Yes, I Know. You've probably had your fill of this Yeti-like Hero, But I needed SOMETHING to occupy my time. So I've put together a Takanuva Review, for your enjoyment, naturally.

Also, please remember this is my first review, so go easy on me.

So, Here goes:

THE BOX:

From the design and artwork, To the instruction manual, this is what catches your eyes on the shelf

Front

As you can see, his box is very pretty. 2008 has the best art I've seen so far IMO, with that beautiful swampy background. Also, I think Taka is the only set this year that doesn't have the Codrex in the background. And also, the box is HUGE.

Back

The Back of the box is far more interesting than the front. It shows Taka standing there in all his glory, as well as all the Mistika, the Vehicles (no Yetrax, sorry), how to fire the Midak, and the Power Lance spinning (more on that later). Other than that, theres not much else, except the three interesting pages in the Manual.

Mistika

Vehicles and Warriors

Phantoka

And that's it for the box.

BUILDING:

Half the fun is building the set. How does it live up to your expectations? How many new or interesting pieces? How long does it take?

Ok, first off:New Pieces

Well, I added in the new pieces from the winter because he just doesn't have enough new pieces. But, what he does have, is worth it.

1-White Gorast claw x2. A great piece, in any colour, and also, bears a resemblance to the prototype Nuparu Inika claw. And yes, the Toa Metru chest armour can fit together with it, just like the Nuparu claw.

2-Gunmetal Onua shield. Also a great piece, IMO. It can be a handheld shield, or even a mask for a very big MoC.

3-Air Sabers x3. Although not a brand new piece, still very usefull for MoCing, or giving lewa double blades.

4-Midak Skyblaster. Kinda used to this now, although it is awsome how it attaches to his arm.

4-Gunmetal Avohkii (sp?). This Mask is AMAZINGLY HUGE! it is like the size of Brutaka's Olmak, without the tusks. I can't say I like it though, or that I do not. It would be great, except that it slightly fans out at the bottom, giving him a slightly chubby look.

Interesting Pieces

1-Gunmetal Takadox Heads. Don't know what you could use these for, but they're interesting none the less.

2-Gunmetal Propeller casing. These are not as interesting as some of the other pieces, but still good.

3-White Hordika Feet. These look great on Nuju Hordika, or any white MoC for that matter...

4-New joints in white. The new hand joints can also be found on Krika, But I believe that the small dog bone joints are exclusive to Taka.

Now, With the individual pieces out of the way, lets move on to the actual Building, Shall we?

Body

Leg

Arm

Partially Completed

Midak Contraption

Power Lance

Aaaannndd, COMPLETED!!!

Well, there's a basic overview of the steps to build him. The arms are perhaps the worst part. They're easy, oh yes, but they're just annoying for some reason, IMO. And the body is a BIONICLE fan's dream. It is perhaps the most custom body we have seen to date, besides Maxilos's. It is extremely long, and built mainly out of Technic Beams. Though the Grey one on his back looks out of place.

The legs, and arms, are pure Genius. The way they have all that support, makes Taka the sturdiest set to date, as well as Being the tallest, Besides Kardas. It took me about an Hour to build him, even though I anticipated 30 Minutes.

PLAYABILITY:

The second half of the fun is the sets playability. How poseable is it? Will it actually stand up?

Well, all i have to say here is WOW. This set is AWSOME. It does have it's flaws though. The Dog-Bone joints on his legs do add extra support, but also hinder poseability ALOT. The Av-Matoran Arms Don't, surprisingly. He is very, very, very, (insert 50 more verys here) Tall. He looks like a Monster next to the Toa Nuva.

And now, I will take this opportunity to talk about the Power Lance's "spinning" function. When I saw that on the box, I thought "well, Duh it spins. it's in a + rod in an O hole, of course it'll spin. But what I didn't know, is that it spins fast, like Pohatu's Propellers. And, because of the speed it has when spinning, it causes the Air Sabers to fan out. And as it slows, They come back to normal. Like THIS.

As you can see, it's quite cool.

There is also alot of room to add a Matoran Connection. Matoran Connected. Or even, if you want, TOA!!!

And, one more side note: If you notice, the thigh pads in my pictures are upside-down. I did this because when they are as the instructions say, they are in the way of his leg movement.

Now, some extra Pics and Action Poses:

"Bring It"

"I Gots a small heads"

"This is not War, This is Pest Control!"

"I'm Singin' in the Rain"

"Together we Stand"

Now, the Pros and Cons:

Pros:

-Awesome Box

-Tallest set to date (besides Kardas)

-Very Sturdy

-Great MoCing Pieces

-More Gunmetal!

-267 pieces

-Power Lance spins!

-Very custom!

Things you might like, might not:

-New Avohkii (sp?)

-Gumetal Takadox heads

-Gunmetal Propeller cases

-White Hordika feet.

-$30

Cons:

-Legs aren't that moveable

-looks like a pinhead without Mask

-Grey Technic rod looks dumb.

As you can see, the Pros far outweigh the Cons. I suggest, If you have $30 lying around in your wallet, you should definately pick up this Colossal Brute.

And that concludes My Review of Takanuva, or Tinkatarfa, Or Talkalot. Whichever you prefer. Hope you enjoyed it, even if it is a little late.

Sincerely,

~LN~