Wind-Up the Week

Monday has risen from it's grave cursing us with another work week. Hopefully Zone Base can help chase away those responsibilities with another week of robots, monsters, and misadventure! I hope everyone had a great weekend, mine was a bit of a blur. Thursday there was a hurricane that led to several trees falling in our backyard a little too close for comfort. We ended up staying at a hotel to ride out the storm. Everything was safe when we got back thankfully, but what a random mid-week adventure. I spent the weekend mostly around the house afterwards.

I stayed up all night Saturday assembling a new shoe rack for the Mrs and spent a good bit of time decorating the yard for Halloween Sunday. The inside of the house has been decorated since Labor Day, but we generally let it get closer to the holiday for the yard. A shopping trip lead to Terroar from MOTU and a Core Class Nemesis Prime. Both are figures I'd missed out on prior and happy to get. I also downloaded the Transformers DLC for Minecraft. It's pretty fun, but to be honest, I've been so focused on Astro Bot that playing anything else has taken a back seat for the time being. I'll put some time into it this week though. I really appreciate how similar it is to the G1 cartoon (within reason). It's been a long time since I've played Minecraft, so the controls are taking a little time to get familiar with again. 

We've got another month of the Halloween party to go and I hope everyone is having fun. I'm personally a little disappointed that it's almost over. I love this so much! Thank you all for celebrating Halloween with me! We're going to make this last month one for the record books and really blow the spooky season out! I have a fun week of content coming, please look forward to it. Thank you all for reading. Please share the site with your friends!

Optimus Prime [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Of all the Optimus Prime toys from Transformers One I've been talking about lately, this one has to be the nicest. Before getting it, I was convinced that the Prime Changer was the better toy. I'm fully admitting how wrong I was. As much as I liked that Prime Changer version, this is one impressive Optimus Prime. After 40 years of buying the guy, you'd think it'd be just another one. I honestly felt as though I had gotten a much more premium toy. All gushing aside, this is a Deluxe Class price point version of Optimus Prime as he appears in Transformers One. Being a Studio Series toy, he of course is much more screen accurate and is intended to represent Optimus Prime proper and not Orion Pax. As I was taking him out of the box, there was an audible 'oh wow' and a couple of those moments where you just hold something and approvingly shake your head. It's hard for me to say anything else, I'm very enamored by this toy.

Optimus is well articulated in robot mode. With all sorts of joints and ankle tilts, you could probably roll him into a ball. BALL MODE! One bit that impressed me was his crotch piece and there is no better way to say that without it sounding weird. There is an additional layer of it that moves with his upper thighs that adds to the visual appearance. Most toys just have a crotch and you can see the legs joined to it. Optimus has that little piece on top that adds to the illusion. That's neat. As for accessories, he's got quite a few. His trademark Energon Axe is here that can be plugged into either hand for that signature look. The axe can also be stored on his back and between legs in vehicle mode similar to the Prime Changer. Also similar is the smoke stacks that can be used as pistols. They're more detailed, so I don't think these are reused parts. Additionally Optimus has a removable Matrix of Autobot Leadership and dual blasters that mount on the front of his truck mode providing some extra firepower. The Matrix cannot be held, but looks extra nice through his chest window. The vehicle mode dual blasters store in Optimus's backpack in robot mode. I like to think of them as a jet pack.

Transformation is pretty similar to the Prime Changer with some extra work. Seeing as both are similar toys released at the same time, I wouldn't doubt that there's shared engineering. This being the nicer toy, there's a little more involvement in the pieces. This results in a more impressive looking truck. A common complaint I've seen is that his hands are exposed in vehicle mode. This is true, though if you have them positioned with the outer sides of them pointing out, they blend better. Those dual blasters I mentioned earlier can be plugged into the trucks grill providing a battle mode. It looks great and adds to Optimus's offense capabilities. I really appreciate the extra detailing in. Truck mode is very impressive looking and is just cool. This is a very neat Cybertronian variation of the classic Convoy design. I'm very pleased with this toy overall. Considering the Prime Changer is sitting next to it at local stores right now for a little less money, it's really the more premium of the two. Both are solid figures and great Optimus prime toys. This Studio Series version however, really sells the difference between the price classes. They did a great job.

Much thanks to Hasbro and Paramount Pictures for providing Zone Base with this review sample. It's an honer and a privilege. Thank you.

Such a Screamer

Screaming Lord Such was probably the first garage band goth. His wacky horror themed music is obliviously perfect for your Halloween playlist (it's on mine) and just plain fun. Fun fact, while you may not be aware of Lord Such, his backing band at times featured- Keith Moon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Charlie Watts, John Bonham, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell and Nicky Hopkins.Dang.

Transform Squadron 57- Dial One for Terrorcon

LISTEN NOW!

