McBeast Modes

The McDonald's Beast Wars Happy Meal toys are some of my favorite Transformers. I'm sure I've mentioned it here before... who am I kidding? I've said it a million times here before. The first series was just the right thing at the right time. If time travel ever becomes a reality, a trip to McDonald's during that time would be on my to do list.

If you're in the world of Transformers, then you've likely seen the scans from the Happy Meal presentation binder. They've been all over lately and you can guess I'm a big fan of them. For somebody who has a shoe box full of the toys, seeing this part of the process is awesome.

I've always been curious about the original 'G3' setting for the toys. Images have been around of some of the beast toys with classic character names, but this binder really shows that intent at the time. It also shows some of the other ideas for Happy Meal toys being considered. As much as I love what was released, I do kind of wonder how the other proposed toys would have turned out. I think the biggest revelation from the binder is that Cheetor was to have been Prowl. Considering his name, it would have been perfect. Not to mention, his head design make a LOT more sense now. 

One of my favorites of the original set, Panther, is a simplified version of that Prowl/Cheetor design as that's who it was meant to be originally. In the Beast Wars cartoon, Ravage in a new body makes an appearance. In the Japanese version, the character is Ravage's son instead. When I first learned that the Panther toy design was used for the original Ravage in the Beast Wars manga, I was blown away. I kind of wonder how that story would have went now knowing that toy was meant to be Prowl? Obviously the whole thing would have been very different. It's just, what could have been?

The Jet Sled Crowd

When it comes to Masters of the Universe, the Sky Sled is all anyone can seem to talk about. Sky Sled this, Sky Sled that. Never mind the Battle Ram is the rest of the vehicular package. It's not that I dislike the Sky Sled, I like it a lot. Just got the new Origins version and am waiting to get my Mega Construx Battle Ram set. I do have a more favored sled in the MOTU world, and that's the Jet Sled.

The Jet Sled is one of the various accessory packs Mattel released in 1986. These packs were sold at a much lower price than a vehicle and offered extra play value to go along with your MOTU figures. The Jet Sled for example was a basic sled that a figure could fly around on or wear as a jet pack with the included armor. 

It's a pretty simple idea and the sled paired pretty well with the standard He-Man figure, so much that a two pack with classic He-Man and the Jet Sled was also released. The accessory sets were pretty cool in all for not a lot of money.

The Jet Sled itself hasn't seen much love since. Aside from a Sky Sled released as the Jet Sled in the classics line, the toy hasn't had any new versions until now. The Mega Construx MOTU line has these awesome Skeletor heads showing up at stores any time. 

These heads have a small set inside with a figure. The Jet Sled and Cliff Climber are updates of classic MOTU toys while the Laser Cannon is apparently the Castle Grayskull cannon. Weirdly enough, these accessory sets make me think of Micronauts a little. While the prototype of Castle Grayskull used Micronauts parts for the laser cannon.

Grounds For Battle

Transformers Battlegrounds for Switch was one of many Christmas gifts from my wife. I've been wanting to play it quite a bit and it was great to finally do so. The game is set in the Cyberverse cartoon/toy line which you all know I've enjoyed quite a lot. Surprisingly the game is a light RTS (real time strategy) style game instead of the shooter or platformer you'd expect. 

I generally don't care for RTS games much (because they're boring), but when it's light I don't mind. When I say light, I mean as in I'm not managing a million things. Basic movement and attacking, similar to a board game. The game is pretty story oriented with each level having you help guide a team of Autobots fight Decepticons in various adventures.

I say 'you' as you are playing yourself. The games viewpoint is yours as you just happen to be nearby when things go down and Teletran X scoops you up to safety while having a birds eye view of everything. While you're up there you might as well help tell the Autobots what to do right? The team even refers to you occasionally as 'human', guess they didn't catch your name. I just said you a billion times.

As with most RTS games (light or boring) the action is turn based. Fortunately the turns don't take forever and it goes pretty quick, because that's another thing I generally don't like about RTS games. Nothing says fun like waiting forever for the chance to play my game.

There is a lot of story and you'll find yourself watching a lot of cinemas. They're pretty much the in game characters zoomed in talking about what's currently going on or about to happen. It really captures the vibe of the show pretty well and feels like another season. I could also say if feels like playing out a big adventure with my toys. I like it.

