Autobot Chase (Legacy United/Deluxe Class)

Legacy sure is a fun line. Updated Transformers characters from the various settings in the Transformers universe, what's not to love? Chase is from Rescue Bots, a show and toy line meant for toddlers and small children. Of course adult fans found it fun as it's pretty cool on it's own right. Like all Legacy figures, Chase has been made to fit in with more traditional looking Transformers toys while still retaining his character traits. It's a good looking toy. Chase's design really works well as a standard looking Transformer. I was impressed with first seeing him online, but after opening him up as a birthday present from the Mrs, I was even more enamored with him.

Chase transforms into a Police car, similar to Prowl, but very different looking. Chase has a mostly blue color scheme and his car is more of a muscle car. In robot mode, Chase has a very characterful design. The car's roof forms his chest creating a more stocky look. His helmet resembles a Police officers cap. For weapons, Chase has side mounted sirens in vehicle mode that form blaster looking weapons in robot mode. He also has a capture claw weapon with removable pincers. The pincers can be held as hooks or attached to the siren weapons. With pincers removed, the base of the capture claw becomes a double barrel blaster. Chase is a very good looking toy and the blue (which came out much darker in picture) really sets him apart from other Police Transformers.

Transformation is mostly easy, I say mostly as there was a little trouble maneuvering parts into place. The way his hip folds is easy to do wrong and can lead to accidentally separating from the upper half of his body. Fortunately it snaps right back together. A little wrangling with my big hands later and Chase is now a cool looking Police car. The claw weapon can mount on the back windshield and the whole thing looks sleek. This is a cool looking toy, it's impressive that the character's roots were such a simple little thing. That's the magic of a good design, it can be applied in a variety of styles. Chase is a great addition to the Legacy ranks and it's great to see characters from the broader Transformers Universe getting additional light shined on them. Hopefully it's a sign of more homages of similar things in the future.

BIOS: Hydra

Function: Space Aviation Officer
Hydra was an assassin who made his name in America's criminal underworld. Having lived the lone-wolf way of life, he is always planning to betray his companions. Hydra firmly believes that Humanity should be ruled by the Destrons. He and Buster are brothers.

Strength: 4 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 6 Endurance: 10
Rank: 7 Courage: 10 Firepower: 6 Skill: 8

Battle Armor He-Man (New Eternia/Masterverse)

The New Eternia Concept is a fun extension of Masters of the Universe. Based on a blend of concept art and more mature takes on the characters, we're able to get some neat new twists on some classic designs. Masterverse is a nicer MOTU figure line in that coveted 6" scale so many toy collectors love these days and the perfect outlet for these cool figures. Battle Armor He-Man takes the classic Battle Armor and adds a Celtic or Nordic slant to the design. This plays well as they've also made He-Man more mature looking with a beard, clearly representing an older version of the character. Like other New Eternia figures, you can remove the additions to create a more traditional version of He-man if you choose. The packaging's included text creates a fun scenario of this toy of He-Man on an adventure. It's definitely fun to give the armor a reason fictionally.

The Battle Armor has exchangeable plates to recreate the original toy's gimmick without any springs. There's also extra armor pieces and a cool new shield design that's seen some battle. Of course the extra hands, which is a requirement for this sort of toy. Then there's the Power Sword and Axe. I feel the axe fits this look a lot more. The shield can be worn on his left arm via a peg, or mounted on his back. There's a little dagger that can be stored in He-Man's boot. It's a small thing, but I always appreciate when it's included. I believe there's 30 points of articulation, great for all sorts of dynamic poses. This is a great figure of He-Man and I really enjoy the New Eternia series. It's a cool concept that makes for some neat looks for the characters. I was fortunate enough to score this one on clearance off the Walmart app and with some saved rewards points he worked out to be only $2. To be fair, it's really hard to find anything to complain about when you get it for $2. However he really is a cool toy. He has the power and a neat outfit as well.

Transform Squadron 53- Age Prescripted

LISTEN NOW!

Rob talks about the Transformers 40th Anniversary Theatrical Event and looks back at various Transformers anniversaries while doing so!

