Constructicon Scrapper [Studio Series/Voyager Class]

The Constructicons are one of those eternally cool teams in Transformers. I don't know if it's because they were the first combiner team or what... but I love them too. Being the leader of the group, it's only appropriate that Scrapper be the first one of the new Studio Series 86 set to be released. He was among the group of toys I bought a while back that had been completely forgotten about and it's good to get around to them. I'm hoping to not have any trouble completing the set as there's just something special about Devastator.

Scrapper is a Voyager Class like the rest of the team (I think), though he's about the size of a Deluxe. The Voyager designation was due to the extra jointing in Combiner limb mode. So basically, Devastator will be extra poseable compared to other Combiners who tend to just stand there and maybe have a raised arm. Admittedly being charged more for extra joints feels a little fishy, especially thinking of old Beast Wars or Robots in Disguise 2001 toys that were much more articulated at a much lower cost. Times are different I guess... and a little poopy.

I often see some folks complaining that Generations toys (Studio Series is part of Generations too) are basically the G1 toys with more joints. That's a good thing in my eyes, so I don't see the problem. Not to mention, the same people with that complaint love Missing Link. Maybe they're just stupid. While Studio Series 86 is supposed to be more show accurate, that's not an issue with the Constructicons whose individual members were pretty toy accurate on the show. This toy is a happy middle ground of that as Scrapper manages to look both like his TV appearance and original toy. That's awesome, there's just something about those old blocky designs I love. With Scrapper you've got this well articulated chonky boi who looks like he did in the original Transformers movie. What's not to love? Scrapper comes with his laser pistol as well as Devastator's Solar Energy Beam Rifle. Devastator's gun can be broken up into two smaller guns that can be held by Scrapper. His pistol even fits into one. When you're using guns that big, might as well be flippant with a little flair.

Transformation to bulldozer mode is easy. Everything just goes into place without any fuss. This is one of those toys you can transform just by looking at it. Awesome. The two halves of the Solar Energy Rifle can attach to his sides in vehicle mode. The wings from Devastator's breastplate can fit on Scrappers sides as well if you want to recreate the look of the original toy. I always liked the way it looked when the combiner parts were connected to the alt modes back then. Scrapper is the only member of this set I have as of this writing, so I can't judge his combiner mode form at this time fairly. As a stand alone toy however, I really like him. Both modes are solid. He looks both like he did on TV and in original toy form. There's plenty of articulation and so much satisfying chonky robot fun. Scrapper, you're alright.

Hound [Galaxy Version 05-One]

I've made my fondness for Hound known here before (I've got a lot of soft spots for a lot of characters), so you can imagine my pleasure in seeing his inclusion in this Blokees wave. Transformers One had a large cast of background characters that featured many bots from the 40 years of the franchise. Being an original cast member, of course Hound was there. A minor role as one of the miners (there's no avoiding that pun), he was mainly in the background. But here was there!

Representing his Cog-less form, he looks great as a Blokees. True, we're talking about a basic looking robot... but that signature Blokees style works well with it. Not to mention, Army green just looks great. I wish they'd use it more often. There's a lot of small details in Hound that I really appreciate. I initially assumed he'd be a recolor of Ironhide, but no, there's various sculpted details and details added in with tampos. For a simple bot, he looks sharp.

Of course he's pretty sturdy being the new Blokees build, though his shoulder pads didn't want to stay in place. I've had that trouble with the older style kits before, but this is the first time with the new ones. Not a big deal, but disappointing. Might just be a random instance from the factory. He's got the standard set of open and closed hands and base. Like the others from this set, Hound has one of the generic guns used during the Miners uprising. Like I've said, I kinda like these generic guns. With Hound, however, I wish it could mount to his shoulder as it's similar looking to his original toys rocket launcher. I'm of course smitten with anything Blokees and Transformers One, so of course I'm happy with a character like Hound getting a kit. He looks great and these are just all around good little models. Nice things are nice.

