It was a dark and stormy night. A lone security guard patrols the medical university when he discovers the door to the morgue is open! Upon investigating he finds Decepticon Pretenders robbing the bodies of the dead! What could those dastardly fiends want with a bunch of corpses? They plan to make an army of un-dead soldiers, THE DESTROIDS ARE HERE! Part of the reason I love Masterforce so much is that it's complete departure from traditional Transformers story telling. While other series have strayed from the trail on occasion, Masterforce was the first to go it's own path. From the spooky depictions of the Decepticon Pretenders, to the Destroids, to an outright witch... Masterforce didn't mess around. Someone wanted to tell a scary story.
Long exposure to the radiation of Dark Energon has changed Dead End. The
formerly talkative Decepticon mercenary now broods quietly in the
shadows, staring hungrily at the power cores of his fellow warriors.
He's always freaked out the Autobots, but now even his friends think he
is scary.
Super Naturals by Tonka are some awesomely creepy toys. It's an outright series of ghost action figures fighting it out in a giant tomb. The Tomb of Doom to be precise, the actual crypt where they were freaking buried! But don't worry, when they get out they have hot rods to drive around in... why not? They may not have been a big hit, but it's hard not to want to get a bunch of them. Just to sit on the floor and have an adventure while eating a bowl of candy corn. Turn out the lights and watch their glow in the dark arsenal become ghost lights. Spooky is as spooky does and these scary freaks and these can't be beat.
Vamp is one of the Monster Gobots that automatically springs to mind whenever you think about the group. Like the other Monster Gobots, Vamp's original mold is a Devil Invader toy from Machine Robo. Called Casmodon, where he varies quite a bit from Vamp. Casmodon is more of a swamp and ocean specialist, which owes to his Gilman like appearance. As Vamp, she has the power to drain power from other GoBots. I'm assuming this was inspired by the collar formed from alt mode kibble in robot form.
Thinking about it, Vamp does kinda look like Nosferatu in some ways. Regardless, she's clearly the most 'monstery' of the Monster Bots. An excellent toy as well. I wish I knew where mine currently was. There's also a larger Super Gobots version and Ripclaw from Beast Hunters is intended to be a homage to Vamp. I've always really liked the alt mode. Like the other Monster Gobots it's a weird vehicle of sorts that sorta looks like the Batmobile. Pretty fitting for a vampire robot.
It's Monday and the start of a special spooky week here on Zone Base! In observance of Walpurgis Night this weekend, every post this week will be spooky flavored! Consider it an early taste of Spooky Summer as we anticipate the big Halloween party later this year!
This weekend was a busy one. Well, Sunday was. The Mrs and I spent Sunday at the zoo. It was a fun day, but now I'm exhausted. A trip to Target Friday morning resulted in some new Bakugan and finally getting the Turbo Changers Shockwave from Cyberverse. It's the Buzzworthy Bumblebee version for what counts. We watched The Batman Saturday night. I really liked it, even though it was way too long. Really good movie and I must get a Riddler figure now. Maybe a Batmobile.
I made a quick trip to Walmart Saturday that resulted in a Legacy Kick-Back and Mech Strike Monster Hunters Black Panther and Dr. Doom! I'm certain at this point that Studio Series Soundwave actually doesn't exist. At the zoo gift shop they had an odd series of transforming animal robots. There was lion, leopard, and a tiger. I got the leopard one. We plan to do another zoo trip in the fall, I'll probably get the others then. Kinda just wanted one this time.
Hope you all enjoy Walpurgis Week here on Zone Base. Spooky Summer is right around the corner and this week is more what I have in mind to make summer a little scarier before the pumpkin spice mayhem commences. Thanks to each and every one of you for continuing to support Zone Base. There's a ton of bigger and better sites out there. Taking the time to read mine means the world to me. Please don't forget to share with your friends!
