Niagara Base

[sic]

The Niagara Base (ナイアガラベース Naiagara Bēsu) is a Maximal outpost on Gaia, concealed behind a waterfall. The Yukikaze is marooned there and so the falls have been fortified by Diver with all manner of armaments and booby traps. Heavy cannons and a launching bay for the Tako Tank are hidden behind the falls, while giant Venus flytraps are scattered about the cliffs.

It's silly, but it works.

Toys

Beast Wars

• Diver & Niagara Base (Playset, 1998)

• ID number: X-2
• Release date: March ??, 1998
• Accessories: Large red missile launcher, small red cannon, missiles (x4), leaves (x4), Venus flytrap (four pieces, unassembled), play mat
• Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Released in the first wave of Takara's Beast Wars II toys, the Niagara Base is a gray plastic mountain playset with a light gray paint overspray and an absurdly small red and silver command center concealed behind a working waterfall. The set has multiple tree plumes, one dual barrel missile launcher, a smaller non-firing cannon, and a working Venus flytrap triggered via a pressure panel. Aside from the flytrap which has a single attachment point, the leaves and cannons can be mounted on various ports across the mountain or the hidden command center. Also included is a plastic play mat with water and terrain printed on it that goes underneath the playset to set the stage or just keep things dry; this is identical to the play mat included with the Volcano Base playset.

As its main selling point, the Niagara Base has no molded or painted water details. Instead, the base has a battery powered pump (using two C cell batteries) that draws water from a reservoir at the front after a switch is flipped on the left side of the playset. The water is pumped up to a small pool on top of the mountain until it overflows and refills the front reservoir, making for a pretty convincing infinite waterfall

This set came with Diver, who was exclusive to this set.

• More information on the Niagara Base (with Diver) at TFU.info

Notes

• The Niagara Base has long been rumored to be an unreleased toy from one of Takara's Microman lines. It bears a passing resemblance to the domed Microman Rescue Secret Base, though the scale is off even then. At the very least, it clearly wasn't designed with contemporary Transformers toys in mind, not even Basic-sized ones, as the base interior is designed around a much smaller scale of figure, made most obvious by the molded chair meant for a figure barely half Diver's size. Both cannons also feature 3mm handles Diver cannot use, as well as using curiously antiquated small "bullet" missiles that are more in line with original Diaclone figures than any contemporary Takara lines.
• Obviously, the Niagara Base is named after the real-world Niagara Falls. Though said falls are way, way, way bigger.