Megatron Type Godzilla [Synergenex]

Megatron, hungry for power has scanned the DNA from Godzilla's scales. Now he has an all new powerful form powered by Godzilla's energy and strength! The Emperor of Destruction can now turn into The King of the Monsters! Takara Tomy's T-Spark Synergenex project has been creating some really cool crossover toys, but I don't think nothing has been as cool as a Godzilla! This collab brings us a Godzilla version of Megatron with a MechaGodzilla version of Optimus Prime (whom hasn't been released yet) set in the Millennium era.

Specifically the setting from Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla and Tokyo S.O.S. Which has been perfect for past collaborations and one of my favorites. You've probably noticed that Megatron uses the Studio Series 86 Grimlock figure as a base. I've seen some complaints online regarding this, but personally don't mind. I've gotten several versions of this mold because I like it. Could they have done more? Maybe, but I'm happy with what they did. Not to mention, similarities to Grimlock and Godzilla have been made since Dinosaur Robo Tyrannosaurus. 

Megatron is a Leader Class figure, thus larger than your standard Transformers toy. This is obviously fitting all things considered. It's also a nice hefty and chunky robot, which is super satisfying and fits the character well. His chest for example, with a little clever paint, actually evokes the look of classic Megatron. I really like the little Godzilla Transformers plaque dead center in his chest. A neat touch is the new head, the sculpt originated for Sludge (though I'm now being told it is a new head sculpt). Thanks to some creative painting, it looks a lot like Megatron with some scale like ornamentation. A nice little touch is that his face is painted a different gray than the silver of his helmet. It may not be immediately noticeable, but looks pretty nice and provides some depth in a mostly same colored head. Megatron has a silver repaint of Grimlock's blaster that looks nice against the Godzilla green. There's a lot of good color contrast.

Transformation to beast mode is pretty easy and fairly similar to the original Grimlock toy. This was something that stood out to me the first time I transformed the Studio Series 86 Grimlock. They really improved on the original. Considering so many toys these days have what feels like unnecessary steps in the transformation, an updated version of the original just works so well. There's something to be said for that.

Once transformed into beast mode, you've got Godzilla! Godzilla mode is clearly Grimlock in a new coat of paint, but it works pretty well. The Godzilla green carries over from robot mode and there's even more scale detail added that really looks great. Some of the translucent bit from his neck has been colored blue to represent him powering up his Atomic Breath. There's no spines sadly, but this little touch conveys it well and breaks up the green nicely. The gun can store on his back and there's some blue effect pieces that connect inside of Godzilla's mouth for that trademark fiery blast!

I'm admittedly on a high with this toy and cannot fairly find any fault with it. A Godzilla and Transformers crossover is a dream come true. I'm really impressed by the creativity used to turn one figure into the cool concept of Megatron modeling himself after Godzilla. The original mold already was a pretty nice toy, but with the new paint and details has made for one premium looking figure.

I'm really happy with it and am looking forward to the MechaGodzilla Optimus Prime. There's some upgrade kits on the way for those who want to add on some extra flair, or may be unhappy with these. I'm obviously enjoying mine, but do think the kits are neat. I hope they come with a bus for him to pick right up and throw back down. I've never said he's got to go. Go! Go! Megatron Type Godzilla!

Monday Burst

It's the start of an new week of robots, monsters, and misadventure here on Zone Base. I hope you all had a great weekend, mine was pretty good... and went by way too fast. The Mrs and I did our weekend shopping and even checked out some early Halloween stock in our local At Home and Cracker Barrel. We got some great spooky stuff and had a lot of fun. 

Ealier in the week my Godzilla Megatron came in and I didn't expect my happiness to be that high. I knew I had it on the way and that it was real. But actually holding it in my hand... wow. I'm not sure when the MechaGodzilla Optimus Prime will ship, I guess it's coming later as it doesn't look like anyone has gotten theirs yet either. Speaking of Godzilla, the Mrs picked me up some fun Godzilla stuff while on a shopping trip with her friend. She got me a bag full of Godzilla blind boxes and bags along with some Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Stranger Things, and Shin-Chan stuff. That was super nice of her while they were in Popmart heaven.

