Today's Special, tomorrow's Halloween!

Tomorrow may be the spookiest day of the year, but today is the most evil day of the week. Monday! I hope everyone had a fun Halloweekend, I sure did. We carved pumpkins, had spooky spaghetti, and watched creepy TV including the new Five Nights at Freddy's movie. It's hard to believe the spooky season is almost over, but let's end it with a bang! 

I found some fun stuff while doing our weekly shopping. I went to Ross hoping to luck up on some of the Transformers finds folks have been having. While no Generations were there I needed, there was some Autobots Unite packs! I'd hoped to find these and got Bumblebee, Megatron, and Battletrap. Hopefully I can find the rest. Long time readers know how much fun I had with the Energon Igniters toys from the Bumblebee movie and these are those same molds!

Not to be outdone by returning favorites is another bit of older Zone Base favorites! I got some Botbots! Clearly Ross had some fun in store for me! Hopefully future visits will provide more of that fun. Still no Troop Builder box set at Target, but I did find a One Step Flipchanger Twitch. Now the Flipchanger ranks are complete until a new wave is unleashed upon the world and my wallet. I also grabbed The Bandai Ultimate Legends HD Zenitsu figure. I needed him to complete my set of Demon Slayer figures from that line.

Did everyone enjoy the new episode of Transform Squadron? Monster Gobots seemed like a fun way to round out the spooky season! There's a little more Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem in store before it's all over. Thanks for coming back for another new week and be sure to share with your friends. There's plenty of Zone Base Halloween to go around!

Transform Squadron 46- Shining Code Orange

Rob talks Code Orange, Telecoma Senshi, and various Tectors while not realizing his beard is rubbing against the microphone.

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Replay: It's Monday

It's Monday yet again, and that means a new week on Planet Zone! This weekend we celebrated Easter. I had a basket full of goodies for my wife and she had an egg search planned for me. She filled 40 eggs with Botbots and Million Warriors that I had to find. There was even a TMNT minifigure in the mix. It was certainly a fun morning. 

Saturday was a cold and rainy day. A trip to Walmart resulted in Koopa Para Troopa, Toad, and Princess Peach from Super Mario mini world. I wanted to watch the Super Mario Bros movie, but didn't have time. I hope to see it soon, but frankly, it may be one of the movies that holds out for in demand. Seeing as their on apps within 45 days, it's not to hard to be patient. I did spend a good deal playing various pinball games on my Q90. Devil's Crush, Pokémon Pinball, and Pinball of the Dead were a lot of fun.

I still haven't found any Rise of the Beasts toys, it looks like my stores are following street dates. Somehow the same folks who have stuff given to them by big companies are getting them early. Funny how that works. This little podunk site works for everything and just renewed site registration for another year without a single ad or donation request. Thanks to each and everyone of you for reading Zone Base. I know it's not one of those big fancy sites, but it appreciates you reading. I've got a fun week in store. If you like what I do, please share with your friends! It's literally all I ask!

Weekly Update: 5/16/22

 

I had a pretty good weekend. Saturday the Mrs and I had just a few things to do. It was time to upgrade my trusty S10 after two and a half years of service. I'm going to miss it, but this is the way of mobile devices. I now have a shiny new S22+ for the next few years and thanks to device share, it's got all my old stuff still. Though it's definitely an upgrade. We then made a quick stop at the nearby Best Buy for a new case. Got to take care of my investment and personal electronic companion!

We visited the the PopShelf store that recently opened near us. It's actually in the former location of Spirit Halloween, so we're well acquainted how to get there. Don't worry, Spirit moved a few buildings up last year due to this being constructed. PopShelf is a pretty neat little store. It's owned by Dollar General and a new chain of household stuff at fair prices. Think of it as a hybrid of Five Below and a general store. It's actually pretty nice inside and almost feels like something fancy.

