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Lookie here, a real set review. With pictures too! Pictures, as in plural. Amazing, I can use a camera. And type. And look at plastic Lego figures... Oh, yeah, the review. (Titled too, just in case you didn't realize who I was talking about or who is doing this review) First off, the journey to get Tanma. Today, I visited my third Lego store... the one in Washington. Yeah, the store's not actually in Seattle, but neither am I, and the bus system around here is good enough, as long as you have your university bus pass. Anyway, I didn't buy Tanma there... but I did go there. They had all the Phantoka Toa, Makuta, and Matoran on display. But the shelves were less well stocked. The sets I was looking for were Lewa, Tanma, and maybe Mutron and Vican. Well, Lewa was sold out (as well as Antroz... green and red do well), only the evil Matoran were available (and in small numbers anyway) and, despite saying they carry special edition sets on their webpage, this store does not have Mutron. He's a cool set, but I don't want to get him through WalMart or Shop@Home, so the Lego store was my only bet. Anyway, because I had to do further shopping, I went to a Fred Meyers, which not only had Tanma (there was only one of him, though, and no Lewa) but also had all Lego sets on 20% off. (Woo Hoo!) So, presto, five dollars and a thirty minute bus ride later, I have Tanma ready to build. (This one with the flash actually on! Yeah, it does bring out more detail) First off, Tanma is large. I'll expand (ha ha, pun) on that later. Articulation isn't a strong suit of his. The prebent arms and legs can make some of his positions awkward. I know, most Matoran since the... well, 03 Matoran... have had those 90 degree prebent arms, but the increase in length on these makes it more noticeable. The new head works swell for articulation... except when Tanma bends his head back to look straight up, and then the back of his mask hits his jetpack. Oops. In articulation, he does not beat the amazing Voya-Nui Matoran in my book (well, I think they have the same # of points of articulation, but the length in Tanma makes him more unusual and not as proportionate as some of the Voya-Nui Matoran). Then again, he does beat out the Mahri-Nui Matoran, so gotta give him credit there. Another thing on possibility... the new joints are very sturdy, and look like they should last longer. Although if Tanma's new joints will survive the curse of the fragile lime green remains to be seen. Okay, onto the pieces. As I mentioned, the legs and arms are new and different. The arms remind me of the Throwbot limbs of yesteryear (which are coming back with some of the Mistika, I believe). They're more decked out with pin and rod holes, plus the alternate ball and socket endings. I foresee set incorporations with these. The legs are a very interesting new design, but when stood up straight, the foot connector is a space back from the hip connector, so if you want to stand him up straight, he looks odd. Thus, you have to slant the legs forward a bit to make him look better. The legs have fair potential in sets, with a good collection of connection holes. But still... they won't work with the bendy knees of current canister sets, and they're a bit too big for the smaller MOCs, so I can't quite yet see how I'd incorporate them into a MOC (not that I've truly MOCed since the summer). Moving on, you have the new body piece. Uh, okay, that is kinda new for Lego. It has potential, that's for sure, but a custom like that of the Mahri-Nui Matoran is never a bad thing. Without the jetpack, the back of the body looks kind of empty, but the front looks great. It may be following a trend towards single piece bodies again, but I can see uses in the MOCi9ng world. Hey, just as long as these aren't the bodies for all small sets for the next five years, it should be okay. Then, on the back of the body is the jetpack. Personally, I think it's a useless piece. Sure, it does have the slight image of a booster pack, but I think that's because I know what it's suppose to be. Otherwise, it looks like Tanma is carrying a strange looking backpack that pens up at the bottom so everything falls out. Thoroughly useless piece, as there are no real ways to connect to the bulk of the piece. It fills out his back, but I think Lego could've done better. (How, I don't know, I just think it could be better.) OMG, a new mask for a small set! That hasn't happened since, like... the Turaga! (By new mask, I mean new design, of course) From the front, it sort of resembles Lewa Pantoka's new mask, as well as a bit of the Kaukau Nuva. However, from the side it looks more like a Kiril with a horn (see pict below.) The head is awesome. I've been asking Lego (well, not really, it's more like hoping for) to make a small set's head pose-able and with translucent eyes. They did it this time, and the head it awesome. It's very similar to a Metru head in shape, although I think the face resembles more of the old Mata heads. And there is a connection rod on the back of the skull too... for whatever you'd want to put there. I see lots of potential for using this in the future. Now, the packaging... (The Makuta will never think to look for me here) I saw the pictures... I knew the new boxes were different. They have those silly plastic tops and bottoms, with a strap holding them together. And they're big too. Maybe not as wide as the Mahri-Nui Matoran, but just as tall and with greater depth. On, and tough plastic. Now, what surprised me was that there is no cardboard box... just cardboard sides in between the two plastic pieces. This is certainly new, unique, and big enough that Tanma can almost fit back inside like the canister sets of... well, back when canister sets could fit into their canisters. However, if this is the most cost efficient method of boxing sets is different... if plastic is so costly nowadays due to oil prices, then why stick more of the stuff on the top of the box? They're nice pieces, but since their not set compatible, I'll only want to keep them if I want to keep the entire box as it is. Well, yes, it seems like this one will weather more than previous boxes, but do I really need to store a small set when I can just throw it into a tub of other lego pieces and leave it there until my net MOC run. Hmm. Oh, and more complaining on the issue of size. (Pohatu: How am I ever going to get big enough to carry you? Tanma: Eat a healthy diet of carrots and prunes. And maybe some energized protodermis and adaptive armor.) Did I say I disliked the Mahri-Nui Matoran because they were almost as big as the Toa Mata? Well, I stand corrected... these new Avi-Matoran are as big or bigger than the Mata! In a fight between the two of them, I'd say Tanma would win (although, of course, sheer size isn't always everything, but still!) Tanma's legs are longer than Pohatu's, as are his arms, and his swords are about as long as Kopaka and Tahu's weapons (well, they were Lewa Nuva's first). It's just... I dunno, crazy that the small sets of today can shadow the canister sets of last year. (And although I don't have it with me, I bet Tanma can also come up to a Tarakava's chin, and those were expensive sets too!) Sure, Tanma can attach to the back of the Phantoka, but with a few piece additions, you could easily fit a McToran or Turaga to the back of. These Avi-Matoran don't need to wish to be Toa; just go back seven years and to Mata-Nui, and they would be mistaken for Toa like that. (And worst, the number of pieces Tanma has is about that of the gear assembly of the Toa Mata.) I think this size increase is rather crazy, but the toyline needs to move on and not always make stuff exactly like that of years long past. Anyway, Tanma's size increase (and price increase) will also mean that he'll get more storyline time than other smaller sets of the past... because it'll be more worth it for Lego to advertise him as he'll bring in more profit than, say, a Turaga did. (Or maybe a better comparison would be Dekar, as the economies of 07 and 08 are probably more similar than 08 and 01) Overall, was Tanma worth it? Well, kinda. Good mask and head, okay limbs, blah body and ehk jetpack. Too massive for a small set, but piece wise it isn't too bad. Not worth all the money, though. I think I'll hold off on getting other Matoran this year, unless I can snag Vican, who looks cool and has the whole shadow Matoran design. But if you want to spend your money on better sets, you should probably look at the canisters first. (Is that long enough for you? I know y fingers are sore now... how are your eyes? Need glasses yet? Well, you will.)
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Here are some of my first thoughts on the summer sets. Take 'em or leave 'em, and they're bound to change, but here they are. Toa Nuva Tahu: Well, he's not the old Nuva, or the old Mata, but he's not too bad. The build isn't terrible, and the worst part about it is simply that it's been seen before. The rotating blade looks really cool, and the mask, while not resembling any form of a Hau, isn't too bad. The rockets don't look too bad on him either... you know, red works with red. For once, I might consider buying a red set first. Gali: Yeah, they butchered her, but after Hahli, I wasn't expecting too much. The overall design isn't too bad, and the armor looks neat. But this seems more like a remake of Vezok, not Gali. Cool, but not entirely what I would want. Onua: Well, what can I say here? No purple... not that I should've expected any, but I was hopeful. The body looks basic... there may be a few cool pieces of armor or weaponry included, as well as another laser scope. The mask reminds me more of Whenua Hordika's face... which isn't a bad thing. Not too bad for Onua, but he could've been beefed up more like Pohatu. Makuta Gorast (Green): Creepy, but not incredible. Nice color scheme, but it's something we've already seen in Mutron. Nice claws, and six arms/legs, but the limb pieces don't appeal to me, even if they do work on the Matoran. Kinda a lame excuse of recycling pieces. The mask is cool, and somehow reminds me of Movie Dume. Wings look cool (if those are his wings) but the horrid gray body piece totally throws the entire set. Bah. Bitil (Orange): Orange and black go well with this guy. But again, six legs, only this time better limb pieces than his green comrade. Is that... I think we see Throwbot limbs for the first time since... well, Pohatu Nuva (although there might've been some in other sets since then) He comes with lots of spikes, weapons, and he has a cool pincher-like mask. And did I mention orange and black work? (Even if it's keetongu yellow, black is better than grey any day) Not great, but not bad. Krika (White): Something about this dude (or dudette, as may be the case) just intrigues me. Same basic design as Vultron, as he has no real legs. But the huge white staffs... The red and white I'm not too fond off... part of the reason I blew off Pirdak. But black and white works wonders, and throwing in a little red can't hurt. Plus that mask / face is just awesome! And another Throwbot arm. I'll seriously consider buying this one when it comes around. A side note on the Toa and Makuta... $12.99? Great, a price increase. (that was sarcastic, BTW) I wonder if they're that big and filled with plastic, or if Lego is just boosting up prices because of oil for the summer sets, while they held back for the winter sets. Hmm. Takanuva: Well, I miss the gold, but it's been a while since we've seen that much white on a Titan. The mask looks similiar to his old version, but his bulked up body doesn't. Despite this, it looks like a nice design for a Titan, so I think Lgo will probably make a nice profit off of him. For me, I'm going to have to hold back due to the fact that I can't buy everything I want anymore. Vehicles]/b]: I haven't looked too much at them yet, but let me give you my overall thoughts on purchasing them: NO! They look big and have some features, but they also appear to have replicas of Pohatu, Lewa, Tahu, and Radiak driving them. Well, if I was looking for a bunch of big silvery pieces and such, maybe, but they are waaaaay overpriced for me. I hope they do well for Lego, and bring in a new form of play. But, like the playsets, while I like them, I will not be buying them. (Can't wait to see the BZP reviews on the, though. ) Thus, I'll probably get Tahu and Kirka, then maybe Bitil and Onua, and Gali and Gorast if I can find a good deal on them (like a Buy 1 Get 2 Free). The Titan and Vehicles... nope.