My local stores are still pretty barren. I've still not gotten the rest of the Turtles of Grayskull figures and that's causing me some distress. I really want to complete the line and feel so close to my goal. Not to mention,  not a single new Transformer in some time. I haven't gotten the Studio Series B-127 yet... and that's all they seem to have other than leftover TF One stock. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't anticipating Cyberworld so much. I really can't wait to get my hands on those! Considering the show is premiering July 12th, I'm hoping they'll be on shelves soon. I did order a case of Blokees. I sure do love them... I just wish they were easier to get!

July the 4th is Friday and I'm gearing up for the holiday weekend. It's going to be a short work week and probably a hard one too. I'm looking forward to the break though and getting some rest. Well, we've got a fun holiday week in store for you all. Thank you for reading Zone Base. I really appreciate your support and just ask that you share the site with your friends. Mutual High Fives everyone, let's get this Monday started!

Solus Prime [Age of the Primes/Deluxe Class]

Joining the ranks of the butt heads I talked about last week is Solus Prime, another figure from Transformers Age of the Primes that I had bought and almost forgot about. Solus, like Prima Prime, is a member of The Thirteen. One of the original Transformers made by Primus. Solus Prime's role is maker and creator. With that fancy hammer you see her holding in the pic, she can make just about anything.

The Thirteen Primes are the template for the Transformer race and all female Transformers are based on her. She was also in a relationship with Megatronus Prime, which obviously didn't go as planned. Solus Prime created many of the more powerful and mystical objects in Transformers lore. Personally I think it's cool that they made her a more in depth character and didn't go down a cringe route like often happens with female characters.

Solus, like Prima, has a more fantasy themed appearance. I've always liked when robots are designed with similar cues. Egyptian, Easter Island, Mid-evil, and similar design elements make for an interesting looking character. Solus is pleasantly colored in dark purple armor with gold highlights on her grey robot parts. She's pleasantly articulated, you can even move her dress (is that a dress?) in sections to allow for leg movement. Her hammer can be held by one or both hands, though you'll have to disassemble it first. Solus Prime transforms into a Cybertronian Armored Truck, and that's unfortunately where things go south.

Transformation is not a pleasant experience at all. Honestly, it feels like the alt mode was an after thought. It looks cool, but the shape suggests they initially had something else planned. There's a few spots that feel over complicated for no particular reason. The arms, for example, form the front wheel assembly. By itself it's fine, but there's an odd flat plate in both shoulders that has to be folded into the truck body. I never noticed these panels in either mode and have no clue what purpose they serve. Fitting them into their spot in vehicle mode wasn't easy for my big fingers either.

Then there's the feet. the legs fold up into the rear section of the truck. Like the arms, that's mostly ok, but getting the feet to fold into place is pretty unclear and awkward. Even looking at the instructions, it just doesn't work until miraculously it just does. Of course you'll have to knead the toy a little to get everything to align properly after doing so. It just doesn't seem to work right. The biggest problem that's actually a problem and not subjective is various parts just kept coming off during transformation. The plastic grade on some joints isn't great and various places (like the knees on mine) pop out of place while you're folding them around. It's infuriating. Several others have complained about this online, so I can be assured it wasn't a case of clumsy fingers or QC issues specifically with mine.

Truck mode looks neat, though after the unpleasant transformation it'll take a minute to appreciate. The hammer can attach to the side. You'd think since it can be disassembled that the pieces would be distributed about the mode. That's another thing that makes me think the truck mode wasn't originally intended. She folds up into a shape and there just happens to be truck parts to put into place. The dark purple and gold highlights are dominant in the form and once again look great. It's a very neat looking toy, I just wish the less than stellar transformation didn't overshadow the positives. 

Local News

Summer is a Spooky Season.

Wild Jungle Mission 5-Pack [Swapticons]

Between upcoming Swapticon waves getting revealed/leaked online and being inpatient waiting for this set at at stores, I ordered the Wild Jungle Mission 5-Pack from Walmart shortly after Memorial Day. I think it's Walmart exclusive here in the states, which may not be true, but Walmart has been the only place I've actually seen Swapticons... so maybe. You don't get much news about these sort of things online unless it's from a site's sponsor, so *shrug*. I've been anticipating this set since getting bit by the Swapticon bug for three reasons.

