Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [Console Heroes/SEGA Genesis]

It goes without saying that Sonic the Hedgehog was a huge hit. It should come as no surprise, then, that it got a sequel that was also a big hit. Naturally, the Console Heroes SEGA Genesis line took notice and has made diorama sets based on these games (we’ll be getting to part one a little later).

Sonic 2 in Console Heroes form is pretty great. The cartridge looks exactly as you’d expect — a slightly larger replica of the original game cart. Despite being a bit bigger, these replica carts feel really nice in hand. It’s oddly satisfying. When you open the clamshell, you’re greeted with a sculpted incarnation of Emerald Hill Zone. It’s the first level of the game, and very similar to Green Hill Zone from Sonic 1. The look of these levels is pretty much what many of us automatically picture when thinking of Sonic the Hedgehog, so it’s a perfect setting.

There are rings to place on the various pegs, along with great little figures of Sonic and Tails. Sonic is running (it’s what he does), and Tails is in flight with both tails whipping around like helicopter blades. There’s an included clear rod doohickey you can use with Tails to position him in the air. This is a fun little set, and I really like the small bridge in the diorama. You can have the two racing across it to gather rings, or Tails trying to catch up after Sonic’s left him behind again.

This is a great addition to the Console Heroes line — but I have to wonder…
can it Julian fries?

Unicron Head (Clear) [Galaxy Version]

The big bad of all Transformers, Unicron, got a Blokees model kit all his own in Galaxy Version 08: One Shall Fall. A special translucent version was also made available, which originally had to be acquired by scanning QR codes from nine different figures within the set. A little later, Blokees outright put the translucent version up for direct purchase on their site (I wonder if that pissed anyone off?), leading to today’s post.

As of now, I’ve only picked up Hot Rod from Galaxy Version 08, so either completing the set the normal way or scanning all the QR codes has eluded me thus far. When ordering some Defender Version cases with Christmas money, the translucent Unicron Head found its way into the cart (The Mrs added it, thankfully).

Like I’ve said before, I was there opening weekend in 1986 when Transformers: The Movie hit the big screen. Unicron was—and always has been—one of the most awesome things ever created in my mind. While I haven’t collected all of his merchandise, there are just some things I’ve got to have, and a version of this head is definitely one of them.

This translucent version, being more of a special edition, is a really neat representation of Unicron’s head floating through space. Its clear nature gives it a more ghostly appearance, which I absolutely love.

This was a pretty fun, quick build. I’m used to Galaxy Version kits using shared parts to make builds work, but here the only returning part was the display plate. I was expecting some kind of torso bit at the center of the head, like you often see with alt-mode kits such as the Dinobots, but that wasn’t the case.

Being translucent adds a little extra challenge, as some of the parts aren’t immediately obvious. The clear plastic makes things blend together visually. There’s a central core piece that everything builds up from, and one step I found endlessly entertaining was discovering that they gave Unicron a skull.

Before you attach his face parts, you construct his internal facial structure, which looks very similar to the robotic skulls you see when a Transformer suffers facial trauma. He even has eyeballs that fit into the sockets, adding a level of detail that would probably go unnoticed. Unicron’s mouth opens and closes, with the entire mechanism formed around this skull. I spent way too much time making him chomp his spooky skeleton teeth before finally attaching the face parts.

Speaking of the face parts, you’ll need to insert his normal eyes before attaching the face to the skull. Those tiny eye pieces are a little tricky if you’ve got big fingers like me. Due to how they connect, I didn’t try using tweezers, though in hindsight I wonder if they might have helped.

Once assembled, Unicron’s head can be displayed on the included stand with a support arm. It’s actually pretty large all things considered—not huge, but bigger than I expected going in. Also included is a tiny Autobot Shuttle, which you can pose flying past his head as it drifts near Cybertron. If they brought Daniel along, this whole situation probably gives him the willies.

This is a really neat little kit. Hopefully I’ll get more of Galaxy Version 08 soon, or maybe even an entire case, as I prefer to buy these that way. Ideally, I’d like to have both the clear and normal versions of Unicron. As it stands, this translucent version is already something special. It’s always nice owning a special edition of anything—but especially of him.

It really does feel awesome owning it.

I'm so glad it's Monday (said no one ever)

Time to peel away the weekend and face Monday head on Zone Base readers. A new week is here and it's time we punch it right in the face! I hope everyone had a great weekend, I sure did! The Mrs and I had a fun time not doing a lot... and it was great! I actually had a little cold and needed some downtime with plenty of Coricidin, Ricola, and nose spray. I didn't buy any toys, but did get some Micro SD cards for my Atari Gamestation Go. Actually, this coming weekend the Mrs and I have a lot of shopping in mind, so I held off ordering anything in anticipation of our upcoming shopping trip. 

