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Showing posts with label Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wednesday. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Sasquatch [Mountain Town Toys]

I got this little Sasquatch keshi at Toylanta from Mountain Town Toys. When deciding to do this 'smoll toys' week I figured it'd be just the thing. Mountain Town Toys is a cool shop a few hours north of me that not just sells toys, but makes their own. This isn't the first keshi I've gotten from them. In 2022 they gave me a Sasquatch one they made from recycled coffee cups (they also have a coffee shop).

They're from North Georgia, in the mountains. Sasquatch is often sighted there. I do wish the idea to write about this little guy would have came to me sooner. I cropped the picture of him out of a convention haul pic (thus the less than spectacular pic). It's a good little sculpt full of character. That's one of the great things about these independent toys, just full of character.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Bios- Billy Lee

Height 5'10"

Weight 165 lbs. 

The Hero of our story, he began his Kung Fu training at age 12 and became a Kung Fu-Sosaiken Master at 20.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Transform Squadron 60- Get your own Future

LISTEN NOW!

Wild King and Cyberworld are on Rob’s mind as he prepares for ToyLanta. The news of upcoming new M.A.S.K toys have brought up memories of other toy lines similar to M.A.S.K… and that sounds like a great idea for a topic on this month's episode of Transform Squadron.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Godzilla 1968 [ReAction/Godzilla Monster Island]

When I was a kid, classic Godzilla movies would play regularly on TV. This was before the Heisei era came in and the older shows were all I had. I'm not complaining mind you, it was great! Thanks to these older films regularly playing in the background, I grew to have a fondness for some of the 'goofier' looks the monsters have had. These were often done to make them appeal more to kids and be less scary than other depictions. By the time the Godzilla '68 costume was in use, he was a full blown superhero and generally considered for kids.

The scary monster from 1954 was long gone and in it's place was a friendly giant who dances while saving the Earth from various attacks. The SoshingekiGoji/AllKaijuGoji/HedoGoji/GiganGoji or in this case Godzilla '68 suit was used in films from 1968- 1972. This ReAction figure captures it's look very well. It was a definite happy moment when I opened the blind box after a trip to Walmart with the Mrs. There's a pleasant heft to the toy despite it's small size. He features the head/shoulders/legs at waist articulation you expect from one of these figures and just feels solid thanks to his broad design. Super7's has a great product.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Godzilla 2023 [Godzilla Monster Series 5"]

I happily found this Minus One version of Godzilla from the awesome Godzilla Monster Series 5" line by Bandai at a Miniso while shopping with the Mrs. I haven't gotten any toy of Godzilla as he appeared in Minus One yet, so I was ecstatic. Godzilla is like the other figures in this range, a smaller sofubi. One thing about his appearance in the movie that I've always liked was the extra pointy design.

That detail is carried over well here as is painted on scar tissue. I find his chonky sculpt extremely pleasant and the overall toy very satisfying. Godzilla 2023 has less articulation than the other figures in this range. Only his arms and tail move. I'm not entirely sure of the reason for this, but can speculate his larger body probably ate at the toys design budget. Each joint is a separate piece and you can probably see the seam in his wait where the figure is assembled. With figures like this, the articulation isn't a focal point, so I wasn't bothered. It's nice to finally have a toy of what feels like Godzillas proudest moment in the theaters. Minus One is probably the one Godzilla movie not hailed as a silly monster movie by snooty critics and I can't help but to be proud of that.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

MechaGodzilla 1974 [ReAction/Godzilla Monster Island]

I've made my fondness for the Showa MechaGodzilla known several times on the site. It's hard not to love those classic old school sci fi looks combined with the characters savagery. Today I want to specifically take a look and appreciate this ReAction figure of him I got recently in a blind box. I've been a fan of Super7 and their ReAction figures since they were introduced. That old Kenner Star Wars figure design is a form factor I'll always love. When applied to the Godzilla characters, they come out as really well done kaiju figures that are fun to collect.

I know certain folks take issue with ReAction. They either don't like the price (understandable), somehow magically take issue with anything popular (cringe), or it might just not be their thing (fair enough). I buy a good deal of designer toys, so something like a $20 blind box doesn't phase me. Sure, I'd love a lower price, but there's an old saying. If you want to play, you've got to pay. I just try to make good decisions so the occasional splurge doesn't hurt too much. Not to mention, not many designer toys are available at places like Target or Walmart. So the selection Super7 has at local retail is appreciated. The selection of designer gatcha at more boutique stores will can make that $15 I paid for this box feel a lot more reasonable. Super7 has a lot more expensive items out there to be sure.

Hopefully my tangent didn't come off pretentious or assholish, but maybe I should talk about the figure now. If this was a Facebook post, I would have followed that with a 'lol'. This is the same MechaGodzilla mold Super7 has used a few times already in various ReAction series. It's a great sculpt, so I don't mind. Each edition has it's differences to make them all cool and unique. For this pretty great Godzilla Monster Island blind box series they've made him look pretty good. I know I say this often, but I always mean it. This feels like a more premium figure than it is. The paint applications look great. My wife has called MechaGodzilla 'tin foil guy' in the past, and in a lot of those cases it's a fair description.

