robots/monsters/misadventure

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Godbeast Wave 37


My main man The Godbeast has done it again with this new batch! Check out the awesome super robot and kaiju love in this wave! Not to mention, how sharp does those clear colors look on Kabuto Mushi and Nemesis? I've ordered the Radon figure (anybody surprised) and suggest you jump on these if you want any. They're limited run, independently produced and once a batch is gone, it's gone.

32X On VHS


If it wasn't completely obvious by my off schedule posting from yesterday, I had a bit of a schedule interruption. Which lead to me not working Tuesday night. Which lead to me watching a bunch of Sega videos on YouTube. So basically I did the best thing possible on all accounts. Which leads to the video above. I've said 'which leads to' a million times. For awhile, video game companies released these promotional videos for new products. It was pretty cool, I still got a few from Nintendo and Turbo Technologies somewhere. I now it may sound completely ridiculous in today's world of video available all the time, but at the time it was pretty magic to get one of these tapes in the mail.

Obviously I'm a pretty big fan of Sega and their systems. I've always just really dug them, you know? The Genesis/Mega Drive holds a special place in my heart and the fact that I can easily swing by Target and grab a Genesis Mini or an At Games Genesis even today is pretty great. People often marvel that the 2600 was on shelves for as long as it was without noticing that the Genesis/Mega Drive has been for sale since 1989. That's pretty amazing.

Of course that's not ignoring the bumps in the road and for awhile there Sega seemed to hit every single one of them. I can play 'what could have been' as much as I want and things still went the way they did. I could armchair quarterback how things could have worked better 'only if', but it's not like I know better. I can just say, man I wish things would have worked out better for the 32X and the Sega CD. I liked those.


Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Wacky Wall Crawling Transformers


The Mrs. surprised me the other day with some blind bagged goodness after a stop by the Dollar Tree. They were Transformers sticky wall walker toys blind bagged in Authetics packaging. I was aware of these prior, but all my stores ever have in these are the WWE ones, so I was happy to get my hand on these sticky little guys. She bought me five and I'm sure to get more in the future. The Dollar Tree is already a guilty pleasure of mine and this is a pretty good reason to stop by other than those Arizona nacho trays.


I got Megatron, 2 Starscreams, and 2 Barricades. Barricade is the odd man out here as I was lead to believe that he was Soundwave with the wrong name on the bag. Opening him up though reveals a modern police car based Barricade. He does have Soundwave's head however, I wonder if there's some part switching and Soundwave will pop up in another batch. Maybe even Prowl.

As you can see the toys are very basic. They're plastic upper and lower bodies in an outstretched position with a piece of rubber in between sections. Where the hands and feet would be are sticky balls. Like the wacky wall crawling octopi of the past you fling the toy at the wall and watch it flip its way down. Character depiction on these is basically printed stickers and colored plactic.


Not as cool as the bag clips and minifigures of Transformers at Dollar Tree stores this past winter, but still pretty neat. The toys are really basic and it's pretty hard to expect them not to be. The actual toy is the wall walking gimmick. Having characters on them is pretty much a plus. For a dollar, they'll be a fun blind bag item to grab on trips to the Dollar Tree. Those and those bad ass Arizona nacho trays.


Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Blue Mirage Isn't A Pair Of Vans


Of course my usual weekend trip to Walmart for groceries and other household needs resulted in a trip to the toy section. The new Netflix Siege Transformers are starting to show up across the country and mine had most of the deluxes. My store is a little odd that it's usually a little behind other stores in stocking, but has plenty of what it does stock.

I grabbed Mirage as I've been looking most forward to him and Scrap Face from the deluxe class. They didn't have Scrap Face sadly, but one out of two ain't bad. Not to mention, I'm moving next month so not wanting to pack so much keeps my toy purchases down for the time being. I'm usually happy to buy just one a week anyway most of the time aside from occasional splurging. Keeps from having weeks on end without anything new to look forward to.

Mirage is a repaint of the standard Siege Mirage from last year with his deco playing into the upcoming Netflix series. I really like this mold and the new colors look fabulous on it. The colors invoke a late G1 vibe and on this mold make me think late Euro-G1 for some reason. It just looks wonderful. I like the multiple weapons allowing for a traditional Mirage look, while also allowing for them to be held in a manner of ways. I've always been partial to the shoulder mounted rocket launchers, for me there was no other option.

Being a Siege toy, Mirage transforms into a Cybertronian version of his classic F-1 Liger race car. Cybertronian is a nice catch all wording to describe a more sci-fi spacey look, which is one of the reasons I liked Siege so much. I like sci-fi spacey looking Transformers. Mirage doesn't too far different from his Earth based car mode here if that's not your thing.

