Halfway 2 Halloween~ Witchcraft in the Kitchen

It's pretty great timing that Walpurgis Night is at the start of Halfway to Halloween. Halloween, itself, requires a witch to fly over the moon to happen. So what better way to get the Pre-Spooky Season going than a little witchy celebration? Halfway to Halloween is often a good excuse for some spooky fun in the springtime. This means some scary movies with friends and of course there's going to be popcorn. Jiffy Pop knows there's a certain amount of magic in making their product without burning it, so they chose a witch to sell it on TV in the olden days. Man, the video quality of this makes it extra spooky... dang.

Dinobot Snarl (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

Halfway to Halloween is the perfect time to take a look at a Snarl toy. Long time readers know about my Snarl Halloween costume, but in this case it's time we got back to our look at the Core Class Dinobots from Transformers Legacy Evolution. Like the other Core Class Dinobots, Snarl is small and a little blocky. Small, because he's a Core Class. The blockiness obviously also comes due to his smaller size and brings a level of old school charm. It's impossible not to compare this set to Dinoking, which possibly could be coming out later made from this set of molds. I hope it does, Dinoking is pretty great. Volcanicus, the combiner this set, is also pretty great and so is this set of figures. It's really hard to complain about a dinosaur combiner robot.

Snarl, of course, transforms into a stegosaurus. Dinosaur mode is pretty faithful, though I can see others take issue with his hind legs. Those are formed from Snarl's robot mode arms and the feet are at his elbows. This leads to his forearms effectively hanging out the back of the feet and impossible to ignore. In a larger toy, these would fold up. It doesn't bother me as the size and combining nature of the toy will lead to some compromises. I can see how it would turn off some though. Transformation is pretty easily and everything goes where you'd expect too by looking at it. You do have to remove the red portion of the dino back and manually attach it to the robots back. Theirs also a little maneuvering of this piece when converting Snarl to Volcanicus's right leg. So try not to loose it.

Snarl comes with a sword. The sword can be mounted to the top of the dinosaur or beneath. It goes without saying he can hold it in robot mode, but it also can be mounted on his back as that's the same part as the dino back. In robot mode Snarl is fairly faithful to his classic design. He's not as blocky as some of the other Dinobots and probably could have been a stand alone toy. I normally favor Snarl figures, but this one really is a good little toy. Just two more Dinobots to look at until Volcanicus!

It's Halfway 2 Halloween Time!

Good news Zone Base readers, we're Halfway to Halloween! The spooky season is our favorite time of the year on Planet Zone and halfway there gives us a chance to have a little mini celebration. I like to start observing the occasion at the start of Walpurgis Night as it feels not only appropriate, but downright on brand. It's literally a Halloween in the middle of the year. This little springtime bit of Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem will be going on for the next two weeks.

Halloween on Zone Base veterans know regular site content will continue as normal, but there'll be a little trick or treat in between each post. Something spooky, nostalgic, or obscure... it's a bit of a mixed bad. Thank you all for reading Zone Base. I've got a fun two weeks in store for you with some orange and black wrapping. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives all around!

Concept Art Decepticon Rumble (Studio Series/Core Class)

I've been a pretty big fan of the Bumblebee movie since it's release, which isn't a secret on this site. Even for those who weren't a fan of that movie, almost everyone LOVED the opening sequence. It's literally what Transformers fans wanted ever since the live action movies were announced. The various designs from that sequence have found their way to toy form as individual Studio Series releases to much popularity. Following suit, toys based on the Concept Art for that scene have begun seeing the light of day in Studio Series starting with Rumble. We'll be taking a look at him today. 

Yes, he's blue.

This time.

Rumble is a very cool little toy. When I say little, I mean it. He's tiny. Which is what you'd expect for a a cassette bot, but it does throw one off initially. Rumble is about the same size as the Studio Series 86 version of Rumble/Frenzy and matches with the Studio Series Core Class Ravage from a few years ago (I don't think I ever covered him here). Like that Ravage, he also works as a data cartridge type thing that the matching Studio Series Soundwave toy (whom I also don't think was covered here) can carry in his chest ala G1. The alt mode can also be a sort of flight mode I assume, it does look like one of the entry mode from from the 2007 movie preview toys. As a robot, Rumble is pretty sharp looking. He's this small little robot with his famous pile driver piston arms. Unlike the Studio Series 86 version, those do not convert into regular arms. In true live action movie fashion, his arms are just weapons. Rumble's head is fairly traditional although sporting a mouth plate as opposed to his normally open face. It really fits his overall look here and kinda makes him look like a Combaticon. Considering the brutality of the live action movie series... it fits.