House Of The New Week

Christmas is over and we're entering the last week of the year 2020. This year felt like a horror movie, so here's hoping next year... won't. I've got a fun week of posts in store to last you the rest of the year! Thank you for continuing to read Zone Base and please share with friends!

Merry Christmas From Zone Base!

Deck the halls and trim the tree, Christmas Day is here! Merry Christmas from us here on Planet Zone! Thanks to each and every one of you for reading. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday and I'll be back next week!

If There's Somethin' Strange Under Your Christmas Tree

I'm pretty sure Ebenezer would have employed the Ghostbusters if possible.

After Christmas, Hills hired them to get rid of that weird little elf guy.

Watch This Magnus

I'm pretty sure you're well aware but, it's Christmas. While out shopping I've been taking notice of all the licensed character watches. They're something fun to stick in a stocking. A cool small gift. As usual, there's plenty of various Transformers ones next to the Baby Yoda ones. 

It's funny how these days you just take them for granted. Some are little toys, or just have a symbol, but you know they'll be there. Back in the day this particular set was a pretty hot commodity. Released in Japan around Scramble City/2010 time and later in G2 here in the US. 

There was plenty of Transformers fans trying to complete a set back then. They're pretty cool, it's easy to see why someone would want to collect them all. I wonder if in a few years will fans who are kids now would be trying to do the same with those watches we take for granted. I kinda hope so.

Megatron Dislikes Figgy Pudding

I've never had figgy pudding.

Is Megatron is being mean here or just watching out for his fellow Decepticons?

GI JOE Will Send Death On A Ski

Few vehicles can match the GI JOE Snow Cat in pure badassery. Essentially a half track truck, the Snow Cat is mostly used in snowy conditions as it's name would imply.

Make no mistake about it, the Snow Cat is being deployed to kill somebody in winter weather. It's a military vehicle so that's pretty much the assumption. With a missile launcher in the back and plenty of places a JOE could stand and shoot at some Cobra soldiers. The Snow Cat is perfect for some cold weather killing.

In order to kill you in the snow are ski based missiles. As in, in case the missile launcher wasn't enough, it has missiles on skis. Just rocket propelled missiles on skis flying across the snow. Right across some fresh powder and up some Cobra ass.

Alex Karras, Transformers, And Christmas

Alex Karras is known for many things. Played football, was a sportscaster, wrestled, and starred in Webster as George. Oh yeah, he also did a Transformers Christmas commercial where he nagged your parents to buy them ASAP.

Honestly as nice as Alex seemed in life, he strikes me as that uncle who at the family Christmas dinner eats the entire cheese ball before clogging the toilet. He later say's something about laying the yule log. I know a lot about that uncle.

It me.

Ghostbusters Get The Power Pack

Every once and awhile there's new equipment for the Ghostbusters that seems like a step backwards. From the start of business they used lasers to hold ghosts and a trap to catch the ghost. Pretty strong start, but a step forward in equipment would be an improvement overall. Various new equipment to ensure bustin continues to make them feel good. 

Then on occasion they got new equipment that makes me wonder if Egon had some sort of quota to meet. For example, the Ecto-Bomber plane. They mainly serviced New York City. Which is kinda hard to believe they got anywhere on time in the Ecto-1 already. Where did they land that plane anyway and who had the pilots license?  

That brings us to the Power Pack Heroes around when Louis and Janine joined the ranks adding some variety to the line up. Kenner was clearly taking whatever idea they had and making it a toy. That's one of the drawbacks of a successful toy line: constantly coming up with new product. 

The Power Pack Heroes are the Ghostbusters with new ghost busting equipment that by all means is pretty hit or miss. Ray has a capture claw type device, ok sure. Just it's inside a giant box he has to ride around on to use. Remember that big staircase they had to climb to fight Gozer?

For the most part the Power Packs seem pretty useful though. Janine has a little go-cart, and Louis has a big trap. Then there's Egon's new equipment and remember, he made all this for the team to begin with. His Power Pack is some sort of flight pack, which on the surface makes sense. He can take flight after a ghost flies away. However if you'll notice it's capture action in the commercial, the propeller turns toward the ghost and grabs it. So... does he just fall from the sky then?