If you didn't like the 'battle damage' paint from normal Siege, you'll probably not like it here. I either hardly noticed or thought it was neat when I did. I think it looks great here. Mine didn't snap together well in a few places during transformation, not sure if that's just on all of them. Can't remember it being an issue on my regular version offhand. It's not too bad, just a little bit of an annoyance in an otherwise great figure.

By now I'm sure you've noticed his Decepticon symbol. Siege is a prequel of sorts, taking place during the early days of the war. I haven't seen the show yet (because it hasn't aired) but presumably Mirage starts off as a Decepticon and switches sides at some point. This plays pretty well into Mirage's classic bio in that other Autobot's don't trust him. Being a former member of the other team is a pretty good reason for that. I'm pretty interested in seeing what causes him to change sides.

If you haven't noticed, I like this toy. I've always liked Mirage's Egyptian inspired looks. It's something Takara used a lot on older Microman and Diaclone designs. Seeing the merge of that classic Diaclone design and an updated sci-fi spacey look is great. The more imaginative colors on this repaint is welcome too. I've always been fond of those late G1 colors and they work well here. It's nice when you like a figure so much. I prefer to spend my leisure time on things I actually like, and this guy's a great use of that time.



Saturday, April 25, 2020

Bios- Race Track Patrol

There are two kinds of fighters, Decepticons and losers.
The ultimate speed demons! Leaned to drive on Cybertron freeways with some of the meanest, nastiest drivers in the universe. Enjoy swerving in and out of traffic, cutting each other off, tailgating and sending each other into tail spins. All equipped with turbo-powered energon engines that can rocket them to speeds in excess of Mach 1. Often forget their mission and get side-tracked with their dangerous roadway antics. Extremely powerful when they work together as a team. Sometimes use their illegally-powered engines to win drag races and help finance the Decepticons' latest evil scheme.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Friday Night Frights- Halloween Safety (1985)


It's another Friday night and that means it's time for another edition of Friday Night Frights here on the base! While I normally use these posts as a fun way to share oooky spooky things with y'all, the past few weeks I've gave it a Halloween focus. We all know what's been going on with the virus, the lock downs and everything... it sucks. Halloween is the most fun time on this here site. I took it as a good time to share some of Halloween classics just so we can all have some fun and try not to think about everything else for a while.

Fortunately things are easing and we can all get back to some sort of normality soon. Not to mention, after Memorial Day, this site kicks high into spooky shit gear. Sure, I post spooky shit regularly as is. I like it and obviously so do a lot of you (I get more traffic from it than anything else), but it gets an extra focus with spooky summer and Halloween content.

Maybe just one last specifically Halloween themed Friday Night Fights until mid August when it's officially pumpkin spice time. But just like all our officials are saying, we have to ease back into normalcy slowly. We still have to observe safety guidelines and procedures in this new normal we're living in. So how about some general safety rules to help you all out until the pumpkins roll in?


Bios- Buzzsaw

Hunts enemy Maximals from altitudes of 20,000 feet. Uses infrared scanning sensors wired within its eyes to detect movement below, then zeros in and launches powerful air-to-ground "sting" missiles to induce temporary paralysis. Buzz Saw can exit Earth's atmosphere at any time, but prefers hunting land-based enemies where it has the advantage of flight. Known to gang up on victims with its evil partner, the wicked Waspinator.

The Evil Horde Is Even More Evil In Germany


Hey Rob, it's been a while since you've said anything about the walking Halloween decorations that He-Man has to fight. You know what reader? You're right! Let's clear that up with this particularly spooky German commercial for new Evil Horde figures. When I say haunted house, I mean it. He-Man is walking in the some creepy woods and the new members jump out and scare him. Haunted House ass stuff right here.

Dragstor, who's basically a walking car engine with a tire in his chest pulls up. Multi-Bot, the robot companion to Modulok, swaps heads. But the award for most effective jump scare goes to the Horde Trooper. Horde Troopers are Hordak's robot foot soldiers and probably the most common source of disposable cannon fodder. The toy's gimmick was exploding to simulate the many deaths of Horde Troopers in battle.

Ever been in a haunted house? It's usually decorated somewhat scarily and various workers jump out to scare you in costume. The bigger the budget, the better the costumes and decorations, so it's not just the cashier from Subway with a white face and some fake blood. A big budget one transports you to this imagined world and that's really a scary monster jumping out and scaring you. Unfortunately they all say stupid lines regardless of the budget. This commercial is a big budget haunted house, in Dragstor you've got the guy who slides up and scares folks in the parking lot. In Multi-Bot you've got a variation of the headless freak. But in The Horde Trooper, you've got the walking pile of gore.