Rumble looks like he's out to cause as much destruction as possible for such a little shit. Like Ravage, he also comes with guns that he doesn't personally wield. They store on his back which gives him a slightly traditional appearance, however cannot be held by Rumble himself (aside from alt mode storage). Instead, and also like the gun that comes with Ravage, it's a weapon for Soundwave. The two pieces can be combined and form another gun. I like how both Ravage and Rumble are effectively upgrade kits for Soundwave and wonder if a gift set containing them all will be released. Maybe a Soundblaster version. Rumble is very articulated for such a little guy. It's likely due to his transformation, but not complaining. I was very happy to see Rumble in the Easter Basket given to me by the Mrs and am very pleased with him overall. He's a cool little toy that interacts with another cool toy. What's not to like about that?

Bios: Signal Flare

"My imagination is the key to winning."

Signal Flare is an Autobot Omnicon and one of the greatest energon welders of his kind. His Omnicon brothers depend greatly on his skills and experience. In vehicle mode, he projects a powerful energon beam from his radar dish that can take the shape of massive tools or weapons. Signal Flare is a silent warrior that prefers mastering the artistry of his energon weapons to battle.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 4 Endurance: 5
Rank: 9 Courage: 8 Fireblast: 10 Skill: 9

Transform Squadron 52- Mr Bleah Sky

Listen Now!

Rob talks about Toylanta, Transformers One, and Meteorbs!

Shimo (Godzilla X Kong/2 pack version)

Following up on the Godzilla from the Godzilla vs Shimo 2 pack we looked at earlier this month is Shimo. Like Evolved Godzilla, Shimo is a variation of the standard retail release with an alternate paint deco. Shimo is an interesting looking ice monster who caused the last ice age 11,700 years ago. Avoiding spoilers for those who haven't seen the movie as of this writing, she's an antagonist alongside The Skar King and quite a threat. Like many others, I thought her design was really cool (no pun intended). The blue crystals against the white skin is a much different set of colors than what normally gets used for kaiju.

An ancient frost dragon type monster just makes great example of why Monsterverse is so fun. In this action figure, Shimo is fairly faithful to her onscreen appearance. A quadruped, Shimo's legs move at the hips. Her head and tail also rotate and move around as you'd expect from a toy like this. Her mouth can open which allows the blast effect to be plugged in for the FROST BITE BLAST. It's a fun toy and to make her fighting against the Evolved Godzilla complete, there's some additional included cardboard scenery (not pictured). Playschool makes great toys and this 2 pack is a lot of fun.... as is everything about Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.

Decepticon Mohawk (Studio Series/Core Class)

Mohawk was one of the very cool looking Decepticons from Transformers: The Last Knight whom sadly didn't get a whole lot of screen time. Thanks to Studio Series, he FINALLY gets a toy (it's been 7 years since the movie) in the Core Class scale. Mohawk is a wild looking dude with his mohawk, bugged out eyes and giant toothy mouth on a skeletal frame. Admittedly, the skeletal frame is pretty on brand for smaller movie Decepticons, but it really ads to the overall look here. In the movie he's also got things like cutlery and spray paint cans strapped to him. I don't outright see that here, but there's still various sharp points abundant and spots of green paint applied. Is that a vest? He's either a member of Alien Sex Fiend or a Bosozoku. Maybe both.

In true Michael Bay Transformers fashion, Mohawk turns into an very expensive motorcycle. Because nothing says disguise better than a vehicle you don't see often. Regardless, it's a cool looking bike that fits his design. Mohawk is fairly well articulated (his mouth moves y'all) and comes with a big knife. The knife is from his concept art and not used in the movie, but looks really cool. He can hold it or it can mount to his waist or on the motorcycle. Transformation is pretty easy and can be done quickly without a lot of cursing. I'm not sure if another toy could ride him like the Studio Series Junkions and don't really see how one would fit. Mohawk is a fun toy of a cool little menace. I was happy to see the little freak in my Easter Basket courtesy of the Mrs. The Transformers movies have some pretty creative designs sometimes and he's definitely one of them.

