Bios: Powerhug

Function: Judo Expert 

The Insectrons' Judo Master, Powerhug is covered with an incredibly durable shell. Straightforward of character, for some reason he speaks with a Kyushu dialect. Long ago, he apparently had a nasty experience with the Autorollers, and is hoping to settle the score. His special skill is the Hug Hell Wheel, in which he rolls into a ball and delivers a body blow. In beast mode, his fangs and tail become alloy cutters. His crushing Power Hug pinions his enemies. 

Strength: 9 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 9 Endurance: 10
Rank: 8 Courage: 8 Firepower: 6 Skill: 5

Godzilla '57 X-Ray Glitter (Godzilla ReAction/Super 7)

Guys, I love Super 7's ReAction figures. They do so much fun stuff that it's ridiculous. The Mrs loaded up my stocking this past Christmas with several of their blind box Godzilla figures much to my delight. The only doubles I received was this wonderfully translucent variant of the Godzilla '57 figure that was so cool I didn't mind having extras. I spoke about the other blind box version of Godzilla '57 a little while back. This is the same idea but in a different direction. As the name says (it's literally a description), this is the X-Ray Glitter version. X-Ray meaning translucent and glitter... because glitter. It's a common variation in these types of things with different colors available for different versions. X-Ray figures are an evergreen cool toy aesthetic and despite there already being Microman Godzilla toys, I can't help but to dub this a Time Traveler Godzilla. I love the translucent green paired with the gold glitter.

IT'S SO PRETTY.

Airazor (Beast Battle Masters/ Beast Alliance)

Let's take a look back at the Beast Alliance toys from last summer. I was quite the fan of them and plan on covering the entire line here even if posts are sporadic. I've managed to collect all the toys from Beast Alliance (the Hasbro version), and Airazor here was the hardest to get. If this was a social media post, I'd follow that up with a 'lol' and maybe a laughing emoji. I found Airazor at Publix, of all places, while picking up the Mrs and I up lunch from their deli.

Grocery stores can be interesting places to find toys and Publix occasionally has a good selection. The only problem is... the price is more than you'd pay at a regular store. Normally Airazor would be $5, but I paid $10. Which honestly, got under my skin. I expect to pay more the the three 'Burning' Battle Masters exclusive to Japan whenever I get them. However, a $5 figure whose class normally stayed in stock... well that's a pisser. I had assumed her being in the end of the line, she'd be harder to get. So I paid the extra money to get her along with the Mrs sub sandwich and my sushi. Publix has a great. That was in December and come January... my local Walmart is all Airazors. Well, I guess I paid extra for the piece of mind. 

Airazor as a Beast Battle Master is pretty great. She's larger than the others thanks to her wingspan. According to the TF Wiki it's 4", which doesn't seem right to me. I didn't measure her though, so maybe. Airzor has quite a bit of movement due to the ball sockets her wings use. It's basic, but feels like a lot compared to some of the other Beast Battle Masters. Thanks to this extra movement, she has two weapon modes instead of the usual one. She can either transform into a crossbow blaster or a shield-blaster depending on where you fold the wings. Airazor's colors are an odd choice. I feel like they were chosen to represent the statue/artifact of her seen in the movie. Which is neat, but I feel may be lost on some people. It looks good and makes her stand out from the other Beast Battle Masters on the pegs. If she were brown (as you'd expect), she'd be too similar to Optimus Primal and Rhinox.

In either of her weapon modes, Airazor can be held by most Transformers figures compatible with the 5mm system. You could also plug a blast effect inter her or Optimus's gun barrel for extra fun.  Sadly Airazor is seemingly the last new mold Beast Battle Master of Beast Alliance. I know being a move tie in line, it would be a limited series. Part of me hopes Transformers One will have a similar partner figure line as I just love this sort of thing. There's a few more Beast Alliance figures that we'll be looking at over the coming weeks. It's a fun little tie-in line to a movie that I wish did better financially than it did (though we'll only know box office, not ongoing profits). Like I said, hopefully something like it will accompany the upcoming Transformers One as the mask figures seem to be making a return. Fingers crossed.

