Transformers United EX: Unearthed Future

The location was a hillside surrounded by mountains. In a cliff face, a great cavern yawned open. Around it were deep holes in the ground that appeared to be part of some archaeological dig.
Before them, Combatmaster stood alone.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Autobots.”
Dodging Racemaster’s preemptive strike, Combatmaster targeted Jetmaster and fired the first shot, but Jetmaster’s form had been hidden away by his stealth capabilities. It was Choppermaster that appeared in his place, equipped with the Jet Drones.
“You’ve got something of mine there, and I’m takin’ it back!”

As a fierce battle escalated between Autobot and Decepticon, Clouder used his Assault Drones to scan the area.
“What were they trying to dig up? Is this really their base?”
The drones’ sensors detected several large fragments of metal that seemed to have been excavated from the ground, one of which was engraved with an unfamiliar insignia.
“What’s this mark…?”

As if in answer to Clouder’s question, the Decepticon Buildmaster emerged from the cave along with the stolen construction drones.
“Take your filthy Autobot hands off of that. That’s proof of a glorious Decepticon future. It’s not for your kind to defile!”
“So, you’re supposed to be the guard dog of the construction site? If you think your future is scrapmetal, I can send you there right now! Unite!”
“A miserable human stands no chance of opposing us!”

Armed with the dual powers of construction and destruction, Buildmaster retaliated in his own Prime Mode. Pitted against the fierce spinning power of his opponent’s shoulder-mounted drill, Clouder manipulated Assault Master with the link system, but his movements were beginning to fall behind…

“Clouder, you keep on movin’! I can handle this guy!”
Grimmaster let out a howl as he intercepted Buildmaster, and as the clash between construction vehicles and dinosaurs began, Clouder continued into the foreboding depths of the cave…

Fright Fighter, Come Fight It If You Dare

I'm not sure what Skeletor's intentions with the Fright Fighter are. Either he's going to fight by frightening you, or going to fight something frightening. I'm assuming it was one of the days where he didn't take a survey on what to call the newest Evil Warriors vehicle. Or did. Webstor probably spammed the ballot box. 

Either way, it's a giant dragon fly. 

The Fright Fighter is pretty on brand. The dragon fly plane this has big flapping wings, pinching pincers (in case they want to kidnap Snout Spout), and various lasers for shooting Heroic Warriors from the sky. It's a pretty good looking vehicle as well. A purple and black plane that looks just enough like a dragon fly without being over the top. Which is where the winner takes it all. Apparently in some comic stories, the Fright Fighter is an Evil Horde vehicle. Which makes sense. They could park it behind the Fright Zone and debate if they're fighting frights or fighting with frights.

Transformers EX #9: Hope For The Next Generation (part 1)

The forces of the Master Class had assembled in the Autobot headquarters. They waited to be briefed on the operation to attack the Decepticon hideout that had been located thanks to Marinemaster’s information.

Standing before them was a dark figure…
“Assaultmaster… It’s the spare body for Optimus Prime, isn’t it?”
“Exactly, Airmaster. As it is, it’s nothing more than an empty shell without a spark. But if I ride inside it, I’ll be able to interface with its Energon Matrix and mobilize it for battle, just like you Transformers.”

Clad in a protective exosuit designed for the interface, Major Clouder’s face showed a determined expression.

“This technology was developed by human and Autobot alike. It represents our dream and yours. I won’t let anyone twist it to their own purposes, and I’m not about to ask you to fight alone. Would you let me fight alongside you?"

As the Autobots nodded the affirmative, Jetmaster put the group’s sentiment into words.

“You bet we would, Major Clouder. We trust you with our lives.”
“Thank you. In that case, Autobots! Let’s transform and roll out!”

Out At Night

@cortesospina14

para los q lo pidieron si la carita

♬ Música de Terror - Rafaela dos Espíritos

Summer is a Spooky Season.

The Singular Point Of Godzilla

Godzilla : Singular Point debuted on Netflix here in the states this weekend after what felt like forever. The prior Godzilla anime trilogy on Netflix was hard to enjoy. Sure there was good stuff, but by part three I was done. Singular Point, however, has been more enjoyable so far (I'm about halfway through). 

Singular Point manages to be both frantic and in no hurry. The story revolves around two different groups performing different investigations. They are brought together by the ongoing chaos that's just fun to watch. The show is funny and weird and kind of gives me SSSS Gridman vibes. I'm surprised by how much that I like  Rodan. Going by all the lead up material, I wasn't completely sold. 

Like everything else, Singular Point isn't for everybody. Your experience may vary, and that's ok. It kind of feels like a Millennium era story. Which would be the ideal era for a Godzilla anime to take place from. It's hard not to love the Otaki Factory. I want to hang out with them.

This Ain't No Last Week

It's the start of another new week here on Planet Zone! Robots, Monsters, and Misadventure are the flavor of the day here and I've got a full menu planned for you this week. Spooky Summer/Summerween is in full effect as we're heading into July. With it is the July 4th holiday weekend, which means a much needed mini vacation for me. I plan on doing some grilling and organizing my toy room in between napping a lot. Since summer is a spooky season, I sure do plan on watching some scary stuff! Speaking of spooky, there's a new Not as Brightly Lit up for you to enjoy! I still got a week until that mini vacation, but I'm not phoning it in here. Thanks for continuing to support Zone Base. Please share with your friends!

