Happy New Year from Zone Base!

It's a New Year on Planet Zone! I have a fun years worth of content in mind for you all, but before we get to that... dude it's a holiday weekend. You're having one too. I'm well aware that nobody is reading this. It's ok. I understand. Totes. I just hope you understand me enjoying the holiday and taking a little break in your regularly scheduled reading material... that... you're... not ... reading. Thanks for supporting Zone Base! If you were reading, all I'd ask would be for you to share the posts with your friends. Since you're not reading though and enjoying the holiday... please share with your friends! I'll be back Tuesday to start the New Year off with more robots, monsters, and misadventure!

Happy New Year!

Burnt Out, but in a good way

Burn Out is a repaint of the Legacy Skids toy with a new head released in the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection. That Skids toy is a great toy, so it's no surprise that Burn Out is also a good figure. The black and red colors along with the new head look much sharper on the toy. I like it a lot more. As with Skids, Burn Out is pleasantly articulated and transforms into a Honda City Turbo fairly easily. Both modes are quite solid and the included guns add a bit of additional play to the figure. They can be attached onto the car mode or held in Burn Out's hands. There's also the option to plug them into her arms or combine them into larger guns. It's pretty neat.

Burn Out is meant to be the Diaclone version of Skids. In G1, Skids was made from the Honda City Turbo Diaclone toy. That figure was available in multiple colors like other Diaclone Car Robots toys. This Legacy update is a fairly faithful to the original design with updated engineering. Unlike the original toy mold, this update cannot hold a driver. However you could probably plug the BotCon 2015 Diaclone pilots into the holes intended for the guns like with those figures.

Diaclones do not have an individual personality. They're driven by pilots. However, Diaclones released as Transformers DO have a personality. They're either released as new Transformers characters based on the Diaclone colors (like Road Rage). Or, like with Burn Out , they have an Artificial Intelligence that mirrors the pilots personality. Burn Out is driven by Dia, thus she's much alike her. Diaclone in Transformers fiction are much like their original counterparts. They're a military style force that pilots robots to fight threats, just now alongside the Transformers. When they expand the world with other series like this... I love it. Burn Out is an somewhat easy to get at a fairly low price new Diaclone figure that fictionally is in the same universe as the series her original line birthed. That's ridiculously nerdy... but in a very cool way.

Weekly Halloween- Diese Fahrt ist scheiße

I'm more of a dark ride guy. I like the theming and the spectacle, so when a roller coaster gets any kind of theming... it's a good thing in my eyes. But a scary roller coaster? Ok. Vampire's commercial really sells the idea with the spooky graveyard and the scary bats. It's like a little classic horror short and even the parks mascot gets in on the act! I watched some ride on videos of the coaster and it whips you through a heavily tree covered area and around the old tiny Belgium village area of the park. I really hope some guy dressed as Dracula makes occasional appearances during night time rides.

Bios: Anti-Blaze

Anti-Blaze, a junior member of the Mini-Con Council of Sages, was among those who argued most passionately against asking Optimus Prime and his Autobots for help. He felt that involvement with the larger Transformers had brought only grief to the Mini-Con race, though he now regrets his position. He has been forced to make the unpleasant transition from a relatively unknown political figure to a military leader at the front lines as he fights against Thrust and the other evil Mini-Con rebels.

Strength: 7 Intelligence: 8.5 Speed: 7.5 Endurance: 9

Rank: 9 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 8.5 Skill: 8.5

Merry Christmas from Zone Base!

It's Christmas on Planet Zone! I hope all of you reading has a happy holiday and I'll be back Tuesday with more robots, monsters, and misadventure! Thank you for continuing to support Zone Base. Hey, you know what would make a great Christmas present? Sharing with your friends!

...ok... that last bit was lame...

You better Axe somebody

Nothing says Christmas like worrying about getting laid off after it's over. The bot we're looking at today is from that same mindset! Merry Christmas! Jhiaxus debuted in the Marvel Transformers Generation 2 comics. His name being a play on the words 'Gee... axe us' as the comic had really high sales numbers to meet to not get canceled. Like everything else in the G2 comics, Jhiaxus is batshit crazy looking. From the extreme 90's face to that gnarly exposed wiring. The far out design is highlighted with bright colors symbolic of the era. This new toy of Jhiaxus from the Transformers Legacy toy line is a perfect representation of the character in that comic series.

Jhiaxus is a voyager class figure and that larger scale benefits the design quite nicely. His beefed up seeker style body should be imposing. The design just commands to be bigger. Transformation from robot to jet is pretty simple. Everything goes into place where it should without any unnecessary steps. Both modes are really clean too, not much left over kibble from either mode. With a little more features, this could be a higher priced figure. Jhiaxus is pleasantly articulated and packing two guns to properly represent the comics blood lust. It wouldn't be the G2 comic without an insane amount of violence.

I legitimately do not have a single bad thing to say about this toy. Not just because I love Transformers, Generation 2, and the character. It's because this is a really good toy. As we're coming to the end of the year, it's safe to say THIS is my toy of the year. They nailed it. I don't see how another figure of Jhiaxus can beat this one without being a higher priced offering. Even then, I'd be surprised this one's engineering wasn't the base for that supposed higher priced toy. As a Transformers fan from a certain era, this feels like a love letter from Hasbro. There were two other toys of Jhiaxus that were not super great representations of him. This, THIS is what I've been wanting since his introduction in 1993.

Weekly Halloween- The Christmas Witch

Everyone will bring up Krampus each year. It's to be expected during such a happy and cheery time. Real ones know about Christmas time monsters that terrorize kids and adults alike during the most wonderful time of the year. It used to be time for scary stories after all. Probably one of the most fun Christmastime creeps would be Gryla, the Christmas Witch. In Iceland, she's believed to take naughty children back to her cave and eat them. Her story goes back a long time and has several variations thought history, but that's the general gist of it.

She's not alone either, her kids (or brothers depending on story) tend to cause all sorts of troubles in the homes of these naughty children. They eat the kids back at the cave along with Gryla and her lazy husband. Just like most witches, Gryla has a cat who eats those that didn't get new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. Suddenly all those socks and crappy sweaters from grandparents don't seem so bad. I think whats really funny, is that thanks to so many parents using Gryla as a way to scare their children into behaving, it was actually against the law for a while. Gryla is still somewhat a common mythological character that terrorizes Iceland during Christmas. That says something to her spookiness that she's been around so long and still somewhat a real world terror to those who hear about her every Christmas. Happy Holidays... if you survive.