Have a great week, bub

A new week has begun on Zone Base! I had a good weekend that passed much too quickly for my liking. Some weekly shopping with the Mrs was had and I discovered a new Morning Star vegetarian food available! The new Steak Burger patties are available as a healthy alternative for junk food cravings. I already had my cheat meal for the week, so this was a pleasant surprise that came in handy for a Saturday night meal. Normally, vegetarian burgers aren't that special. This one, however, was very tasty and I found to be really good. I definitely enjoyed it while watching paranormal videos and old episodes of MOTU. 

Toy wise, I didn't get much. It's either feast or famine in toy sections this time of year and I didn't take the time to order anything either. But I did find some fun things. On my grocery order, I had Darth Vader from the Star Wars Epic Hero Series delivered. I picked up Mouse-Jaw from Turtles of Grayskull from Target and another Godzilla X Kong blind box (that I haven't opened yet). Unfortunately there wasn't any new Transformers to be found. That's the way it goes sometimes. With my birthday around the corner, the Mrs has been busy getting all sorts of surprises for me that has also kept me from buying too much as well. She spoils me and I'm sure to have quite the great time. 

Toylanta is also coming up in a few weeks and I'm all sorts of excited. My panel will be Sunday morning giving me the bulk of the weekend to spend walking around before getting to work. As usual, my focus will be Gobots and Rocklords on the dealer room floor with hopes for fun surprises. Be sure to check out my coverage in the annual mega post! Thank you for reading Zone Base. I've got a fun week in store for you all. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and mutal high fives everyone!

Insecticon Bombshell (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

I'm quite fond of robot bugs... it's no secret around here. I have no clue as to why either, I HATE real bugs. So of course fate would wind up with me loving their robot toy counterparts. I dunno. Bombshell here was another Christmas gift from the Mrs and the newest Legacy update of an Insecticon. This leave me to find Shrapnel (who has eluded me) to complete the trio. Bombshell is an extensive retooling of Shrapnel (who I'm mildly annoyed at not being able to find) and my first experience with the mold which seems to be quite different from the first instance of it's engineering (that I don't own yet, kinda peeved). I must say, I like it! It's a pleasant robot toy that turns into a wonderfully blocky rhinoceros beetle. As an old school fan of robot toys, this is absolutely delightful. Bombshell is an update of a classic design that still feels like an older toy.

As a robot, he's pleasantly articulated and packing his signature Twin Ion Impulse Blaster weapon and two small blasters that can be placed at varying points on his body. I chose the forearms to keep a resemblance to his original toy. Transformation to insect mode is fairly easy and results in a beetle that looks fairly close to the original toy. The rear portion is a bit bigger, but not in a bad way. It's a big black box with a red stripe that brought back memories of older toys like Micro Trailers in such a way that I'm just too biased to hate. Those small twin blasters I mentioned earlier can either mount alongside the Twin Ion Impulse Blaster on the top of that rather boxy rear end or be worked into rear legs for the beetle.

Bombshell was always a cool villain thanks to the mind controlling Cerebro-Shells that he fired from the horn of his beetle mode or knight like helmet as a robot. The Insecticons were always creepy and mind control is a classic bad guy attack. Bombshell is a pretty close approximation of how he appeared in the original cartoon and this new figure is a really satisfying new toy of a classic villain. I'd love to see a Kabutron version at some point. I've been really happy with Legacy as a whole and Bombshell is a good reason as to why. Sure, updates of classic Transformers characters are nothing new and have been going on longer than G1 actually ran... but who cares? These are classic characters that maintain an ongoing presence. Having new versions of them that improve upon the older versions is great and I never see anyone complain about the countless Superman figures that come out. Once again, I love a good robot bug toy and this is a really good one. There's plenty of old school flavor improved with modern engineering. This is just all around my cup of tea.

