Revision as of 22:14, 26 January 2018 by VulcansHowl(talk | contribs)(Reorganisation. Also noticed that the thunderclap sound effect was used in the US versions as well.)
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.
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 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 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 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?
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.
Trivia
In the PC/Xbox version of Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction, 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.
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 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 PinballTrial of Series 2.