Original Robot Animation

The Transformers as a TV show technically lasted 5 seasons. Three full seasons with The Rebirth counting as season 4 and season 5 being repackaged reruns. Of course it feels like cheating to classify a bunch of reruns as a season... but the Generation 2 series was just repackaged reruns. Which admittedly also feels like cheating. However, if you've ever been curious about season 5, you'll of course remember the live action bumper sequences with Optimus Prime and possibly the intro. Considering the show was repackaged reruns, you'd figure they'd just reused existing intros... but no. To the untrained eye, it appears to be all new animation featuring current toys. In fact, however, the new intro is all animation from toy commercials being used.

I like watching older commercials and post enough of them here to make that very well known. So of course I enjoy watching these and taking in all the cool little animated bits. In many cases the quality of the animation is a little better than the cartoon itself or makes me wish they were scenes from unmade episodes. It's hard not to watch little bits like Micromasters running amuck and wish it were from an actual cartoon. The animated Action Masters present a solid case for an Action Master season. Sure, the Takara series exist... but I had no clue about them when I was 11. Thankfully these days it's easy to watch these little spots whenever you want. They wouldn't do it, but a collection of these animated segments would make a great special to air on the Transformers Channel.

It's Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! I'm currently enjoying the holiday weekend, but don't worry, regular content will resume tomorrow! Thank you all for reading Zone Base. Please share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives everyone!

Silverbolt (Legacy United/Voyager Class)

I've been really looking forward to an update of Silverbolt for some time now. He was a favorite from Beast Wars who seemingly had been forgotten when it came to updates. Silverbolt is a Fuzor, a Transformer who transforms into a mixture of two different animals. He turns into a wolf/eagle hybrid that's pretty fantastic. I've always enjoyed his robot mode's appearance as well. He's very unique looking combined with great characterization of the show making for a lovable character. This new figure is larger Voyager Class compared to the Deluxe Class original. The extra room fits him and allows for a more show accurate toy.

Honestly, this toy isn't a big departure from the original. It's very similar to the with some improvements like placement of the wings in robot mode. Speaking off those wings, they no longer have the 'flapping' gimmick or shoot missiles. Instead the feather swords attach via pegs and are smaller, which looks better. Silverbolt is fairly articulated in robot mode and has a VERY show accurate sculpt. Like other recent updates, he looks like walked out of my TV screen. Transformation is fairly easy and similar to his original figure. I transformed my original one a million times while watching the show and found my hands automatically arranging parts from muscle memory. It's not completely the same, but somehow he was transformed in a few seconds without much effort. I should have been watching Beast Wars while doing it for old times sake.

In beast mode, Silverbolt is a winged wolf that looks like something out of mythology. Articulation remains pretty good here with he wings able to be put in a variety of poses. The way his rear end comes together is a bit messy. The back legs kinda just rest against each other leaving a big gap. You can look past it, but it's not really avoidable. Really though, that's the only negative thing I've got to say about the toy. Your going to have a messy area here and there in a Transformer and that's not the worst I've ever seen on one. Other than that, Silverbolt is a great toy and I'm happy for the update. I'm sure there'll be a Windrazor version as Generations Selects, but I really hope for a 2003 Universe version. Always loved those colors. The ongoing love Beast Wars is finally getting in Generations is exciting for me and I'm definitely glad to see more characters than just the original season cast. Silverbolt's a good toy of a great character. It's awesome that they made this.

BIOS: Hellscream

Function: General Chief of Staff
This is Starscream's evolved form, created when he was dropped into the Angolmois energy by Gigastorm. His hatred reacted with the evil Angolmois energy. Now he is even more cruel and savage than before, attacking his opponents colorfully with such weapons as his sharkwinders and Terrorstorm. In fact, he is biding his time for a chance to force Gigastorm from power.

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

Alien 1979

Predacon Scorponok (Studio Series/Deluxe Class)

I don't know if it's obvious, but I liked the Scorponok named soldiers from Rise of the Beasts. Considering this is the third toy of one I'm covering on this site, I feel like it might be noticeable. This time we'll be looking at the Studio Series edition of Scorponok, a toy that is a complete upgrade from the prior figures. Scorponok is screen accurate aside from deco, which is a black and purple color scheme more akin to a classic Insection. While that doesn't adhere to the screen accuracy idea of Studio Series... it looks great. It actually looks so good that I wish that these were the onscreen colors.  Scorponok looks extra villainous in this toy. While I enjoyed his Beast Alliance figures... this is clearly the better of his toys. It's just really impressive and I'm very happy with it.

