Weekly Update 8/24/26 — Kaiju, and Dragons, and Gatcha Oh My!

It's time to start a new week of robots, monsters, and misadventures here on Zone Base! I hope everyone had a great weekend! Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem 2026 is chugging along nicely, with the fun just getting started. We still have two more months!

It's still August, which means there's plenty of fun ghost stories coming out of some Asian regions. Zone Base gets a lot of its readership from those areas, and I not only appreciate my friends from that side of the world supporting the site (thanks, guys!), but really enjoy their ghost season. As usual, I've been partaking in the various podcasts and videos from those areas and enjoying the spooky stories.

Japanese car camping videos are also a guilty pleasure of mine, and so many of them have been "Horror Camping" during the month. It's been fun watching people find themselves in scary situations while cooking ramen noodles in the back of their cars. 

Me? I've been busy getting my new place arranged. Being a graveyard-shift CNC programmer means I work some odd hours, so a lot of tasks like arranging shelves tend to wait until the weekend, and even then they have to wait until after everything else gets done. I'm setting up my new desk space inside the house while simultaneously organizing the storage space where the bulk of my toys are. Eventually it'll be nice, but right now it's just poorly organized chaos.

You know, I never think I have a lot of toys until it's time to move. Then I just stare at the boxes like I'm in that warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Transformers- It seems we're not done talking about Jada Metalfigs or blind boxes, as Jada Transformers Nano Metalfigs and Nano Rides have been spotted for sale individually in blind bags. Just when I was lamenting the glory days of individual Nano Metalfigs, they return! Hopefully they'll make an appearance at my stores soon!

Target has recently been expanding its blind box section, while Five Below, which has always been a good source for them, has started putting an even bigger emphasis on blind boxes as well. Hopefully the bags will pop up there soon, as I'd love to get some gatcha of my favorite characters!

A new Godzilla x Transformers collaboration also seems to be in the works, as listings for two figures have surfaced recently. Obviously, this is in part due to the upcoming releases of Godzilla Minus Zero and Godzilla Supernova. Part of me wonders if they're rereleases of the Takara ones from last year. Hopefully they're all new and... not a struggle to get.

A Target exclusive 30" Optimus Prime figure was shown off in conjunction with a Target end cap tied to the 40th Anniversary showing of TFTM next month. Here's hoping they don't vanish before I can get one. I'm looking forward to attending a showing of the movie and a trip to Target afterwards sounds awesome!

Blokees- The new Wheels Motormaster truck and trailer kit was shown off and I definitely want it. I would have never thought Wheels would be something I enjoy so much, but it is and I love these trailer sets.

Godzilla- Speaking of Godzilla, the new Godzilla x Hello Kitty collaboration Happy Meals have launched at McDonald's and they're pretty great! The toys are figurines of various Sanrio characters dressed as Godzilla and his fellow monsters. Kaiju fans are practically stalking their local McDonald's, just like with the Changeables from February. I'm going to spend some cheat meals with Ronald! Hopefully I get Rodan/Badtz-Maru!

Power Rangers- The MMPR Re-Ignition Dragonzord has been a hot topic lately. Like many of you, I felt his absence last year while completing the Re-Ignition Dino Megazord and was pleased, if not a little perplexed, to see Playmates offer it through a Kickstarter. I pledged right away on launch day, as I definitely need him to go along with my set. The base toy comes with a mini Green Ranger to boot, and there are plenty of add-ons and additional packages available when you pledge. Here's hoping he meets the goal!

The Re-Ignition Thunder Megazord is also now showing up on store shelves, and I'm looking forward to building it. The Thunder Megazord has always been a favorite of mine. Hopefully the blind box MMPR minis will show up soon, too. I really want those.

Man, blind boxes are all over this week's update.

