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 (1998)
  • ID number: X-2
  • Accessories: Two cannons, missiles (x5), leaves (x7), play mat

Released exclusively with Beast Wars Diver, the Niagara Base is a playset of a plastic mountain. It has multiple tree plumes, two projectile-launching cannons and a Venus fly-trap (with a pressure panel that causes it to snap shut when pressed) that can be attached in various ports on the mountain. Also included with the playset is a plastic play mat with water and Earth terrain printed on it to place underneath the playset. An identical play mat was included with the Volcano Base playset.

The mountain itself has no molded water details or paint operations, but instead has a divot on top which is intended to be filled with actual water which collects in a molded basin at the bottom of the mountain, to emulate an actual waterfall.

• 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.