Bios- Kobushi

During the long years of relative solitude before and since their discovery on the Moon by the larger Transformers, Kobushi came to the conclusion that personal perfection could be attained through challenging combat. Every enemy destroyed, he believes, adds to his own power as a warrior. He has devoted his life to improving his martial skill, adapting the ancient art of Metallikato to most effectively use his diamond tipped drill arm. Landslide, the toughest individual on the Exploration Team, has been his frequent opponent, and Kobushi challenges him at every opportunity.

Strength: 9 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 4 Endurance: 9 

Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Fireblast: 4 Skill: 9.5

Weekly Update- 12/19/22

It's not just the beginning of a new week here on Planet Zone, but the first of two holiday weeks! I'm sure you're aware that Christmas is this weekend and New Years is next. With that, I have some long holiday weekends ahead of me. So the next two weeks here on the site will be a little different. Nothing major, but off schedule. Things will get back to normal after the new year as usual. I have a fun two holiday weeks in store for you all. Thanks for reading Zone Base. I really appreciate the support. If you like what I here, please share with your friends! 

Que it Up

My toy backlog seems to know no limit, and yet, there's ones I hold off on just to feel the anticipation a little longer. Wheeljack is one of those types of toys. I got him in the summer and of course it's the Studio Series Wheeljack as he appeared in the Bumblebee movie (just in case you didn't know). I've been really into these particular figures despite not getting as many as I would have liked. Readers know just how much I loved the Bumblebee movie and these Cybertronian versions of the characters were a particular highlight. They successfully took the live action movies sci fi/tech look and applied it to the traditional Transformers looks very well. There's no wonder I'm looking forward to Rise of the Beasts as much as I am. Let's watch a little of that right now.

Damn that's exfiltrating. Wheeljack was in that scene, did you see him? I've always liked Wheeljack's design. It looks really cool. Here, it looks badass. That sci fi/tech works really well with Wheeljack's traditional design. I really like the colors on that design, in car mode it almost gives me Macross/Robotech vibes. Transformation is not terribly hard, but maybe a little picky in a few instances of getting everything into place. It's a fairly predictable transformation for a car bot, but that's not something I'd complain about. Robot mode is a little short like other recent figures, but it's substantial. The figure is fairly solid feeling with no noticeable hollowness. I'm fine if the hollow parts are from transformation (within reason), but there's just none here. I've noticed the aftermarket upgrade kits just kind of polish off the toy and don't make up for any lacking instances.

Like I've said before, I'm fine with the toys being a little smaller. Not just because I have a thing for smaller Transformers, but because I've usually felt they were just a little too big. Wheeljack is a good example of that. He's damn near perfect, and the smaller size keeps it compact and avoids unnecessary negative space. If there's an argument for the smaller sized Transformers figures of late, Wheeljack makes for a good one. There's a lot of articulation as well. You could pose him in all sorts of action scenes with that gun. I do wish Wheeljack's traditional shoulder cannon made an appearance as I think it'd add something. That's not a fault either. Just something that I think would really make an already good toy better.

Bios: Prowl

This powerful Autobot enforcer is cool under pressure, but hot on the tail of the Predacons!

Firelance Missile:
- Warhead is specifically tuned to track down Predacon energy signatures.
- Even a near miss can short out flight systems, causing Predacons to crash to the ground.
- Allows Prowl to also fire a short-range burst of fire from his grille.

Strength: 7 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 8 Endurance: 7

Rank: 8 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 6 Skill: 9

 

*Prowl's bio was included with Chapter 10 of Tales of the Beast Hunters*

Transform Squadron 39- Pine Scented

LISTEN NOW!

It's Christmas on Planet Zone! Rob talks Rise of the Beasts and Christmas time! Don't shoot your eye out and listen now!

Weekly Halloween- The Cute Devil

Kid Dracula/Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun is a very fun little game where you take control of a young Kid Dracula (as the name implies) and take on Galamoth the demon. Kid Dracula uses his Dracula's (his father) cape as a weapon on his adventure. Kid Dracula is the self proclaimed Demon King, or was until Galamoth challenged him for the title. After defeating Galamoth, his title is restored and all the monsters in Transylvania want to be his friend. Despite all the monsters and demons, the game is obviously pretty cute.

It's intended to be a parody of the Castlevania series, though depending on who you ask, is part of the series. Kid Dracula being a young Alucard prior to growing up and becoming a more serious character. I prefer to take it on it's own though. It's hard not to enjoy the cute monsters and the fun platforming action. The game is available on most platforms now, but was originally a Famicom/NES game. Later the Gameboy version was released which is supposed to be both a remake and a follow up at the same time. I'm not sure how that works, but I am much better at the Gameboy version for some reason.

Return of the Galaxy

I've been having a great time with my Guardians of the Galaxy advent calendar this Christmas season. Normally, I do a Star Wars one, but like last year, they sold out before I could purchase one. However, like the GOTG movies... it's kinda the same thing. Before any of you coming in give me the 'well actually' treatment... let me explain. I'm well aware of the GOTG prior to the movies, but it wasn't until the movies until I became a fan. They were just kind of in the various comics I'd read and frankly not much more. I do wish now that I would have paid them more attention, but if I had a time machine there'd be more pressing issues I'd focus on. The movies though, *chef's kiss*.

I enjoyed the Star Wars prequels, but not as much as I wanted to. I'd have liked them to be a lot better. Before Disney restarted Star Wars, I has accepted things the way they were. The GOTG came out and well, felt like a pretty decent Star Wars movie. No, it wasn't exactly the same, but pretty close. It's in that space opera nebulous that Micronauts falls in. It's like Star Wars, but different.

So what's that got to do with the above commercial? Well, the toys came out after the movie and well... how many of those mofo's were dead by the time you got the figure? It sure was exciting to get that Boba Fett or Darth Vader on Christmas morning. The Jabba's Palace play set was an amazing gift from Santa. But uh, I already knew what happened to those dudes. Did that have any effect on my enjoyment of the toys? Absolutely not. Sometimes I'd recreate scenes from the movie. Maybe they'd be adventures prior or even after and the guys somehow lived. Sometimes I just played with my toys and didn't care. I think that's where GOTG kinda falls into this. It's that side thing that also works. It's totally Star Wars, while being it's own thing.