I may love them, but the silver on some of the toys does lack a little in visual pop. Not here, Mecha G looks sharp in a very chrome color with nicely done dark greys. The blood red details and yellow eyes contrast very well against it. The sculpt is very detailed giving these fantastic colors a nice base to show off. A lot of kaiju toys don't feature a ton of articulation (some do, I know) and these ReAction ones are pretty similar to the Bandai sofubi ones I generally buy. Mecha G's head turns, arms move at the shoulders, and legs swivel at the thigh. It's just enough for a toy this size. This is a fantastic little figure and I plan to pick up a few more from this series when I see them. Nice things are nice.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Godzilla [Monster Egg Series Godzilla]

I don't know who was saying he had to go, because it wasn't me. Today we'll be looking at Godzilla in Monster Egg Series form! Out of the 4 in this 2024 reissue set (the Gigan from 2014 isn't available at this time) Godzilla is the star. Not just because he's the main character of the films... but he's also the best of the batch! Thanks to the transformation he's got quit a bit of articulation compared to the others. The head and tail are jointed, twice in the tail! Arms and legs can move... there's even twists in the ankles!

Bandai is the best at this sort of thing and they proved it with Godzilla. Unlike most egg toys, he retains his traditional proportions. Transformation is easy and everything folds up neatly into place. Egg form is truly monstrous (as it should be) and this is one truly well done toy. Go Go Godzilla!

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

MechaGodzilla [Monster Egg Series Godzilla]

There's something magical about classic MechaGodzilla. Sure, more modern takes are extra awesome looking and super badass... but there's no denying the classic sci fi charm and style of his era. You can laugh at his rainbow colored beams all you want... but he did draw blood. Those fights with Godzilla were specifically gory and it was this version that did the damage. While we're talking about his far out looks and hardcore fighting... let's look at his egg monsters toy. Like any Bandai transforming egg, he's well done.

Minimal articulation, but that's common for this type of toy. He looks pretty great in both modes. Robot mode looks pretty spot on, maybe a little extra round, but that's another side effect of this type of toy. You expect it. Egg form looks like some sort of crazy bomb G-Force devised to stop these monsters and run off the evil space aliens. Or since this MechaGodzilla is from space and working for those evil space aliens... maybe it's something they made for us! I haven't mention yet that this series is a reissue set and they were originally released in 2014. It's super cool Bandai did this and had it at Target. The Mrs saw them and knew they'd make perfect stocking stuffers because of that. So many  people are complaining about the price of eggs these days, but these ones are priceless to me.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Mothra [Monster Egg Series Godzilla]

I love kaiju and transforming egg toys and by God, Bandai makes the best of both worlds. Hailing from the Monster Egg Series Godzilla toys the Mrs. gave me at Christmas is this super rad. Mothra usually appears in either larva or adult form, so this toy features both! That was a super neat surprise when I opened up Mothra's package. The larva actually combines with the moth's underside and the egg shells form around the two creating a neat egg. The same egg shells are Mothra's wings and the entire thing is super cool and creative. Admittedly, I'm not a great photographer, so Bandai's site offers some better looks at the toy. I mean damn, I have her sitting on the lid from a Yankee Candle. A lesser company would have just made a moth that transformed into an egg, but Bandai is just the best. Just the best. I like the toy, btw.

Mothra, o Mothra
Through thy magical life energy
Accept the prayers of thy humble servants
Arise and
Show us your magic power

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

King Ghidorah [Monster Egg Series Godzilla]

Look gang, it's known that I love some transforming egg toys. It's also been far too long since I've talked about them on this site. The Mrs., understanding my love for kaiju and knowing I'd find them neat, got me the new entire set of Bandai Godzilla Monster Egg Series that was available at Target for Christmas. These four monster eggs were exciting to find inside my stocking and absolutely something I'd talk about here on Zone Base. We're starting at zero, Monster Zero that is, King Ghidorah! Ghidorah looks straight out of the classic era (though could represent his 90's appearances) in his trademark gold colors. Transforming to an egg makes for some visual distinction that wouldn't be in a regular toy. His body is more round, wings are smaller and shell shaped.

