Scrambled New Week

Hello Zone Base readers, thank you all for coming back for another week of robots, monsters, and misadventure! I hope everyone had a great weekend, mine sure felt like a holiday break. Saturday the Mrs and did our weekend shopping which included a visit to At Home to look at whatever new Halloween stuff they had stocked. There was quite a bit with room for more to come! It's quite exhilarating and even refreshing to see it out in the middle of summer. Here in the American South, it gets very hot in the summer. We'll be having 100 degree days from now until September, so a reminder that fall is coming is nice. We picked up a few items and a little more at TJ Max whom also starts early. We had a delivery from Target who begins their Halloween stocking online in summer. This would be our second shipment this summer and they're looking to have a great selection this year. The neon colors are returning alongside their trademark cozy offerings. Of course Lewis has more cool merchandise as well. We're fans of him in our household and can't get enough! 

We picked up Donkey Kong Bananza Saturday as well. What a great game. Action platformer games are my favorite video games to play and this is one for the record books. It's open world with a ton of collectibles to search for with a great setting and story. Add in tight controls and pure fun. It's just so much fun! You can literally spend hours not doing anything important and still feel satisfied with doing so! Walmart didn't have any new toys still, which is getting pretty frustrating. I have a few more Turtles of Grayskull figures to get and it'd be great to find new Transformers on shelves. I love Transformers One, but seeing the same stock for a year now is exhausting. Fortunately my Cyberworld order came in during the week and another Blokees order was made this weekend.

Cyberworld is providing to be a great line that's going to be fun to cover here on the site. While I talked about Grimlock in June, it's going to be great to show the main figures. So far I have Optimus Prime, Megatron, Skybite, and Galvatron. Bumblebee and Snarl have been tricky to find at the moment, though I'm sure will be easier in the coming days as stores stock the toys. They're online at some retailers for a much higher price than Walmart and Amazon. Of course sites with related ads won't tell you that! These figures are essentially sized up Legends/Legion class figures with the higher priced ones coming with large weapons. Simplicity being their nature, you shouldn't pay too much. Don't let the basics fool you though, they're a lot of fun. My look at them will start next week, remember, I'm generally a week or two ahead on scheduling content.

After some sleep Saturday afternoon, I woke up that evening (at that point I'd been awake for 24 hours) to enjoy some good food and TV with the Mrs. She made me french bread pizza which was great! It's worth nothing the entirety of my food Saturday was some sort of pizza breads. Lunch was pizza bites from Wetzel's Pretzels and a boba. Dinner later that evening was some delicious home made french bread pizza. The Mrs feel asleep on the couch, in which I enjoyed some videos on YouTube before the power suddenly shutting off. We had a blackout! Fortunately the Switch 2 had a full charge to entertain in portable mode untill the power came back on. Well that and a nice nap. When the power came back with some much appreciated air conditioning (it's still at least 80 degrees at night) the Mrs went back to sleep while I watched those videos. I spent most of the night enjoying the Retro Kids channel. His content includes assembling and customizing vintage models kits mostly with other fun stuff as well. I greatly enjoyed one with trip to a recent model show in Japan. It sure was cool seeing all that mecha! Between his content and Donkey Kong... somehow I didn't get any more sleep after that blackout nap. It was dawn before I knew it and the magic of a Saturday that felt like a weekend upon itself was over. 

Sunday was spent with a wonderful breakfast made by the Mrs, more Donkey Kong, a nap around noon, and several episodes of Stranger Things with Mom ordering us dinner! I had some wonderful sushi and ice cream as we enjoyed the first half of season 3. Our rewatch of the series is chugging along and Mom is hooked even more than I realized. She literally called me after getting back home that evening to ask me about it! I then spent some time working on spooky backdrops for this years Halloween time content and... more Donkey Kong. It's really that good!

Well, I've got a fun week in store for you! Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem starts in 2 weeks and I've got my hands full getting everything in place. For those who haven't experienced a Zone Base Halloween yet, it's a mixture of Halloween and regular content with a little extra spooky flair! It's a ton of fun, a ton of posts, and a ton of Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem for 3 months. It's our Superbowl, our Wrestlemania, our big event of the year... without one cent asked from you readers. Zone Base is about having fun with our hobbies from the bottom of our heart, not your wallets. All I ask is that you share the site with your friends. Well, I'm going to enjoy the rest of this strawberry acai refresher before getting to work on some household chores. Thank you all for reading Zone Base. We have fun here and that we includes each and every one of you. Mutual High Fives everyone!