The Weekend (written from my phone Monday morning)- It was a pretty low key weekend with not much going on. I hit a few McDonald's trying to get some of the Godzilla x Hello Kitty toys and got Rodan and Godzilla. Hopefully I can get more, my local stores aren't great and have some pretty terrible customer service, so these things can be tricky. A stop by Gamestop resulted in me finally getting some Godziburst figures and Godzilla Scramble eggs. I picked up 2 of each with plans to get more. I got the cupcake and Jet Jaguar Godzilla toys in the eggs. In Godziburst I picked up Plasma Space Godzilla and Formula Type 3 Kiryu. At Walmart, I grabbed 2 more Transformers Blokees Galaxy Version blind boxes from the Transformers One wave 2 case... and got Elita-1 and Starscream again... ugh. CVS sent me a great coupon for a metalic poster print that combined with rewards points was free. I've now got a great poster of the site badge (mobile readers, check out the desktop version!) and thanks to a slight scuff on the first print, got two! The scuffed one will go in the storage space as it gets organized. A little later after I originally wrote this, my mom stopped by and gave me a Wold Cup x Transformers Breakaway she had purchased on clearance. You know, I'm not a sports guy, but he's kinda neat!

I got some gaming in, dropping back into Resident Evil Requim after not playing it for too long and gave Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare for Gameboy (via Switch Online) a try and had fun with it. Definitely putting some more time into that. Built the Mrs's new hutch this weekend and more Blokees Wheels from the backlog. Well, I guess it wasn't the most momentous weekend, but they don't always have to be. It's time to get the week started Zone Base readers. Thank you all for your support. Please don't forget to share the site with your friends and be excellent to each other.

Weekly Update 8/17/26

Monday rears its ugly head once again, threatening the sanctity of peaceful vibes the weekend gave us. Don't fear, Zone Base readers! I've got another fun week of robots, monsters, and misadventure lined up for your eyeballs.

Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem is spooking right along as our annual Halloween party gets underway. You know, sometimes people wonder why I start celebrating Halloween so early, yet every year by late July everyone seems to be chomping at the bit for spooky season. I originally started doing it because it was fun, but now I honestly don't understand why more don't. Maybe it's because I'm not monetizing the site and spending all my time trying to capitalize on my readers. 

As I've mentioned before, August is ghost month in several Asian countries. Japan celebrates Obon while other regions hold Hungry Ghost Festivals, and I always enjoy the influx of spooky stories that appear around this time of year. Lately I've been watching VHS transfers of older Japanese paranormal television shows uploaded to YouTube. Back during my tape trading days, I ended up with quite a few of these through various J-Horror circles. I've always preferred the reenactment-style ghost shows, and Japan produced some really fun examples of the format. Funnily enough, many of them were hosted by either Count Takeshi or Junji Inagawa, who many of you might recognize as Vic Romano and Guy LeDouche from "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge". Junji Inagawa is actually a famous ghost storyteller in Japan as well as a television personality, but it's almost impossible for me to see him without expecting him to say something completely ridiculous. Thinking back to those tape trading days, I probably watched more than a few questionable recordings copied from questionable recordings of questionable recordings. Hopefully I didn't accidentally end up cursed.

There's something else I'd like to tell you all about from last week. Some of you probably saw the Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary press boxes that have been showing up on various toy and news sites. Several months ago, I was contacted by the PR agency handling them and asked if I'd like to be considered for one. Of course I said yes. Unfortunately, I didn't end up receiving one.

Now, to be fair, these things are extremely limited and the email even makes it clear that receiving one isn't guaranteed. Still, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little disappointing to realize I had been passed over.

The Mrs. apparently noticed.

Earlier this week, while I was at work, she messaged me and told me some package had arrived from "PR People" and that I should open it when I got home. Sure enough, sitting there was a box covered in Transformers stickers with the words "PR BOX" written across it in pink marker.

Inside were several Cyberworld Cyber Changers and the Transformers Icons Optimus Prime figure.

To this day she's maintaining that she has absolutely no idea where it came from.

I can't begin to tell you how great that surprise felt.

Know what?

I got the better PR Box.

Transformers- News has been relatively quiet this week outside of retailer solicitations. Dear news sites: affiliate links are not news. Then again, considering how overwhelming San Diego Comic-Con season can be, a slower week is honestly kind of refreshing.

One item that did catch my attention was the discovery of the new Transformers Vaultz Big Heads blind boxes at some Walmart locations. These are stylized chibi-like Transformers figures that immediately caught my eye. You all know how much I love blind boxes, so of course I'm interested. The designs remind me quite a bit of the Bikkuriman-style artwork I'm so fond of, and from what I've seen they use the Evergreen character designs, which I'm perfectly happy with.

Even better, they appear to include both a trading card and a sticker.

That combination appeases me greatly.

From what I understand there are variants as well. The news originally came from someone who pulled a glow-in-the-dark Megatron.

