If you could change Bionicle sets...

[Wiriamu]

While we all love Bionicle-or at least, I assume we do; why would you be hanging out in the Bionicle Discussion forum of a predominantly Bionicle-based Lego fansite if you didn't?-I think we can all agree that it hasn't been perfect. In particular, there have been some set decisions that have been somewhat lackluster, from lack of poseability to color scheme to repetitive molds to gaps in figures like Toa Mata Nui (though I personally like the figure myself). So, the question this topic seeks answers to: if you could change a set of the past, how would you do so?

 

Honestly, most of my complaints have more to do with accessories than with the actual build of the sets themselves. I'm kinda wishing that Dume and Norik had both one Pehkuis as opposed to Norik having a Kiril-shaped Pehkui; it's not like the Kiril was ever actually used for anything, whereas Norik actually put his mask to work. It would also have been nice if the Karzahni set had included an actual Olisi as opposed to two green Pridak feet. G2 was even bigger with mask issues, mostly due to incomplete mask sets or featuring masks that served no story purpose.

 

I think the Lord of Skull Spiders should have come with the G2 Mask of Time and/or a corrupted Mask of Fire or Water, with whichever one of the latter two wasn't featured in that set being perhaps included with Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder. It would also have been nice if we could've gotten a full set of six "infected" Uniter Masks, and maybe the Mask of Ultimate Power to go along with Umarak the Destroyer; the only set from the final wave that didn't come with two masks, made more sad by the fact that including one with him would actually have mde sense.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

The only set I can think of at the moment that I would change would by Kalmah's set. Particularly this hand that held his tentacles. I would've connected the sides of the tentacle Lego pieces to the hand instead of how they were attached 'officially' on the set. That way, both tentacles could face the same direction instead of them pointing opposite of each other. 

[Tarix819]

I would have given the Voya Nui Matoran, the Mata Nui Matoran and the Mahri Nui Matoran actual eyes, and I would have also given Keetongu a decent left arm.

[Manducus]

I would've not made the ball sockets so flimsy in the later G1 sets. Those things don't take much effort to snap and break.

[Pohaturon]

I would have kept brown. Hewkii Inika actually looked good in the animations where his gunmetal bits were brown but his official form wasn't too bad, it's cool that Avak was brown, Carapar was... sort of brown? Anyway, he still slides. But then Hewkii Mahri... how does yellow and black spell stone? I mean, I know it was a business decision because apparently brown didn't sell well, but at least stick with gunmetal - though there was much wrong with Hewkii Mahri beyond his color scheme. That said, I'd dislike the set less were it brown.

 

But then 2008 came.

 

What the ever-living subspace disturbance was that. Orange? In my Pohatu? Who thought of that? Who approved it? It's revolting! I mean, I'm more lenient than most when it comes to the 2008 sets (I outright love the Mistika, and am sort of fond of the Phantoka), but that travesty will never be forgiven. They took my favorite character and turned him into an abomination. Again, he and Photok would have been great if they were both primarily brown. 

 

Bitil being yellow I'm okay with, I guess, but a different binary color scheme with one being brown would have worked better too if you ask me. 

 

Swinging back to 2007, Dekar would have been neat in brown too, especially for the mask!

 

So basically more brown, across the board. 

 

I also would have kept the prototype squid launcher design instead of what we got in the end.

 

[Katanga]

I would have loved to have seen ways to stow away weapons on characters, sort of like Lesovikk. Opens up more posing options in my opinion. However, I mainly wish that Bionicle had stuck with the Metru head for the Inika and had a better variety of eye colors. The green and orange got extremely stale.

[Lemony Lepid]

I wouldn't mind having everything just hard plastic like 2001.

[Sir Kohran]

I would've liked one consistent deisgn for all or most Matoran, and for the forms of characters who changed/transformed to resemble each other a bit more (the 2008 Phantoka/Mistika forms of the Toa Nuva being the primary example).

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

Come to think of it, Nidhiki's legs weren't very poseable, were they?

 

And Piraka eyes. Just think about it: someday, there won't be a single Piraka eye piece that still lights up. They should have made it possible to change the battery.

 

And poor Kazi didn't even have a real head.

 

EDIT: And I just remembered the 2007 playsets not having real minifigures for several characters, instead opting for recolors, and even those weren't consistent between sets.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Cheesy Mac n Cheese

[Katanga]

And Piraka eyes. Just think about it: someday, there won't be a single Piraka eye piece that still lights up. They should have made it possible to change the battery.

There might be a way to repower the eyes. We just might not know it yet.

[Imnotactive]

I would probably make the toa mata have the gear on the back that the nuva used to easily turn the gear functions on and off, i would also give them neck articulation they way IXRolloutIX did, or by just changing the whole way the head and neck worked without getting rid of the gearbox.

 

 

 

And, while this is not Bionicle, i would give Hero Factory 2.0 better back legs and torsos. 

[Tarix819]

Come to think of it, Nidhiki's legs weren't very poseable, were they?

 

And Piraka eyes. Just think about it: someday, there won't be a single Piraka eye piece that still lights up. They should have made it possible to change the battery.

 

And poor Kazi didn't even have a real head.