Did that make sense?

Weekly Update- 12/12/22

The weekend is over, but at least a new week on Planet Zone is here! Yeah, I don't blame you. I'd like more weekend too. I spent mine with the Mrs showing my mother a good time for her birthday. We went looking at Christmas lights and generally enjoyed life. I didn't really get myself anything as usual during the Christmas season, but did grab a Jurrasic World mini and Sonic the Hedgehog figurine. I on and off buy the minis. They're a lot of fun, and buy the occasional inexpensive video game figures Jazwares makes. They're a great little representation of the characters I love without costing very much money. That's important this time of the year.

It's Christmas, so I got to have the occasional clarification of Transformers and other robots. The Mrs and the mother tolerate my hobbies, but it can be confusing for people outside of the robot world. Next weekend will be spent doing one more massive shopping trip before the big day. We're going to be exhausted, but the madness is all part of the fun I suppose. Speaking of fun, I've got a fun week in store for you readers. Hopefully the new episode of Transform Squadron will get posted this week for your listening pleasure as well. If you could, would you mind sharing the site with your friends? This isn't one of those big mega sites bankrolled by the big companies, just a labor of love by a crazy fan. It's all I ask that others help spread the word. Thank you for supporting Zone Base. It's super awesome that you do.

Poindexter Robo

I've always liked Perceptor. There's just something charming about him. Before we go any further, I vastly prefer the cartoon version to the newer sniper version. This isn't a battle line to fight over, just a preference. That's why we'll be looking at the Studio Series 86 figure of Perceptor toy. I got it a few months ago, that ever growing backlog keeps getting bigger. If this was a review site, I'd be more hard pressed to get posts out about certain toys faster. That's just not what I do here though.

What I'm doing here though (today anyway) is looking at this newer figure of a classic character. It's a really solid update of Perceptor. Like other newer updates of classic Transformers, Perceptor looks like he just walked off a cartoon screen. He's pleasantly articulated and has the gun you expect him to have. Of course a microscope is the alt mode and just like always... it's not the most accurate microscope, but it'll do. Once again, it looks like how you'd expect it too. The tank mode (yes, he was always a triple changer) is right along with the same accuracy to the original. I don't know if it could fit a Microman, maybe something smaller. I didn't test that out. I could see a Mega Construx figure sliding in there without any issue.

This is really just a new update. That doesn't bother me and Perceptor is a character I'll always appreciate getting a new toy. The last one can out 5 years ago. Not the worst timing for another new figure. I've always liked his reds and blues. The bright colors really pop against such a rigid looking robot design. His design always reflected his personality to me in that way. Perceptor is this really smart bookworm who'll give you the most elaborate answer you didn't want. Then he'll drop something and say "oh dear" before hitting his head. That design is the genius, the color is the silly. I never outright desired a microscope that also turned into a tank and a robot... but I learned a long time ago that one was necessary.

Bios: Optimus Primal

"Peace is the absence of conflict and the presence of justice."

Function: Starship Captain

A veteran of the last Great War that resulted in the defeat of the Predacon forces, Optimus Primal embodies many of the Maximal philosophical ideals. He is a heroic figure whose ability for self sacrifice knows no bounds. While he understands that war and conflict are sad realities of his existence, he has made it a point to study the historical and scientific records of past generations. He believes it is the balance that his idol, the original Optimus Primal, maintained throughout his long service. While Optimus Primal has a vast understanding of standard battle protocols, he sometimes utilizes unconventional, yet creative tactics to succeed in his missions. In vehicle mode, his boosters allow the ability to move at speeds of up to 350 mph for short bursts. While in robot mode, the boosters can become forward deployed missile launchers capable of locking onto two targets independently. The boosters can also be used for flight in robot mode. While always battle ready, he believes his current mission of exploration aboard the Axalon is symbolic of the Maximal goals of peace and harmony in the galaxy.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 9 Endurance: 10

Rank: 10 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 7 Skill: 9

Weekly Halloween: Origin of the Demon

What is it about face pant that's so scary? A clown without it is just a guy in a silly outfit. KISS was just some pop rock band that were linked to Satan because of it. Your favorite wrestler? Just a little make up and evil inccarnate.

Slumdog Zillionaire

When I was a kid, Zillion was just a game on the Master System. It wasn't until gettingt older that I learned of it's toys and cartoons as well. It was around then realization that the weird laser tag gun my friend down the street had was a knock off of the Zillion light gun game released by SEGA. Zillion was a media mix series in Japan that was a collaboration between SEGA and Tatsunoko Productions. There was an anime, toys, and video games. It wasn't much more than a blip on our radars here in the States but reasonably popular in Japan. If you've ever used the Master System Light Phaser, it's specifically the Zillion gun. Pretty weird how that worked out.

Weekly Update- 12/5/22

It's Monday... ok, Mondays suck. But, also the start of a new week here on Planet Zone! I spent the weekend watching paranormal television and playing video games. Agood time was had playing The Goonies, The Punisher, and Mighty Final Fight. I also spent some time organizing Bakugan. Think I need a binder for the cards. 

It's Christmas time and I hope you all have been keeping up with my Guardians of the Galaxy advent calendar posting on social media. There's a handy link over on the side bar if you'd like to check it out. Speaking of Christmas, I don't buy myself stuff during the season, but totally splurged on Legacy Skullgrin this weekend. I get each of his figures, NO EXCUSES. 

I've got a fun week planned for you all. Thank you for reading Zone Base. There's a lot bigger and better sites out there (they'll even tell you), so it means alot that you take time out of your day to read me curse about Gobots. You can tell I'm not a bigger and better site because I never ask for money. However, if you like what I do, it'd mean a lot if you shared the site with your friends. 

I'm gonna say Gobots a Million times

I've been wanting to talk about Buggyman for awhile now. Buggyman is a Gobot that doesn't get included often when the subject of Gobots comes up. He's not one of the main characters, so that's understandable. Gobot's have a lot of different toys and were released under a bunch of different lines. I don't know everything about them... nobody really does. The best you can do use use the references available. However, back to Buggyman. He's a pretty charming little guy. Pretty much what I think of when thinking of Gobots. He's got the signature look. This is the second version of Buggyman in Gobots, the first is in blue. I actually tried to go over the variations in a recent TikTok I made on this toy. Let's watch that real quick.

