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You may have been wondering what it was that spurred Project Nuva to life. Look at the front page. Now you know. When I saw the leaked pictures, the first thing I thought upon seeing the lime and orange Toa was that the former looked exactly like Lesovikk (lime chest and head with a distinctly Faxon-like mask – two out of three points of distinction), and the latter like a Toa wearing the Vahi. There's a big problem here when a new set is released that is instantly recognizable as an old character – but isn't that character, and a mask shape for four years (and one later book) defined as that of the Mask of Time is for some reason called the Kakama. I have discoursed at length in various other places why it makes no sense for Lego not to make re-released Toa Nuva that actually look clearly like their former selves (notice I did not say "exactly"). "Lewa" has only two similarities to his former self – the presense of lime green and the fact that he carries a sword, and as I've said that appearance immediately makes me think of Lesovikk. "Pohatu" has claws, and absolutely nothing else to make me think of the Toa Nuva of Stone. "Kopaka" bears the most resemblance, through at least having white and a shade of grey, but his mask has the eyepiece on the wrong side, and he lost the sword(s) and shield that defined him for so long. And I utterly and completely hate those airplane wings. I do not feel like attributing anything positive to these at the moment. When I do (and rest assured that I can separate my opinion of sets from opinion of sets in relation to story), it will be from a viewpoint purely of pieces, because I have seen nothing to make me think, at a glance, that these are the Nuva, and also see no reason that such a course of action should have been taken. This is my opinion. Unless you can provide me with a logical, evidence-based reason for Lego to have left almost no resemblance to the Nuva (and as yet no one has, so until someone does I will not see logic in this travesty), I ask that you allow me to keep it in peace. ~ ToM
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Today the Bones blog presents a four-tiered feature on the official & approved 2008 set images seen in this article. First, enlarged and lighting-fixed images are used here that make judging each piece and the overall set easier. Second, my in-depth objective analysis of the sets is included with each image, as well as my own in-depth subjective personal reactions. Fourth, at the end I will make my customary predictions about how these are likely to sell. If nothing else, I hope the improved quality of these images helps you better make up your own mind about these sets. All of the following is spoilers, so read at your own risk. » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... « Firstly, the "Analysis" sections below are written as objectively as possible. Any traces of my own bias you see in these, please point them out and I will try to remove them. Secondly, the "My Reactions" parts are totally written from my own personal tastes. Feel free to skip those sections if you like, although I do make some observations in there objectively that aren't mentioned in the analysis. I spend time on it partly just for my own sake, but also because I do tend to resemble most fans in a lot of what I like, so perhaps my reactions can be used to roughly gauge how these might play with most fans. But please take that with a grain of salt, because it is really just me, and of course there are some things I differ from most fans on. Thirdly, please do not link to or describe leaked images, as too many keep doing when discussing these official images. Suffice it to say, the leaked images were apparently prototypes, which is why you shouldn't go by leaks anyways (well, one reason; it also doesn't help that they're illegal). Nuva Nuva! Analysis: The Nuva are now able to get the storyline spotlight for 2008, something most BZPower voters have supported (see here), and storywise this is not technically a transformation, but (apparently) simply new weapons, tools, and armor, as this was what Greg told us would be discussed (though whether this was approved as the explanation has not been revealed). The Nuva sets update these characters to the "new" style that evidence indicates most fans prefer, as opposed to the older, more Technic style that LEGO originally assumed would be most popular (and that has proven not to be the case since 2001). So right off the bat, when we compare these to the older sets, these are likely to play much better with most fans. Also, we see the better standards of articulation at work here, and much more varied use of pieces, less clonism, etc. They play up differentiation from their old forms much more than the 2003 Nuva, but interestingly their masks and tools resemble their old ones much more so than the Inika compared to their Matoran forms or the Mahri to Inika. Projectiles return with something like