Twin Mill [Hot Wheels X Transformers]

Getting back to our look at the Hot Wheels X Transformers line, today we’ve got Twin Mill — a classic Hot Wheels car that originally debuted way back in 1969. This Transformers incarnation is the blue Spectraflame version, and it looks fantastic.

It resembles a souped-up classic Corvette with twin engine blocks and gnarly exhaust pipes, complete with attachable flame effects. It’s the kind of car that just looks fast, and in the blue deco I can’t help but compare it to Sideburn from Robots in Disguise (2001).

These Hot Wheels Transformers are roughly comparable to a smaller Deluxe Class figure, similar in size to modern Mini-Bot updates. I know that probably sounds ridiculous… but I actually like the size. I often feel Transformers are just a touch too big. Not because I like small Transformers (see the site’s name), but because the details tend to come out sharper when they’re a little smaller. It’s like when you upscale an image and it loses some clarity. This feels like a real sweet spot, size-wise, for me.

Transformation isn’t hard at all and isn’t too dissimilar from other car bots. The front end becomes the upper torso, with the arms and head folded up inside, while the rear end forms the lower body and legs. I’ll say there are some strong Machine Robo / Gobots vibes here, mostly due to the smaller robot form and the look of his legs. I also can’t help but compare him to Armada Blurr, thanks to how the front fenders form his shoulders and the overall proportions. These are all things I really like, so those similarities are a plus in my book.

Ironically, back in 2001–2002 when Sideburn from Robots in Disguise was on shelves, Hot Wheels had a line called Robo Wheels. These were originally designed by PLEX to be a new Machine Robo series. PLEX has designed Machine Robo, Power Rangers, and Super Sentai toys for Bandai, and Robo Wheels were intended to follow Machine Robo CG Robo. That deal fell through, and the designs were eventually released as Hot Wheels instead. I distinctly remember staring at them on store shelves, very tempted to grab a few. At the time, though, I was pretty broke — finances were stretched paycheck to paycheck — so between rent and life expenses, I had to make some tough toy decisions. Transformers fit the budget, but other lines required being picky. Of course, it wasn’t until years later that I learned Robo Wheels were Machine Robo designs… and by then they were long gone. Here’s hoping I can track some down someday for a decent price — and not broken to hell.

Back to Twin Mill: man, this is a cool-looking robot. His head is a little reminiscent of bots like Smokescreen, but with some extra flair to the helmet and, of course, that fabulous visor. There’s a very post-1986 G1 vibe to the head sculpt. The way his robot parts mix with the car kibble and color scheme gives him an almost knightly look. It’s really sharp, and that blue is spectacular.

The twin engine blocks — which need to be removed first during transformation — become a pair of forearm-mounted guns. They slip over his arms and give him some serious firepower. The flame effects attach to the exhaust pipes, creating a blazing firing effect. It’s pretty great… damn, I really like these toys.

Articulation is solid, too. Twin Mill can pull off a variety of dynamic stances with his twin fire guns, though considering the length of the barrels, he’s going to need some room to swing them around. If it hasn’t already been painfully obvious, I’m really high on these Hot Wheels Transformers. According to rumors, there’s more coming, and I’m genuinely excited about that. These feel special to me, and I’m proud to own them. They’re definitely on a pedestal in my mind.

Here’s hoping those rumors are true and more are on the way. Even if they’re just repaints, I’m in. I’d absolutely love to see more Transformers follow this same approach.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Console Heroes/SEGA Genesis]

I’m honestly a little surprised Sonic 3 got a Console Heroes diorama, given how slightly buried the game has become over the years. Thanks to its soundtrack featuring Michael Jackson’s music, it’s existed in a bit of a legal gray area due to licensing issues.

Thankfully, it’s starting to see the light of day again with a new soundtrack, because it really is a great game. Fortunately, these dioramas don’t have soundtracks, so it’s not really an issue here. Though I suppose you could just play some Michael Jackson on your Bluetooth speaker if you really wanted to complete the experience.

Sonic 3 is more than just a licensed-music curiosity, though — it’s where the world was introduced to Knuckles! Knuckles is forever linked to the series and an integral part of Sonic’s team. I’ve always liked his ability to glide and climb. Not to mention… he’s just cool looking.

