

He then finds out that he only has two of his 10 alien forms available, and now his summer vacation with Gwen and his Grandpa Max is turned into a cross-country trip to recover the lost DNA (alien forms).

Unfortunately, despite how the plot goes, you only end up being able to play as half of the alien forms. 

This being a memory issue with the consoles at the time, or simply a lack of motivation, or even all 10 alien forms not fitting well with the level design (more on that later), I'm not quite sure why all the aliens weren't present in the game. 

Disappointing, but the game was still a joy with the aliens that were available. 

You only start with two aliens in the beginning, but you'll eventually unlock the other three in the game by beating various bosses across the country.

All the playable alien forms in Ben 10: Protector of Earth, include...

    - Heatblast

    - Four Arms

    - XLR8

    - Cannonbolt

    - Wildvine

With a lot of cannon characters being present in Ben 10: Protector of Earth, when it came to bosses, Ben 10: Protector of Earth also has some memorable / cannon villains from the show. 

The villains (bosses) in Ben 10: Protector of Earth include...

    - Enoch

    - Kevin 11

    - Hex

    - Clancy

    - Sixsix

    - Giant Vilgax Destroyer

    - Snap Dragon

    - Zs'Skayr

    - Dr. Animo

    - Enoch Battle Bot

    - Vilgax

When you are playing levels, the first time you see a brand-new enemy, a freeze frame happens, showing that enemy with a Grandpa Max voice over, discussing that new enemy with a short lore explanation.

There is also a stats chart on the right that shows the toughness and overall traits for that new enemy.

My absolute favorite aspect of Ben 10: Protector of Earth (as of writing this blog post), is the combat.

This is understandably a massive plus for the developers, as having the gameplay be the most enjoyable part is quintessential to success!

Turning into any of the alien forms unlocks a plethora of combat combos. 

Your Hud will display the Omnitrix and your current alien form, along with your Red Health Bar and Yellow Power Meter.

You'll collect these yellow orbs that charge your power meter, and once you fill it up, you'll get the opportunity to unlock a brand-new combo for any unlocked alien.

These combos (especially for Four Arms) are incredibly fun and do massive damage when used properly.

Throwing enemies off cliffs, smashing them through rocks, or even dashing around them, is quite the spectacle when you get the handle of it.

Speaking of which, you can perform attacks and combos with either motion controls and / or pushing buttons. 

I highly recommend using just A and B as the motion controls for attacking were just ridiculous and uninspiring. 

The quick time events where you have to shake your Wii Remote and Nunchuk and also pointing the cursor in appropriate spots to finish off bosses were fine too, but then again, I could've done without. 

Amongst the gameplay and levels, you'll also come across red orbs, green orbs, and special orbs that all do various things.

The red orbs restore health, the green ones restore energy, and the flashing red and blue orbs give you either elongated alien energy or strength.

Ben 10: Protector of Earth only has one collectible type during levels and those are Sumo Slammer Cards. Three for each level (except boss and challenge levels).

These cards will be mostly hidden in plain sight but do require different alien forms' abilities. 

Some cards you'll have to come back to when you unlock more alien forms later on.

These cards aren't the only way to unlock the extras in Ben 10: Protector of Earth. 

You also get a letter grade based on time completion at the end of each level, and acquiring A's will grant you another unlocked extra.

Completing challenge levels once will unlock the secret challenge where you also unlock more extras. 

All these extras are, are videos of Ben turning into the alien forms (like on the TV show), concept art, in game character viewers, etc.

You can also enter cheat codes to gain special features like invincibility, different character / alien skins, and more.

The puzzles in Ben 10: Protector of Earth aren't difficult at all either so revisiting this game years later won't bother many players today. Simple, yet effective.

Truly, Ben 10: Protector of Earth is an extremely simple, base formula game.

This title offers enjoyable gameplay, a fun story, true to the tv show, cheat codes, multiplayer, collectibles, and even longevity with its backtracking. 

Everything crucial to a successful game was in Ben 10: Protector of Earth. 

It's unfortunately not a perfect game as the motion controls, lackluster alien roster, and unmemorable music, do hinder this, otherwise, very fun game!

Pros: 

    - Longevity

    - Plethora of Extras

    - Collectibles

    - Original Voice Actors / Characters

    - Incredible Gameplay (Combat)

    - Simple Puzzles but still Rewarding

    - Fun, Cartoony Graphics

Cons:

    - Missing Half the Alien Roster

    - Unmemorable Music

    - Poor Motion Controls

My Rating for Ben 10: Protector of Earth (on Wii):

4 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.