Bios: Excellion

An outsider among the Autobots because of his brooding attitude, Excellion is one of the very few Autobot warriors who the Decepticons think of with any respect, but that respect is earned. Excellion has made an art of speed and stealth, moving back and forth across enemy lines as if he were invisible. More than once, he has retrieved vital information from within a Decepticon stronghold, or quickly and quietly disposed of a particularly annoying enemy agent.

Strength: 6 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 8.5 Endurance: 8
Rank: 6.5 Courage: 9 Fireblast: 7 Skill: 9

Kong with B.E.A.S.T Glove (Godzilla X Kong/Playmates)

Kong is back for another Monsterverse adventure with Godzilla in the upcoming Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. This new action figure by Playmates represents Kong from the new film with his new gadget, the B.E.A.S.T GLOVE. Short for Bio Enhanced Anatomech Seismic Thunder, the B.E.A.S.T GLOVE was built by Monarch is a gadget that gives the King of Skull Island extra powerful punches. Strong enough to shatter a meteor! Or at least that's what Gojipedia says- as of this writing the movie won't be out for awhile. He does have it in the trailers and seemingly all the new toys, so I'm guessing Kong is packing his kaiju sized Power Glove for a good bit in the movie. Not sure what else it does, part of me likes to think he can keep up with his steps, heart rate, Spotify, and other phone apps like I do with my Galaxy Watch.

As a toy, Kong is great. Retaining most of the features that made his prior figure from Godzilla vs Kong so good. All the articulation and heft from that prior widely regarded figure returns with a new sculpt and includes a mini BIO-MIMIC HEAV, a small aircraft Monarch gets around in. Missing is the hunk of flesh that could be removed for battle damage and his Ancestral Battle-Axe. Thanks to the bio on the back of his packaging, I'd like to think there was plans to include the axe at some point. Maybe a future version will include it.  The prior figure was popular not only with kaiju fans, but several other fandoms. I recall many Masters of the Universe groups having fun with him and including it in their ranks of warriors. I'm pretty sure this new figure will as well. Like the prior figure, this Kong will probably be available in multiple variations. This is the standard release and there's also a VS 2-pack with Skar King available in a different paint deco available. Playmates makes really good toys and they've been knocking it out of the park with their Godzilla and Kong figures. This is just another great example of that.

Terrorcon Novakane (Studio Series/Core Class)

Rise of the Beasts introduced many characters into the live action movies giving Studio Series quite a bit of extra toys to choose from. Novakane is another of the similar to Frenzy styled robots used by Scourge during the movie. Novakane is a repaint and retool of Freezer, whom we looked at this past summer. I quite liked Freezer a lot, so of course Novakane would be favorable. Novakane has a somewhat 'battle damaged' head and a darker color scheme compared to Freezer.

While it's easy to compare Freezer and Novakane to Frenzy from the 2007 movie, the two are pretty similar to classic Rumble and Frenzy as a pair of trouble making twins. I like the Giger-esque styling of them and find them overall neat. Novakane, like Freezer, can turn into a rifle that can be help by other Transformers or a cannon mode that can attach to Leader Class Scourge. One day I'll own that toy and find out for myself )man those leader class ROTB figures are harder to find than the Loch Ness Monster). It's hard not to like such a funky little bot and I was happy to find it among the many Christmas gifts from the Mrs. 

Be careful, it's Monday

It's the start of another week on Zone Base. Thanks for coming back and reading! My weekend was pretty restful, though I think a little more sleep would be great. The Mrs and I stayed home for the most part, but I did get out for a little bit and picked up a few things. Well, prior to going out, I had The Mandelorian from the new Star Wars Epic Hero Series on our grocery order. This is a new series of 4" figures at a fairly low cost. I had been interested since seeing them online and now I've clearly got the bug. I'll be including one a week on my grocery order for the time being. 

A quick run for some stuff included a stop at Target where I picked up a Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron blind box. Not to be outdone, I finally found the new Turtles of Grayskull figures and picked up Donatello. On the Transformers front I found the Gamer Edition Starscream. The first quarter of the year can be tricky for toy purchases, but I get by. With my birthday around the corner, I also know some additional fun is on the way.