@robfromzonebase Buggyman #zonebase #gobots #Bandai #tonka #machinerobo #machinemen #robomachine #revengofcronos #toys #toysoftiktok ♬ original sound - Zone Base

Honestly I'd make more videos more often, but spare time is a fleeting thing. I don't think I'm writing this posts intention to talk about Buggyman in the same way you'd talk about a toy in a review. I don't think I do reviews... I mean... it's a purely subjective subject. What's my qualifications, or anyone else's to decide if a toy is good or not? I really just want to talk about Gobots and Buggyman is going to be my example for today. Ya'll dig? I'm going to put pictures of Buggyman in for the people who don't read and just skim over the pics. They'll never know. The actual post will just be our thing. Post readers club... somebody make a hand sign and we'll all do it.

I said Buggyman (damn, that's a fun name) was what I thought when thinking of Gobots. That means a few things. First... look at that face. That's the quintessential Gobot face. It's similar to several others across all the Machine Robo/Gobot robots. That goes for that box around his head as well. Despite what Buggyman turns into (a dune buggy, it's in his name), he absolutely looks like a standard issue Gobot. All the design bullet points are met. You may second guess an oddball robot here or there, but this is definitely a Gobot on sight. Also a great example of why Gobots are so fun. The wonderful die-cast, that traditional Bandai look, those rubber tires. For what was intended to be an inexpensive toy, Buggyman is pretty high quality.

Then there's the influence, intended or not. I loved Mini-Cons when they were first released. Still do. Not only did they remind me of Micromasters... but they also reminded me of Gobots. Take Ironhide for example... it's almost a tiny recreation of Buggyman. All those random alt modes and the mixture of unique and traditional robot modes. They were almost a Machine Robo line nestled in a Transformers line. Ironically the two brands were heated competitors at the time with robot fans winning in the end.

Rise of the Beasts

WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Bios: Wolfang

Function: Infantry

A pair of glowing eyes pierce the night like twin lasers scanning for prey. Steel-plated fangs glisten as the full moon rises. A deep growl rumbles in the night air. It is Wolfang, the warrior beast, searching for Predacon enemies! Swift and agile, prefers to hunt cloaked as an animal. But, quickly converts to robot mode for battle, when he can best utilize the secret attack launcher disguised as his tail!

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 9 Endurance: 5 Rank: 5
Courage: 9 Firepower: 6 Skill: 8

Weekly Halloween- Starr of the Show

Almost every town has a local haunted house. That house the kids whisper about and everybody walks a little faster to pass by. Rebellious teenagers and paranormal types try to explore it in hopes of finding something scary. In Royal Oak, Michigan, the Orson Starr house is said to be haunted by several different ghosts. Is it real?

Picks up a Train and fucks up Town

It was just the other day I was talking about Godzilla Singular Point. Specifically, a toy from that series of Godzilla Terrestris. Today, we're taking a look at the next stage of Godzilla's evolution from that series in toy form. This is Godzilla Ultima. You may have noticed while looking at him... that's closer to what you expect. Despite a few obvious design differences for variety... that's undoubtedly Godzilla. Godzilla looks a little more like a crocodile in this form and... that's ok. I've never seen a dinosaur, but I've seen a crocodile. The dinosaurs I see on TV are not the most scientifically accurate and to be honest... the science is constantly changing so... who knows really what they looked like? But I do know what a crocodile looks like and it's a natural fit for a more animalistic version of Godzilla.

It's not unfair to compare Godzilla from Singular Point to Shin Godzilla. There's probably a lot of influence there. Between the monstrosity and the various evolutions, his atomic breath is pretty similar too. Godzilla Ultima is 100 meters tall. That's pretty big. However this Godzilla does have his differences. Each form has different crazy abilities and Ultima is practically indestructible. In fact, Godzilla in Singular Point is immortal. You may eventually kill him, but he will come back. Fuck around and find out squared.

This toy of this particular Godzilla is pretty damned neat as well. The colors and sculpted detail look great. So great that it's almost hard to beleive this isn't a more premium priced toy. He's only 12 dollars like the others. Godzilla Ultima has your standard amount of articulation for a kaiju toy of this type. Tail, head, and arms swivel while the legs move at his hip. The tail is dramatically posed, but also pretty big, so you'll be adjusting those legs to stand him up. Fortunatley most modern Godzilla's tend to have heavier hind quarters which results in a bigger center of gravity. Just a little adjusting and he shouldn't fall too easily. This is a great figure and I love looking at it. It's really great just how far Playmates has came along with these figures.

Weekly Update- 11/28/22

It's the beginning of a new week and the start of the Christmas season on Planet Zone! Hope you all didn't mind me taking a little break last week. I sure do love the Thanksgiving holiday and the extended time off. I really needed that! I spent the time watching kaiju movies, episodes of Transformers, and Christmas specials! Turns out Gobots are in Guardians of the Galaxy! Speaking of Gaudians of the Galaxy, stay tuned to my social media starting Thursday December 1st for my daily coverage of the Guardians of the Galaxy Lego Advent Calendar! In the meantime, I've got a fun week planned for you readers. Thanks so much for your support and please share with your friends!

Happy Thanksgiving from Zone Base!

It's Thanksgiving on Planet Zone! Time to get some rest and be thankful for what you have. Me? I'm thankful for all of you continuing to read my nonsense and supporting the site. If you could share posts with your friends, I'd be even more thankful. If the week's content so far wasn't any indication... I'm taking a bit of a break this week. Don't worry, I'll be back next week with more of the robots, monsters, and misadventure! But until then... I'm uh... taking a nap. Damn, I'm tired. Thanks for reading and I'll be back next week!

Bios: Squawktalk

"If you have nothing interesting to say, say it anyway."

Function: Translator

Never stops talking except to refill his fuel tank. Knows over 250 Earth and 6300 alien languages, but never has anything important to say in any of them. Other Decepticons often threaten to rip out his vocal circuitry and wrap it around his beak to shut him up. Carries two deafening high decibel sonic boomers. Combines with Beastbox to form robot Squawkbox.

