Nidhiki of the Shadows

Wow! He seems like a really great guy. That's pretty sweet that he was selling Bionicle comics at his booth as well. Seems like he had a good time on the Ignition project. I personally really liked the organic style he brought to the table. Very stylized and while some frames (particularly in the latter half of 07) looked off, I generally liked his framing and art design. -NotS

Yeah, I used to think Umarak the Destroyer held no resemblance to Hunter because of the colour scheme and huge size discrepancy, but that high res pic in particular proved otherwise. The little details like the dangling chain on his right side and the leg design that translates the original figure's help keep the connection clear. I actually really respect that. Its so much better than the weird G1 Kongu Inika-to-Mahri-like transitions. This actually feels like a transformation that makes sense, so kudos to the designers for getting that right! -NotS

^ Oh, okay. I was making the assumption based on the Club Magazine pamphlets. That's good to hear! Hopefully it is a monthly publication. -NotS

Quake Beast still looks ugly as sin but his arm swinging function looks brilliant. These beasts look like so much fun to build and play. That alone makes them worth it. Thanks for the pics dimaks! As for other 2016 news, I finally got to play the Mask of Control game. Was actually pretty fun! I enjoyed it much more than last years app. I got Gali Uniter of Water and Akida Creature of Water as a gift today. Gali is alright - I still like her previous iteration more in many ways, but I do like orange's addition to the colour scheme (cool how they positioned the orange Skrall armour piece on her leg) and the beautiful translucent dark blue shells. Her proportions feel better than I expected too. What I really like about these new Toa are their custom shoulder designs. They have a unified look from the back but are completely original between each Toa. It's really fantastic and adds a unique quality to each build. Funny how I used to think the 2016 sets were completely inferior to their 2015 iterations but now I can't even look back. They are levels apart. 2016 just crosses the line between old gen and new gen perfectly, while 2015 was too... clean? I guess that's the best I can put it. Akida on the other hand... Wow. This is is the best small-sized set I've ever purchased, er, received. Amazing, complex technic-based design, a great function, and aesthetically pleasing too. The Unity form looks great and that's thanks to Akida's sleek look compared to the other creatures dangling limbs. Two more Toa/Creature combos left! -NotS

Wow, Ekimu actually looks really epic in some of these shots. The Beasts, eh, still not too fond of their aesthetics BUT the original functions look so cool that I forgive em. They fall under Skull Scorpio territory - Ugly, but with amazing original functions so they get a pass. Can't wait to pick em up! -NotS

I wouldn't mind the turn to sci-fi. My favourite years include Metru Nui and Karda Nui after all. While I like the fantasy setting, it doesn't feel as unique as Metru Nui did. That was a weird kind of blend that worked really well. If we went for that aesthetic again, I would definitely not mind. -NotS

Pohatu Nuva did the whole Unity thing way before these posers did. -NotS

I'm guessing Ekimu, but you never know. I thought my first summer set last year would be Mask Maker vs Skull Grinder but it ended up being my last and I got Skull Scorpio first. -NotS

Thats... actually a really cool idea. Beings around a specific climate or landscape will adapt. Proximity to other beings will let their cultures flourish. Culture clash can happen when two cultures end up colliding with each other. That seems likely to have happened in the MU. I really like this theory. Doesn't necessarily have to be canon but its a good interpretation of what has come before in Matoran history. -NotS

Mata Nui Rising, "You are not the first Toa!" - amazing twists. Very unexpected and really got you intrigued with the plot. Mata Nui Online Game still blows my mind - I tried it again a few days ago with a friend and we were commenting how an online game of that scale for the sake of promoting a toyline would probably never happen this day in age. I think one of the stand-out moments for me was in the comic where Tahu pulls out the Mask of Time. We always wondered what the deal with the Vahi was, and that was its first appearance in canon Bionicle media. So it was quite the memorable moment, and it was better when accompanied by the mask's backstory the very next year with Legends of Metru Nui. -NotS

Huh I never knew those descriptions for the TCG were quite so... mythological. They almost seem to depict the Toa as god-like figures. The villagers simultaneously respecting and fearing them are interesting aspects about the Toa that I think we have seen explored on the surface level (like in the comic, Divided We Fall) but never really in-depth. Shame, I wish they had explored this further. -NotS