Rob’s gushes over Transformers One and the promotional box Hasbro sent Zone Base! Also, the Halloween episodes continue with talks of Terror... Terrorcons that is!

Hordak [Turtles of Grayskull]

While Skeletor pouted over He-Man, Hordak plotted from afar, using his new minion Shredder, to infiltrate Snake Mountain. When the time is right, Hordak will strike, and all of Eternia will be his!

Being one of the big baddies of Masters of the Universe, it's not to any surprise that Hordak has made an appearance in Turtles of Grayskull. Being that it's Hordak, there's a twist! He's been secretly working with The Shredder under Skeletor's nose for an eventual swerve! Well... where a nose would be... Anyway Hordak makes an awesome appearance. I've made my affection for the Slime Pit known in the past, so it's to no surprising how excited I am to see TMNT worked into it. Hordak now runs the Ooze Pit dealing with Mutagen! He even has a Mutagen sprayer equipped to spew the potentially toxic stuff whenever the mood strikes! However, the leader of The Evil Horde mutated himself a little too. Those trademark bat Evil Horde symbols now extend to a pair of articulated bat wings sprouting from his back! Hordak is now the embodiment of that symbol! Like all Origins figures there's plenty of articulation that works well here. This is another solid figure in this awesome line... hey... now it makes sense as to why The Shredder came with that Horde style crossbow!

Soul Collector

Gregory Horror is something I regret not fully getting into. I had first discovered it during a shopping trip to a local mall where I purchased a starter pack and some boosters for it's table top game. Not long after some stuff happened that completely took my focus off it and I soon forgot it aside from seeing random articles about it's video game adaptions. At that point I had fully moved on and eventually gave the game stuff away. Looking back at the games and other stuff, it looks like just the thing for some pumpkin spiced mayhem fun. Maybe this spooky season is a good time to check it out again

Megatron [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Transformers One was a very special movie that no doubt has already found it's way deep into the hearts of many a Transformers fan. I was fortunate enough to be included in receiving a special promotional box from Hasbro and Paramount Pictures. Inside the box was several Transformers One figures including this early release of the Studio Series Megatron figure from the movie. I've never gotten one of these boxes before or a pre-release figure, so to say I'm honored would be an understatement. Not to mention, I'm fresh from the movie and full of pure euphoria. While he's D-16 through most of the movie, the bad guy we all know as Megatron is born by the end and that's who this figure represents.

I would give a spoiler warning for that last line, but it's literally the marketed premise of the movie. The Studio Series figures are intended to be a more screen accurate toy intended for a collector. In the case of this Megatron and his Optimus Prime counterpart (I'll get to him a little later), they outright feel like a premium offering. This is a nice toy. I really enjoy Cybertonian versions of Transformers characters, especially on someone like Megatron whose traditional design really benefits from a little extra flair. He looks great here, mostly resembling his traditional appearance.

There's a few weapons attachments for firepower. His signature Fusion Cannon is present as is another smaller gun that can mount on his left forearm similar to it's appearance in the movie. This weapon attaches to the tip of the Fusion Cannon in tank mode. There's also two smaller tank mode guns that store on his back that you could get creative with in robot mode. Megatron is decently articulated and features some long legs. They looked longer in pictures than in person to me, but there's no denying he didn't miss leg day. Out of the package the knees are locked into place with a connection point. Mine was really stiff to free from this. Be careful as to not break your figure.

Transformation was pretty easy, but did find maneuvering the legs just right a little tricky. That was due to my misunderstanding of how it they work. Once understood it just went into place. Aside from that everything just goes into place where it should. You do have to get everything just right. Take your time and be patient. Alt mode is a Cybertronian Tank like Megatron forms into in the movie. It's similar to an H-Tank and a pretty neat design. One thing about the Cybertronian designs from the movie I liked was the wheels and tank treads. Often guys like Megatron get 'hover' variations of vehicle ideas. Which I suppose works for a sci fi design... but what's the point of having aerial and ground units then? It's clear Cybertron has gravity, so a big guy like Megatron probably isn't leaving the ground very often. A little realism in fantasy isn't a bad thing in my mind. This is a great new Megatron figure that represents his appearance in a wonderful movie. It's hard for me as a long time fan to not be full of happiness right now and I hope you like you Megatron figure when you get one.

Much thanks to Hasbro and Paramount Pictures for providing Zone Base with this review sample. It's an honer and a privilege. Thank you.

Second Hand Scares

At some point thrift stores stopped trying to convince you that you could make your own unique costume from their racks and changed to "hey, buy donated costumes cheap". I guess after realizing the only clothing they ever have is old JNCOs and flannels shirts that have shrank 2 times smaller than their supposed size. Though it is true, there usually is Halloween stuff sitting on the shelves all year. If you're lucky enough to visit a location where the manager puts the extra effort in, they'll be additional costumes and decorations they held onto all year around. Of course you'll spend the money saved on disinfectant for that Minion mask with an un-removable price written on the forehead... but allegedly you did something good by shopping there. Well... just go to Walmart.

