Transformers: The Game Cybertron Edition

The summer of 2007 gave us a Transformers movie and a tie-in game, and Gamestop made sure their version came with extras. The Transformers: The Game Cybertron Edition on Xbox 360 was a Gamestop-exclusive package that bundled the standard disc-based game with a cardboard slip cover, a Transformers comic book, and a bonus DVD.

The comic covers events leading up to the movie and game timeline, making it a neat piece of crossover media that bridges the gap between formats. The bonus DVD includes talent interviews from the film alongside a behind-the-scenes look at the game's development, packaged in a paper sleeve alongside the main disc in a standard keep case. There's also a code to unlock two bonus Cybertron levels in-game, though like many codes from this era, they're generic and work on any copy.

For Transformers collectors, the comic book is the real draw here. Physical tie-in comics bundled with games were a brief trend in the mid-2000s, and they rarely survived the "toss the extras, keep the disc" mentality of the time. Finding a complete Cybertron Edition with the comic, DVD, and slip cover all present and accounted for is the kind of hunt that makes scouring used game bins worthwhile. It's a snapshot of a time when retail exclusives actually tried to give you something tangible, even if the in-game unlocks were meaningless.