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Makuta_of_Oz

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  1. Makuta_of_Oz

    VICTORY!

    By Makuta_of_Oz,

    On Tuesday the 24th of November 2009, LEGO made the announcement that they would be ending Bionicle in the middle of 2010. Immediately, campaigns and petitions began to bring Bionicle back.
     
    On Saturday the 19th of March 2011, two BZPower members, Makuta_of_Oz and PAPER SPEAKERS WAT, got together to form a fan group and campaign dedicated to bringing back Bionicle, and as such the Bring Back Bionicle Club was born.
     
    On Thursday the 7th of July 2011, the Bring Back Bionicle Club gained its own website, complete with projects, news, and later on, games.
     
    And today, on Friday the 19th of September 2014, we have succeeded in our mission. LEGO has officially announced on Facebook and Twitter, the return of LEGO Bionicle.
     
    As the rumours suggested, the "big announcement" promised by LEGO was about Bionicle. It featured a teaser video of the mysterious golden mask featured in a leaked image, spinning atop a pedestal. It was also officially revealed that this mask is the Mask Of Creation, once worn by the legendary Artakha.
     
    Although we don't have any new information beyond this, it is highly likely that we may see Artakha in set form wearing the mask very soon. The revelation also points towards the likelihood of Bionicle's story being a continuation of the old story, rather than a total reboot, but this remains unconfirmed.
     
    You may be wondering now, where does this leave the Bring Back Bionicle Club now that it has achieved its mission? Well actually, our task is not yet done. In addition to bringing back Bionicle, we aim to keep it back for at least a year and a half. This would bridge the gap between Bionicle's end and the end of what was supposed to be its 10th anniversary. All branches will remain open, and reporting more news as it comes, until at least mid-2016.
     
    Now, feel free to discuss and celebrate this victory to your heart's content, and rejoice!
  2. Makuta_of_Oz

    Kolhii IRL

    By Makuta_of_Oz,

    Has anyone tried to make a Kolhii league irl? I may not be fit but I'd love to be part of such a sport.
     
    I'd do it myself but I'm Australian and there aren't enough Bionicle fans down here.
  3. Makuta_of_Oz
    First of all, I apologise for my long absence. I have found my irl calling and spent a lot of time pursuing it. Furthermore, I have been focusing more on Pokémon VGC.
     
    Second, I've started hearing a lot about Bionicle G3 today. Is that really a thing, even if just a rumour? If so, please do tell!
     
    In other news I do have a rough idea for a Gen 1 soft reboot set on Spherus Magna, which I could post somewhere at a later date.
  4. Makuta_of_Oz
    I'm sure a lot of older BZP members expected me to come back and crack it when Bionicle was announced to end AGAIN. I feel that now is as good a time as ever to let rip about what I really feel about the end result.
     
    When Bionicle came back last year as a hard reboot, I actually felt the Bring Back Bionicle Club FAILED in its mission. I don't know about the rest of you, but I was campaigning for a continuation/soft reboot, and opposed a hard reboot. A successful campaign in my eyes would've meant a continuation or soft reboot that lasted at least a year and a half. The hard reboot met that minimum threshold, but aside from Skrall-sized skeletons and a couple of legendary masks it was a flop from the start simply because it was a hard reboot.
     
    Naturally I'd love to see the original Bionicle come back, and I know it can be done because of how Greg Farshtey left the story, allowing for an easy soft reboot on Spherus Magna with little to no connections to the original story, but the short-lived hard reboot we got is making me lose faith that that will ever happen. Of course, I will still call for it every chance I get because that's just who I am, and I know the original Bionicle still has a lot of untapped potential, especially now that everyone has just moved to Spherus Magna. Starting a new story on Spherus Magna with the old canon would not only have attracted new fans, but also kept the old ones like me.
     
    That said, the Masks of Creation and Control were awesome, and so were the Skrall-sized skeletons of 2015, something else I had wanted to see. But that was it.
     
    Where does that leave the Bring Back Bionicle Club? Even I don't know. I got the year and a half of extra sets I sought even if the reboot was a disappointment, but I know the original Bionicle can do more, so there is still the option of firing it back up. Any other movement to bring back the original Bionicle will be supported eagerly.
  5. Makuta_of_Oz

    fishers64

    By Makuta_of_Oz,

    I know this is none of my business, but I'm curious.
     
    I follow fishers64 on Twitter, and have been loosely following events from his side. But what actually happened that caused his fight with authorities and what looks like a full ban from BZPower?
     