Phantom Jista Chocolate 3

DK2-Guard (Legacy/Generations Selects)

At some point Hasbro decided to jump on the Diaclone bandwagon and I'm all here for it. DK-2 Guard here was a random gift from my mother who picked it up at Gamestop and he's super neat to have. Instead the attempts to work Diaclone into TF mythology like the others, he's just straight up a modern incarnation with an Autobot symbol. No problem there, it's super cool. So much so that they even referenced the Diakron version of the toy with his name. This leads me to wonder why the Diaclone Universe in Legacy isn't Diakron Universe... but I guess that's being specific for the sake of being specific... and seeing as there's no monetization of this site, I can't get away with that.

DK-2 Guard is a repaint of the Earthrise Ironhide toy. Thanks to Covidmania running wild during Earthrise, I was never able to get a version of that toy. With as happy as I was with the Siege version, that wasn't a big deal, but it is nice to have some version of it. This is a heavily retooled version of that Siege mold, so much that you could be fooled into thinking it's a new toy in vehicle mode. Robot mode is basically the same, but now with a van roof that doubles as a shield. it's neat, but I prefer to stick it on his back.

I keep saying he, but DK-2 Guard isn't an individual, it's a mech suit piloted by a Dianaut. Normally with the Transformers versions of Diaclone bots they get a personality based off the drivers. That's not the case here and DK-2 Guard is generally represents the mech itself. DK-2 Guard serves as a guardian for mankind against Waruders, Dinosaurs, Decepticons, and whatever evil force threatens mankind. Something like this is great as Diaclone Reboot toys are generally very expensive, but there's options of you'd like some Diaclone available at an affordable price. It's an expensive hobby and in these uncertain financial times, it's great toy have a bone thrown every so often.

Z Knights

RX-78-2 (US) Gundam (American Type)

 

RX-78-2 is pretty much the main Gundam in the overall sceme of things. It's kinda of like the Optimus Prime of Gundam. Ironically Takara copied the head for Convoy, but that's another post. My point is, it's every where when it comes to Gundam. This particular version is a Entry Grade Gunpla sold exclusively at Target. Fictionally it's a statue from Gundam Breaker Battlogue, I like it because it's neat. I'm a fan of oddball variations like Police versions or in this case, an American edition Gundam. So you can see why I was happy to find it included with the gifts from the Mrs at Christmas. 

I mentioned above that this is an Entry Grade model, which means it's a simple kit that can be assembled easily in not a lot of time. I had a good time with my nippers assembling this guy while watching paranormal TV a few weeks back. I also ate a salad, it was exquisite. You probably notice the stickers that match the patriotic colors. They were pretty simple over all and the 'RX' logo on it's right should also came in red. I opted for the blue. I think I put the stripes sticker on the shield upside down. Something I didn't notice until it was too late. Fortunately they look the same regardless. 

This was a fun, simple kit that looks great. The American version is a fun variation that's not too far removed from the standard look of the RX-78-2's. The finished figure after assembly has a good deal of articulation and can be put into a variety of poses. While the simplicity of the build may not appeal to advanced Gunpla folks, it was a fun evening for me.

Custom Robo GX

 

Custom Robo is a game series I enjoyed on my Gamecube and DS. I never got the chance to play the Gameboy Advance version, but it looks like a lot of fun. I've played Gundam Breaker on my Galaxy Tab some and it reminds me quite a bit of Custom Robo, but I sure would love a new installment on my Switch.

What's New Kaiju?

I've made no secret of my love for the Playmates Godzilla line. It's a fun series of relatively cheap kaiju figures found easily at my local big box stores (formerly exclusive to Walmart, but now available at others). The figures are sometimes re-releases of Bandai figures, or brand new toys that admittedly can be hit or miss. Though they've been mostly hit after the initial batches. Pretty good, actually.

