Ben1O is an animated action/adventure series produced for Cartoon Network. It follows the adventures of a young boy, Ben, who has received a mysterious alien artifact which can transform him into several powerful aliens. With the help of his grandfather and his cousin Gwen, he travels across the country thwarting evil from beyond as well as from earth. This is one of those rare cartoon series that, due to its very plot design, has endless possibilities for story arcs, and once in the hands of the creative fan community, boundless potential for fan games. With its unique, Anime-inspired model design and silver age comic book background art, it oozes creativity, if captured properly in a gaming environment.
So, what kinds of Ben1O games have the fan communities produced? Well, the appropriate question is more likely "what haven't they"? In the case of game design based off of animated source material, Flash game design can serve to compliment it, rather than hinder it, when a skillful team of designers and programmers are at the helm. In the case of a great many Ben 10 games, this shows quite well. For the fans of classic arcade tropes (such as Puzzle Bobble, Tetris, Space Invaders etc.), there are many Ben 10 themed clones of traditional arcade classics. A search for a traditional arcade game trope, along with including Ben1O will likely result in that exact combination being the first result displayed. However, to truly get a good gaming experience, along with one's fill of the Ben 10 style and action simultaneously, original concepts made by the cleverer fan teams are a better bet.
Three Amazing Ben1O Games
For the fan of an arcade-styled game with an original direction, Ben1O Critical Impact is a rather entertaining test of reflexes and endurance, which captures the visual style and attitude of the show swimmingly. It's basically a rail shooter, with an overhead perspective. Ben runs northward at all times, while the player can move him from side to side. Z and X allow him to transform into two of his trademark aliens. The player uses one to blast a rain of meteors before they hit the ground (impacts reduce health), the other allows him to phase through fallen trees in the path (impacts with these also reduce health). It is a score-oriented game, bringing in some of the classic arcade feel without being redundant.
For the racing game fan, there's Ben1O Moto Champ, which plays similar to the classic Excite Bike game. Ben races over rough terrain on various dirt bikes the player may choose, collecting items and trying not to crash. The physics are fluid, and it's very well-illustrated. However, this one has a learning curve, so mind your buttons!
For those wanting some multiple alien goodness, there is the combination puzzle/action game Ben 10 Krakken Attack. It features a circular motion series of levels, one per Ben1O alien, in which ben must outrun enemy fire and obstacles while blasting a sea beast back into the depths whence it came. This has a somewhat arcade feel to it as well, though featuring some real level progression elements.
A few teams are also working on Flash-driven round-based fighting games featuring various Ben1O aliens, enemies and other characters in a King of Fighters or Street Fighter format. These are not quite ready yet, but should be looked into within a year's time.