Have Yourself A TRS-80 Christmas

It's 40 years later and I'm still blown away by that price. Know what's not 40 years ago? A new week on Zone Base! That was horrible! It's the last week of the Christmas season and the seasonal shenanigans will continue for a few more days. I don't want to go into details, but I just super misspelled the fuck out of continue. It was like five sentences. Good thing for spellcheck!

We've got a fun week of posts here on Planet Zone full of Christmas cheer! Thanks each and every one of you for continuing to read Zone Base and please share with your friends. Or your enemies. I don't know why you'd be talking to them.

Bios- Road Pig

Light my fuse and I'll race like a rocket!

A street thug with a reputation for instigating trouble. Once challenged an order from Megatron, but backed down after nearly having his internal wiring pulled out through his visual receptors. Has no known friends among the Decepticons. Processing circuitry slow - intelligence minimal. Considered to be a rebel without a clue by Autobot enemies. Prowls streets at night searching for victims to intimidate, harass, and eventually destroy with metal-slashing light saber. Easily detected by internally illuminated engine which super heats when he's angry.

I Am So Uncomfortable Right Now

Ever have a dream that you wake up from and have to make sure didn't really happen?

Yardwork With Roton

I've mentioned one of the things I enjoy about Masters of the Universe as an adult is the absurdity of it all. As a child, it was awesome and as an adult it still is... in a different way. I've pointed this out before, but follow along here.

He-Man is a magical muscle man with a team of pun based super heroes fighting various living Halloween decorations. This takes place on a planet that's a mix of sci fi and fantasy with packaging that looks like heavy metal albums. It's completely ridiculous. If you had no prior knowledge of the line and I sat and explained it to you, you'd think I was high.

With that in mind, let's talk about Roton for a minute. Roton is one of Skeletor's more popular vehicles and is exactly what I was talking about. Imagine is you will, a demonic lawn mower that Skeletor drives around. Roton has a giant saw blade surrounding it that spins as it moves. It has two laser guns and can also fly. At this point why not?

You've probably noticed in the art I've included here, and that's Skeletor apparently started a lawn care service. Even the artists at Mattel were confused by this thing. Here's Skeletor and his satanic John Deer. Mowing the yard. 

The other take away you can probably easily see is Skeletor is a sitting duck in this thing. He's just out in the open. Sure, he can shoot you or mess you up if he gets close. If somebody has a gun a few feet away however... You know, Zoar could have just snatched him out of it in the commercial up top.

Early conceptual art of Roton DID have a canopy and it's popped up in a few versions of Roton. As ridiculous as it is... it's hard not to love. I mean, it's a demonic lawn mower with guns. It can fly sometimes.

Bios- Double Clutch

Catch me if you can!

Whether on an abandoned dirt track in the desert, or tearing up the tar at Indy, this Autobot defines the word speed. He's also incredibly versatile. Rear spoiler acts as laser deflection shield - converts to energy absorption panel when fuel is depleted. Nose is not only aerodynamic, but radiates electron disrupters to disengage Decepticon tracking sensors.

Sega For Christmas

Nothing better than getting a new game console for Christmas and spending the rest of the day trying it out. Honestly if I was the kid in this commercial, I'd wonder how the entire neighborhood knew. Was he live streaming or something? 

If I were him... I'd probably lose patience pretty quick. First off, it's Christmas. Go home. Eat some ham. Second... I'M TRYING TO PLAY STREETS OF RAGE, STOP KNOCKING ON MY DOOR.

Replay: Not Alone

Replay

Bios- Sideswipe

I don't break rules, I bend them - a lot.

Loves a good fight, and will do anything to win. Dirty tricks still part of his anything-to-win arsenal, but he's no longer the selfish playboy he was on Cybertron. On Earth, he's become a brilliant warrior. Fights with a new-found intensity for the Autobot's goal of universal peace. Not afraid of being injured. Enjoys the challenge of a risky mission, or hazardous firefight.

We're The Mario Brothers, And Pepsi's Our Game

An evening in front of my Nintendo with a ice cold Pepsi sounds ideal any time. However you mix that up with winning an Action Set, a Gameboy, games, AND Pepsi? Dang son, a winner is you indeed.

Seeing that early animated Mario run about as Santa really steps this commercial up a notch. We're so used to seeing the slick and polished Mario of today that the unrefined looks of early Mario is refreshing. Almost as much as an ice cold Pepsi.