They had a great little toy section full of blind bags. I got a Beyblade micro, a BotBot (haven't opened those yet), a little wind up ghost, and a Legend of Zelda Four Swords capsule. I did open my Zelda capsule and got a green Link! The series is by Tomy and each capsule has one of the four Links from Four Swords games. The figures are pretty nice and articulated mini figures with the gimmick that where you turn Links head, his eyes look that way. He has a sword and shield as well. There's so much personality in this little guy. I also got a G.I.JOE Snowcat building block set. My favorite JOE vehicle.

We then went to Walmart where I picked up Legacy Bulkhead. Friday the Mrs had grabbed me a Legacy Arcee. Here's hoping this one came with everything after the last one didn't. Thursday I had picked up Legacy Skids after a doctors appointment. Just a good few days for Transformers! The Sandstorm and Nightprowler I pre-ordered should be arriving this week. I decided to take my chances with finding Buzzsaw at retail. So I hope my luck continues next weekend. 

We ordered from Johnny's Pizza for dinner. I enjoyed a salad and two slices of pizza. I had mapped out my sodium intake all day and somehow ate two giant slices of pizza within my daily allotment. The Mrs fell asleep on the couch soon after leading me to watching Voltes V. She woke up near the end. It's pretty funny watching her reactions to my shows. She still doesn't believe Masterforce is Transformers and couldn't believe the name of what I was watching was called Voltes V. She swears I made the name up and asked why Voltron was fighting the devil. 

Sunday was a relaxing day of watching Ghost Adventures, napping, and playing Kirby on my Switch. Mom came over for dinner and we were going to cook out. However a sudden rainstorm led to cooking on the Foreman grill instead. It was still delicious and next Sunday there's a Squishmallow event at Five Below to prepare for. Looks like I'll be bringing home some more Bakugan!

I'm watching Haunt TV and drinking a Melon Ramune as I write this. I like to have a bottle of Ramune on the weekend. It's a silly tradition, but a good one. I don't drink  alcohol anymore and always have liked Ramune. Somehow that weekend beer became a weekend Ramune and I think I like it better that way. Of all the millions of Ramune bottles I've tossed, I've never saved the marble. Wonder if I should start? Thank you for continuing to support Zone Base. I've got a fun week planned and as always I ask that you please share with your friends! 

It's a BotBotCon on Netflix

 

It may have seemed like the glory days of BotBots had passed, but this past weekend the new animated series debuted on Netflix. There's even more toys on the way! It's been a while since I've talked about these fun little bots and that's a shame! The new cartoon is pretty great. Focusing mainly on Burgertron and the Lost Bots having all sorts of adventures in the shopping mall that Botbots hail from. 

The law of the Botbots is not to be seen by humans and our main characters accidentally exposed themselves to the overnight security guard. The main characters then find themselves in adventures keeping other Botbots safe from him as well as trying to fit back into the normal society. Because now they're outcasts. If it wasn't obvious, the show is a comedy with no connections other than references to other Transformers series. 

While the cartoon doesn't adhere to the toy designs super hard, the toys are still the same with new members joining the ranks. A mixture of new and old molds, these new guys are pretty great. I'm really looking forward to the Pet Shop Tribe figures. Not just stopping at figures, there's vehicles on the way! It's super silly and fun to drive tiny robots around on a car made of pizza. It's also 100% perfect and I love it. I'm glad to see that Botbots haven't faded away. They're too great to not stick around!

Keeper Your Trapper Shut

A Trapper Keeper is a pretty great thing to have. If you're a student it's a great way to organize all of your subjects in one place. As an adult it's a great way to organize various paperwork related to your career or other important aspects of life.

Technically it's just a binder to hold portfolios and notebooks together. Speaking about daily life here on Planet Zone, it's a good way to keep track of checklists included with various blind bag figures. Tracking down BotBots? Keep a list right here, it's exhilarating to mark off that final one.

It's a great way to keep track of all those handmade notes and maps you made while playing Metroid last weekend. When it's time to refer back to them, there they are. Back to school stuff has been filtering into my local stores and with it opportunities to really step up your Trapper Keeper game. Like puppy stickers.

Transform Squadron 21- PVC

Listen Now!

