BIzzy

Two thumbs up! These are astounding looking figures. The bright colors are reminiscent of 2001 and look really neat with the other subdued colors. The feet and legs are my favorite parts... along with the organic jewelry, and the belt on Kopere.

The bionic versions of easily recognizable weapons are cool. The only thing is that I believe the loincloth/tunic element on Pakuru would have been better as a fabric piece.

But the way the new Bionicle (and Lego system) pieces were used and incorporated into the classic Bionicle aesthetic is really cool and slick. They capture exactly what was described in your introduction.

Overall an interesting interpretation of Bionicle, that’s for sure. A return to and pushing of this style would be great to see in a new Bionicle.

I believe that it is important to remember that Bionicle is a LEGO theme, retired or not. As long as people keep building with it and playing with it and sharing it, Bionicle will live on. It is true that many fans have dropped Bionicle along the way over time (story-wise and/or set wise), but it doesn't seem likely that stagnation will occur after this last discontinuation. The original story of Bionicle is finished, and for those fans that have stuck with it over the years, that will crystallize into Golden Memory... But the building never ends!

I believe it could go either way for Bionicle. If Lego sees a profitable opening for it and a demand that can be filled, Bionicle will be brought back. If the conditions don't exist however, Lego likely will not risk the loss of of profit and reputation for the theme.

I'm unsure if Bionicle should be revived again. If an elegant reincarnation of the original theme can be accomplished, I believe the risk should be taken. Otherwise, the theme should not be watered down with numerous incoherent incarnations. A better fate would be for it to be retired long term, like other Lego themes have done.

Why was the original video removed? Has there been any official clarification?

Regarding the old Bionicle and the new... my observations lead me to conclude that the original Bionicle clearly contained the superior lore and accompanying world. Where the truly legitimate debate lies is with the set aesthetics.

Wow, this is a fantastic and sincere tribute. From what this tribute evokes, I think even the newest Bionicle fan can appreciate the gravity that Bionicle has had in so many memories. A true legend.

Thanks to Mr. Faber for this!

I am fairly new to testing my MOC photography skills, but I will try my best!

Try to use a single-hue, flat background (like white or grey, or any color that doesn't clash with your MOC). Especially for a large figure like yours, a plain neutral background would prevent distraction from the primary focus - your model. I have found a white blanket or poster paper to make good backgrounds. 

Wowwee that is a really elegant and neat looking figure - especially the arms and toolset! The jaws here are cooler than the actual set that year. The torso and legs and even the skeleton looks solid too. Nice building!

"Toa" of Energy & the Staff of Sustenance

Before they put their faith in the legends of Mata Nui, many Matoran idolized this Toa. He - or it - was said to have descended from the twin suns, but no one can truly remember where the figure first appeared. It was later discovered that the sage had a dark secret: he was Makuta. Only after wreaking havoc and confusion were its heroic deeds revealed for what they truly were: an evil plot...

Please see Brickshelf for the full gallery!

For the figure itself: it has a poseable waist, which is also capable of rotating a full 360 degrees, due to a ball joint connection. Also, the "living" Staff also serves as a nifty launcher (which can be detached).

I​ went with a predominantly 2001 Technic feel, but tried to also incorporate elements from each year between 01-10.

Thanks for viewing!

Good to know! Hopefully I can get the rest of my family to sign up for the tour next time it's open.

 

Is the Lego House the same one as the Ideas house or Innovations house? This trip looks awesome and like complete fun.

The Idea House is a sort of private museum of the history of LEGO, built around the original home and workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen (who founded LEGO in the 30s). It's mainly for the benefit of LEGO Group employees and occasional visitors (business partners, Inside Tour participants, etc). It's not designed to handle public visitors. The Vault underneath is an archive of sealed LEGO sets from throughout the decades. Most of the older sets there are bought from or donated by fans, so it's not a complete record of all the sets there have been, just those that LEGO has been able to acquire. There's also a cool room where they show various LEGO knock-offs side-by-side with the real products they're based on, to give a sense of the difference in quality and what sort of counterfeiters LEGO is up against.

 

The Innovation House is the LEGO Group's design headquarters. It's extremely private. I went to Billund for the Inside Tour last year and we were only allowed to see it from the outside. They have giant shutters on the windows to protect their privacy when the need arises. It's the place that has the big metal slide that you see in all the photos, though employees don't actually use the slide a lot because they need to take their shoes off. Kids who visit for focus testing love it, though.

 

The LEGO House is still under construction and not open yet, but it's supposed to open next year. It's going to be an attraction that's largely open to the public. The decision to create it was motivated by the high demand for a public attraction in Billund where people of all ages can learn about LEGO. It will also include some more private areas like conference rooms for LEGO to meet with business partners.

Is the Lego House the same one as the Ideas house or Innovations house?

This trip looks awesome and like complete fun.

These are totally cool. I like all of the scenes very much, but if I had to pick one (okay, maybe two) absolute favorites, they would be Tahu encountering a Bohrok because it so perfectly recreates a memorable image… and Onua finding Onepu, because it just looks so… Bionicle. The glowing eyes, the darker ambiance of the caverns - wonderful work.

