In this (late) August edition of Transform Squadron, Rob talks about the early days of Transformers Armada. Afterwards, he talks about some Halloween traditions of his. This is a very short description of about an hour of podcast. Why don't you check it out?
Admittedly these guys would be fair game to talk about all year on the Base, but Halloween just feels right. The Trash Bag Bunch was a blind bag line of mini figures kept secret in a small garbage bag that would dissolve in water. Did you get a heroic member of the 'Disposers' or one of the evil 'Trashors?'. For a garbage themed set of toys modeled after aliens, monsters, and sci fi guys the Trash Bag Bunch were pretty cool. While they'd fit more in with the USA Up All Night Halloween marathon than Turner Classics and Monsters in my Pocket, they're still at home during the spooky season.
When it comes to He-Man, we've all pretty much know what to expect. However, it wasn't always that way and was a more grim affair initially. He-Man himself was a barbarian from a jungle tribe off on adventure to fight evil when he ran across the Sorceress who gave him weapons to fight Skeletor (said evil). If you've ever wondered about the mix of mid-evil fantasy and sci fi in Masters of the universe, the original setting had Eternia left as sort of a wasteland and all the high tech stuff was leftovers from the previous more advanced society. He-Man's power weapons were some of these leftovers.
The Power Sword originally wasn't really that much of a big deal. It was literally half a sword. The full Power Sword had been split in half as it is the key to Castle Grayskull. Skeletor has the other half and really wants control of the magical castle. The armor provides He-Man with a protective force field. There's another identical set of armor that makes him stronger. I have no clue how he tells them apart. He-Man mainly used his battle axe, and shield as he was a barbarian. You know like that guy he totally isn't supposed to be. In the first mini comic appearance, He-Man has a knife stowed away in his boot. If you get his Micro Action figure, it comes with that little knife. Neat huh?
If you've ever wondered why Pepsi has always come in second to Coke... it's this commercial. Apparently filmed during a party in Hell, this nightmare gives us some lady drinking bottle after bottle while demons dance about. I've admittedly only been to a few otherworldly parties full of damnation, but fortunately never been to a nightmare like this. What's that lady so happy about anyway? There's no way all those Pepsi's were cold.
Function: Predacon Commander
"Prosper or perish is the Predacon way of life, and we plan to survive by driving the Maximals into extinction! That bat-brained Optimus Primal thinks he can challenge our strength, but he has yet to feel the painful punishment I'll give him as I sink my teeth into his furry flesh! He may still be a robot on the inside, but on the outside...he's my lunch!"
Strength: 10 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 10 Endurance: 10 Rank: 10 Courage: 9 Firepower: 7 Skill: 10
That new SD Gundam game has had me thinking a lot about Doozy Bots lately. I absolutely would have loved Doozy Bots... I need to get that game! Speaking things I need to get, it's time to get... *ahem* It's a new week here on Planet Zone!
The Mrs and I took in quite a bit of new Halloween merchandise at Target and Dollar Tree this weekend. It's not all up, but a good bit was! So cool, there's some great new stuff this year. Walmart has a very tiny amount, but more is on the way. We've been watching 'let's shop' videos and as usual our stores are a little behind others. I'm thankful that Walmart and Target seem to be getting back to having most of it ready by Labor Day. In recent years they've gotten away from it, but thankfully not this year.
As far as toys go, I got a Micro Machines Transformers blind set at Target. They had Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron stuff, but I'm holding just a little longer to get some. With all the Transformers out right now, I'm trying to be a little responsible with my spending. I got a Barbatos Lupus Rex Gunpla for a great price at Hobby Lobby. They've got boxed models 40% off currently, not bad!
Walmart I picked up Burn Out and Blurr from the Velocitron Speedia 500 set. Just need Cosmos and Override to get them all! There's more TF out there, but that's all at my stores. After I get reasonably caught up, I'll focus on some other stuff I'm wanting to get. I also got an organization case to store my TF Micro Machines at Hobby Lobby. Little toys demand proper storage. Usually I opt for plastic shoeboxes, but I decided to use the same bead organizers I use for Mega Construx MOTU.
Hopefully I'll have a new episode of Transform Squadron out this week. If anything it'll be recorded and submitted to TF Radio. Halloween is in full swing here on the Base. Thanks to each and every one of you for continuing to support Zone Base. I know theres bigger and better sites out there, so it means so much to me that you take time to read my little podunk site. Please, if you could, share with your friends. I don't have any any ads or begging, I do this for fun. I like to think we're all enjoying our hobbies together here and on the show. So that's all I ask. Thanks for reading!