It's The Final Count... Faction

The Dollar Tree is one of my favorite stores to pop into. Between low priced household goods (the excuse for a visit) and random surprises (the reason for a visit) you can find a lot of neat things for not a lot of money.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Dollar Tree dropped their new exclusive sci fi toy line called 'Final Faction' sometime in November. It's pretty great and at a dollar each, it's easy to complete them all.

Alpha Team 1 (the good guys) vs the Kharn (the bad guys with the fate of the Earth left in the balance. The figures are 1:18 scale with five points of articulation (generally) which is a sweet spot for me. 

The highlight of the line so far is the additional accessories sold separately in themed packs. Extra guns, weapon pods, and even flight packs can be attached to the figures for a level of customization I didn't expect.

 

There's more figures on the way and even a vehicle! The sculpting and paint isn't too bad either. I do anticipate some sweet custom work done on these. There's even an animated series on the Dollar Tree's YouTube channel. I've only gave it a quick glance, so I don't have much of an opinion yet. It does appear to be pretty kid friendly, which is what I'd expect. 

It's hard not to like such a fun line with so much variety. Even harder not to like it at the super low price. I really like the colorful packaging and presentation of everything. The figures look familiar while being something new. 2020 has been a crazy year. Who'd ever think a Dollar Tree exclusive toy line would end it with such a mic drop?

Bios- Megatron

Peace through tyranny!

A criminal combination of brute strength, military cunning, ruthlessness and terror. Copied Optimus Prime's ingenious example of radically re-configuring his external structure to current design parameters. Now travels virtually unnoticed in race car mode while undertaking clandestine espionage purposes, but never passes up an opportunity for battle. Megatron has no known weaknesses.

Merry Christmas, From The Predator

Dang.

Warriors In The Stars

It's Christmas time, I'm sure you've noticed. Another thing you may have noticed is all The Mandalorian merchandise available while you've been Christmas shopping. Star Wars has been synonymous with Christmas my entire life, which is probably why I was so welcome to the Disney movies (aside from Solo) being a Christmas season thing. It just seemed natural for new Stormtroopers to raid Walmart just in time for seasonal shopping.

The Mandalorian now has two seasons under it's belt, both of which dropped just in time for all those cool toys to be on wish lists. After all these years of my wife tolerating my love for Star Wars, now she's enjoying it quite a bit herself. So I can't help but to indulge her with every Baby Yoda thing we can get. 

I think one thing about the show I definitely love is the redemption of Boba Fett. Trying to avoid spoilers as much as possible here, but he's on the show. He's on the show and he's a badass. I won't go into too many story details or anything, because a few of you may not know more than seeing folks talk about him on social media. But he's alive and he's the Boba Fett we all wanted him to be in the original movies.

Like others my age, Boba Fett was always the biggest bad ass in the galaxy. This was 100% due to him looking cool and having the best action figure. In the movies he was awesome, but didn't live up to the fanfare dorks like me produced. The prequels built on that a bit with the introduction of his father, Jango. 

The various cartoons did as well with other Mandalorians. Then The Mandalorian comes along with a hero in that familiar armor and he's the bad ass my old Kenner action figure was. Though the actual Boba didn't get to shine as much as we wanted. Until now, anyway. Now he's the character we all said he was thankfully. 

There's always a contingent of self righteous nerds who'll crap on Boba and anything else that has the nerve to be popular. They'll still have a problem with him... and The Mandalorian. Magically, go figure. But for us who love the guy, we're happy to see him get his moment. Also the show, it's a good show that does the legacy proud.

Don't Let E.T. Ruin Your Week

I still remember that Christmas morning. My older brother and I's stockings were full of Atari games. The packaging made them a perfect fit for the big red socks and one of those big ass Tootsie Roll piggy banks full of candy that never got ate. Of all the games we got that Christmas, I think Circus was my favorite. I loved that game. We also got E.T, like every other kid in our school. I was pretty excited, E.T was all the rage. Speaking of rage have you ever played the game? 

Fortunately I was too young to get mad at it. I just enjoyed the opening music and walking around the forest as E.T... fell in another pit.. I'd beat the game over and over. Hopefully this week won't fill you as full of rage as this game has a lot of people. I've got a week full of fun posts to hopefully help you enjoy your week. Which I really hope isn't anything like this game.

