The Drop Zone was an arena hazard introduced in the UK and international series of Robot Wars filmed around 2002. Immobilised robots would be placed on a black square with a yellow cross and red border placed roughly in the centre of the arena, close to the Pit, where heavy objects including ovens, washing machines, ocean buoys and assortments of balls would be dropped on them.
History
Edit
The Drop Zone was first used in the second season of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, with the first robot to have an object dropped onto it being Unibite 2.0 in the Heat C Final. It was used in all UK and international series filmed thereafter; the first usage of the Drop Zone in the UK Series came in Series 6, where it dropped a washing machine on Robochicken in the first round of Heat B. A thunderclap sound effect was used in the Drop Zone's appearances in US Season 2, Nickelodeon Robot Wars and UK Series 7, which played whenever an object was dropped. The Drop Zone square was initially seen in UK Series 5 and the first series of Robot Wars Extreme, but did not serve any clear purpose at the time.
The last competitor to have an object dropped onto it was Hard in the first round of the Third World Championship, filmed and broadcast at the very end of Series 7. When Robot Wars returned in 2016, the Drop Zone did not feature as part of the new arena, and has effectively been retired as an arena hazard.
The objects used for the Drop Zone varied in between series; for Nickelodeon Robot Wars, less serious objects such as scrap metal and sports equipment were used in an effort to maintain the series' appeal to younger audiences. Meanwhile, at one point during the Grand Final of German Robot Wars, previously-defeated competitor Golem was used as an item after it withdrew prior to the Losers Melee for fifth place.
The Drop Zone was originally intended to have a button which competitors and House Robots could press to activate it, in a similar way to how the Pit and Disc of Doom were activated. However, this idea was not implemented.Citation?
InstancesEdit
Robochicken hit with a washing machine
Series 6Edit
Demolition Man gets a rubbish bin dropped on it
Panic Attack is hit with a washing machine, the only former UK champion ever to be put on the Drop Zone
Granny's Revenge 2 is flattened by an oven
A shower of balls lands on Major Tom
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat B, Round 1 | Robochicken | Washing machine | First instance of the hazard being used in the UK Series. |
| Heat F, Round 1 | Demolition Man | Rubbish bin | |
| Heat I, Heat Final | Panic Attack | Washing machine | The only former UK Champion to have an item dropped on it. |
| Heat K, Round 1 | Granny's Revenge 2 | Oven | |
| Heat L, Round 1 | Major Tom | Assortment of balls |
Extreme 2Edit
Niterider spikes the television sent by the Drop Zone
Mad Dog, after having balls dropped on it
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annihilator Round 4 | Major Tom | Oven | |
| Minor Meltdown, Round 1 | Saw Point | Assortment of car parts | |
| New Blood Heat A, Round 1 | Niterider | Television | Niterider's spike speared the television as it landed, which was eventually destroyed by Matilda. |
| New Blood Heat A, Round 2 | Maximus | Oven | |
| New Blood Heat B, Round 1 | RT81 | Oven | |
| New Blood Heat B, Round 2 | Hell's Teeth | Assortment of balls | |
| New Blood Heat C, Round 1 | Mad Dog | Assortment of balls | The balls missed their target. |
| New Blood Heat C, Final | ICU | Assortment of balls | |
| New Blood Heat D, Semi-Final | Fatal Traction | Assortment of car parts |
Series 7Edit
Tomahawk, badly damaged by the ocean buoy
Hammerhead 2 is pounded by railway track
A washing machine lands on Thermidor 2
The Drop Zone misses its targets in the All-Stars
Hard after having computer parts smashed onto it
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat C, Round 1 | Tomahawk | Ocean buoy | |
| Heat D, Round 1 | The Alien | Ocean buoy | |
| Heat G, Round 1 | Cygnus X-1 | Television | |
| Heat H, Round 2 | Scraptosaur | Ocean buoy | |
| Heat H, Round 2 | Revolution 3 | Television | |
| Heat J, Round 1 | Cobra & Pinser | Television | |
| Heat K, Round 2 | Hard | Oven | |
| Heat M, Round 1 | B.O.D. | Bowling balls | |
| Heat M, Round 2 | Mega Morg | Washing machine | |
| Heat N, Round 2 | R.O.C.S. | Washing machine | |
| Heat O, Round 2 | Hammerhead 2 | Railway track | |
| Heat O, Heat Final | Iron-Awe 2.1 | Oven | |
| Semi-Final 2, Round 1 | Thermidor 2 | Washing machine | |