It never fails. Every year the same old trick or treating safety tips. For the most part, it's good advice. There's a lot of bad people out there and you could find yourself in a lot of danger. Or could have a really bad accident. Now admittedly, it's night, and most people aren't used to seeing kids walking down the road. However, it's also an old as dirt holiday and nobody driving now doesn't know what goes on on Halloween night. I don't know, but somehow the act of wearing a costume renders you invisible to anyone behind the wheel of a car.
Reflective tape is always a good idea. Stick some of that on yourself and car lights will reflect. Usually quite obnoxiously and hard to not see. I was always a big fan of the glow stick. There's nothing cooler than a glow stick. So getting the chance to carry one was hard to pass up. Even better, tie some yarn around it and let it dangle like some creepy spirit orb. To everyone else you've just got a pink stick hanging off some string. However, in the moment, it's some kind of spooky magic.
Look, I don't know if my fondness for Beast Wars has been noticed or not. But uh... I really like Beast Wars. I also like video games. There was a few Beast Wars video games that came out during the beast era. I'm apparently in the mood for Gameboy games this week so I've got a great BW game to talk about. Duel Fight! Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle was released for the Gameboy Color in 1999. Developed by Gaibrain and published by Takara only in Japan.
As the name would imply, the game takes place during the Beast Wars, but features casts of Beast Wars, Beast Wars 2, and Beast Wars Neo. Beast Machines wasn't released in Japan until a few years later, I'm not sure why the Transmetal/Metals versions of characters were excluded. I presume it's so everybody matches thematically, but I don't know. Maybe. The game is a pretty decent 2D fighter, probably not up to snuff for hardcore fighting game players, but solid enough to have a good time. There's a few game modes and a pretty large cast of characters. I've always been impressed by that, you'd think a cartoon tie in game for kids would be basic shovel ware. But no, this is a pretty solid effort. Moon and Artemis are secret characters, and I'm always up for Moon.
Somebody, somewhere decided having kids trick or treat with a character would be a fun thing to do. In theory they were right. In practice they get your drunk Uncle dressed as Batman. In this special community event where a handful of kids get to meet the caped crusader and receive "a pot of gold". You know, it's hard to poop all over something like this... but something about... somebody help those kids. Not Batman.
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| "Well let's go!" |
Hot Shot is a young, heroic fighter who rushes into danger without regard to his own safety. He courageously charges into the middle of the fight to aid his friends in battle. He has taken charge in several battles, showing great leadership potential. But he needs the guidance of his elders before he can hope to lead the Autobots. Will he learn to be a leader who strives for good, or will his reckless nature ruin his promising future?
Strength:6 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 9 Endurance: 6 Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Fireblast: 4 Skill: 5
Brown Squirrel Furniture sells lovely chairs, sofas, you name it for your home. This Halloween, you may find yourself sitting on a sectional bought from them while watching The Great Pumpkin. Know what else is brown? The contents of your pants after this commercial. Halloween is supposed to be scary, but come on Brown Squirrel! Like every year some furniture commercial has to do a jump scare. Folks just need an ottoman and you've got them pooping their pants!
Power Quest/Gekitō Power Modeler was a hybrid RPG/fighting game for the Gameboy Color developed by Japan System Supply. Published by Capcom in Japan and Sunsoft in North America in 1998 (1999 in Europe). The game flew under the radar of most folks, I myself was unaware of it until lucking up upon it on sale. At the time I was rarely seen without my Gameboy and Power Quest turned out to be just the game I didn't know I needed. You play as a kid who's summer break from school is just starting. Summer break is about to be spent playing in the modeler tournament.
Players build model robots that they battle against each other. Models can be upgraded with parts allowing for new abilities. Of course models and parts cost money... which a kid usually doesn't have. By battling models, you're able to acquire money and parts for your model. You'll spend the game getting into various scenarios and tournaments with other kids and the villainous Hyena Gang culminating in the big tournament to win the National Championship. Game play is what you'd expect from a JRPG, but the game switches over to a 2D fighting game for battles. There's even a vs. mode if you just want to duke it out with the models. The game is a multiplayer fighting game if you had a link cable handy.