looks like a mix between the Cordak launcher in shape, and the Zamor launcher in what it fires. Due to the move to the new style, this will likely be a set group with intense reactions; strong liking by those who prefer the newer style, and strong dislike by the minority who prefers the older style, especially those emotionally attached to the Mata/Nuva03's exact forms and style. Very few fans in the main fanbase now remember 2003 or these characters, and even on BZPower most support this move, so overall the negatives to the "Newva" are minimal. My Reactions: I'm very excited about these sets overall, because I disliked strongly several features of the older sets, both Mata and Nuva, such as the chunky bodies, the gears, the lack of knees and elbows, the gears, the less cool style of some parts of the body design, and the gears. I'm happy to see the more Mata-esque mask designs. The Nuva were a good attempt at "coolifying" the masks, but only a few of them really struck a chord with me (mainly the Miru, and Kaukau). These masks are much more in line with the 2001 Kanohi, the Mahri's Kanohi, and other similar "cool" designs. I was hoping for a few more new pieces than we see here, but old pieces in new colors are cool too. The best part of that is that now, seven years in, Bionicle has finally built up a good collection of varied pieces for legs, arms, feet, etc. This makes it much less expensive to reduce clonism today than in 2003 (for example), and is something I've been looking forward to for a long time. Still, almost all of the limb and feet pieces are recycled (possible exception being Pohatu's arms). Got a bone to pick with the projectile weapon, though -- it's the same problem as the Mahri's Cordak Launchers. To me, the weapon isn't very stylized in appearance. To me, that is very important. There is evidence that most fans don't care since it's a gun, and certainly many real life guns are similar in that design. So it might not be a real problem, but my question is, why not coolify it anyways with a little with Bionicle-style pistons, serrations, etc. on the sides? The Zamor launcher, or both styles of Kanoka launchers, or to an extent the Squid launchers were good examples of cool looking launchers, IMT, and I miss that in Cordak and these weapons. Theoretically, that might make it even more attractive to most fans. However, it is much cooler looking to me than the Cordak Launcher, so it's a step forward. Kopaka Nuva Analysis: Kopaka's mask is the most recognizeable, with the lens concept included. He is very true to the style of the Nuva, maybe more so than the other two, in the smoother limb design and the more plain metallic design of the wings, much like the plain metallic design of the 2003 armor. He also has what appears to be a sword, much like how Kopaka Mata had one sword (although in his Nuva form he had two). The blade might be attached to the weapon like a bayonet; not sure. His feet are the first Hahli Inika feet in white, as I recall. My Reactions: He's my least favorite of the bunch, but still miles ahead of the 2003 forms. Mainly, I just didn't like that old metallic plainness all that much; I wanted him to be more original and less "true" to the older form. I love wings in a Toa, hoped for them for years. And the wings definately fit his style of cold strength. Airplane wings fit him much better than, say, Hahli Mahri's wings which were more "feathery". But I would have liked more "coolification" with these wings. Also, his mask isn't that attractive. Plus side is that it resembles an Akaku, but minus is, again, it's not that "cool" in the way I see coolness. The use of red in the laser thing seems very out of place on this set. And the feet have always been my least favorites ever since they first appeared in Hahli Inika (I believe). Best parts seem to be the sword/bayonet, the arms and legs, and the presence, at least, of wings. Personally I'd rather spend my money on Hahli if I want a winged Toa, though. Lewa Nuva Analysis: Again we see a lot of similarities to his older forms, in this case especially to Lewa Nuva. The mask has the same lower cheek things as the Miru Nuva, and the mouth area is very close to that. The top resembles the Miru Mata more closely. Lewa Nuva used to have two Katana until a Piraka broke one -- and this Lewa has one sword, again an interesting similarity given that these are apparently new tools the Toa get. He features the first use of jets (aside from Vakama's Kanoka launcher). And he brings a mostly new color scheme to the table for Toa; lime green instead of Mata or Metru green, balanced with gray and metallic colors. And his feet are the first silver Mantax feet. My Reactions: Lewa and Pohatu are sortof tied for my favorites of the Newva. Overall, I like the style of Lewa best. He's the most coherent of the three, his lime balanced perfectly with the gray and silver, the jets providing the perfect balance to all of that, the sword stylish and sensible, the weapon free in his other