Scorponok is a very freaky Monster Gobot looking robot whom turns into a weird scorpion inspired insectoid. I like to presume that Scorponok represents one of the many Predacons that worked with Scourge's Terrorcons in the movie. It's not really defined, so they all could be a drone type names Scorponok. Characterize them as you will, I liked the movie, but these guys were basically cannon fodder soldiers. They transform into a gnarly scorpion themed insectoid with monstrous pincers. Said pincers contain guns. The scorpion tail is articulated and can be used as a weapon in robot mode. There is a small port on the top of the beast mode back. I wonder of another accessory was planned and left out? Bot modes are fairly articulated and specifically cool looking.

Transformation from robot to beast mode is not very complex, but pretty neat. Scorponok essentially lays down and the set of legs on his robot back fold out. His upper robot legs fold inside the main body, while the lower legs unfold into more insect legs. What's interesting is his pincers. The robot arms fold up with the hands going into the shoulders. You then unfold the pincer arms our from the robots upper torso. I found this to be pretty creative and was pretty impressed with the ingenuity of it all. Neatly enough, Scoponok uses the same head in bot modes, but due to positioning, it manages to look different from itself in either configuration.  I've liked all the Scorponok toys from ROTB, but this is definitely the best. It was a great birthday gift from the Mrs and an absolute pleasure to play around with.

Weekly Update-5/20/24

A new week of robots, monsters, and misadventure await you Zone Base readers! It's Monday and I've slept in... sorry. I hope you all had good weekends. Mine was great! Saturday was spent with the Mrs taking her to various stores and shopping. While out I found Transformers Legacy Thundertron and MOTU Lord Gr'Asp. I also picked up Turtles of Greyskull Raphael and Shredder. So far, I just need Man at Arms to complete the first 2 waves. I was hoping to find more Transformers, but there's apparently a new stock slump going on in my area. It happens, but it's not fun.

I've been checking Dollar Tree store for updates to their popular TF figurines that now come with collector cards. I already have two sets of them, but with cards? I need more! Sunday was a great day as well. I woke up early and made us French Toast. The great breakfast was necessary as Sunday was when I was attending the Transformers 40th anniversary event. I plan to talk more about it in the next Transform Squadron episode, but had a great time. Of course I got the popcorn bucket and soda cup! That was a lot of Starry to drink, but out of G1 box art! It was great enjoying the first 4 episodes of the classic cartoon in a theater. I unashamedly bopped around to the music and mouthed along to the script. So cool! 

Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. Time to get to work, but I've also got a fun week in store for you all! Thank you all for reading Zone Base. We've got one Block Rocking summer ahead of us. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives everyone!

Dinobot Sludge (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

It's taken me longer than intended, but today we're looking at the final member of the Core Class Dinobots. Sludge comes in forming Volcanicus's lower torso and mirroring Rairyu in the eventual Dinoking version of this set. Sludge is a likable little fellow, though his dino mode kibble is impossible to ignore. There's two rear legs just hanging to the side of his robot mode legs. There is no getting around them and that might be a turn off for a few people. Honestly, the blocky old schoolness of this set that I've mentioned before keeps me from disliking it that much. In a stand alone figure, it'd be annoying. As a small chonky little robot whose part of a combiner team... I can't help but to instantly compare it to older toys and enjoy it for that. 

Part of a combiner team is accepting that there'll be some compromises and Sludge is a big compromise. Forming the lower torso of Volcanicus means some load bearing and this (little) big boy is built for that function. Transformation to brontosaurus is easy and just works. I have no complaints about that and found the entire process likable. As a brontosaurus, Sludge is absolutely adorable. Just a cute little dinosaur. Once again simple, but simple works.

Slugde forms the lower torso and waist of the combiner. The other parts form together fairly easily into a delightfully little version of Volcanicus. Volcanicus has a decent amount of articulation for a combiner and his smaller form makes for an easier time playing around. His fists strongly resemble those of older Micromaster combiners and of course there's the obvious Dinoking resemblance. I'm really happy with how he turned out. I really like Volcanicus despite the initial idea of the Dinobots as a combiner irked me. Thanks to misinformed folks in older days spreading a rumor that the original team could combine, the idea was a bit of a thorn in my side. However, ever since Volcanicu's introduction... I've liked him quite a bit. He's a cool combiner and I'm a sucker for the Dinobots.