You've probably noticed I like the game. The battle robot models RPG is a game type I've been a fan of. Gundam Breaker on my tablet or Custom Robo on Gamecube and DS are all similar games that I've enjoyed quite a lot. I think it wasn't until Power Quest that I discovered the genre. Is it a genre? Maybe not, but definitely something I like. I played Power Quest for quite some time after getting it. It kept me busy a lot of nights. It's a shame it doesn't have a bigger legacy, I'd love to play a new one.
Dunkin Donuts at one time was the absolute jam at Halloween. Sadly, in their current state of being a poor mans Starbucks... they've lost their way a bit. Sure, they still have some fun Halloween offerings. It's just nowhere as great as it once was. Regardless... man... is there no better snack on Halloween than a spooky donut? Specially when coming from a seasonal box with orange, purple, and green food coloring run rampant! Though... you should probably consider eating when deciding on a costume.
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| "Respect builds great warriors." |
Function: Backhoe
A seasoned warrior, Grimlock is second in command of the construction Autobots. He looks very harsh, but is really calm and upbeat. He works closely with the Construction Team leader to pass on the tactics and experience he has gained in his many battles. He can be counted on to assess every situation and come up with a good plan of action.
Strength: 8 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 7 Endurance: 9 Rank: 7 Courage: 10 Firepower: 6 Skill: 9
It's a little late, but it's also the start of a new week here on Planet Zone! The weekend went by faster than I'd have liked, but I still had some fun! I enjoyed some early Halloween stock at various stores and took the Mrs hunting various Krogers for Squishmallows. During the outing I picked up Scourge, Clamp Down, and Road Rocket from the Velocitron Speedia 500 collection at a Walmart. Also picked up Authentics Arcee and a Bakugan Cubbo at Five Below during their Squishmallows event this weekend. A trip to the Dollar Tree resulted in several Final Faction accessory packs I've been needing. Not a bad weekend for toys!
I intended to work on some models, but an impromptu lunch with family killed some of that time. Oh well. I was planning to record this months episode of Transform Squadron today, but things happened. Don't worry, it's still coming! Just sometime soon instead of just coming soon. I almost forgot to mention. The Mrs suprised me Friday morning with a Red Cog and some snacks. I wasn't aware they made jumbo Red Vines. They do! They're just like regular Red Vines... BUT JUMBO! I've got a fun week in store for you all. Hope you like Gameboy games! Thanks for reading Zone Base, I really appreciate it. If you life what I'm doing, please share with your friends. It's all I ask!
The Canterville Ghost is a classic ghost story about an American family that moves into a haunted house. Like most classic stories, it was made into an animated special. Specifically in 1988 with quite a notable voice cast. I could list them all here, but instead will point out that Virginia Otis (the heroine of the story) is voiced by none other than Sue Blu! Sue Blu (Arcee, duh) has done a ton of work, so it's not completely surprising she'd show up here. I really don't have any jokes about this cartoon... it's pretty dang good.
While I've been looking forward to the Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron toys (only seen Boba Fett in stores, waiting for the smaller sets first), I was reminded of another cool Star Wars line from the past. Star Wars Transformers debuted in late 2005 and were pretty neat. I still recall when the news first hit of the crossover line, most fans anticipated things like Jetfire turning into an X-Wing. However the line ultimately ended up being something different. The toys were classic Star Wars vehicles that turned into robots based on a classic character piloted by a little figure of said character. It wasn't what I expected initially, but I was sold on the idea instantly. Similar to Animorphs before it, these were Transformers branded toys not connected to the greater TF fiction. Of course this ruffled some feathers... but what doesn't?
The toys themselves were pretty neat. Not only did they feature the inch man style pilots that I so love (I wonder if those will fit in the Micro Galaxy Squadron?), but they also featured some genuinely cool designs. One particular thing I've always liked was how lightsabers were used. Of course the robot would use them as a weapon, but in vehicle mode they'd be firing missiles. Think about how a laser looks in Star Wars when it's being show (pew pew) and then think about a lightsaber. That's pretty dang clever!
My favorite of the toys was the Darth Vader Death Star. The figure was large and the Death Star could contain those tiny pilot figures. A cool extra touch was the inclusion of small Tie Fighters that had simple robot modes themselves. They were pretty basic, but made for some cool drones to assist the giant Vader in battle. Probably the coolest extra was a cloth cape. Darth Vader has a cape, we all know this. However a giant robot that turns into a moon sized planet destroying space station with a cape? BADASS. This was a seriously cool figure that was all toy. Star Wars Transformers was a really great line that ran for years. I'd liked a cartoon, a game, or some kind of other fiction. However Star Wars isn't exactly hurting for fiction or games, so I can understand why there was none. Still wish there was a Darth Vader that transformed into a scorpion.