hand, again, sensibly. Kopaka's pose makes his sword/bayonet seem clumsy and his face doesn't fit that well with his body, and Pohatu's eyes are hard to understand and his tools seem awkward -- none of those problems exist with Lewa. (Pohatu comes close mainly because he's orange, and I'm bonesiii.) Lewa is a perfect example of what "cool" means to me in a Toa, and quite possibly to most fans too. I love the jets -- not just a little, but I think these are the best jet pieces LEGO has ever made, that I can think of, including System jets. Reason being the two-pronged look of the top end, mixed with the wider and roundish lower end; they just look so cool! The sword is awesome, very much like his old Katana, but coolified. And the mask -- it's perfect. It looks exactly like what the word "mask" in Bionicle means to me; slightly curvy enough to tell this is something molded from a Kanoka disk and worn on the face, not the face itself, coherent, not just round, and with some serration things going on. Plus what seems to be "visors" as a bonus. The one possible downside is that it looks a lot like Lesovikk's lime Faxon, but personally the strong resemblance to both forms of Miru nullifies that as a problem, whereas L's mask looks more like a lime Kaukau. Really the only downside IMT to Lewa is that he's not orange. Pohatu Nuva Analysis: Yet again we see a strong resemblance to his former forms. The Kanohi is almost identical to a Kaukau Mata, with the top turned into a visor. He's got a wide build, though unlike his previous forms it is not inverted. His last tools were double-clawed hand tools; these seem to be able to actually fold in like claws, and again there is one per hand, just like Pohatu Nuva. In color scheme he modifies Hewkii's yellow concept into orange, which might make more sense, and possibly might play better with most fans. On the one hand, yellow is perhaps more eye-catching and stone elemental energy has always been yellow, plus tan stone is one of the most common colors and tan is simply gray-ified yellow. On the other hand, orange is closer to red, the most popular color, also eye-catching, and closer to Mata brown, which is simply dark orange. It's also very close to Hewkii's yellow, which had a slight orange tint to it. It may very well be a perfect compromise -- one that increases interest both with many of the rare older fans and with the majority alike. The tools are apparently some sort of helicopter-like blades, so in addition to closing like a claw, they might rotate, giving Pohatu his method of flight to match Kopaka's wings and Lewa's jets. However, I can't quite make out a method of rotation; the only hinge I see is the sideways one to make them snap like claws, so that might not be true. His body also seems to be built something like Kongu Mahri's. The front half of his arms appears to be a new piece, and it might be part of the tools; that stick thing by the elbow might be connected to the helicoptery things to spin them. But that's just a theory. My Reactions: He. Is. Orange. Rad cool, man, my favorite color of all time. The mask with the visor is very cool, too, if a little less coherent than Lewa's. It's a little cooler than the Kakama Mata, and a lot cooler than the Kakama Nuva. His feet are my all-time favorite Toa feet, because they are bar none the most "coolified". Spikes are the key. The shoulder-mount for the weapon is good, not new, but still good. And the style pieces on the limbs are my favorites of those. What takes him down a little to me is that he's less coherent. The blade things look awkward, the visor color isn't balanced anywhere else, and the shoulders are maybe a little too wide. Or, I should say, for shoulder that wide, the arms seem too small (but that might be the pose). And I don't like the front of the arms, as far as I can see. Looks too industrial, not cool enough. In terms of recognizeability, LEGO could have switched Lewa's and Pohatu's feet, as Mantax feet look a lot more like Pohatu's old feet addons. But then Pohatu would be second best in terms of coolness, so I can understand and appreciate the reasoning, and I can especially appreciate my favorite Toa feet being orange. Phantoka Analysis: We know next to nothing storywise about these characters, except that they are batlike, and there was a bat-related teaser pic this year that many are connecting to these sets. Setwise, we are seeing some of the most uncloned designs ever, with a lot of "coolified" style (putting the term in quotes because whether it comes across as cool is, of course, subjective; my understanding of most fans' tastes is that they see it that way) and a lot of innovation. The nonclonism even goes so far as to give two Phantoka feet, and one something more like an insect leg. They seem designed to come across as "spooky" or "creepy" as villains, a common theme with bats, of course. The canisters look very rocklike, another similarity to the teaser image people are talking about. My Reactions: It's a lot harder to judge these