Monday: Judgement Day

It's time to start another week of robots, monsters, and misadventure here on Zone Base! Thank you all for returning and supporting the site. I hope everyone had a great weekend, I sure did. Saturday... I didn't do a damn thing and it was marvelous. The Mrs and I watched TV and enjoyed some pizza. Sunday we went out for a little shopping and visited our local Target. Most of their Halloween goods were in stock and it was a lot of fun taking it in. No new toys i  stock for me, but that doesn't mean it was a wasted trip. I had grabbed 2 more Power Rangers/Godzilla crossover blind bags and they turned out to be both of the series chase figures! I've grown really fond of this series and might finally read the comic. What were the chase figures? Well, just remember I tend to be about a week ahead on toy posts here on the site. Please look forward to more on them soon! 

I ordered a special BeastBox purchase with plans to make another this weekend. There's alot of cool stuff they have and I just can't get enough. What did I order? Well, hopefully those toys will be here soon enough for a post within the coming days. Speaking of upcoming posts, I've been trying to figure out how to properly talk about Cyberworld Scorponok. I've had him for a few weeks and frankly am not equipped to do big toys. It'll take some brain storming, but I really want to cover all of the Cyberworld toys here on the site. I really like them!

Sunday evening, Mom came over for dinner as usual. The Mrs made a wonderful lasagna dinner and let me just talk about her lasagna for a second. She makes it with ravioli and it is amazing. I'll be happily taking leftovers to work for the next few days. We finished our rewatch of Stranger Things and now am all caught up for the new season starting on Thanksgiving. I'm excited, but maybe a little sad to see it end. Speaking of ending, the newest and allegedly last Conjuring movie was released this weekend. We had planned to go see it, but decided to wait for streaming. Hopefully it'll be good, I hate to see it end as well. I spent the rest of the evening building Blokees Transformers and enjoying some gummy candy. Well, as usual, I should get my day started. There's some household chores and toy pictures for upcoming posts to take. Zone Base is about enjoying my hobbies with all of you and I really appreciate everyone reading. I also really appreciate the uptick of traffic latley and still only ask that you share the site with your friends. We've got 2 months of Halloween to go and tons of robots, monsters, and misadventure coming. Mutual High Fives everyone!

Terminator (Mega Drive/Genesis)

The Terminator for the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis in 1992 by Virgin Games.

Lame Club

When I was in middle school, a few friends and I had a LCD handheld gaming circle going on. Before I go any further, I'll remind you of just how cool I am. That would be not at all, you've read this site before right? While they were far cheaper than a Gameboy (which we'd all get later), the little things were still just pricey enough to not get a new one often. Swapping them with each other over a weekend worked out pretty well.

I'll let you borrow my TMNT 2 this weekend if I can borrow your Double Dragon. Hey, I got Terminator if you wanna play it and I can play your Sonic. That sort of thing. Nobody wanted to play anybody else's Radio Shack games.

Of course as I noted just above, we all eventually got Gameboys and left LCD games behind. Lately I've been watching old commercials for these games. A little nostalgia kicking in mixed with appreciating the things that made them fun I guess. Ever have those moments when the world works in tandem with exactly what you were thinking? Weird huh? Hasbro announced plans to reissue several Tiger Handhelds soon. That's pretty dang cool. I'll definitely get the Transformers one. I don't think I ever saw it at any stores when it was initially out. I might get some of the others. Admittedly I'll be doing this for the novelty of getting them again more than anything else. I've certainly moved past the game play style they offered, but not past appreciating them.

Silius and the Journey there

Last week when Nintendo updated it's NES and SNES channels (no longer a monthly thing sadly) with new content, included was the excellent Journey to Silius by Sunsoft. Though, if you'll note in the promo video above from Sunsoft... they're not talking about Journey to Silius... they're talking Terminator. Well, as any Google search for Journey to Silius will tell you (before anything else), The Terminator game that Sunsoft was making BECAME Journey to Silius as the licensing deal fell through during the games development. A little work here and there and a new game was made instead.

Early Looks at the Terminator game in development

It's weird how these projects work out. A movie/game/whatever will start out intended as one thing and become something else by the time it's done. Back then, you probably wouldn't have known any better unless you'd seen something in a game magazine. At most maybe got some Terminator vibes when playing the game. Though after you learn, it's pretty obvious.

It's funny in hindsight. I've always loved games by Sunsoft. I love the Terminator, well the first two movies anyway. At the time I would have been absolutely insane for this. I liked the game at the time regardless, but man in those days leading up to Terminator 2's release when I don't think I even knew what Subway was other than that place by Kroger.