Well, I suppose it's time to stop watching Beast Machines on the TF channel and get some stuff done around the house. Thank you for reading Zone Base. As usual, there's a fun week planned. Please share the site with your friends and mutal high fives all around!

Strongarm (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Longtime readers of this site probably know I'm a big fan of both Transformers Robots in Disguise series (despite being peeved at the confusing name reuses). So it's probably to no surprise that I was excited to see the new version of Strongarm from RID 2015 under the tree. Once again the Mrs came through with another great gift. Strongarm is a Legacy: Evolution toy, so the differences in the design process from her original release around 9 years ago is very evident. However, unlike her original toy, this figure isn't an original work. Strongarm is a heavy retool and repaint of the Legacy Elita-1 figure. I haven't gotten around to opening that one yet, so this is my first time with the mold. It's fairly common for Transformers toys to reuse engineering like this to save costs, though I might not have noticed it if not told ahead of time. It's fairly extensive.

One of the reasons I liked the original Strongarm toy was for it's strong resemblance to early 90's Transformers figures. She could easily blend in next to Pyro, Clench, or Skyquake. That resemblance is back with this new toy, though now I liken it more to how she would have appeared in a UK comic around that time. There's just a certain something about her sculpting that looks like she could have been in an Earthforce story or a member of the Survivors. Strongarm once again turns into her Police SUV alt mode, though it's a bit smaller this time. I think it's fair to consider this more of a Crossover vehicle than a SUV. I like it and thanks to it's smallness and blocky appearance am strongly reminded of Tackle. With another head, I'm sure a reasonable update of him could be made from this. Transformers has been around for 40 years, so it's hard not to be reminded of other things at times. I like that and this toy.

Strongarm is fairly articulated. However, her shoulder kibble does impede movement some. Ironically this was more of a problem with toys from Robots in Disguise 2001 and not at all a problem with the Robots in Disguise 2015 she hails from. Strongarm comes with a Blaster that looks kinda similar to the one included with her original toy. As a Police vehicle, she has a light bar. Said light bar can be removed and placed elsewhere on Strongarm. I left it on her back as it just seems natural. The truck mode does feature rocket boosters on the rear . This is a holdover from the Elita-1 design that looks kind of cool here. Something about a rocket powered Police SUV seems out of a video game and I'm all for it. Strongarm is a cool toy and it's great to see character from Robots in Disguise 2015 making a return. Hopefully more of the cast will come soon. Like Steeljaw. Specifically.

Bios: Gunbarrel

"Death from Above."

Air superiority is the key in any military victory. Whether it is taking out targets on the ground, air, or sea the Air Military Mini-Con Team are the boys for the job. Their quick response time and ability to move troops and munitions to an intended destination make them a vital link in the chain of any military operation. They are known for the lightning speed of their assaults, injecting fear into the hearts of their enemies and leaving the battlefield strewn with glowing metal wreckage.

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

Rank: 6 Courage: 8 Firepower: 9 Skill: 7

Fire Fighter Jet Jaguar (Godzilla ReAction/Super 7)

Godzilla Island is a crazy place. With all the monsters with their heat rays causing a ruckus or the Xiliens creating chaos with their random schemes... sometimes things catch fire. Thank goodness Fire Fighter Jet Jaguar is here to help control the flames of madness! Fire Fighter Jet Jaguar is yet another variant of Godzilla's robot ally that appeared on the Godzilla Island show and in the Super 7 Godzilla ReAction Blind Box series! A series of which I found many waiting for me in my Christmas stocking thanks to my beautiful wife! The super solid ReAction figure of Jet Jaguar is cast in solid red with a touch of black bringing G-Guard's inferno battling robot to life! Once again Jet Jaguar in the styling of an old school Kenner Star Wars figure really works and just looks fabulous in the red!