sets than the Newva thanks to lower quality images, but there are lots of things I can tell for now. What stands out to me are 1) the wings ROXOR, 2) the faces are varied and cool; Antroz' resembling a coolified Krana or a mask, Vamprah almost humanoid, like an alien, and Chirox almost skeletal (you can guess my reaction to that). Also interesting is the sphere where the belly would be. Not sure what the deal is with it, but I guess it's a weapon they would release while flying sorta like a WWII bomber. Certainly innovative, although perhaps a little awkward, not sure. It's interesting to note that there doesn't seem to be anything else like a projectile with the Phantoka. Perhaps a pin in the back pushes it forward like a Zamor launcher, though, who knows. The rest is so varied it's better discussed with the individual sets. Overall, though, the Phantoka prove to me that Bionicle can still put out innovative canister villains just as much, if not even more so, than in the past. I can't think of any villains since the Bohrok that have been this "out there" in terms of cool innovation. Possibly the Vahki, but then they were so clony, it got watered down. Rahkshi, Piraka, and Barraki are very very Bionicle, and Visorak are maybe a little more "out there", but these are even more unique and unusual. Perfect villains to face the Newva too, in that they are very Rahi-esque, with enough variety to conceivably be different species. Antroz Analysis: Antroz features a red and silver (or possibly white, like Pridak?) color scheme, very triangular wings, some sort of blades (again, something like Pridak's?), and clawed feet. The feet are apparently the tri-claw Piraka feet, but might possibly be the new bi-claw piece in the smaller villain sets and Chirox; hard to tell at that angle compared to the canister's plastic overlapping the image. The face is perhaps the oddest in Bionicle yet, very remniscient of a krana or a Kanohi with no forehead. The red appears to be Mata red, not Metru red, though it's hard to tell for sure, especially considering the lighting in the original pics was so much darker and these are the brightened images here. The body, legs, and arms aren't visible clearly in these images. My Reactions: Aunt Rose. Sorry, can't help but notice the name resemblance. Antroz is the most beast-like in appearance due to his face; looks with this lighting like a giant mandible mouth or something; very cool. The claws are very cool, though apparently an old piece (an old favorite IMT). The wings are a good example of how I like wings -- they're stylized, but not feathery. Something more like this would have been nice in Kopaka, even without the bat shape of the inner-upper part. I like the bomber-belly (if you will) in Antroz; the red matches his color scheme well, and the size of that sphere looks intimidating as a weapon. (Incidentally, I wonder if it reloads storywise?) Vamprah Analysis: Not as much can be said about him as the arms and/or wings are still distorted on the sides of the canister. The wings or blades seem to be the long and skinny type, but I can't be sure. His head features a more distinguishable face than Antroz, somewhat humanoid, possibly with some kind of fangs (as the name might hint as well). Most notably, his legs are insectoid blades rather than feet, somewhat like a Visorak leg mixed with a Vahki staff in four-legged mode. I'm assuming Vamprah can walk with his arm-blades and leg-blades like a spider, but can't be sure because I can't make out the arms. But otherwise it would impossible to balance him, so something along those lines is probably the case. My Reactions: Vamprah is to me the creepiest of the three, with the face and legs. The face almost looks like a Kanohi, again. All good points, and I think the wings/blades look cool but I can't tell for sure. I don't like the red of the bomber-belly with his blue; it's the only place red is used in this set. Blue would have been more coherent. Chirox Analysis: Chirox features a skull-like face with what seem like fangs, a color scheme of black and silver (and possibly white?), skinny arms with blade weapons, Nuparu Mahri style pieces on the legs, the new two-toed feet, and apparently his bomber-belly has just fired in this image, which is what the half-and-half sphere below him with the green things coming out is. My Reactions: First. The. Face. Is. A. Skull. With. Fangs. I am in skeleton heaven. Of course, not 100% sure skeletal is the look they were going for, but I see it in there. So I happy. The wings look the best, the feet look the best, and the body looks good sans weapon. I'm even not really minding the skinny arm as it does fit with the skeletal theme. And fangs. Downside... again, I don't like that the weapon is red. At first I thought it -was- loaded in his belly but was simply black -- that would have been far cooler, a black weapon. But ah vell. Still, overall he's the coolest of the three IMT. He also seems the most intimidating; whereas the others might be creepy