Weekly Update 4/22/24

Welcome to another week on Zone Base! I had a pretty good weekend for the most part. My Origins Wheeljack came in Friday. I ordered one mid week and a later stop by Target proved that to be a good idea. They still haven't gotten one! Hopefully the upcoming Legacy United 4 pack will be easier to get. I need that Squeezeplay! Also Friday, the Mrs picked up a Legacy Silverbolt for me! Woo! Beast Wars is life! Saturday while out shopping with the Mrs I picked up Studio Series Sunstreaker and Gnaw! I just realized I already had the figure from the 2021 release, but I guess I got another. You can never have too many Sharkticons! I also picked up some Star Wars Doorables... because I'm hooked. Also stopped by Michaels to look at the Nevermore Collection. Halfway to Halloween is is coming up and this little aisle of gothy decor is just the thing to help ring it in! My local store didn't have it all up, but I enjoyed looking at what they had. Sunday was spent at home and enjoying some homemade pizza for dinner and lots of playing Mighty Doom. Well, I've got a busy day full of chores and recording the newest episode of Transform Squadron in score for me. Hopefully I'll have it up this week. Speaking of things in score, there's a fun week of content planned for you! Thank you for reading Zone Base. If you like what I'm doing, thanks! Please share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives all around! Our next Zone Base Special Event starts next week, get ready for Halfway 2 Halloween!

Thorium Weaponeer (Battle Tribes/Weaponeers of Monkaa)

Finishing up out look at the Micronaut themed Battle Tribes wave 32 is Thorium Weaponeer, whom is a Weaponeers of Monkaa mold. I was quite fond of Weaponeers of Monkaa figures so this was an extra treat. Thanks to his appearance, Thorium looks like many different Micronaut/Microman robots. Due to his variety of interchangeable parts you can really come up with a variety of looks. Of course the main point of this figure is it's alt mode as an Thorium Orbiter vehicle. The set comes with additional parts in order to make this work. They're from a Restructor Combat Pack weapons set, so they make look familiar to other Weaponeers fans.Transformation is a task of taking everything apart and reassembling.

If you're used to Glyos, you already know it'll be hard on your fingertips. Ouch. Once assembled, the Orbiter can be rode by most Battle Tribes figures. It's obviously perfect for the Micronaut/Microman styled ones... but hey, I'm sure anyone would look great on it. Those old Micronaut/Microman robots are one of the forefathers of Transformers and being the 40th anniversary of Transformers... I want to spend some extra time this year looking at the foundation of Optimus and his friends. I think this Battle Tribes wave did a great job of homaging Micronauts and Microman, which is one of the building blocks to what we know as Transformers today.

Transformers One trailer in space!

At 9am this morning I watched the live Transformers One trailer in space. If you weren't there, it was a camera on a drone that flew up to space with an Autobot symbol. The trip took an hour, in which I took a nap. My alarm went off in time to see space for a few minutes before the camera shifted to a screen that then played the trailer in the video above. I was optimistic about this movie before, but now I'm ecstatic. This looks like a lot of fun and I plan to be there the whole way. I really hope they make toys of the deer.

Bios: Cruellock

"By the time you see me, it will be too late."

Cruellock is the most powerful and cunning of the Terrorcons, combining incredible strength with lightning speed. He is a great tactician whose hunting skills are unmatched. In raptor mode, he can jump to great heights and attack his enemies with powerful energon claws and teeth. In robot mode, his energon-cutting blade can slice through anything, or anybody that stands in his way. It has been said by many that Cruellock's gaze is as deadly as his bite. Beware!

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 9 Endurance: 8
Rank: 4 Courage: 5 Fireblast: 6 Skill: 6

That Possessed Doll

Every once and awhile I'm reminded of Annabelle. Not just because I enjoy the paranormal and scary stuff in general... but because I was terrified of her a a kid. I've talked about it before. Of course back then I didn't know her name. She was just the 'possessed Raggedy Ann doll' that kids talked about. Like Bloody Mary or the escaped serial killer on Halloween, she was a urban legend that scared us all. At the time, it wasn't uncommon to see a Raggedy Ann doll either. I strongly recall one sitting in a display at the local library and another owned by my cousin. Her popularity as a fictional character was waning by that then, but her presence was still there. Every sighting of one seemed evil. Is that the possessed one? Spring has had been a little extra spooky this year and as we near Walpurgis and Halfway to Halloween... it's a good time to remind those who may not be regular readers that it can get scary during the warmer months here on Planet Zone.