It is so cool that this is being done!

Thanks, BZP. I recall being curious about this very game, and Lego Island, but never getting to see or play them. All the classic themes, Lego people, and scenes make it even better. The game looks fun… and building a custom vehicle and Lego guy seems to work like I imagined. I will have to check out the other episodes in this series!   

Hi - instructions are available for the island of Mata Nui, as well as the head!

Gallery

Just for fun, I also got some pictures showing the huge scale of the giant - I hope you all enjoy viewing them, because I had fun making them up! I apologize if the brace supporting Mata Nui is a little distracting - I promise it is not like that in person.

Also, some asked for a closer look into how the legs or shoulders attach. I have included photos showing those connection points as well.

Do you have any ideas on how to (possibly) strengthen the foot-ankle joint? The lack of friction provided by the pin-brick there is a little bothersome. Honestly, that was a pretty hard part to figure out when I was building him initially.

Note:

I have since made some adjustments to the nose as well as the connection points which attach the face to the skull. To help prevent confusion, red circles point out what has been modified.

Thanks for reading!

This is interesting. I am late to find out about it, but I will look into the remainder of the event.

What goodies are given away? How do you win?

PS I will have to check out some of those previous livestreams (i.e MNOLG)!

I am surprised about the overall positivity toward Kopaka's new look, especially since I do not see it the same way at all. He has always been my favorite Toa, but this one doesn't seem to meet past standards.

It is good that the telescopic feature of his mask was kept, but I wonder why this Kopaka has gold armor only on the legs?? It seems like just too much is going on with his look - in the past, Kopaka has always had a simple, elegant asymmetry - but not so much this time.

To me so far, next year's Onua is the coolest looking!  

The hammer is very simple and graceful. I like how it contrasts with the solid, armored look of the figure.

That mask also sets very nicely on top of the broad shoulders. The choice of pieces in the back are also nice, and are even reminiscent of classic Bionicle.

The only thing I would change is the skeletal lower torso. The precise pieces to use escape me, but I believe something more "present" and solid should be used to better blend with the rest of the body.

I made the front page news as a feature?! This feels so unreal that my head spun when I realized it. I have not been able to check in until now, so that only heightens the shock of the surprise. Wowwee! Thank you!

Really - this is quite overwhelming. I do not know how to appropriately thank you for all of the positive feedback and high praise.

This is the best MOC of the Great Spirit Robot that I've ever seen! I've been waiting to see someone attempt such an impressive System build.

I'm not really sold on the colors (too many warm browns and not enough cool greys, in my opinion), but I understand that with a MOC this size sometimes you have to just use what you have. The build itself is quite solid-looking and I'm extremely impressed!

Yes, it came to a point that I had to improvise and use the Legos that I had. I do see how I could either go with more browns, OR more grey, however. I did my best with the rusted, ancient look.

This is beautiful. What's up with the spring thing on the hand?

I just used some objects to demonstrate the magnetic ability of the hands - an old spring, old watch batteries, and an Insectoid thingamajig.

Building instructions plz

 

Please leave more substantial feedback on the MOC next time. -Tufi

I am not sure if I can make instructions for the whole body. I can try though.  However, I definitely think I can contribute instructions for the head and the island.

This is extremely accurate and very well made, Amazing work! Do you have any scale pics of Mata Nui and a Bionicle set beside the matoran and his head? Your MOC is Epic!

Good idea. When I make the instructions, I can also take some pictures that show the scale difference. Who would you like to see? I am already thinking of using one of the original Toa, and maybe a Technic guy I have.

As someone put it on our Facebook page, "this is art." Congrats on the well-deserved feature.

 

I'd just like to take a moment to admire in particular your recreation of the island that bears the name as well. It may not be the main feature here, but I'm glad you included this iconic component of the great mystery. Otherwise, details like the brow and the switchable eyes, the articulation, and just the perfect likeness make this piece absolutely stunning.

I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!

Duuuude...you should send this thing into the Lego Ideas sight and try to get it made official.

Can I seriously do that??

woah

Now that's what I call big! Loving all the accuracy- the Metru Nui inside the head is just the icing on the metaphorical, giant robot-sized cake. However, I think that it would look better with some greyer browns; while I completely get that that might be impossible, I'm just sayin'. I'm also not a big fan of the upper torso, as it's just a bit too regular for me; you probably would have been able to slightly offset the chest panels in 2D without sacrificing too much stability. Other than that, though, I think this is truly a great MOC, and one that should be immortalised in some kind of MOCing Hall of Fame. Keep up the amazing work!

You are the second member that noted the torso chest area. Can you clarify what you meant by your suggestion to offset the chest panels? I feel I have exhausted all ideas and alternatives for that area (as well as the wrists) of the model.

That is... woah dude, that is impressive.

 

The whole building-a-giant-robot thing is cool in and of itself, but what I really like about it is the wear and tear you added. Having the sorta marbled rust all over is reaaaaally cool. As is the island mask bit too.