This month Rob talks about various Star Wars things before marveling at the amount of Transformers he wants to buy. Podcasts are exciting things, huh?

Not Yet Fair

Toy Fair is this weekend. Which pretty much means an insane amount of toy news is going to be spewing out from every seam. Early looks and leaks from the days leading up help some, but there's just going to be a ton of news over the weekend. It's fun... and a little overwhelming. Like always, I plan to give my thoughts on some of the stuff. Thing is, this is a fan blog, not a news site. I'm enjoying the things I like with you here. We're enjoying things together. Not to mention, I generally don't post a lot over the weekend. So I figured it'd be a good idea to post my early thoughts here from those early leaks and leaks and follow up Monday with post con thoughts. Cool?

GIJOE Classified is actually happening. A new line in the partnership between Jazzwares and Hasbro is giving us new high quality 6" figures of classic characters. I am stoked. I love GIJOE and am really glad to see it come back. Jazzwares is on a roll lately, their Fortnight figures have been really impressive and they've even got a collector line for AEW Wrestling coming as well. I'm all up for getting these guys at my local stores and just ecstatic over them in general.

There is a ton of new Transformers coming this year. I've already talked about Earthrise, but more of it keeps pouring out as well as Cyberverse, BotBots, and Studio Series. As the owner of a site named after a Micromaster Base, I don't have to tell you how thrilled I am for even more Micromasters in Earthrise. I probably already have and probably will a million more times. The fact that most of the larger bots have a base mode and the Battlemasters have a third mode which is a base connector piece is just... Know when something you like is made even better? That, that's what's going on here. I like that. A whole freaking lot.

Masters Of The Universe has all sorts of cool stuff coming this year. This sneak peak image of the upcoming MOTU Orgins Sky Sled with Prince Adam is great. It's nice to see all the He-Man love from Mattel recently and I hope they keep it up.

The new Ghostbusters toys from Hasbro look amazing. Among all the cool stuff on the way, what I'm really excited for is the Fright Features figures and the Ghost Gushers toys. The Fright Features figures are modern day The Real Ghostbusters figures (speaking of) and there's not one thing I don't love about that. The Ghost Gushers are outright Maba Zombie style toys of classic Ghostbusters ghouls and I'm completely amazed at them for existing. Ghostbusters and slime go hand in hand, but this is legit awesome. I can't wait for the Maba tag to explode on Instagram this summer when these are released.

That's it for now. Like I said, I'll have a follow up post likely Monday with my post show thoughts. Also like I said, the glut of news can be overwhelming and I might miss a few things between the more shared news posts. It's a good thing I'm going to have a somewhat busy weekend, so I can spend time looking through news later after the end of reporting and not try to keep up with it as it seeps out. Good thing I don't pretend to be a reporter, I don't see how those who do can keep up with it all. It's exciting though, a lot of the stuff I really like is getting stuff I really like this year. Who could complain about that? Well, buttholes I guess...

Botbots Series 4 Stuffs!

In 2020, the new theme for the year is the Goldrush Games. BotBots tribes are competing in the Goldrush Games, a competition to see which tribes are the most mischievous! Winners win one of the shiny gold trophy bots from the Winner's Circle tribe! The mad dash to grab the gold is on!

The series 4 collector’s guide is now available to download from the updated BotBots brand page. This guide highlights gold bots from the Winner’s Circle tribe as well as other new tribes that will be available in 2020 such as…

·        Magic Tricksters – the tricky little tribe of bots from the magic store!

·        Movie Moguls – a band of movie buff bots from the movie theatre!

·        Science Alliance – mad scientist bots from the science store!

BotBots series 4 characters are now live on the Transformers website and the BotBots website!

Thanks to Rogers and Cowan for sharing this news with Zone Base readers.

Transform Squadron 16- Christmas Chaos

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This month: Rob talks King Kong vs Godzilla before gushing over the Ghostbusters Afterlife trailer. Then goes into the Christmas blind bag display by Hasbro at Kroger full of Transformers and Power Rangers!