The funny thing is, Horde Trooper variations isn't the only type of foot soldier employed by The Evil Horde. There's wraiths, giant insects, and skeletons riding scary horses. Hordak's headquarters is a haunted cave. His entire army is a bunch of monsters and demons. That's in addition to Skeletor's gang and I've not even touched upon the Snake Men yet. There's got to be a support group on Eternia for citizens who have jump scare induced health issues. The entire planet is one giant Walgreen's Halloween section with He-Man and The Heroic Warriors usually wearing brown pants. You know, if it happens, maybe it'll blend in.


Thursday, April 23, 2020

Mega-CD


Bat Vs Gator


Beast Wars began airing 24 years ago. I would say it's hard to believe, but no, definitely has been a long time since then. Do I miss it? Hells yeah I do. Still one of the closest to my heart parts of Transformers, Beast Wars was just special. Looking back at it now, man I really loved that initial Optimus Primal vs Megatron 2 pack. Prior to the show, when the line was essentially Generation 3 with the original characters returning with a new team, this was a set of the classic leaders in animal forms. I was never bothered by the change, though slightly confused by the new team names initially.

Not long after the launch the story was straightened out and the cast was a Next Generation type crew, the two pack was pretty much left in the dust. The new Primal and Megatron toys were larger figures with different alt modes and new characters with throwback names. Still, I've always really liked this set.

The initial basic class toys of Beast Wars had a spring based auto transformation. It was something I thought was pretty cool at the time and don't mind now. The beast modes were pretty good looking, Megatron's alligator worked out better as Primals legs were just folded up against his body. Still the bat looked pretty decent and Optimus had a Batman inspired robot mode. The robot modes were fairly articulated. At the time I would have been happy if Transformers would have just been that size... and I probably would still be now. I liked it, gnaw meen brah?


Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Battle Tribes Wave 21


Spy Monkey Creations is rolling out their newest batch of Battle Tribes figures and a new mold set! These ninjas homage various toy lines such as Karate Kommandos, GIJOE, and Microman! I've ordered Shin Urai (the orange one) instead of the whole batch as I'm normally prone to (moving soon, saving my moneys for adult stuff) but I implore you to check out their store and support this awesome indie company!

GeGeGe No Kitaro Opening [Vinyl Disc Version]


Summer is around the corner, and summer is a spooky season.

Riding Primal Waves


Despite everything that's come out since, I still view Optimus Primal toys from Beast Wars to be some of the best Transformers ever made. I'm still just as impressed as I was back then when I play with one now. The look, the stature, the play value. Just great figures. I'm also admiring the weirdness of some of the toys. Transmetal Optimus Primal's vehicle form is a hover board. That's just silly. Though seeing a gorilla fly through the air on a rocket powered hover board while wielding giant maces? Ok, that's still silly, but that's also pretty great.

I think a mistake a lot of people make when considering Transformers is adding in realism. Which... uh... is completely out the window on arrival. Alien robots hiding among Earth by disusing themselves as vehicles is far fetched, but what kind of disguise is a robot dinosaur, a ufo? It's silly, it's fun, just turn off your mind a little. Beast Wars... hey look a gorilla is fighting a dinosaur. It's fantasy and not far removed from the time that TMNT ruled the toy shelves. A surfing gorilla wasn't that unheard of. It's admittedly firmly rooted in it's time and that's ok with me.


Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Special Beast Wars Sauce


There was a time when the Beast Wars movie seemed like the most amazing thing ever to me. Later when I got a subtitled VHS copy at a local comic con (anyone else miss the bootleg video booths at those?) I discovered it wasn't much more than a new episode of Beast Wars 2.  That and a episode of Metals (what we called season 2 and 3) with a bit of a clip show... but that's kind of what these kids show 'special' movies really are anyway. But at the time, it was nothing short of amazing.

It's funny what the lack of availability does to things. I was in college and working that dreaded Office Max job. Between stocking shelves and selling computers, I'd often cover the copy center. I'd like to say I was multi talented, but the management was so bad that you'd often find yourself doing multiple jobs if you were competent while the slackers got promoted, often to management. Of course the store eventually closed down due to some genius opening a store next door to a Walmart...

It was those times hanging out in the copy center that I'd usually take advantage of the equipment and make various posters from images I'd bring in on a floppy. A particular favorite was a Beast Wars 2 poster I made that found itself on every refrigerator I had for years. 20 something years later I still have it. Though, it's yellowed quite a bit and stuck in a box somewhere. Maybe after I move I'll put it in a frame. Though I might spray it with Lysol first, kinda smells. It old.


Deluxe Daizujin


Monday, April 20, 2020

Metroid Famicom Disk System


Part of me really wishes I got to experience using the Disk System and it's kiosks. The other part of me remembers explaining over and over that my NES couldn't play my old Atari games.