The problem with Halloween is that it's only once a year for most people. That means when it comes to things needed for the spooky season, you'll need somewhere that'll carry the spooky stuff. Costumes, candy, decorations, and plastic meat cleavers will all be needed by the end of October. There's one place that'll spring to mind... and probably will be the only time you remember it... THE PARTY STORE! Selling things available literally anywhere else for 4 times the price and usually empty except for Halloween! They'll have all sorts of neat costumes, and decorations, and off brand candy that nobody buys... it's the same bags every year. I have no clue how that place stays open, but it sure is awesome exactly one time of the year!
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| "Draw courage from defeat and you gain more than you lose." |
Function: Security Expert
Trained as a gladiator in the grease pits of Polyhex while a Decepticon captive on Cybertron. A specialist in hand-to-hand combat who is without equal. Overheats in anticipation of using his skills on those who once imprisioned him. 'I want to show them what a good student I was,' he says vengefully. His Turbo-Pack can do 450mph while attached to Kick-Off. It also converts to an air-cooled, solar-powered flamethrower with pinpoint accuracy and heat beam attachment.
Strength:9 Intelligence:6 Speed:2 Endurance:9 Rank:6 Courage:9 Firepower:6 Skill:7
I don't really need to tell any of you this, but, Hamtaro is one bad ass mother fucker. Many a cute and cuddly cartoon goes trick or treating. Hamtaro made a point to have a Burger King Kid's Meal toy set about going trick or treating. Don't let those chubby cheeks confuse you, that's one hardcore hamster.
You just know they had a giant bonfire and listened to Slayer afterwards.
A couple of months ago, my mom called me. She was at Walmart picking up a few things. They had some MOTU toys and she asked me if I wanted Moss-Man or Spikor. "Spikor!" I said with excitement, I wasn't aware he was available. "But he's stupid looking?", she said. Clearly, Mom didn't appreciate the glory that is Spikor. Speaking of glorious, ever have a Kinder Bueno with a cup of coffee? Absolutely wonderful.
Spikor is a member of the Evil Warriors that as you can see, is covered in spikes (not sure if the name gave that away). He may look like a porcupine, but that's actually his armor. In newer fiction it was revealed that the armor is magically bonded to his body making him a walking wall of spikes. He may look silly, but you try punching that. Spikor also has that trident for a hand. It's obviously handy (lol) in combat and depending on who's writing, can shoot lasers. When used in tandem with his mace, Spikor's a pretty big threat. Fortunately in the cartoon, he's an idiot.
Of course all the Evil Warriors are idiots in the old cartoon. A running theory is that the producers of the show dumbed down things to make them not as scary for small children. I've talked about how He-Man and his gang were often in the cross-hairs of the Satanic Panic groups. It's not hard to see looking back where they were coming from, MOTU is pretty line crossing at times. Spikor is essentially a walking Iron Maiden that works for a skeleton faced demon. That's a little harsh for a 6 year old.
Outside of the cartoons, Spikor is portrayed as a master of combat and a blacksmith. In fact he created the Terror Claws for Skeletor. Part of me finds that really interesting. Ultimately Spikor is a background character that just pops up every now and again, but he still has a use other than just another soldier. That's neat. Spikor may be one of the more under the radar characters in Masters of the Universe, but sometimes, those are the more interesting ones.
A person that say's 'not until I've had my coffee, is usually the kind of person you don't want to talk to after either. Regardless, some people really need that cup of Joe to operate. Thankfully, convenience stores are always there with a fresh (maybe) brew when you need one. Our friend in today's adventure is desperately in need of a caffeine to start his day. I guess he doesn't have a pot at home? He really seems like an organized guy for a monster.
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| "Think before you shoot, but shoot before you're shot!" |
Function: Aerospace Engineer
With more moves than an all-pro halfback, this clever, cool-headed daredevil is equally adept at combating Decepticons or calculating the coefficient of friction for a rocket booster. Paired with Lionizer, a roaring raging bundle of overheated circuits who can change into an atom-smashing blaster at the drop of a microchip... unless Rad can cool his engines first.