    You know you've been out of the loop for too long when...
  7. Makuta_of_Oz
    http://machop-fan.deviantart.com/art/Hau-wearing-a-Hau-612762681?ga_submit_new=10%253A1464875753
     
    Sorry, but as a Pokémon and Bionicle fan, I couldn't not do this after learning of the rival's name in Pokémon Sun and Moon.
  8. Makuta_of_Oz
    An age-old debate exists as to exactly how old Ash Ketchum of the Pokémon Anime is. I've been watching the first 11 and a half seasons of the Anime that I have on DVD, and observing events of the rest of the Anime from afar. This is what I found:

    The Pokémon Anime airs once a week, and has ever since it began. During the early stages, time was mentioned as having gone at the same rate as it does in real life. For example, in the episode The School Of Hard Knocks (episode 9, aired May 27 1997, nearly two months into the Anime, which started on April 1), Ash said that he had been travelling for "about two months". Later, at the beginning of the episode The Battle Of The Badge (episode 63, aired September 17 1998), Ash stated that a whole year had passed since he was last in Viridian City, proving that he was 11 years old at this point and not 10. Shortly afterwards, in the episode Showdown At The Poké-Corral (episode 65, aired September 30), Professor Oak said that the Pokémon League was exactly two months away. Nine episodes later (All Fired Up, aired December 10), the Pokémon League began, with battles starting in the following episode (Round One - Begin, aired December 17). The episode To Master The Onix-pected (episode 71, aired November 19) was said by the narrator to have been 3 weeks away from the Pokémon League, and it aired 3 episodes before All Fired Up, further backing up this claim. Time was shown to continue at the same rate in the Pokémon Chronicles episode The Blue Badge Of Courage (aired February 25 2003), when Misty, while introducing Sakura to Tracey, says that he had "been assisting Professor Oak the past few years", implying a few years had gone by between its airing and that of The Rivalry Revival (episode 116, aired October 7 1999), where Tracey officially became his assistant. These episodes were about three and a half years apart in real life, matching Misty's comment. The Anime's novelisations by Takeshi Shudo state that Ash was 10 years, 10 months and 10 days old, and that Trainers can get their first Pokémon the first April after their birthday (April 1 according to the Anime), making Ash's birthday May 22. Following the matching time patterns of he Anime and real life, it is safe to say Ash was born on May 22 1986, and that makes him 29 years old at time of writing.
    The first episode of the Black and White saga states that Ash is still 10 despite all this. This is a proven error and must be disregarded.
    Despite being 29, Ash is still shorter than, or the same size as, younger characters he meets. The simple explanation to this is that he is short by nature, which isn't that unusual at all.
    Ash has also proven to have issues regarding memory. In the episode Rocking The Virbank Gym! Part 1 (episode 740, aired June 14 2012), Ash didn't recognise Koffing, despite having faced one belonging to James in multiple episodes early in his journey between Pokémon Emergency (Episode 2, aired April 8 1997) and Dig Those Diglett (episode 31, aired October 28 1997). Later, in the episode Facing The Grand Design (episode 853, aired December 25 2014), Ash stated that he would love to meet a Pokémon from outer space, which he has done multiple times before, such as Solrock (Take The Lombre Home, episode 337, aired February 12 2004), Lunatone (Crazy As A Lunatone, episode 361, aired July 29 2004) and Deoxys (Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys Crisis! Part 1, episode 445, aired April 13 2006). He once even WENT into space and encountered Rayquaza (Where No Togepi Has Gone Before, episode 608, aired September 10 2009)! Yet as of Christmas 2014 he remembered none of the above!

    Feel free to critique my theories and point out any mistakes I may have made.
  9. Makuta_of_Oz
    I take back my entry about Pokémon ending. Actually it's going mobile! Pokémon GO takes the main series games we're familiar with onto the smart phone. Will it replace console games? I don't know. But it'll be interesting to see how the franchise will transform from here.
    In Pokémon GO, you search for Pokémon in the REAL world, not just in a game. This will encourage engagement in the local environment and community, which can only be good for the next generation(s) of children.
  10. Makuta_of_Oz
    Nintendo's doing a 'business announcement' about Pokémon in 2 and a quarter hours (3pm Japan time, 4pm Australian time). The last time something like this happened, LEGO got rid of Bionicle. Could the same thing happen to Pokémon? It might explain the lack of a main series game announcement prior to this year's World Championships.
  11. Makuta_of_Oz
    As I have stated multiple times before, I used to be a fan of Digimon back in the days of Digimon Adventure, but lost interest because they ended it and then gave the series a hard reboot, just like they did with Bionicle.
     