Strength: 3 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 6 Endurance: 5 Rank: 6

Courage: 6 Firepower: 5 Skill: 8

Bios: Laserbeak

"The only point I like in Autobots: melting point."

Function: Interrogation

Laserbeak takes pleasure in hunting his prey -- usually the straggling survivors of a battle. Noticeably not brave. Will run for safety if threatened. Flies at speeds up to 250mph. Uses two independently targetable laser cannons with extreme precision to get information from capitves. Shortage of ruby crystals that powers the lasers can panic his systems into shutting down.

Strength: 5 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 8 Endurance: 5 Rank: 6

Courage: 2 Firepower: 8 Skill: 9

Weekly Update- 11/21/22 Holiday Edition

It's the start of a new week here on Planet Zone! Not just any week, a holiday week! Between the days off and pretty much working non-stop until then... It'll be a mini-Bios week before taking a much needed break. But don't worry, everything will return back to normal next week. Pinky Swear. Thanks so much for continuing to support Zone Base. I really appreciate it and just ask that you share with your friends!

Beast Lord Dino Robot

Dino Robot is a set I've been tracking down for a few years now. Thanks to Shawn's tip, I found a set at my local Rose's. A store I often forget exists. As you can tell by looking at the pictures Dino Robot is a knock off of Go! Goradora/Beast Hunters Abominus/TF5 Infernocus. Specifically it's a K.O of Goradora as those are the closest in colors it comes to. The individual combiner members are sized up a little being closer to Core Class scale than the Legion/Legend scale the originals were. I'm a fan of both size classes (as you probably know by now), but having more Core Class bad guys is definitely a good thing. I have both versions of Abominus, Infernocus, and multiple (but not all) of the individual uses of these molds... but no Goradora. So Dino Robot is a good substitution for the Goradora I don't have. However, I'll be refereeing to the set at Dino Robot the rest of this post because I kinda love that name. It's a discount store bootleg robot toy... it damn well better have a name like Dino Robot.

Speaking about names... these guys man. Each member's name is their alt mode, or what the shady company that made the set thought their alt mode was. Jurara is named Tyrannosaurus Rex, which is a stretch. However the original mold has been used for Grimlock a few times, so I guess it works. Barara is named Pterosaurs. Which I guess works, even though he's more of a take on Firebird from the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla cartoon. He's supposed to be a dragon of sorts, but now you can't unsee it either. Burara is Monster... which fits. Lastly both Dorara and Garara are named Double Dragon. Which is awesome. However as they both are named Double Dragon... I guess one is the NES port. These are not complete 1 for 1 matches to the originals as the colors are not exact. Dino Robot is closer to this team than the others, however.

This is a pretty good set for some knock off toys. For Twelve dollars and ninety nine cents I got what the box advertised as an 8 piece set. The Five In One Dino Robot and three weapons. Yeah... they counted the weapons as pieces to advertise on the box. The figures are larger than their original use as I said above, but don't look too bad. Considering the age of the original toys and multiple uses they look pretty sharp. Of course I don't know when this mold set was made off the original toys or if it's just a  stolen CAD file as the box art is CGI models. There is some loose joints here and there, but for the most part the figures are decently sturdy enough. Pterosaurs is probably the worst of the batch when it comes to that. Those three weapons... the group does have a problem holding them correctly and they don't connect together well either. So I just kinda had to make them work where they could.

I was pleased with how stable they were combined together. When it comes to these sets the combination is either sorta ok or a complete shit show. These guys were pretty high in the sorta ok end of things. Everything actually worked pretty well, but the legs could have been a lot better. Admittedly the original toy's legs were never so great either. This was during an era of Transformers where there was obvious sandbagging when the creatives didn't want to do something the higher ups commanded. You'd think HBK was loosing the match with those legs. Honestly, the arms are a little half assed too design wise, but considering it's supposed to be a monstrous robot... it works. Just the legs could have benefited from a little more effort. To be fair they were small toys sold at a pretty low price.

I am pretty happy with Dino Robot as is, not only does he make a good stand in for Goradora but at that bigger size makes for a great villain for the upcoming Core Class Volcanicus to fight. It's been a while since I've bought a discount store robot and that's an itch I've been needing to scratch that Dino Robot fulfilled. Despite some hit or miss points in the toy, it is a satisfying experience. For twelve dollars and ninety nine cents you're not getting a lot these days, hardly even lunch at a fast food place. So a somewhat decent robot toy set that didn't crumble in my hands (it has happened before) that definitely has a purpose... yeah. Dino Robot's ok.

Bios: Grotusque

"If it ain't fun to do, it ain't worth doing."

Function: Military Strategist

He says that nothing frightens him, except when he looks in the mirror. He thinks that everything is a big joke and acts accordingly, even during battle. Goofy, irreverent, sometimes annoying... but a top-notch warrior. In robot mode, wields a vaporator which gassifies a target's fuel, leaving it inoperative. In creature mode, has indestructible tusks. Flies at 45 mph, can leap 3 miles at a time.

Strength: 7 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 4 Endurance: 6 Rank: 8

Courage: 10 Firepower: 7 Skill: 10

Transform Squadron 38- Tryptophan X

LISTEN NOW!

Happy Thanksgiving! While observing turkey day, Rob takes time to reflect on the holiday. Godzilla turns 68, and Shogun Warriors are discussed. Transformers EarthSpark and the hunt for the Black Friday 2003 Build Team is discussed. There's talk of discount toys too! Wake up from your food coma... or maybe fall asleep while listening to this transmission from Zone Base!

Weekly Halloween- Ghost Army

Kyuukyuu Sentai GogoFive S1 E23- The Ghost Resuce Mission

Tomb Profanation Psyma Beast Zombeast or Zombeast as his friends call him (he has friends?) is a very unique monster. He takes control of a cemetery and uses the dead as his own personal army. Before long the town is overrun with murderous ghosts attacking citizens. The Rangers come to stop Zombeast only to meet a young boy who's recently deceased Grandfather is among the Ghost Army. Things are not what they seem in this spooky edition of Weekly Halloween.