I Miss Batmania


If you Google Batmania, you'll get a million results including a Wikipedia entry on a fanzine probably written by said fanzine creator. Though for an entire generation of folks, Batmania specifically refers to the media blitz surrounding the 1989 Batman movie. Toys, games, fast food tie ins, it's the kind of thing I love. It continued for each Batman movie up until 1997's Batman Forever.

Following Batman movies had various tie ins and stuff, but not the awesome craziness of a Batman cheeseburger at McDonald's (back when you wanted to eat there). While which series of Batman movies are 'the best' is often debated in nerd circles, I'm pretty biased to this era. Not just for the Batmania, because dude, I love those movies.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Bios- Ratbat

The road is my dinner plate.
Has no friends, only business partners... his only allegiance is to himself. Refuels by plunging his mecha-fangs into new cars' gas lines -- the better made the car, the better the gasoline tastes. Maximum flying speed: 65mph. Carries two radar-guided, free-electron lasers that detect the presence of an object as small as a fly. Wings contain mechanical sensors for locating fuel sources. Has one foot wingspan that can enlarge to ten feet. Wings are vulnerable to artillery.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Friday Night Frights- Jack O' Lantern (1972)


Wash your hands and click play, it's time for another pumpkin spice edition of Friday Night Frights here on the Base! What's that? It's a little too early for such a thing? Nonsense, it's Halloween every day on this here site! It's also much better to think of the best time of the year during the current state of things. Because this sucks and Halloween is awesome. This week we're going to watch something freaking weird. Jack O' Lantern is about a pumpkin headed scarecrow piloted by a leprechaun who gets in an epic magic fight with a witch and warlock on a farm. No, seriously.

Thruster And The Pointless Trap


If you've ever wondered why the bad guys usually lose, it's because they have things like Thruster. Thruster is the spaceship headquarters of the Renegades, the bad guys of the Gobots. Now this normally wouldn't seem like such a bad thing, a giant space ship makes perfect sense for a group of space robots to call home. Adding to the effectiveness of the base is that it can change into a giant robot. That's a good call, seeing as the Guardians base does the same. Even the playing field.

Anybody else notice the giant flaw in it's design?

So Cy-Kill takes Scooter captive. Scooter was snooping around Thruster and not cool Scooter. It's private property. Cy-Kill takes a seat in his throne (not too shabby) and commands Scooter to be imprisoned. Thruster obeys, he lifts his massive arm causing Scooter to fall down a trap door! A trap door that... leads into... a completely open room...

Dang.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Godzilla, Ready To Fight


Hey, remember that big Kong I talked about the other day? Well, I can't just not talk about the big Godzilla I also got. Playmates really knocked it out of the park with this large figure of the King of Monsters. Representing his look from Godzilla: Final Wars, this is a really good looking toy. That similar to Shogun Warriors hand feel is here in full effect with a hard plastic body and those satisfying hard vinyl appendages.

Even with the figures limited articulation, it looks full of life as his legs and arms are posed naturally in a ready to fight pose. Which is the definition of Final Wars. If you've never seen the movie, now would be a good time to do so. Godzilla battles a small army of classic monsters as aliens attack Earth. The main characters run around the mayhem in the freaking Gotengo and get into insane battles. This movie is nuts. I strongly advise you take a break in the middle of the film, you'll need one.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Optimus Prime Time


The last of the new Transformers my wife had given me for my birthday was Earthrise Optimus Prime. Like other Earthrise toys, he is traditional G1 upgraded. I've often said more recent leader class toys are the next step to Masterpiece. With Optimus here, the comparison isn't far off. Prime seems like a downgraded Masterpiece, just enough reduced to make him fit a lower price class.


Optimus turns into his traditional flat nosed tractor trailer. You've probably noticed that his robot mode is more angular like his cartoon appearance, while the truck is boxy. Thanks to some tricky unfold-able parts, both looks are intact without sacrificing one for the other. Normally additional panels make for a difficult transformation, but not here. There's just enough panel-forming to get the job done without opening a portal between dimensions and inviting Pinhead into your house.

I really appreciate the trailer making a return here. You don't always get a trailer with Optimus anymore. With this being such a G1 homage, it would be a shame to not include his signature trailer. I also really appreciate just how close of an approximation of the original trailer it is. The robot drone lacks his firing missiles, but the ideas there. It's such a good recreation that I find myself missing Roller. I know there had to be cuts, and that's the deepest one. The trailers door can connect to Micromaster base connectors and even features a removable shield for Optimus to wield (I forgot to take a picture).