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My first 08 set. And he's the second remake of my third Bionicle set I ever bought. How does he compare? Well, Pohatu olda just rocks all Toa of Stone, and that's final. Hewkii looks good without the brown, but Pohatu Phantoka cannot replace good old upside-down Pohatu. (Pohatu Nuva, yeah, he can replace him in a jiffy). First, a quick note on the packaging. We're getting back to canisters again, baby! Woo Hoo! Sure, it's not a traditional canister, especially with the useless array of orange plastic on the front. But it's a solid plastic container than can be reused and has a somewhat sturdy plastic top... not as good as the Inika's, but it'll hold. In total size, it's about as big as the Inika canisters, but unlike the Mahri, the plastic covering does not have any special effects for the set. In fact, it's also a hassle for storing, so I might toss it. A shame, because that orange stuff is good plastic. I wonder if it'll recycle. Onto the set... the build is pretty basic. Apparently he's a copy of Kongu Mahri's body... well, it fits a stone Toa, not an air Toa, that's for sure. I kinda like it, really... a new design. The legs are blah... been there, done that; maybe not in that exact combo, but I get the idea. The arms are really nice, though... certainly unique, and give him the look of a buff Toa. The head has green eyes, again copying those of Kongu Mahri. I dunno about the short eyes... they save space but do they glow as well? I haven't had enough time to really form an opinion of them. Pohatu's new weapons are a step up from his Kodan claws. While the claws were interesting, this seem much more formidable. I like the function to make them spin. However, they don't have a snap function; I was under the impression that if you pulled back on the rod that you used to spin them, they'd snap shut. But, nope, the set isn't that complicated. They snap as well as Carapar's claws do... aka, you must do it manually. However, they easily fold out to form helicopter blades, and that's what he needs mostly. For the Toa Phantoka so far, I think Pohatu's weapons top Kopaka's small eyescope piece and Lewa's curvy sword. Now the Midak blaster, or whatever it's called. Yep, zamor revisited. Somehow, that doesn't bug me. Squids and cordak were not able to replace the coolness of the zamor, but those things always fell out of their launchers. This new launcher fixes that, with a simply design that's very effective. I applaud whoever created it, as they have perfected zamors once and for all. I'd like to see them top this. On the up side too, is the fact that the new ammo is actually zamor sized, so I can use my collection of zamor spheres I got from the Inika and Piraka to colorfy Pohatu's launcher... like with a deep orange zamor I got as a discolored piece from Dekar. Pohatu's positioning of his blaster is also cool, because it's able to swing back over he shoulder with ease. Sure, it's a little bulky, but it has a lot of connection rods, so there's more MOC capability with this than, say, a squid launcher. (Can those even be used in MOCs?) Now, the mask. Indeed, it does appear to be part Kakama, and part Vahi. I think the fan name for it should be a combo of those two names, like "Ka-hi". Of course, you could go the other way around and call it a "Va-kama" but that word sounds oddly familiar. Anyway, it's okay for a mask, not nearly as bad as when I first saw the promotional picture for it. But here's a genius idea that would've made the color scheme flow better; make that darn head cover trans orange instead of trans blue. Then, although it isn't apart of the mask, it doesn't starkly contrast with it. Hello, was somebody color blind when they picked that out? As for Pohatu being orange instead of brown... well... it takes away some of his originality, but we should be used to that after Hewkii. The orange really stands out from the bley grey, much better than the keetongu-yellow would, in my opinion. Yes, I would've included more orange pieces on him as a whole... an orange chest piece would make him flow really well. I tried fitting the orange piece used on Jaller Mahri's chest to even him out, but it doesn't fit by just a tiny bit!! Uh, sooo close. Oh well, maybe the orange Makuta will look better. I can't tell if Pohatu is the coolest of the Phantoka so far... I thing I'll buy the others regardless, but I'm going to wait for a sale of some sort, so that may mean I won't get them for a few more months. Big deal... I kinda want to collect them just to say I have all of the Mata / Nuva / Phantoka characters. I'm looking at only one Makuta, though. But is Pohatu worth the $10? I suppose so... his upper body is certainly something new for you to play around with. And he's even better if you get somebody else to pay for him... unfortunately, I used my own cash, stuff which I should be saving for when I'm back at school and wanting to buy food. Oh well, Pohatu Phantoka = Good. Send me free samples of the other Phantoka and I'll review them too.
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"Those men are trying to kill us!" "I know, Dad!" "Well, this is a new experience for me." "Happens to me all the time." Downside of the start of 08: I'm still sick, and I've had a pretty bad sore throat for about a week. I went to the doc. to get it checked out, and it's not strep. So it should run it's course in about a week... you know, right when school starts back up. Ah well, better to be sick on vacation than at school with assignments due. Upside of 08: I convinced my mom to stop by Target (partially to buy another electric toothbrush... yeah, the old one got jacked with everything else. They really got everything that time!) I decided to, hey, why not look at the Lego section. I'm done with 07... the Barraki were okay, but I've got all of them, I got the Mahri I cared about, and even then I was disappointed, and none of the titans looked too good to me. But, lo and behold, they have 08 sets already there! Of course, I'm drooling over on the Bionicle side, noting with disappointment that Tanma is sold out... as well as all the other Avi-Matoran, leaving only a few shadow Matoran that I wasn't exactly interested in. Then I take a look at the other showcase... Indiana Jones sets. I couldn't help myself... I bought an Indiana Jones system set along with a Bionicle set! Now here's a quick review on it. Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail, my favorite of the Indy trilogy, and I am physicked to see the forth movie this summer. When I heard Indy was coming to Lego, I thought that was pretty awesome! The game sounds like one I might have to get... it should be even cooler than Star Wars because there'll be sets and characters not yet made into plastic. Of course, I heard the news from BZP, and heard what the four sets this winter were going to be on, but I didn't see the actual set images until I got my Lego catalogue this week. First, I'll comment on some of the other sets, from Raiders of the Lost Arc. First off, I noticed something in all the set descriptions. Indy's facing a bunch of Nazi stooges, but they're all "guards" in Lego terminology. Hmm... and in both sets that should have the Arc in them, it's just refered to as treasure. Of the four sets, the only other one I might be interested in is the one with the truck... that was an awesome chase scene, but it's too expensive for my taste. The Lost Tomb set is nifty, reminiscent of the old Adventurers sets but canon. They even have C3PO and R2 carved in the back... I remember watching the comentary on the movie and seeing that. Lego sure is funny. The Temple Escape set is extensive looking with lots of fun traps and everything... if I were ten years younger, I would be craving that set with a passion. I like the basic construction of the whole thing, from what I can see... and I find it interesting that one of the "statues" is actually an old baby t-rex mold upside-down. All in all, fun to play with, but too expensive to collect. As to the Motorcycle chase... it was one of the cooler chases in the third movie... second to the tank sequence. Of course, it has two motorcycles... one for Indy and one for the guard. I like the construction of the sidecar for Professor Jones. It's so basic, but effective. Plus, connected in between the side car and motorcycle is Indy's whip! The image of Indy's mini figure for the set shows that he has the whip... but you cannot see it in any of the actual pictures of the set. Well, that's because it's hidden on the back of the side car. I really wanted to get the whip, and I was going to be very disappointed if it didn't come with the set, but I was pleasantly surprised instead. More on that later. The actual motorcycle is kinda lame... just two pieces and wheels. Oh well, more realistic than the tri-wheel Lego motorbike I also have. And the guard's bike, with only two wheels, is very unstable... I actually prefer Indy's bike with the sidecar. They're all fun to chase around. The guard station building is not as cool... I thing those bricks were mostly added to make it a full $10 set. Sure, it's fun to knock off the road blocker with Indy's bike, but I thought it got old. The boxes did come in useful... they were able to hold some of the little extra pieces that came with the set, such as an extra pistol. The pole is nice, but I wish it was easier for Indy to pick it up and joust with it, just like in the movie. Ah well, it wouldn't work anyway, because the "guard" doesn't fly off his bike easily, and Indy can't throw the pole in between the spokes of the wheels. However, if situated right, as seen in the pict/ above, Indy can swing from said pole using his whip. The whip isn't great, because you can't use it to lash out at baddies like you can in the game. But it's not a solid mold... it's flexible and can wrap around stuff. I liked rearranging the pieces in the pict above to let Indy swing into the "guard" and knock him off. Over all, was it worth it? Well, yeah, I'll say yes. I got an authentic Indiana Jones mini-figure, with the hat, side bag, whip, and pistol. I even got Professor Henry Jones, who is cool in and of himself (better than that Dr. Lightning or Dr. Kilroy from the old Adventurers sets... although it's the same hat. I never liked that style of Lego hat). The motorbike with the side car is excellent... I am sure to bring that back to the dorm to be on display. As sets go, it isn't terribly amazing, but it's not a rip off either. Then again, if you're not into Indiana Jones, then you may want to get something a little more piece heavy. But for my first system set in many years, I'm glad I picked it up. I also got a Phantoka, but I won't tell you which, because that'll spoil the review for later. I hope to also get some more blogs posted with humorous pictures of some 07 sets. Hey, what better way to start off a new year than by making fun of the last year. 'Night.