Strength:6 Intelligence:9 Speed:2 Endurance:8 Rank:6 Courage:9 Firepower:7 Skill:9
You may hate Mondays, but hopefully you won't hate the start of a new week on Planet Zone! This weekend went by fast, but I managed to have a good bit of fun. Saturday shopping resulted in myself finding the new Optimus Primal from the newer Rescue Bots style Transformers toys. I've been wanting to get that guy. Super Impulse has apparently started putting the Micro Action Figures I so enjoy in blind packs with miniture comic reprints. The comics are full sized issues at a micro size, they even come with magnifying glasses to read them with. I got Snake Eyes, Bumblebee, and Starscream in the three bought. They're the same price as the normal carded versions too! I've been trying to get the new ones of these, so that was a nice surprise.
I'd lucked up and found the new Toho series Shin Godzilla by Playmates. Been really hankering for new ones of these as well. Hopefully I can score the rest of the new figures soon. Target had Motormaster, but I held off for now. I'm trying to keep my toy budget under a certain number for now and he can be ordered later. Wonder if I can order Siege Jetfire? Missed out on that one. The Mrs wants me to make a Christmas list after all. A stop by At Home resulted in my early Halloween tradition of a $1 plastic skeleton and a skeleton dragon. Not sure how many more skeleton animals I'll get this season, but sure to get a few more. They pair so well with Battle Tribes and MOTU.
Saturday night, the Mrs and I took a late night road trip to a Loves Truck stop. There's an exclusive Squishmallow there and it was a great night drive to find one. We didn't find the toy, but I do love a late night drive down a rural back road. We're planning to go to another next weekend, but I do see a Five Below event is next weekend. Guess we'll see. We also got new Crocs. The Mrs had been wanting a new pair and I'm not going to pretend I didn't mind a new pair either. We got some Jibbitz and ordered a few more. We plan to buy 2 each every weekend. Jibbitz are cheap, but the shipping can add up fast!
Sunday, well I slept in and laid around a lot. Obon and Hungry Ghost Festival was this weekend. I stayed up pretty late enjoying paranormal television and that late night drive (listening to ghost stories the entire time) meant for a sleepy Sunday. 60+ hour work weeks can be hard as well. I did manage to assemble 2 Zoids and get started on a Demon Slayer model by Bandai though. I'd do more today, but I got the feeling some video games and napping before work tonight is more on the schedule. The weather is starting to change and that always makes me super sleepy. Here in my homestate, it's very hot during the day and pretty cool at night in August. That makes for a sleepy Rob.
I've got a fun week planned for you readers. I hope everyone is enjoying Halloween so far. We've got quite a bit of it left, but not quite enough for my liking. I'm looking forward to some dollar store trips this weekend to really enjoy the season. The cool decor is great, but my jam is really those plastic fangs y'all. Thanks everyone for reading Zone Base. It's super awesome of you to support the site. If you could share with your friends that'd be amazing. There's no ads or begging. I just hope others enjoy my nonsense.
Growing up in the 80's and 90's meant watching a lot of local TV during the Halloween season. While Disney Channel and Nickelodeon usually had great stuff going on, the real treat was local stations. The marathons of horror movies and specials sandwiched between Halloween PSA's, and montages of horror movies are a corner stone of the season for me. These might be part of why I like Halloween 3 so much. Even if you somehow missed one of the billion airings of it (or part 2) on one of these channels, you probably saw scenes from it during the montage commercials. Say what you will about Halloween 3 (and part 2), but they honestly feel more like Halloween time compared to the other movies.
Having almost every show I want to watch availible on in demand is pretty awesome. Things like TokuSHOUTsu and the Transformers Channel on Roku is amazing. YouTube... YouTube is pretty great, I mean, look at all the content I put on this site using YouTube. All this stuff is available pretty much any time of the day and any where (we've all watched Voltron on the toilet). It got me thinking though, just how much we take it for granted and the things I did prior.
I've mentioned before that I worked at Office Max in college. I had rent, a car, and school to pay for while only having McDonald's as work experience. It wasn't easy. Fortunately at 20 you're more willing (and able) to live off ramen noodles. I still was able to enjoy my hobbies, even if it could be pretty limiting due to funds (or lack of). I might not be able to order those Car Robot toys from Japan, but no problem, they're getting released here next year as Robots in Disguise. Gonna prop up with my laptop real late at night when traffic is pretty light on dial up internet and download pirated episodes in Real Media format.