True to cartoon form, Optimus can open his chest panels to reveal the Matrix! It's a nice little extra and can even be removed for some darkest hour lighting. The cherry on top of a really good sundae of a toy. Even with his panels, Optimus just transforms naturally, like an evolution of his original toy. I knew going in that this was going to be a very traditional looking toy, but didn't expect it to be such an upgrade of the original toy. Dang, Earthrise is good right out of the gates!


Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Target Exclusive Movie Masterpiece Series MPM-10 Starscream

Transformers: Movie Masterpiece Series MPM-10 Starscream
(Ages 8 and Up/Approx. Retail Price $149.99/ Available 9/1/2020)

Recreate your favorite Starscream scene from the first Transformers movie with the new Movie Masterpiece Starscream! The MPM-10 Starscream figure is an authentic Transformers collectible figure inspired by the CAD files from the first Transformers film and includes die cast parts and 150 deco ops with more than 50 points of articulation. The MPM-10 Starscream figure stands at 11 inches in robot mode and converts into the movie-inspired officially licensed Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Jet in 63 steps. The figure features highly articulated hands, flip up thrusters, a moveable mouth, missile and buzz saw arm attachments, and a Gatling blaster accessory.

Modeled after the Transformers live action movies, Movie Masterpiece authentic figures feature film-inspired details and accessories, ideal for displaying on collectors’ shelves. Available exclusively at Target.com and in-store 9/1/2020. 



Thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this information

Kongfrontation On Skull Island


I told you all I'd get the larger Playmates Godzilla and Kong figures, didn't I? Actually they were given to me by way of Easter present from my wife. Kong here, shares a lot of similarities with his standard figure as far as joints go. In this deluxe figure his fists now swivel, but his head doesn't seem to be on a ball joint.

That's not too bad though as the standard figure had more of an in thought expression on his face, while the deluxe is roaring in anger. The swivel on his neck feels more natural, as folks tend to look straight forward when they're pissed off. While I doubt this was on purpose, it sure works out well. I also noticed this figure has a beard, while the prior doesn't. Rumor has it Kong has a beard in the upcoming Kong vs Godzilla movie, so perhaps this is a sneak peak of an upcoming mold. His left had could hold a weapon if you're inclined to stick something in there.

The toy is much bigger as well. I've seen folks say it was around 9", which doesn't seem wrong. I haven't measured him and was guessing he was around a foot. He's displayed with one hand held high in package, so that could gave me that impression. Like the smaller figures he has a hard solid body with solid rubbery appendages. Other monster collectors have informed me they're a hard vinyl. Which sounds right.

It's a pleasant toy in hand. He has a nice heft and stands a little more balanced than the smaller figure. The extra size and weight must have a better center of gravity. While much smaller than the jumbos of Shogun Warriors, I feel a strong similarity of hand feel with these toys. The Godzilla and Rodan my brother and I owned may be long gone, but I can still feel them as if I just put them down a few minutes ago. It's a similar feel and that's a nice thing. Modern jumbos aren't always as big as older ones, but similarity is everything in some cases.


Saturday, April 11, 2020

Bios- Monster Trucks Patrol

We're a giant wall of Autobot Might!
Nothing stops them when they roll out! Hard driving road warriors travel fast and heavy! Incorporated with sophisticated auto-driver control systems and modulated weapons' stations. Quad-overhead cam, energon-ignited engine allows for travel at twice the speed of sound! Able to barrel through almost any obstacle. Unstoppable when roaring in full-throttle. Can utilize their massive strength for transporting wounded Autobots through the battle zone. Use their micro size and powerful engines to literally drag uncooperative Decepticons into the heat of the battle!

Friday, April 10, 2020

Friday Night Frights- Garfield's Halloween Adventure


I've been on a roll the past few weeks with Friday Night Frights here on the base. We've been following safety tips and walking around in masks. Nope, it's not Halloween... just this sucky situation called covid-19. But, like I've been saying, Halloween is fun! Spooky shit is the kool-aid we drink around here and why not just pretend it's the most fun time of the year on this site while we're sticking it out? Garfield's Halloween Adventure is a freaking classic where he goes trick or treating with Odie only to stumble upon real ghosts! A whole generation was traumatized by this thing... enjoy!

Gigan The Pointy


In the initial batch of figures of Godzilla and Kong figures by Playmates is Gigan from Godzilla: Final Wars. He went from outright bizarre looking in the Showa era to hardcore space badass while retaining his trademark looks. Like the other new kaiju toys Playmates has made, this is an outright action figure as opposed to the sofubi that I usually prefer when it comes to kaiju toys. Though it fits in with my Bandai Creation vinyl figures. You wouldn't know it's not a sofubi until you touch it. 

I'm quite fond of these Playmates toys as they're coming along nicely and this Gigan is a good reason as to why. They could have went with his classic looks as it's more common place, his 2004 design is literally in one movie (not counting other odd appearances). Since he's more of an action figure, I do find myself wishing his arm hooks swapped out with the chainsaws he sported in the final battle of Final Wars. Though, maybe that will be on a later edition. They're so close to vinyl figures I wonder if they're using those for a basis. 