This Console Heroes set faithfully replicates the cartridge at a slightly larger scale, including the red label colors that graced later Genesis/Mega Drive games. Do not ask me why I care so much about that, but it’s an appreciated detail. I just wish the box did the same, for no sane reason whatsoever. Once opened, the cartridge reveals a really well-done diorama based on the Carnival Night Zone from the game. Included to complete the scene are a balloon, a ring, a platform, and some spikes. Of course, we also get figures of Sonic and Knuckles. Knuckles stands stoically, like he often does, while Sonic is wagging his finger with that unmistakable ’90s attitude.

This is a fun little diorama and it’s neatly distinct from the other Sonic sets in the line. Really, Wilder Toys has made something special with the Console Heroes series, and I genuinely hope they dig their heels in even deeper with future releases.

Bone Shaker [Hot Wheels X Transformers]

Hot Wheels collectors often get talked down on by other toy collectors for no real good reason. Sure, I’ve made jokes too… but I’ve seen (and smelled) some interesting characters in every fandom. Neatly enough, Mattel and Hasbro have been collaborating in recent times, creating some really cool stuff. This week we’ll be looking at the Hot Wheels X Transformers Collaborative line, released right at the end of 2025. I got the set in the mountain of presents from the Mrs. at Christmas and have been dying to talk about them here on the site, as they’re really freaking cool!

First up is Bone Shaker, whose slightly spooky skull design feels just right in observance of Setsubun. Bone Shaker is based on a Hot Wheels car of the same name, originally released in 2006. It’s a cool hot rod with flame deco and a giant chrome skull on the grille. That car has been faithfully recreated here as a Transformer that’s roughly Deluxe Class sized. Neatly enough, he features a mace weapon made from the car’s stick shift. The weapon fits into the shift column inside the car, but sticks out of the roof similar to the cars you’d see Rat Fink drive. This thing is pure old-school rockabilly hot rod culture, and I really dig it.

Of note, the top of that mace weapon — which is the shifter’s knob — is emblazoned with an Autobot symbol on crossbones. G2 Hero Megatron had a Decepticon symbol on crossbones, and I’ve always loved that aesthetic. The car also draws mental comparisons to the G2 Laser Rods and Micromaster Hot Rod Patrol toys, which were really cool.

Transformation from hot rod to rad robot is pretty easy, all things considered. You’d think it would be more complex, considering how well done the car mode is. Things fold out in pretty standard car-bot fashion. The hood becomes his chest, with the arms and head folded underneath, while the rear end becomes his legs and feet. The car’s seats actually become his feet when folded up properly.

Of course, that mace can be held in either hand to crack some skulls open with. In robot mode, Bone Shaker looks great, channeling that G2 Laser Rod influence while still being his own bot. That skull custom grille is now his way-cool chest, while the exhaust pipes form a popped, cool daddy-o collar behind his head. Speaking of his head, it has neat exhaust pipe–style detailing, while his red visor suggests a cool pair of shades.

Come to think of it, the cool black colors paired with the flame deco and chrome parts almost look like a leather jacket. Literally a rockabilly robot through and through, and I’m here for it. He’s decently articulated, adding to an all-around great figure. It’s probably easy to tell that I really like this guy. I like both of them, but Bone Shaker is definitely my favorite of the two. It’s just such a neat original design that harkens back to a style that’s often forgotten in today’s toy landscape.

Defeat Monday (please)

Good morning Zone Base readers! Another week of robots, monsters, and misadventure is starting full of fun for your eyeballs. Tomorrow is Setsubun, and while we don't celebrate it here in the states, I think it's really neat! I hope everyone had a good weekend, mine was pretty good! Another weekend of winter weather kept the Mrs and I home while roads got icy. We had a small amount of snow, but nothing major despite local news reports predicting a winter wonderland.  So obviously we didn't get out, but still had tons of fun at home. I spent some time playing Shadow Labrinth. I've actually gotten so many games at Christmas that I have a hard time picking one to play at a time. Shadow Labyrinth is a really neat game that got my attention when released and I was delighted to see under the tree as a gift from the Mrs. It's a really cool Metroidvania style game set in something of a Namco expanded universe. I really like it. I also finally got in some episodes of the new Kamen Rider Zezt. it premired last year and while I inteded to watch it weekly... those plans feel though. Fortunately it's easy enough to watch the show in it's entirety thanks to Tokushoutsu. I'm glad I did finally watch it, it's awesome!