Blue skinned and Bloody shielded

Godzilla Terrestris is the third form Godzilla takes in the Netflix series Godzilla: Singular Point. Like in Shin Godzilla, the monster takes multiple forms as the story line progrerssises. The there is four forms alltogehrt, with this one nearing a more traditional look and uses a mix of the roar from Godzilla 1984 and the Millinium series. Today we'll be taking a look at the new Playmates figure of this particular Godzilla. I've had it a few weeks now (as noted in a prior Weekly Update), but have been obviously busy with the Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem.

It probably goes without saying that I really like the blue coloring. It doesn't look like a traditional Godzilla, obviously, but makes for a cool looking monster (that comes later). Godzilla is more of a mythical creature in Singular Point and that comes into play with the design. To me it looks like a cross between a dragon and the Godzilla 1998/Zilla design. It's a neat look overall. My wife outright didn't think it wasn't Godzilla when I picked it up at Target. That's how different looking these earlier forms are. I'm in the middle of liking that and not liking that. I do think it's neat looking, while also wishing it was a little more traditional. It's not a deal breaker either way.

You may have noticed the paint apps end towards the end of the tail. They just do. It's screen accurate, but a little blunt in the way it stops. It looks like there should be a transition there as it changes tone. The Bandai figures do the same way. That's really my only complaint with the toy/design. That red on teal looks so great, it just feels liek a book slamming close when it stops. I like to think of it as a visualization of the sheild he creates from his own blood. I don't know why more recent versions of Godzilla uses blood so much... but I kinda dig it.

Like your standard kaiju toy, Godzilla have articulation in the arms and legs with swivels in the head, and tail. The legs movement is more for stabilization as is the tail's pose. He does have some tiny arms compared to that bulky body. This of course is part of the overall design and not a shortcoming of the toy. It's actually a REALLY good representation of Godzilla's on screen appearance in the Terrestris form. I've noted before about my admiration for these Playmates Godzilla toys and readers might remember the gradual improvement the line has made since it's shaky initial waves in 2020. The Singular Point designs may not be your cup of tea and that's fair. I really like the dragon like appearance and love that bright blue. This is a pretty big and bulky toy that nails the character's look for only $12. I can't even buy lunch for that anymore.

Weekly Update- 11/14/22

Hope everyone is ready for a new week on Planet Zone! This weekend was pretty laid back. We did some shopping and started decorating the house for Christmas. That'll be finished next weekend, but we got a good start. This is going to be a pretty busy week for me as it'll be pretty much a straight shot from tonight untill Wednesday morning at work. Aside from Saturday, I'll be working all week untill getting off for the Thanksgiving break. Not looking forward to that, but hopefully you all will enjoy the upcoming episode of Transform Squadron!

As far as toys go- Five Below resulted in a Bakugan Gorthion, a Stanger Things blind bag Demogorgon, and Mario from a Super Mario Bros. blind bag. A stop by Ross resulted in some more Bakugan whose names I can't remember at the time. The Flash and Batman who Laughs from Super Powers was bought at Walmart. Unfortunately no Transformers I didn't already have were found. Goes that way sometimes. I've got a fun week in store for you all. Thanks for reading Zone Base and please share with your friends!

Earthspark is good

Transformers Earthspark, the newest TF cartoon, premiered today on Paramount Plus. The first episode was available via a few sneak peaks that I wasn't privy to and the pirated copy floating around on Facebook that big name sites hid behind click bait links... I never had time to watch. It's an extremely busy time for me and things happen. I did manage to watch a few episodes of Earthspark today and want to talk about it a minute because I really liked it. I had been looking forward to the show and am really glad that it's turned out so good.

I won't intentionally get into spoilers, the show just came out and I'm sure you'd rather find out stuff for yourself. I will talk about things I feel are fair to talk about publicly. Lot's of this is already out as part of the marketing blitz, so you probably know most of it already. The basic premise is that the Autobot/Decepticon war is over. Megatron has joined up with Optimus Prime and other Autobots as part of an X-Files style government organization called G.H.O.S.T. that are gathering up all the remaining Decepticons that are still doing bad guy stuff.

Might as well Jump (Starters)

For the longest time, the Transformers Jumpstarters were generally pooped on by most folks in the Transformers fan world. I'm not sure why, I've always thought they were neat. I tend to gravitate towards super robot flavored space robots and that's exactly what the Jumpstarters are. They seemingly come from other DNA than the original batch of Diaclone and Microman robots. However, they were originally Diaclone toys and ironically some widely accepted original G1 bots like Windcharger hail from the Mysterians before being Microman figures. It's weird how Top Spin and Twin Twist feel like distant cousins despite being in the direct lineage.

I suppose it's the simple transformation that turns off a lot of folks, that gimmick based play pattern. Admittedly the complexity of the transformation has never mattered much to me. Sure, if it's ingenious... I'll appreciate it. I'm more concerned with the individual modes more than the trip from A to B for the most part. That being said, the pull back engine resulting in the jet flipping and transforming mid-air was always fun for me. Seeing it spotlighted in the commercial, obviously that's the focal point. Sometimes a toy isn't necessarily the physical thing, but how you interact with it.

The Jumpstarters are more popular these days than they were in the past. Newer figures are well sought after, but I think the original G1 toys can still be gotten very cheap. I clearly remember cardboard boxes with loose ones at older BotCons and buying a couple for a dollar each. Some of the knock offs and international versions are more popular than the original duo out of neatness. That new Diaclone colors version of Twin Twist has been pretty popular. Part of me hopes to see them as gimmick toys in something like Earthspark. I'd like to think in today's world of gimmick heavy children's toys that they'd be a hit. There was those Avengers Transformers that mirrored the gimmick a while back after all.

Bios: Road Rocket

"I'm faster than the speed of light!"

Function: Street Defense

Although he exaggerates actual speed capabilities, this Autobot can really burn up the pavement! Always ready to hit the throttle hard and race into battle. Constantly red lines his triple-turbo engine that glows upon reaching excessive temperature parameters. Cools off by ingesting mixture of anti-freeze and oil for catalytic stabilization. Light saber weapon dissolves Decepticon armor faster than ice cream melts on a summertime sidewalk.