    Well I just heard news that, in honour of its 15th anniversary next year, Digimon Adventure is coming back!
     
    I know little about this new Digimon Adventure, but it appears it will be based around the original 8 Digidestined (including Kari), and be set 3 years after the events of Digimon Adventure 02 and the defeat of MaloMyotismon.
     
    I will definitely be looking into this, and my interest in Digimon may come back as a result.
     
    In addition, this development gives me hope for Bionicle Generation 1. If the creators of Digimon can bring back a continuation that had been amandoned for well over a decade, LEGO can do the same thing with Bionicle! Greg Farshtey has put it in the perfect position to be brought back in the future with a fresh new story on Spherus Magna, so who knows?
     
    inb4 "no, Bionicle Gen 1 is never coming back, you can't compare it to Digimon"
  13. Makuta_of_Oz

    GREEN Machop?

    By Makuta_of_Oz,

    I've heard rumours, and even seen a low-quality pic, of shiny Machop having changed from brown to green in ORAS. Has anyone else found a shiny Machop in ORAS and can prove if this true with higher-quality pics?
  15. Makuta_of_Oz
    As a pure genwunner who is against this idea of a 100% reboot, obviously I yearn for more Gen 1 elements in Gen 2 Bionicle. But what's to say it won't happen?
     
    LEGO stated in their meeting in BZPower's video that they wanted to dumb down the names so younger fans can more easily understand, meaning species like Matoran, Skakdi, Vortixx and Skrall are no more. But there are a few elements of Gen 1 that can still work despite this:
     
    Dark Hunters
     
    The ultimate example of Gen 1 elements that can transition seamlessly into Gen 2 are the Dark Hunters. The name "Dark Hunters" is perfect for the new naming system used in Gen 2 Bionicle, the name "The Shadowed One" is both mysterious and fitting for Gen 2, and nearly all Dark Hunters have English code names (though there's no way we'll see Gen 1 characters that don't, such as Triglax and Lariska).
     
    When I was hoping for a continuation, I argued that The Shadowed One would be the perfect new main villain because of his hidden name, and his organisation, and I can see both returning in Gen 2 Bionicle as alternate villains. Bionicle has had alternate villains before and lasted 9 years doing so (Dark Hunters, Barraki, Skrall), and other successful franchises had multiple main villains (eg. Batman had the Joker and the Riddler, and Spiderman had Goblin and Doc Oc), so why not do it again now?
     
    Great Beings
     
    The Great Beings could be deities or demigods (or even Gods) in Gen 2 Bionicle. In fact I feel Ekimu and Makuta could be Great Beings. Okay, so Gen 1 Great Beings can't wear masks, but what's stopping Gen 2 Great Beings (if they exist) from being able to do so? Remember, this is a reboot, so LEGO can easily redesign the Great Beings as they see fit.
     
    Great Spirits
     
    Again with the idea of redesigning past elements, Gen 2 Bionicle could have Gods known as Great Spirits who could be worshipped as Mata Nui was (and be actual spirits rather than 40,000,000' tall robots).
  16. Makuta_of_Oz
    Having seen what little I can from NYCC (being unable to go because I'm Australian and being limited in what I can see because I was at TAFE all day today), I have formed more of an opinion and verdict of Bionicle 2015. Obviously there's a lot I still don't know, but this is what I can make of Bionicle 2015 thus far:
     
    Toa
    Gali, Onua (or Onya according to the website), Lewa, Tahu, Pohatu and Kopaka have been confirmed to still be Toa. However, Lewa seems to have control over both air AND plant life, which I find quite confusing. It is stated that they "crashed" on the island of Otoko, implying that they hail from elsewhere, providing evidence there will soon be exploration of more of the world no matter what world or canon this is.
     
    Kopaka continues to remind me of myself, but now in a different way. Something about him being clumsy!?
     
     
    Defenders
    I still know nothing about these "Defenders" except that they are native to Otoko. What they are, what they do, whether I consider them worth buying, I still don't know.
     
     
    Makuta and Ekimu
    The presence of a character with the name "Makuta" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a 100% reboot, with NO connections to the 2001-2011 story or canon, and honestly I am disappointed. I lost interest in Digimon because they rebooted it (and they keep rebooting the story over and over and over again), and I fear I may lose interest in Bionicle for the same reason.
     