or beastly, if I ran into this guy, I might really cower in real fear. Except of course that I'm a skeleton too. Anyways. Also, side note, but the tone of gray on the canister is perfect. I love that color. Not sure the arm has two halves, though, which I don't like, but that's hopefully just the pose. Matoran Analysis: Before I begin, here's a pic of all three side by side. I bothered to make it, might as well include it somewhere. The 2008 Matoran seem to be much more oriented towards new pieces than 2007, with new legs, arms, body, and masks. The feet are all Mata feet, and the tools are old tools from various years. They appear to have only fake knees and elbows, though I can't be sure given that this is only an image. They do have working necks, apparently, though. And again the colors are lime, white, and orange. My Reactions: These are my favorite Matoran sets since the Mctoran 2001, which is saying something, because I was beginning to think LEGO couldn't surpass them. I love their masks, their colors, the choice of old tools, and the Mata feet even seem to fit perfectly. The body piece seems very cool, as do the stylized arms and legs. The masks are all based roughly on the Toa Newva masks, interestingly. What I loved most about the Mctoran was their coolified arms with serrations, along with the hunchback design, gear-free design, and the fact that the arms were longer than the legs, ape-like, and the heads big compared to a tiny body. All of this has been imprinted on my mind as "Matoran", and all these other forms since have gotten away from it. I don't think that's been a wise move, at least if most fans are anything like me (and they often are). But the Mctoran had no balljoint articulation and their feet were not that cool. These bring back arm serrations, they bring back body to head ratio, they are gear-free, they're hunchbacks, they have all of this, plus articulation. And, even what is there is coolified beyond the Mctoran, with the body especially, and the Toa Mata feet are far cooler IMT than the Mctoran feet. If the limbs don't have bendable knees and elbows, though, that would be dissapointing. Mctoran-worthy Matoran with knees and elbows would be awesome, but it doesn't look like that is the case. They're certainly better than Bohrok limbs (though those were cool too), but bendable joints are an important aspect of sets, to me. Of course, they're just small sets, so not that huge a priority. Also, the arm serrations still aren't as pronounced as with the Mctoran, which is dissapointing. Overall, so much of these sets I have been hoping for for so long, thinking I'd never get, that I still have trouble believing it's really coming next year! Tanma Analysis: Tanma features Lewa Nuva 03 Katana. His mask resembles Lewa Newva's mask, but it stylized differently and has no visor (that I can see). His arms and legs are different, the arms at a 90 degree angle with a highly noticeable serration, the legs looking somewhat like the Toa Metru shoulder armor. My Reactions: I like these arms the best as they're the closest to the serrated Mctoran style. The Katana is a perfect choice for the green set, the mask is an even cooler variation on the theme of Lewa Newva's mask. The knees look great, like a much cooler version of the Mctoran leg style, albeit with smaller feet compared to the rest of him. Solek Analysis: Hewkii Mahri swords, a variation on Kopaka Newva's Kanohi, and four identical limbs with slight serrations and pistons characterize Solek. Again, the legs appear locked into a 90 degree angle. My Reactions: This mask is what I would have liked as Kopaka's mask, maybe with a lens added too (sans the red laser). I could still coolify it, but within the Mata style, it's very cool as is. There's less serration on the legs, which to me is a downside, but the design is cool. The Hewkii swords are an excellent choice; one of the best tools out there, just like the Katana, IMT. In this case I'm very glad the designers didn't go with a "borrow from the Nuva" theme on the tools, as neither Kopaka form's swords were all that cool (although a silver Kopaka Mata sword might have been interesting -- no idea if that mold even still exists). Photok Analysis: Unlike the other two, only his arms feature the primary color orange; the legs are gray. Again the arms have some serrations; I can't tell if this is a new piece, or the same as Tanma's legs at a new angle. The legs appear to be Tanma's arms, but again, not sure. The mask is yet again a variation on the Newva mask of this color, looking much like the original Kakama in this case, even more so than Pohatu's new mask. And finally, Chronicler's staffs are his tools. My Reactions: Orange. Too bad the legs aren't orange, though, since that piece (if it's Tanma's arms) is my favorite out of the bunch. But great mask; maybe the most 2001ey of all these Kanohi and a lot like something I might design for the Paracosmos. Chronicler's staffs always rock; again I'm glad there's no Nuva-borrowing going