You know, if they would have called the Mario movie anything else...

Transformers United EX#8: Ocean Encounter

It was an ambush that reversed the flow of battle. The cruel assassin Tankmaster, who had revealed himself from deep within the scrap, pressed his gun to Grimmaster’s head in lieu of an introduction.

“Death to the traitor…”
These were the only words he would utter to his targets, punctuated by a single gunshot. After solemnly speaking this phrase, he began to pull the trigger… when as if by magic, the pistol flew from his hand.
The shot had come from the glistening ocean waters. A speedboat tore through the water towards the landfill, soaring through the air and transforming as it neared land.
“An Autobot?!”

Before him was Marinemaster, who had been patrolling the ocean waters.
“Don’t get too full of yourself, kid. Want to see what I’ve up got up my sleeve?”
Tankmaster’s Targetmaster partner attached to his arm in the shape of a giant claw, ready to intercept any fire. But Marinemaster, like a hovercraft skimming across the waves, displayed the same nimble footwork on land as he fired a perfectly-aimed shot from his own Targetmaster.
“What’s wrong? If you blink, you’ll miss me!”

“I’d rather not take your life, so maybe you could give me something in return? That’s assuming you don’t want to go down with the ship alongside your captain, of course.”
Marinemaster addressed his incapacitated foe.
“You’re no executioner, boy.”
“Maybe not, but at a time like this, I’ll do what I have to.”
Marinemaster’s young face wore a conflicted expression, but Tankmaster noticed a resolve in his optics that matched his words. Perhaps this was why the captive seemed oddly quick to comply.

“My life belongs to Megatron alone. I owe nothing to the so-called “High Regent” leading our forces on Earth…”
And so, the Autobots would learn of a grand scheme in play…

Halloween Thrill Kill

Code Orange- Seemingly out of nowhere, the trailer for Halloween Kills was unleashed upon us all. We're all a little better for it. One thing I've always enjoyed about the Halloween movies, is that even with the various restarts and reboots, they keep the world building going. Lonny's kid, the original kids whom Laurie babysat, all sorts of things just keep coming back. You know, as much fun as we had last Halloween, the pandemic still put a hampering on it. This trailer helps me feel like we're really taking it back this year.

Beasts Awaken, Then Rise And Shine For Breakfast

I honestly was going to hold off talking about Transformers:Rise of the Beasts/Transformers:Beast Awakening for a little bit. Right now it's been announced and a few details have been given out. That's nice, but whatever there is to talk about has already been. The announcements and various rumors that may or not be true is all we have to go by for now. Not to mention, with the daily bios and text fiction I've been posting, I didn't want to overdo it. But there's a few things I'd really like to say about the new movie. Do people still say YOLO?

The new movie will be following the Bumblebee movies newer narrative. Notice I didn't say reboot? That's because Bumblebee was both a prequel and a reboot. You could take it as a new beginning or an earlier adventure he had. Transformers has never had the tightest continuity and that's always been pretty evident. At best it's been a squint a little and shrug before saying 'ok'. I'm not making excuses here, just stating the facts. For me and to the film makers, it's the follow up to Bumblebee. Which I loved. So I'm happy.

We've got Autbots, Maximals, Predacons, Terrorcons, and Decepticons. This is starting to look more like  an adaption of the 2001 Robots in Disguise. That ain't bad y'all. Optimus, Bumblebee, and a few other Autobots will get into an adventure that will see them cross paths with the other groups during the 90's in what looks like an epic road trip adventure. That sounds super fun. I do worry that there will be too much going on and that could bring down the movie. However big budget spectacles can still be really good movies. So we'll just have to wait and see. I hope it's good. If it's not, well, it wouldn't be the first time I've seen a bad movie. It's ok, I have a life.

Just like the other movies I'm looking forward to the new toys and all the cool promotional tie ins. It's a lot of fun and a big part of the reason I enjoy a new movie so much. I went nuts over Energon Igniters in Bumblebee. I'd love to see something like that return or some way cool Legion Class beast bots! Of course Studio Series versions would be wanted as well. It'd sure be cool to get a Cheetor combo at Burger King. Wait, no. A Maximal Meal at Beast King. I'll take 10!

Transformers United EX #7: The Price Of A Life

“Where am I…?”
Engaging his optics for the first time after falling into stasis in the mountains of Switzerland, Choppermaster was greeted with the familiar surroundings of the Autobot base. Through blurred vision, he could see Airmaster’s face.

“It’s a good thing my partner, Deduce, could use his probability assessment function to home in on that flammable gel you like so much.
Airmaster winked at his teammate, who had just been returned thanks to his rescue efforts.
“They got… their hands on the drones? Scrap!”
“Come on now, we can make new drones! Let’s just be happy you made it back with your spark intact.”

However, their reunion was suddenly cut short by a cacophonous tremor.
“You’re up, Groundbreak! Bust ‘er open!”
With the sound of this voice, a gaping fissure opened in the floor, from which emerged a Decepticon armed with a huge drill.
“How ‘bout that, doctor Dozermaster’s makin’ a house call! No thanks needed, just fork over those construction drones to Master Chaos!”