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Whew, finished with Christmas shopping... for now, at least. It wasn't that bad, but I've been shopping with every family member in the last four days, and I finally got the chance to go today and get some presents I didn't want anybody to know about... and they're not for me. I have snuck into the toy section of a few stores, but all that's left are Mahri and Baraki. Strangely enough, the big hero of the year, Matoro, is the set that's left on most shelves. Is it because the store overstocked him because he's the main goodie this year, or that people just don't like the set? I wonder. The other one that hangs around on the shelf with Matoro is Nuparu... but I don't see alot of Kongu or Jaller, and Hewkii and Hahli only appear part time. While I was shopping (okay, a few days ago), I also decided to pick up some french fries, as well as a little something extra. Okay, I was lenient last year with McDonald Reidak. He was an okay toy with a nifty function. Kalmah, not so much. Okay, the detail on the arms and legs is pretty good, but the body seems too basic and blocky, and the head just doesn't appeal to me. The Piraka faces worked better. And the Piraka spines also helped cover up the back... a luxury Kalmah can't afford. As for the spinning tentacles... fun for a bit, but I liked Reidak's saw thingy better. Falls off less often. And the positioning of Kalmah's arm makes it so you have to spin the tentacles over his head... making him Helicopter Baraki. Although the detail in the squid launcher is good... I like it, although I don't think I'd want to get one of the Baraki that shoots squid discs. Last year's toys were okay, and kinda fun to see the Piraka blockified. (The Inika... who cares, I didn't pick them up) This year... well, the sets were unique, but these toys aren't. It was good the first time around, but the sequel lacks in quality. Avoid like the plague... unless you're a little kid who'll have fun playing with these. (And it happens. When I walked into the restaurant, there was this one kid playing with a Nuparu Mahri McDonalds toy, and he seemed to be having fun) For all you teenagers worried about your health (the french fries are good, but I wouldn't touch a burger with a ten foot pole) and wanting cool looking pieces, go to Subway instead and buy the actual sets. Edit: Oh, I forgot the best part. The toy came with a mini poster of the new Phantoka sets, with the Makutas flying in around Pohatu, and silhouettes of Lewa and Kopaka in the foreground. (I think). If that wasn't cool enough, there are instructions on the back n how to make the poster into a paper airplane. (Think I'm kidding? Go buy one yourself. )
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I'm too lazy to add spoiler tags. Just scroll down yourself... Oh, and SPOILER ALERT! WEEE OOOO WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! SCREEEEEEEECH! BAAAAAARRR BAAAAAAAARR AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HOOOOOOOOONK HOOOOOONK! Ba ba da da ta ba da, dum do de da dum da du.... That enough for the annoying sound effects? 'Kay, now onto the review... Toa Nuva First of all, I think it's brilliant to have three good guy and three bad guy sets come out together. The only downside I can see is that the early release Nuva will get a ton of attention in the winter / spring, but will lose out when the summer / fall Toa Nuva are released (in terms of media attention). But I don't know where Greg's going with the story, so I'll wait it out. The basic designs are too Inika / Mahri like, although there's a nice new combination of limbs in new colors. Kopaka has wings, 'eh? And, dang, Lewa sure has a long katana this time! Mask wise... Kopaka's seems to be a mix of a Ruru and Akaku (from what I can tell) which looks promising. Lewa's is too much like a Faxon, but hey, it's better than that spikey Miru Nuva (and, of course, nothing can outdo the greatness of the original Miru, so they shouldn't even bother trying) Pohatu... bah, looks like the same concept of the Vahi, where it only covers half his face. Colors: Kopaka, good as always. Pohatu... orange? I'll have to see how well he looks when we get better pictures. The lack of brown is a slight disappointment, but at least he now has a slight hunch-backed look, instead of the porky look he had as a Nuva. Lewa... well, I was right, there's no sign of Bright green, but lime green with a bit more of silver might not be too bad... better than Kongu. The Nuva aren't a redo of our original favorites, but they don't look half bad. Probably its that my nostalgia extends to the Mata, which were in turn ruined by the Nuva, so the sets only could improve. The Baddies Called Phantoka? Phantoms of the Kanoka. (BUUUUM... ba dum dum dum dum duuuum... okay, bad Phantom of the Opera interpretation). Well... it's different. I give up. I can't tell diddlysquat of what these new sets will be like. I'm guessing a similiar style design that the Nuva have, with maybe some new pieces in different colors. The blue one has a really intriguing mask/face. And the black one has an orange egg with a green hatch-ling inside? I probably won't pick up many of them, because I'd rather get the Nuva... but depending on how great their designs are, I might consider a few later on. They certainly have the promise to make good villains. I hope their storyline significance is better than the Barakki's (great villains who just don't seem to hold the center stage in 07 like the Piraka did in 06). The Matoran YESSS! I am liking the new Matoran design, which appears to come with a new limb piece, cool masks, and rad colors. Weaponry is reused, but they're still good weapons. (Yeah, the katana piece is old, but it is still soooo cool) I'll certainly be grabbing a few of these... notably the green guy, but white guy and orange guy look good too. And their villainy counterparts don't look too bad... better than the Hydruka, that's for sure, but without the appeal the Matoran have at this point. However, I may change my mind when I see the actual sets in better pictures. The Titan ??? As far as I can tell, he looks like a slightly beefed up Mahri on a surf board. Doesn't have the appeal that Lehvoski has. The mask looks cool, but that's because it's similar to Hewkii's mask of accuracy (in my opinion), which was a cool mask to start out with. Is he worth any money, really? No, probably not. But I'm sure his name will spark a ton of theories for the future of the mask of life. (Hey, maybe big ol' orange and black in Matoro. ) All in all, the Nuva look okay, the villains are promising, the Matoran look AWESOME!! and the Titan is not going to be on my wishlist. My opinions are likely to change as better pictures come out, (so I can determine which Nuva I'll be getting first, as well as how the construction of the villains looks). But, for now, here are my first reviews on the subject.
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Okay, so here’s the deal. There was a special trip for UW students to go to a Fred Meyers and buy last minute college supplies. I already had all I really needed, and then some more (I’m sure). But I went anyway… I wanted some dry erase markers, and they’d be cheaper at some big retail store than the local bookstore… I think. Anyway, Fred Meyers is also the place where I find my best Lego deals, and I’ve only grabbed Hewkii this summer. So, you know, if I happened to find a good sale… Well, I did. Buy one, get one free. The usual sale is buy two and get one free, which turns me off because I don’t want to cash out twenty bucks in one go… but ten was fine. So I bought Jaller Mahri and Hahli Mahri. And since it’s only one in the morning, I thought I might as well write a review on them. (It was a Midnight trip, BTW) Jaller Mahri Major complains I’ve heard about Jaller were that he was pretty much Jaller Inika with a new mask and weapon, but I had a feeling that he might be a good buy, so I grabbed him instead of Nuparu. The body is awesome… very customized and the best design I’ve seen in 07 so far. (Yeah, even better than Mantax). The legs also fit with the body well… I always liked the Inika legs. It’s the arms that always got to me. The arms here aren’t so bad length wise, because I’ve just gotten used to those lengths. The upper shoulders could be a bit bulked out, though. The mask is wicked cool… finally, a usable new mask… I haven’t seen a good one since 04 (and 05 if you count Iruini and Norik). Double color is good, and basic design can work for a villain or hero, I suppose. The tubes do constrict the movement a bit, but I can always remove them. The sword… well, interesting design, but it’s like only half a sword! It’s obvious that this is made more for Levoskii’s (sp) vehicle, on which it looks cool as far as I can tell from pictures… but it doesn’t seem to work so well for Jaller. Nonetheless, it’s a big up from his last sword (I hated those glowing swords). The Hannah crab… well, it’s what I like about smaller MOCs… small, simple, and yet effective. Uses Jaller’s chest piece rather well (or maybe the piece was originally intended for the crab, and then given to Jaller as an afterthought.) Anyway, it makes for a cute little thing that can do some damage with the Cordak blaster on it. (Note, I don’t like how the extra ammo on both Jaller and Hahli are placed, but I don’t have anyplace else to store them for now) Jaller, despite some short comings, exceeds my initial expectations. Sure, he’s a rip off of the Inika form, but this one loses some of the flaws of the Inika (mask, weapon) and adds a few more things in (great torso and a crab!) Hahli Mahri Hahli, when I first saw the Inika, was the one I decided I needed to get. However, after going over her piece count and overall look, I picked up Hewkii first, but I was still tempted to get Hahli, even if just for her lime green pieces. So now I have her… and I’m just not sure if she was worth it. The body is a basic Piraka body, also uses in Piraka and other Toa Mahri. I guess the only nifty thing is how the two leg pieces are added on (the back one for the wings and the regular one for the legs). The rest of the limbs are pretty much copies from the Inika… new colors for some, but not new pieces. Hahli’s mask is interesting, especially with the trans blue pieces covering the eyes and such. The tubes… well, they aren’t a necessity, in my opinion. The interesting things about Hahli were her weapon and wings… but they don’t seem to be worth too much. The talon is big and nasty, but it just doesn’t look like a useful Toa tool for a Toa of Water. Seriously, leave the claws to Onua and make something more sleek for the Toa of Water. (Of course, if Nivhawk had those pieces for talons, that would’ve been some set!) The wings… well, they’re okay, but maybe not entirely necessary (except that, without them, Hahli would look even duller). Worst part of the weapon and wings is that they’re a bit flimsy… I like hard plastic weapons, like with the Nuva’s. Thin weaponry is not something I like (I didn’t like it on Zaktan either). But my biggest beef with Hahli is not her wings, her tubes, or her arms that are a little bit too long still… but her overall look. She looks like a pretty buff Toa all in all… but she doesn’t have any feminine characteristics. I mean, she’s bulky! I know designers probably aren’t thinking of gender while designing sets like this, but I always preferred my Toa of Water to be more… sleek than their other Toa counterparts. Jaller’s body might’ve worked out better for Hahli! But, hey, what can you do? I didn’t think Hahli Inika looked all that feminine either, Dalu was definitely buffer than her fellow Matoran, and Nokama Hordika was as much a mess as her partners. I guess you just can’t win on this front anymore. Anyway, these are my first impressions of having the sets in my hands (or displayed on my printer) so they might change. Those wings might make for some good MOCing parts when I get home… more orange and lime green pieces might make a nice addition to my collection, and Hahli’s mask could work well on a female MOC if I get rid of those darn tubes. But now you’ve read through the ramblings of my mind while I look at these sets. Now I’m going to go to sleep. Night.