Transformers One

I saw the newest Transformers movie this past weekend and loved it. Transformers One was an animated feature length movie that I feel is the movie Transformers fans have been wanting all this time. As usual with movies, I took in a Sunday morning showing. My mother came along and even bought me a Bumblebee popcorn bucket. It's worth noting that the Mrs bought our tickets on Transformers Day earlier in the week. All things considered, it felt super fitting. This movie really felt perfect during the 40th anniversary.

I'm trying not to give away any spoilers while talking about the movie. So if I seem vague, that's why. This movie is a love letter to the Transformers fandom. Ever since 2003 when the live action movies were announced, this is the sort of thing many of us hoped for. In fact, I strongly have been recalling an old fan rumor from the 90's ever since leaving the theater. During beast era, the idea of Mainframe making a CGI version of 'G1' was pretty prevalent. So many folks believed they'd outright remake the original cartoon using the original voice tracks. At the time I figured they'd make something new that referenced like the original series, much as what Beast Wars had done. In many ways that's what this movie ended up being. A clean start that heavily referenced what came before. 

This movie felt like the theatrical adaptation of the classic Transformers cartoon many fans hoped for when the movies were announced. A new take on Orion Pax's early adventures before becoming Optimus Prime with a new light on his relationship with Megatron. In more recent years the idea of them originally being friends has been a constant, but it was actually well done here. Like, you felt their love for each other as best friends during the adventure leading up to heartbreak losing a relationship like that can bring. Along the way we got a new look into the miners and the caste system that plagued Cybertronian society. As someone who grew up from working class roots, that's something I can certainly identify with even if the extremes differ. 

I definitely loved the extended cast showing up as side and background characters. Something as simple as Hound walking by or Prowl in one scene made a huge difference. Cybertron was packed full of classic Transformers characters and I loved it. As friend noted the only thing that would have been more perfect would have been a showing of the 40th anniversary short right before it started. I agree. This was a very special movie that will touch your heart. My only criticism is that I wish the heel turn would have been stretched out a little longer. It's done well, I just would have liked to see D-16's descent a little more. The movie is hilarious, but only when appropriate. That was an early complaint I saw when the trailers started showing. Just like I predicted back then, it was a much more serious toned film. I really hope more films following this follows and even a TV series. I want more of this. 

P.S-Don't miss the after credits scene.

Bumblebee/B-127 [Transformers One/Prime Changers]

I wasn't expecting to like this new Prime Changer Bumblebee toy as much as I did, but here I am about to tell you how much I liked it. As previously said, Prime Changers are slightly lesser class than a Deluxe for a slightly lower price. I say that knowing that the Deluxe Studio Series version of this Bumblebee will be more complex. However, in hand, this toy feels like a Deluxe. Aside from some slightly hollowed out parts... Bee feels like a much nicer figure than he's supposed to be. That's pretty impressive and once again makes me compare the Prime Changers size class to the Warrior Class of Robots in Disguise 2015. Many of those felt so much like a Deluxe Class that I often wondered if some of the classes were mislabeled.

This toy represents Bumblebee as he appears in the movie Transformers One. As of this writing, I haven't seen the movie yet, but thanks to the trailers know that the main cast are not able to transform until they receive Transformation Cogs. A Transformation Cog is a component of a Transformers body that is essential to their ability to transform. It was first introduced in the original cartoon series during the third season. Since then, they've made sporadic appearances in Transformers media, but seem to be returning in Transformers One as trailers and marketing material have clearly pointed out. You can flip up Bumblebee's chest to take a look at his Cog. That's a neat little addition they really didn't have to do, but did anyway.

Bee comes with some weapons as well. Included is a snap on energy blade and blaster that resembles the 'Mega Buster' style gun his arms form in the movies. Either weapon can be attached to either hand or combined together. In robot mode, Bee is fairly articulated with a good range of movement. To my understanding, there is ankle tilts that don't work thanks to a design flaw. I didn't really notice it, but am sure that'll drive some folks crazy. Bumblebee transforms into a sporty Cybertronian car that looks pretty neat. The transformation is mostly easy, though I found a few spots a little tough to work. I'm not sure if that's from another design flaw making things a little tight or just not doing things in either the correct order or being a little clumsy. The weapons can attach to the cars roof. Like I said at the beginning, I like this toy a lot. I'm not sure how well it translates in the pictures here, but there's a nice almost pearlescent sheen to the yellow colors and the figure is overall pleasant. He's oddly satisfying in hand in a way that I can't quite describe other than he's just a good Transformers toy. Admittedly, I'm generally a fan of Bumblebee and look forward to new toys of him as is... but was very pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this one from One.