“Not a chance! But how did you manage to find…”
Airmaster wondered incredulously as he shielded Choppermaster, who had drifted back into unconsciousness during the impact.
“Little slow, ain’t ya! Your copter friend there is only alive ‘cause of Combatmaster’s plan. You didn’t just bring him back, you showed us right to your base!”
Unconcerned with being alone in an enemy base, Dozermaster grinned wildly.
“And it gets better! The tracking beacon on your cannon-fodder pal there has got a nice bomb inside. So, the detonator for the drones. Not a bad trade-off, right?”

Thanking the maker that his teammate couldn’t hear him, Airmaster wasted not a second in giving his decision.
“I’ve had enough of these struggles for power… My sole duty is to save the lives of my friends!”

Not As Brightly Lit: Re-Fanged

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A sudden migraine inspires Rob to revisit an older episode of the show that many haven't heard. The plastic vampire fang, one of Halloween's most hallowed traditions. 

Transformers United EX#6: Destruction And Regeneration

After a sharp descent, Jetmaster toppled weakly to the earth of the landfill. Struck by a volley of fire during transit, Grimmaster had fallen from the same altitude seemingly unscathed, but was at a total loss as to what to make of the situation.
Before his eyes appeared a dusty brown Transformer who could be none other than their attacker.

“You can call me Roadmaster. Just a humble mercenary by trade. Thing is, it just so happens I’ve been hired by your former employers.”
“You must be with Master Chaos… That means you’re the enemy!”
Already combined into Prime Mode, Grimmaster readied himself for combat..
 

“Whoa, take it easy, there! How about you come on back to the Decepticons? The High Regent’d give you more credits than you could ever want. Just think about it! Bein’ a good guy doesn’t pay the bills. What’s in it for you?”

“I’m not lookin’ to get paid! ‘Specially after you went and hurt my buddy! And guess what, I was never real big on thinkin’, anyway!
His offer refused, Roadmaster feigned regret.
“That’s a shame… Guess that means your career ends here and now!”
With these words, four drones burst from the surroundings as if being born from the wreckage.
“Let me show you what the funding and tech of the Decepticons can do… this is my army, the Road Drones! Unite!”

The two Prime Modes clashed, and Grimmaster used the sharp fangs of his right arm to dig into Roadmaster’s left, tearing savage chunks from it.
Although wincing with pain, Roadmaster was undaunted.
“Hah! This landfill is my playground! Don’t ever underestimate a Junkion!”
With a magnetic intensity, the scrap metal around Roadmaster was drawn towards his body, covering and instantly repairing his wounds.
In a clash between destruction and regeneration, which would emerge victorious…?

Drink Some Fucking Kool-Aid This Halloween

Ever need to retreat to your happy place for a little bit? Same. It never occurred to me that individual Koo-Aid packets would make for a great treat. Which in hindsight is all so clear now. They're small, cheap, and just about everybody loves a glass of the stuff. Just right for washing down a mouthful of Reese's. 

I love the imagery in this ad, the orange jug makes for a good jack-o-lantern while the costumed kids are waiting with their treat bags open. Though I do wonder if the homeowner just plans to pour a little in each kids bag. Considering I always had an old man throw donuts right from the box into my bag unwrapped... damn icing everywhere.

What if that image is to scale?

Transformers United EX#5: The Dragon Pays His Dues

On a rocky mountain ledge, five dinosaur Transformers were raging wildly as if flaunting their raw power. Boulders were smashed into pebbles, sharp gusts of wind punctuated the strikes of a tail, and the earth shuddered with thunderous footsteps. In this place known as “Dinobot Island,” a new Master was making the final adjustments to his drones.

“I’ve got a message from Major Clouder of the Department of Defense!”
Having just touched down on the island, Jetmaster addressed the dinosaur Transformer before him with a cool glare.

“After suffering two attacks from the Decepticons, the Race Drones fortunately escaped unscathed, but our military drones were lost to the enemy… Choppermaster remains unaccounted for. Placing a high priority on this phase of the operation, senior command hereby orders Grimmaster and the Dinobot Drones to prepare for deployment. …That’s what the man said.”

“You guys want… me?”

A contrast to his fearsome appearance, Grimmaster’s somehow gentle eyes darted around nervously.
“Hey, not my decision, but they called you in. Just don’t try anything shady…”
Jetmaster barely avoided referring to the Transformer as an “ex-‘Con.”
“Y’know, I’m real sorry. But look, I’ll fight good and help you guys out!”
As Grimmaster looked at him earnestly, Jetmaster’s expression softened just slightly.
“Well, nobody’s trying to say you’re not tough enough. But, I’ve gotta know. Have you really been training alone here for going on 10 years?”

“Oh yeah! Gettin’ in with the Master Class, I wanted to get real strong so I could do somethin’ for ol’ Earth, and all my human pals here, too! Gotta respect the chief after he saved the life of a ‘Con like me, y’know? And hey, I’m not alone… I got my buddies with me!”