That.

Is.

Awesome.

I fully expect to end up with several of these, and any extras will almost certainly become desk bots at work.

Also along similar lines, Jada has shown off their new Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary Metalfigs assortment. These continue to use the roughly 2¾-inch scale they've stuck with for previous releases, which I'm happy about. It's a great size for the price point, and the die-cast metal gives them a satisfying heft. I've picked up quite a few of these over the years and am really looking forward to this movie-themed wave, which appears to contain mostly new characters.

Man, I really miss the days when Metalfigs Nanos were sold individually for a dollar.

Blokees- Adding to my excitement for the next Transformers Defender Version series (Battlestars MOFO!) is the news that Astral Rally Defender Version 01 and Transformers Wheels C04 are now available to order. I fully plan on picking up a case of each and adding them to the ever-growing backlog. I'm still working through Transformers Defender Version 07, Wheels C02, and Wheels C03, not to mention several other kits patiently waiting their turn on the build pile. I'll get to them eventually... probably.

The newest Wheels assortment includes a train mode Astrotrain, and that alone has me excited. Astrotrain has always been my favorite Triple Changer, so seeing his classic locomotive mode represented as a Wheels kit makes me ridiculously happy. There's just something about that original train design that I love. That said, I do hope Blokees eventually revisits the 2006 Classics version as well. I've always been fond of that design and would love to see it translated into kit form. 

The Weekend (written on my phone while I ate breakfast Monday morning)- This weekend was a good one, albeit super hot. It was that reverse hot that we opted to stay in the air conditioning and not go to the pool. We did get some weekend shopping in which included a trip to Five Below to pick through Over the Garden Wall blind boxes and looking at Halloween decor at TJ Max.  I managed to build my new new shelf for my desk, it's a great little spot for storage that will work just great by my desk. I built some Blokees and played my Atari Gamestation Go. Comiket was also this weeked  I'm enjoying the pictures from the show as their posted. That's another show I'd love to attend, definitely a Zone Base type of con. Good weekend.

As for toy pick ups, unfortunately Walmart had sold out of Mega Zarak whom I'll definitely order soon. I did pick up Nexus Prime who've I been wanting and putting off. Also another Blokees TF One part two blind, another Starscream, he's going into the custom pile. I also grabbed a Funko Mini Pops Dragonzord with tiny Green Ranger figure to pilot on clearance. I got the regular Megazord a few years ago, this will be a nice companion.

Speaking of that "PR Box" the Mrs gave me, it had Icons Optimus Prime (who I think looks great) and Cyberworld Cyber Changers Energon Surge Bull Megatron, Optimus Primal, Tank Megatron, and a Cyberworld blind bag that ended up being Skybite (woo)! In addition, I got a Five Nights at Freddy's Tiny Mights capsule that ended up a red Springtrap Freddy and a 3D printed skeleton keychain. Overall a good weekend haul.

Red Rodan Kaiju Zord & Blue Kaiju Ranger Anguirus [Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]

I've been a fan of Monogram's blind bag bag clip mini figures for some time now. Grabbing one or two during a Target visit is a pretty regular thing. They've had some pretty cool series. Godzilla, He-Man, they're neat little things. Recently I've been picking up their Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, because they're great! Rangers and Zords themed after classic Toho Kaiju. That's awesome! While I've never talked about these here before aside from occasionally mentioning them in the Monday weekend reports, I really want to now. You see I somehow got both chase figures on the same day.

Monogram wraps the figures in a card stock inside the blind bags, so feeling the bags is tricky. I thought the two I was grabbing was the Red Rodan Ranger and Green Godzilla Ranger. That Sunday evening when my Mom had come over for Sunday dinner, I opened them and ... OMG! That was really exciting. Let's talk about this series, I haven't read the comics it's based on, but love both properties as you all are aware. The Rangers and Zords being themed after Godzilla's crew is just an awesome idea and these little figures just look outstanding. They're well sculpted and very colorful. I've got plans to pick up more (got to get that Godzilla!), but man... let me just bask in this victory for a moment.

Master the New Week

It's a new week here on Planet Zone and dang that weekend went by too fast! Friday the Mrs found some Rise of the Beasts stuff for me, followed up with us finding more Saturday. That's in addition to picking up Legacy Metalhawk and Bomb-Burst. We got quite a lot, it was exciting. Thanks to Beast Alliance toys having an actual fair price, I got a lot. Prices are getting out of hand. That's another plus to the awesome Beast Alliance line. 