BIOS: Skywarp

"Strike when their backs are turned!"

Function: Warrior
Considered the sneakiest Decepticon to ever fly in the sky. Pulls practical jokes on fellow fighter planes. Low intelligence makes him prone to accidents and occasional mid-air collisions. Instant conversion capabilities allow for immediate battle-ready status.

Strength: 5 Intelligence: 2 Speed: 7 Endurance: 7
Rank: 3 Courage: 7 Firepower: 6 Skill: 4

Callie Spengler with Possessor (Fright Features/Frozen Empire)

We met Egon's daughter, Callie, in Ghostbusters Afterlife. She makes her Fright Features debut in the current Frozen Empire batch of figures. In Frozen Empire, the Ghostbusters have become something of a family business. Callie finds herself busting ghosts with the gang. As a figure, Callie has the standard Hasbro Fright Feature body with a new head sculpt. She has the same proton pack as well, the current Fright Features are a bit uniform I suppose. However her partner ghost to bust is Possessor, whose actually quite a menace. Possessor is a Class VIII. Full Possessor ghost meaning he can posses and fully control any inanimate object. Without intentionally spoiling anything, Possessor cause the team a lot of trouble.

I enjoy his partner ghost sculpt. Like all Hasbro Fright Features toys, Callie and Possessor have an old school charm and are very similar to Kenner's The Real Ghostbusters figures. Possessor is an Ecto-Strecth Tech toy and can stretch all over like other similar figures. Like the other Ecto- Stretch Tech ghosts, he can be placed over Callie (or any other figure) to slime or possess. This is a fun little line and I hope more toys come in the future. Especially with the upcoming cartoon.

Shard (Legacy United/Deluxe Class)

After what felt like a long wait, a new Armorizer is available. Shard is an all new Rock Lord inspired Transformer from the Infernac Universe making her first appearance as a toy. Shard is specifically made of Death Crystals from the Planet Dread and was directly inspired by Solitaire, making her a Jewel Lord homage. As someone who loves multiple layers of homage, Shard is really cool. I know what you're thinking, how come all these rock Transformers don't fly? Well, this one can! She transforms into a helicopter made of jewels which is a neat looking visual. While it might not be the most realistic... look, if realism is what you're after... you've got the wrong toy line.

The Death Crystals create a sharp and pointy looking Armorizer topped off by the helicopter blades doubling as swords. I'm also fond of the turbines that double as cannons. The swords can be inserted in the cannons as well meaning Shard will outright shoot a sword at you. That's harsh. Transformation is fairly easy. After the past few figures, I was pleasantly surprised for everything to just go into place without much trouble. Like the other Armorizers, Shard doesn't disassemble during transformation. I did accidentally remove a limb or two while doing so, but that was just from clumsiness. The helicopter is quite cool looking and comes off like a variation of the Stone Wing. That was probably not intentional, but my mind went there. I like the absurdness of a vehicle made of stone/jewel flying. Of course as an Armorizer, Shard can be disassembled and made into armor and weapons for regular compatible Transformers. Considering how sharp and pointy she is, you can imagine some really striking combinations. I'm extremely happy with Shard as I've been with all the Armorizers. So far there hasn't been one I like and of course I love the concept. It's a rock fact.

Weekly Update- 5/13/24

Welcome back to Planet Zone for another week of robots, monsters, and misadventure! My weekend went by way too fast, but it was pretty great! We celebrated Mothers Day and enjoyed some weekend shopping. I managed to find Turtles of Greyskull Krang and Ram Man! Krang is a fun large sized mashup of TMNT Krang and Megator while Ram Man has been mutated into a humanoid ram! Of course some more Star Wars Doorables were purchased, I love those things! I still couldn't find anymore new Transformers, but ordered Shard. My need for Armorizers will not be denied! My TF Blokees order should be arriving soon as well. I think another order is due soon though, my excitement is through the roof! Look forward to one Block Rocking Summer!