As Grimmaster spoke, four Dinobot Drones emerged to gather around him, each calling out to him familiarly as if affirming his will. “Buddies, eh? Arright, get ready for duty, Grimmaster!”

Something In The Parking Lot

Summer is a Spooky Season.

Code Orange

Soon.

I'd Buy That Slime Toy For A Dollar

 

Dollar store toys can be an odd thing. Some items seemingly get reused in various discount lines. The Neba Neba Vacuum toys, I think fall into that category. I swear I have that skull. Neba Neba Vacuum is a simple slime toy (neba neba means sticky) that's been recently found at Daiso stores in Japan. I'd been recently seeing it pop up in my views and not to long ago one of my favorite YouTubers covered them (that's the picture above's source). 

They're little weirdo characters with included slime. By squeezing the toy, you can either suck up or squirt out the slime. It's not a totally new thing, but silly fun to play around with. As you can see the assortment ranges from spooky to silly and gross. Of course my attention is on the spooky ones. I swear I've got the skull one from another discount slime line. Honestly it's the box art that's got my attention so much. Just look at it, it's majestic! I'd love a sticker set of these guys. The spooky guys are just right to pair with your Ghostbusters or other figures that might find themselves in such a predicament. I'm thinking the perfect pairing for Battle Tribes action.

Do The New Week

It's the dawn of another week here on Planet Zone and you know what that means! I've got another fun week in mind for you all! There's a brand new Not as Brightly Lit available for your listening pleasure. Thanks for continuing to support Zone Base. As always, share with your friends! 

Transformers United EX#4: Weapons Of A New Generation

The young Autobot Racemaster was in the middle of transporting his assigned drones. Despite the incredible speed with which he had been imbued, he had little choice but to obey the speed limit of Earth to the letter of the law.

“Choppermaster, what could’ve happened to you? Did you get caught in a batalla that put you in stasis?” To an Autobot born with a mental acuity that outpaced his current movement speed many times over, this regulated drive seemed nothing more than a dull errand. As his processor speed alone continued to rise, the transport trailers that flanked him appeared to drift in slow motion.

“Wait… If the Decepticons did get their hands on the drones, that means I’m about to…!”
Suddenly, as if to confirm Racemaster’s suspicions, his sensors lit up and a hail of missiles rained down around him. “Your little drive ends here, boy. You may choose between surrendering the drones, or facing certain destruction at my hands!” As Combatmaster emerged from behind the girder of a bridge, Racemaster observed the four drones stationed atop buildings around the highway, each with their weapons pointed squarely towards him.

“Resist if you like… but I believe the drones you transport are still unequipped. Do you really intend to fight me barehanded?” Combatmaster inquired smugly.
Hearing Combatmaster’s challenge, a bold grin flashed onto Racemaster’s face.
“You must’ve put a lot of effort into positioning your ambush just right. I see you’ve got a lot of confidence in your tactics… But I’ve still got the ultimate weapon on my side!”

No sooner had Racemaster spoken these words than his drones burst out from their trailers, moving in unison with him as they tore off with blinding speed. Thought and decision in a split-second. The sheer speed of Racemaster’s calm mind was truly his greatest weapon. “Going at it head-on isn’t the only way to fight, hombre! This is what we Earthlings call a brave retreat!” Combatmaster made haste to combine with his drones, but the five targets nimbly dodged his all-out assault, soon disappearing from view.

The Web Of Darkness Is Always There

I love Discovery Plus. Allegedly there's some really informative programming on there, but all I've watched is paranormal and true crime shows. The newest really took me by surprise. It's an horror anthology with similar production values as Are you afraid of the Dark?, Goosebumps, and Tales from the Darkside. Needless to say, I love it.

The series official description reads- "Deep beneath the outer layers of the internet is a web of darkness, inhabited by the unexplained and the unnerving. Inspired by true events, these terrifying tales are brought to life to thrill, chill and feed the need for supernatural delights."

An episode will generally go like this. Bumper segments of a computer screen displaying web search results or an online chat leading to a scary story which is then played out for us watching. Each segment is around 10-15 minutes resulting in episodes with around 3-4 stories. Allegedly 'inspired by true events', so I figure it's sourced from various no sleep posts and creepypastas. It's the perfect show to binge and fill the gap until Halloween. Web of Darkness is exactly what we needed this spooky summer.

Transformers United EX#3: Prelude To Siege

The battle between Autobot and Decepticon for the Power Core Drones was one that would determine the course of a new generation. Two Transformers crouched in the snow, both precariously low on energy. Around them were scattered four drones. Then, laughter rang out beside them.

“You should know that victory all comes down to strategy… Unite!”
As another Transformer, Combatmaster, calmly appeared on the battlefield, the four drones obeyed his will and merged together with him.
“Ung.. How could the Decepticons know about the project… They’ve got their own Master Class?”

Paying little attention to the gravely wounded Choppermaster, the cool-headed strategist Combatmaster lifted his injured comrade up off the ground.
“We’re called ‘Master Chaos.’ Of course, you’ll be the first and the last Autobot to ever know that name. Farewell.”