Let's look at one more of Sakomoto's E-Hobby pitches while we're on this tangent of unused concepts. Transformers Part One was similar to Bravemasters in that it would have used non-screen character toy molds from the movies. However, instead of a series taking place in a specific timeline, it was seemingly a general classic characters line. I'd like to think there would have been some fiction to go along with and give the toys a setting for these new looks to take place in. It makes me think of Machine Wars a little as is. The way we've got the classic characters in new bodies made from older toys with no apparent setting. Either way, it looks like it would have been a lot of fun.
In the distant past, "military hardware" robots were furnished and traded to numerous planetary nations and interstellar organizations as tools of the Quintessons' malevolent business dealings. These autonomous weapons would become the prototypes of the Decepticons. The newest model of this line, the Overcharges, were produced as all purpose combat units, ones incorporated with the Decepticons' distinctively evolved military technology and more than sufficiently endowed with the offensive strength necessary for global domination.
This month Rob talks about cutting a cantaloupe before going into various SpinMaster toys he’s currently enjoying. Then it’s time to talk about smaller inexpensive Transformers for a long time. Rob’s site is named after a Micromaster playset after all. Now available on Atari ST!
Spring is in the air and Halloween is around the corner. While little peaks and glimpses start in January, it really starts leaking out right now before stuff starts showing up in summer. Just this past weekend while at the Dollar Tree, there was already Halloween flavored glow sticks being stocked. The Mrs. got some Halloween nail things from there a few weeks ago. It's coming! Kicking off the spookiness is Walpurgis Night. Walpurgis Night takes place April 1st and runs through May 1st. It's something I've been wanting to incorporate here on Zone Base and this year is the year! Next week will be extra spooky in observance of Walpurgis Night as we hit the halfway mark to our favorite holiday! Boo!
Sticking with the concepts that never became a reality subject, Hayato Sakamoto also pitched a pretty simple, fun idea around the same time as Bravemasters. Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass was exactly what it sounded like, a Shattered Glass version of Transformers Prime. It makes perfect sense for an exclusive to E-Hobby line as the Prime toys were winding down around this time. Prime itself was a very popular series.
Providing Prime fans another outlet was a no brainer, not to mention, Shattered Glass itself has been pretty popular. So much that it's found it's influenced other properties. Personally, I really liked the Prime toys and would have enjoyed the new decos on the toys. While the concept of a mirror universe is fun, the cool colors have been my favorite part of Shattered Glass. Seeing that idea on Prime toys would have been pretty great.
Its a new week here on Planet Zone and where did the weekend go? It was Easter weekend and I spent most of it with family enjoying the holiday. Between gifts and stuff I bought myself I came away with some good stuff. The wife and I bought each other new shoes. That was cool, got a sweet new pair of Puma! I've got a sneaker rule. Sporty pair for spring and summer, retro/vintage type for fall and winter. Don't ask me why, but it makes plenty of sense somehow.
The Mrs picked up the new Target exclusive Silverstreak/Bluestreak. I've been looking for him. Still no Studio Series Soundwave. Starting to wonder if all those ones I've seen online are a hallucination. Grabbed a new version of Zombot who came with a converting truck and trailer friend. From that same series is a weird Diaclone style transport. I tell you random cool stuff gets snuck into Hot Wheels. Still marveling at that futuristic helicopter that'll fit a Diaclone or Zoids pilot.
Picked up Void Knight from Dino Fury. Aside from getting the rest of the Megazord, that might be all of that line I get unless there's a neat surprise. It's been a fun series. Speaking of Power Rangers, I got the Thunder and Galaxy Megazord from the vintage collection. Now just to wait for wave 2. Not to mention, this week pack of Million Warriors had a super rare figure! BTW, an Easter Basket is a great way to give someone Smashers toys. The wife put a mini light up dino egg one in mine!
