Surprised Not Many Noticed This.

Xabla · December 16, 2014

Thanks!

Toa of Ice - 1987 · December 17, 2014

Can you post pictures of them and some of their parts? (Like head and mask) Thanks!
The gallery will need to be approved on Brichshelf but here are some pictures: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=550791

Most of the parts are not compatible, but there are ways around that. You'll see pictures of some parts that are usable. Unfortunately, their ball joints do not fit snugly in Lego sockets.

One thing your gallery doesnt show, do the final fighter mask use unique mouth connection or do the masks snap tightly onto the head

Edited December 17, 2014 by ---Kopaka Nuva---

Aanchir · December 17, 2014

Interesting. I never realized the parts would be compatible with BIONICLE at all.

The creativity of the smaller figure designs definitely impresses me — obviously it doesn't take a genius to tell that they're inspired by BIONICLE, but they're still unique in their own right. That's part of why it's so baffling that the makers of this brand chose to go to such length to imitate the larger BIONICLE sets rather than coming up with unique designs for their larger sets as well. Maybe they just figured there was more money in imitating the larger sets directly than in coming up with original designs for those. :notsure:

Many of the part designs are less intricate than classic BIONICLE part designs, with some patterns like the accordion joints of the "Toa's" lower bodies or the horizontal vents of the "Toa's" lower legs feeling much more repetitive than their BIONICLE counterparts. But the part designs do excel in some other ways, like the smooth, streamlined designs of the masks and some of the body armor, which DO feel eerily like much more recent BIONICLE and Hero Factory parts from an aesthetic standpoint.

If I remember correctly, these sets first turned up around 2003 or 2004, hence why the larger sets focused on imitating the then-current large BIONICLE sets. In terms of articulation, they are weaker than the Toa Metru in some respects, with their articulation more comparable to the Rahkshi (but still a cut above the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva).

All things considered, I think these sets are some of the more "honest" bootleg sets. The designers imitated BIONICLE sets because there was a lot of money in doing so, not because they lacked creativity of their own, and if they had found gainful employment with a more honest company I'm sure their design skills could have been put to great use creating a truly original toy brand.