Transform Squadron 15- Ugly Friend

LISTEN HERE

This month Rob discusses Godzilla turning 65, Madballs at Sonic restaurants, Transformers bag clip figures at Dollar Tree, and Botbots. Clearly life-changing material.

New Botbots and Cyberverse revealed at MCM London Comic Con 2019!

 

TRANSFORMERS BOTBOTS - Series 4 Gumball Machine Surprise Unboxing

(Ages 5 and Up/ Approx. Retail Price: $19.99 / Available: 01/01/2020)

Energon hit a shopping mall and the ordinary objects inside came to life as little converting Transformers robots, called BOTBOTS! Collectable BOTBOTS figures are around one inch tall and convert between two fun modes— a robot and a random object—in three to five easy steps! Now, BOTBOTS tribes are competing in the Goldrush Games, a competition to see which tribes are the most mischievous! Winners earn one of the shiny gold trophy bots, including the Gold Blender for nutritiously all-natural mischief and the Gold Popcorn for cinematic and epic 5-star mischief, from the Winner's Circle tribe! The mad dash to grab the gold is on!

 

This Gumball Machine surprise unboxing pack includes five BOTBOTS figures, one rare, gold BOTBOT figure, and four stickers. Pull the tab to vend the ten surprises inside one at a time! Look for other BOTBOTS assortments (Also available in blind bags, 5-packs, and 8-packs. Each sold separately. Subject to availability) to build a collection of BOTBOTS toys to discover, play with, trade, and share. There are 190 BOTBOTS to collect in 2020. Convert and see what bot you got! Available at most major toy retailers nationwide on 1/1/2020.

more pics and news follows the break!

Shake your Botbot at SDCC

Check out my photos from the BotBots display from #SDCC2019 and learn the fate of the Bakery Bytes and Lawn League! https://t.co/juA7RVkcOB #Transformers #toys #actionfigures pic.twitter.com/cEAk7fD5xe

— Benson Yee (@BWTF_Ben) July 19, 2019

I love, love, love the orange bubbles of Botbots season 3 packaging. Really excited for the new batch, but almost pooping my pants over the Seasons Greeters figs!

Here a bot, there a bot

I've been super duper enjoying buying BotBots since their release. It's hard not to, they meet so many of my wants in toys. Right now I've been focusing on series 2 bling packs. They're readily available at the Walmart I buy groceries at each week. I usually pull up the check list on my phone and pick out a few I want. I've been making a point to not get any that are also in multi packs and going in picking out specific ones each week. It's much more fun for me that way and keeps things interesting. I find myself focusing on the food based ones (Food Changables for life), though the other ones are super fun too. This weekend I got Songwave, whom is a 'smart home' device like an Alexa. He's a reworking of Pucksie and honestly a toy I like better than the first use.

Transform Squadron 9- Mega Mutating Mayhem

Click Here to Listen

On the May 2019 edition of the show, Rob talks Transformers, Beast Morphers, Godzilla, and so much more!

Oh my BotBot

News broke today of all the new and upcoming Botbots on the way and every single one of them is amazingly amazing. But that's not why we're here. Well, I guess it is, but there's one particular bit from the news as to my excitement. Other than all the other cool stuff... 

*sigh*

Know how I've been hoping for holiday BotBots? Well gosh dand and holy crap it happened. Just look at that. 

LOOK AT THAT.

 

If you don't Botbot, kiss a Buttbutt

It's been a minute since I've talked about Botbots here and that's a shame since I love them so. I've got a pack unopened in my toy room and plans to grab another pack or two this weekend. I've been sick all week, so having some fun with Botbots this weekend sounds like just the pick me up. I'd call this Botbottalk, but I recognize other sites.