Recently new listings of upcoming toys have been making their way through various kaiju groups. This is pure joy as the new toys are fan favorites and like I said, never Playmates figures have been pretty good. From the list of figures, I'm sure the Jet Jaguar is a re-release of the one from earlier this year. However the rest are all brand new and I'm freaking stoked. Rodan, Mecha King Ghidorah, and original King Kong are the ones I'm most excited for. Though the others aren't too shabby either.

I'd gladly credit whomever found the listing once I find out myself.

Avengers Assemble Mech Suits

I saw the damnedest thing Saturday morning. The wife and I made a quick run to Walmart for a few things and whilst looking around the toy section hoping to find a Mechagodzilla (man that movie sold some toys) I saw something new. Avengers MECHSTRIKE! There was NERF role play themed toys and two of these new MECH suit sets. Captain America and Ironman. I grabbed a Captain America as I was just blown away by it all. 

A quick Google search later and I discovered MECHSTRIKE is a new major event in Marvel comics that's getting a bunch of merchandising including these new toys I found. My days of heavily reading comics has been over for awhile, so I had no clue. The action figure line though has really captured my interest. There's the MECH suit sets I've mentioned as well as regular action figures. The standard figures have a more sci fi look to them to fit the theme and have nifty shields that I'm sure play into the story.

There's an obvious comparison to Transformers Pretenders when you first look at the toy, but it's a little different. The front opens with a hinge on the top of the suits head and you load the figure in. The figures arms hang out the sides of the suit as well. That's not a deal breaker for me, but maybe for some.The figure is pleasantly articulated and you can put it into a bunch of poses. The suit... not so much. It has basic articulation in the shoulders and elbows. Once again that might be a deal breaker for some, but once again not for me. I really liked my Captain America MECHSTRIKE toy and plan to get more.

There's a variety of ports on the suit, so I assume the idea is to attach things from other toys and deck out your MECH. This isn't the first time Marvel characters have been given this type of gimmick and it usually works well with them. The figures are the 6" scaled figures more recent Marvel figures have been, which has resonated well with me. In the suit, the toy is 9" and is pretty beefy. It's cool and even in it's simplicity manages to grab a lot of attention. It's that cross of bright colors, manga/sci fi theming, and well loved characters. So far I think it's pretty great. You may have noticed.

Diaclone X Gridman

Keith Courage's Cool Cartoon

I was pretty excited for the Turbografx-16 Mini until Covid-19 pushed back the release. I'm still excited for it, but man that hurt a little. One thing I found odd was the exclusion of Keith Courage in Alpha Zones from the console. Keith Courage was the original pack in game for the system here in the states until the release of the Turbo Duo a few years later.

I've always liked Keith Courage and was really hoping to play it on the mini (whenever I get it), it not being included confused quite a lot of people for good reason. It was just one of the games you associate with the system. Most likely it's due to licensing issues as Keith Courage is an Americanization of the PC Engine game Mashin Hero Wataru, which was based on an anime. The anime itself has had a few other series and other games as it's pretty popular in it's own right. Much more than Keith Courage. It's not surprising that essentially Konami wouldn't deal with the licensing all these years later.

There's all sorts of toys, games, and cartoons of Mashin Hero Wataru. If you really liked Keith Courage and wanted more of it, well there's plenty of it to go around. I'm kinda tempted to watch the anime as it looks pretty neat. I feel like I've seen bootlegs of the mechs at discount stores and honestly tempted to get one of the newer figures. Because dude...Keith Courage.

Dark of The Capsule Machine

Epoch makes some really great capsule/gashapon toys. Their Dareore Dark Side line is particularly neat to me. A line of skeleton robot guys with various series of accessory toys. The machine skull series seen above is really drawn my interest. In the vein of more recent 'head' capsule toys, the head itself is the capsule dispensed from the machine and the various parts are inside the shrink wrapped head. Once assembled, you get one of six (two mystery versions) types of piloted units. I was first made aware of these cool walkers in Microman groups as they're a good fit for your micros. Though the Dareore figures they're intended for are a perfect match.