| Featherweight Championship, Round 1 | Mammoth | Oven | Only non-heavyweight competitor to have an item dropped on it. |
| All-Stars, Round 1 | None | Washing machine | The washing machine was dropped in an attempt to stop the competitors' attacks on the House Robots. However, it did not hit any of the competitors. |
| Third World Championship, Battle 1 | Hard | Computer parts | Final time the Drop Zone was used. |
Dutch Series 2Edit
Two barrels fall onto Tough as Nails
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat A, Round 1 | Project Two: Hex'em | Oven | |
| Heat B, Round 1 | The Black Beast | Oven | |
| Heat C Round 1 | Slamtilt | Bowling balls | |
| Heat C, Round 2 | Flepser | Assortment of wheels | |
| Heat D, Round 1 | Tough as Nails | Two Barrels | Tough as Nails regained mobility, and pushed one of the barrels around the arena, eventually being pitted alongside it. |
| Heat E, Round 1 | Vortex Inducer | Oven | |
| Grand Final, Round 1 | Lizzard | Two Barrels |
Extreme Warriors Series 2Edit
Unibite 2.0 becomes the Drop Zone's first ever victim
A washing machine falls on a beaten Night Stalker
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat C, Heat Final | Unibite 2.0 | Washing machine | First-ever use of the Drop Zone in any series. |
| Robot Rebellion, Round 1 | Night Stalker | Washing machine | |
| Robot Rebellion, Final | Snookums | Organ |
Nickelodeon Robot WarsEdit
Joker has scrap metal dropped on it
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Championship Bonus Battle | Phantasm | Sports equipment | |
| Mayhem | Diskotek & Rigby | Assortment of balls | |
| Vengeance | Joker | Scrap metal | |
| House Robot Rebellion | Humdrum | Scrap metal |
German Robot WarsEdit
Golem as a Drop Zone item
| Battle | Robot | Object Dropped | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat A, Heat Final | Junkyard Queen | Spare parts | |
| Heat A, Heat Final | Golem | Assortment of balls | |
| Grand Final, Losers Melee | Junkyard Queen | Golem | Golem withdrew from the Losers Melee as it could not be repaired in time to fight; the Golem Crew allowed it to be used as an item. Golem largely missed its target. |
Appearances in MerchandiseEdit
Throughout its appearances in the show's original run, the Drop Zone was immortalised in various pieces of Robot Wars merchandise. An accessory for the Minibots Arena playset based on the hazard was released, consisting of a frustrum-shaped assembly and an assortment of miniature items - including cones, tyres, balls and a washing machine. The Drop Zone assembly could be clipped onto the outer edges of the Arena playset, and the available items attached to the top, allowing the items to be 'dropped' in a similar manner to the real-life hazard. The Drop Zone accessory was available as a stand-alone set (complete with all of the aforementioned items) and as a bundle with the Arena playset (with the balls only).
The Drop Zone is also seen in all versions of Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction, primarily as an active hazard in arenas based on the real-life Series 5-7 Arena:
- Robot Wars Arena/Extreme Destruction (GBA) (arena referred to in-game as the Studio)
- Robot Wars Arena/Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (PC/Xbox) (arena referred to in-game as the Robot Wars TV Studio)
In the Game Boy Advance version, it operates exclusively in 'Tournament' mode, and as in real-life drops objects onto defeated robots once they have been placed onto the square by a House Robot. The Drop Zone square also appears in the other fictional arenas available in the game, although the hazard itself remains inactive. In the PC and Xbox versions, items are dropped on mobile robots if they drive over and stay on the cross for a certain length of time. Additionally, multiple items can be dropped in one fight, including a washing machine, a safe, an anvil, a barrel which can explode if attacked, and a grand piano.
TriviaEdit
- Major Tom, Hard and Junkyard Queen were the only robots to be hit twice with a Drop Zone item.
- In Series 7, Zorro managed to escape the Drop Zone by driving away, having been dropped on the cross after being counted out.
- The Drop Zone was used in every episode of the Extreme Series 2 New Blood Championship except the Grand Final.
- The Drop Zone was used in every episode of Dutch Series 2.
- The barrels dropped in Dutch Series 2 were the same used in the Pinball Trial of Series 2.
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