Wheeljack (EarthSpark/Tacticons)

For whatever reason, it's hard to deny the charm of Tacticons. Tiny little finger puppet incarnations of Transformers characters from EarthSpark (so far) that are inexpensive and fun to play around with. They may not be for everybody, but for a bunch of us, they're a lot of fun. I picked up Wheeljack around Christmas and haven't seen once since. As you can tell by the backdrop being my tablet sleeve and not the project display board... I also took this picture around then. But now that it's a few months later we'll take a look at this tiny little oddball. Wheeljack makes up the third wave of Tacticons. I assume others from prior waves fills out the rest of the shipping case as the lack of this figure that I've seen on the shelves leads me to think there wasn't a lot of this wave ordered or stocked. It could just be my local stores though.

So... Wheeljack is just a repaint of Bumblebee.

Yep.

Literally, it could have been anyone else as it doesn't exactly look like Wheeljack either. Maybe similar colors, but nothing screams Wheeljack about this toy. Thing is... it does look pretty good. Like, I wish they would have just random name assigned this toy as it's pretty decent all on it's own. A non-show character, yeah, who cares? In a oddball line like Tacticons, a rando character would be perfect. Weird recolors are part of what made little Transformers like Mini-Cons fun. Hell, it could have been a rally car version of Bumblebee. While it doesn't look like the character it's supposed to be, it's still a good looking toy. Like all Tacticons, Wheeljack transforms by sticking your fingertip into the opening in the rear of the vehicle. All giggling aside, the vehicle then auto converts (why aren't these considered Turbo Changers or 1 Steps?) into a non-articulated robot mode. I do wish the arms moved, but alas. You can then have the mightiest of finger puppet battles or transform Wheeljack back to vehicle by closing up the vehicle shell. This is a simple but likable little toy. Wheeljack is just right to keep in your bag and occasionally take out to play with. Perfect for stress relief or annoying your co-workers, who likely caused the stress to begin with.

Weekly Update: 4/15/24

It's time to start a new week on Zone Base! I had a great weekend and hope you did too! Did some shopping with the Mrs and enjoyed a great date night Saturday night. Sunday saw the first time grilling this year and boy was it good! Target still didn't have Origins Wheeljack, but I managed to pick up a Flame Toys Bumblebee kit on sale as well as some more Star Wars Doorables and an Epic Hero Grogu! I stopped by Michaels to check out the upcoming Nevermore Collection. It's still getting set up, but looks like a fun little display for Halfway to Halloween! I've got a fun week in store for you all! Thank you for continuing to read Zone Base. Please share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives everyone!

Gamer Edition Cliffjumper (Studio Series/Deluxe Class)

I had high hopes for Cliffjumper. The original War Within toy of Cliffjumper was a nightmare to transform, leaving me to not bother with the Bumblebee that shares the same mold. Fast forward to this version and I can't find the Bumblebee, but found the Cliffjumper. This version of Cliffjumper is also supposed to represent his appearance in the War for Cybertron game... but has his Fall of Cybertron deco and head sculpt. I guess they were really stuck on the War for Cybertron branding for the Gamer Edition series. In robot mode Cliffjumper is a really good looking toy. The reds and blacks look sharp and he's got some great articulation. Like other Gamer Edition Studio Series figures, Cliffjumper's right arm can be disconnected and a gun plugged in it's place. This resembles the game model accurately and Cliffjumper even has two different gun attachments to choose from.

He's also packing his sword melee weapon that can be held in either hand. I love robots with swords, even if they have a lot of guns. Honestly, I really like Cliffjumper in robot mode. It's a fun toy, until you transform him. Good grief what a nightmare. Honestly, it isn't too bad, just a little fiddly. HOWEVER, the back panel would just not go in place. I've learned later that his head is actually to big to fit in the space correctly. So no matter how hard you try, that panel is not going to close all the way. You've probably noticed on mine that the back area didn't cooperate either. I have no clue what I did wrong. I could not for the life of me get it to close up. Maybe mines defective, maybe I did something wrong, maybe Cliffjumper is a jerk. I've complained before about how recent Transformers everything having to be exactly right or things won't line up and that's probably what happened here. What I did wrong is a mystery as I checked the instructions, looked online, and sat working with the toy for far too long. I gave up after lots of cursing and aggravation. I really wanted to like Cliffjumper and did like his robot mode. Transformation is crap and I guess his vehicle mode looks cool online. If I ever find Bumblebee I probably won't transform it.

