Armada has no connection to the series most of us grew up with and instead begins a new continuity in the Transformers universe. Once again, it tells the story of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons who are now after a race of small robot refugees from Cybertron called Mini-cons. After a group of young kids awaken a Mini-con, both Optimus Prime and Megatron send forces to Earth to gain control of the power-enhancing robots.
The second part of the first season is widely considered the better half. Not only does it flesh out characters more, but it also introduces several familiar faces like Wheeljack, Sideswipe and Unicron.
The first 13 episode story arc (which is the third arc in the season) involves the discovery and construction of the Requiem Blaster, a third Mini-con weapon. Both the Autobots and Decepticons also gain new allies in Wheeljack, a former Autobot who joins the Decepticons after being betrayed by Hot Shot, and Sideswipe, a rookie Autobot.
The second story arc finds both factions returning to Cybertron. While en route, a small number of Autobots and Decepticons are transported to a world where they are attacked by an evil clone of Optimus named Nemesis Prime. Both groups are outmatched until they are able to unlock the true power of the Mini-cons, permanently enhancing their power. When the groups finally return to Cybertron, they learn of a new threat, the planet devouring Unicron, forcing the two sides to join together.
Even if you aren’t an Armada fan, and I’m not much of one, Transformers Armada: Season One - Part Two is still enjoyable for any Transformers fan. Most of the “Poke’mon” elements are left behind and replaced with more cohesive story arcs. Several characters, including Hot Shot, Thrust and Starscream, are better developed, as are the storylines, which are slightly more complicated that your typical children’s cartoon.