The Mrs included a Platinum series Dragonoid in an Easter Basket. Die cast Bakugan are excellent. She also got me a storage case, so all the ones I've been getting have a new home. Wonder if those old Happy Meal ones I have would fit? Where are those anyway? With the case was also a Monster Flex Scarecrow. Monster Flex is a Stretch Armstrong style line of monsters. The Scarecrow is a pumpkin headed fellow that's impossible not to love. Every day is Halloween, even on Easter!
I 've got a fun week planned for you all. Thanks for reading Zone Base and continuing to support my nonsense. I know it's not some big site, but hey, it's honest. At least I don't drill you nonstop with ads. I recently renewed the registration for the site. Here's to another year! Please share with your friends, it's all I ask! Now it's time to enjoy this Nature's Bakery fig bar while watching Beyond Belief.
Transformers is a pretty big brand that's been going for a pretty long time. During that time and growth, there's been a lot of ideas that never became real. I'm going to talk about one of those right now. Mainly because it's something that I wish would have happened. That would be New Transformers: Bravemasters. Bravemasters was a proposal by Hayato Sakamoto for an E-Hobby exclusive toy line. The line was to use non-screen character Transformers movie toys in new colors as new characters.
The setting would have been the time period between Headmasters and Masterforce. A new group of Deceptcions led by Master Hell would have attacked Earth. A lone Autobot still on Earth named Brave would have been the first line of resistance with others to join him as things progressed. The series would have been a triple threat. New fans would have a virtual clean slate to pick up from. Older fans would have a look into a time that hadn't been explored much. Third, it would visually appeal to fans of Brave and give them something new.
Personally, I would have loved to see Bravemasters become a reality. It's such a cool idea and theoretically would have given some great toy molds some much deserved attention. I wasn't there at BotCon 2015 when the information was revealed at a panel featuring Sakamoto. However it's been something I've wished for since reading the panel notes. I'd have been a big fan of this series and I'm pretty sure others would have too. Ultimately, a lot of the concepts pitched at the time would have led way to Transformers Cloud. Itself a neat line exclusive to E-Hobby.
Hasbro has started releasing these super cool figures of the Megazords from Power Rangers and I'm loving it. They're exclusive to Walmart here in the states (not sure about elsewhere) and I was interested when they were first announced. Now that I have a few, I'm ecstatic with this line. They may seem simple. That's because they are simple and THAT'S the best part. You guys know me, not everything has to be super articulated for my enjoyment. However, the simplicity of these leads to what makes them great. They match up perfectly with my Godzilla toys.
While the Megazords are made from a harder material. They're also very similar in build, sculpt, and style to Godzilla and other kaiju vinyl figures. Which is a lot of kaiju fans preferred way to have giant monsters in toy form. At around the same scale as your general kaiju vinyl toy, and with similar articulation, this is a great way to pit the Thunder Megazord against Hedorah.
Considering the Playmates Godzilla toys are just a few feet away from these at my local Walmart (at one point they were right next to each other), and that many people like one series because they like the other (I was a kid who liked Godzilla movies when I discovered Dynaman one night on USA). It's all to perfect. The line consists of various Megazords throughout the history of Power Rangers packaged in VHS style boxes. The boxes are a fun little touch that allows for neat storage when they're not on a shelf themselves. Or even on a shelf in those neat boxes in a way that's easy to organize and look cool at the same time.
Ability: Whilst working on the railroads they have formed bonds with the Earth people. They are attached to their duty as ground defense. As elder brothers of Sixliner, they have shared similar experiences.
Weapons: Produce a road of light to create railway tracks from their gun.
There's something special about 'found footage' horror. Ok, sure, some of it sucks. But there's some real gems out there that'll remind you of why it can be so great. Little shorts like this one prove that simple usually is best. What's even going on? Some giant ghost follows a guy home after he sees it. I've always really liked Asian horror due to the ambience and the way the stories are told. Sure the story reaches a fever pitch at the end, but it was just as intense the entire time. It just finally catches the victim by the end. Then there's the look of the ghost. A standard white gown with long hair. Some good corpse paint style make up with the requisite blood. A staple of Halloween for a reason, it's scary. It's unsettling even if just in the background. How many times have you been out at night and seen something scary?