I hope everyone enjoyed Halfway to Halloween. It may be over until Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem runs wild starting in August, but Code Orange this summer is getting an earlier start! At Home has been advertising that they'll start stocking Halloween sooner than ever this year! Other stores such as Joanne's is getting an early start as well. Spooky Spring is turning into Spooky Summer as the Great Pumpkin rears his mighty head! Thanks for reading Zone Base. I've got a fun week in store for you all. As always, please share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives everyone!

Halfway 2 Halloween~ Michael Landon Kills

Last Halloween, Johnathan fought the devil to save the soul of his friend Mark.

one year later...

It's Halloween night, and Mark finds it the perfect time to get a submarine sandwich and watch spooky movies. Unfortunately, the sandwich shop is ran by the devil. Needless to say, Mark falls asleep in front of the TV haunted by indigestion filled nightmares. Meanwhile, Johnathan decides to go out for a walk and befriends a lonely kid. This leads to a trick or treat adventure full of mischief and the most bat shit insane Halloween special ever made.

 originally posted 10/15/2021

Bumblebee (Legacy United/Deluxe Class)

Following up on the Animated Prowl figure from Legacy Evolution is this new Animated Bumblebee figure from Legacy United. Following the Legacy/Generations formula of working characters from stylized figures into a more traditional Transformers appearance while keeping those unique characteristics- Bumblebee looks great. The original Animated Bumblebee was also a deluxe class figure, but much larger. Not just because Transformers in general were larger back then. The figure was in similar scale to other deluxe figures. This newer toy is much smaller putting him in scale with the other Legacy Animated updates. Being so small is bound to upset some as he's sold as a Deluxe Class figure

My only guess is that due to his engineering and accessories he still fits the weight that a deluxe sized figure would meet to ship in those cases. It's definitely not a Core Class. Bumblebee is short, which matches his onscreen character. Though, he isn't lacking by any means. Coming with his stingers and rocket boosters, this little buddy packs a wallop. The rocket boosters of course mount on his car mode for the extra speed, or on his back in robot mode. The stingers can attach on his hands as they did on the show or on the boosters creating a more traditional looking weapon, which is what I did. The stingers can also store on the back the rockets in vehicle mode simulating the propulsion from said boosters. They're neat accessories. In robot mode, Bumblebee is a very neat little bot. He's got quite a bit of articulation and a lot of personality thanks to his characterful sculpt. In Animated, Bumblebee was quite the little shit. That's reflected very well here while still fitting in next to other recent Generations figures. 

Transformation is pretty easy. He transforms mostly how you'd expect with a little variation. The way his arms fold up I found pretty creative. The shoulders are his rear wheel, while the car doors are on his forearms. The way it all connects and folds up creating running boards was pretty neat. I'm not saying they reinvented the wheel, just saying it was pleasant. I don't put much focus into transformation (it's pretty utilitarian for me), so when somethings unique, it's really appreciated. In Animated Bumblebee turned into a sporty hatchback. This was a often used alt mode used in place of a Volkswagen Bug during the time. Always thought it looked cool and still do. I've always liked hatchbacks, owned a few myself. The car is great in this update and those rockets look cool. Animated was a lot of fun while it was going. I have fond memories of that preview wave of the figures at select Walmarts during Botcon 2008. So many of us left the con to brave uncharted territoy tin search of figures in a time where GPS wasn't as common. These new Legacy updates are very welcome and Bumblebee is a pretty popular guy around this site. It's good to have another around.

Halfway 2 Halloween~ The Howling (Monster)

This is a unique one. The Howling Monster is one heck of a Halloween adjacent toy. You've got a ghoulish head full of slime (all good stuff) in which you put a plastic skull (awesome) inside of. The skull begins to howl and light up upon touching the slime. It's like a scary turducken perfect for the spooky season. Really though, it's the animation and overall production of this commercial that I'm loving. Even though Halloween hasn't been said once... it crossed your mind. I fully expect to see a Howling Monster in generic packaging at Walmart next to the monster eye ping pong balls.

BIOS: Joyride

"Enjoy each moment like it's your last."