Strength: 6 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 8 Endurance: 4

Rank: 4 Courage: 5 Firepower: 6 Skill: 5

Weekly Halloween- Haunted Lavatory

Public restrooms can be scary enough sometimes, let alone the ones ata  school. Though I think a ghost terrorixzing you while sitting in there just might be worse than some bully banging on the door and laughing.  Depending on who tells you the story, Hanako-san was either murdered by a stranger or a parent in a school restroom. Sometimes the story says she (sadly) killed herself or was the victim of an World War II air raid while in the restroom.

All of the origin stories are pretty sad. If you choose to summon Hanako-san, you must individuially go inside a girls restroom inside a school, knock three times on the third stall and ask if Hanako-san is present. If she's there, she's answer with form of 'yes, i am'. You'll then see a ghostly or bloody hand. Either that hand or Hanako-san will pull you into the toilet or straight to hell! Or maybe just eaten by a three-headed lizard for disturbing her privacy. Like most urban legends there's a lot of variations depending on who's telling the story. I'm assuming that person didn't actually attempt it themselves...

Bonk at the Moon

King Drool III has stolen precisely half of the moon and it's up to Bonk to save the day! I'm not exactly sure how he plans to reassemble the moon once the task is done, but it probably involves bonking it back into place with that big old noggin. I'm specifically talking about the Game Boy version of Bonk's Revenge even though all the versions have the same plot. Bonk games are generally fun platform games with colorful graphics, and weird characters/locations. The series established itself on the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 before moving to other platforms. I'm quite fond of the Game Boy (it could be my all time favorite system), so I tend to focus on those particular Bonk games.

Weekly Update 11/7/22

It's a new week in what feels like a new world here on Planet Zone! I know it's weird now that Halloween is over, but don't you worry, every day is Halloween on Zone Base! There's our weekly spooky Wednesday posts and random frights throughout the year keeping things scary even when Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem is over. I spent my weekend taking down all the decorations here at the homestead and preparing for Christmas. Good thing I like that holiday too. 

As far as toys go, I didn't buy a lot. It's getting close to the Christmas season and I tend to taper off my spending as it's not the time to think of myself. I did pick up Playmates Godzilla Ultima from the Singular Point cartoon. I was honestly surprised to find him as I wasn't aware that version was getting a new toy. It's a neat figure to own though, that's for sure. 

My mother randomly got me the Lanard Aliens Xenomorph Drone figure. There's been some new Predator figures by Lanard and I've been seeing the Aliens restocked as well. Cool, low cost action figures will be showing up more often at stores for the Christmas shopping season. Don't turn your nose at these there are some really good things among them.

I've got a fun week planned for you all. Thanks for continuing to read Zone Base. I am planning to stretch out my social networking for the site as the landscape looks to be shifting around. I'm still mulling around possibilities and kinda just waiting to see how things work out as well. However, it'll still be the same old place about robots and monsters. If you like what I do here, please share with your friends. It's all I ask!

Oh shit! What are we going to do now?

I was really excited to get the new Spike figure from the Transformers Studio Series 86 line. Not just because I really enjoy Transformers, the 1986 movie, the Studio Series line, Core Class, and everything else related to Transformers. No... well that's not just why. Spike also looked really cool. As someone who grew up with various sci fi/fantasy toys from the 80's and never left them behind (as you can see), Spike feels like a culmination of those ideas into a neat little figure. 

Spike, of course, represents his appearance in the 1986 Transformers movie decked out in his Exo-Suit. As seen in the movie, the suit has an attack mode as well as a vehicle mode that the figure pulls off pretty well. Before I go any further, let me just say that I REALLY like this figure. So I have nothing bad to say AT ALL. He is fairly articulated for a figure at his size and price. For a change, I really dig the included blast effects. I usually take them as a novelty and don't think much of them. Here's they represent the rocket fire from the vehicle modes booster pods. In attack mode, they're the blaster fire! That's nothing new... but it really did it for me this time.

Spike really feels like a natural evolution of Takara SF. All that old Microman and Diaclone art really seemed to be reflected in the 1986 Transformers movie and subsequent seasons. Honestly, if I were in the position to make convention or store exclusives, Spike would get made into a new Microman figure. Some of you are probably glad I'll never be in that position. I want repaints of this toy. Give me a Buzzworthy Bumblebee version in weird 'stealth' colors. They already use the Micronauts font in that line anyway. Let me find some weird knock off of this figure. I want that grind house feel of bootleg robot toys on this mold. I just envisioned a bootleg line where this figure is another character ala Inter-Changeables. Spike is a great version of his appearance in the 1986 movie and the culmination of so much more.

Happy Godzilla Day!

Happy Godzilla Day Zone Base reader! I can't think of a more fun way to celebrateit than the premiere of Godzilla vs Gigan Rex!

Bios: Sentinel Maximus

"...Til all are one."

Function - Matrix Guardian / Armored Transport

One of the Heralds created by Primus when it first withdrew it's consciousness to the core of Cybertron, Sentinel Maximus has emerged from the shadows of Time to serve as a guardian over Cybertron during it's darkest hour. With direct access via interdimensional datalink to the nearly limitless knowledge of Vector Sigma, he is a master battlefield tactician and an ideal leader. His perfect synergy with his Mini-Con Ape-Linq is driven by a totally unified consciousness; the two bots act as one in all things. The vast processing power at his disposal allows him to download holographic items into reality, and the power upgrade granted him by Primus prior to his ancient battle with a diabolical and long-forgotten entity from the southern polar regions of Cybertron make him a nearly unstoppable force on the battlefield.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 7 Endurance: 10 Rank: 9

Courage: 10 Firepower: 9 Skill: 10

Replay- Return of Wednsesday

Don't be sad that Halloween is over, Everyday is Halloween on Zone Base! Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem may have subsided for the time, but Weekly Halloween is here to keep your Wednesdays Weird! Today we're enjoying another 'Replay' video compilation. One thing I like about this type of ghost video is how you have to look for what's so scary about it. It's not completely obvious... and doesn't that add to the creepiness? Like, imagine a picture in your living room that's been there for years. It's the whole family. Then one day, you notice a face without a body you never noticed before.

Super Joanie loves Chachi

I'm not into sports. Wrestling is the closest I come and that's not really the same thing. Athleticism, sure, but not really a sport. I'm obviously not playing many sports based video games. There's a few I do enjoy, and it's not really the actual game that I mind... it's just I'm largely not interested. One game that's technically a sports game that I do like, however, is Super Doge Ball/Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu. Just in-case the name wasn't clear, it's a dodge ball video game and part of the Kunio- Kun game series.