Sunday we went to a family dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse that turned out to be a bad decision. We eat there regularly, but always take out. It was over crowded and our party was shoved into a booth just a little too small. Welp, not eating inside there any longer. Take out only. The rest of the day was fine back at mom's place, but dang that was an uncomfortable dinner. Earlier we had stopped at Pop Shelf and I grabbed some blind bag clip figures based on Universal Studios horror movies that weren't their classic monsters. 

We got figure versions of Chucky in his Good Guys box and the They Live poster. I also got a Transformers blind bag labled as a wacky walker, but was a straight up articulated keshi. I got Megatron. Don't recall any news sites reporting these, but considering they aren't expensive figures from sponsors, no surprise. There's an Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Soundwave in the series too. Think I'll try to get more. They're neat. I like Pop Shelf, need to go there more often.

I worked in a play through of Aliens vs Predator (the Capcom Arcade game) and a little Drill Dozer on GBA. I wish I had more weekend, but I guess if they went on forever they wouldn't be as special. That's bs, I'd be happy. Thanks everyone for reading Zone Base. I've got a fun week in store. It's the last normal week before our next special event! If you like what I'm doing, please share posts with your friends!

This post is Trashy

Admittedly these guys would be fair game to talk about all year on the Base, but Halloween just feels right. The Trash Bag Bunch was a blind bag line of mini figures kept secret in a small garbage bag that would dissolve in water. Did you get a heroic member of the 'Disposers' or one of the evil 'Trashors?'. For a garbage themed set of toys modeled after aliens, monsters, and sci fi guys the Trash Bag Bunch were pretty cool. While they'd fit more in with the USA Up All Night Halloween marathon than Turner Classics and Monsters in my Pocket, they're still at home during the spooky season.

I'd buy those Transformers for a dollar as well

 

I was pleasantly surprised when the news of Transformers Squeezelings were announced. As readers know, I'm a big fan of blind bag toys and keshi in general. A Transformers line of that? No problem! So far the toys have only been spotted as Dollar Tree stores for $3 each. I'm not sure if they'll pop up at any other stores, but wouldn't be surprised. I stopped by and picked up 4 packages at my local stores. At the time there's no discernible code system, so it's a complete shot in the dark when buying them. I ended up with only one double, Starscream, so I can't complain too much. The figures themselves are a larger keshi figure that are pleasantly rubbery and fully colored (for the most part). 

The first series contains Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream, and Optimus Prime. As of this writing, all I need is Optimus Prime to complete the set. Like I said above, I've only gotten one double in 4 packs. Hopefully Optimus won't be a challenge to get. The figures are in plastic bubbles inside the package, so feeling the bags won't help. The toys are located in the new 'more than $1' section of Dollar Tree. At $3 each, they're not expensive, but the price increase is still new enough to sting a little. The figures are mostly fully painted. I say mostly, because Starscream could use a little more. Speaking of the paint, it's a little sloppy. My Bumblebee has a messed up Autobot Symbol and some sloppy details. One Starscream has random paint on his face. Megatron's face paint is a little sloppy.

The paint issues aren't too bad. With the new higher prices, it does becomes more of a sticking point.  That's really my only complaint. The figures are well sculpted, non-Transforming obviously (there's always that one guy), but full of character. They're in the 'Evergreen' style of Transformers. That's really a fancy way of saying traditional Transformers characters and looks, just slightly updated. This is more for those products that will likely be on shelves longer than the current line. So when you run across a box of these and the new movie is out, they don't look like last years toys. It's a pretty good idea for a line that changes up every year or so. 

I'd like to think Squeezelings will eventually have more than just Transformers or more Transformers series. Time will tell of course, but I wouldn't mind other characters in the form factor. Hopefully a code system is adopted. I don't know exactly the details that go into implementing one and with the internal bubble, if one would be possible. It's not a big deal, but super convenient when avoiding doubles. Regardless, this is a fun new little line that so far I'm pretty happy with. I look forward to getting more.

Transform Squadron 31: Cantaloupe and Robots

 

LISTEN NOW!