Bios: Countdown

"For a world without evil, you need a universe without evil."

Function: Aerospace Commander

An intergalactic hero and space explorer. A legend to beings throughout the universe and an inspiration to his fellow Autobots. Fought 1000 battles and circled almost a million stars, defending the rights of the innocent. Transforms to lunar rover with com-link disk that enables him to control the entire defense base from up to 30,000,000 miles away. His interstellar rocket ship converts to mobile launch pad armed with two energy-zapping de-kineto cannons that freeze objects in mid-motion. Ship is also designed to use planetary orbits and gravitational pulls to "slingshot" across entire galaxies in seconds. Command base equipped with laser blasters, high-tech repair bay, interstellar communications center, space-tracking radar, and high-speed launch pad.

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

Deluxe Antronic Abomination (Battle Tribes X Godbeast)

Returning to our look at Battle Tribes Microman/Micronaut homage wave 32 is Antronic Abomination. Antronic Abomination is a collaboration between Battle Tribes and my main man The Godbeast. Using a combination of parts from Godbeast's Nemesis and a variety of Battle Tribes and Weaponeers of Monkaa parts, Antronic Abomination is a great update of Antron in Glyos form. Once again, Glyos makes a great medium for Microman/Micronaut updates thanks to the interchangeability. Thanks to that and all the extra parts, I was able to come up with some approximations of other Micronaut Aliens as well. It was a lot of fun coming up with the various freaky characters.

There was an extra set of combining part set available with this wave that would have allowed for more integration that I wish I would have bought, but still was able to get a lot done with what came with the figure. It's actually quite remarkable just how much the figure looks like Antron, I even had folks commenting on social media how they had to do a double take initially. It feels like the Aliens are often overlooked when anyone homages Micronauts... and that's fair. The line is so well know for the main guys that the other toys can get lost in the shuffle. Considering how long it's been since a new Microman or Micronauts line has been on shelves, homages feel like all there is for Micros in new toys.

The occasional Transformers or designer toy like this really help keep the memory of something great alive. Like I said, this is the 40th anniversary of Transformers and the 50th anniversary of Microman. It's a good time to appreciate the stepping stones that Bumblebee took to get where he is now. 

Cheetor (Legacy: United/Core Class)

Of all the pleasant surprises in Transformers Legacy, a Core Class Beast Machines Cheetor was definitely not expected. Beast Machines was one of the more derided series of the past 40 years in Transformers due varying reasons and doesn't get a lot of attention when it comes to updates and homages. Personally, I've always liked it despite the departure from Beast Wars (which it was a direct follow up). Sometimes it does irk me from time to time, but with all the actual problems from the real world... I just take it in stride usually. I've always liked Cheetor's BM design, though in toy form it's been hit or miss. The Night Slash Cheetor mold is the best version of the character personally, though this new Core Class might just give it a run for the money. It's pretty good. As you'd expect, Cheetor turns into a techno organic cheetah.

The transformation is fairly easy, he basically lays down and a few things fold/unfold around to present his beast mode head and feet. His main torso stretches out and tail unfolds. Pretty simple. I know one complaint some had about beast era toys was often transformation was basically standing up... they're still going to have that complaint here. No reason to overly complicate the transformation when you have something with four limbs that turns into something with four limbs. My only complaint in transformation is the robot head doesn't tuck away neatly. The beast head flips over it like the hood on a hoodie. That's fine, but you end up with a visible robot face. You can turn the head around a, but some bits poke out of the neck. I'm sure creative posing can help hide that some... but it sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm fond of Cheetor's twin scimitar swords. They're faithfully recreated here and can even be doubled up like in the episode 'Fires of the Past'. Cheetor can hold them individually, or in double blade form. They even store on his shoulders neatly. This is a pretty impressive toy for a Core Class, which admittedly I'm often impressed by regularly... it's impressive what's being done at the small scale.