    The only legitimate reason ANY form of continuation would have another "Makuta" is if this Makuta is a Great Being, and the species was named after him. But can Great Beings wear and use masks? Probably not.
     
    If these two became sets (and they probably will next semester, begging the question of what the other three large sets will be), I would love to see a combiner model for them, especially if said combiner was Artakha (which won't happen because it's a reboot, but it's a nice thought).
     
     
    Clear Hau
    Two words: JERBRAZ CONFIRMED!!!
     
    Okay I kid because of the reboot thing but that's the first thing that comes to mind when I see a clear mask.
     
     
     
    All are welcome to criticise and prove me wrong (providing actual PROOF if they do so), as long as you are gentle.
  17. Makuta_of_Oz

    What next?

    By Makuta_of_Oz,

    "The hunter is nothing without the hunted."
     
    With the campaign to bring back Bionicle just about over, one would think that an addict like me would be all but lost in what do do with my life other than just buying Bionicle sets like anyone else.
     
    Actually, my campaign will continue, albeit much quieter. My aim now will be to keep Bionicle back until at least mid-2016, which would see Bionicle back for a year and a half, bridging the gap between its initial ending in 2010 and the end of its 10th anniversary in 2011.
     
    In addition, I have other goals I can now fully focus on: (However these may be considered political; I will understand if the admins wish to remove the second half of this entry)
     
    While other Bionicle fans turned to My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, I rediscovered my childhood love of trains, and that reshaped my future. I've even gone as far as to design a brand new railway line for my local area. Although said railway line started out as a personal project, I've gone as far as to propose it to the powers that be in hopes of making it a reality, because I realise it can work VERY well!
     
    Unfortunately, those same powers that be would rather build roads than railway lines, and I've become one of many people in my state fighting them in order to stop a particularly expensive road and have its money spent on railway lines statewide.
     
    In addition, I need a job. I've been job-seeking for a year now, and with a looming jobs crisis (especially in my age group), I am a VERY long way from getting one, and there's also the chance that I may NEVER get a job! I am hoping to use the aforementioned railway line design as a portfolio in order to get a job as a transport planner, and the proposal as a way to sell myself and my natural creative skills.
     
    So despite Bionicle coming back, I am still very busy. Its return simply means I now have more time to focus on my other goal(s).
  18. Makuta_of_Oz
    ...I realise that even if Bionicle does come back, I'll still have a sig.
     
    Obviously most of my sig is made up of Bring Back Bionicle propaganda, but there is also that baterra pitch for LEGO Ideas which I can keep after LEGO's announcement.
     
    Speaking of said announcement, when is the New York Comic Con? Rumour has it they'll make the announcement AND reveal the sets at that event.
  19. Makuta_of_Oz
    ...and watch every Bionicle fansite on the Internet, including my own, go into meltdown.
     
    I've gained a keen interest in watching other people's natural reactions to events of all sorts, which I think stemmed from my interest in Teridax. But now I'm watching everyone's excitement over Bionicle returning.
     
    BTW, although I know Bionicle's coming back thanks to other anonymous sources, I still await an official announcement from LEGO before I declare my Bring Back Bionicle campaign won.
  20. Makuta_of_Oz

    I apologise

    By Makuta_of_Oz,

    In my last entry, I updated the issue of thieves attacking LEGO fans by stealing LEGO sets in Australia's east, and I'll admit I got a bit hostile writing it.
     
    My negativity ended up polluting the sanctuary (as Nokama would put it), because a fight broke out and the boss had to shut the entry down.
     
    I would like to apologise for my rant, and for my short-sightedness. As of late, I have been fighting my own country's Government, and that has resulted in an unusually short fuse. The sad part, though, is that I'm used to seeing fights such that occurred last night amongst Australia's rail community; I just never thought I'd live to see the day it would happen on BZPower.
     