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I'm sitting here in my kitchen (at home... I came back for a week) making Jello (why? Cause I want some) and I was thinking about the cool new comic I got today, and how I'm really glad I avoided any spoilers before I actually got it in my hands and read it. So I thought I'd type up a quick review. Minor spoiler alert, BTW. Artwork: Well, it's the basic sayger artwork, but some of the Mahri are particularly well done... I especially like the color. Plus, we see more Matoran, Titans (Gadunka's entrances is quite cool to view), and other undersea stuff. One problem was alot of artwork consisted of red explosions of firepower or Cordak blasts. Almost too much. Story: Basic is enough to describe it. My experience with the comics this year have been that they tell the story from the books, maybe adding a tiny bit more but covering the basics and giving us a visual interpretation. What i can say here is, the story was pretty good in the comic, so once all the dialouge and other details are added in when the book comes around, it'll be great. I like how my favorite Barakki takes stage, and the battle with Gadunka is very cool. The whole ending feels a bit anticlimatic, though. Overall: Well, not one of the greatest or one of my favorite comics, but it does a nice, quick job of getting the story told, while still following a few choice characters. Note: Nuparu is seen in the background, but I don't believe he has any lines. Pity. If it's done anything at all, it's got me phyced about Bionicle Legends 8. And for one of my preditions... » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Anybody who replies here will only mention the Jello bit.
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Recent additions to my Bionicle collection include the mean Barakki, Carapar, and a new Toa Mahri, Toa Hewkii. Finally, I was able to get my hands on one of the Mahri. And despite the fact that I liked Hahli, I got Hewkii instead because he looked more interesting as a set. But how does he compare to Mr. Evil Carapar? Here’s a long, detailed review to give my thoughts on the subjects. Canisters. Geez, Lego, you messed up the canisters this year. Sure, Carapar’s looks cool enough, but it sits awkwardly and doesn’t hold the guy very well… when I restuffed him in, I had to remove all his limbs first. But Hewkii’s is a total mess. Cardboard and flimsy plastic? No way. If Lego’s trying to conserve on money, why are the Toa still $10? Winner: Carapar, but it was only the lesser of the two evils. Pieces Carapar has the basic pieces with him… standard arms, legs, body, and so on. The leg and shoulder armor is the coolest new piece in him, but they make him too bulky. His claws offer to be interesting new weapons, but not in the set-up he’s given. Meanwhile, Hewkii has three different types of silvery armor/weaponry, cool colored pieces and chains. Plus, his Cordak blaster connection is unique. Not the best, but good for Lego for trying something new. Winner: Hewkii Color Carapar is Keetongu orange and gray, with some of his armor being a cool yellow/brown mixture. Hewkii is Keetongu orange and black, with a lot of silvery instruments. The red is a little off on him, but black goes better with Keetongu orange than gray. Winner: Hewkii Head / Mask Carapar’s head is pretty nifty… gives him the look of a slow but mean lookin’ guy. The jaws and teeth make him look pretty scary, and I think this head design is one of the best of the Mahri. Hewkii’s mask of gravity, besides having a cool power, makes for a good manta-ray head design. I really like the mask, which looks all the cooler because it doesn’t connect to the mouth. Unfortunately, Hewkii has that connector in his mouth for the air tube, which destroys the whole image. On the bright side, we’re seeing Metru Toa heads again, with eyes too! Winner: Carapar Projectile Come on, Carapar has squids, which suck. The Cordak blaster, while it may violate a non-violence thing with Lego, work well enough. Sure, they need some force to shoot the things, otherwise those bullets will just stay where they are, but they shoot accurately and far. Already lost one, which makes it good that Hewkii comes with ten. I think I still prefer Zamors with magazines, but the Cordak blasters aren’t bad. Now I can see why Kongu wanted two. Winner: Hewkii Mobility Carapar’s bulky, which make some of his limb movements awkward. This is where his cool colored armor causes problems. He lacks compared to some of the other Barakki, but he can swing his arms and legs around well enough to give him some good poses. His claws are no good, though, just as I guessed. The pieces have to be at the right angle (but its not exactly a right angle) to look good. If the angle is wrong, the claws look rather stupid. If you were expecting cool snapping action, think again. The curved claw also makes it awkward to be held as an individual blade, so I can’t this place one piece in each hand (because I threw away the squid launcher, what a waste of plastic there). Meanwhile, we have Hewkii. The legs are too short for my liking, although their hold him up and give him a hunched appearance. His left arm (Yeah, most of the Mahri are now left handed.) Works okay, with his wickedly cool long blade at the end. But his right arm… no good. The position of the Cordak blaster means he has no hand movement, and the blades on the upper arm further restrict movement of the arm. The chains kind of get in the way (so I attached them to his back) and really have no use. Hewkii Inika’s chain had a use… this time I think Hewkii got chains just for the effect of having chains. His head movement, little as it could be, is restricted greatly by the fins of the mask and air tube. Plus, the mask fins and right-arm blades keep getting in the way of each other. Winner: They both have problems, but Carapar has less of them. Well, they’re both mediocre sets. They both include aspects that are apparent in 2007… new, unique designs using older pieces to good effects. While they’re worth some of their money, they’re not revolutionary sets like the Rahkshi, Metru, and Piraka were (in my books, anyway). Carapar is not my favorite Barakki design… I like him better than Ehlek, but Mantax, Takadax, and Kalmah have better designs (in that order). As far as Hewkii is concerned… he’s different. Hahli and Jaller have more basic Toa designs, of which I don’t know how well they work. Hewkii does not live up to his great Inika form, but he makes an interesting enough Mahri. I hope to get either Hahli or Nuparu next, of if I can find them at a “Buy two get one free sale”, I might pick up Jaller too. Matoro and Kongu can just stay on their store shelves for all I care. I like Hahli and Nuparu’s designs and weaponry better, but Jaller has an interesting body design, and I believe his situation with his Cordak blaster (on the crab) might be more convenient than all those Toa who hold the blasters in their hands. That, and I’ve also added another chapter to Slizers on Mata-Nui. Unfortunately, the story topic has been plagued by the “whole page not loading” thing on BZP, so some people may not be able to view the chapters. If you can view it (I can), please post. If you can’t… well, it’s still an okay chapter.
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Yep, that’s the Titan that I’ve been hinting about. I got Vezon and Fenrahk the other day for only $8! I bet you’re wondering how I managed to get that deal, and it’s true, I am leaving a bit out. Anyhow, my main chore this summer has been to drive my sister to her driver’s ed classes. The building happens to be located next to a Fred Meyers, so once a week I’ve dropped by to see if they’ve got the Mahri yet. (So far, no luck). However, for the past couple of weeks, they’ve had some clearance sets on sale… for 50% off! For example, Hewkii Inika is $4.99 and good old Vezon and his spider buddy are $14.99. Well, I wasn’t interested in dishing out 15 bucks, even for such a good deal… I wanted to save my money for a Mahri. Then, one day, I went there with my mom, and I was struck with an idea. She could go halfsies on it with me, so I wouldn’t waste a whole $15. So she agreed (since I got to 4s on my AP tests this year, she was willing to be nice). She paid $7, I gave her $8, and I got a Titan. So now I have a Titan from every year. Tarakava and Nui-Jaga from 01, Boxer and Bahrag from 02, Pewku and Ussalnui from 03, Krehka and Kikanalo from 04, Keetongu from 05, and now Fenny from 06. I was expecting this to be the first year where I put off getting a Titan, but if I just wait a year, then I can get some pretty good sales. And now, onto a review. First of all, there’s Vezon. What is he? A Piraka. It’s a good design, but overall, he’s just a Piraka. I really like the chest armor arrangement… a nifty usage of pieces there. The legs and arms… good, but since I’ve seen them all to often, they’re also basic. Although the coloring is good, and if I ever tear him apart, I can make some craft MOCs, I’m sure. The glowing eyes are great… my favorite eyes of all. Now only are they translucent enough, but they GLOW! They’re a heck of a lot better than those stupid Inika swords, and rock even the glow in the dark elements. Unfortunately, they’re hidden by the Ignition (The Mask of Life, however you spell it). I don’t like Vezon’s face compared to other Piraka’s. The hard plastic makes it all that much harder to fit on the skull, and the extended Ignition blocks the use of the glowing eyes. Luckily, one of the eyes from the Piraka (Hakann) died out, so I might switch them around. Vezon doesn’t need the glowing eyes (although they’d still reflect well enough so that he actually has eyes) whereas the original Piraka all need their glowing oyos. (Or is it Ojos? One is Spanish for eye, one for bear. Hmm) The cape is also a bit annoying. I’ve never had a Bionicle cape before (or a Lego one, for that matter). The holes in the fabric do fit over the pieces of Vezon’s neck, but the entire cape just seems to get in the way. If I had a choice, I’d ditch Vezon’s cape for a rubbery spine any day. Lastly, you have his Staff of Fusion. Really, there’s no new pieces there that are remarkable, and the overall build isn’t very impressive. But it’s still a cool weapon in the hands of this Piraka, especially when he’s ridding above Fenrahk with all his toothy glory (more on that later). Plus, I’ve seen the last brown piece… the Inika leg armor piece on the staff is in Avak brown. I expected it to be red, but brown gives it a different tint. Then there’s Fenrahk. (Or is it Fenrakh? Or something else entirely? I’m not checking my spelling with this review) A bit of a disappointment to me, really. This is the set that won some sort of award? I’d almost prefer Keetongu over him. Definitely the Bahrag. But he does have some good designs, so I’ll go into detail… The body. A big, squarish chunk of plastic. Sure, it’s not one piece, but it’s too simplistic, and as it’s made with four Piraka chest armor pieces, it’s not far from a big chunk of plastic. This body is a far cry from the function-ability of the Rahi and Bahrag, and even that of Keetongu (who’s function involved his Rhotuka spinner popping out) and Krehka (who’s head and chest pieces could move from left to right… a bit). Fenrahk’s body is simply a way to connect all the limbs together… nothing more. He is must more similar to the Kikanalo, and I prefer the latter’s design a bit more. While I’d approve the body for getting the basic job done (holding the thing together) and would like it if it were a MOC somebody made, I just don’t think it meets up to the standards for a Lego Titan. It looks like 2006 moved away from set functions and set itself entirely into ball and socket movement. If so, Fenrahk’s body is proof that things are simplifying. Continuing on the negative note, I’ll cover his hind legs. When I say they’re basic, that’s an understatement. True, a few nifty design features limit their movement, so that Fenny doesn’t have to worry about them collapsing. But the movement is too restricted to really make them of any use, especially when compared to the fore legs (I’ll get to those next). Really, the legs seem