Bumblebee (Studio Series/Core Class)

Prior to the Bumblebee movie and Rise of the Beasts, Dark of the Moon was my favorite of the live action Transformers films. This new Core Class Bumblebee is meant to represent BB from that film at the smaller, Core Class size. Another Christmas gift from the Mrs (she really spoils me), Bumblebee is a retool and repaint of the DOTM Laserbeak toy released a little while back. I have that figure, but haven't gotten around to opening it yet. So this is my first experience with it. While I've got plenty of Bumblebee figures, each one tends to be it's own thing (usually) and this little guy gives me a mix of Microman Masterforce and Legend/Legion/Speed versions of BB vibes. He's a  really neat little figure.

Being a movie Bumblebee, he of course transforms into a Camaro. Unless it's his solo movie... yeah. Transformation isn't hard, though there's not a lot of extra room for movement. I found myself having to maneuver things just right to get them into place. The car is solid once transformed though. It's been pointed out that there's some slots around the rear bumper that aren't used. This is likely either from unused accessories still being in the CAD model OR some of the CAD model from other toys being used while engineering this figure. I always find little carry overs from the design process interesting. Bumblebee has a small cannon that can either be hold or mounted on the roof of the car mode. It's a neat little weapon that resembles the weapon his forearm converts into in the movies. I mentioned the lack of extra room when transforming, that carries over to robot mode. BB has a fair range of articulation, but you'll have to mind the kibble as it can get in the way. It's not a deal breaker, but is impossible to ignore. It really makes me think older CAD models were downsized to make this figure as there's definitely some sticking points that may not have been there at a larger size. I like how his head sculpt features his battle mask down. With the amount of toys movie Bumblebee gets, the variety is nice. That and it looks cool. A much harder looking Bee. This is a fun little figure that's a neat little Core Class toy. The left over design elements are fun to ponder over and it's a cool little toy of a character I like a lot. Not going to complain about that.

Open up Monday and see what's Inside!

It's Monday Zone Base readers and time to get this week started. My weekend went by much to fast and I've been spending this rainy morning napping as a result. The Mrs and I didn't do too much this weekend, but did get some shopping done and celebrated my brother's birthday by eating dinner with the family. I spent some quality time with my Switch and discovered Microsoft Treasure Hunt on my laptop. What a fun little game! Toy pick ups were light, though the Mrs did pick up a few more for my upcoming birthday that I have to forget I saw. For Transformers, I got Earthspark Deluxe Optimus Prime and Flipchanger Breakdown. I only need the Deluxe Starscream to have that size class completed (so far) and I definitely have the Flipchanger class completed (so far). Earthspark has another season coming and I'm looking forward to it. The show is now airing in Japan and I hope to see whatever supplemental material they come up for it. To me, it's perfect for a Transformers Adventures style line. 

My Mom also suprised me with another Rescue Bots Optimus Primal. I already have it, but think my desk at work could use one. I know the current 'kiddy' TF line isn't called Rescue Bots anymore... but it's what I think when I see them. Mom also got me a King Kong she had picked up from a thrift store. It's a neat large figure from the Godzilla vs Kong line that I don't have. Speaking of Godzilla and Kong, I grabbed another blind box and got another Skar King. Dammit. I found the Masterverse Pig-Head on clearance for $10, so not bad for a weekly MOTU fix. Not to be outdone, I also got a cool Godzilla t shirt. Lastly I picked up a Bikkuriman from a local candy shop. They didn't have any Angels vs Demons packs, but did have the JuJutsu Kaisen ones. Not sure who the character on the sticker is (I haven't watched the show yet), but appreciate the local availability. Well, I suppose it's time to get the week started. Thank you for reading Zone Base. I have a fun week planned, don't forget to share the site with your friends. Mutal high fives everyone!