A time I truly miss in Transformers is from of the early 2000's. Takara started re-issuing the Micromaster combiners from late G1. Instead of gift sets, the figures would come in blind box style packaging with each combiner team serving as a series. There would be a little hole in the bottom allowing you to see the number of each member on an insert, so it wasn't a totally blind box. The insert would be a generally informative set of instructions, who all else was in the set, and a short pack in fiction. However the number wouldn't be much of an indication of you got the regular toy or the chase color version. The line would even include Landcross whom was sold as a DX Micromasters.
A Micromaster combiner team (gestalt style, not the two vehicle combiners) would consist of six robots with a unified theme. There would also be the various combiner parts included with the figures that you'd need to form the main robot after completing the set. Those combiner parts would also assemble a flying vehicle of sorts your Micromasters could pilot. The originals were normally sold in a singular box (for the most part), however in this line came individually sold in the a fore mentioned blind box.
The boxes would come 12 to a display box that'd sit on the counter of a store. These display boxes were generally how you'd buy them online if you weren't in Japan (like me). Some sties did sell them individually, but it usually was by the display box that they were bought. Enough to complete two sets of the teams would be in that box. Perfect for trading or selling. The reissues didn't have stickers like the originals, instead the details were tampographed on. If you find yourself wondering if you've found an original, that's the easiest way to figure out.
Above I mentioned the color chase versions. That's because there would be an alternate version of the team in the set. Generally in solid colors and sometimes with a faction swap. They were highly desired and generally you'd get about 75% of one in that box, leading to some trading or buying extras to complete it if possible. Later Hasbro would release these teams under the Universe banner. Individually packaged and usually exclusive to Kay-Bee Toys (here, at least) they were mostly straight repacks of the Japanese releases named after classic combiner teams instead of the original teams names. Only Superion and Devastator got new colors and were really nice looking. These are still my favorite versions of Superion and Devastator to this day.
The weekend is over and it's time for a new week here on Planet Zone! This one flew by a little faster than I expected but still had a good time. Most of the weekend was spent helping the Mrs find Squishmallows. Between hitting up a Kroger Saturday that had recently gotten a bunch to going to a few Five Below's for their most recent event. Over the course of the weekend I got some neat stuff too. The Kroger did turn up some interesting Transformers bootlegs for $2 each. They had upscaled Legend class Hot Shots and what I initially thought was Cyberjets. I grabbed an orange Cyberjet and realized shortly after it was an odd Robotech bootleg. Pretty random for a grocery store bootleg robot.
The Legacy Arcee I got last weekend was missing some stuff, so it got returned. Target had gotten some new Core Class figures, but only has Iguanus left. Fortunately that's the one I wanted most. They had a good bit of stuff, but it was stuff I already had. Hopefully I can get another Arcee soon... as well as more Legacy stuff. We checked Walmart afterwards and same story. Well stocked, but stuff I already have. I skipped getting a retro Megazord this week, but still plan on getting them all. I did get the 'Power of Grayskull' He-Man from the Netflix show. Been wanting that one, I love translucent figures. They had Man-E-Faces as well, but I'll grab him later. Out of Million Warriors, but I figure those are selling fast. Perfect thing for an Easter Basket.
Sunday was that Five Below event and we hit up a few to find ones she was after. There's new stackable Squishmallows and they're well sought after. I got some cool Bakugan (individual names are escaping me at the moment) and may make a point to complete the Mystic Pack set I see at Five Below. It's a good looking set, and I have a few already. They're just the right price there, but I do have some more expensive ones that have a lot of cool extras. Really glad I fell down this rabit hole. It's been a lot of fun.