on there. There's something confusing going on with the shoulder, though -- it seems way too high up to me. And there might be something attached to the back, or that might just be part of the background, can't tell. Small Villains Analysis: It's been a long time since Bionicle has featured small villains; the last I can recall is also the first; the Bohrok Va. Considering how much more advanced these are than the Va, these are a first. They appear to be essentially Chibi Phantoka, each with a variation on the faces of the corresponding Phantoka (just like the Matoran and the Newva's mask similarities). They use the same body piece and leg pieces as the Matoran, and two of them use the same two-toed feet as Chirox. All three appear to have the same bat-wing pieces, that resemble System bat/dragon wing pieces LEGO has made before. And like the Matoran, they each feature an old bladed weapon, one in each hand. My Reactions: Very cool. The Va were... well, their heads were alright, but that was it. They were cheapie extras, but these are real quality (IMT) sets that happen to be small. The wings are even clearer than the Phantoka's to be wings, although they look a little too small to really help in flight much (but this is Bionicle physics of course). The two-toed pieces and the spider-leg pieces work really well in them, and the tool choices are excellent. The faces I have mixed reactions to, but will save that for later. And the canisters are a nice chibi version of the stone look in the Phantoka canisters. Kirop Analysis: Kirop features Matoro Mahri claws, two-toe feet, and apparently Photok's arms as both arms and legs (and at this angle, it appears Tanma's legs must be this piece as well). The face looks the most batlike of all of these, apparently with four fangs just barely discernable at the bottom. My Reactions: My fav of all three. The bat-ear look with the fangs is great, the black wings fit the color scheme best, the weapons are perfect (and perfectly coherent), and for a villain the limb choice looks perfect. I love the two-toed piece, especially in a small set like this. And the face reminds me of mimes or those bad guys in Zelda... um... the one with the fish.... Windfish? Anyways. Red eyes are perfect. It's just a great set. I think those wings could be bigger, though. And I keep mixing his name up with Chirox, but I'm learning, I'm learning... Gavla Analysis: Gavla features a blue and black (or possibly dark gray/silver) color scheme, with either white or silver at the top of the head. Again the feet are the two-toed pieces. The limbs appear to be Tanma arms. And the tool is the green Visorak's pincher. My Reactions: Again LEGO is hitting the mark perfectly with the coolest old tools to choose. The Visorak Keelerahk jaws were always my favorite [Lol, no, they're Carapar claws, which are very similar, and also my favorite Barraki tool -- thanks to xccj for catching that mistake), as I've posted on here many times (were you guys reading my posts, lol?), as they seem the "coolest" in my view of what is cool. Head isn't as attractive to me; it's a little plain, though there might be a sortof batwing/tentacle thing going on at the top. Reminds me of Mantax's head, which I thought was only semi-cool until someone finally showed a pic of it from the top view, revealing it to be the coolest perhaps ever made with those sweep-back tentacles. Might be something like that going on here, not sure. Again, I love the two-toed piece. This guy looks like perhaps the most dangerous of the three with the longer weapons. I'm dissapointed that the wings have to stay black. Blue versions would have rocked. Radiak Analysis: Again we see the spidery formation of legs, and in this case it's clear that the arms form the other two legs. Takanuva staffs are held by Tanma arm pieces in the front, and apparently the back is the same, though it's hard to tell. Again the batlike wings come out the back, and the face resembles another Krana-like shape just like Antroz's. The red also, again, appears to be Mata red, not Metru red, but, again, might just be this pic. My Reactions: This is what a Krana should have looked like, IMT. All those spikes sticking off the sides rock. Spikes are the key to cool. Interesting that the spider design is in red, whereas with the Phantoka, it's in blue. I wonder if white, orange, and lime Phantoka and small sets will have some of this spider design? Again, I wish the wings had been colored; red in this case, not just black again. Takanuva staffs -- again, the best of the best of tools are being used here. Again I feel like the set designers are reading my posts. This guy ranks very close to Kirop to me, close to being best, with Gavla a little behind. Mainly, it's because both Kirop and Radiak are coherent, overall, but Gavla's head does not fit with the coolness of his weapons. Also, Radiak and Gavla's black wings aren't as coherent as red and blue would have been, but Kirop's black wings are coherent with other black in him. Remember