I hope to see recolors of this new toy mold into characters like CatSCAN or incarnations like Night Slash Cheetor. I'm reminded of the Go-bots cat bots by those larger front paws, so would definitely be game for some of those characters to make an appearance here. I like this little toy. It's a solid example of why Core Class Transformers are so great. They're small, but not specifically lesser than the standard Deluxe Class figure. I like that for the $9.99 I paid for Cheetor (what I USED to pay for a Deluxe) I got a solid action figure that doesn't feel compromised. Your results may vary, but I'm VERY happy with this cool cat.

Weekly Update 4/8/24

It's Monday and another week begins on Planet Zone! I had a pretty great weekend and I hope yours was pretty great too! Saturday, the Mrs and I had dinner with my brother with his family and Mom at a local hibachi restaurant. I picked up some great stuff too. Target didn't have Origins Wheeljack yet (sadly), but did have Legacy Core Class Cheetor and Studio Series Leader Class Optimus Primal! I also finally got some Star Wars Doorables while there... and might be hooked! So good! A trip to Walmart resulted in Legacy Wingblade and a Turtles of Greyskull Beastman! 

Not to be outdone, my Mom gifted me a baggie full of random smaller TF's she picked up from a thrift store. I haven't had a chance to go through it, but there was some good stuff! Sunday was spent getting some much needed rest and enjoying some great food made by the Mrs for dinner. I ended the night playing Demon's World on my Super Pocket while watching Halloween commercials compilations. Yep, the spookier side of the year is coming as Halfway to Halloween nears! I've got spooky plans in place and hey, so does your local Michaels stores. They'll be selling their Nevermore Collection in stores and online starting April 19th! Well, we've got some fun times coming this year Zone Base readers, but first a fun week in store! Thank you all for reading. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives Zone Base readers!

Gamer Edition Starscream (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

These Gamer Edition Studio Series Transformers are pretty great. Updated toys from the War for Cybertron games with modern engineering, what's not to love? Frankly, I was a steady fan of the Fall of Cybertron set of Seekers from 2012 and wasn't too interested in any updates of them. I decided to go ahead and get the new updated Starscream and was pleasantly surprised. The FOC Starscream was a decent Deluxe Class figure and this larger Voyager Class sized upgrade is a nice and beefy. I do like my chonky robots and he fits the bill. There's something decidedly old school feeling about this toy while still being a modern Transformers figure.

Starscream turns into a Cybertronian jet. Not the Tetrajet from the cartoon, but a sci fi take on the jet mode we're all used to. It's a neat little aircraft with a decidedly bigger cockpit than the in game model has. This leads me to think there's some other than Seeker uses of this mold planned... which I'd be happy for. This is a good base for someone like SkyQuake. Starscream has the mace melee weapon used in the game and his Null-Ray rifle. The gun is a standard rifle as opposed to the traditional Seeker arm mounted laser guns. This is a holdover from the game design as your character switched weapons, so the hand held weapon is a little more practical design wise in that aspect. For a Starscream toy, it's different... but makes me think of other portrayals of him as well as potential other uses of the mold.

In robot mode, Starscream is decently articulated. There's nothing to complain about there and it's a little surprising considering how hefty he feels. Transformation is pretty easy, though you may take a little longer the first time doing so than later transformations. He pretty much folds in half with his mid section becoming the front of the jet, while everything else folds up to form everything else. The gun and mace attach to the top of the jet...that feels like an after thought. I do wish they blended in better. Though that made is a giant brick and there's not much more that can realistically be done. I suppose if the clumsiness of weapon storage is my only complaint, then we've got a pretty successful transformation. I like this toy a lot. Surprisingly so as I was pretty happy with the FOC version from a decade ago.