While between Five Belows, we stopped at a Dollar Tree. Easter is next weekend and we grabbed some inexpensive stuff to make Easter Baskets for our nieces. While there I got the new versions of the Transformers bag clip figures. Initially I thought they were the same as before, but they're noticeably smaller and the sculpts look a little different. That could just be me, but they're cheap enough to not worry about an extra set. The ongoing hunt for new Final Faction figures finally came up with some figures. There's still plenty of new stuff to find, but I at least got Riptide and Amari. It's a discount line at a time where there's various issues keeping stores stocked. Just gotta be patient. Who'd have thought a discount line would be this cool? Oh yeah, me. I've been praising it since it first hit. Real ones know.
It's fun getting new figures each week and with so much new stuff hitting, it's exciting to find it as it hits. I still haven't found the new Studio Series Soundwave yet. I'd joke that I'll see Elvis first... but I already did in 2004. I've got a fun week planned for you all. Thanks for reading Zone Base and your continued support. I know it's spring time and most of you want to get out there and have some fun. So it means alot that you're still taking the time to read my nonsense. There's a new episode of Transform Squadron coming soon (I promise) that I hope you all enjoy. As always, don't forget to share with your friends!
Sneakiest of the Insecticons... if it's not bolted to the floor, it's not safe from his greedy grasp. No challenge is too great; the more difficult something is to steal, the more he wants to steal it. As insect, flies 30mph with two small jets on his back. Pincer-like antennae can slice through 2-inch thick steel. Has twin pinpoint lasers on mouth; can carry 30 tons. As robot has photon cannon.
I've been looking for a new keshi line to really get behind. It's been a while since I've had one I could really follow easily enough to have fun with. That's where Million Warriors comes in. Recently my wife discovered them and introduced them to me. I was instantly hooked. They're currently exclusive to Walmart and fairly cheap, around 5$ for a blind pack of ten. There's also 20 packs available, which I haven't seen yet and don't know the price, though I'm sure are probably inexpensive. These little guys are great.
So far the line is separated into 3 tribes that the figures fall into thematically. Astrals, Ancients, and Heroes. While the names of the tribes give some semblance of a theme, they're all over the place with little weird freaks. The figures come in various forms of availability, from common to extremely rare. As of this writing I have 30 from 3 different 10 packs and have yet to get doubles and have a few harder to get ones (according to the guide). They're made from a few different plastic molds in a few different silhouettes with the characters printed on them. This obviously helps keep the costs down and allows for a wide arrange of figures to be made and I imagine quickly.
The art style is great, reminiscent of non-sport trading cards I'd often get as a kid. The characters range from weird looking warriors to crazy mutant freaks. I love them. Opening the two packs I got this weekend with the wife was so fun and exhilarating. I was literally bubbling over with excitement with each one. They come packed blind in little paper packets in a ticket style row. The 10 packs I had held them in a package shaped like crossed swords. The 20 packs are boxes that look like shields. There is a game that can be played with them using catapults that come with the 20 packs and numbers printed on each characters back.
You've might have noticed that I'm a fan. I am and a rather fast one at that. I really cannot express just how excited I was over these guys for a good day or so. I was practically exploding. I'm still practically exploding. I exploded. They are just the thing I've been wanting and done just right for this sort of thing. A proper keshi line needs to be fun and collectible. Having easy availability and low prices is a part of that. I can easily grab a pack while at Walmart, or add it to my weekly grocery order. At 5$ a pack of 10, they're so cheap that I don't even think about it.
They're very cool and the characters make me want more. At under 1" each, so even if I get a million Million Warriors, they can be stored pretty easily. I don't know if the 3 tribes are all there will be, but so far I'm happy as is. Million Warriors is the keshi line I needed and I'm sure other keshi fans needed as well. Spin Masters makes some good toys and this is another solid line from them. I hope it's a success and they make more than a million of them.