I hope you aren't endlessly chased by government agents through woods (or in general) and really hope you don't fall into a pit... or hundreds of pits. I'd also advise you don't eat any random Reese's (or any other candy) you find laying on the ground in said forest. If so, I'd strongly recommend you really pursue that whole 'new year, new me' thing in January.

KFC For Christmas With The Chipmunks

Christmas, that magical time of the year where the entire planet wants to curb stomp Alvin over a hula hoop. Regardless of violence towards magical singing rodents, the holidays are also a wonderful time to gather with your loved ones (normally) with a good meal.

KFC has always been a popular option for such a meal and hey... remember that anger towards Alvin this time of year brings out of you? Well, looks like KFC had an option for that too. For less than a dollar you can pulverize Alvin to your hearts content.

It's a Christmas miracle!

Bumblebee Strikes A Blizzard

The Dollar General Kreon Iceberg continues as we take a look today at Blizzard Strike Bumblebee. As the name implies, he's the Blizzard/White version of the Armor Up Bumblebee I spoke about earlier this week. I've yet to find the Night Strike variation... and hopefully I will soon. It's stealthy. 

Blizzard Strike Bumblebee however is fantastic looking. Like the other color variations of these guys he's a straight recolor of the regular toy. His armor is white to match his arctic theme, while the rest of it as well as the standard kreon is this WONDERFUL translucent/clear yellow that just POPS. There's sharp, and then there's this.

I've always been a fan of translucent colors on Transformers and this is a prime example of why. It just looks marvelous. Of course the Microman resemblance is strong here. The standard Kreon looks a lot like a Microman M10X type or with the armor a little like a Rescue M25X type. It's funny how just a few colors can make a recolor look like a different Microman, but it does. When Hasbro first got the Micronauts license, I said they should use them in Kre-O.

I was so right.

Masters Of The Universal Studios And Christmas Trauma

Nothing say's Christmas like a brand new Masters of the Universe toy! I'll never forget that Christmas morning waking up to find Castle Grayskull under the tree. 

Where better to spend Christmas with them than Universal Studios? The park goes all out to create a wonderful and magical Christmas season, and just like everything they do... may be a little too mature for children. Merry Christmas, here's a skeleton faced demon.

Everyone gets free toy! Christmas!

Replay: When The Phone Rings

 Replay.

FUCKING RUN

HO HO NOPE

Armor Up Of The Bumblebee

Continuing on our Custom Kreons found at the Dollar General adventures on what's apparently a Bumblebee heavy week... man that was a long sentence. Here's Armor Up Bumblebee! Bumblebee is a bit of a standout from the other figures in this selection. Instead of having ornate armor, BB has two big chain guns just hanging off his shoulders. I mean, why not?

I didn't go into these expecting everyone's favorite little yellow guy to be carrying the heavy weapons, but I ain't complaining. It looks great. Just for good measure they gave him a standard laser gun. Just to make sure he REALLY kills somebody.

In all honesty, as good as he looks, he doesn't make me think of Bumblebee at all. The Kreon makes me think of a Saram from new Microman. Those are from the Microchange era of Microman, which ironically is where the original toy mold for Bumblebee comes from.

These resemblances can't just be a coincidence.

Transform Squadron 27 All I Want For Christmas Is Doom

LISTEN NOW

It’s Christmas at Zone Base! The lights are hung on the porch and now there’s just a tree in the living room. Rob talks about the way cool new Final Faction toy line before talking about his Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar. Then it’s random memories of Christmas music he hates and loves before spiraling into madness about a Burger King commercial. Merry Christmas!

An Ultra Christmas

That really just happened.

Buzzworthy Like A Bee

Leaked images of a Bumblebee toy has been hitting the news site all night. Buzzworthy Bumblebee, which appears to be a core class Bumblebee and a Spike partner figure. There's a War for Cybertron logo on the packaging. Speculation to the toys home on the retail shelves is rampant and I guess time will tell on that.

What's got my attention is a a partner figure two pack. I loved this basic concept in Power Core Combiners and the Legend with Targetmasters in Generations. 

I'm hoping this is a new small market line. This is the ideal thing to pop into a Walgreens and pick up along with a Pepsi and one of those Andes Mints candy bars. The small size and partner figures make for good random repaints for random oddball characters. That Spike could be made into somebody else and paired with somebody else repainted as somebody else. Know who's all in for that? Somebody like me. Who else?