These came along as I was pining for a return of Food Changeables and offered a spiritual follow up that built upon that idea. The thing is, these don't have to be a Transformers branded thing for me to enjoy them. A hamburger or a laptop that transforms into a robot as a small inexpensive toy is just the kind of thing I'd be all for. In fact, I kinda hope to see cheapo rip offs of Botbots eventually. I'd totally be down for hitting up multiple Family Dollars tracking down weird copycats. Everyone has made the Shopkins comparison, and since we're comparing I hope they do holiday themed sets like Shopkins does. My wife buys Shopkins and frankly I'm jealous of those holiday sets. They're really neat.

Everyone and their neighbors mama has wished for a McDonald's Happy Meal of Botbots. Part of me just wants to buy a cheeseburger and fries and drop a blind pack into the bag. That's how ridiculous I am for the idea, I'm planing to DIY a Happy Meal. Though thinking Happy Meals, they'd obviously be lower budget versions of the Botbots (which I'd be ok with) or maybe even odd figurines or odd gimmick toys (which I'd surprising also be ok with, I'd kind of like a pull back corn dog toy). Realistically, I'd be all for whatever fast food place that would do a Botbots meal, but deep inside I want to see that Food Changeables/Botbots cross over happen. It kinda has to.

I'm excited for the Japanese market to get these. I'd love to see Gatchapon versions or what kind of odd exclusives they'd get. Clear Botbots exclusive to some random release that I'd probably never be able to obtain? That would drive me crazy, but I'd love the possibility. You know, maybe they could actually make the Rockbots happen. Man, what kind of world would it be where a never produced toy concept from G1 was released decades later in a sub line with a cupcake vampire?

Micromasters at Maximum value

With a site named Zone Base, it's not much of stretch to explain that I kinda like Micromasters. In fact, as readers probably have noted, I kinda have a thing for smaller Transformers and maybe even smaller toys in general. I don't have a greater explanation for why I do, I just do. So obviously with Micromasters in stores again in the Siege toy line, I'm one happy camper. Though, I've been having a good time at camp the past few years with a multitude of smaller TF toys at retail on a steady basis. Legend/Legion/Speed/whatever, Titanmasters, Primemaster, Botbots are just a few examples of smaller Transformers on shelves in the past few years.

So,  Saturday I had to make a run to the Family Dollar. While I was there, I took notice of some Primemasters hanging on the hooks next to the odd Legion and Authentics figures they normally have on the shelves at such stores. That's then I took note of things. Most toy lines feature a discount store version. There was Marvel, TMNT, Star Wars, and a few others with lower end toys to sell at these lower end type stores. It's nothing new and in fact something I enjoy keeping up with. It occurred to me while I was standing there that since the Authentics figures seemed to land with a dull thud for the most part as a discount line, what if the lower priced 'Masters' figures of late would/could replace them as the discount line? I mean, realistically the price of a small Authentics figure is very close to the Primemasters hanging right next to them on the shelf.

The Legion molds that have been in use for years now have probably seen the end of their molds viability and while the Authentics were an attempt to replace them, they clearly didn't. I mean, I admit to enjoying them, but that's because I like oddball things. They were cheap toys, especially compared to the Legion figures they were right next too. That was probably a pretty hard sell. Or if you look at the other discount toys, hell... those are still pretty good quality looking toys. So I wonder, just like in the past with discount versions of TF being smaller inexpensive molds reused to death, what if they used the well received recent smaller toys. Titanmasters, Primemasters, Battlemasters, Micromasters, even the newer Speed Series all generally sell for around $5 at most stores. Ok, Micromasters are $10, but that's a two pack. Like the former discount store versions of Spy Changers, Mini-Cons, and Legions I could really see these priced similarly in reuse for years. Wacky repaints and odd name uses up the wazoo as well!

I'd wholeheartedly welcome that. In fact, I'd love that. That's just the precises kind of thing I'd go nuts over.

Botbots Pop Punk commercial

Profesor Wellread (Botbots)

A member of the Backpack Bunch Botbots group, Professor Wellread is a smarty pants book with a latch. With a few simple steps, he changes into his big head robot mode that's just exploding with personality. The bright blue plays well with the white making for a good looking toy. I really like his big head and small body. It's so silly and full of personality. A perfect example of the lines creativity.