This month Rob talks about cutting a cantaloupe before going into various SpinMaster toys he’s currently enjoying. Then it’s time to talk about smaller inexpensive Transformers for a long time. Rob’s site is named after a Micromaster playset after all. Now available on Atari ST!

Millions of Warriors

 

I've been looking for a new keshi line to really get behind. It's been a while since I've had one I could really follow easily enough to have fun with. That's where Million Warriors comes in. Recently my wife discovered them and introduced them to me. I was instantly hooked. They're currently exclusive to Walmart and fairly cheap, around 5$ for a blind pack of ten. There's also 20 packs available, which I haven't seen yet and don't know the price, though I'm sure are probably inexpensive. These little guys are great.

So far the line is separated into 3 tribes that the figures fall into thematically. Astrals, Ancients, and Heroes. While the names of the tribes give some semblance of a theme, they're all over the place with little weird freaks. The figures come in various forms of availability, from common to extremely rare. As of this writing I have 30 from 3 different 10 packs and have yet to get doubles and have a few harder to get ones (according to the guide). They're made from a few different plastic molds in a few different silhouettes with the characters printed on them. This obviously helps keep the costs down and allows for a wide arrange of figures to be made and I imagine quickly. 

The art style is great, reminiscent of non-sport trading cards I'd often get as a kid. The characters range from weird looking warriors to crazy mutant freaks. I love them. Opening the two packs I got this weekend with the wife was so fun and exhilarating. I was literally bubbling over with excitement with each one. They come packed blind in little paper packets in a ticket style row. The 10 packs I had held them in a package shaped like crossed swords. The 20 packs are boxes that look like shields. There is a game that can be played with them using catapults that come with the 20 packs and numbers printed on each characters back. 

You've might have noticed that I'm a fan. I am and a rather fast one at that. I really cannot express just how excited I was over these guys for a good day or so. I was practically exploding. I'm still practically exploding. I exploded. They are just the thing I've been wanting and done just right for this sort of thing. A proper keshi line needs to be fun and collectible. Having easy availability and low prices is a part of that. I can easily grab a pack while at Walmart, or add it to my weekly grocery order. At 5$ a pack of 10, they're so cheap that I don't even think about it.

They're very cool and the characters make me want more. At under 1" each, so even if I get a million Million Warriors, they can be stored pretty easily. I don't know if the 3 tribes are all there will be, but so far I'm happy as is. Million Warriors is the keshi line I needed and I'm sure other keshi fans needed as well. Spin Masters makes some good toys and this is another solid line from them. I hope it's a success and they make more than a million of them.

Fortress of Necros

 

Nekurosu No Yousai was a very neat keshi line by Lotte sold in the late 80's and early 90's. Translated into English, the name of the line is technically Necros Fortress, but often called Neclos Fortress. Neclos is printed on the lines cards as l and r are often confused in translation. Necros/Neclos being the main villain character. Each figure would come in a box with a card and piece of chocolate. Readers know this is the exact kind of thing I go crazy for.

The line was a fantasy based with cool monsters and warriors intended to be used in a rpg game. The cards would be used for the figures stats as well as items and spells. There was a total of 320 figures released in 8 parts. The figures were in multiple colors and would often come in color change or metallic plastic depending on the release. Some with plastic jewels. I can see a fun evening spent with these. If you noticed that they resemble Monsters in my Pocket, you're not alone. It's only natural for keshi lines to look alike, especially ones based on monsters. Necros Fortress and Monsters in my Pocket do share a lot of the same monsters. Both even have video games. NES for one, PC Engine the other. A crossover would have been perfect.

Unfortunately, Necros Fortress figures are not easy to get. The line was exclusive to Japan in a per-internet time. Candy toys are no problem now, but the older ones can be a challenge. I don't have any myself but can still enjoy them through various pictures on the internet. They have great sculpts and I like the variety of monsters. I love the art. It's exactly the style and era that's a steady favorite of mine. I'm pretty jealous of those who got to experience them first hand. I could see myself in a local convenience store buying these up.

Micro Sized (Transformers Edition)

 

The World's Smallest Micro Action Figures line is a pool I've dipped my toes in a little bit since it's inception. At Christmas, the Mrs put a ton in with my presents and I may have gotten hooked. Today I'm going to talk about the Transformers ones. There is two scales, Micro Action Figures and Miniature. Micro is individually sold, while Miniature comes in blind boxes. I'm just the mini Optimus shy of having a complete set. Both sizes come with "packaging" that they can be removed from and put back in. Micro's have some articulation and come with removable display stands and accessories depending on the figure. He-Man as a ton, Bumblebee has none. Mini so far has no articulation and display stands glued on.