to be something added to make sure the whole think doesn’t topple backwards… and even then, they don’t do a good job. Whatever reason you’d like, they’re just not up to the standards I’m used to. (Although, the metal grey joint pieces could be useful in MOCing) The fore legs, now, they’re something to behold. The design here restricts movement too, but not as much. Plus, they’re beefed up compared to the hind legs, and look pretty cool. There are more pieces in one fore leg than there are in both back legs. The claw piece (Bordakh staff) works better at stabilizing than the back legs do with the Takanuva staffs. Plus, the wrist movement that’s there in the front but lacking in the back is a plus. What I like most about the front legs are the special leg supporter staff that’s been fount in Titan legs in 06 and 07. I’ve been too cheap to actually buy a titan and get them, but now that I managed to grab Fenrahk, I finally got them. They work well in stabilizing, and I can’t wait to use them in a real humanoid titan. But those front legs totally rock, and makes Fenrahk look good in a front shot (as long as you can ignore those back legs) And what else is left to mention? Oh, yeah, THE HEAD! IT IS AWESOME! (Calms down). No, seriously, they should just make a set of Fenrahk’s head and sell it, leaving out the rest of the annoying body and leg pieces. The bite function rocks. I’d say its even better than the Bahrag’s. Here, the ball and joint function works wonders… And the angles used to make the teeth work… now that’s an excellent design. A Bahrag’s bite can hurt a bit… but if Fenrahk clamps down on you, say goodbye limb. Seriously, the head makes the set all worth it. True, I might be more disappointed if I had paid a full $30, but since I got it at about a quarter or the original price, I can same I’m good with it. Now, when it comes to playability, the set is lacking. Yeah, Vezon has the basic functions of all Piraka, although his staff gives him a longer reach than most. And Fenrahk’s mouth can bite anything… and that’s cool. (It’s fun to fit Vezon’s entire head in there). But, although Fenrahk has two good legs, he needs four to be able to stand up well. The back legs don’t do well to hold him up, and it can get precarious to balance him. If he wants to swing one of his fore legs, he’s going to do a belly flop. The two of them make up some great poses with lots of amazing pieces, but if you want to have a fight with Vezon on Fenrahk’s back, then don’t expect them to move much. A few other things I’ve noticed. The chain is too short. Hewkii Inika’s is longer! And he only has it attached to his axe… Vezon’s suppose to be chained to some giant monster! You’d think the chain would be a bit longer. That, and the two of them together take up lot of space. At first, I thought this would be a real problem, as I’m currently putting my sets on a shelf to be displayed for when I go to college. But Fenrahk takes up so much room… the other humanoid titans can condense a bit, but not Fenny. He doesn’t have more pieces, but they’re just spread out. However, I’ve found the solution. Fenrahk’s body is suspended up in the air… so underneath him I can place some of the smaller sets like the Bohrok Va and Matoran. And that makes an interesting sight for sure. So, in the end, this set was totally worth the eight dollars. It’s probably even worth the fifteen dollars. I’d probably be a bit disappointed if I got it at full price, but it’s a nice addition to my collection. And if I don’t like it, I can tear it apart and MOC with the pieces. Except for Fenrahk’s head. I’m going to attach it to a chain, hang it on my bedroom door, and make people think twice before entering. That head is SO COOL!
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Well, like everybody else, I went shopping today to see if the Mahri were out. They weren't at my local Fred Meyers. However, I saw some likely sales. A bunch of Lego Bricks were half off, including the Inika (that would tempt me if I didn't already have them all) and Vezon and Fenrakh (that did tempt me...) (And they also had some batman and star wars sets that were 0% off, but still have a sale sign stuck to them. I wonder how many people fell for that) But I didn't have fifteen dollars to spend... only ten. So I picked up my second Matoran Mahri, Defilak. Here's a quick review. (Squids sold separately) Well, how is he different from Dekar? 1) He is green. I don't like the dark green compared to other greens, and yellow is almost better, but its certainly better than dark blue of that Hydruka. The Kualsi is a good addition... almost better than the original gold one. He certainly could use some dark red eyes... the picture on the box is so decieving. The squids even work better. 2) He came with a red zamor! Yes, it's a pretty color that must've been a screw-up in the molding places, because it has a little blotch of the regular orange in it, but is mostly red. I like it. 3) He comes with silvery tools, which are cool even though I have yet to use them in an MOC. Otherwise, he's the same as Dekar. Way too big to be a Matoran, odd articulation, no eyes, bad setup with the zamor launcher, and too expensive to be one of the "cheaper" sets (although cheap is now relative). On the other hand, his design kicks that of the Hydruka by far. And the extra pieces will go well with my collection. And Defilak is a cool character in the books too.
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Finally went to my local Borders and saw it in stock... this is my forth trip though, so the waste of gas probably made for an overall loss. And the book didn't seem to be nearly as good as I was hoping... a lot of characters but it was very fast-pased so they didn't go into as much detail as in some of the past books. I liked Bionicle Legends 6 better, although Bionicle Legends 7 more than doubles the cast of characters. Fortunatly, there were plenty of nifty surprises that make it worth reading. And I've always liked the books better once I've read through them two or three times to catch all the detail. Maybe when we're allowed to post about the actual story, I'll put up some of my favorite quotes... there are a couple good ones that have yet to be released. So, if you care at all about the story, then buy ths book. But is it worth obsessing about getting? Probably not... waiting some more can't hurt you. Now I just have to wait for Bionicle Legends 8... that's supposed to be the good one, right? Edit: Oh, and by the way, I finally got the soundtrack for Curtains, the Musical to be used for my Drama senior project. Good songs on that one.
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Today, I got bored while driving people around, so on one of my trips, I stopped by my local Fred Meyers to see if there was any sales on LEGO Bricks. There was; a 20% off sale on all LEGO Bricks, including Barakki. So I picked up Kalmah, and instead of ten bucks, he was only eight. But there was also some squid ammo, so I grabbed a box as well, and that turned out to be a tad less than two dollars. So, with the two things combined, it was about a full $10, but it's almost like I get the squid ammo for free. And what's even better is, the squid ammo is BLUE! Couple notes on Kalmah. Tenticles look cool, but are actually really annoying on the set, in my opinion. One I got was even bent around (I could straighten it out, but it still has an unusual curve). The head is okay, and the launcher, to my surprise, is much sturdier than the one I got with Mantax. Hmm, I guess that first one I got was just a poor quality piece. Kalmah's shooter actually seems to work, and it doesn't fall off his hand. I'm also suprised that his feet are not recolored Hordika feet... they're actually a cool redesign that I don't mind. Think next time I'll get Ehlek. I wanna get him for his cool weapon and spines, but the newer pieces in Kalmah and Mantax have appealed more to me than his spikes. But when I do get him, I'll have some pretty blue squid to attach to him. (The blue squid go well with Kalmah and his aqua eyes.) On another note, I am not 15 dollars poorer (had to buy grapes with the LEGO Bricks...) So that's more money I'm gona need to earn...
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Okay, I finally purchased some of the new 2007 sets. Precisely, the Po-Matoran Dekar. This Matoran has some high points and low points. I'll sort them out in this review. First of all, I love the body design. It’s made from those +00+ boards that I use to build custom Matoran (seen here). Plus, the new weapons are unique… think about it, a new weapon mold for a Matoran set! I can see future uses of them in MOCs. And then there’s a new mask. I never got Toa Norik, so this one’s new for me… and in a new color too. The mask’s structure is not completely like the Toa Metru’s mask… the plastic is a bit more flimsy. Some bad parts… well, the head. It’s the same Metru head that was seen with the Matoran last year. Only this time… plenty of room for eyes. But do we see eyes… no? C’mon, Lego, is it that hard to include glowing eyes for the smaller sets? You did it with the Matoran Metru… Also, there’s the re-use of the zamour launcher. It’s cool compared to the Piraka’s, but after the Inika, I can’t handle a zamour launcher without a magazine. (Although the shoulder attachment device is startlingly simple yet effective…) For further review, Ill compare this little guy to some other well known sets. Dekar and Toa Onua Mata. Did I say little? This guy is nearly as tall as Onua! He’s about one mask shorter, but still, he’s not the little Matoran looking up to the big Toa. That was something I always looked for in Matoran… is their size reasonable to the Toa’s size. While Dekar is smaller than the Toa Inika, I sure hope he doesn’t encounter the Nuva, or else they’ll mistake him for some obese Matoran. J/K. Anyway, another nifty comparison is the price. This guy was $5.99. The Toa Mata were, what, $6.99, or was it $7.99? Anyway, the little sets back them (Turaga) were simply $2.99. That’s a major price increase, in my humble opinion. That the “small” sets are now as costly as the older canister sets is kinda freaky. And hear this. Dekar is made up of 36 pieces. Onua was only made of 30. One thing that’s happening with the little sets is that they’re becoming more complicated than the older canister sets… now is that a good thing or a bad thing? Price wise, I’d say bad. (Even though Lego has legitimate reasons to raise the price, I’m sure). Piece wise- not so bad. There are some pieces I could use in my collecting with Dekar. Dekar and the Voya-Nui Matoran Well, in case you forgot, he’s slightly taller. But here’s the main thing I want to note here. The Matoran of Voya-Nui all had about 9 points of articulation (‘cept Kazi, but his build was cool). Dekar has only 7 (one up on Onua Mata). The lack of moveable hands is gone with this guy, which makes arm movements tacky at times. (And the arm with the zamour launcher… it’s a nightmare for him to move that one and retain a good launching position). So I won’t see Dekar doing any funny hand-stands this year… we’ll have to leave that to Garan and the gang (who continue to hold the record for most points of articulation for a smaller set). And then there are the boxes they came in. Pictured above was Dekar’s box compared to Onua’s canister. They’re the same height, if you take off the canister’s top, and that make’s Dekar’s box tall. I didn’t have one to compare it too, but I’m sure his box was massive compared to the Voya-Nui Matoran, in height and width. That’s more shelf-space it’s taking up. In conclusion, I’d say Dekar is the beefed up Matoran. More pieces, larger pieces, larger size, larger box, larger price. What this guy lacks is articulation (in some ways) and general Matoran-ness. This guy could’ve been taken as a Toa a couple years ago. I’d rate him third in the Matoran series, behind the Voya-Nui Matoran and the Metru-Nui Matoran… but he is better than the 03 Matoran, Bohrok Va, and Rahaga… And that’s it. But I’ll probably buy is Matoran partner anyway. You know, for the pieces. And Because I’m totally obsessed with Bionicle and will likely buy all sets that I can.