Needless to say, suddenly I was hooked on subs and the reusable cups that were available. You can bet your assets I would have probably had a few weekends of this game and Subway leading up to the movies release. Sure, there was Terminator games for the NES available, but not until after T2 came out and well...

That is bad ass

The Famicom version is called Rough World, which isn't the best name they could have came up with (it's a little rough hur hur). I don't think it was ever a huge hit. No follow ups that I know of, the most Wikipedia has is a mention of it being released on a compilation. Well, they mention another non-related game was also on the compilation in the grand tradition of wiki writers enjoying the sound of their own voice. It's a great game. Platforming, shooting lasers at robots, good music. Solid Sunsoft fare. Honestly it's probably due to releasing towards the end of the NES's lifespan more than anything.

Not as great

The game came out in 1990 and people were slowly moving towards 16 bit machines. Though really, if Sunsoft would have paid off game magazines, it would have been made a bigger deal (they were always based on advertising first). Or maybe if a spruced up port would have been on the Genesis or something. I dunno. If you've got the Switch online service, spend some time with the game. It's a good game that's got a weird history. But a good game still.

Genesis/Mega Drive Terminator French Edition

Whoa

Primal Clash

Lanard's new Primal Clash toy line is something special. Exclusive to Walmart here in the US and available as Jurassic Clash in other countries. The line serves as that mix of everything awesome that toy aisles have been needing for quite some time at a low price that is most welcome. I remember when the Jurassic Clash figures first started popping up online, I was ecstatic. I've long time been a fan of The Corps! action figure line as is. When Lanard started doing the Skull Island and Rampage toy lines, I was amazed. Here was this perfect synergy of monsters and soldiers, and the Kong from 2017 was almost every bodies toy of the year. Primal Clash takes that idea of man vs. monsters and adds that element of post apocalyptic sci fi that I love so much.

Lanard is following the same formula they did for prior monster lines, using a Corps! action figure and pairing it with a monster. For Primal Clash, they're using dinosaurs in a setting taking place in the future after mankind has brought back dinosaurs. The setting merges Terminator and Jurassic Park in a very well crafted and fun way (and all on the back of the toys package!) that seems like a lost game by SEGA. Like the prior lines, the figure isn't named, though I'm sure you could fairly use the Corps! incarnations name if you chose. This isn't really an issue, though I do wish there was a little variation in the deco (I'm sure that's a budgetary move). The dinosaurs are HEAVY. Solid pieces of plastic with no articulation (you will hardly notice), the dinosaurs are almost perfect little statues with great paint apps and full of character. The action figure is loaded with accessories that can be stored on the figure as well as the dinosaurs saddle features some sort of play feature (moving cannon, etc) with reigns the figure can hold while riding. There is a LOT of play value for not a lot of money.

With such a great and fun line, I can only wonder what Lanard has planned next. Part of me is hoping for mythological monsters or cryptids, maybe even more diabolical like demons and such. I'm also hoping more of the Jurassic Clash stuff finds it's way over here to Walmart shelves as it's hard not to want it all (and at the price, that's easily done). I've been finding myself imagining more possibilities within the line. It's hard not to get excited and just enjoy yourself with Primal Clash. Almost impossible, actually. Like a primal urge or something.

Terminator 2 3-D commercial

Guns N Roses- You Could Be Mine

I wish I could fully explain the impact Terminator 2 had on a young me, but I'll just leave it as that Terminator 2 deluxe make-up kit I got at Walmart made for one of the best Halloween costumes ever. Even though my Mom made me wear a horror robe with it.

Real talk: I didn't even like Guns N Roses until this song.

Mega Construx Heroes series 4

 

Just as I finally was able to track down series 3, series 4 should be arriving at my stores soon. I say should as series 2 and 3 took a bit of hunting. I've already seen online retailers pricing them around $16 each, which is a big nope as these things are generally $5-6 at standard retail. Though I am excited for them, or at least some of them. The big draw for me is the Masters of The Universe guys. I was a big fan of MOTU as a kid. The 2002 line didn't light much of a fire for me and while I think the current classics figures are super cool, mini figures like this is exactly what I want for updates of the characters. Though I'd really like to get the Super 7 ReAction versions, those are just neat.