Bios: Magnificus

Function: Outcast

Once the Military Consul for the Decepticon domain of Mebion, Magnificus was framed and convicted thanks to a crafty trap set by Decepticon command staff who were jealous of his position.  He was ousted and sent to be a pit-fighting robot in a remote region of space.  His partner Ga'mede was a member of the royal family of Xeptos, a planet existing a subatomic inner space, but just as he was to be executed over a family dispute, he was rescued into the macroverse thanks to Magnificus' matter-enlarging scope.  The two were bonded almost immediately by implicit trust owing to their similar circumstances, and have crossed numerous battlefields and parts of the underworld together.  Their travels have gained them a suitable stock of wealth and armaments, with which they carry out a campaign of heartless revenge on the traitors who brought Magnificus low.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 5 Endurance: 10
Rank: 0 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 10 Skill: 10

Evolved Godzilla (Godzilla X Kong/2 pack version)

I've been singing the praises of Playmates Godzilla and Kong line since they launched and for good reason. These are great toys of classic characters. Evolved Godzilla is from the newest movie, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and this version is specifically from the Godzilla vs Shimo 2 pack. The 2 pack is exclusive to Walmart (I believe) and features the two figures with variant decos and scenery for them to fight in. Godzilla is in his Evolved form as you've seen countless times for the marketing for the movie. It's a cool new look that comes with extra abilities that I can't tell you about yet as of this writing I haven't seen the movie yet. I will have by the time you read this and will likely be raving about it non-stop. But as of now, not yet. The wait is killing me... I love this stuff.

Godzilla is pretty much the same figure as his standard release, however with a slightly different deco. The regular version is a darker green, while this is a brighter shade with some teals thrown in. I'm sure it's meant to represent the lighting in a fight scene between Shimo and him, but even on it's own looks cool. A regular complaint I've seen about this Evolved form is the pinks in his dorsal fins. Personally I don't get it, as we all thought it looked cool in Shin Godzilla. That and I appreciate the new look. I like the Monsterverse version of Godzilla, but admit it doesn't always translate well into toys and such. This new form seemingly does pretty well. This is a pretty decent action figure of him with a fair amount of articulation... or about as much so you'd expect. Shoulders, legs, tail,and head move in the standard fashion for Godzilla toys. Also like toys before, his mouth opens and the included Atomic Breath blast effect and plug in. This is a great toy to stomp around and make 'skreeonk' sounds until someone tells you to be quiet. Between Minus One in December and Godzilla X Kong in March... it's an amazing time for Godzilla fans. I'm taking in as many monster toys as I can and this 2 pack was a great set of figures in cool colors (I got the Kong one too). I love it, now if you'll excuse me, I'm getting to work on my aftermarket bus accessory packs for Godzilla toys. To pick up and putting back down.

Optimus Prime (EarthSpark/Deluxe Class)

At some point I got over my initial irritability over price points in EarthSpark and decided to get the Deluxe Class figures. As of this writing, I just need Starscream to have all the Mandroid build-a-figure parts. Neat! This figure of Optimus is a very good representation of Optimus Prime as he appears on the EarthSpark cartoon. Thankfully, however, his face plate is up. Interestingly, this Optimus figure is a heavy remolded version of the Cyberverse Deluxe Class Optimus Prime figure. Sharing essentially the same 'skeleton' , but with new robot and truck parts. I never got that Optimus, so I can't compare the two in person. If this information wasn't made known to me, I'd never been able to tell. Optimus transforms into a semi-truck as you'd expect.

Optimus transforms fairly easily. Aside from getting his legs in just the right spot, I practically did it purely from muscle memory of other Optimus Prime toys. This is generally a pretty standard toy of him. Thankfully, it's also a pleasant toy of him. Featuring a fair amount of articulation and a very traditional looking rifle and energy axe, Optimus is ready to fight! The rifle and axe store away very conveniently in truck mode, which is something I just love. Honestly this is a pretty predictable Optimus Prime figure. It's pretty much what you expect. However, it's a good figure of Optimus Prime as he appears in the EarthSpark cartoon. So I can't complain. The Hasbro release comes with a Mandroid part, though I'm hearing newer found copies don't now. I'll need to find that Starscream sooner than later. Like other EarthSpark toys, the Takara version doesn't have the Mandroid part, but a more show accurate deco. 

Weekly Update 4/1/24

Empire of Old weekend was quite the adventure. I've made my thoughts on the movies known in the past two posts, but my birthday and Easter were pretty great! The Mrs absolutely spoiled me on my birthday as did my Mother and Brother. I got all sorts of toys and cool stuff. Too much to list here. Ate some great food, probably too much... but I'll get back on the wagon Monday. Just had a cheat weekend instead of a weekly cheat day. It was a special occasion! Well, I'll keep this weeks update short and thank all of you for reading Zone Base! There's a fun week of content coming for your eyeballs. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends, and Mutual High Fives all around!