Function: Warrior 

A reckless road-racing robot. Always drives faster than he should. Enjoys the thrill of racing at high speeds. Fights for the fun of it, which annoys many of his more serious-minded Autobots. Titanium-belted wheels secrete adhesives for pinpoint maneuverability on the road. Binary-bonded to the Nebulan, Hotwire, a reformed car theif and ace mechanic. Also armed with photon blaster that freezes internal mechanisms on impact.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 5 Endurance: 8
Rank: 6 Courage: 9 Firepower: 5 Skill: 2

Halfway 2 Halloween~ Spook Sticks And Wrapped Candy

Before Spirit or Party City, the best place to get your Halloween on was a small store. Halloween in the old days was tailor fit for a smaller store like a Woolworth or your local drugstore. Those old smock and mask costumes always looked at home in the middle of the store where seasonal items usually would reside. Places like Dollar General and CVS are still well regarded by those who bleed pumpkin spice.

They're almost a tradition for me. I'll make a point to pop in and out of them and check out the wares. Admittedly these days the luster isn't as bright as it was back then. What was once a wonderland of seasonal spooky shit these days is generally a few pumpkins with 'live, laugh, love' on them and maybe some dollar hockey masks. The bullshit ones with a circle shaped vent pattern on the mouth instead of holes. Lame.

originally posted 8/27/2020

Leonardo (Turtles of Grayskull)

An explosion has sent the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles across dimensions to Eternia. Now augmented with tech from Man-At-Arms' armory, Leonardo leads his brothers into battle for the Power of Grayskull!

Since He-Man has been mutated into a monster leaving Eternia without it's biggest hero, what are we to do? Enjoy some pizza of course! Because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have teamed up with the Heroic Warriors to save the day. Leonardo is here lead the way! Making up for He-Man's missing power sword, Leonardo has the Katana of Power. The sword can be split in half like He-Man's classic weapon, but both halves are to be wield by Leo and can be joined into a single blade.

Leonardo also features some way cool armor created by Man-At-Arms that's a little reminiscent of Dolph Lundren's outfit from the MOTU movie. Come to think of it, the sword looks a little like that one too. This is an awesome figure. Leo uses the same MOTU Origins TMNT body that Donatello and I presume the other Turtles have. It's a great base for the Turtle Teens in this line and really brings the concept to life well. His shell can be used as a shield, like the other Turtles, but I feel like it really fits here. Leonardo is clearly the TMNT version of He-Man (aside from Michelangelo) and the classic visage of him with the sword and shield comes into play. For extra dramatic purposes, the bandanna has some articulation. This line is awesome.

Halfway 2 Halloween~ Oozing with Oozers

Oozers were toys by Irwin in the 80's/90's that were really special. Rubbery monsters you'd fill with slime that oozed (it's in the name) disgustingly from various orifices when you'd squeeze the toy. Simple and tons of fun. What made this take on a classic toy special was the characters. Spooky and scary monsters sculpted with a lot of charm brought a lot to the simple gimmick. When that slime would blurp from the eyes or mouths of those things... truly magnificent.

Dinobot Slug (Legacy Evolution/Core Class)

Around 2009, someone at Hasbro discovered Slag wasn't a friendly term everywhere in the world and started using alternates with Slug being the most often used. At this point there's more Slag toys named something completely else than Slag... but it's still an elephant in the room in some corners of the Transformers world. I'll be calling him Slag, but the name on the box says Slug for those reasons. Slag is another member of this Core Class Dinobots set and a classic Dinobot as well. As a Core Class, he is pretty small. though apparently is one of the larger toys in the class. Slag, like Snarl, could almost pass for a regular toy as his combiner limb nature isn't completely evident. If not for his dino tail weapon containing Volcanicus's head, it'd be pretty easy to hide.

Well that and the assorted pegs visible in robot mode. Slag looks fairly accurate to his classic character here with obvious omissions for size and paint. He's a good looking figure. Transformation from robot to Triceratops is fairly easy. He's another one of those toys where everything looks like where it would go. The dino tail forms a 'blaster' in robot mode. It also is storage for Volcanicu's head and forms part of the combiners abdomen. Snarl forms the main torso of Volcanicus and mirrors Kakuryu in Dinoking... which is obviously another use of the mold set coming at some point. As a Triceratops, Slag has a fair amount of articulation considering his small size. All four legs can move and his mouth can open. Opening his mouth would of course expose the robot mode head... but that was the case on his original toy as well. This is a perfectly serviceable little figure of Slag. Like the other Dinobots in this set, I like him a lot. In fact, I like this set and am honestly enjoying it more than the full size Volcanicus from Power of the Primes. Not disparaging that version at all (I like it quite a bit), but the more compact design benefits the combiner overall. Everything is just sturdier. Not to mention, I really enjoy the blocky old school nature of this set of toys. We've got one more Dinobot to go until Volcanicus awakens! 

