This Was Supposed to Be About Xevious

I'm admittedly on a bit of an Atari 7800 bender lately. You'll have to excuse me. I like the system and tend to ride it out wild hairs.

Xevious has actually been on my mind quite a bit over the past few months. I've been really enjoying Shadow Labyrinth (which reminds me... I need to get back to playing it), and since that game not only features Namco characters but actually takes place in the Xevious universe, it's gotten me thinking about it again.

While I've probably spent more time with the NES version than any other release, it's impossible to ignore the Atari 7800 port. It was one of the system's big launch titles, thanks once again to Atari's close relationship with Namco. Atari even published the arcade version here in the United States.

For years, I honestly assumed Namco had programmed the 7800 version themselves.

Much like last week's Ikari Warriors post, I decided to do a little digging.

Nope.

It was actually developed by General Computer Corporation—the same folks responsible for Ms. Pac-Man.

For some reason, I'd always assumed the 7800 version was adapted from a home computer release. Thinking about it, that's a feeling I get from a lot of Atari 7800 games. They're obviously console games, but they have this unmistakable home computer vibe to them.

I know that probably sounds a little ridiculous.

But consider Atari during the 1980s. They weren't just a console company—they were heavily invested in home computers. The Atari XEGS was essentially a repackaged computer, and the 5200 itself evolved from Atari's 8-bit computer architecture.

Really, a lot of the line between home computers and game consoles was blurrier than people remember.

The ColecoVision and Sega SG-1000 were close enough in hardware that software often jumped between them with relatively little effort. Some consoles even had optional computer expansion kits.

Honestly, I think that idea deserved a bigger push.

If manufacturers had done more to market consoles as an affordable stepping stone into home computing, I think a lot more working-class families would have adopted computers much earlier.

Of course...

That probably would've upset the same gatekeepers who spent the '90s telling everyone they were idiots for using AOL because it made getting online too easy.

Oh yeah, Xevious is pretty good.

Weekly Update:7/27/26

It's Monday once again, Zone Base readers!

Like many of you, I spent the weekend watching the overwhelming flood of San Diego Comic-Con news roll across my feeds. Of course, that's not all I did, but as you've probably guessed, I'm going to share a few thoughts on everything before getting into what I did and what I picked up over the weekend.

Transformers-

Generations/Studio Series – While much of what Hasbro showed at San Diego Comic-Con had already been previewed or leaked online, it was still nice getting a better look at Nexus Prime's combiner team. I've been putting off picking up Nexus Prime, but I do plan on building the full team eventually. I love the colors they've chosen.

The Monster Jam Gravedigger crossover is also looking like a must-have for me. Not only is it a really fun design, but it practically feels like a new version of Dirt Boss from Transformers Cybertron. That was always one of my favorite toys from the line, yet it never really received any follow-up outside of Bot Shots and Attacktix.

There are already a few Monster Jam-inspired designs showing up in the white-box Transformers "kids" line, so I'm beginning to wonder if this partnership is going to be more of an ongoing thing rather than just a one-off collaboration.

And I will definitely own that Shockwave Whale. 

Blokees – Recent rumors suggest that the upcoming Galaxy Version series may be based on the IDW comics, while Defender Version 08 is rumored to be themed around Battlestars. While I'll definitely be trying to pick up some of the Galaxy Version kits, you all know by now that I buy a case of every Defender Version assortment. I absolutely love them, and a Battlestars theme would send me into orbit.

Of course, none of this has been confirmed, so take it with a grain of salt. But if these rumors turn out to be true, I'll be ecstatic.

The rumored lineup includes Star Convoy (standard, Nemesis, and possibly Galaxy Convoy), Super Megatron (standard and special versions), Sky Garry, Dark Nova, Slag in dinosaur mode, Nemesis Prime, Dead End in vehicle mode, Mirage (robot and vehicle), Trailbreaker, Beachcomber (Brilliant Version), and Shattered Glass Ratchet.

Blokees also showed off several new Classic Class and Champion Class kits based on the live-action movies. I honestly can't remember if we've seen some of these before or not, but they all looked fantastic. I'd especially love to get the Classic Class Bumblebee from the *Bumblebee* movie. It's still my favorite of the live-action films, and I absolutely love that version of Bumblebee's design.

We also got a much better look at the upcoming Action Edition Optimus Prime 2.0 kit.

I WANT IT!

I still haven't picked up any of the Action Edition kits and decided to wait for the 2.0 version of Optimus after seeing the early preview images. That decision has been validated about tenfold. It looks absolutely amazing. 

Masters of the Universe –

Mattel showed off a handful of new Masters of the Universe figures from both the Origins and Chronicles lines, and they all looked fantastic. I'm especially fond of the He-Man wearing the blue outfit, which also appears to be getting a release in the Core Class line.

There also seems to be a new version of Panthor on the way, and I don't it's possible for me to skip him.