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This is something new to me. I read alot, so I thought of this. I hope no one else has done this before... Okay, the first book I will review, is one I read last week, and finished yesterday. Writen by my favorite author, Brian Jacques(auther of the aclaimed Redwall series), comes the first instalment of the Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series, The Angels Command. It follows the adventures of a boy named Ben, and his black Labrador, Ned. Both were aboard the pirate ship the Flying Dutchman, when an angel from heaven came down and cursed the ship and it's crew to a life of undead imortality. However the angel took pity on Ben, and the dog Ned, them being the only ones aboard who were pure of heart, and washed Ben and Ned overboard in a storm, at the same time, establishing a mind link between the boy and dog for open communication. Never growing older, the duo walked from the southern tip of south america to the northen tip, doing good deeds along the way, under the angels command. When they reach the northern tip the real adventures begin. Accedently getting caught up in a band of buccaneers, where a gripping sea chase takes them accros the Atlantic, all the way to the coast of France! On the coasts Ben and Ned are ejected from the pirate ship and find themselves meetting new friends and almost a whole new book begins. I will not continue because I fear that I will give away the entire book. On the whole, I find it an extra interesting read, and give it *****. Even a person who finds it hard to read will be drawn into the intricate web Brian Jacques spins... Next week I will review Eragon, by Christopher Paolini BtB P.S. I said too much, didn't I?
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Even though the animation came out a few weeks ago, (I think) I just got around to taking some screen shots. Overall, the animation was quite interesting... got a little bit more action out of the Piraka, rather than just introducing them. I got about 50 shots for this section, which can be viewed at this majhost.com gallery. You will have to scroll down and go to the second page to see the second set, as that gallery also includes the first animation... Anyway, some interesting shots. The Gang's All Here. Those would make some excellent avatars... I think I'll make one for me. Avak is Trigger-Happy. Finally, another piece of media that shows that characteristic about him. Don't get in Zaktan's way! Cool to see him get in some sword-play action... even if it is against a rock. \Thok's weapon at work. Kinda shows that Thok is smart after all... freezing and then breaking the lock. Vezok Vision. Though it just seems like everything's in a shade of blue. Inika statues... that makes this a bit different from the comics... not that I mind one bit. The Piraka help each-other out! It does seem a bit odd, but Reidak and Vezok are suppose to have an alliance. Plus, notice how the other Piraka snicker. Of course, Vezok doesn't have an alliance with Thok. That's Piraka attitude, that is. Stranded on a cliff? I guess that's where the next animation will start. The games were different this time. Reidak's climbing game is very reminiscent of the Knights Kingdom Tower Climb game. But it's too long and I don't have the patience to try and finish it over and over again... I just skip it. Thok's memory game is simple, thought, but not very exciting. I can't wait till the next animation comes out. I'll take shots of that one as well, and post them. I like posting the images so that other people can use/see them if/when the Piraka animations go off line. I wish somebody had done more of that for the MNOLG before it was rereleased. I remember searching for picts of Hafu on Brickshelf.com, but never finding any good ones. Now, if people want images of animated Zaktan, they can take a look at my Maj gallery. Now onto the homework that I have to do...
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I dropped by a local McDonalds today and bought meself a Lego Toy. That, and a large thing of fries. (Sure, all their food is pretty bad for you, but I couldn’t resist.) Anyway, I asked to buy one of the toys (preferably Nuparu) but all they had was Reidak and Hahli. So, knowing how I don’t like Hahli, I went for Reidak. It’s an interesting toy, and I thought I would make a quick review. The Looks: In general, he looks pretty much like our favorite black Piraka. Everything is sort of in a block form, but the basic design is correct. Although the shapes are off, the fine detail in the plastic is quite remarkable… I can see the design of Reidak’s hand holding not his weapon. The legs, arms, body, and head are relatively accurate to the set is design. The colors are kind a off… his limps are pure black, his claw/toes are grey, and his body/weapons are a dull gold/brown color. But the zamour is still lime green. The Pose: This was what got me worried at first. Were these toys going to be slightly pose-able or just solid chunks of plastic? I didn’t expect anything like the set, but I was wondering. Luckily, there is movement. The legs and arms all move in a slight circle. No, it’s not much, but it’s enough to give him a few poses. The Abilities: Reidak doesn’t have a launcher, but he does have a spring loaded saw (I think it’s spring loaded… it’s not battery powered, at least). With the press of a button, his saw goes spinning… that’s something the set didn’t do! Not half bad. In addition to that, the eyes have some sort of reflector that allows them to glow slightly in normal lighting. It’s a lot like how the Toa Mata’s eyes worked, and I approve. The teeth, as with the set, glow in the dark. But they’re kinda small, so it’s not that much of a glow. The Price: Well, the large fries were $1.90 or something, and the total amount was $4.05, plus some tax, I suppose. I’m guessing the toy was about $1.50 or something close… didn’t actually get the exact price. It was more than $1, I’m sure. In the end, was it worth it? In my opinion, no. I just had to go out and get one of those toys, just to be with the in-crowd on BZP. But, unless you’re a little tyke who is getting a Happy Meal, they’re not worth the 30 minute drive and the four bucks (the fries were, though). A couple of these things would make an interesting battle, but if you have the real sets, don’t bother. I got ‘em for their collect ability… I expect to have it sit on a shelf next to the real Reidak. And if the two ever fight… I think the one with the larger feet will win, despite the spinning saw. I’m probably not going to get any more… but if I happen to be in the area and they have a Nuparu one, I might be tempted. Then again, I might not have the money…
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It's addictive. That's bad, cause it'll mena I'll miss out on homework and yet never finish the game. Ah, well. I chose to be Toa Hewkii, (not that it makes much of a difference). The battles are slightly annoying, although interactive. The game doesn't appeal to me the way the MNOLGs did... it's more like the Battle for Mata-Nui (the one with the Bohrok). It's much better, but big, and I am never very good at these games. I'm going to spend some time on it Sunday, and see if I can find Garan's equipment. And hope I don't die before that... Anyhow... I'm trying to be a little bit chipper. So hows this for a start... thanks to the other two people who rated my blog... brough me down a half a star about a whole star now. Thanks guys.
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Is it just me, or are the blue characters this year lacking in something? Well, maybe it is just me, but the single characters I dislike the most (set wise) out of the Piraka and Inika are Vezok and Hahli. They are both the blue sets, and I have never been disagreeable to blue sets in the past? Why now? For Hahli, it's quite simple. The mask su... isn't that good. It looks estraterestrial, with a mustache and all. I mean, it wouldn't be that bad if it was on Nuparu or Kongu, but on Hahli! No feminen qualities at all... like Lego was also planning for the blue Toa set to be a male. And the color scheme... gray with dark blue. Uhg. That didn't fit Hahli at all, and the appearance disapointed me. I have my quarrels with Vezok as well... the head had too many bumps on the chin and I didn't like the spiked forehead, and the weapon was just too small. But the colors were okay. If I had skipped picking up one of the Piraka, it would've been Vezok (but I have found some of his parts useful in MOCing). I never had this problem with Gali (I liked her Toa appearance the best, really!). Gali Nuva, Nokama Metru and Hordika were also a little "girly" compared to their other Toa counterparts (well, maybe not the Hordika) and I think it worked with their storyline characters. But this new blue Toa just doesn't fit with Hahli. If I wasn't a big collector, and I didn't want to get every last Toa, I wouldn't buy Hahli in a protest for her appearance. But I'm going to buy the set anyways. Because that's what my money is for (no, seriousely).