Tonight at 10, SPOOKY

It's just not the Halloween season without a trip to a local haunted house on the evening news. Usually the anchor whose entire job seems to be trying out local restaurants in segments when not filling in for absent weather forecasters narrates a half hearted adventure. They'll be a mix of the home owners telling of all the spooky situations, a resident townies talking about the history of the haunting (with a partial reenactment), and ending with the part time anchor hearing something scary in the background before telling the camera 'back to you' with an artificial smile. The actual anchors will then take over laughing before instantly moving on to football.

BIOS- Sixshot

"Life is worth living only as long as there are enemies worth destroying."

Function: Solo Transformer Assault Group

A vile, nasty murderous sort who carries out his job with ferocious intensity. Only redeeming quality is he speaks well of those he's sent to "the great junkyard in the sky," his phrase for destruction. Has 6 forms: robot, armored carrier (with twin laser batteries), ramming-tank (with infra-red rangefinder and target tracker), jet-propelled laser pistol, star fighter (maximum speed: 80,000 mph; range: .8 million miles), and wolf-creature Modes. Only the wolf creature has no need for Sixshot's 2 hypersonic concussion blasters, the wolf Mode prefers to rip apart enemy Autobots with his razor fangs.

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

Who Spooked Rodney?

Rodney is a a big old fraidy cat. If there's a superstition, Rodney is scared of it. Which one begs to reason... why does he even go trick or treating? Or even to a haunted house? Does he just relish is pooping his pants or something? And what's up with that one kid while they're in the haunted house? Is he ok?

Originally Posted 10/25/2023

Splinter-Skull [Turtles of Grayskull]

Master Splinter followed the call of the Turtles to Eternia and appeared at Castle Grayskull as the spiritual embodiment of the Power of Grayskull itself.

I think that scene in the original TMNT movie where Splinter appears to the guys as a vision through meditation stays with everyone who've seen it. Using those same abilities, Splinter travels to Eternia and his ethereal form is a hybrid of himself and King Grayskull! This figure is a great way to work Splinter into the MOTU. Splinter-Skull is a very neat looking and very buff rat mutant wearing King Grayskull's outfit. I'm not sure just how much of this toy is reused parts, though the chest armor is certainly from the Origins version of King Grayskull and maybe 2002 He-Man.

His staff/spear is a cool mixture of walking stick and removable Power Sword. I really like the slightly translucent blues of the sword tip... it looks like a mint candy. Splinter features a tail that can articulate at the base and a really near head sculpt. I really appreciate the braids. Frankly, they look so at home on Splinter that I wish future figures of him would have them. He comes with an additional open palmed hand and a really neat cape. I'd like to think one could put him in some really neat mystical poses using those. Splinter-Skull is another Turtles of Grayskull figure that feels like it should be a higher priced boutique item.

The Bloody Pumpkin is a Lie

Ever hear about that scene in Halloween where they find a bloody pumpkin with a knife sticking out of it? I used to hear about it all the time. That and how Michael Myers was based on a real guy. I'll get to the 'real guy' thing later, but for now I kind of want to chat bloody pumpkins and the Halloweens they weren't in. It's the weirdest urban legend as I never see anyone talk about it online. The Jason using a chainsaw thing? Yeah, I still see that occasionally. Bloody pumpkin? As offline as the official Bloody Pumpkin MySpace profile I planned on making in 2005.

It wasn't even that long ago my mom said it when I mentioned looking forward to the new Halloween (wait, that was 2018... ) and she said the original was 'so scary with that big knife sticking out of that pumpkin'. Clearly, it's folks mentally combining imagery. Maybe just a little excited playground exaggeration from the one kid who's parents let him stay up and watch it.

See the commercial up above? It's an old school homemade spot for a local stations airing of Halloween 2. Homemade commercials used to be pretty common back in the day. Did you uh... notice Michael? Somebody got creative to make him look 'badass'. Making monsters look badass is a staple of Halloween and teenagers really into Ozzy Osbourne. Named Chet.

I think it's from some of these type of commercials where folks get that bloody pumpkin imagery. A bloody pumpkin with a knife sticking out of it isn't exactly rare at Halloween. I know I've seen one or two in the past. I've even poured fake blood over a pumpkin myself. Why not? Make it look badass.

Originally Posted 8/13/2020

Alpha Trion [Transformers One/Prime Changers]

Right out of the gate, Alpha Trion is a great figure. A real stand out of the Prime Changers size class and a all around solid toy. I've always liked Alpha Trion and enjoyed his beast era depiction from the 3H era BotCon comics. That's where his lion based form first appeared and it always worked well for me considering his character. Funnily enough, I had mentioned before that these new Prime Changers figures feel like a toy from around 20 years ago. This Alpha Trion REALLY feels like a lost Beast Machines design. Not just in the way a ReAction figure mimics an old Kenner Star Wars toy, as in I'm convinced this figures design was sitting in the Hasbro vault somewhere unused.