It's no secret that the movie didn't set the box office on fire, but now that it's arriving on streaming, I wouldn't be surprised to see it find a much larger audience—much like several of the more recent Transformers films have. Honestly, with Amazon MGM behind it, theatrical releases almost feel like a preview these days. Streaming is where these movies really seem destined to find their audience.

Ghostbusters – Hasbro unveiled its new The Real Ghostbusters Ecto-Plazms line, and I am PUMPED!

These are small collectible figures of the Ghostbusters and ghosts from the cartoon, cast in multiple colors and packaged in little cans styled after the classic Ecto-Plasm slime containers. I'm still not entirely sure if they're closer to keshi figures or little army men, but honestly, I don't care.

This is the perfect Ghostbusters toy line for me. 

I haven't been this excited about a Ghostbusters toy since the Ecto Minis blind bags back in 2016.

AWESOME! 

BeastBOX– BeastBOX recently unveiled their new Primal Roar blind box line, and I am absolutely salivating over these things.

Each Primal Roar set includes a dinosaur skeleton and a modern military vehicle—like a Tyrannosaurus skeleton paired with an army tank. You get both the dinosaur and vehicle modes, they can combine into a hybrid form, and then the whole thing transforms into BeastBOX's signature box mode.

As if that wasn't enough, collecting multiple figures lets you combine them into a giant gattai robot. There are alternate color versions as well, including realistic fossil-colored skeletons and translucent variants.

Sadly, I haven't picked up a BeastBOX figure in quite a while, and that's something I plan to fix soon. There have been several recent releases I've had my eye on, and these Primal Roar figures have shot straight to the top of that list.

The Weekend- There was a lot more news from the weekend. SDCC, Wonderfest, and ACGHK, but obviously I can only talk about so much here. It's all exciting and makes for a fun future of toys. Me? I didn't go to them, but enjoyed the sights and sounds from them online. Instead I enjoyed a weekend at home with the Mrs organizing more of our new place and some good TV. Played Starfox some more and got in a little time with Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2. I'd been sitting on it since downloading and haven't played it much. As for toys, a trip to Walmart ended up with a second Elita-1 from the Blokees Transformers One wave 2 case and I finally ordered a Blokees Transformers Wheels Series 3 case. Considering I haven't assembled many from Series 2, I've got some building to do!

I'm starting to get my feet underneath me more with the TikTok/Reels I've been slowly working on and anticipate several of these kits to pop up as those. I've never been a big social media guy, but like I said, plan to making those a part of the site going forward. Please check me out and follow! Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. Halloween on Zone Base starts next week and I've got some fun spooky shit coming! As usual I've been hanging up the decorations around the site early in anticipation of the rising red moon. Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem starts running wild soon! Thank you all for reading Zone Base. Please share the site with your friends and be excellent to each other!

Airachnid and Energon Surge Off Road Bumblebee [Cyberworld/Armored Cyber Changers and Cyber Changers]

@robfromzonebase Airachnid [Transformers Cyberworld/Armored Cyber Changers] There's lots of spiders in Transformers and this one has a little Convertors evergy (that's a good thing). #zonebase #cyberchangers #hasbro #cyberchangers #cyberworld ♬ Children of the Night - NECRONOMIDOL

It felt so good to finally get my hands on an Airachnid Armored Cyber Changer after chasing one for what felt like forever. She was the last of the "Season 1" Transformers Cyberworld toys I needed on my quest to complete the line and blog the entire thing here on Zone Base.

Airachnid (no, she's not Black Arachnia) makes sporadic appearances toward the end of the first season in a role that isn't entirely villainous for a Decepticon. One of the things I really enjoy about Cyberworld is that the line in the sand isn't always clearly drawn. Considering the episodes only run about five to ten minutes, they could have easily just been nonstop action scenes. Instead, they're surprisingly competent little cartoons.

This version of Airachnid is also quite a bit different from her previous incarnations. In Transformers Prime she was an extremely villainous schemer, while in Transformers One she served as Sentinel Prime's sneering right-hand enforcer and leader of the Death Trackers. There's an ongoing rumor that this version was originally intended to be Crasher from GoBots. Whether that's true or not, who knows? It's a fun coincidence considering how often I compare Cyber Changers to Machine Robo toys anyway. Here, Airachnid is more of a scientist and actually helps the Autobots probe Optimus Prime's memories in an effort to better understand the Cyberworld and why they've all ended up there... which naturally leads to more drama.

As a toy, Airachnid shares her engineering with Chop Shop, although nearly all of the sculpting appears to be unique. Being an Armored Cyber Changer, she also comes with the oversized MechTech-style weapon/armor thing that Chop Shop included.

Interestingly, Airachnid already has an upcoming Energon Surge version that features an entirely different weapon/armor thing. Combined with the fact that its product number is actually lower than the standard release we're looking at today, it's led to speculation that this version may have been rushed into the original assortment while the intended accessories were still being finalized. Since Airachnid was the only new figure in her wave before later being repacked, the theory isn't impossible.