So far the Transformers series is Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Starscream. You all know I'm favoring Bumblebee right out of the gate, but Starscream may have the most impressive sculpt. Starscream though has the least impressive paint with Optimus leading in that department. I do wish they had weapons like others, I guess Starscream technically does. I'm probably not doing them any justice in the pictures, but they're REALLY cool.

When I say these guys are tiny, I mean it. They're 1.25" tall with three points of articulation (arms, head), the mini's are roughly half that. If only they'd have leg articulation then they'd make great Diaclone or Zoids pilots. They look to use the same sculpts as the Dollar Tree Transformer minis. If so, I hope more will be coming using the other characters at some point. There's other series as well. GIJOE, Masters of the Universe, Power Rangers, MEGO Monsters, and so on. They pair well with NANO Metal Figs, Micro Machines, and other tiny sized toys. Clearly these little guys are right up my alley and I can see them occupying Micromaster bases. I do plan on this being an ongoing series focusing on tiny toys. Don't worry, they won't take up much room.

Meiji Beastformers Snacks

 

This is the kind of thing I absolutely go crazy over. I love blind bag/box toys as is, but you put something I like already in one and I'll go nuts! Beastformers/Battle Beasts are one of the coolest parts of Transformers that will never fully go away. From official to unofficial, they're evergreen. These little keshi style mini figures sold blind with a card. There's a snack of some sort in there but I can't tell what it is and honestly I wouldn't be buying it for that anyway. I think that's one of the plus's of the Hershey's Treasure boxes, I like the candy already. I still have a bunch of those weird lemon flavored candies that came with Armada/Micron Legend blind boxes some where. Regardless, this is the kind of series I'd go hunting store to store getting as many as I could. I'm pretty jealous of those who got to enjoy this series.

Bill Sword Burst

Back in 2018 at Toylanta, I was fortunate enough to stumble across a dealer selling Beast Saga figures at a really good price. He had several figures from the Random Booster vol. 1 Burst Collection set and I bought one of each. I think Shawn and myself revisited his booth a million times hoping he'd add more to the box. While we didn't have any luck with that, we did manage to each complete a set. They've been in a plastic storage container on top of a drawer I use for mini-figures and off keshi storage ever since. 

Something inspired me to take a look at each one here. 

Bill Sword is a sword fish. That's the kind of animal that seems like an odd choice at first, but then makes plenty of sense. I mean, it's a BATTLE Beast right? A weapon is implied in it's name. There was even a few in Beast Wars, it makes sense. Here though, he seems a little silly. Probably because a slight resemblance to Gonzo The Great a little. Still this is a great little figure. Beast Saga figures are a little bigger than a normal Beastformer/Battle Beast. They also have articulated legs in addition to the dice launcher. It's a more complex figure with a more complex game. The Burst versions came in very nice looking translucent colors. I really like translucent plastic, but it does get fragile over time. Beast Saga figures are made from a more rubbery grade, so that won't be an issue. Bill Sword is a weird little guy, but still a pretty cool dude.

There's gold in that Coffin

I've been a fan of Treasure X since discovering it a few years ago. Admittedly I haven't kept up with it as much as I'd like to, but have always appreciated what they're doing. The newest series however, wow, so awesome. Monster Gold follows the pattern of digging through a variety of clay and potions to find a figure and treasure. The figure is a hunter that got lost finding the treasure himself! I love that odd little fiction. This time the figures are various monsters and the treasures are wonderfully monstery as well. As usual there rarest treasure is a gold dipped piece, a spider in this series.

This past weekend the wife and I exchanged spooky gift bags. A tradition of ours during the Halloween season for a little extra fun. She put a mini monster and a monster coffin in mine with some other spooky treats. Treasure X is such a neat line, she usually includes some in most gifts for me. It's hard not to like... for me anyway. The mini monster is a basic sized figure in a small coffin. Inside the coffin is a spider-webbed bag full of floam intended to be the spider webs and eggs. diffing through the stuff finds various parts. Once freed from it's sticky tomb, you've got your hunter and treasure! I got Invisibling (pictured above) and the gold spider! First pull and I got the rare treasure! It's name is Bling Back Spider btw.