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Hey, I liked it. It was better than the Hordika ones last year, and about equal with the Vahki ones. There were plenty of scenes I liked from it, and I took the time to make a collection of screen shots. Some of my favorites are... The scenery of Voya-Nui. Even if it was the green belt, Voya-Nui isn't looking like that bad of a place. Kinda nice from that angle. Water on Voya-Nui? Even though I bet it isn't official (makes it feel more tropical) I still found that ironic. Maybe the Matoran just haven't discovered that fall yet. Vezon the Interrogator. I loved the "professional" look of the Piraka as he got answers out of Piruk. And then how he pulls up his zamour... An interesting use of Hakann's weapon. The whip suits him nicely... I just wish the set responded in kind. Thok's view of the world. It worked nice, but isn't that Reidak's vision power? And then the best part. After the credits, Balta gets knocked on the head and falls over. That caught me completely off guard, and was my favorite part of the animation. The games were okay to, but not very hard. The catch game was way too easy... even if you got hit on the head with a rock, you could still get all the zamour. (But the first games I keep playing seem to forget that the zamour should be falling, so i have to click "retry" in order to really play the game.) Avak's Mountain Crusher game was just hard on my mouse... alot of clicks. I like this. Even if it doesn't entirely follow the storyline, I think Lego has done a good job. In fact, 2006 seems to be the best year for Lego since the Toa Mata. B)
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I was just lucky to get another Toa Inika now. I had to make a deal with my little (but apparenlty richer) sister... I driver her places for a couple of months, and she helps me buy a Toa. I think that tips me over into the "Obsessed" section of the Bionicle fans, but oh well... Kongu is just like Hewkii. The color sceme could be better, but I do prefer the body and feet of Kongu over the ones of Hewkii. The weapon is awesome with the blue lights, and the blue zamour is nifty too. But, I do have a problem with him. Allow me to shout... HIS ARMS ARE TOO LONG! Seriously. Held down, they reach to his knees, which can't be right. With his arm and crossbow fully extended, it is longer than he is tall! I thought Hewkii's arms were bad... Kongu's are insane! I suppose Jaller's won't be much better either. Plus, I can't see how to fix it. Making the upper shoulder joints shorter won't work with the armor... I think the body should probably be longer. The hunched over look worked for the Piraka, but the shorter body makes the Inika's arms toooooo long. That and the head. The Suletu is not the greatest replacement for Kongu's Miru, and its pretty ugly. The eyes are large, though. And if you follow the instructions, Kongu's head is hunched over on his body... I moved the connection up a bit to prevent him from slouching. Well, between Kongu and Hewkii, I've seem much of what the Inika have to offer, piecewise (except for those translucent pieces). They're both okay, but the arms are too long. I will stand firm on that issue. But the zamour launchers are great! I combined Hewkii's and Kongu's magazines to store about seven of those spheres, and I had fun launching them. I think those magazines will be the main motive to buy more Inika... that and those translucent pieces that I want.
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Yay, I just got back from a brutal 50 Mile Hike with my scout troop. The one I did two years ago was fun and exciting, but this one was a lot harder. Lots of uphill and steep down hills, plus some rain. And I thought I had a pretty good grasp on hiking techniques (you know, for a scout) but I was WRONG. Here are some tips that I just feel like posting. Bring a fleece. And a rain jacket. It will seem heavy when you try to put it into your pack, but it sure beats freezing on top of a mountain. Because it can get cold in the morning. Bring Crystal Light. Or whatever, that’s just the drink mix that’s a hit in my troop. It helps a little better than water because it has SUGAR! Yum… but drink plenty of water and have some drink mix too. It’s relatively light. Put your drink mix in a plastic bag. Otherwise, it might spill (like in your fleece jacket pocket. When it got sticky, I stopped wearing it, and discovered it got really cold). Bring a hiking stick. It helps support your weight sometimes, helps stable you uphill, and is useful when another scout starts poking you with his own stick. It’s also helpful in river crossings. But bring a sturdy one… mine was flimsy and broke on the forth day (about when I was starting to really use it). An eye for an eye. Or more precisely, a bag of food for another bag of food. If you trade out, try to get something in return. Otherwise they’ll eat your entire storage of Gold Fish crackers and refuse to lend out any beef jerky. I need to learn when to say no to those requests… Check the contour lines on the map. The adult leader may say that you only gain 1500 feet in 7 miles, but that’s the elevation change form Point A to Point B. He doesn’t tell you about the large hills in between that go up 1000 feet and then down 900 feet over and over… so know how many hills you have to climb. Don’t leave food unattended. Otherwise bears, squirrels, or other scouts may find it and help themselves. This only happened to me with the scouts…Of course, these suggestions and tips are from my own personal experience, and may not apply to any other hikers at all. They might be useful for my next hike in the Pacific North West, but they might not be applied to somebody in, say, Atlantis. I just wanted to share my experiences, because I have this suspicion that that’s what a Blog is for. As well, I have one last tip.Go up the Dosewalleps Trail. It is much better maintained than the Duckabush Trail. --{IPD}--
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I finally broke down and bought my first Inika... Toa Hewkii. I'll give my first review of him, just in case anybody wants to read. Anyhow, I bought him at the local Fred Meyers (where I've bought all my 06 sets so far) BTW, if there's a Fred Meyers near you, go there right away. There's a "Buy Two, Get One Free" deal on all LEGO Bricks, and the Visorak Playsets are on clearance... more than 50% off! That caught my notice... but I barely had enough to get one Toa, so... Yeah, and canisters were huge, as mentioned before. About as tall as the boxed sets, not as wide. It was great to see all the cool new pieces come out. Anyway, the build was simplistic enough, and is probably better described in Dr. Bionicle's review. When he's built up, he's impressive, but not the greatest. The shoulder's are a bit odd with the armor... it moves, but looks too thin. I actually prefer the Metru's shoulder style, even if it dealt with gears. The thigh armor, if put on as it's shown in the instructions, makes the knee connection off, so the Toa always has his legs bent. If you flip the armor around, (like in the pictures you see of him on the cover) then it works better. The feet are a nice design, but they don't seem to be able to support as well as, say, Thok's giant feet. Then the neck is odd because it seems to push Hewkii's mask out and up from his body. Most of these designs seem to come from the building instructions, and can be fixed by altering the set yourself. Now the cool things. I love the multi-shoot zamour. Very fun. The chain is also a nifty part of Hewkii, and his axe weapon looks great. I still think it could've done without the light-up feature, but it's too bad. The mask, despite the head's odd placement, is much better than what I expected. It gives Hewkii a cool look. So, yeah, I'd say Hewkii is worth the money. But I'm going to see if I can find some other Inika on sale next time...
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Reading through Dark Destinies and Power Play, I have come to see how our favorite Matoran are portrayed in the series. Some are pretty awesome, while others are strange. So I’ll make a quick list of them. Jaller: When I first got into Bionicle, Jaller was one of my least favorite characters (responsibility? Why was he so into it?) However, as I’ve aged and used him in epics, I’ve begun to enjoy his character. And, now that he’s a Toa, he’s my favorite Fire Toa of all time! (Out of four that I know, anyway). In the books, Jaller represents true leadership and great courage, but he seems a lot wiser than both Vakama and Tahu were when they were leaders. He can shoot out orders, but he isn’t above listening to the advice of others. Jaller’s change into a Toa has really shown his good traits, and I’ve enjoyed reading about him. Hahli: Hahli seems to be a mix of Gali, Nokama, with a little bit of Takua’s adventuring within her. Seeing as her character has been built up already in other areas, I must say in the books she makes a very wise Toa of Water, and yet still has that flare about her. She also makes an interesting Toa of Water, despite the fact that her mask set-wise looks odd. Matoro: Now that I think about it, Matoro’s never had much of a chance to show his qualities before… he’s always with the Turaga, but never off adventuring on his own. In the books, he seems to be very uncertain about things, including their detour into Karzahni and his astro-projection powers (at first). He’s kind of got some of Kopaka’s eagerness to discover answers, but with less of the “lone wolf” status. His Toa character is kind of bland, but I’m sure he’ll be further characterized as more books come out. Nuparu: Nuparu was an awesome Matoran when he first came out, and I was surprised that he got to be one of the Toa as well. One thing done well in the books is Nuparu’s constantly thinking of something to build that could help him out… he’s still an engineer after all. However, his attacks seem a little fiercer than I would expect from him, and his theology about destiny doesn’t sound quite right coming from an engineer. Not that I mind my favorite character getting some extra lines. Hewkii: Now, the former Kohlii champ has a lot of character change. He’s arrogant and still an athlete at heart, but he treats the battle a little too much like a game. Numerous times in Power Play, Hewkii was the first to attack or suggest an attack… and even hinted at doing some immoral stuff to get the Piraka to talk (and was quieted by Hahli). While his character is understandable based off his past, I’m wondering if his new attitude (much like that of Tahu’s) will get his team into trouble. Kongu: The crazy Le-Matoran are always messing around, and Kongu does plenty of it. He gets all the good witty and sarcastic lines in the books. While he’s loyal and brave and everything, he is much different from past Toa of Air. While he has learned responsibility from leading the Gukko forces into battle, he also has the aloofness of Toa Matau. His character would probably be a lot harsher if he didn’t have so many problems facing him: he didn’t get the mask of flight, his own mask of telepathy won’t turn off, and he can’t find the Toa Nuva. Throughout Power Play, it seemed like one bad thing on top of another was piled up on Kongu, so there’s certainly room for problems in future storyline. So while the characters have their goods and bads, I believe they do fit their old Matoran personalities and will provide tons of enjoyment for fans as the Toa Inika. While Jaller, Hahli, and Nuparu get to expand their personalities from previous storyline, Kongu, Matoro, and Hewkii really get a chance to show who they are to the Bionicle community outside the MNOLGs. And yeah, that’s it for now.