If nothing else, it's fun to speculate.

As her name suggests, Airachnid transforms into a spider, and that beast mode influences nearly every aspect of her robot design. It makes for a wonderfully creepy-looking robot, making her a perfect Spooky Beast Summer entry.

Despite the inherent simplicity of Cyber Changers, she has a ton of personality. Like every other Cyber Changer, she shares the standard size and articulation, but thanks to her spider mode she has a completely different silhouette. The spider legs remain attached to her arms and even swivel slightly, adding just a little extra articulation.

One particularly fun accessory is the pair of front spider legs with an integrated chain gun. They can either attach at her navel or be held awkwardly as a handheld weapon. Transformation is exactly what you'd expect from the line—quick, easy, and largely handled through the auto-morphing gimmick.

Spider mode is fantastic. The colors work really well, and I especially like those front legs with the chain gun.

Of course, Cyber Changers constantly make me think about older toy lines. Airachnid immediately reminds me of an early Beast Wars Basic figure, while her shared engineering with Chop Shop still brings Creepy from GoBots to mind. Honestly, I'd love to see this mold repainted into the old Happy Meal Transmetal Black Arachnia. The sculpt is surprisingly close, especially with the spider legs hanging from her arms.

Then my brain starts wandering.

The spider mode makes me think of Armored Insect Corps Beetras. The colors remind me of Convertors. I also keep comparing her to Phobia from Zoids Wild. If I hadn't just moved and packed Phobia away, I'd have loved to photograph the two of them together.

Phobia would've been a great name for this toy.

@robfromzonebase Bumblebee (Off-Road) [Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge/Cyber Changers] My quest to blog all the Cyberworld continues with the slightly Microman vibed Energon Surge series. #zonebase #transformers #cyberworld #hasbro #cyberchangers ♬ CORNDOG! - RinRin

Of course, as the title says, we're also talking about Energon Surge Off Road Bumblebee.

This is my first Energon Surge figure, and I absolutely love him.

It's pretty obvious this is simply the Off Road Bumblebee Cyber Changer I reviewed previously with a slightly different color layout, so I'll link to that review for anyone wanting a more detailed look. Since I'm trying to blog the entire Cyberworld line, though, I still wanted to cover the differences here. Because.

Thankfully, these toys are inexpensive, so buying another version of a figure I already own doesn't bother me. It comes with the territory. 

The biggest and most obvious difference is that translucent blue torso, which immediately makes me compare Cyberworld to Microman and Micronauts even more than I already do. There's also a bit of glow-in-the-dark paint on his shoulders.

When an Energon Surge figure is connected to the Power Spark Bumblebee, the electronics light up. That light charges the glow-in-the-dark paint, causing it to glow afterward. It's a really fun little play feature.

Obviously, it's a gimmick designed for kids.

What's funny is just how many adult Transformers fans have embraced Cyberworld anyway, despite there already being countless collector-focused lines aimed directly at us.

I think that just goes to show what the right combination of affordability and fun can accomplish.

Ikari on Atari

Lately, I've been exploring some old Atari 7800 games and having a genuinely great time doing it. I've said before here on Zone Base that I've always thought the 7800 got a bit of a bum deal. Under different circumstances, I really think it could've been a much bigger success.

Most people don't associate Ikari Warriors with Atari. Usually it's the arcade version or the NES port that comes to mind. However, ports were also produced for both the Atari 2600 and Atari 7800. I haven't had a chance to try the 2600 version yet, but I really like the 7800 release. I've even seen more than a few people say they prefer it over the NES port. Whether that's honest opinion or just a little system loyalty, I couldn't tell you... but I can say it's a pretty fun game.

I was lying in bed playing it on my Atari GameStation Go while listening to a livestream of old Japanese ghost shows when a question suddenly popped into my head.

Who actually made this game?

Was SNK involved at all?

After all, Atari had a pretty good relationship with Namco around this time, which is why so many Namco games ended up being published under Atari's Tengen label. That got me wondering how Ikari Warriors ended up on the 7800.

So I started digging.

Let me tell you... information on some of these oddball Atari 7800 releases isn't exactly easy to come by.

The game was developed by a company called Imagineering and published by Atari sometime around 1989 or 1990. The exact release date seems a little fuzzy, which isn't too surprising considering how publishing dates were handled back then. That time frame certainly sounds right, though, because I distinctly remember seeing advertisements for the 7800 version in gaming magazines around that time.

More specifically, I remember Atari really pushing the artwork they used in those ads. I honestly feel like I've seen that particular piece of Ikari Warriors artwork more than any other artwork associated with the original game.

Admittedly, I've always preferred Ikari Warriors II, so that's the game that's gotten most of my attention over the years.