It's a really cool line for something exclusive to Walmart (here in the states) and a lot more nerdy than I expected. Since they've released some of the Bandai Creations molds in the line mixed with these action figures, I hope future waves will continue to have a mix of reissues and new figures. I'd love to have crazy things like glow in the dark and transparent figures... but if the line just keeps on... I'll be happy.



 

Don't Stop Drivin' That Hot Rod Patrol


The Hot Rod Patrol was one of the most popular classicMicromaster teams. Nothing's cooler than classic muscle cars that turned into rockabilly robots. From the original gang, Trip-Up and Big Daddy return in Earthrise with updated toys. Though now Big Daddy is named Daddy-O for various trademark reasons and I kinda like it better.

The two benefit from modern toy technology and have much a higher range of articulation than their original toys. While it's still pretty limited in the eye's of many, it's still quite a bit for a tiny transforming toy. It's kinda amazing originals had as much as they did to begin with. If you'll notice my fingers holding up Trip-Up in the above picture (damn fool kept falling over), you'll get a pretty good idea of the size.  That and see a little bit of our Easter decorations. Cadbury Egg's y'all.

They transform pretty easily into their cool cars and like other recent Micromasters can combine into something they tell me is a gun. I forgot to take a picture, but thankfully Google Image search exists. Frankly the weapon modes don't really do much for me. I understand why they're implemented in modern Micromasters, but it's pretty rough. Though some are better than others. I do appreciate the idea of combining them and hope it works out into new incarnations of the G1 Micromaster combiners. I always liked those.




Thursday, April 9, 2020

Kong Is King And This Toy Is Pretty Good Too


Playmates new Godzilla and Kong toy line is starting to show up at my local stores. My wife snuck a few of them into my birthday presents last week with much appreciation. Kong here represents his appearance from Skull Island in the standard line, while there is a larger figure available as well (I'm getting that too, no worry). I'm admittedly smitten with the Monsterverse's version of Kong, but dang I love this toy. While the Bandai toys that preceded Playmates line were sofubi figures, these new toys are outright action figures similar to the Trendmasters line from the 90's. I have noticed Playmates reissuing some of the Bandai sofubi toys, so maybe they're doing some distributing for Bandai as well. I'd love that.

Kong is roughly in scale with the standard kaiju figure around 6-7". He has a solid hard plastic body with a more rubbery plastic for his arms, legs, and head. Think of the build used in a 80's He-Man figure and you're not far off. Kong's arms and legs move classic swivel joint style like a Kenner Star Wars figure and now I'm imagining him driving an X-Wing. Not too shabby. His feet also swivel helping to stabilize him while standing. Those long gorilla arms can throw off the weight a bit. His head is on more of a ball joint allowing for a greater range of movement. This may not seem like much, but thanks to his nice head sculpt, it adds a lot more personality when having Kong look around.

I have a hard time not loving Kong or Godzilla as is. I literally feel my chest swell with happiness whenever the subject comes up. The amount of exhilaration I felt as I was playing with this toy, let alone talking about it now, is off the charts. I'm really happy Playmates took over the license. Not that I didn't love what Bandai has been doing, it's because I'm so happy with this toy. I'm excited for the line in general and look forward to more releases. When the Kong Vs Godzilla movie comes out, I might go nuts grabbing figures. I've seen a few leaked pics and man they look great.


Military Patrol Patrols, Sleeping Patrol Sleeps


For a site named after a Micromaster base, I sure haven't talked much about the new Micromasters that have been coming out. Yeah, what's up with that? Anyway, the new Earthrise Military Patrol brings updated versions of Growl and Bombshock from the original Military Patrol. I love them so.

These newer Micromasters have a lot in common with Mini-Cons from Armada. Similar build and construction. This isn't too surprising as Mini-Cons were basically a return to Micromasters at the time. It makes for a nicer toy with more moving parts versus the limited articulation of older Micromasters. They were tiny G1 toys, it's kind of amazing they had joints at all. Thankfully with more modern toy advances, Growl and Bombshock can move a lot more. 

These newer Micromasters have a combining gimmick were the two figures in the pack form a gun or other weapon kinda sorta. It's a nifty way to work such smaller toys into a line with much larger toys aside from the base modes. Not to mention, they pair well with the similarly sized Battlemasters by doing so. I keep forgetting about this though and forgot to take a picture. Thank goodness for Google images huh.