 

EDIT: And I just remembered the 2007 playsets not having real minifigures for several characters, instead opting for recolors, and even those weren't consistent between sets.

 

I managed to change the battery of a Battery-powered eye piece. It's actually pretty easy. You just need a screwdriver and with a little effort, you can pop open the lid and replace the battery.

 

EDIT: Now that I think about supposedly one-use Bionicle pieces, you can also preserve the '01 and '05 Visorak Rubber Bands by rubbing some oil on them every now and then.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Tarix819

[Toa of Ice - 1987]

Personally i didn't like the so called head piece the toa inika used to attach their masks onto. It was just so blank and pointless and the mask suffered by not being compatible with other head designs.

Edited February 15, 2017 by necross hordika

[Imnotactive]

 

Come to think of it, Nidhiki's legs weren't very poseable, were they?

 

And Piraka eyes. Just think about it: someday, there won't be a single Piraka eye piece that still lights up. They should have made it possible to change the battery.

 

And poor Kazi didn't even have a real head.

 

EDIT: And I just remembered the 2007 playsets not having real minifigures for several characters, instead opting for recolors, and even those weren't consistent between sets.

 

I managed to change the battery of a Battery-powered eye piece. It's actually pretty easy. You just need a screwdriver and with a little effort, you can pop open the lid and replace the battery.

 

EDIT: Now that I think about supposedly one-use Bionicle pieces, you can also preserve the '01 and '05 Visorak Rubber Bands by rubbing some oil on them every now and then.

 

Well it's time to get my screwdriver and my piraka eyes.

 

 My MOC's eyes must glow

[Logan McOwen]

I wouldn't have ditched gear mechanisms.

[Lyichir]

I wouldn't mind having everything just hard plastic like 2001.

I'm wondering, what specifically do you mean by "hard plastic"? Even in 2001 weapon parts used a softer sort of plastic than the rigid Polycarbonate used for parts like the torsos and limbs. Are you objecting to the use of similar soft plastics for weapons or for masks like the Avohkii? Rubbery plastics for parts like the Mahri tubing or Inika masks? The glossy, flexible plastic used for Glatorian? Each sort of plastic has its own unique qualities, and generally the shape of parts influences or is influenced by the plastic used. Softer plastics are generally used for thinner parts that might be fragile or brittle in a more rigid plastic, so to be cast in a harder plastic many parts would have to be redesigned substantially or eliminated entirely to meet quality standards.

[Lemony Lepid]

 

I wouldn't mind having everything just hard plastic like 2001.

I'm wondering, what specifically do you mean by "hard plastic"? Even in 2001 weapon parts used a softer sort of plastic than the rigid Polycarbonate used for parts like the torsos and limbs. Are you objecting to the use of similar soft plastics for weapons or for masks like the Avohkii? Rubbery plastics for parts like the Mahri tubing or Inika masks? The glossy, flexible plastic used for Glatorian? Each sort of plastic has its own unique qualities, and generally the shape of parts influences or is influenced by the plastic used. Softer plastics are generally used for thinner parts that might be fragile or brittle in a more rigid plastic, so to be cast in a harder plastic many parts would have to be redesigned substantially or eliminated entirely to meet quality standards.

 

Welp, I meant the polycarbonate. I HATED all the soft plastic. Rubber was fine for tubes and similar functioning parts like that, but really. Having the Metru masks in the hard stuff would've been absolutely fantastic.

[TERIDAX941]

 

 

Come to think of it, Nidhiki's legs weren't very poseable, were they?

 

And Piraka eyes. Just think about it: someday, there won't be a single Piraka eye piece that still lights up. They should have made it possible to change the battery.

 

And poor Kazi didn't even have a real head.

 

EDIT: And I just remembered the 2007 playsets not having real minifigures for several characters, instead opting for recolors, and even those weren't consistent between sets.

 

I managed to change the battery of a Battery-powered eye piece. It's actually pretty easy. You just need a screwdriver and with a little effort, you can pop open the lid and replace the battery.

Well it's time to get my screwdriver and my piraka eyes.

 

 My MOC's eyes must glow

 

Small rabbit trail, but what battery type do the piraka eyes use? I need to replace mine too

 

If I could go back I guess I'd make the toa mata/nuva with more joints in their arms and legs, just for posability's sake.

I'd also swap all the ball and joint sockets for the newer pieces that they use in the G2 bionicle so they don't fracture as easily, that was what annoyed me 2007-2010.

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

Personally i didn't like the so called head piece the toa inika used to attach their masks onto. It was just so blank and pointless and the mask suffered by not being compatible with other head designs.

 

To be fair, these were originally supposed to have the novelty of glowing in the dark, but that never happened.

[TERIDAX941]

 

Personally i didn't like the so called head piece the toa inika used to attach their masks onto. It was just so blank and pointless and the mask suffered by not being compatible with other head designs.

 

To be fair, these were originally supposed to have the novelty of glowing in the dark, but that never happened.

 

Yes I was very annoyed about that particular fact... 

[Manducus]

Looking back, the Inika torsos got stale real fast. It was all right for the Inika, Mahri. and early Phantoka sets, but then it became an eyesore.