In robot mode Alpha Trion has a really pretty pearlescent purple color with some nicely contrasting grays. He has a good amount of meaningful articulation and some fun weapons. Like most beast warrior style Transformers, Alpa Trion uses his beast tail as a weapon. The tail forms some sort of an energy whip or sword. Not seeing the movie yet as of this writing, I can't tell for sure. It looks cool either way. In addition, his horn also serves as an energy dagger. A little detail that I really like is how the lion head from beast mode serves as a cape in robot mode. That's a clever way to deal with unavoidable kibble! Wait... lion head... horn? Yes, starting in Titans Return, Alpha Trion's lion beast mode had been given a unicorn style horn and that carries onto this toy. I don't know why this design choice was made, but I don't hate it. Makes him more magical looking, I guess.

Transformation is extremely easy, like a lot of beast modes the character essentially gets on all fours and some parts are rearranged. Some folks don't like this, but I don't think things to be needlessly complicated. Lion mode is well implemented with decently articulated legs. The head unfortunately doesn't move, but does feature a great sculpt. I love the expression Alpha Trion is making in this mode. It's very 90's, which once again goes back to my feeling that this is an unmade beast era figure. Obviously as a Beast Wars guy and a fan of Alpha Trion, I'm going to be happy with this toy. Add in that he's a well executed figure and there's nothing to complain about. I love the colors and am all around happy. If more Prime Changers are this good, I'll be sad if they don't continue on after Transformers One.

Monster in my Peru

Monster in My Pocket was an incredible little line of keshi that made every day feel a little like Halloween. I'm pretty amazed by this commercial from Peru advertising a chocolate candy promotion. Not just for the stickers (that I love), but for the production itself. More like Monster Movie in My Pocket!

Goodbye Weekend, Hello Evangelion

Monday has risen from it's grave and the curse of another work week begins. Luckily you have a fun week of Zone Base ahead of you! I got a lot of rest this weekend when I wasn't playing Astro Bot. The Mrs made a spaghetti dinner Sunday night and a Saturday shopping trip was had with my Mom riding along! As for toys, I picked up some neat Halloween 2 vinyl figures at Five Below and Turtles of Grayskull Michaelangelo at Target. Walmart finally had at least one Transformers Star Raiders collection toy, so now I have Ferak! So happy, I love his deco. I was going to do a BeastBox order, but fell asleep watching Universal Studios Japan Halloween videos. So, guess that'll be some BeastBoxes ordered this week! Speaking of Halloween, I hope you all are enjoying the spooky season here on the site. I'll hopefully have a new episode of Transform Squadron ready soon! I have plans to record today, but have to run an errand first. I've got a slightly busy Monday ahead of me and I'm sure you do too! Thank you all for reading Zone Base. Please remember to share it with your friends!

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax [Transformers One/Prime Changers]

Like Rise of the Beasts, the Transformers One toy line has a separate 'main line' series of toys obviously intended for younger audiences with the Studio Series aimed more at collectors. Also like Rise of the Beasts... the main line is really neat and many adult fans are enjoying them just as well. The new Prime Changers size class is similar to Warrior Class toys from Robots in Disguise 2015 as it's a simpler figure than a standard deluxe with maybe a slightly lower price depending on where it was purchased. I don't have a RID 2015 Warrior Class toy pictured for comparison, but they feel extremely similar in build and articulation. Sort of a hybrid of a Deluxe and a Core Class if you will and oddly extremely similar to a standard TF from around 20 or so years ago. So far I've loved my experience with this new size class and would like to see it continue for mainline toys going forward.

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax is going to get a lot of new toys for Transformers One. Obviously Optimus gets a lot of toys from each movie, but he's specifically one of the main focal characters in this one. This version is sort of a hybrid design of Orion Pax and Optimus's designs as it mostly resembles a Cogged Orion Pax, but has Prime's smokestacks and head. I'd be inclined to believe a straight up Orion Pax figure using this mold as a base is in the works. This is a neat toy and I like it quite a bit. There's a fair amount of articulation despite the class having less. His paint is pretty good and there's quite a bit of accessories. In the picture you can see the Energon Axe. That can be held and thanks to some cool sculpted details looks like it's being held and not replacing his hand. The axe can also be store on his back or in vehicle mode. Optimus's smoke pipes can detach and be held as dual pistols... that's a cool touch. Additionally, there's a Matrix of Autobot Leadership in his chest that can be held. Frankly there's quite a bit in this for a 'lesser' toy.