the importance of coherence -- it isn't just pure cool shapes that make up the whole of "coolness" IMT. Big Box Set Toa Ignika Analysis: Obviously, the name and mask bring up many storyline questions. I think it's safe to say for the moment that Toa Ignika wears the Kanohi Ignika and leave it at that here. This set is much like Toa Takanuva, in that it presents old pieces (like a Titan set would) to construct a Toa and a vehicle, with a new piece for an elite mask, and sells in a box. The main difference is that this Toa includes the same projectile weapon that the Toa Newva have. In this case, we see a standard Toa Inika/Mahri/Newva style body and limb design, decorated with bladelike shoulder armor and Nuparu leg armor that also looks somewhat bladelike. The bladelike theme is repeated in the Hewkii Mahri staff and several places in the "hoverboard", matching the bladelike ridges in the also-silver Kanohi Ignika on his face. There's a Piraka torso, Rahkshi legs as limbs, and Toa Metru feet. In the hoverboard there's a Jaller Mahri sword, two Brutaka swords, and two other swords I can't make out. Also of note is the color scheme -- largely silver, but there is also some yellow. Same yellow featured in Hewkii Inika/Mahri and other sets like Keetongu. My Reactions: THIS is cool incarnate. Blades/Spikes, serrations, great blade-like shoulder design (a key to coolness I use often in my own MOCs and such), a great staff weapon, a hoverboard... Not just any hoverboard, a cool one with sharp streamline front with a three pronged design, and wings. Wings apparently even slightly bent forward. Perfect design for a hoverboard. Perfect example of an ubercool, coherent set. This rocks. Only real downside is the lack of new pieces. Of course, that's standard fare for box sets anyways so no surprise. The main new piece, the Kanohi Ignika's 2008 form, is familiar but still coolified a little, in the way it's pinched in at the cheekbones a little compared to past forms. And regardless of being coolified since its last form, it was already one of Bionicle's coolest masks. I would have increased the spike/ridges on the top though. My Predictions I've had a tradition of making informed predictions for many years now about how sets, mainly canister sets, will come across to the fanbase and how that will affect sales. My approach has proven correct in almost every instance as sales results come in, most recently the Inika and Piraka. For the moment, my predictions on the Barraki and Mahri are still waiting results, so I'll rehash that. The Mahri should sell roughly as good as the Inika, possibly down due to some flaws in coolness with some body designs and Cordak uncoolness, but also probably up due to their higher degree of nonclonism than the Inika, better (more "Bionicle") masks, and of course, the Cordak are "guns" which is guaranteed to earn major point. The Barraki should sell even better than the Piraka, due to less clonism and very strong cool designs of heads, bodies, tools, etc. What might bring them down is that overall many are not as "out of the box" as something like Visorak or Bohrok, and their coolest parts aren't as intense as something like Piraka spines or Rahkshi spines (except Ehlek -- but he is lacking limb styling pieces). So here's my thoughts on 2008's sales prospectus. First, there is a high level of coolification throughout many of these sets, and so that right off the bat is going to grab attention on the shelves. The strongest sets in this respect, to me, are the Phantoka. We are seeing the most stylization and the most "spikes" and such in these sets, and they are also highly innovative. Much like the Bohrok or Visorak, they are a new shape to Bionicle, and much like the Rahkshi or the Piraka, they focus on style over mere practicality. They seem somewhat biomechanical with the style of their faces and in two cases, the toed feet, as well as the wings. In addition, they are very non-cloned, so interest in buying all three (for now) will likely be strong. All of these make them stand out as something worth buying, rather than just another canister set. These are the first villain sets I've seen aside from some of the Barraki that combine all of these positive factors together in each set and roughly balance them out perfectly. I predict that for villain sets, these will sell very well. Possibly even surpassing the Piraka. Second, the Toa Newva. I have issues with some aspects of them, especially those issues mentioned with Kopaka. Judging purely based on Lewa for the moment, I see the same balance of cool, coherence, and a high degree of innovation, with a very cool color scheme, and a better-than-Cordak launcher. Lewa, I think will sell well. Pohatu will probably look a little clearer with higher-res images from the magazine, and a better pose with Kopaka that shows off his sword/bayonet, or whatever it is, may also cast him in a more positive light. Both, especially Pohatu, are at least equal to the Toa Mahri in level of cool. Kopaka could