Welcome To The Next Week

It's the start of another new week here on Planet Zone! We've got the tree up and the lights on outside the base so Santa knows to stop here first! I've got a fun week of programing planned including some more cool custom Kreons that look a lot like Microman/Micronauts figures. I also hope to have a Christmas episode of the podcast up sometime this week! Seasonal allergies and greetings! Thank you for reading Zone Base and please share!

Santa Clause Is Coming To Town Behind Plexiglass

This isn't one of those commercials from Robocop.

Night Strike Sideswipe Cosplays Baron Karza

Earlier this week I talked about Armored Up Sideswipe from the Custom Kreon selection at Dollar General. Today I'm going to be talking about the Night Strike version of the toy. Which as you can see here, almost looks like a completely different figure. Something as simple as different colors can go a long way, even more so if you add a new part here or there. In this case, it's a straight repaint that just looks amazing.

As a Transformers fan, the first thought that'll pop into my mind would be G2 Sideswipe when the subject of black repaints comes up. If you mixed parts from the standard red Sideswipe kit you'd probably get a good little version of that idea. Even the facial expression screams G2 comics. However, you guys know that uncanny Microman/Micronaut resemblance I've been talking about with these guys?

In this color set, in this armor, he looks so much like Baron Karza that it's almost impossible to ignore. Like, maybe a few different parts and it would be a Baron Karza figure. As Sideswipe however, he's a straight repaint of the one I talked about earlier. So it's a good toy in another good color set. A very Baron Karza color set.

Peace On Earth And Soda To All

We all have that one relative who asks the entire commercial about how they got the star on the top.

Replay: Something In The Hall

Replay

First Looks And Thoughts At Kingdom Wave 2

I recently received a press release with early looks at Kingdom Wave 2 toys. Since you've been bombarded with 50 million links to the same news already, I thought I'd just talk about the toys. It's what I've been doing with these things the last few times anyway. You cool with that?

Starting off, let's talk about Core Class Megatron. It's another G1 Megatron, and he turns into a tank again. That being said, he looks pretty sweet. I think the smaller size works pretty well with the design and he looks like a good toy. I don't get advance review copies, but if I did, this would be one I'd really like a look at. Like the seekers, when it's the same idea repeated often, it's neat to see what's different this time.

 

Speaking of Seekers, here's the Core Class Starscream. People can't get enough seekers and it's safe to assume this one will get a few repaints. At a small size and lower price, I'm sure building that seeker team again won't be so hard.

I'm really looking forward to getting a hold of the new Core class toys. Some folks got some already and they look like fun little figures. Distribution is pretty wonky this year and frankly I don't see a reason to pre order general retail figures. So I'll just have to be patient until I see them at my local stores to find out for myself. Also I'd like to point out spellcheck always suggests pee order in place of pre order. 

Ractonite is also setting off spellcheck as well as Fossilizer which is the type of Transformer he is. I really like the look of Fossilizers. What's not to like about a robot dinosaur skeleton? Not to mention, the human race has only seen dinosaur skeletons as opposed to actual dinosaurs. So there.

Replacing the Weaponizers... man spellcheck is having a rough day... Fossilizers break apart into weapons and armor for regular Transformers to use. Do I have to explain just how awesome that is? I mean... a robot wearing bones as armor. That's probably the most metal thing ever. Then you add in a robot skeleton that transforms into a dinosaur skeleton and my mind just exploded. 

Another nice thing about Fossilizers is that they're something new. A new type of bot and new characters. The past 20 years of Transformers has been pretty slim on new characters with each series having less than the one before. It's not just new to me, it's new to you as well. They remind me of Bone Age also and that ain't bad y'all. That ain't bad. 

 

I've always liked Inferno and he's making an appearance in Kingdom as a Voyager. Just as he and Grapple have usually shared a mold, Inferno is based on the Earthrise Grapple mold. I really liked that toy, so I'm sure I'll like this one.

I wish I could tell you I like Inferno based on his character or some odd trivia like how Simon Furman kept killing him over and over. Really though, I just think he looks cool. I don't think I've ever gotten over that childhood appreciation for a big red firetruck. 

 

Huffer is getting a new deluxe toy in Kingdom and might I say it's really nice that he is. His last few toys were repaints of other toys, so it's nice to see a new mold. I've always liked Huffer anyway. I think we all know a whiny grumbler and would like to strangle that person. When Huffer does it for some reason it's charming. 