Really the only 'lesser' thing I noticed and the lack of over abundant articulation. He has a decent amount, but smaller joints like ankle tilts aren't there. Transformation is easy and everything goes where it should without much struggle. I did get a touch confused with his legs, but that was me mentally trying to transform him like another toy. After so many thousands of these things... it happens. In vehicle mode, Orion/Optimus is a Cybertronian version of the traditional truck we're all used to. It's not my favorite Cybertronian version of the Optimus truck... but it's neat and growing on me more everyday. I really see that classic flat nose truck in the design. The truck is pleasant enough and rolls around pretty smoothly. This is a well done figure, it's nice and neat without any kibble from either mode. There's a decent amount of usable articulation with a nice assortment of clever accessories. It's almost like the 'lesser' size class kept them in check long enough to make a good figure without going overboard. It's the right kind of simple. So far I really like Prime Changers as a Transfomers size class. I'd like to see them more in the future even replacing the current Warrior Class.

The Haunting of Heinz House

Holy crap, this commercial is bad ass! I've never eaten Heinz Haunted House before as it wasn't available in my region, but I bet the spooky shapes made it taste better than any other canned pasta. The production of this commercial is amazing and a solid example of the old saying 'they don't make them like they used to'. That spooky mansion at the beginning is literally just the beginning as the entire experience of bats, monsters, and a Keith Moon lookalike butler makes for an amazing commercial. Too bad they don't make Haunted House any more, because the spooky season is the right time for a can!

TF 40

BIO- Crankcase

"Things are never as good as they seem."

Function: Data Collector

A wheezing, whining ingrate. As welcome as a rash of rust-rot. The worse things get, the happier he is. Enjoys complaining about everything. Equipped with vast memory storage capacity and shell-resistant armor. Also equipped with infrared probes that penetrate and analyze enemy circuitry. Armed with two high-impact laser blasters and a distortion modulator that scrambles enemy cerebral impulses.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 3 Endurance: 9
Rank: 7 Courage: 7 Firepower: 8 Skill: 8

Phyllis Diller Spends Halloween At Disneyland

Disney does Halloween right. They do Halloween specials right. Somebody behind the scenes of The Mouse Factory did drugs wrong. I don't know if Phillis Diller did drugs, but I do know her name is slang for cocaine. Which I'm sure there was a mountain of offstage on this episode.

Spooks and Magic, the Halloween episode of The Mouse Factory features Phyllis Diller as the guest star going absolutely insane with Disney characters. At one point she's breaking into the Haunted Mansion and harassing the ghosts, the next minute she's having a Halloween costume party with Donald Duck. Said costume party doesn't sound bad until she shows them her batshit family slides then runs them off by singing.

The whole thing ends with her forming a witches coven with King Louie, Goofy, and Witch Hazel. The later is sent to Donald Duck's (who just left) house as a set up to the classic Disney 'Trick or Treat' short. In the end, Phyllis uses her evil witch powers to steal Snow Whites identity and... it just ends. That means she's still out there.

Originally Posted 10/02/2020

Beast Man [Turtles of Grayskull]

Beast Man did not trust the alien outsiders. Rather than become Krang's next mutated experiment, Beast Man escaped to strike a bargain with He-Man. What he found instead left him shell-shocked.

Beast Man is one of the classic MOTU characters that no series feels complete without. So of course he makes a showing in Turtles of Grayskull, but a rather unique one. Beast Man, who isn't feeling like the Foot Clan and their Mutagen are the best idea, isn't mutated like the other Evil Warriors. However, Beast Man has taken up the ways of the Samurai as his cool new armor would imply. This figure is a straight forward reprint of the Origins Beast Man toy with the additional armor and weapon.

Every toy line has cost saving figures and this is one of them. Fortunately the Origins Beast Man is an all around solid toy and the new stuff included makes for a nice cherry on the top. Replacing his trademark bullwhip whip is a cool new razor chain whip. Clearly taming the animals under his control inst Beast Man's focal point at the moment. The Samurai armor fits neatly over the figure, though I found the helmet to be a little loose. Not a deal breaker, but I'd prefer a slightly better fit. Beast Man is also carrying a turtle shell shield which keeps him matching the other figures (Teela comes with a similar one) and the theme. I did notice some official stock photos displaying a different shield instead of the one that comes included. I don't know if that was a running change or a variant. Fans in MOTU groups haven't pointed it out to my knowledge, so it may be the former. This is a fun figure of a classic character. He has a more simple approach to the theme and that's ok, because it still works. The gold armor contrasts nicely with his oranges and reds. Frankly, I think the whole looks suits him really well.