It's to be expected with these egg toys, but probably a good idea to explain. Ghidorah's legs, tail, wings, and neck can articulate thanks to the transformation. There's additional swivels in each neck so heads can look in separate directions. Speaking of, each head has a slightly different sculpt. Egg toys tend to be simplistic, so the extra detail is appreciated. Transformation is easy. A chest panel opens up to allow the heads/neck to be folded away, the legs rotate up into position while everything else basically just closes. Egg mode is a simple egg shape that can neatly stand on it's own. The monsters details are visible and make for a strangely ornate egg. It's been way to long since I spent time with transforming eggs and the joy and excitement that comes with these new toys is exfiltrating. The Mrs. really got me something great and Bandai is the best at this sort of thing. Totally eggcellent.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Godzilla 1954 Translucent Edition [Godzilla Monster Series 5"]

I'm a sucker for translucent toys and have been clamoring for a X-Ray version of Godzilla or King Kong in the newer figures I've been getting. Bandai must have been reading my dream journal as they made this specifically cool Translucent Edition of the Godzilla 1954 we spoke about a little while back. Part of the Godzilla Monster Series 5" line I've been recently enjoying, it was a real treat to find this under the tree Christmas morning. The Mrs likes to spoil me and knew I'd love this 'cool sparkly one'. She was right and today we'll be taking a look at it. At it's base, it's from the same mold as the Godzilla 1954 toy, so I'll be focusing on the specifics of this version.

What's different is instead of the grayish green we're used to, Godzilla is colored in a neat smoky grey translucent plastic with some great looking glitter in the mix. Being a vinyl toy, the translucency isn't as transparent as something like a Microman and comes out as a rather soft color. It's really pleasant. The glitter adds to the look nicely and adds some visual texture. They painted the eyes, which I find great. It's something simple that adds a lot. Without the glitter the toy could have made a cool black and white edition of the figure, but with it... it just pops. This feels like a much more premium figure than it's standard edition counterpart.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Mechagodzilla 1974 [Godzilla Monster Series 5"]

It has been too long since I've taken a look at Bandai's fun 5" soft vinyl figures from their Godzilla Monster Series line. I get these from my local Target (because some of us live in a society) and had been on the look out for more as the lines stocked in the 'collectors' section can be short stocked at times. Unless it's those Parks and Rec ReAction figures that'll be there after the nuclear apocalypse. My wife had pointed out that they had the 'tin foil guy' leading to the happy discovery of a Mechagodzilla sitting on the shelf waiting for my purchase. This is a great little toy of the 1974 version of Mechagodzilla as he appeared in Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla. This 5" series is a less expensive set of figures that are perfectly adequate, but don't have the number of paint apps as larger, pricier figures.

This works out ok for the Showa Mechagodzilla as thanks to his design... he doesn't need a lot of colors to be accurate. Articulation is pretty limited on this one compared to a regular Godzilla. Arms move at the shoulders, and swivel at the waist. I have other sofubi with this amount of movement so it's not a negative for me. I can see others taking issue however. His sculpt is really great and pretty screen accurate. I've always liked Mechagodzilla quite a bit and the original incarnation is a ton of fun. He's from that same era that gave us Henshin Cyborg and Microman so there's a similar aesthetic. For the low cost ($10 at Target) this is a solid figure and man I just love anything Bandai makes. The smaller size is welcome as it can be stored easy or have plenty of room on a busy kaiju toy shelf. Just great all the way around.

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Christmas on Saturn

Merry Christmas...or else from SEGA.

 This year, Marine Toys for Tots has set an ambitious goal to donate 11M in toys. A partner since 1996, Hasbro is proud to champion this challenge by donating more than 4.3M toys in 2024.

 Let's all do something super this Christmas and donate to Toys for Tots if you can.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Have a Ultra Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas Ultraman and friends!

 This year, Marine Toys for Tots has set an ambitious goal to donate 11M in toys. A partner since 1996, Hasbro is proud to champion this challenge by donating more than 4.3M toys in 2024.

Let's all do something super this Christmas and donate to Toys for Tots if you can.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Have an Ultra Christmas!

Merry Christmas Ultraman!

This year, Marine Toys for Tots has set an ambitious goal to donate 11M in toys. A partner since 1996, Hasbro is proud to champion this challenge by donating more than 4.3M toys in 2024.

Let's all do something super this Christmas and donate to Toys for Tots if you can.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Godzilla 1954 [Godzilla Monster Series 5"]

While I've certainly enjoyed Playmates kaiju offerings, Bandai's sofubi returning to US shelves is reason to celebrate around here. Godzilla Monster Series is a wonderful line of kaiju toys in a form factor that I vastly prefer and the 5" scale is absolutely perfect. These figures can really take up some room (the tails alone... ) and no detail is lost at the slightly smaller size. Not to mention... I like smaller toys. They're priced fairly too, I've been seeing them from $12 to $15 at retail. 

Some online stores are charging more, so choose where you buy these wisely. Of course the older, larger figures were only $10 a few years ago... "sigh". This is classic Godzilla as he appeared in the original 1954 movie. It's 5 inches tall with 5 points of articulation in the shoulders, hips, and tail. The colors are great. I've always loved that darker, muted shade of green. Sculpting is really well done with appreciated attention to detail. It's always great to see a Bandai Godzilla figure on a shelf and I'm elated for their return after a long absence. Nature is healing.