Bios: Snapdragon

"If it doesn't get you dirty, it's not worth doing."

Function: Interceptor

Wading up to his neck in grease is his idea of a good time. Lazy, difficult to motivate, but has a hair-trigger temper. Binary bonded to Krunk, the vicious, vile bodyguard to the Nebulan leader, Lord Zarak. In jet Mode, maximum speed 8800mph... has 2 independent booster fins. In reptile Mode, carbon-steel claws and teeth can cut through almost anything. Has 2 balance destroying gyro-guns in robot mode.

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

Bios: Apeface

"Obnoxiousness is not a problem, it is an art."

Function: Saboteur

Thoroughly obnoxious -- pounds loudly on his chest plates, insults everyone he talks to, knocks over anyone in his way, never changes his lubricant so he smells like a grease-encrusted turboworm, and spits fuel in public. Binary-bonded to the nervous, insecure Nebulan Spasma. In jet Mode, maximum speed: 3250mph, emits powerful jamming frequencies. In ape Mode, has super-agility. In robot Mode, carries electro-shield and semi-automatic sonic boomer gun.

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

Headmaster Horrorcons Run A Scary School

Apeface and Snapdragon. Decepticons, Headmasters, Headmaster Decepticons. I just said what they are three times. If you like what I do, please ... just kidding. Maybe because it's Halloween week I'm trying to do something spooky with every post. Maybe. Also I wanted to share this cool U.K version of their commercial with you.

These two specifically are the Headmaster Horrorcons, which leads me to believe they are in charge of a prestigious school for scary Transformers. I don't specifically know what makes them the Horrorcons and why Mindwipe isn't a member but... they're pretty cool toys non-the-less. If I put dashes in between those words spellcheck doesn't act up.

Snapdragon 64, Get N Or Get Out

My wife picked up Earthrise Snapdragon for me the other day and I was super thankful. I've been really looking forward to this guy for some time now. Like most recent Generations toys, he's a pretty slavish homage to the original toy. If you've heard the term 'G1 with knees' then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect here. If that's something you don't like... then why do you keep pre-ordering them? 

Snapdragon is a Headmaster like his original toy. They don't make too big of a fuss over this on the packaging and don't refer to him as a Titanmaster either. Like Apeface in Siege before, it's an evolution of Titans Return toys in use here. Basically a modern Headmaster toy. It took a few sentences to explain that, which I wish could have been expressed in an emoji. I save so much time with that poop one.

As you'd expect from his name, Snapdragon transforms into a dragon. Admittedly he's more the type of dragon you'd see at a monster truck show than fighting a knight. An alien robot from outer space can only be so realistic when transforming into an imaginary animal. There's a lot of charm to this dragon mode however, it might just be me being a fan of these old designs admittedly. He's weird and blocky and that's one of the more lovable aspects of post movie G1.

Remember the part about Snapdragon being a Headmaster? Krunk, his Headmaster partner pulls double duty. He forms both the dragon and robots head in addition to piloting the vehicle mode. Honestly that's one of the things I love about Headmasters/Titanmasters, the piloting vehicle modes. It draws back to the Transformers Diaclone roots and honestly is a fun play feature.

Speaking of Snapdragron's vehicle mode, his is a spaceship based on the SR-71. I've always called this kind of vehicle a spacejet, because obviously. I absolutely love this mode. It's got that classic 80's styling that always looks great and I just want to fly him around while making flying noises. With triple changers one of the alt modes is generally superior to the other and this is that one. While I do like the dragon a lot, I love this more. 

That's partially due to the transformation. I didn't enjoy the change to dragon mode, while the conversion to spacejet was pretty painless. That's pretty much the one complaint I have and it's likely just me being clumsy. Nothing is perfect, and the idea of a perfect toy line is completely subjective to opinion. So far though, Earthrise has been as perfect as a Transformers line can be for me.

Headmaster Of The Class

For some reason, Hasbro had a really hard time explaining Headmasters to the general public. It seems like a natural evolution of an idea, robot changes into things, robot's head now is the pilot of thing it changed into. This lead to fiction of two minds sharing a body, where in Japan, the head just controlled the body when connected. I like Takara's take on the concept better, simple is usually better.

It does make me wonder why Hasbro chose to make the Headmaster a different character. Part of me wonders if they planned to make the Nebulons a thing. Like, down the road, individually packed Nebulons or something. Takara did. It would make sense if that was the original plan and things changed. Later they revisited the idea in Titans Return and it was a pretty big success. Little robots, drive big robots and bigger robots are also play sets.

I wonder if Micromasters was ultimately the evolution of that idea. I mean, obviously it was in practice. Little robots turn into little things and have play sets that transform. Maybe that was the idea of having the Headmasters be separate characters to begin with. Like, it just occurred to them while playing with the prototypes. Or on the toilet.

Friday the 13th NES

Friday the 13th part 4 Japanese poster

Friday the 13th part 5 Japanese poster

Friday the 13th part 2 Japanese trailer

Spooky Spotlight: Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus

Everything turns to tedium eventually. Everything save power.

Ultra Magnus shouldn't be happy. He lost his face and freedom due to a failed attempt to replace his brother Optimus Prime as leader of the Autobots. His co-conspirators in the coup betrayed him. His old rival, Treadshot, seeks his death with ceaseless vigor. Magnus shouldn't be happy... and yet he is. Things are finally going to be exciting again. After centuries of quietly manipulating events from his exile on Paradron, everything is falling into place. Now he has everything he needs: an army, the legendary Terminus Blade, a copy of his brother's newly augmented body and the means to make everyone pay.