The monster coffin is a more involved affair. It's much larger and a lot more messy (check out the commercial below). First off you take the attached crowbar off the coffin lid to open everything up. Under is a spiderweb bag full of floam containing monster eyes and a bug. Also are two packets of potion and a suction cup.That's all sitting on a removable tray. The tray is sitting on a paper spider web layer. Mix the two packets of potion in a cup of water and pour it on the spider web paper. After a minute of fizzing and bubbling the monster inside the coffin RISES UP! I got Count Goldula, a blue rockabilly vampire. There's also a specimen jar containing a brain.

Remove the monster from his coffin, take the crowbar, and BASH HIS HEAD IN. No really, you straight up break his head open. Inside is... THE TREASURE! I got another Blingback Spider! Two rares in a row. Neat! Afterwards, the brain from the specimen jar goes inside the head now acting as a button to open the monsters jaws. The jar is now where the hard won treasure is to be displayed. That suction cup from earlier? It attaches to the lever inside the coffin to reuse for later rising from your tomb action. Those eyes? Stick them in the monsters head. What if you get multiples? The figures (both large and small) can exchange parts for new monster creation! It's encouraged in the pamphlet! Exclamation point! 

There's also an extra big lab set with even more to do, it's in the video below. Treasure X has a way of turning blind bag toys into a game and that's pretty fun. The new Monster Gold series is just the right thing for a Halloween party. I know with the pandemic lot's of folks are still nervous taking their kids out trick or treating, I can see a Monster Coffin set providing some spooky fun over some webcam Halloween parties. It's a combination of Mad Scientist and blind bag that I never saw coming. Man, what if they made...

Mini Pufts, Maximum Mess

I finally found some Mini Pufts. They come blind packed in little cans of slime 'marshmallow creme'. The slime is a little old since they've likely been sitting in storage since last summer. It's a pool of sticky crap. The wife (who makes slime) told me to mix it up and it reconstituted into a solid slime again. The paper plate is full of baby wipes from trying not to make a mess in the living room.

The figures are in a baggie inside the slime, and another baggie inside it. I got the melted guy and the on fire guy. The figures are pretty neat and you can remove the paper wrapper from the can which makes them look like a jar of Fluff. There's a non-can of slime variety available in some countries... that I hope becomes a dollar store version of these guys here. That's some messy slime to work through, but some neat little Sumerian terrors.

Striking Dinosaurs By Hunting Them

It's been a little while since I've talked Dino Strike here... and I wanted to again. The newest and current series 'Dino Strike Hunt' is pretty great. This time it's a mix of dinosaurs with removable capture devices and hunter vehicles. Instead of fighting dinosaurs with battle armor, they're being hunted! The dinosaurs are still really solid and the vehicles are pretty fun. There's 10 different toys with a variety of common to rare pieces.

Even though 'Hunt' is a departure from the armor and firing rockets of the prior series, the theme still feels natural. The capture devices range from muzzles, to a variety of chains, and one even has a trap that it's foot can be stuck in. The hunter vehicles are neat. Two jeeps and a helicopter with capture claws and firing rockets (a giant crossbow on the helicopter). The second camouflaged jeep is one of the more rare toys of the series, which I oddly appreciate for reasons unknown even to me.

Mini-Puft Figure Mania

Because Ghostbusters: Afterlife dropped an awesome bomb on the world, it was revealed that Hasbro would be selling new blind packed mini figures of the new Mini-Pufts this fall! They'll be blind packed in containers of Stay Puft marshmallow cream (trying making a fluffernutter with this goo). The little guys will be hidden inside the 'goopy marshmallow-like compound'.

Hopefully the 'compound' won't be as sticky as the ectoplasm in the slime tubes from 2019. Combining these with the new Ecto-Plasm and Ecto-Plasm Ghost Gushers and I've got a lot of slime to dig through soon. I'm not complaining though, it's gonna be great! Hope I don't get any on the carpet.