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I’m feeling rather bored right now. Since I just figured out a few new ways to mess with my Blog settings, I decided to write a few more reviews. Since I don’t have any Inika yet, I’ll go over my feelings on the books, Bionicle Legends by Greg F. I’ll try to keep it Spoiler Free, but I’m sure there’ll be a few that make it through. So be warned. And read at your own risk. It’s pretty long. Spoiler Warning! Island of Doom. The first book, bringing back the Toa Nuva and introducing the Piraka. Pretty much, it’s been the coolest Bionicle Legend book I’ve read so far. Only Time Trap was better. For one thing, the storyline is pretty straightforward. The Piraka are all introduced, and we get about an equal amount of all of them and their personalities and powers. Even better, the Matoran get the largest part in the storyline. Although these are Matoran, their personalities and powers make them a joy to read about. What’s really cool is that the story follows the Matoran resistance going against the Piraka with no ally whatsoever. I have always enjoyed stories that mostly involve the Matoran; they get by without the power or strength of the Toa, and have to use their intellect and cunning to win. That’s the main reason I like Legends 1 much more than the others so far; it focuses the most on the Matoran villagers. The second reason I like it the most is because it brings back our favorite heroes; the Toa Nuva. Tahu, Lewa, and the gang get to have their personalities perfectly displayed in Greg’s writing. Their powers are often used, and it reminds me of the good old days. However, it is also interesting to see their powers pitted against the new powers of the Piraka. Specifically, it’s interesting how Reidak, Avak, and Zaktan all outwit the Toa Nuva because of their unique powers. The battle between the Toa Nuva and Piraka is one of the best I’ve read in the Bionicle books, and it was worth the read. With the book following the Matoran resistance and the Toa Nuva’s battle, it was a very enjoyable read. Some nifty quotes that you may be interested in. Jaller ~ “You like riddles, Matoro… try this one. What’s white and gold and can’t keep a secret to save his life?” Velika ~ “When the Kanohi Dragon roars, do not look for the stone rat.” Pohatu ~ “Um, they’re hiding behind a rock. Remember me? I’m Pohatu. I do rock.” Garan ~ “Let’s show them you don’t have to be a Toa to be a hero!” Dark Destiny. The second book, following the Piraka’s takeover of the island and Jaller and Co’s journey through Karzahni. It is still pretty good, but a bit more quick paced than the first one, and not as much detail on the struggle on Voya-Nui. However, that might be because the characters in the limelight have doubled. Despite the fact, Dark Destiny is a great book, and lots of fun to read. The book is split up between two stories, one on Voya-Nui and one in Karzahni. Jaller and Co’s travels through the twisted land are great. I feared that Jaller would get most of the character development, but I was very glad that Hahli, Matoro, and Nuparu also got a fair share of characterization, while Hewkii and Kongu mostly got to say witty comments. I especially like how Nuparu thinks of ways to build stuff numerous times. While there is not too much action in this part of the book, it is full of descriptions and characterization of the soon-to-be-Toa-Inika. Plus, I’m pretty sure the morals of the story come through the scenes where Matoro stands up against Karzahni’s visions and the nameless Matoran urges Jaller to go on his way. The scene where they escape Karzahni in the canisters was just excellent, and my favorite part of the story. In addition, some little mysteries were revealed in the land of Karzahni, including the legend of Karzahni and Artakha, the origin of the Toa olda, and the origin of the Manas. While it was normally the slow and descriptive part of the book, I did enjoy it. The rest of the book followed the details of the Matoran resistance, the escape of the Toa Nuva, and the arguments of the Piraka. Characterization in this section wasn’t as strong… only Kazi really got more limelight than he did in the previous book, yet he still hasn’t used his Echo Forks! The escape of the Toa Nuva and their fight with the Matoran was good, but it felt a little rushed. Yet it did help get the Matoran and Toa together, and their plans to fight the Piraka underway. Moving onto the Piraka, they had less character development besides breaking apart from one another. Hakann got the largest role, and Vezok virtually disappeared for the greater portion of the book (he was likely searching for the Nuva, I guess, when the Toa Nuva were ambushing the other, more lazy, Piraka). However, we got to see more of Thok’s manipulation, Avak’s power at work, and Zaktan’s leadership abilities (or lack thereof). Additionally, Brutaka and Axxon were introduced, although not entirely by name, and their characters were still shrouded in mystery. The big battle in the end between the Piraka, Toa Nuva, and Brutaka was the highlight of the book. We got to see how the powers of the Piraka were used to an advantage and to a disadvantage. I also liked how Lewa outsmarted Reidak… again! However, the battle ended abruptly and too quickly for my like… by Brutaka. The ending showed Brutaka’s amazing strength and left the reading with a numb feeling; things were really starting to heat up, and then it ends. This massive cliffhanger leaves me wanting the next book more than ever, and the last part at the end with the arrival of the Inika adds to that anxiety. While Dark Destiny wasn’t as powerful a book as Island of Doom, I still thought it was well worth the read. Some nifty quotes that you may be interested in. Kazi immediately began using the old Ko-Matoran trick of counting to himself to prevent an explosion of temper. With Velika, he sometimes reached numbers in the high seven digits. Axxon ~ “Well, what are you waiting for, Naming Day? Get out of there!” Hakann ~ “Doom. Destruction. The end of all existence. You know Zaktan, always great company.” Hewkii ~ “All I see is, whoever is in charge of attracting tourists here is doing a lousy job.” Nuparu ~ “Only thing worst than a Po-Matoran carver is a Po-Matoran carver with a sense of humor.” Kongu ~ “So we’re being stalked by a really big turtle?” Karzahni ~ (In response to “You’re Insane!”) “I prefer the term ‘creative’. Though I suppose there is not much difference between the two in the end, is there?” Kongu ~ “What did you seek-find? A new kind of bolt driver? A really great wrench?” Hakann ~ “It’s incredible how fast the sun can set on a new day around here.” Lewa ~ “You owe a lot of things. Like an apology to the universe for existing.” Zaktan ~ “No matter our differences, we are still Piraka. The Mask of Life can still be ours, once we kill these Toa Nuva!” Power Play. The third book that pits the Toa Inika against the Piraka, with Axxon and Brutaka thrown in as well. In searching for this book, I must’ve been to twelve bookstores over two months searching for it, and never found it till two weeks after the official release date. :annoyed2: Anyway, I’ve only read it all the way through once, so my opinion on it may not be fully formed. I say this because I did not enjoy it nearly as much as I first thought I would. There are many reasons. First of all, there are many, many characters that need development. The Matoran resistance seems to lose a little bit if their charm when they begin to work with the Toa Inika. Garan sounds a little too much like a Turaga, Dalu turns a lot rougher and tougher than she has been in the earlier books, Kazi’s secret is revealed without too much suspense, and Balta and Piruk get little character development. Only Velika stayed in a strong character, with his riddles. While the Matoran are active in the book, their role in it is much less than it was in the other books, as the focus shifts onto the Toa and Piraka. The Piraka are fun to read. We get to learn a little bit more about Vezok, and how he’s “dumb”, and Zaktan’s secrets continue to grow. Hakann and Thok get large roles in the end battle, but Avak’s role is less and Reidak is hardly mentioned, much like Vezok was in Dark Destinies. Their powers are used, but not to a greater extent than the other books. However, like their powers defeated the Nuva’s ignition attacks in Island of Doom, the Piraka’s powers are defeated by many of the Inika’s powers. Additionally, Brutaka and Axxon have their history more thoroughly explained, but their unique powers aren’t displayed as much (besides Brutaka’s mask in the very beginning). Where the character development is strong is with the new Toa Inika. Greg did a fine job of showing how the Toa learn about their powers, although some of it was cheesy to me, like when Matoro found his mask power. However, that’s because it looks like something I might’ve written, so it felt slightly reused. However, it was nice how the Toa initially discovered their powers, and then used them later on in the battle. Plus, all the Matoran’s personalities are shown excellently, especially with Hewkii and Kongu and Nuparu. The battle itself seemed a little too quick for me, but the struggles that Greg did write about were fun to read. While it did not seem as good as the Toa Nuva’s first battle with the Piraka, the battles between the Inika and Piraka were the best part of the book. I especially liked how the Piraka turned against each other numerous times in the last part of the battle, in which Hakann and Thok had Brutaka’s energies. The one thing I didn’t like about the book was the storyline, which was messed up in sections. The first two books went back to back, but this one has many tie-ins with the comics. In some ways, this is a good thing, but it does make the story a little choppy when Axxon and Hakann appear wounded from a struggle that wasn’t present in the book. In this way, you would need to read both the books and the comics at the same time, and if one is missing the comics, then they are missing out. All in all, the story did seem as smooth or detailed as the first two Legend Books. But then, I may have to read it a few more times cover to cover, and then I may just change my mind. Some nifty quotes that you may be interested in. Garan ~ “I don’t know who or where they are, but there are six new Toa on this island. And they are coming for you.” Nuparu ~ “You’re no vision of beauty yourself, Hewkii.” Reidak ~ “I should throw you off cliffs more often. It’s fun” Thok ~ (In response to a threat from Brutaka.) “I point him to Reidak and get out of the way.” Hewkii ~ “I’m not sure I want to know what my mask does. It might turn me into a Le-Matoran or something.” Kongu ~ “They can deep-carve that on our memorial stones. ‘But at least Nuparu had fun.’” Matoro ~ (In response to “You should be enslaved!”) “Oh, is that what that does? Then I don’t feel so bad about doing this.” Jaller ~ “We’re not. No, not Toa Nuva. Toa Inika.” Hewkii ~ “I’ll show Brutaka how a kohlii ball feels when it’s kicked into orbit.” Kongu ~ (In response to “I thought Toa always put the interest of Matoran first.”) “I thought Matoran were taller.” Kongu ~ “You’re right, next time maybe you should stick to a fire or ice Toa-hero. A lot less pressure.” Hakann ~ “Then live no longer.” Axxon ~ “No, Toa, just in case you succeed.” Hewkii ~ “That’s not very good sporting. If you’re not going to play by the rules, you’ll have to be penalized!” Zaktan ~ “Now, my treacherous companions, my hunters in the dark… now the true battle begins.” Nuparu ~ “Maybe you don’t choose a destiny like that. Maybe it chooses you.” Vezon ~ “After all, the waiting is half the fun.” I would also like to comment on Greg’s writing style. Throughout the books, I can pick up little tid-bits that certainly seem to have come from discussion from BZP (or the general fan-base). And I marvel at how he is able to insert this stuff into his writing. Greg’s always being descriptive and including plenty of action, and he is surely a great author. It’s interesting seeing what you can pull from his writing. I’ve found a few things of interest that I want to point out. Island of Doom ~ Balta… peered closer at Avak’s handiwork. “What’s that do?” he asked, pointing to an unfamiliar component. “And what’s that? How do those pieces join together? Is that the only color that piece comes in? I think it would look better in a different shade of gray.”]/i] Greg uses Balta to voice some of the questions I might heard an MOCer ask, especially the part about the shade of gray. Power Play ~ His mind was now full of the babble of everybody else’s thoughts… Hewkii was a little upset no one had commented on the fact that his armor had changed from brown to yellow when he became a Toa. Greg takes one of the most controversial aspects of the Toa Inika (their color change) and inserts it into the story. Hehe, I thought that was an interesting way of doing it. And now that’s my review for the first three Bionicle Legend Books. They were all a good read, although some were worth the money more than others. I will undoubtedly buy all the Legend Books this time around, and when I get the next one, maybe I’ll review that one too. And as of now, I’ll end this massive Blog entry.