Being Micromasters, I unfairly love them. I'd probably (would) kill a fool over them. They're wonderful. Though I'm sure a few are probably bothered that a patrol is a 2 pack now and not a 4 pack like in G1. Times change, they didn't cost 10$ a patrol back then either. It is what it is. I hope the other two members will find release by way of repaint in a gift set ala that awesome Target Micromaster set from last year. I got so much more from that than I ever did from a BotCon set. Target's pretty awesome.





Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Transform Squadron 020 – Henshin Gorilla


This month Rob talks about Playmates Godzilla toys and Vigilante by Irem. He also rambles about Ghostbusters toys and stuff he got for his birthday. It’s a rambling sort of time.

Grapple With Thee

 

Another one of the Earthrise Transformers my wife got me for my birthday was Grapple. I was really excited to get him as the Grapple/Inferno mold holds a special place in my heart. I just love it, know what I mean? With Grapple, the toy designers started with the original Diaclone toy and worked up. He looks and feels just like the original toy upgraded. Which I just love. I've heard the complaints that newer Generation toys are basically G1 with knees... which is the idea...


Grapple turns into his traditional mobile crane alt mode. It looks great and like Starscream everything just went together naturally. It's really awesome just how good this toy is. Great robot mode, fun truck mode. I'm just a little amazed just how great Earthrise is turning out to be. There's been homages to G1 toys before... but these just NAIL it. I used bold there, because I meant it.

One could argue that the Masterpeice toys do it better, and while they look a lot nicer (they're like a hundred something dollars, they should), I'm way more impressed with these. The transformations just seem like a natural evolution of the original designs. If I'm buying an upgraded version of a old toy, I  want it to feel like the old toy upgraded.


A nice touch is the additional rigging equipment that can attached in both modes. My brother is a crane operator and I remember watching these in use while giving him a ride to work when his truck was broken down. It's just an extra bit of play value that adds a bit of realism to the crane. Not to mention, the original Grapple/Inferno mold had additional parts you could use in place of the hands in robot mode. It's nice to see a throwback to that. There's a nozzle attachment on the side of the truck that can also be used in this manner... which I didn't take a picture of. That gives you a much more traditional Grapple with his nozzle hand. Man, I love this toy.



Tuesday, April 7, 2020

King Kong Escapes



Screaming To The Stars


Among the birthday presents from my wife last week was Earthrise Starscream. While I wasn't the biggest fan of his Siege toy (loved the way it looked, just not so much the execution), this I like quite a bit. Seeming like they took the 2006 Classics mold and worked from there, Starscream just works like you expect him too. He's a voyager scale toy, and he really feels more like a voyager toy of old. Bigger and heftier.

Starscream kinda just transforms himself, he just naturally goes into his jet mode. This is a brand new figure and my first time playing with it since getting it last week, but I automatically knew exactly what to do. Either it's from 36 years of Transformers, or just a well executed toy. I'll go with a mix of both.

Starscream turns into his classic jet mode and looks great in both modes. He's exactly what you have in mind when thinking of traditional Starscream. That's what Earthrise is all about, 100% what you have in mind when you think about traditional looking Transformers. It's like the classics model on steroids. It's nice having all these Diaclone designs refreshed and I anticipate seeing quite a lot of customs converting them into those older incarnations. They're also great toys. I fiddled with this guy for seemingly forever today.

I've been admittedly having a little Seeker fatigue the past few years, opting to get just a few of each as opposed to tracking down each one released in a new mold. I'm not sure if I'll go whole hog here, but that Target two pack with Thundercracker and Skywarp looks a lot more tempting now than it did Friday. This is a good Transformers toy. If I have any complaints, it would be in transformation, I had a little hang up with his arms. That was my fault though, not the toys. Nothings perfect, but so far I've played with a few Earthrise toys and have found them all to be near it.


Saturday, April 4, 2020

New Transformers Earthrise Target Exclusives

Transformers: Generations -- War for Cybertron: Earthrise WFC-E30 Decepticon Clones 2-Pack
(Ages 8 and Up/Approx. Retail Price $24.99/ Available 7/24/2020)

Here comes double the trouble! The Decepticon Clone figures, Pounce and Wingspan, come together in this one exciting pack. Inspired by the classic G1 cartoon, these figures are brothers with twin robot modes, both standing at 3.5 inches. The vicious infiltrator, Decepticon Pounce, converts to puma mode in 9 steps and the driven Decepticon data processor, Wingspan, converts to eagle mode in 7 steps.

Build the Battlefield Beyond -- The siege is over, but the War for Cybertron has just begun. The Autobots and Decepticons have left Cybertron, but their battle rages on as they speed through space in pursuit of the Allspark. Now, fighters must instantly adapt to battle anywhere in the cosmos. With the advanced A.I.R. (Adaptable Interconnection Retrofitter) Locks system, fighters don’t head to the battlefield -- they become it. Bots capable of converting into Modular Battle Stations can A.I.R.-Lock together in custom configurations to fit the needs of battle. Available at Target.com and in-store 7/24/2020.