Trick or Trek

If you were a kid in Oakland County trick or treating on Halloween night 1995... you probably ran into the biggest wieners in the galaxy. Somebodies cousins decided to dress as a Klingon and host a 'fun' trick or treat party on public access TV. There, kids could have a safe and happy holiday while learning about Klingons. You can tell the kids loved it by Robin's excitement. No, no... he was excited... not ... the free candy wasn't worth it.

Originally Posted 09/01/2022

 

Megatron/D-16 [Transformers One/Iacon Race 3-Pack]

Rounding out the Target exclusive Iacon Race 3-Pack is Megatron/D-16. Like the others, Megatron is a retool/repaint of a prior existing One Step Changer from Cyberverse that got a bit of use. The grays are darker, but most noticeably are the new parts for his tank mode. Like Optimus, just a few changed parts easily make the toy look like his new movie counterpart. Pretty neat and the tank honestly looks cool. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mold in Cyberverse after skipping over the first version and getting the Cybertronian tank remold later when I couldn't find Megatron X. The toy was fine, just I had gotten the second One Step Changer Megatron and liked that toy a lot more. So the other one was a little underwhelming personally. A few years later with some cool updates and I'm a bigger fan of it now. I guess the new tank mode really improves it.

As a One Step Changer, Megatron auto-transforms by pushing the purple fin/button on his tank cannon. These are simpler toys where the gimmick is more so the toy than the figure itself. If you can get past that, you're going to enjoy this. If not, then you've already dismissed it. Megatron has simple articulation like the others in this assortment and that just is what it is. Like the others, I enjoy the old school flavor of the toy (outside of the gimmick), so I look past it without a second thought. The chonkiness of this toy is really satisfying and made me want to compare it to various older robot toys. Dorvack maybe. I do wish he had a sword or something, that would top it off nicely. A design element from the Cyberverse toy that I didn't like unfortunately returns here. In robot mode, the tank back end forms a backpack. That in itself isn't bad, but it's pretty loose and moves around much easier than I'd like. If only it would lock into place. It's not only a cosmetic issue, the stability of the robot mode comes into play as it's a part of the spring loaded transformation. Aside from that gripe, the toy is a neat little figure. The tank looks really cool and there's a super robot look to the whole thing. Neat.

Double Bubble Saftey and Trouble

Halloween is a very dangerous holiday, which is part of it's allure. I mean sure, you can get robbed while Christmas shopping... but is there razor blades hidden in candy canes?

The Trials of Monday

It's the beginning of a new week of content for your eyeholes here on Zone Base! I hope you all had a great weekend and hoping this week will be a good one as well. I spent most of my weekend playing Astro Bot on my PS5. I discovered the little guy on Astro Bot's Playroom and have been in love ever since. Such a cute little robot starring in some really great games! Aside from picking that up from my local Target, I also grabbed Hordak from Turtles of Grayskull and a great set of Peanuts Halloween mini figures at Five Below! Walmart hasn't gotten any of the Transformers Star Raiders collection in yet sadly, but my Thundertron 3-Pack came in during the week.

Between this collection and the Transformers One toys, I'm having a lot of fun! Speaking of Transformers One, the release date is around the corner and I'm PUMPED! This looks like a great movie and I've been seeing a lot of cool sneak peaks online. Here's hoping it's a success. I also spent some time sorting through older toys my Mom had in her storage. It was fun repairing Starriors and looking at my old school supplies robots by Mark. Speaking of robots, I managed to get Transformers Studio Series 86 leader class Springer and Swoop over the Labor Day weekend. Aside from recolors, I now have all the leader sized Dinobots! Not to mention, my Mom wouldn't approve of me missing a Springer.

We're firmly in the 2nd month of Halloween and now that it's September the cool Autumn air if filling my lungs with joy. I really do love this time of the year. Are you enjoying the annual Halloween party? It's just getting started and the spooky season is really shaping up to be a special one! Neon colors are huge this year and I love it. Being a child of the 80's, those bright colors were a big part of Halloween that hasn't been around in a long time and it does my heart good to see them again. 

It's time to get this week started. I've got some household work to do and pictures for future toy posts to take. We've got a fun week planned for you all. Even more looks at Transformers One and Turtles of Grayskull are in store for you all Zone Base readers, please look forward to it. Thank you all for reading Zone Base. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends!

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax [Transformers One/Iacon Race 3-Pack]

The Iacon Race continues with our look at Optimus Prime/Orion Pax. This toy is a repaint and retool of a Cyberverse Optimus Prime Turbo Changer that I never got, so it's my first time experiencing the mold. It's mostly the same with a different robot mode chest and vehicle mode front end from what I can tell. This is of course to make him more accurate to his appearance in Transformers One which is a Cybertronian based design. Being that Optimus toys are pretty similar, it clearly didn't take too much to make it work neatly enough. Being a One Step Changer toy, he obviously has a simple spring loaded transformation and very basic articulation. Only his shoulders can move and that's ok. These are meant to be inexpensive toys based around a gimmick. Optimus has his energon axe in place of a left hand and that's neat. Not all of these get weapons.