The video quality is horrible, but hey, I can actually watch it. I'd often make VCD's from them and buy other VCD's online. They usually were pretty cheap, even though the quality was iffy and sometimes there would be a wrong show stuck in randomly. Usually The Tick or TMNT. I also had bootleg tapes thanks to a roommates arrangement with a nearby comic/anime/gaming store. They rented out bootleg and legal gray area sub-titled imports. My roommate had a part time job there and he was allowed to make copies of shows for us as part of the deal. I'd hit up the thrift store and find some G1 and G2 bots. Missing the gun, yeah, but it's a buck. Big Lots has some cool bootlegs. Animorphs are on clearance. I had my fun.
That Office Max I spoke of, well, it was a terrible store. Badly ran and unwisely opened up next to a Walmart. However, it had a copy center. There was a Staples and an Office Depot in the shopping center across from the highway. However mine had that Walmart, Target, Belk, Home Depot, and many other popular stores a person would go to on the weekend. They'd often pop in our crappy store to make copies so they wouldn't need to leave our shopping center. This meant that despite working in the electronics section, I also helped in that copy center. What's a shit head kid with disks full of images going to do with unlimited printing resources?
Every poster on my wall, every flier for an event, even home work was printed right there in that copy center. If I ever would have made any of those zines I wanted to make (which this site is the ultimate culmination of), I probably would have made them there. In hindsight, I probably should have helped other zine producers out.
One poster I had made for myself somehow survived all this time. It was a promotional image for the Beast Wars 2 movie. One side had Lio Convoy and Optimas Primal, the other side was Galvatron and Megatron. I thought it was awesome. I blew up the image and printed out a poster of it. That poster was stuck on every refrigerator I had for years. Every apartment, there it was. Eventually it did get retired. I still have it though, in a box. Folded up and sorta acting as a liner. It's a little dingy from the years and has that old paper smell. Like it came from a library, not something I made with a floppy disk and a color copier in the 90's. Guess that was over 20 years ago.
For a long time, Reese's was very adamant that chocolate and peanut butter combined needed to be explained. One thing that doesn't need to be explained is how integral Reese's is to the Halloween experience. We all know how coveted those peanut butter cups are in your trick or treat bag. I'd share some of those Tootsie Rolls, trade a Jolly Rancher... but you'd likely get stabbed over a Reese's. It's such a part of the holiday that the annual bat, pumpkin, and ghosts editions are a tradition almost as important as plastic fangs. There's no mystery as to why the package is orange.
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| "Know your enemy and victory is yours!" |
Function: Surface Surveillance
Sprocket is programmed to take fast, forceful action and no prisoners. This fierce warrior doesn't withdraw from a battlefield until he's covered it with the smoking wreckage of Decepticons. He drives a rebuilt, all-terrain Attack Cruiser which has the standard supply of two photon rifles, metal-immobilizing magnetic rockets, and bumper energy shields. The Attack Cruiser converts into a vector-thrust hover copter, armed with front-mounted plasma-pulse machine guns.
Strength:9 Intelligence:7 Speed:8 Endurance:6 Rank:6 Courage:9 Firepower:9 Skill:8
Carmen Sandiego is the worlds greatest thief. So great that the various law institutions of the world don't even bother looking for her. Instead they employ children to catch her! Between getting in mortal danger and probably staying up too late on a school night... seriously... somebody get an adult. When she isn't bag snatching, Carmen manages to find her way into some Haunted House Hootenanny. Trick or treat kids... a world class criminal just took your candy... and probably murdered one of your friends. Happy Fall Y'all!
Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia was added to the Switch Online NES channel a few weeks ago. It's pretty cool when they add random games like this. It gives me a chance to play them for the first time and experience something new that was released off my radar back in the day. If you're wondering about the 6 in the title, this is the 6th game out of 7. The only one released to the Famicom as it was a home computer (MSX and others I think) series. To appeal to the younger players that the system would no doubt bring in, the game was simplified a bit from it's PC version. The series isn't an ongoing story, but the same galactic war story told from the perspective of other characters in the various parts.