Weekly Update 5/6/24

Hello Zone Base readers! It's the start of a new week of robots, monsters, and misadventure! Hope you all have enjoyed the mid-year mini spooky fun. We've got another week of Halfway to Halloween for a little springtime pumpkin spiced mayhem. I had a pretty good weekend and got a few cool toys. Saturday was Star Wars day, so of course I had a Epic Hero Stormtrooper in my grocery order as well as got some Star Wars Doorables and Micro Galaxy Squadron blind boxes while out shopping. I had actually found series 5 in the Galaxy Squadron packs and was happy about it. They're prequel themed and despite various opinions about the prequels, they had some cool vehicles.

On the MOTU front, I picked up Turtles of Greyskull Sla'ker and the Stranger Things set. Sla'ker is a cool mash up of Slash and Faker in a larger figure. The Stranger Things set has a unique Skeletor and a new MOTU Demogorgon! Very cool toys all around. Neither Walmart or Target had any Transformers I was looking for. This was frustrating as I've been looking for Shard and Animated Optimus Prime. I ordered some Transformers Blokees as I've really been wanting to get in on those. Finding them hasn't been the easiest and the US web site only seems to have the first wave of G1 figures and the Rise of the Beasts set. I don't have any, so that's fine for now, but hopefully getting more will be easier. I actually am really interested in these, so really hoping it won't be difficult. 

Well, it's time to get this week started. I've got to drop by the doctor to get an eye issue looked at. Not exactly how I want to start a week, but has to be done. I've got a fun week planned for you all. Thank you for reading Zone Base. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and Mutual High Fives!

Halfway 2 Halloween~Beware of the Castle of Doom

Troll dolls were all the rage in the early 90's. I myself had quite a few and honestly still kinda dig them. The Norfin brand of Trolls even got a few direct to video cartoons! Castle of Doom, their Halloween special, is something interesting. Some good natured trolls find themselves in a haunted castle pursued by Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolfman as trolls. There's a mad scientist too! Look, if I were to tell you there was a Halloween Troll OVA, would you believe me? Good thing I found an upload of the VHS. Ironically, troll dolls are also known as Dam dolls thanks to being created by a dude named Thomas Dam.

originally posted 8/25/2023

Origin Wheeljack (Legacy United/Voyager Class)

I'd been looking forward to Origin Wheeljack for some time now. After thoroughly enjoying the Origin Bumblebee and Jazz, it's good to complete the trio. All three have been exclusive to Target, though Wheeljack comes packaged in standard Legacy United packaging as the Buzzworth Bumblebee sub-line is officially over. As someone who prefers cartoon over comics, having the opening segment of the first episode of The Transformers recreated in toy form is awesome. The pre-Earth designs were fun and managed to work as toys pretty well.  Wheeljack was the larger of the three in that segment, so large that Bumblebee even rode inside of Wheeljack's alt mode. That can be replicated here as Wheeljack is a larger Voyager Class toy as compared to the smaller Deluxes the others were.

That's done with a LOT of folding panels and one BIG backpack in robot mode. That's unavoidable as somehow this thing had to work in the real word as a $35 toy. In the pictures, you might have noticed the blue wings in robot mode. Those are from a sort of Swiss-army part that comes with Wheeljack. They form the vehicle modes shields and can be dissembled to create the road it's driving on. The said part can be contained in the alt mode storage area or made into a sort of glider wing ... thing in robot mode. You'll have to disassemble the part to utilize all it's forms. Be careful, mines already showing stress marks from this. I could see it breaking easily. That's not the only accessory. Wheeljack comes with a blaster that can either beheld or mounted on his shoulder. In addition are the two front mounted blades he used in that segment this toy pays homage to. The blades can also attach to the front of the gun to recreate the dominator discs from 'The Core'. It goes without saying that this is a really neat toy. 