 

Dang dude, I got nothing else to say that isn't pure fawning. Nice work.

Thank you very much!

When I first came across this topic, I was in a bit of a rush and didn't read the text. So, I scrolled down to the images, and I saw the System-built island. My first thought was, "Wrong forum. " But then I scrolled a bit farther...

 

And I lost it. When I realized what the island was attached to, I couldn't help but stammer at it in amazement. I've seen some good models of the Great Spirit Robot, but this one tops them all. The head is perfect, and the rusty detailing is just incredible. I can only imagine the work and time that had to go into something like this. The shaping of the feet and all the gears and pistons everywhere are spot-on! And the eyes are just genius.

 

I do have some minor gripes, though. The shaping of the fingers and the position of the thumb seems a little off, but the cool function makes up for it.

The wrist area looks sadly barren and gappy. Perhaps there's a way to kinda fill that in? Nevertheless, I'm amazed that a single balljoint is able to support the whole hand, given their size.

Lastly, the torso looks a little flat. It was generally depicted as having a thicker chest, and the plates on the front would have more angle to them. But I know how difficult that can be. I tried my own version a long time back, and I'll admit it's tough to get a perfect shape to the chest, without having to sacrifice stability or detail, so I can understand if that was an issue.

 

I do have to ask, though: What kind of joints did you use? Because I can't think of anything that would be strong enough to support the forearms, let alone the entire thing! I'm guessing you doubled up a few connections and just covered it with the details really well. Whatever you did, the result is most impressive! I'd love to see some pictures of the inner workings, if that's possible. Excellent work!

Really - thank you for the high praise.

Yes, one thing that I noticed about prior Great Spirit models was that none addressed the ancient-ness of the robot body. So one of my primary goals from the start was to incorporate those features somehow. It was much more possible with Lego pieces than Technic.

For time: It took me about a month to visualize the finished 'set'-if-you-will, and then a few months longer to gather the pieces. Building Mata Nui was actually the quickest part, though there was some trial and error adjustments during those building sessions.

I can see what you mean about the wrist. I honestly could not think of any other way to build it without sacrificing the poseability of the hands. But yep - I am quite pleased that I was able to make the hand sturdy enough with one balljoint! 

Any ideas on how to fill in the wrist area??

I agree about the torso. It was mostly on purpose that I built it that way, because, as you said, stability and detail would have taken a hit if I had added much more depth. As it is now, the torso is the heaviest part of the figure, and that is what makes it tricky to balance above the tapered waist.

For the joints: I had to double-up on ball joints in the elbows and knees. For the shoulders and ankles, I used those snap-and-click socket joints that were common in the exo-Force sets. This was probably the hardest part to get right, because anything less than adequately strong would be too flimsy for posing or even standing the model up.

"...love to see some pictures of the inner workings..."

That is a good idea actually; I will try to take some pictures of how the shoulder/knee joints worked out.

I like the Alternating colours (being submerged for a thousand years would make you rather rusty, after all), the Sheer Scale, and the Intricate accuracy of the build. I don't think I've seen a more accurate depiction of good ol' MN before. Kudos to you!

 

Also, I like the comical scenes near the end. I always like seeing characters who are usually played seriously doing ordinary things.

Thank you. To one and all: please be sure to take a look at the full Gallery!

Whoa.

Honestly this is so hard to comment on because it's really impressive. The size, the overall build, the little details. It's really, really cool.

Pretty much the only critique I could have on this is the head's a bit big, both anatomy and accuracy-wise. But that helps it fit in the "Doo Heads" pic, so it still works in that case I suppose.

Thanks alot. I had a feeling the head was a tad large, but I just went with it despite the accuracy issue.

What do you guys think of the mini Metru Nui? That (as well as the Island) was the chief reason I chose to go with a slightly larger head.

This is...simply glorious...the amount of effort that this would've taken is outstandingly commemorable, the rust effect and the asymmetry achieving it are outstanding...

GIVE THIS MAN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE! Really, this is just incredible! 

Ahahaha. Thanks both of you (and for the laugh).

Again, to one and all, thanks for the feedback!  

Introduction - do I post here or in a New Topic?

First, I would like to thank administrator Andrew "Black Six" again for assisting me a few months ago in getting set up here.

What do I put for my introduction? Let me say (or type) this: I am a new BZP member, but I'm not new to BZP. I can remember my brother and me getting Bionicle info and speculation here as well as from the Mask of Destiny site, beginning around the mystery and excitement of the Bohrok-Kal/Rahkshi sagas.

Ever since then, going to BZPower has been like getting Lego magazines in the mail - bread and butter for the most part. I just never became a member. All this had been coming to mind recently - in addition to how much of a wholesome staple BZP has been and how much of a "household name" certain long-standing members here have become.

And more recently, I rediscovered the membership I had somehow created-but-never-activated at some point in the past. So here I am! (maybe at long last) typing an introduction. I actually did it! I look forward to having fun sharing and participating here. Howdy, Lego folks.