1. It's a mostly Beast Wars set. I'll cut a fool over Beast Wars. On their feet, so they feel me cutting them when they walk. 2. There's some choice selections here. Not just the Alligator Megatron, which was originally part of that initial Beast Wars 2-pack that I've always loved... and is apparently officially named Megatron Gator now (that's awesome). But also because of the addition of Apelinq. Not the movie Apelinq, but the BotCon 2000 exclusive Apelinq. That's super cool! 3. Because I've really been having fun with Swapticons. Despite being vastly different, they manage to fill the spots that BotBots and Kreons took. Fun and weird little Transformers like BotBots were. Then they're the fun cool mini-figures that occasionally take a deep dive into Transformers history like Kreons did.

Due to the nature of Swapticons and this being a 5 pack, there's an odd bot out. There's 2 complete sets- Apelinq and Optimus Primal (they form a gorilla) and Megatron Gator and Skullcruncher (who form an alligator). Scorponok is the back end of a Scorpion. Thanks to various leaks and reveals, I know an upcoming 5-pack has a lone G1 Scorponok. He'll form the front of a scorpion that will match up with this one. Well, kinda. It's G1 Scorponok and Beast Wars Scorponok. They'll be a little mishmash... but the idea will be there. HOWEVER, with the implied wackiness of Swapticons... you can just have an alligator with a scorpion backside. Think about that.

Let's look at these little bots individually. Apelinq is the front of the gorilla with Optimus Primal forming the rear. Both are colored pretty closely to the incarnations they're based on, but still manage to match when combined. Considering Apelinq was a repaint of Transmetal Optimus Primal, it's pretty neat that they work well together. Primal's robot arms do not hide away as well as other Swapticon arms do. In fact, they don't hide at all. There's just a set of arms hoping that you don't notice them... and they manage to blend in if you don't look very hard. The magic of unifying color. As you could expect, Megatron Gator and Skullcruncher form an alligator. Thanks to their similar color schemes it's a pretty cohesive alligator.

Due to how Swapticons connect, the alt mode tends to be a little stretched out. It works pretty well with the gators long body though. Skullcruncher is the lone G1 character in the set, but he's been paired with BW characters lately (Beast Alliance toys, for example). It works. Scorponok is the oddball like I mentioned here and... his colors look pretty nice on the square Swapticon body. He makes me think a Tarrantulas could probably pull off being a solo bot when not connected to anyone else. I'm looking forward to partnering him later on with the other Scorponok. This is a fun set. Swapticons are fun in general, but a themed set is extra neat. Thankfully there's more coming. They may be silly, simple little toys... but also a fun time. That's what a hobby is all about.

Monday Darkness

The evil of Monday is upon us Zone Base readers. Brace yourself for another week of robots, monsters, and misadventure to protect yourself! My weekend was pretty good! Saturday the Mrs and I attended the grand opening of our new Daiso store. It was a fun experience, though the long lines were a bit tedious. We got a good bit of fun stuff and plan to come back often. Local stores were pretty barren on the new toy front, fortunately my Transformers Godzilla Megatron pre-order shipped. For some reason the MechaGodzilla Optimus Prime hasn't yet, which I find really odd. I did pick up a Universal Monsters ReAction blind box and got The Wolfman! Hooray!

Sunday was a day full of household work and Super Mario Kart World. For dinner Mom ordered Olive Garden and we watched more Stranger Things. Our rewatch of the series is going well and we've completed season 1 last night. It's Mom's first time with the show and she's hooked! Mom surprised me with a Studio Series Leader Class Shockwave from Dark of the Moon! He's a really nice looking figure and a really great surprise. Well, it's time to get the week started. I've got some chores to do and content to get started on. I've been hard at work preparing for this years Halloween content. I know I say this every year, but this year's going to be great! This year has felt like a return to form for the site and I think our annual Halloween party is going to represent that. Thank you all for reading. Please don't forget to share with your friends and Mutual High Fives everyone!