Upcoming toy news from the weekend was certainty exciting. There were looks at upcoming Transformers from the Age of the Primes lines. Smokescreen from Transformers Prime is getting a new figure I'm really looking forward to. His original toy from the Prime line was a nightmare to transform and wasn't exactly screen accurate, so it'll be nice to have a hopefully better incarnation as I enjoyed the character on the show. Of course it'll be the Generations style Prime toy that's more traditional looking... but I kinda like that to be honest. Prime has a specific asthetic that looked great, but I do like the style unification in Generations. Also shown was Nexus Prime and Liege Maximo. Like Jhiaxhus, Liege Maximo is a must get as a G2 comic fan. Nexus Prime is a new take on the character that strongly resembles Courageous from Gobots. It apparently will form a combiner with the new Combaticons, so I'm pretty interested. The original Nexus Prime was a TFCC exclusive combiner whose members were membership exclusives. It took me 5 years to build that one, and frankly is still pretty high on a pedestal in my mind. However, this one looks like a lot of fun! I'm actually pretty far behind on Age of the Primes toys, so here's hoping I can catch up soon.

Also news of upcoming Cyberworld toys came this weekend. There has been leaks of upcoming toys in the line, but a picture of a new large scale Bumblebee and listings of upcoming Cyber Changers were unleashed this weekend. The prior leaks are from a reliable source, but theseare a little more concrete for the time being. The larger scale Bumblebee looks fun from what I can tell. Like Scorponok, it looks to be a bit of a playset... and I get Shogun Warrior vibes from both... and that's a good thing. According to the listings, the Cyber Changers (the real meat of the line) are an Optimus Primal truck and an Arachnid that looks to be an Armored Cyber Changer figure. The Arachnid doesn't seem to have many details ther than a hammer weapon. I hope she's a spider... but will gladly take a helicopter or drone as she's been used as. The Optimus Primal truck may be a reuse of the Offroad Optimus Prime toy, which was a figure I really liked. It did specifically say gorilla truck, so I wonder if it'll be a beast mode with wheels type alt mode like Sky-Byte. Either way, I'm super excited. I had so much fun with the prior Cyberworld toys, I can't wait to get my hands on more!

There was also news of new Masters of the Universe toys that tie into the upcoming movie. I haven't covered a MOTU figure in a while here despite still getting a fair amount this whole time. I actually don't cover every toy I get here, but try to make posts on ones that'd make for good material. The random Wednesdays just might be getting more He-Man this year as these new movie figures look great! There's the new Chronicles line that looks to be taking over Masterverse in the higher end 6 inch action figure area, while a more simple and less exspensive movie tie in line that looks like a lot of fun. Right now I plan to cherry pick figures from boths movie based series, but to be honest, I'm really looking forward to the Evil Warriors from that more simple line. They look like a fun little series to collect and talk about here. What is it about the more simplier figures that makes for good blogging material?

As for purchases, I finally ordered the Blokees Wheels series 1 box. I'd been wanting it for a bit now and finally took the plunge. It should be here this week and I'm excitied! I also ordered the Blokees Defender Version Bruticus kit. Defender Version 06 came in last week with the last few Combaticons members. Be sure to look out for an upcoming post about that team. I've been building models my entire life, but for the past few years Transformers models kits have been commanding a larger portion of my attention than the regular toys. It's a bit of a struggle giving models and toys a decent amount of site time. Models are a lot of fun to write about and I can tell by the views they seem to be more popular with you readers, but I don't want to give figures the shaft either. We'll, I guess we'll just see what I talk about each week! I also got some of the new McDonald's Changeables! You all know how much I love the classic ones and this new series is excellent! I've been trying to watch what I eat, so it's a tricky balance of working Happy Meals in with a balanced diet. Fortunatley the Mrs and my Mom are willing to help. So far I've gotten 2 CapCaps, FR-135, and Torrus. I hope to get more and am hoping to find the ones I miss on the aftermarket for reasonable prices. It's actually a pretty popular promotion, so that might be quite a challenge. I also ordered a new SD card reader as I still can't locate my old one. Good thing they're cheap! I can't wait to load the card I built last weekend onto my Atari Gamestation Go.

Well, it's Monday, so that means it's time to get to works taking toy pics and doing some household chores. Of course I also need to get my daily exercise in. Five miles on the exersize bike as well as some included exercises only takes around 30 minutes a day... but man... sometimes is hard to make myself do. Oh well, it's for the better. Thank you all for reading Zone Base. You'd never know from social media, but several thousand of you show up to read daily and I really appreciate it. It's super flattering. I've got a fun week in store for you all with some fun posts headed your way. You could say this week is leading the way... you know that sounded better in my mind than typed out. I guess that's what happens when you try to be clever with toy based tag lines.  Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and be excellent to each other!