Transformers: Generations -- War for Cybertron: Earthrise WFC-E29 Voyager Seeker 2-Pack
(Ages 8 and Up/Approx. Retail Price $59.99/ Available 7/3/2020)

Add key Seekers to expand your Seekers army collection! Skywarp and Thundercracker join the Earthrise Seeker lineup in this special Seeker 2-pack! Standing at 7-inches, the Decepticon Seekers, Skywarp and Thundercracker, convert into classic G1 jet modes in 30 steps and each come with 2 Null Ray blaster accessories that attach to the figures in both robot and jet mode.



Thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this news.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Friday Night Frights- Halloween Party (1953)


It's Friday, and you know what that means around the base? Friday Night Frights, where I disguise a video as a post! We're all still walking around in masks, in fact, now it's getting mandated in some areas! I swear we didn't usher in a early Halloween...because this sucks and Halloween is awesome. But we could all use a little extra fun right now and what better way than one of my specialties? I've double dipped some of the videos before, I admit. I posted this last Halloween. I figure there's a fair amount of time in between postings when it's fair game again and hey.. who cares right?

This is Halloween Party, a school film allegedly from 1953 that... I really have no clue about it's purpose. There's no safety tips or anything. Just a little production of a family celebrating Halloween and their dog Shep who causes some trouble. There's actually a shorter version of this that cuts off as the family goes to bed, while this the longer version goes into an adventure with costuming. I initially thought Shep gets rabies and attempts to kill the children at the end... but on further viewings have noticed something. If you skim ahead to minute 6:03 it becomes clear. Shep is clearly targeting the kid with racist costume. Get 'em Shep!

Bios- Micromaster Rescue Patrol

True victory can only lie in the ability to locate and mend the injured.
This fearless foursome braves the heaviest combat fire on land and sea to perform their assigned tasks. Fully equipped to administer emergency aid under the most adverse conditions: Seawatch has over-the-horizon radar and towing capability; Stakeout has a state-of-the-air communications dashboard; Fixit is outfitted with repair bay and life-function monitors; Red Hot contains fire-retardant chemical foam.

What The WWF


These day's I'm mainly an AEW fan, but back in the day I would switch the channel between WWF and WCW basking in the glory of both companies. The wrestling video games during that time were pretty great as well. I vastly preferred WWF Superstars and WWF WrestleFest in the arcades, but they were long gone by the time WWF Wrestlemania hit my local arcades in 1995. When the home console versions came out, my Genesis found itself occupied with the likes of Lex Luger and The Undertaker. It was a good time. Something I was able to do at home that I couldn't at the arcade was beat the game... and that's what we're here for today. Brace yourselves.


Thursday, April 2, 2020

Bios- Bumblebee (K-Mart Legends)

The least likely can be the most dangerous!
A free-wheeling, fun-loving Autobot. This formerly tiny titan is now bigger and better than before. Forged of reinforced titanium armor and equipped with multi-band radio transmitter and thermal tracking meters. Also armed with X-ray lasers in headlights that can burn through solid rock. Entire frame and chassis refortified for added endurance and fighting power on the battlefield. Armed with laser pistol in robot mode.

Vectorman


Wear A M.A.S.K, Drive A Truck


M.A.S.K was a really cool toy line featuring transforming vehicles by Kenner. I've talked about it before and you've probably had your own share of fun with it. This commercial with live action actors just jives with me right now. Probably because I've been putting on my face mask often. It's a triviality of the current situation, but man. I feel like I'm gearing up for action when I get up from my desk and go to the break room for some coffee. It's a little chilly today, so a little while ago I put on my hoodie and mask when I needed to leave my office for something. Had to gear up, naw meen brah? If the mask didn't cause my glasses to fog up I'd wear it driving home.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Sweet Home The Famicom


You have once again entered the world of survival horror. 
Good luck!

Thunder Spark Bumblebee Smash!


Autobase Aichi today showed scans from TV-Kun magazine with a new exclusive legion/speed series. Thunder Spark Bumblebee! Using the Dark of the Moon Cyberverse mold (really surprised it isn't from the Bumblebee movie), it sure is another translucent exclusive, and probably hard to distinguish from others.

I'll probably never own it, I'd like to, but probably won't. It's just neat. I wish I had this sort of thing here, I'd love to pick up a regular magazine and see an exclusive mail away like this. Not to mention, I love translucent colors on toys. I know they aren't known for lasting forever, but neither will I, and I'd like to enjoy the things I enjoy while I'm here. Not to mention, I like Bumblebee. He's good people.