Transmetal II Megatron (Legacy: Evolution/ Leader Class)

I can't think of a better way to welcome the Year of the Dragon than taking a look at an update to my favorite version of Beast Wars Megatron. In the show, BW Megatron was attempting to merge his spark withthat of G1 Megatron. This combined with an act of treachery knocking him into lava resulted into the creation of Transmetal II Megatron, whom transformed into a giant red dragon! Even though later G1 Megatron's spark was removed, BW Megatron was a dragon through the bulk of Beast Machines. When I was younger, the original toy was one of the most badass things in Transformers. Right next to Unicron in my mind... and it's still there now. Dragon Megatron is just a cool concept that you wonder why it took as long as it did to happen. This new toy is an update of the classic one (of course) and a really solid one. Vastly improving on the original idea and looking far more like his cartoon model. The original toy's third mode isn't available now... though you could probably do it yourself with some added on wheels.

As both a robot and a dragon, Megatron is large and imposing (as it should be). Transformation isn't hard, but is a little tricky the first time. There's a few parts that don't work exactly how you imagine when moving everything around. However, once you've done it... you've got it. Megatron comes with a fire breathe effect that can be placed in the dragons mouth or held as a club by Megatron. The original toy had two missiles to fire from the dragons mouth and I'd often have Megatron in robot mode hold the extra one as a weapon. I'm not sure of the designers had the same idea with the orignal toy, but it's a neat bit of symmetry. One big improvement of this new toy is that the dragons neck is jointed instead of a rubber piece as was the original. This allows for more posing while the originals just hung there and could also possibly rot. As you can see I'm very happy with this new toy of a favorite. It was another gift from the Mrs. who absolutely spoils me every Christmas. I hope a Cryotech version follows and would love for TM2 Megatron to get more exposure overall. Sure, his dinosaur mode is cool... but the dragon is badass! 2024 is the 40th anniversary of Transformers and the Year of the Dragon. I can't help to think it's going to be special. Gong hei fat choy

Nova Prime (Legacy: Evolution/Leader Class)

Nova Prime is a former Prime who lost his way and became a very bad guy that resides in the Dead Universe. Instead of the 'Autobot Matrix of Leadership', he wields 'The Darkness'- an evil counterpart of the famed magic relic. Wielding The Darkness transformed him into another variation of Nemesis Prime and into a really powerful being. It goes without saying he'd be pretty awesome looking. This cool new figure of Nova Prime was another Christmas gift from the Mrs and dang it is impressive. The toy is based on his appearance from the Transformers: Devastation video game. I really like that as not only was I a fan of that game, but I'm more of a cartoon guy than a comic guy and Devastation is more cartoon flavored. 

Nova Prime is a retool and repaint of the Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime toy. That toy was a retool and repaint of the Siege Ultra Magnus. All were toys I really liked and using it as a base for this figure really works. It's a mixture of that traditional Transformers 'big important guy' design and Super Robot looks. Nova Prime feels more like a prestigious award than an action figure and definitely a more premium item than your standard fare. I'm legitimately proud to own this. 

Nova Prime transforms from armored truck to robot mode via parts forming. The trailer separates allowing the cab to form his standard mode robot mode. This is similar to the original Powered Convoy toy and the idea has been replicated in most Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime with super mode toys ever since. I absolutely love it's use here as I'm a fan of this style of Transformer and appreciate a bad guy Convoy using it. The trailer pieces can be re-arranged into armor for Nova Prime's super mode which makes him much larger, more imposing, and extra badass. Super mode has big guns, big wings, and a much grander look over all. He looks awesome. I'm mostly gushing about this toy because that's my honest take away. It's IMPRESSIVE and COOL. I also like the white color pattern for such an evil character, especially an evil Prime. It's a nice contrast and not as predictable as an all black deco. Sometimes if you want darkness, you've got to portray it brightly. Nova Prime has a cool 'Evil Knight' appearance and this figure just represents that well. I can't say enough good things about it... it's awesome. 

Bios: Comettor

Optimus Prime and Comettor partner up for lunar battles. Quick, agile, and tough, Comettor is specially engineered for ultimate performance on the harsh lunar surface. His high-caliber compressed Energon cannon easily breaks through Decepticon fortifications, allowing Comettor and his Autobot soldiers to roll in with the heavy weaponry.