Cool articulated little robotic skeletons. Man, I dig that chest armor so much. The multiple colors and weapons are wonderful. I love it when sci fi is blended with gothic horror. Love it. Just for good measure, check out the Magic Furniture set. They just need a spooky space castle now. It even has an exclusive body type in that batch.

Damn, that's awesome. I've often wished I had access to gashapon machines like they do in Japan and other countries. Occasionally a random comic shop will have one or two, but the best I can hope for is that the gumball machines in front of the grocery store has something cool in it. I watch a lot of videos of people hitting up the machines and while I'm extremely jealous, I'm also in extreme awe. There's stores full of just the machines and often even with rent-able lockers to display the toys you're willing to trade and lists of what you're looking for. If I had those stores here... man. You could be sure it would be a big topic here on the site. I'd probably make a big deal of it. I'd have at least 3 more followers on Instagram.

Diaclone Trivers Combat Simulation

I swear every time they make a new Diaclone video it makes me wish for a series. These great little exhibitions of the Diaclone equipment in action is just great. I really enjoy the feel of military equipment in action and the little things like various crew doing their individual parts of the operation. A video game would be great too, though I'm sure it would be some kind of RTS or turn based game. I don't car for those very much, but at least it would be something. It'd be great if modern Diaclone was offered in the US. I'm sure it'd cost a fortune though... not unlike the Takara releases.. but at least more availability.

Gunhed 30th Anniversary

Now that SDCC is over, back to Zone Base. I don't pretend to know a whole lot about Gunhed. A few games here, a movie that started out as part of the Godzilla series there. General cool stuff all around. It's hard not to appreciate it. Today is the 30th anniversary of the movies release and that's worth noting.

Evangelion on Saturn

I'm having a slightly brain dead day. Despite having a lot of fun this past weekend at Rangerstop, I'm still just a little fried. Maybe it's from displacing my sleep schedule, I took a million naps Sunday. Or maybe I'm just tired in general. Fortunately I have a long holiday weekend coming soon and plan to burn off some of those dead brain cells and get some solid mental refreshment. So, while I'm planning to put out some much better posts throughout the week, in the meantime check this out. Thanks to Netflix, every bodies talking Evangelion and maybe we're all better for it. While I'm slowly working my way through the first batch of episodes, I'm certainly enjoying it again. Here's a set of Evangelion game commercials for the SEGA Saturn. I do love SEGA, don't I?

Gundam Cup Noodle commercial

Sêjûshi Bisumaruku/Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs intros

Sêjûshi Bisumaruku

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs

Mazinger Z vs Transformers

【特報！】
驚異の描き下ろしフルカラークロスオーバーコミック

『マジンガーZ 対 トランスフォーマー』

2019年3月22日発売決定！

二大ロボットヒーローが時空を超えて大激突！

６人の人気漫画家による連作方式で夢の対決を実現！

永井豪先生による描き下ろしカバー！https://t.co/91SPzJ2h73 pic.twitter.com/EZ7owOsotr

— ヴィレッジブックスの翻訳アメコミ (@vb_amecomi) February 8, 2019

Screened Full-color crossover comic draw down Marvel [Mazinger Z vs Transformers] March 22, 2019 announced! The two biggest robot heroes clash beyond time and space! Achieve a dream Showdown in a series of series by six popular cartoonists! The cover drawn by Go Nagai Sensei! https://villagebooks.net/mztf_news/

Robotech SDF-1 Commercial

For some reason, it's just now occurring to me just how nice of a toy the SDF-1 is. Robotech/Macross has some seriously slick looking designs, that's no mystery, but it's really apparent just how good looking that old Matchbox SDF-1 was. Not sure how I overlooked it so much in the past. I always thought the ship looked good, guess I never really paid the toy much attention somehow.

Space Transformers/Diatron 5

I just found out this movie was public domain. Which makes the 1$ I spent for the DVD over a decade ago feel expensive. Regardless, This is the English dub of Diatron 5 called Space Transformers. I'm going to warn you, it's not the best cartoon you'll ever watch. Though, sharp eyes will notice all the stolen Diaclone designs throughout the movie.

Patlabor statue

My knowledge of Patlabor is very surface level. One day I plan to watch some of the shows as they look super cool. Though I admit, I'd jump at the chance to see this thing in person.