I assembled my Yolopark Transformers AMK Mini wave 2 models and about 9 Blokees Transformers Defender Version series 04 Sunday. That was a lot of fun. I can't get enough Defender Version and Yolopark seems to have stepped up the minis since wave 1. Wave 1 was great... but these just feel better, though I did have a little QC issues that required an email to Yolopark. Arcee came with 2 left upper thighs and no right one and the bonus Clear Hound was missing 1 wheel. I'm sure they'll replace them, but that sure was a bummer. Still, I can't wait to get wave 3! Speaking of can't wait, news leaked of an upcoming new series of McDonald's Food Changeables coming soon! I try to watch my diet, so I'm sure I'll be opting for the buy a toy without the meal options more than Happy Meals. Still, another great thing to look out for! It's like the universe is celebrating Zone Base's 10th anniversary!

Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. I've got a lot to do. Household chores and some toy pictures to take for upcoming posts. I hope everyone has an awesome week. Mondays, right? Please look forward to a fun week of robots, monsters, and misadventure here on the site. Don't forget to share with your friends and be excellent to one another!

Carnivac w/ Survivor [Age of the Primes / Wreck ’N Doom Collection]

Carnivac is a really cool addition to the Age of the Primes series. He’s the main reason I wanted the two-pack he comes in alongside Fisitron, who I talked about earlier this week. Carnivac is another somewhat obscure Transformers character. He’s featured more heavily in various comics, but exists just under the surface enough that mainstream audiences—and even some fans—may not be aware of his existence.

His biggest role is in the Marvel UK comics, where he was featured regularly. Similar to Dinobot in Beast Wars, Carnivac was a Decepticon whose own sense of right and wrong led him to become a more heroic character. Eventually, after a major event, surviving Autobots and Decepticons formed a new group known as The Survivors, which later led to another group known as Earthforce. I particularly enjoy those issues. 

This is Carnivac’s second official toy to date, the first being a Pretender. This time around, he’s a Headmaster with a new partner named Survivor.

I don’t know if Carnivac being a Headmaster instead of a Pretender rubs anyone the wrong way, but I love it. I love Pretenders, but Headmasters hit a particularly sweet spot for me. Not to mention, he looks a lot like the inner robot from his original toy—which is how I’m used to seeing him anyway from those UK comics.

Also worth noting: my own G1 Carnivac is missing his Pretender shell. I picked up the inner robot for practically nothing from a dump bin at Charticon, so I’m just accustomed to seeing him that way. Another sweet spot for me is that they used a Titans Return mold as a base, which is absolutely one of my favorite Transformers series. This one is hitting all the right chords for me.

Oddly enough, the Takara version has the Headmaster as Carnivac himself, with the main body intended to represent his Pretender shell.

As mentioned, Carnivac is made from a Titans Return mold—specifically Wolfwire/Weirdwolf. There’s only a small amount of new tooling here. He gets a new wolf tail that becomes a sword in robot mode, along with a blaster. Survivor has a new faceplate for head mode, tooled after Carnivac’s appearance in Time Wars. I really like that—he looks almost straight off the comic page and makes me want to dig my copy out and re-read it.

Outside of that, Wolfwire/Weirdwolf makes a solid base for a very well-done Carnivac update. Despite the mold being about ten years old, it still looks great. Carnivac’s mix of metallic purple, green, and copper looks fantastic and makes the whole thing feel like a more premium offering.

Robot mode offers a decent amount of articulation—more than his boxy looks would suggest. When Titans Return first came out, many described it as “G1 with knees,” which is clearly something people still love, as Missing Link has proven. Combined with his new face sculpt, Carnivac is really expressive. He just oozes attitude, and I love it.

Transformation is very straightforward. Pop the head off and fold the beast-mode head over. You essentially lay him down and adjust the arms and legs into the wolf’s legs. The sword becomes the tail, and his gun mounts on the back for some canine firepower.

Survivor can unfold into his humanoid mode and hang out, or fit into a cockpit on the wolf’s back. He doesn’t slide in as smoothly as you might expect—you’ll basically need to have him in head mode to fit properly—but once he’s in, it’s a snug fit.

It’s impossible for me not to get Zoids vibes from this, though I get that from other beast-mode Headmasters as well. I also get slight Beast Machines vibes, specifically from the legs and transformation, which heavily remind me of Night Slash Cheetor. I always liked that toy, and while this isn’t the same thing exactly, there are enough similarities to make the connection.

Every use of this mold that I’ve picked up has been pretty great, and as Carnivac it really excels. It’s funny how a toy meant to update one character can work so perfectly for another. This is one of those toys that gets me excited and happy in that fanboy way that’s hard to explain to people who don’t get it.

This two-pack is pretty great overall. I might be tempted to grab the other Wreck ’N Doom Collection sets—but I also feel like I already have the star of the show.