Strength: 4 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 8 Endurance: 6

Rank: 4 Courage: 6 Fireblast: 7 Skill: 6

Hidden Hatchers wave 1 (Fierce Changers)

Fierce Changers is a fun new series of Jurassic World toys that features transforming dinosaur toys. There's a variety of size classes coming, but today we'll be looking at the initial batch of the Hidden Hatchers variety. Hidden Hatchers are a smaller set of figure that transform into eggs. Simple, yet fun little toys that obviously appeal to the egg bot fan in me. In this initial batch, we have Blue (a velociraptor), Tyrannosaurus Rex, Indominus Rex, and Dilophosaurus. The four seem to all share engineering and parts aside from their heads. It doesn't take away from the the little dinos and I had a lot of fun with the silly little things. It's hard not to enjoy the cute sculpts and stomp them around. Transformation to egg form is pretty easy, though in some instances I had to get the head positioned just right to make it work. The Indominus Rex was the biggest trouble maker in that instance. Egg mode isn't as smooth as a Tamagoras, but serviceable. Fierce Changers looks to be a fun new little series of Jurassic World toys. There's figures that change from one dino to another, and even a large T-Rex that converts into the classic Jurassic Park Jeep. I'm looking forward to getting more of these adorable little terrors. Good job Mattel.

Frenzy (Red) (Studio Series/Core Class)

I've never been  a stickler for which of the Decepticon tapes is which. RIRFIB, FIRRIB... whatever. I've always taken whichever is whomever depending on how they are being presented at the time. Not to mention, whichever the red one is supposed to be in any incarnation is black. There's about as much red  if I got my thighs and shoulders sunburned at the beach. Regardless, in the cartoons, Frenzy is normally the black and red one with the toys being opposite. This is a Studio Series 86 toy, which represents Frenzy as he appeared in the 1986 animated movie. So that's that. I unfortunately never got the Rumble that came out last year (dammit), so this is my first time with the mold. It's a fun little toy that I was overjoyed to find among the Christmas gifts from my wife.

Even for a Core Class, Frenzy is TINY. That's to be expected considering his cassette alt mode. Said alt mode is fully compatible with Siege Soundwave. Frenzy comes with snap on arm pile drivers and signature Thruster Guns. The guns can be held or worn on his back, almost identically the G1 toy. Frenzy is VERY similar to his G1 toy, but smaller. It's pretty neat. He has the expected amount of articulation aside from the elbows. Transformation is pretty easily and similar to other variations of this idea. For the most part Frenzy is fairly screen accurate with his sculpting and colors being almost perfect. I say almost as there's only so close a working Transformer is going to get to the cartoon model... especially for $10. I'd imagine Microman fans would like this toy too as it's very similar to the original Micro Cassette Robo Micross. Frenzy is a neat figure and a good representation of his G1 cartoon self. The tiny size is hard to resist and the pile drivers are neat. I've always had a soft spot for the cassettes, especially the initial batch. Not to mention being a Core Class, I was destined to like this toy as is. Though I'd have a hard time believing anyone could not like this little hellion.

A Monday is You!

A new week has begun on Planet Zone and a bunch of fun content coming your way! How was everyone's weekend? Mine was good. Enjoyed some rest and grocery store sushi while watching 1000lbs Sisters and paranormal TV. We did our weekly shopping which lead to a few toy pick ups. Gamer Edition Optimus Prime was found at Target. Walmart had the GXK Kong vs Skar King 2 pack and some neat Hollow Earth crystal blind packs (also from GxK). I bought one on a whim and got Skar King!

We later stopped at Five Below for a Squishmallow drop and I got the entire set of GXK Jada Metalfigs. I had been slowly getting them from Walmart, but discovered the Five Below sets were not keychains. So I bought all 4. Not sure why there is or isn't a keychain attached depending on store, weird. Also picked up a Super Mario Bros bag clip figure blind bag from the new series and got Bullet Bill! The Mrs earlier in the week picked up the rest of the Transformers Jada Metalfig mini figures and some neat mini TF plush toys for me. Somehow I managed to bring lots of fun stuff. Even picked up a neat monster survival guide book from Five Below.