Speaking these words, Combatmaster fired off a barrage that struck the snowy slopes far above them. Moments later, the area resonated with a soft echo. The sound grew louder and louder, and soon a thundering avalanche swept toward them. Leaving the wounded Autobot to meet his fate, Combatmaster flew off into the distance.

Inside the secret Decepticon underground base, Combatmaster saluted the visage that appeared on a wall monitor.
“Very soon, High Regent. All of the Power Core Drones will be under our control.”
The figure he addressed showed not even a hint of emotion in response, with a face as expressionless as a mask.
“Use the combiner created from your data as a diversion… While the Autobots are occupied, we shall seize victory. We are the rightful masters of the next generation.”

Not As Brightly Lit: The Doll

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Rob talks about the newest early peaks of Halloween merchandise hitting stores. Then we listen to an episode of Weird Circle called "The Doll". Originally airing on November 10 1944, it's a story of an evil doll that's a little different than others.

Transformers United EX#2: In The Blazing Alps

In the deep snow among the Swiss alps, an Autobot helicopter, Choppermaster, hovered as he issued commands to four drones, which in turn struck their practice targets with unerring accuracy.

“Controlling these drones is no problem. The merge test should be a cinch.”
The next moment, he was struck by a burst of cannon fire from the ground.
“How do you feel now, Autobot?”
As Choppermaster plunged to the ground and slumped down in robot mode, a Decepticon stood regally before him with enormous claws outstretched.
“You seem to have lost your vigor. Perhaps “Rollermaster” should seize those toys of yours… Unite!”

Responding to Rollermaster’s command, the four combat drones came together as his arms and legs. The Decepticon’s newly-formed Prime Mode wasted no time in bathing the training grounds in a sea of fire.

“Sorry to say, but that outfit doesn’t suit you!”
Choppermaster emerged from among the flames, his partner Firebug having converted into protective armor to shield him.

“I’ve heard that old folks can’t figure out the latest toys. I’ll show you how to play!”
Detaching from Choppermaster’s chest, a gatling gun emerged from Firebug as he slid into the Autobot’s hand. The next moment, Rollermaster was ablaze with flames.
“My body… it’s burning! What trickery is this, Autobot?!”
“You like the taste of incendiary gel? Guess nobody told you, I love playing with fire!”
The two continued their combat, unaware of the gaze focused upon them…

Mosquitor And His Juicy Belly

Nothing combines both the elements of spooky and summer quite like Mosquitor. A member of the evil Horde who will drink your blood, and a giant mosquito as well. Mattel even put a window in his chest so you can see the blood collect. Just pump the button on his back and see blood slosh about. 

The blood gimmick was used before on Mattel's Gre-Gory. A big vampire bat who of course would suck your blood. Gre-Gory was a little more viscous with his bloody chest though. Not just a tank being pumped full of blood, nope, straight up internal organs. Clearly somebody at Mattel is into blood and guts. You know my joke about He-Man fighting a bunch of living Halloween decorations? Yeah.

Transformers United EX #1: The Mighty Bolt

It is the 21st century. The never-ending war of the Transformers had once again shifted its stage to outer space, and it seemed as if a moment of peace had returned to the Earth. Yet even then, the Autobots were preparing themselves for the possible threat of a Decepticon attack, working together with the scientists of Earth to develop new armaments.

The system known as “Power Core Combination” was a new method designed to allow one Autobot to combine with four drones possessing a range of abilities, forming artificial limbs around the “core” of the Autobot’s body. The prototype Energon Matrix installed within them would regulate and unify this power, effectively creating a new warrior. The first candidate for the process was an Autobot born on Zone. A covert operations specialist who had become recognized for his stealth capabilities, upon successfully combining with the drones and achieving Prime Mode, he was given the codename “Jetmaster.”

It was the first day of field testing. Combined into Prime Mode, the sight of Jetmaster effortlessly defeating the training Novabots evoked recollections of Optimus Prime’s might in battle with the Decepticons.

“Not bad! This power puts me right up there with Optimus! I was right when I figured you Earthlings knew what you were doing.”

Jetmaster’s cheerful banter seemed forced as he tried to mask his actual amazement.
“Enough sneaking around, already. Any ‘Cons show up, I’ll take the lot of ‘em down myself!”
The development team marveled at the success of the project…

“The results of the experiment are just as we’d hoped. But knowing the Decepticons, I’m concerned that this power may be too great for them to overlook.”
As Professor Chase spoke, he considered the grave situation that could result from a single error in the use of this immense power, and felt a moment of uncertainty pass over him.

Inside The Museum

Summer is a Spooky Season.

A Soldier Of The Stars

I love to play Star Soldier even though I'm terrible at it. Flying around in space ship Caesar and taking down Starbrains (dying a lot in the process). It's a particularly old school space shooter that's still fun. It's on a few different systems, but I grew up playing it on my NES. Like other shooter games, repetition is the key to really getting good and working your way through the levels. 

These day's I regularly pay it on the Switch Online service. Of course there's a big difference between starting over and over during summer break in middle school and being an adult. So admittedly after dying a few times I tend to give up. Still I love to play it on occasion. It's got a bunch of sequels and I'm bad at those too. At least I'm consistent.