In robot mode, Wheeljack looks great... aside from that huge backpack. I'm not sure if any parts are reused from prior Wheeljack toys, but everything looks right. He's fairly articulated and even has some ports on his arms to store the dominator discs. Transformation isn't easy initially. It's something that would probably get easier after a few times, but the first couple are a mofo. There is a lot of panels in that big backpack and on his legs that fold out. They don't immediately make sense either and the instructions are a little cryptic. Once in place, however, you've got a cool... whatever that is he turns into. Folks have often called it a van, which is odd considering his sports car form on earth. Guess that's where his Rise of the Beasts form got inspiration.

Like I said earlier, Bumblebee can fit inside the storage compartment and those conductor rods that Origin Bumblebee came with can store on storage racks. Finally they have somewhere to go! This feels like a much more premium toy than you'd expect from a standard retail release. I feel like that's where Generations is going and it's a good thing. With the rising price of Transformers, it's nice to feel like I got something for my money. I've been a big fan of these 'Origin' Transformers figures and having the three Autobots in their pre-Earth forms is a real treat. I appreciate the interaction with each other as well. It bears repeating, this is a really neat toy.

Halfway 2 Halloween~Must be the Season of the Witch

Halfway to Halloween is a great time to watch some classic horror movies and old Halloween specials. Just a good way for some spooky fun in the spring. One of my favorites to watch at Halloween or any time is Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. While it's lack of Michael Myers was pretty divisive in the past, thankfully it's finally getting it's just due in modern times. Halloween 3 is a really fun movie that's basically a feature length Halloween special. Part of the fun of Halfway to Halloween is the traditional Halloween stuff. This movie seemed to play on an endless loop during the season when I was a kid. Commercials like these are almost as much of the holiday as whatever they'll flavor with pumpkin spice come autumn.

Bios: Ravage

Bulleting down through the atmosphere at better than 15 times the speed of sound, Ravage considers the data he has already amassed on the small, soft creatures that inhabit this planet. They seem weak and fragile, yet they are the ones that destroyed Megatron. That is a fact he will keep in mind as he penetrates their most sensitive installation. Against such an unpredictable enemy, stealth will be his watchword.

Strength: 6 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 7 Endurance: 7
Rank: 4 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 4 Skill: 8

Halfway 2 Halloween~Monstro vs. The Wolf Hound

I love watching old Heathcliff cartoons, but it brings to mind a question. Why did they split it up with another group of cats? I wanted to watch Heathcliff. Regardless, the Catillac Cats are a fun group of felines who get into various adventures and are generally likable. What's this got to do with Halloween? They watched a scary movie and have nightmares! Classic Halloween episode plot! Watch the gang act out classic monster tropes in obviously outsourced animation!

originally posted 8/18/2023

He-Man (Turtles of Grayskull)

What happens when the most Powerful Man in the Universe is doused with mutagenic ooze from another dimension? Nothing good. With He-man now a mindless pawn in Skeletor's hand, will this be the end of Eternia?

Turtles of Grayskull is a VERY cool addition to the already awesome Masters of the Universe Origins toy line. Blending retro looks with modern toy engineering and adding the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the mix. Is a crossover that sounds insane (and is) but works perfectly. You've got TMNT characters looking like the Heroic and Evil Warriors with Mutated Masters. It's crazy and it works.

We'll be looking at He-Man from the line today and he's not what anybody expected going in. He-Man has been mutated by the Foot Clan in cahoots with Skeletor into a MONSTER! Now He-Man, the Most Powerful Mutant in the Universe is a real threat to the Heroic Warriors and Turtles. This toy is AWESOME. Now a translucent purple freak with green hair and red eyes... He-Man is really neat looking. He has green veins running through his body that look sharp against the purple skin. Not to mention, the traditional outfit is now covered in spikes for extra danger. I really enjoy his bandanna, it fits in with the theming but also is articulated for dramatic posing. While having the standard amount of articulation for an Origins figure, his arms are extra long and big adding to the mutation. For extra fun, one foot has busted through it's boot. Noticeably absent is the Power Sword which I expect to be addressed in the mini-comics (Leonardo sure has a solution). The Evil Warriors have equipped him with a spike covered mace which fits pretty well. Mutated He-Man could almost pass as an Ogre. This cool monster version of the classic hero feels really refreshing and all around neat. Turtles of Grayskull is a really imaginative take on two older ideas and I REALLY like it.