Game play is pretty fun, but not completely obvious when first starting. Instruction come in handy. You'll need to travel to different locations on a star map and take over them. You'll also need to protect your locations from invaders. Once entering one of these areas the game switches to a side scrolling shooter where you take command of a mobile suit. Progress through the area and defeat the boss to take control the area. At the beginning of this stage, there's a map with three different power ups (health refill, a bomb that kills everything on screen, and missiles to be fired repeatedly from off screen) to be placed where they'd come in handy on the fight. The computer roots of the series is very obvious here as the controls are pure 80's micro computer style. One fire button and push up to jump. That was hard to go back to after all this time.
The jumps can be a challenge as each planet has different gravity. Overall these areas aren't too difficult, but of course they gradually increase as you progress. Also during the star map area of the game, you may encounter other ships. Doing so will put your ship in a turn based battle with them. Daiva Story is pretty fun, but I do wish the game was translated so i could understand the story better. Holding up my phone to use camera translation doesn't always work like a charm and gets old fast. Regardless, it reminds me of those summer nights I'd stay up late playing Star Raiders or StarMaster on my Atari. Good times.
I think most of us remember that cool house in the neighborhood on Halloween. You know the one. Tons of decorations, music, lights. Maybe they have a little haunted house for the kids to go through. I'd like to think my house is the cool house, but then I see some really elaborate displays and fully admit there's much better out there. Regardless, the cool houses really make the season special. I can remember one house about a block away from mine in the 5th grade.
One of the bigger houses in the neighborhood had some kind of structure came out of the garage and down the driveway. Halloween night I found out that structure was a little haunted house built in the drive way. I don't know if they could tell who I was under my glow in the dark 'terror mask' and horror robe. And it's probably a good idea, because their older kid was a bully. The next day he would be picking on all the kids on the bus that he recognized from screaming the night before.
I don't know where he is now... but I've got the feeling he's still an asshole.
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| "I rule the skies with a heavy hand!" |
Function: Air-Defense
Over-Run takes orders from no one but himself. He pilots an advanced model Attack Copter, which has a maximum speed of 340mph, a flying range of 1200 miles, and is armed with air-to-ground magnetic missiles and a rotary photon pulse button. Also converts to a double-barreled concussion cannon emplacement.
Strength:6 Intelligence:8 Speed:5 Endurance:7 Rank:7 Courage:10 Firepower:8 Skill:8
It's Monday and you know what that means, it's a new week here on Planet Zone! This weekend flew by a lot faster than I'd liked, but that just means... well... I'd have liked the weekend to have lasted longer. Can't really put a positive spin on it, but I've still got a fun week ahead for you Zone Base readers! I did pick up the reissue Beast Wars Terrorsaur and Batman from the new Super Powers line. Really excited about it returning, that was a line I always loved.
I hoped to grab that Transformers Rarites special comic, but could not find it. Poop. It wasn't really that eventful of a weekend, I spent a lot of it wishing I was at Power-Con. One day. I did play a lot of games and watch a bunch of paranormal TV. So, still had a good time. I hope you all enjoyed the first week of Halloween here on the site. We've got a lot of spooky fun coming over the season. Thank you all for celebrating it with me and supporting the site. Don't forget to share with your friends! I've got another dentist appointment today, so I'm trying my best to be upbeat. I uh... don't like the dentist.
Local Access TV still exists even though sites like YouTube have pretty much taken it's place. However, back in the day it was a treasure trove of random at 3 AM. In 1997, a young Alex Jones would appear on Texas local access and well... do the exact same thing he does today. HOWEVER, in this clip it was Halloween and he was doing fun Halloween things while doing it! It's a time for scary monsters and spooky ghosts and he fits the bill. I wonder how that pumpkin ended up looking...
I obviously love Beast Wars as do a lot of folks. It's this great period in Transformers history that's been pretty hard to recreate. Though I do appreciate the return of sorts it's had lately. A particularly fun time during the beast era often goes by without a lot of talk. I don't know if that's slowly getting lost to time... or maybe just meant more to me than others. That would be the Fox Kid's Beast Wars. Beast Wars was originally a syndicated show. Beast Machines, it's follow up, was on Fox Kids. For a while during this time, Fox Kids also ran older Beast Wars episodes. For me this was pretty great as I wasn't able to watch every episode during the shows original run. However now these reruns fit my schedule better and I managed to catch the ones I missed. Honestly, it was aired at a particularly sweet spot for me that I never missed an episode and watched the series in it's entirety over and over until the eventual end of the run. That was great.