You know, I appreciate the Kunio-Kun games so much that one day I should take a deep dive into the series proper and not just the old Nintendo Games. I didn't even know it was an ongoing series as a kid, I just noticed all the characters in the seemingly unrelated games looked alike. I got some insight (thanks to the internet) and I for the most part like all the games in the series I've played (Renegade, not so much). So maybe a deeper dive should go in the 'to do' list.

Happy Halloween from Zone Base!

Happy Halloween Zone Base Readers!

The big day is finally here and honestly... I'm a little bummed about that. This season FLEW by for me and I'd would have preferred it to have dragged by. It was a good Halloween season and you know what they say about time when it's good. I hope all you you have a great Halloween. I'll be sure to update my Instagram and other various social media accounts (the links are over there in the side bar -->) with my on goings and fun if your curious. I'm glad we got to spend another Halloween season together here on Planet Zone! It might be coming to a close, but everyday is Halloween here! They'll be regular Weekly Halloween and various spooky events through the year as well as the Walpurgis Week and Halfway to Halloween event in a few months! In the meantime, thanks for supporting Zone Base and my nonsense. If you like what I'm doing, thanks! You don't have to share your candy, but I'd appreciate if you shared the site.

Black cats and goblins and broomsticks and ghosts, Covens of witches with all of their hosts. You may think they scare me, you're probably right. Black cats and goblins, on Halloween night.

Trick or Treat!

Is my National Holiday

We're winding down the spooky season and it's time to dust off my absolute favorite Halloween special. The Halloween That Almost Wasn't/The Night Dracula Saved The World. It has two names depending on how it's distributed, but the same all time great. There's just something special about a bunch of TV actors getting together and putting on a silly production with an obvious shoe string production for the holiday. Well, I say shoe string... they're was obviously a lot of *ahem* substances in use. That couldn't have been cheap. The Mummy has a pretty hard time staying upright after awhile.  It's a great special though. Halloween in it's purest form.

Draculus X: Rondo of Energon

"Halloween is my national holiday!" Dracula proudly exclaims in 'The Halloween that Almost Wasn't/The Night Dracula Saved the World'. Truer words have never been spoken and there's no better time to look at Dracula's Transformers debut as Draculus. The Universal Monsters are something I truly love as readers know and as an older post would tell you, something Hasbro tried to work into Transformers in the past. Draculus is ultimately the culmination of that idea finally seeing light as he is an Official Universal Monsters crossover with Transformers. Neat, huh?

Monsters vs Teddy Bears

What happens when you have an entire town of bears? Probably nothing other than an amusing 'hey, there's an entire town of bears' being said on occasion. However, this town of bears lives in fear. Because, as you see, Monster Mountain overlooks the town of bears. The totally metal Monster Mountain ran by Dracula himself for whatever reason overlooks a town full of bears. So naturally they decide to invade. Thankfully Ted E. Bear figures out how to stop them. I assure you that I didn't just make that up, it's the plot of The Great Bear Scare... and... uh... wow.

Bios: Black Zarak

Function: Dark Emperor

Abilities: The secret weapon of the Destrons possessing the rebuilt body of the former Mega Zarak using ultra-weight metal. His size is smaller than before, but his weight is heavier. Does he hold a black hole within him? Leaving destruction in his wake wherever he goes, he is the ultimate weapon of mass destruction!

Weapons: Black Hole Cannon, Blacking Cannons, Tyrant Spear, Black Scissors, Golden Scissors.

Final Attack: "Black Thunder."- He utilizes his super-soul power at maximum strength creating a strain on the surrounding fabric of space, swallowing everything like a black hole.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 9 Endurance: 10 Rank: 10

Courage: 9 Firepower: 10 Skill: 10

House of Magoo

Mr Magoo has meet with Frankenstein before, but let's not worry about that shall we? It's Halloween and nothing better than a stay at Hotel Transylvania! Well, it's not that either, but what it is... it's a blind old man who has mistaken Frankenstein Castle for a hotel. For some reason the Dr wants to use Magoo's brain for his monster who currently has the brain of a rooster. Just watch it, it's good... I promise.

When you got the (Scare) Glow

Here to ring in Halloween is Scare Glow, the ghost of Skeletor! Not Skeletor's actual ghost, but a ghost under his service. Glow in the dark skeletons are a staple of the season and this phantom is exactly that! I've briefly talked about Scare Glow and his demonic friend before, however today we're taking a look at his Masterverse representing the spooky one's appearance in Revelation. This is the standard retail version available at regular retail, however there is a SDCC 2021 exclusive version with slightly different paint in cool evil book packaging. They are ultimately the same toy, I just thought pointing that out would be appropriate.

Appropriate is the word for Scare Glow at Halloween. Like i said, he's a glow in the dark skeleton wearing a Dracula cape while caring a scythe. Why a bigger deal isn't made of him this time a year I'll never know. Just picture it, an orange version with a black cape! Really, why Mattel doesn't have a Halloween edition MOTU toy each year is perplexing. I mean, the bad guys are literally walking Halloween decorations and the play sets are haunted houses. Yo Mattel, next time you need a fans input hit me up. 

*sigh, they won't*

Because it's Thriller Night

Nothing says Halloween like a horror marathon. The entire season and the big day itself is a great time for TV stations to pull out the classics and not so classics for some prime viewing. No matter if you prefer broadcast, cable, or streaming channels... you'll be sure to find some some spooky fun. Get a soda and kick back. Personally, I'm found of the Pluto Horror Channel and AMC's Fright Fest (as previously noted) these days (not to mention Ghostober). However like many of you, I fondly remember local TV marathons. Back then those small channels would produce their own bumpers for programing in house.

Even though the clips from today's post aren't from any of the channels I grew up with, it feels so familiar. This isn't even a Halloween time slot, it was a weekly programming block. It oozes with Halloween spirit. The vibe may be lost on some of my younger readers, but those a little older probably remember that old packaging that would often adorn such things as spooky sounds tapes and other oddball Halloween merchandise. The more low rent, the more radical the package. I don't know what you're doing Saturday, but I'm watching Thriller and playing SEGA... that actually sounds rad.