    If I had kept my temper under control, it would not have rubbed off on my fellow BZPers, and this fight would never have happened. So I take responsibility for my own actions, and apologise.
  21. Makuta_of_Oz
    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/06/12/10/22/thieves-robbing-toy-stores-for-lego
     
    The thieves reported on in my previous entry remain on the run. They have now robbed 5 stores in NSW and Victoria. It is plain obvious they hate LEGO and its fans with these constant attacks on US, and they MUST be stopped IMMEDIATELY.
  22. Makuta_of_Oz
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-03/thieves-steal-15000-dollars-in-lego-from-victorian-toy-store/5495608
     
    A toy store in Seymour, a country town north of Melbourne, has been robbed twice by an organised crime gang. Among the stolen property were LEGO TECHNIC and LEGO City sets. The thieves removed the glass panel from the front door to gain entry, and in the first attack, removed the hard drive from the store's CCTV camera, stealing the evidence of their attack.
  23. Makuta_of_Oz
    It is with great sorrow that we must inform you that one of our members, known simply as "Dat Toa Nuparu", has sadly passed away.
     
    Dat Toa Nuparu was involved in a car accident that left him concussed and with a broken arm. He was rushed to hospital but died a short time later. He was only 17.
     
    Rest In Peace, brother. May your soul finally find comfort.
  25. Makuta_of_Oz
    Yesterday, I finally got the chance to attend a Pokémon Video Game National Championships, something I've been dreaming of ever since the series started in 2009! The event was held in Victoria, Australia, at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
     
    I had been working until late the night before to get my team ready. However, one of my Pokémon was below level 50, and when I arrived at the tournament, I discovered that all Pokémon below level 50 would NOT get scaled up like every other Pokémon! So I ended up spending a frantic half-hour levelling it up before I could register!
     
    At last, I entered: just another one out of a total of 180 entrants, the equal biggest tournament I've entered!
     
    My first round was displayed on the big screen, which was an honour. Using the same rain wind team I've been using for a while (albeit modified and improved), I was able to take out my opponent 4-0. My opponent ended up making quite a few rookie mistakes, such as using Will-o-Wisp to burn my Politoed when my physical-attacking Toxicroak was also in play, and then using Hydro Pump on Toxicroak, healing it because of Dry Skin!
     
    My second round match went almost as well --- another 4-0 victory. I forget most details of that match, but I do remember my opponent at one point tried a Waterfall attack, which was absorbed by my Gastrodon's Storm Drain, adding to the power it was already receiving from Politoed's Surf. After my unbeaten run thus far, I was proud of at least getting past round 2, a round I have a bad habit of losing. But I tried not to get cocky: last time I went to round 3 without loss, I lost my 3rd round match.
     
    My third round match came before too long. Again I forgot most of what happened, but I do remember I finally lost one of my Pokémon (I can't even remember which it was). In the end it was a convincing 3-0 win.
     
    In round 4, I was once again on the big screen. I faced what looked to be a hail room team. Deciding on my team proved difficult: I ended up changing my team at the last second. I led with Politoed and Toxicroak, while my opponent led with Abomasnow and Eelektross. During the first turn, Toxicroak Faked Out Abomasnow, while Eelektross used a surprisingly underpowered Discharge, which, even with a critical hit (softened by a Wacan Berry though), did less than 50% damage. Surf in turn did less, leading me to believe it was bulky. Next turn, Toxicroak KO'd Abomasnow with Drain Punch, and was then KO'd by Eelektross' Acrobatics. Next turn, I sent out Scizor, and the opponent sent out Amoongus. Panicking (I hate fighting Amoongus), I took the risk of double-attacking it. Scizor was able to OHKO it with Acrobatics, and Politoed's Ice Beam finished off Eelektross, leaving me on the right side of a 3-1 advantage. With a little difficulty and the loss of my Politoed I ended up winning once again. By now I was VERY proud of how I was going!
     
    Immediately after the match, I was called aside for an interview by representatives from Nintendo Australia! I agreed, but was very nervous, having never been interviewed before. I explained my mindset going into the tournament, and how I had been going, as well as what I knew about how others battle. The interview should be on Nintendo Australia's website within a week, hopefully.
     
    At last, the top 8 round began. I decided not to use Politoed in this match… a decision I regretted. Without Politoed's rain (or that of my opponent, who also had Politoed but didn't use it), my Tornadus' Hurricane never hit the opposing Breloom when I wanted it to, and paralysis from Liepard's Thunder Wave only made things worse. In the end I was defeated 2-0. The guy who beat me went on to become one of our two representatives at the World Championships in Vancouver!
     
    Despite my defeat, and my falling agonisingly short of battling for a spot in Worlds (I'm still haunted by the thought of what would've happened had I used Politoed in that match), I still had a great day, and learned a lot about my team (like how much it depends on Politoed to work). Hopefully I'll be inspired enough to take my knowledge and skills into the next generation next year! Best of luck and fortune to our representatives in Vancouver this August!
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