An unrepentant hedonist and libertine, Magnus eternally seeks greater thrills and excesses from life. Now jaded and bored, he finds his distractions where he can, whether it be in Treadshot's assassination attempts, in the humiliation of his brother, or in simple universal conquest.

Halloween Horrorcon incoming!

Halloween is returning to Zone Base and so is Spooky Spotlights! 

Spooky Spotlight: Mindwipe

Just one look from me and you've lost.

A mystic; spends most of his time trying to contact the electromagnetic essences of long-dead Decepticons than talking to live ones. Binary-bonded to Vorath, former Nebulan Minister of Science, expelled from office as a result of an illegal experiments scandal. In bat Mode, has hypnotic stare, flies at 700mph. In robot Mode, uses vipor pistol -- shoots streams of neuro-circuitry paralyzing liquid.

Spooky Spotlight: Transmetal 2 Scourge

A plague upon all their houses!

Scourge is possibly the most despicable of the already loathsome Predacons. Delights in taking depravity to all-time- low levels. Obsessed with germ warfare and lethal chemical development. Despised by peers for his inclination to test deadly viral and bacterial concoctions on fellow Predacons. Skilled in combat, Scourge wields photon cluster cannons with chemical warhead capabilities. Has electrostatic disrupters inside antennae; capable of leaping distances exceeding two miles with use of wings.

Spooky Spotlight: Octopunch

Anything that can sink is worth sinking.

The terror of the deep. If he's not stealing sunken treasure or ancient artifacts, he amuses himself by smashing holes in submarines and cruise ships. Electrically-charged, razor-tipped harpoon gun momentarily short-circuits on contact. Also armed with vice-like tentacles that stick to any surface. So strong underwater that he can wrestle a whale to a standstill. Inner robot convers to metal-rending crab creature equipped with depth gauges, deep-sea radar and acetylene torch gun.

Spooky Spotlight: Tripredacus Agent

Deception is the nemesis of detection.

His outer appearance resembles that of a Maximal, but within beats the fuel pump of a devious espionage agent! A former saboteur, this agent adopted several aliases while involved with the Beast Wars. As an assassin, he works best when operating solo. His irradiated spark, which was salvaged by the Vok, allows him to cloak his energy signature. Carries a low-radiation proton bomb launcher, with laser targeting. His only weakness is sensitivity to bright light.

Spooky Spotlight: Bomb-Burst

The greater the foe, the sweeter his fuel!

A vicious, vile automated vampire! Enjoys swooping down on unsuspecting Autobots and using his serrated metallic fangs to drain the fuel from his victims. Specially-textured outer shell causes rust rash on contact. Blinded by bright sunlight. The ultimate terror in darkness. Without shell, transforms into a vertical take-off and landing hover jet with dual lasers. Within shell, armed with corrosive slime shooter and armor-piercing battle axe!

Spooky Spotlight: Transmetal 2 Sonar

The dangerous cloning experiments carried out by Megatron have created another powerful ally for the heroic Maximals: Sonar. Super-acute senses provide matchless reconnaissance abilities, while bio-cyber elements allow unmatched strength and mobility. When combined with a fiery, almost uncontrollable aggression, Sonar makes a dangerous enemy and somewhat unpredictable ally. Much to his chagrin, Megatron has unintentionally created the finest early-warning system to have ever existed- the Maximal known as Sonar.

Spooky Spotlight: Bugly

The greatest power is the power to control.

 A deadly warrior with pinpoint maneuverability in the air. Intense, mystical, and very cruel. Practices the deadly martial art of Circuit-Su, which channels energy into one powerful electric blast. Electro-stingers in helmet deliver 3,000 volt charges that paralyze on contact. Also armed with 2 photon rifles. Transforms to lasered, hover jet with built-in, forward-thrust turbo boosters. Also able to pilot outer shell by remote control.

Hello, we're The Halloween Horrorcons

You know how in late August stores start putting the back to school stuff on clearance and the Halloween stuff starts trickling in? That's pretty much what just happened to Zone Base. We're entering Halloween season and I'm pumped. It's my favorite time of year and this is something I've been wanting to do since launching the site in April.

So, while I'm pretty much going to write the same kind of posts, the weekly spotlight is going to highlight the more in season characters from here until Halloweens over. I'm sure I'll also write some more posts that are in the spirit, but they'll be regular posts as well. But hey, what's a Halloween Horrorcon?

Leatherhide 

In 2003, during the heyday of the Transformers Universe line (when it was a repaint line, before it was used for classics, not the game, it's confusing, I know) there was plans for a Walmart Halloween toy exclusive set called the Halloween Horrorcons.

Blackarachnia 

They were Beast Wars molds in Halloween-ish colors in two 2 packs. I really wanted them as well...duh, it's a combination of some of my favorite things. Unfortunately it was cancelled, which shouldn't be too surprising as Walmart had a lot of planned Universe exclusives, and a few were dropped for various poopy reasons.

Waspinator, this one actually got homaged in a BotCon set.

I've always wished they would have happened and become an annual thing. Sometimes I see a kinda spooky or outright monstery TF toy and picture them as one of the Halloween Horrorcons. That's the kind of thing us cool kids do.

Nightprowler 

So I guess that's kind of what I'm doing with the Spooky Spotlight posts, I'm assembling lost potential. I'm assembling Halloween Horrorcons that never were or to be. So from now, until the end of the season, every Wednesday morning, there's going to be a Spooky Spotlight. Highlighting the oooooky and spoooky and creeeeepy and... uh scary robots.

It's what us cool kids do.