Let's Survive Another Week

It's Monday and you know what that means? GHIDORAH IS ATTACKING THE CITY! It's a new week here on Planet Zone where everyday is an adventure! Speaking of adventure, hope everyone enjoyed the Tales from the Beast Hunters. It finally wrapped up Friday with chapter 24, but don't worry, I've got another Transformers story on the way with daily updates! There's a new Not As Brightly Lit for some Halloween fun in summer ready for your ear buds! Thank you for continuing to support Zone Base, I've got a fun week in mind! As always, please share with your friends!

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 24: Prowl

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 24

The moment Megatron fires the first blast, Prowl has his tactical subroutines run an analysis, but it's not until he sees the Predacons surging into the sky to attack the Decepticon leader that he really understands what's happening. Even Megatron fears the consequences should Predaking learn that the other beasts are still alive. So he's taking the most direct route, hoping to destroy the Predacons before their existence ever becomes a problem. Bumblebee converts to robot mode and moves to charge towards the action, but Prowl stops him. Why commit themselves to a battle when they can sit back and watch Megatron and the Predacons tear each other apart?

Replay: Never Really Alone

 

Summer is a Spooky Season.

Sssqueeze You Into Pieces

When it comes to the various bad guys He-Man has to deal with, the Snake Men make the most sense. A group of reptilian people really fit in a fantasy themed setting. Each member is a little ridiculous, but Masters of the Universe itself is over the top. Then there's Sssqueeze. He has some long ass arms.

The idea is to simulate a snake constricting. That's not a bad idea and it makes for a pretty neat gimmick. You can wrap Sssqueeze's arms around He-Man in deadly affection. Part of me always has wondered if he just took big swiping punches to clear a battle field. It's not so much the fist that you'd need to worry about, but the forearm. Think he ever tripped over his arms?

BTW, you guys seen the Revelations trailer yet?

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 23: Night Shadow Bumblebee

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 23

After the injuries he suffered in the raid on the derelict starship, Bumblebee understands why Autobot Ratchet has him on light duty. That doesn't make patrol alongside Prowl any less frustrating. He feels fine! So why can't he be out with the rest of his team kicking Predacon tail? With Predaking defeated, the Autobots are free to chase down the rest of the beasts, and hopefully neutralize them before their leader even realizes they're alive. And yet here Bumblebee is, driving down remote backcountry roads alongside Prowl, who wouldn't know action if it raced up and dented his fender. Just as Bumblebee decides he's in for the most boring mission ever, there is a crack like thunder from the sky. Then Megatron streaks down out of the stratosphere, his cannon firing a pulse of energy that blasts the top off a nearby mountain.

Not As Brightly Lit: A Corpse For Halloween

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Things are starting to get spooky as Rob talks about the first inklings of the Halloween season that he's found locally. Then we listen to an episode of Inner Sanctum from 10/31/1949 called 'A Corpse For Halloween'. It may be hot outside, but it's a brisk autumn day in our minds!

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 22: Sharkticon Megatron

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 22

Trapped in a tangle of ancient wreckage, his comm unit so damaged that he can monitor what is happening on Earth but cannot transmit, Megatron seethes with rage. He gropes around in the pitch black silence of the ancient wreck, but he feels nothing but rubble. Until suddenly, his hand happens upon something new. It is the grip of a weapon - unclaimed by the Autobot raid - one that is familiar, though he never thought he would hold it again. He feels memories stir deep within his data banks, and remembers a time long ago on a world consumed by savage hunger. His damaged systems surge to life. The jagged metal pinning him shifts, then twists and warps, bonding itself with his body, repairing damage, but also changing him. His nightvision systems restored, he looks down at the weapon in his hand. It is an object of incredible power - enough, perhaps, to bring the Predacons under control, and do away with the Autobots for good.

Ghosts Love Hardee's

Hardee's used to be a place people liked to eat at. Now they're generally located by an off ramp with a 'under new management' sign up every few months. I can't tell if it's abandoned or just a Hardee's. Regardless of it's current state, they had a Ghostbusters 2 promotion in the summer of 1989. It's Ghostbusters Day (as I'm writing this) and a great time to talk about that.

I ain't 'fraid of no ghost. 

But I'm terrified to eat at my local Hardee's.

I've actually talked a little about the Ghostbusters 2 promotion here before. I wanted to talk about it again. Because I like Ghostbusters and am a sucker for fast food promotions. This one in particular had a ton of neat stuff. There was collectible cups which were large sized plastic cups proudly displaying the movies logo. At the time large plastic fountain drink cups were not a common sight, so it felt a lot more special than it was. Such a thing would generally be reused a few times before being repurposed as a pencil holder on your desk.

Then there was the Slimer Sundaes. It wasn't much in hindsight, a cup of vanilla soft serve with some green slime syrup. But 30 years later I'm still thinking about it. There was the Ghost Blasters. I specifically talked about them in that prior post. My Dad hated them. The coolest though, was the kids meal. Your food would be served in a plastic box shaped like an Ecto-1, a Gigameter, or one of two ghosts (Slimer or purple guy). Kid's meal containers shaped like things was a Hardee's specialty. They'd come with stickers for customizing. It was a pretty good time that I'd love to do even today. Like right now.