I've always enjoyed his little orange truck mode as well. I remember as a kid my older brother had Optimus and it never occurred to me that I could own one too (kid logic). When he pulled Optimus's trailer in Heavy Metal War it blew my mind. For awhile there I figured he could be 'my' Optimus Prime since my older brother already had one.

 

If you couldn't get a hold of Arcee in Earthrise, don't worry, her Deluxe figure from that is getting released again in Kingdom. I haven't gotten one yet myself, so this might be how I do as well. There was a time when a figure of Arcee was just wishful thinking and those days are over. She's had a few figures by this point and this one seems the most faithful to her classic appearance. 

The figures will be available April 1st 2021 (no fooling) and will be available for pre order Thursday 12/3 (tomorrow). The Core class figures have a MSRP of $9.99, Deluxes $19.99, and Voyagers at $29.99. A big thanks goes out to Hasbro and Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this cool news and giving me something to talk about. If you like what I do, thanks! Please share with your friends. That's all I ask. You could share with people who aren't your friends... but that'd be weird.

There Is No Santa, Only Zody

Whenever I see commercials for a regional chain I've never heard of before, it feels like looking into an alternate universe. Apparently there was a department store named Zody's and Santa bought people 8-Track players for their cars there instead of good presents.

Grimlock Is Armored Up And Ready

Continuing on my exploration of the Custom Kreons from Dollar General is Armored Up Grimlock! Like Sideswipe yesterday, Grimlock is from his 2015 Robots In Disguise appearance (incase you thought he looked funny). I won't mix words here, aside from the colors, I don't think he looks anything like Grimlock here. G1 or RID 15. 

That being said, I do think he looks cool. The claw shaped spike armor combined with claw shaped spiked club is thematically awesome. Like most Kreons, this Grimlock doesn't transform, but still looks primitive despite being an alien robot from outer space.

I dig it.

The extra parts look pretty great here. Adding extra height , body mass, and articulation. It's really neat how you can take the basic Kreon figure and make a much nicer toy by snapping on parts. Like the others, Grimlock makes me think of a Microman. Cosmo Spark to be specific. As a basic Kreon, a Spy Magician MX14.

Camels In Your Stocking

You think Santa keeps a pack in the sleeve of his t-shirt?

Armored Up Sideswipe And Nowhere To Go

Not long ago the wife picked me up some more of those Kre-O kits that make me think of Microman. So it's going to be a accidental Microman Kreon week here on Zone Base! These fancy Kreon kits are seemingly exclusive to discount chains here in the US and so far I've only seen them at Dollar General. After taking a bit of a Kre-O break for awhile I'm admittedly a bit out of the loop on these guys. I couldn't find much info about them other than they fall under the custom Kreon class. Which I guess is as good as any for classification. If that's your sort of thing.

The line up is Optimus Prime, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, and Grimlock from the 2015 Robots in Disguise Transformers series. each figure has three different color variations. Armored up, or traditional colors. Blizzard Strike, is arctic themed. Night Strike, in black/stealth colors. You can mix and match parts for some cool color combos. Or leave them stock for a pretty good looking toy. 

Like I said, I get strong Microman vibes from these guys. Armored Up Sideswipe makes me think of Flame Micro Knight and a Spy Magician. Though the toy has some character of his own as well.

Robots in Disguise's incarnation of Sideswipe had a great martial arts flair that carries over here with katana and shuriken star armor. Not to mention the sai he carries and the kanji on his chest. The katana and sai's can be swapped out if you choose. As you can see in the pics, the base Kreon can be built up with the additional parts. This makes for a fancier robot action figure. It not only looks great, but now features additional articulation.

Kre-O was pretty addicting for me during it's time. Only when it became a discount line did my interest start to decline. The initial batches of discount toys were mostly repacks of sets I had already gotten. Add that with the spotty distribution of discount chain toys and it was pretty hard to keep up with leading to my mental disconnect. I gotten some since then, but these are the first Kre-O product I'm actively seeking out in some time. 

The Microman similarities are fun, but I'm digging these on their own as well. They're just fun toys to play around with. The build is simple, really just adding a few parts onto a figure. Like most Kreons they don't Transform... but that's never been an issue for me.