In Space, No One Will Hear You Hate Mondays

It's Monday and the start of a new week here on Planet Zone! There's an all new episode of Not as Brightly Lit for your earholes to enjoy. Easter was this past weekend and I had a good time with my family. The Mrs. even made me a super cool basket with all sorts of blind bag fun and even a Tiger Electronics Transformers LCD game! It's gonna be a weird week. I've got an appointment for my first covid-19 vaccination Tuesday and frankly I'm a little uneasy. I'm a lot of things and uncomfortable with injections is one of them. Oh well, at least I'll get my part in herd immunity out of it. Outside of trying to escape a global pandemic, I've got a fun week of content coming this week! Thanks for reading and as always, please share with your friends!

Robotic Treasure

After what seemed like forever, I finally completed the Hershey's Treasure Surprise Transformers toys. I had been steadily putting two on each weeks grocery list. Sometimes they were out, sometimes they weren't. There's a visceral joy after bringing your grocery delivery inside and opening the little blue treasure chests. Though after many, many, many repeats of Starscream and Optimus Prime... it does get a little tedious. A random trip to CVS last Sunday lead to an entire brand new case and I grabbed one on a whim. This finally gave me a Bumblebee completing the set. I have no clue how Bumblebee was the impossible one to find.

The figures are roughly an inch and are cast in their primary colors with a small touch of paint for details. They're a stiff plastic, not soft and rubbery as you'd think looking at them. The sculpting is pretty good with some than others. Optimus and Bumblebee have more simpler sculpts than the others. Megatron and Grimlock are pretty impressive and probably my favorite of the bunch. Starscream is good, probably a the mid point of the series. Despite the frustration of getting a lot of repeats, I did like chasing after them. I'd like to see another series. This kind of thing is my specific thing.

Blind Boxed Beast Mode

I had recently started noticing these new WWE Beast Mode blind boxes at Walmart and finally bought one this weekend. I'm glad I did, this is a neat little series. Imagine a stylized mini figure of a wrestler with a Pretender shell. Sounds pretty cool huh? That's exactly what you get with these and I'm definitely getting more. The shell is the 'beast mode' making your little wrestler a monster that's hard not to like.

Unfortunately the shell isn't articulated, but the wrestler is at the shoulders and hips. They're pleasantly rubbery and even have a cool blind box delivery system. The pull tag is a 'chain' that you rip off revealing a red cardboard crate. Tear that thing open to see who you got.

I paid around $5 for one and that's not bad. Unfortunately the cool Undertaker in the picture I used above isn't in the currently available series 1. There's a code system to ensure you don't get a million Triple H's thankfully. Just look at the bottom of the box and you'll see a code above the UPC. The last letter dictates which is inside (I got a Rock).

A: Braun Strowman
B: Finn Balor
C: Becky Lynch
D: Roman Reigns
E: Triple H
F: AJ Styles
G: Daniel Bryan
H: The Rock

Smashing Dinosaurs From Their Icy Tombs

Blind assorted, tiny rubber keshi toys are pretty easy to get. I buy plenty (like a ton), but I've been wanting to find a new line to really get behind. Not that I'm ignoring the others ones I buy, but without Grossery Gang, there's been an empty spot. An Instagram friend has been posting quite a bit of the Zuru Smashers lately and they've been catching my interest.

The Smashers line by Zuru is a neat keshi line blind packed in collapsible plastic capsules that you 'smash' to open. Series 1 passed me right by. I don't think I ever saw it. I did buy a few from series 2. Fun, but I just didn't see them often. That brings us to series 3 which kinda snuck in under my radar. This was the 'Dino' series, which as the name implies was a dinosaur themed set. I really wish I would have gotten in on these guys earlier as the dinosaurs rang from standard, to mutants, to robots, and even skeletons. Really awesome stuff.

Fortunately I began seeing these at the same time as I discovered series 4, which is the 'Dino Ice Age' set. So there's still plenty to go around. Actually I see more series 3, so no problem there. I don't think I have to tell you, but series 4 is an ice age expansion of series 3. The toys are available in a range of prices, but I usually see the 8 pack at my local stores for around $9. 

You get 8 toys on a card, 6 in smash-able capsules (egg shaped for the dinos) with 2 visible on the card and a random slime pack. There's also larger eggs that have larger figures inside... but I'm focusing on the little rubber dudes here. Part of the reason I didn't notice them is my stores tend to just put them wherever. You might have to really look if you'd like to pick up a pack, and they could be anywhere. The figures are pleasantly rubbery with wacky sculpts. So far I've been really enjoying these little prehistoric freaks. I think Zuru just makes blind packed dinosaurs I like.