There was also posters for the movie available. Just in case all the Ghostbusters 2 signage around the restaurant wasn't enough, you could take more home and hang it on your bedroom door. The posters had attached coupons for return visits. Which maybe if you did, you would have gotten one of the plastic lunch boxes. I never saw these myself, but maybe you did. With Ghostbusters Afterlife coming soon (I swear if there's another delay) I can only hope for a burger place with a promotion as cool as the one Hardee's had.

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 21: Vertebreak

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 21

Vertebreak can't sense much from the murky interior of the Hyperevolution Chamber in which he waits, half-awake, to be reborn. But he knows that he is being moved. The steady flow of information into his mind from the data connections installed by Shockwave ceases first, and then there is a sensation as the chamber is lifted. He cares little for any of this. All he wants is to be free of the little chamber - to be free to hunt, to fight, and to destroy. He longs to feel the rush of battle. Luckily, he doesn't have long to wait. After a short time in darkness, the chamber opens and Vertebreak smells the familiar air of Cybertron.

The Conjuring Made Me Part 3

This weekend saw the release of 'The Conjuring: The Devil made me do it', which is officially the Conjuring part 3 and the 8th movie in the series. The 'true events' the movies are based upon would be the adventures of the real life Ed and Lorraine Warren. As a kid I was a big fan of so called real ghost stories books and The Warrens had quite a few. I still remember my friends and I being terrified of Raggedy Ann dolls thanks to the real life Annabelle in elementary school

By the way, I'm going to try and be as spoiler free as I can be. Though just in case, the rest of the post is after the jump. (Unless you're reading a direct linked page)

Mondays Are Evil

It's a new week here on Planet Zone! Spooky Summer is in full swing and I'm looking forward to enjoying some scares with all you. Speaking of something spooky, there's a new Not As Brightly Lit available. Halloween merchandise is going to start flowing into local stores over the next few weeks and man I'm excited! It's that fun time of the year where you can enjoy the pleasantries of summer while looking forward to the awesomeness of Autumn. Thanks for continuing to support Zone Base. I don't have any ads or anything, the only thing I ask is that you please share with your friends!

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 20: Knock Out

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 20

With Megatron missing, Predaking running wild, and the other Predacons wreaking havoc all over Earth, Knock Out begins to think it might be high time to vacate the planet in favor of somewhere less occupied by dragons. Lucky for him, Shockwave seems to have the same idea. The Decepticon scientist comes to Knock Out looking for his expert help in packing up what remains of the destroyed cloning lab - including the final two Hyperevolution Chambers. Knock Out isn't entirely certain it's wise to be bringing cargo this dangerous with them - but he doesn't really care as long as Shockwave pays for his help by getting him off the planet.

Don't Loose Your Head

Summer is a Spooky Season.

Mega Drive PC Optimized

If I had my way, Zone Base would be made on a Mega Drive PC. Like... if there was an add on kit for the Genesis Mini to make it a functioning Mega Drive PC Mini, we'd be there right now. Instead I'm driving around thinking about what could be with tears in my eyes. There truly is no easy way out, nor a shortcut home. 

It's easy to forget how different the home computing world was in the 80's and 90's. Personal computers weren't as standardized yet leading to households having a variety of options by Atari, Commodore, and other companies. It wasn't uncommon for game console makers to offer their machine as a home computer on it's own. 

At the time, it wasn't a terrible idea. Most home computing revolved around word processing, spreadsheets, random software for various tasks, and of course games. The internet was a lot more limited than it is now and even what it was by the end of the 90's. The Mega Modem was a reasonable solution for online needs at the time, even if it was a bit slow for some things. A lot of time has passed since then and they way we compute is way different now. But man, there's a certain charm to those old micro computers that just can't be replicated.

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 19: Arcee

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 19

Arcee has been watching the pattern of attacks on her fellow Autobots with great interest. They are savage and devastating, yes, but they are also random. What's more, the Decepticons have been no where to be seen. Her tactical processors tell her that the Decepticon forces are in chaos - and just as concerned about the Predacon threat as the Autobots are. That's why, when she finds herself tracking Ripclaw to a hidden cave deep in the Canadian Rockies, she transmits the location directly to the Decepticons. Why should the Autobots risk themselves against the Predacons when the Decepticons are probably more than willing to do it for them!

Fearsome Flush Ain't Taking Crap

When The Real Ghostbusters get scared, they flip the crap out. That's fair enough. Think about it, if you or I saw a ghost, we'd probably run away screaming. These dudes, they literally deal with ghosts all the time. So when they get scared, it's pretty serious business. That leads us to this commercial.

Happening upon a werewolf in a junkyard scares Ray so much that he has to take a shit then and there. Right in front of Winston. Fortunately there's a random toilet just laying there. It's probably not connected, but at least it's better than making a Fright Feature in his pants. Unfortunately, the toilet is FEARSOME FLUSH! The demonically possessed toilet!

I'm not sure if a sudden mouthful of poop is what pisses him off so much or that he's just being a scary ghost. Who's a toilet. Either way it sends Winston and Ray packing as other ghosts kiss their back causing them to display new Fright Features gimmicks. I'll be honest, this is a pretty weird commercial. Also, what happened to the Werewolf Monster? Was the plan all along to send them to Fearsome Flush? Or did he just leave?