Super Nintendo World Looks Super Awesome

First official looks at Super Nintendo World were released earlier and it looks great. I always rave about Universal's ability to bring their lands to life and they pulled off another miracle. It really looks like the world of Super Mario was brought to life in ways I couldn't imagine was possible. That's not a render you're looking at in the video above, that's really it! If the Wizarding World of Harry Potter changed the theme park landscape in 2010, this is really going to set the bar up another notch. I just wish the Florida version would be open next December when my next trip is planned... but it's still going to be quite a while before that happens.

Christmas Time On Zone Base!

I'm back from Thanksgiving break and you know what that means? It's Christmas time on Planet Zone! Hang your stockings and trim the tree, all month will be full of Christmas glee! I've got a fun week of posts in mind with extra Christmas cheer sprinkled throughout! As always, thank you for continuing to read Zone Base and please share with your friends!

Happy Thanksgiving From Zone Base!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for everything you have and appreciate the ones in your life. Thank each and everyone of you for reading and sharing Zone Base. I appreciate all of you putting up with all my nonsense and encouraging it. Now let's all get some turkey and enjoy that parade!

 

 

 

 

I will be spending the rest of the week enjoying the holiday with my family and getting some much needed rest. Check out my Instagram, I'll be updating it throughout the week. Regular posting will resume next week as will the annual Christmas on Zone Base fun!

 

Immortal Bumblebee Toy

The Legends/Legion Bumblebee mold from Reveal The Shield has been re-released so many times over the past decade that I'm amazed it's still in use. I think it's run as a discount store toy has been going for a steady 6 years straight with no end in sight. I don't know who's counting, but this is probably the longest running Transformers toy of all time.

The figure gets random changes as time goes. From different releases or just whatever random reason, they'll be something different about it occasionally. That was the reason I got it again recently. In October actually, my wife was at Five Below and sent me a picture of the toys asking if I wanted anything. I spotted the Bumblebee and asked her to grab me one. It'd been a while since I'd gotten a version of it (maybe the Cliffjumper from 2015) and I was curious to see what was different this time.

If you've never had the figure, it's still a good one to get. Classic Bumblebee as you expect him updated to transform into a sporty hatchback. The toy predates the current return to VW Bug Bumblebee toys and was released during the time VW wasn't ok with their car being used.

The sporty hatchback has always been a good replacement to me and kinda looks pretty similar to a Bug. This figure is pretty close in size to the original Microman toy and it's always felt like a natural evolution of it to me. 

The toy itself it pretty good. He's got the basic level of articulation you'd expect from a Legion Class toy. In robot mode it looks like Bumblebee got a new alt mode on some episode and it walked off the screen.

His transformation is pretty similar to the original as well. Pull them legs up and fold those feet down. Push those arms in and fold the back over to cover the head. Classic Bumblebee. They were clearly updating the original toy.

He wasn't too different from what I can remember of the last time I got this toy. Same stripes and Autobot symbol placement. The grey on his robot parts looks darker and I swear the yellow is a little too. Not enough to qualify as a new variation, but it's darker than I remember. I'm sure.

The plastic felt a little flimsy this time. Not sure if that's from mold degradation or maybe just a cheaper plastic used. Considering the toy only costs $5, I'm sure they've needed to adjust the recipe a little over the years.

They downsized the bubble on his card and MADE the figure fit inside. Bumblebee is crammed inside the packaging half transformed. At first I thought I had gotten a broken one. Apparently all of them at the store were that way... in 10 years a fan who was a kid in 2020 will make a custom Bumblebee based on this. I really look forward to it.

Dropping Bombs On Ghosts

One thing I can never love enough about The Real Ghostbusters is just how insane things got. It's a far fetched idea to begin with. A group of guys who shoot lasers at ghosts. As a service, it's a solid idea. Your house is haunted? Call an exterminator. As the line went on though, lasers just weren't enough.

In the above commercial we're treated to Ray and Louis busting ghosts at the Statue of Liberty. Not only does it advertise the cool color changing Slimed Heroes figures, but also the Ecto-Bomber. Which is literally an early 20th century bomber plane outfitted to fight ghosts. How in the hell did they even get that?

The Ghostbusters outright bombed ghosts to bust them. Let's think of the implications of that one. In the commercial alone, Nasty Neck is terrorizing Ray on Liberty Island when the Ecto-Bomber drops a bomb from the sky...

It's safe to assume sometimes the Ghostbusters generated future business.