One of the reasons I keep revisiting the Amityville Horror is that it's a classic ghost story. Don't get me wrong, the movies are terrible. The story itself is what I'm talking about. To this day I can still remember that feeling of doom whenever the classic picture of it in black and white (it always looked brown to me) would show up. It was one of those few things that made me feel as scared as it did. Not just scary, a threatening terror that was dangerous to even think about. Even though I've never been to there, it feels familiar. Instead of the movies, I prefer to watch the various documentaries about the whole thing. I can re-watch the same ones over and over. I wasn't there, but it some ways, the whole thing feels more like a memory than a story I've seen.
Recently I had a dream. Not a particularly deep dream. Not one where I questioned if I was re-living a past life or glimpsing into an alternate timeline. Just a dream, but it was weird. Often when I dream, I'm driving. Somewhere, not sure where, but driving. This time I was driving down some rural road. I have no clue where. I was technically working, so must have been a work trip. I had stopped for some food at a McDonald's and this is where the reason I'm posting resides. Apparently, in my dream, McDonald's had a Transformers promotion. An exclusive Devastator.
Like how when McDonald's was a well run place of business and you could actually get what you ordered. Back then they'd have things like movies, glasses, and odd toys that you could buy as well as your food. Ronald was on TV and on the walls. It's not just nostalgia, it really used to be a place people liked and was generally well run. In this dream where McDonald's is a competent business again, they had an exclusive Devastator. From what I could tell, it was the same box set that Walmart had a few years ago. However now it came with an upgrade set! A set of new heads for Devastator to match his appearance in various cartoon episodes. It was truly amazing!
So I stopped and of course they were sold out. It was the fist day of availability and they were already sold out. Maybe it really was an alternate reality. I went to another and they too were out. It was there I saw a co-worker carrying 6 McDevastators and a copy of the Cybertronian Field Guide out the door. I had no clue this entire time we both shared a common interest. Then miffed that they were all sold out. The guy behind the counter had a spare Devastator head that fell out of the box and gave it to me. So I had that at least, I guess.
Greetings citizens of Planet Zone, there's some schedule changes on the base you should know about. Weekly Halloween is not a Wednesday thing. Why? Well, I thought it'd be good to get back to doing the weekend update posts. However I thought I'd make it a general update and having the spooky stuff DEAD center of the week. Hope everyone likes the return of Transform Squadron, I've been getting a lot of positive feedback and there's a new episode coming soon. I also hope you all have been enjoying the extra BIOS posted. I've been a little busy lately and frankly those sometimes fill a gap when I'm brain dead. I enjoy posting them anyway, but there's usually a good reason why there may be more than one a week.
I mentioned spooky stuff up above. Everyday is Halloween on Zone Base, but as spring approaches, we're quickly approaching the Spooky Summer which leads into the 3 month Halloween party. I've decided to handle Spooky Summer differently this year. It'll still be spooky and scary, just different. I wanted to mix it up a bit and make it a little more different than the all out pumpkin spice assault. It's the beginning of April as a write this. You can expect something spooky towards the end of the month, a mini Halloween party to welcome in Walpurgis Night. I've been wanting to work it into the site for some time now and now is the time!
This weekend was a mix of chilling at home and chilling at home. There was a Facts of Life marathon on GAC Family. I'm sure you can understand. Lots of Kirby was played as well. Cooked out for the first time this year. Sure was nice to get the grill going. A quick outing Saturday evening for a few things lead to finding Legacy Arcee. That was unexpected, still can't find a Studio Series Soundwave though. Also grabbed some more Million Warriors, a Dino Strike ball, a retro Dino Megazord, and finally a Batman from the new movie (I'm waiting for it to hit HBO Max). As with the never-ending quest for Soundwave, Inwas also hoping to find Buzzworthy Bumblebee Silverstreak. Oh well. I've got a fun week in mind for you all. There's a new episode of Transform Squadron in the works soon. Thanks for reading Zone Base and please share with your friends!