Fearsome Flush will be re-released at Walmart this summer. I'm pretty happy more Real Ghostbusters toys are on the way. It's a nice way to lead into the all new Fright Features figures coming soon. Not to mention, who wouldn't want a ghost toilet? Just think if it was a Conjuring movie. Ed and Lorraine Warren have this old toilet in their basement museum... it's evil is truly unknown until Judy make a terrible mistake on Taco Tuesday...

Not As Brightly Lit: Summerween Is In The Air

Download and Listen Here!

Summer is beginning, which will be leading into our favorite time of year. This week, Rob talks about where the first glimpses of Halloween at retail stores will be this summer. Sure, we're all sitting around the swimming pool, but we all have pumpkins on our mind.

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 18: Beast Fire Predaking

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 18

Even as his blasters spew nova-hot flame across the quickly melting walls of the ancient starship, Predaking scans the cargo hold for signs of the powerful weapons the Autobots have come to find. So focused is he on holding off Optimus Prime and accomplishing his goal that he does not see the skulking form of Lazerback, flitting from shadow to shadow. No one does, in fact, and even as battle rages, the Predacon saboteur manages to plant enough explosives to utterly annihilate the derelict ship. When the charges detonate, all of the combatants are caught off guard. Predaking watches as his Autobot opponents escape with a precious few of the weapon crates in their possession. Only when he turns o make his on escape from the disintegrating starship does he see Megatron, surrounded by fire, plunge helplessly through the damaged floor, followed by hundreds of tons of debris.

Everywhere I Look

Summer is a Spooky Season.

Zodac Goes Swimming

Toy news is a fickle things. When it comes to big ticket, 'collectors' pieces, you'll know about a year ahead of time that it's coming. The other stuff will be discovered by news sites after you've already got it. That's the story with the newest Mega Construx MOTU set. The Skeletor head sets have been around since late last year. They're neat little sets that are basically a build-able accessory with a figure. The head can also serve as a means to display them. They also look cool. Who doesn't love a plastic skull?

The new discovery is that apparently in the current shipments, the Fisto set has been replaced by Zodac with SCUBATTACK! This is a certainly a welcome addition, but also a confusing one. In the picture to the side, I sloppily cropped out the new toy with arrows to point out what to look for. As you can see, it looks practically just like the other heads. Gold/Bronze face with light purple hood (enlarge the picture by clicking on it). 

Unless something was to alert you that this one was different than the others, you may not pay attention to the fact that it was indeed not. It's been the talk of Mega Contrux MOTU groups all weekend. There's two in a shelf pack, like there's two of each set normally. These sets are generally at Walmart and Target in my area and easy to come by, but only the older sets. I've got to basically wait for stock to get swapped out for the new head. Which may or may not be anytime soon. It may be a long game as it wasn't until spring when they showed up at my local stores. It's just a matter of regular checking until I get one, which a week or so later the news sites will report it.

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 17: Beast Hunter Optimus Prime

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 17

With Ultra Magnus the latest casualty of the Predacon assault, Optimus Prime decides that enough is enough. Whether the new weaponry discovered by Bumblebee is ready or not, the Predacons must be stopped. Donning the heavy Firebreath Cyclocannons, Optimus Prime steps outside into the hot desert air, determined to find Predaking and bring him down one way or another. He doesn't have far to look. The Predacon leader has come looking for him, armed to the teeth and ready to destroy every last Autobot. That's when Optimus Prime receives a transmission from Autobot Ratchet. "Sir," says the scientist, "I've figured out how to activate our new weaponry. Sending the information to you now." Within moments, the Autobot leader feels power flowing through him, and he knows even before it begins that the fight against Predaking can only end in victory.

The Boglins Say: Hold Onto Your Dooky, Because Summer Is Spooky

I don't care what the calendar says, Memorial Day is the start of summer and you know what summer means on Zone Base? The beginning of five months of spooky shit! Summer is a spooky season and that will be observed here all through June and July. August? Technically part of summer, but also the official change over to Zone Base's Halloween celebration!

Just in time, the new Boglins will be in stores and into our hearts this summer! The Halloween ones will be in time for a pumpkin spice latte! There's even 'gold horned' editions exclusive to Walmart! I can't think of a better way to kick off the scariest time of the year!

This year looks to be a winner for us spooky minded folks. There's all sorts of cool things on the way and all sorts of scares coming up. Since I've started 'Not As Brightly Lit' this year the site has gotten a lot of new visitors. If this is your first spooky season here on Planet Zone, don't worry, all the regular content isn't going anywhere. Spooky Summer is the prelude to Halloween where I post all sorts of scary stuff in addition to the normal content.

They'll be more scary subject matter, paranormal/creepy stuff, and all sorts of macabre until August. That's when the pumpkins go up and we celebrate three solid months of Halloween! If you're here for just the regular content, it's not going anywhere either. I'm about to post a whole lot over the next five months. It's time to do the Monster Mash here on Zone Base, and the Transylvania Twist too. Thank you all for reading. Please share with your friends, and don't forget...

Summer is a Spooky Season.