Well, enough about that, let's get this week started! I've got a fun week in store for all of you. Thank you so much for reading Zone Base. If you like what I'm doing, thanks! Don't worry, I'm not asking for money (that's gross isn't it?). All I ask is that you share the site with your friends. Zone Base isn't about capitalizing on others, just enjoying cool stuff. If you know anyone that might like the cool stuff I talk about, then hey... let them in on it. Mutal high fives all around!

Shadow Striker (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Shadow Striker is a character with an oddly complicated history. She began life as a Transformer as one of the exclusive toys for OTFCC 2003 in a set with her sister Roulette. In those earlier days of BotCon/OTFCC, the exclusives were generally kept secret until the show. Something most in the fandom really enjoyed. However, click bait happy news sites did their nonsense and leaked images. One of the leaked images was a repaint/remold of Side Burn that looked like Nightracer. Pointless drama ensued and when it was all said and done, the toy was actually a new character named Shadow Striker. As time went on Shadow Striker made appearances leading up to Transformers Cyberverse. This new version was an interesting patchwork robot... and apparently was originally to be named Nightracer.*sigh*

This is a new figure of Shadow Striker as the Cyberverse character in a toy that's VERY similar to Side Burn. Of course leading to speculation that a Legacy Side Burn using this engineering (with maybe new car parts) is coming. I also wonder if a two-pack of OTFCC Shadow Striker and Roulette using this mold will find it's way out as a Generations Selects release. This new figure really cool on it's own, despite the obvious 'other bot' -ness of the design. Like I said, Shadow Striker was something of a patchwork robot in Cyberverse. I often felt like she was based on Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy. Toy wise... she didn't get much. A Scout Class figure that I always enjoyed, and an Ultra Class that wasn't as patch work like the normally is. Kinda makes me think that toy was designed when the character was meant to be Nightracer. The Legacy toy isn't as patch work looking either. Only the larger eye really stands out in that way. Maybe she got some repairs. The dark purple and red colors of the figure really look neat with the chrome and black accent colors. It's a simple color deco that looks very sharp.

Shadow Striker has a lot of carryover from the Side Burn design. You can either arrange the parts to resemble the that design or get a little creative. The car roof makes for a robot mode shield, but I stuck it on her back for a more stocky appearance. The blaster can also be held as a blade or combined with eh bumper to make Side Burn's Exhaust Bowgun. I opted for her to wield the blaster as a gun and stuck that bumper on her forearm. Transformation is pretty easy (much easier than the classic Side Burn mold... yikes). The only hard part for me was getting the car hood to attach. It's an odd connection and I was a little too clumsy with it. In alt mode, Shadow Striker is a sports car that's similar to a Doge Viper. In these colors, I'm reminded of the M.A.S.K. Manta. Ironically from a a toy line that oddly enough had a spiritual successor named Shadow Strikers. This is a great figure of Shadow Striker that makes me look forward to the eventual Side Burn toy quite a bit.

Bios: Courageous/Grungy

Earth trembles under the shocking force of GoBotron's newest surprises: Power Warriors!

Guardian Power Warrior, Courageous, assembles with Leader-1 commanding inside the armored chest, while four top Guardian soldiers enter each protective Power Suit. The friendly GoBots immediately begin their enemy location search using Power Suits' information gathering skills: telescopic sight, keen hearing, super-sense touch, and smart smell.

However, the menacing form of Power Warrior, Grungy, looms evilly in the distance, with Cy-Kill encased in his armored chest. Four Renegade henchmen work inside Grungy's Power Suits, using the spy-sight, eavesdrop hearing, razor sharp touch, and tracking smell to locate their foes.

The fight goes on as each side looks for the weak point that will mean the other's defeat. Power Warriors may be the ones to finish the battle but the question remains - who will be the winner?