The Terminator T-800 Endoskeleton is also a must have. He'll go with the other Terminator figures I've gotten quite nicely. As a Terminator fan, I'm mainly interested in parts 1-2 with T2 3D thrown in. The newer movies haven't grasped my interests as much as those two and these figures are really serving that specific want.  I may get Hellboy. Not sure about that one. I like the character, but have never been outright drawn to buy a toy of him. Kratos is cool, I've certainly enjoyed his games, but I'm not sure if I want a toy of him either. I wish I had any sort of enthusiasm for Assassins Creed, but I don't. It's clearly a popular series, but I've never been drawn to it.

I'm hoping with the timing of this series release, they'll be easy to find. Most online stores have them shipping in September, which makes a retail appearance realistically by October. I can see them in a stocking stuffer display at Target or Walmart and really hoping they aren't as challenging to find as series 2 and 3 was for me.

What the heck did I do this weekend?

 

Honestly, not a whole lot. Though it did seem like quite a bit. Perspective is everything I assume, and I was tired when I got home so I say a lot. After sleeping off my work night, the wife and I went out for a bit of shopping Saturday. Normally we order our groceries and schedule a pick up time, but this week we decided to physically shop for them. We do this occasionally just to see what all new might be in the store. We also wanted to get out for awhile to look for new Halloween stock and with the short week from labor Day, we didn't feel like doing our normal order list throughout the week.

Friday, the wife stopped at Kroger and found the remaining Mega Construx Heroes series 3 figures I had been needing. So far I had only found the T-1000 and was starting to feel a bit hopeless on it. I know that's some strong working, but I really didn't want to order figures that I should be easily able to find. Partially because the price gets jacked up and second the availability isn't always there. So if you're like me (and you're reading this, so presumably so) it's a bummer to miss out on stuff sometimes. I've been really enjoying this series, not buying everything... but close to it. Series 4 (post regarding it coming soon) has some good looking options in it, so I'm hoping it's easier to find.

Saturday when we went out to see what all Halloween stuff might be out and do that grocery thing I talked about above, we stopped by Target and they had restocked the Cyberverse toys so I snapped up the Scout Starscream and Megatron. I'm enjoying these Scout class dudes (as I've said before and before and maybe again before) and they're easy enough to collect. Though, it is a hard pill to swallow them being $8 considering a Legend was $10. Though, the toy economy is always changing and as I always say, you gotta pay if you want to play. I'm looking forward to the crazy recolors in the future. That's the kind of thing that really makes these smaller toys fun.

I had mentioned Zombot Friday night and found one right off the bat in the Hot Wheel section at the same Target. He was so under my nose this entire time that he was just right there on the hook as I walked up. Weird. I got the blue one, looked as hard as I could for the red version, but that wasn't in the cards (he's a chase item). I also grabbed this rad x-ray truck, it just looked too cool to pass up. We bought more Halloween candy than we should and a stop by Kroger to peruse their Halloween merch left to a new blow mold to go with out others and then a disappointing trip to Home Goods. Starting to think that store sucks.

This left us with a quick lunch and a few hours at Walmart for groceries and their awesome Halloween section where we once again bought too much (and made of list to get next weekend) stuff. Walmart had the Evil Red Ranger figure I've been looking for the past few weeks and for that I was happy. Aside from hoping to get the Bullrider Megazord sooner or later, that's probably it from Ninja Steel for me. Just one more stepping stone towards Beast Morphers! The Evil Red Ranger was pretty cool to me as I thought the Ranger clone army from the 25th special was really neat. Not to mention, I'm mainly a fan of MMPR first, so a evil version of the Tyranno Ranger is right in my wheelhouse. Right in it. Nothing but net.

I won't bore you with what we got for groceries (ok fine, we got bacon for Sunday breakfast) but we pretty much did that before going home. We tend to spend our Saturday nights at home watching spooky stuff and try our best to relax on Sundays. Just to get that recharge in before the work week. Oh, and Sunday night the first episode of Transform Squadron went up. That's the new podcast of Zone Base. Yep, that's it. I plan to have one at least once a month. Hopefully you all like it!

Terminator 2 3D Sadako edition

Part 1 (of 3)

Part 2 (of 3)

Part 3 (of 3)

Man, during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, nothing is off limits. In this video at the Japan park (I believe in 2015) they did a special Halloween version of Terminator 2 3D where Cyberdyne Systems got infected with the Ring virus. For those of you who've never seen Terminator 2 3D, it's a 4D attraction with actors walking in and out of the screen in addition to the 3D film with various effects. So that bit at the end when Sadako walks out of the screen and then scares everyone... she was literally in your face if you were there.

Talk about a jump scare warning.