Fox Kids Beast Wars wasn't just reruns to supplement Beast Machines either. Hasbro/Kenner re-released some of the toys in great new colors as well. I liked Beast Machines, don't get me wrong, but I vastly preferred Beast Wars. So I was really happy to see the figures on shelves a little longer. This was still during the time where older toys had a longer shelf life. It wasn't uncommon to still find something like an Inferno or B'boom in 2000. In fact, as I was starting to have a disposable income, it wasn't until then that I was able to get some of these great toys.
Those Fox Kids Beast Wars toys themselves were something special. Like I said, they were released in fun new colors. If you didn't already have a character, there was another chance. If you did already have a character, maybe you'd like it in fun new colors. Initially these recolors were listed as powered up versions of the characters. Energon Surge Rhinox, Live Wire Dinobot for example. However they were released as their normal names. The Fox Kids toys ran for about the same length as the show aired on Fox Kids with the later figures sharing cases with the Mutants. It's not often that reruns get their own figures or can be partially credited for expanding the toy lines shelf life. But, these did. I'm not sure anyone at that Walmart I'd frequent remembers the kid in a Static-X t-shirt and a grubby hoodie late at night buying these. But 22 years later, I still look back at it fondly. It was pretty great.
It's not unheard of to pop some popcorn on Halloween. Just an easy snack to enjoy during those horror marathons while trick or treating kids. It's no surprise that Jiffy Pop would try and sell their potentially dangerous product for a spooky fun All Hallows Evening. I've only seen this commercial in the state we're watching it right now. I have no clue if it was just as unsettling when first aired, or the transfer from some millennia old VHS caused it to look this way. Either way, I don't think they intended it to look so... cursed. It's not everyday that a popcorn commercial feels forbidden, but here we are.
Function: Celestial Observer
What's this in his chest? Twelve moon reports are in there! Transform Moon!
I'm Moon, the rabbit shaped robot! Usually, my friend Artemis and I are up on a little planet circling the planet Gaia. And in upcoming "Second News" segments on TV, I'll be telling everyone the secrets of the Beast Warriors we've seen, so be sure to root for me!
(Hmph, trying to hog the spotlight all to yourself! Hey all you good kids, don't forget to root for me, Artemis too!)
Halloween is scary. It's fun, silly, whimsical... but scary at it's core. I think that's what makes this old Toys R Us commercial really stand out. After all the stuff you'd expect, there's the fun little bit with the kids in their costumes (DUDE M.A.S.K!) going out to trick or treat with good old dad while mom stays home to hand out candy. What mom's really handing out is nightmares as *poof* she's a scary witch and she's coming right at you!
You take the good. You take the bad. You take so much of Joe's crap and there you have... what the crap? Holy Crap. Days in and out of tending to the girls has lead to something horrible. Somewhere between un-clogging the toilet (she pronounces it 'turlette') after another one of Natalie's 'special episodes' and Tootie microwaving another fork... Mrs Garret apparently snapped. Turns out all that head wobbling was an early sign.
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| "Speed and power are the driving force for victory!" |
Function: Regional Ground/Air Defense
Keeps the peace on land and in the air! Full-Barrel and Overflow use their overpowering size to rumble to victory over any Decepticon adversary. Highly mobile, stock-piled to the max with energon defense armaments, including twin, wing-tip rocket launchers, pivoting high-intensity heat lasers and dual concussion mortars. Non-oxygenized, vacuum-sealed cybernetic computer system control all on-board weapons and energy output. Provides safety for Autobots under attack. Utilizing the Micromaster Combiner feature, tractor trailer separates to form two aerial defense crafts, then they combine to produce sub-orbital space station!
Strength:10 Intelligence:6 Speed:7 Endurance:5 Rank:7 Courage:9 Firepower:10 Skill:7
Today is August 1st and you know what that means? It's officially Halloween season on Zone Base! For the next 3 months we're all going to celebrate our favorite time of the year! Don't like Halloween? Well, that's weird. However, don't worry, regular site content will still continue. Just now with an unhealthy dose of Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem! It's my favorite time of the year and I'm so happy you've all come to celebrate it with me!
I've got a bunch of cool stuff to talk about this year and as usual some past favorites will be making a return. The playlist is back (even though i stuck it up early this year) and can be found on that left side bar (click the lines up top to the left if you don't see it). Thank you all for your continued support of Zone Base. Please share with your friends and even your enemies. Happy Halloween 2022 everybody, we're all going trick or treating for the next 3 months! Let's meet up and swap candy later.