Maybe someone has brought this up already in the topic, but didn't Greg say the lack of burials was connected to the Red Star revival process? I'd take Jaller's "grave" or the more figurative descriptions of death in the franchise as nothing more than just artistic interpretations of how it could be done, but canonically its not something that was practiced. That being said, if Jaller's grave was really just a memorial of sorts and not a burial, I could see that kind of commemoration of life being commonplace in the Matoran Universe. -NotS

Ah I miss these. So much style. The typography used for the Rahkshi logo is still amazing. -NotS

Absolutely phenomenal. A great collaboration between some skilled MoCers. These are brilliant imaginings of the Elemental Creatures. I love how each have their own unique blend of system and technic/constraction but because all of them at least have some of that blending, they all look unified. Uxar is the wrong species but I like the substitute creature chosen. I particularly love what was done with Melum. Good job to all of you! -NotS

Very cool. Hopefully someone posts scans, even if none of the material is new. The mini Skull Scorpio looks wonky, but its a freebie so take what you can get I suppose. As for the mag itself, I've always wanted a Bionicle mag. Haha, I know this is a one-time Europe-only deal but it seems like a cool idea, similar to the 2015 pamphlet promoting Bionicle's return. I also find it funny how they seem to be promoting the 2015 sets over the current iterations. Cool about the comic too. -NotS

Absolutely epic! He depicts these characters in such a phenomenal way. Umarak looks great camouflaged in all that jungle. I reiterate what others said, the glowing ports on his back look great and is a sound stylistic choice! -NotS

Someone should ask him about his Bionicle years, see if he remembers em fondly. -NotS

Sweet! I won't be able to attend but everyone that can be sure to bring an issue of Ignition and take lots of pics! -NotS

Huh. I was at the Calgary store a couple of weeks back and I heard there was a restructuring too. Like many of you have stated, they only had 2015 sets on clearance despite having displays for the 2016 sets. That doesn't bode too well... On a more positive note, I finally built Mask Maker vs Skull Grinder. Really cool set - Skull Grinder is imposing but is a little too gappy, while Ekimu is all around solid. I love his hammer and the masks that come with the set are fantastic. I also got to see my brother's Lewa and Uxar. Lewa is really cool and has fantastic original limbs, plus his colour scheme is greatly improved from 2015. The weapons are a little awkward and his shoulders aren't quite as good as Kopaka or Pohatu's but overall Lewa is a very commendable and innovative set. Uxar is amazing, a fun build and a great function. The Unity form looks great. Finally, I picked up Kopaka and Melum. Great combo pack. Melum is a pretty simple character but Kopaka is phenomenal. The shoulder design is brilliant and looks great. His weapons are well-built, and his mask looks awesome. His stature is very heroic and looks way better than the overly bulky Kopaka of 2015. The details of these 2016 sets are astounding and really hearken back to G1's more robotic look as opposed to the previously utilized sleek "Hero Factory" look. My only issues with Kopaka are his out-of-place gold thigh armour, blue arm pieces and the use of stickers on the gun/shield. The Unity form isn't anything too special either. Shame, they almost had a perfect set in my opinion. -NotS

Armour sounds like a cool idea hearkening back to the Mask packs in 2001-2003. That being said, I love the small sets this gen. The Protectors were awesome and the creatures have been phenomenal. I really don't wanna see em get replaced by something more simple. -NotS

Man, that would be so cool. No matter how bad it is, I'd still go see it. There is something special about seeing your favourite original property on the big screen. I mean the Ratchet & Clank movie wasn't all that great but I still had a blast because I love those characters. -NotS

Very in-depth review. If I had not gotten Umarak yet, this definitely would have convinced me to do so. Amazing set. Fantastic pictures as well. -NotS

Gave it a reread. Man gotta say I love the characterization of Makuta and Ekimu. Adds so much depth to the initial conflict, and the setting of it is way cooler than it is in the original animations. Also seeing a Protector family was all sorts of cute. -NotS

A ton of big story tidbits this time around. Fantastic graphic novel that fleshes out the story significantly and adds a sense of intrigue that I felt was missing from G2. -NotS

Sites looking a bit more fleshed out. Cool that they are giving short summaries of the episodes along with some shortened clips for those who don't have access to Netflix. Good way to deliver story. Wonder when they'll put that Mask of Control game on the website... -NotS