Transformers Zone: part 1 Transformers Zone part 2
While I'm waiting for Transformers Animated to premier I decided to kill some time by looking back at Zone- yet another stand alone episode like Scramble City. This one was posted up on YouTube by the same guys that did the fandub for Scramble City, and even though they were put up a mere month apart, I have to say I like the voice work in this one more. Good job, guys! Getting better.
Okay, here's the quick 'n' dirty plot:
- The Decepticons (all 9 of them) have a new master: Violenjiger (Violent Jaguar?). He's sending his nine Decepticon gestalt general around the galaxy looking for the Autobots new Energon Z, or Zone energy.
- The Decepticons tear up one planet and endanger some kid named Kain. Victory Saber shows up just in time to save the kid, but gets all exloded when the entire planet is destroyed. Ouch.
- Aaaanyway, Kain and his flying rabbit sidekick are hanging out on Planet Zone with all the Autobots now and the rabbit, who I love by the way, is just hella' mad. He hates the purely technological planet and wants to see some flowers or something alive! Kain tells him to shut up. Nice, kid. Real nice. Man, I'd kill to see a Transformer with the flying rabbit for an alt mode. Hee hee!
OMG! The Decepticon generals are back! They're attacking the big city on Zone and OMG! The city can transform just like Scramble City! The similarities are astounding. The Autobots put up a fight, but ultimately get their butts kicked. The Decepticons grab a giant capsule of Zone energy and take off.
- Right about that time a couple other Autobots named Dai Atlus and Sonic Bomber drop in. They're about 50 times larger than all the other Autobots, so they must be the leaders. Oh, and they're carrying Victory Saber with them! He's alive!! Wait, he's alive? An entire planet exploding couldn't kill him. Cripes, man, what's it take to kill these things?? They're just machines; metal and circuits and whatever. Alright, so they throw Victory Saber in the med-bay and hook him up to some junk to keep him from dying. Then they run off after the Decepticons who are on their way to Earth.
- Zarak pops up briefly to cause them trouble on their way. Heyyy, looking sharp.
- They get to Earth and we get one long running battle with the highlight being when Sonic Bomber chases Devastator underground. Kind of a nice bit. Oh, forgot to mention; the Decepticons are after something called the Zodiac on Earth. Apparently combining the Zodiac with Zone energy will allow them to create an entire universe or maybe just a planet. It's not really clear.
Fight, fight, fight. Autobots get the Zodiac back and suddenly they're all super-powered. Sonic Bomber combines with Dai Atlus for a bit and they start mowing down gestalts left and right.
- While on Earth Kain and his rabbit meet another kid named Akira. They don't really do anything but hey- at least we have someone for the kids to relate to now. I guess. They're forgotten about for the rest of the show so it's not like introducing them was really necessary or anything.
Anyway, the Decepticons are beat down in the worst way and Violenjiger is stuck in space without anyone to talk to now. Awww.
The End!
Right away you'll notice that the old gestalts from
G1 are all being drawn really different here. I had to look twice a few times before I realized who some of them were. Menasor's looking sharp and Trypticon is just hilarious with his spiked club and rabid dog attitude. For the most part I think the new looks work. Pretty gutsy move redesigning them all like that. The Autobots are all background fodder. Really, the only ones you need to know are Victory Saber, Dai Atlus and Sonic Bomber. Who are all those other guys? Pfft! Who cares?
Also noteworthy- it sounds like the original music is all in place here. At least, that's what I'm guessing. Sounds much better than the fandub of Scramble City with the
TF:TM soundtrack rammed into it. I did notice that a lot of the mechanical sound effects used whenever someone transforms or something sound like they were lifted from RiD, but that's okay. It doesn't sound out of place here.
The animation is nice. It's not mind-blowing or anything, but it looks nice and fluid. Some real good effects in there and overall just more eye-pleasing.
There's not much story to speak of, but what little is there is still better than Scramble City's vacant, vapid, royal rumble. And hey, it has the distinction of being the very last
G1 cartoon ever made. If I had to rank it, I'd probably give it a C. Scramble City would be an F-.