I like the look of the truck quite a bit. It's big, bulky, and neat looking thanks to the Cybertronian design. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but not everything has to be. Honestly, there's nothing really extra to say about it. This is an Optimus Prime toy and not much more. I do think in a more interesting set of colors it would look a lot better. Like the 2007 movie Optimus flame pattern would really pop. For some reason I can see Machine Wars Soundwave's colors on it, probably because of the blockiness of the truck. I'd like to think something like that would make for a cool promotional item. Ultimately it's the least interesting of the 3 pack, but I don't mean that in a negative way what so ever. It's a perfectly serviceable Optimus Prime and that's all it's trying to be.

That red does not like having it's picture took.

Stop Licking Frankenstein

Between the Universal Monsters channel playing the greats 24 hours a day and the all new Dark Universe land soon to open at Epic Universe... The Universal Monsters are running wild right now. As a life long fan, I couldn't be anymore happier. I still remember thinking when the ghouls got stamps in 1997 that things were heating up. What a difference 27 years can make. While I don't know what happened to my stamps (I do have some of the collectors pins) nor do I get actual mail that doesn't get immediately thown away anymore... I don't know where I'm going with this. Happy Halloween!

BIOS- Horri-Bull

"Smash all that stands and trample the rest."

Function: Ground Trooper

A snorting, belching bully with a nasty temper. Drips grease and oil from his mouth and emits billowing black clouds of noxious black smoke from his nostrils. Enjoys destroying anything that stands in his way, particularly Autobots. In robot Mode, uses flamethrower tail to incinerate his enemies. Also armed with a concussion blaster. Range: 12 miles. Binary-bonded to the nebulan, Kreb, a former talk show host with obnoxious manners.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 5 Endurance: 8
Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Firepower: 7 Skill: 4

100% that Witch

Wendy has a problem. Her sisters are a bunch of witches and they scare her. Problem is, Wendy is something of a witch herself. A pretty clumsy witch at that. What's she to do? Go trick or treating and learn how to use her own magic! Nothing like learning a little self worth to realize that you are 100% that witch.

Originally Posted 10/20/2021

Smashing into a Horror House

Want to play with some scary toys this Halloween? Horror House by Zuru Smashers is here just in time for the spooky season. The Mrs and I picked up one of these recently and played with it after a thunderstorm left us without internet for a few hours. As you can see in the video above, you follow an included map and work your way through the coffin's contents. You'll assemble your monster while digging through all sorts of slime, floam, and kinetic sand. There's also assorted insects, stickers, and monster keshi to be found! It was a lot of fun and I want to try one of the mini sets as soon as my local Target stocks them. Frankly, I wish they sold just packs of the keshi as I'd love to just collect all those. Zuru Smashers have done that sort of thing before, so here's hoping.

Spooky Things with Bad Skin

You probably guessed after watching the above commercial that I would talk about how much I love Halloween make-up kits. However I just wanted to throw out some love to Kooky Spooks for outright using the cheapness of the make up as a selling point. Real ones know cheaper Halloween make up usually cracks on your face as it dries. Kooky Spooks cracks as it dries to give the illusion that it's old and gross skin. Way to go Kooky Spooks... just passing off your cheap ass product as psoriasis.

Originally Posted- 9/20/2022

BIOS- Dion

"Efficiency makes you strong. Speed makes you lethal."

Function: Infantry

There was a time when Dion cared little for the echoes of war beginning to spread across his home world. Occasionally he'd opine on the feats of the new robots with flight capabilities, who he secretly envied, but otherwise turned a deaf audio receptor to the discussion about the start of what some were calling the second Cybertronian war. All that changed the day the war finally found him. The flying robots landed at the front door of the storage depot, led by the one called Megatron. Amicable at first, the encounter quickly turned for the worse when Megatron unleashed his full fury on the dockworkers and fled with that cycle's shipment of Energon.

When Dion awoke, he now was fully aware of what Megatron and the Decepticons were capable of, and having lost all that he had known, Dion decided to join the Elite Guard and now works to stop the Decepticons any way he can!

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

Go to Hades!

It's Halloween and prime time to visit the local haunted house! If you were in Villa Park, IL back in 1991, you could have went to Hades Haunted House. Apparently somebody promised the guy at the beginning something... and it's been 33 years so I hope they followed up.

Happy Labor Day!

It's Labor Day and that mean's I'm taking a little break for the holiday. Regular posting will resume tomorrow, but for now... I'm going to take a nap. Thanks everyone for reading Zone Base. Please continue to share the site with your friends!