have gone a lot beyond it than he did. Pohatu could have been more coherent. The weapon could have been far more cool and stylish. Kopaka's feet could have been better. Body armor could have been cooler (just like with the Mahri), with spikes or the like. Things like this seem to make them look less like the noble heroes that fans want, in my understanding, and a little more like machines, especially Kopaka. So there are some negatives that I think might hurt them. Overall, though, they are very cool. I predict the Newva will sell roughly like what the Toa Mahri will sell (which should be about like the Inika, which was very good). I worry the Newva might not go as high as they could have gone in success, though. Small sets. These are strong in coolness, the Matoran with possibly better Kanohi than the Newva, the small villains miles better than the Bohrok Va (Phantoka Va?). Tricky to judge small sets, but I predict these will sell decently. Most likely the Matoran are the strongest of the two kinds, with so much similarity to what was cool about the original Matoran. There really is no context in which to judge small villain sets, though, other than the Va, so that prediction is less certain. Given that these are high quality cool sets, it's a safe bet that they'll far surpass the Va. By how much, I have no idea, because villains rarely sell as well as good guys. Toa Ignika. This should sell a lot like Takanuva in 2003, which was a strong seller despite that year overall being down, and quite likely a lot like Lhikan and Kikanalo, though there is no Rahi here. I.e. this one should teach big box sets how to leave shelf. Main possible weakness is lack of new parts, but since the old parts that are included are the best of the best, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Overall, as you can see, I expect 2008 to be very up for Bionicle. Will it be the best year ever? That's a question I'm not going to touch, as it is really purely subjective, though I'll be interested in how that question plays late in 2008 or in 2009. But I think it's safe to say it will be up to par, at least, with 2006 in sales. I think it will be a hard year to beat in years afterwards. Well, hope you enjoyed this or found it useful. Please comment any questions, corrections, disagreements, agreements, whatnot.
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Title says all. Just need to know.
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My Thoughts On The 08 Sets And The Frenzy That Follows!
Adventurer posted a blog entry in blogs_blog_586
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Many people have currently gone into the bi-yearly craze over the new set pictures/names. I shall post my thoughts for entertainment Here's Kopaka Nuva Pros: Awesome wingsWeapon looks decentThe mask resembles his old one. The red piece is a nice add on I think Cons:Build looks a bit stiff. I'll make my decision when I get him Shoulders look exposed. Lewa Nuva now Pros: Pretty cool sword. It suits his element The rockets look fun I can't wait to see a Toa of air in an air type location!Cons:Mask looks a bit too much like the Faxon, though since every set comes with a new mask, this is acceptable Pohatu Nuva next Pros: Generally, a fairly unique design The weapons/helicopter blades look interesting.The bulky build suits stone.His Midak Sky Blaster is mounted in the same way as Nuparu Inika's Cons:I would have preffered yellow over orange, but I guess he's orange because Toa Ignika is yellow I hope we'll get a yellow Makuta The head looks awkward.I'll post more each blog entry -
It's cold outside... not quite perfect weather for Kopaka, but it's close... Edited pieces: thigh joints to light grey, eyes to ice blue, and thigh armor to dark bluish grey. His shoulders and neck are also dark grey, continuing the dark accents. He too keeps the axles to attach his skates, and this time his shield is attached via a loose axle/pin plugged into one of the axle holes at the middle of his hand... (I tried the axle hole at the end, but that left too little room given the width of the Nuva leg.) The Rahkshi legs are there because they already exist in light grey, I liked the smooth look with Kopaka, and I also thought it might be interesting to make Kopaka taller than the other Toa. (For proportion reference, their new bodies would be one stud taller than the old due to the hip piece used – another way to make them taller would be to use an ordinary Metru hip instead of the shortened one I designed. I might do that for Gali.) :: Project Nuva :: :: The New Pieces :: :: Onua :: The Nuva symbols and Nuva Cube are two of my favorite things in all of Bionicle. ~ ToM
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A treatise on set-to-character recognizability. As I see it, there are three basic elements by which it is possible for a new set of a character to be recognizable as his or her previous form. If any two of these are kept, it is very easy to recognize said character. If only one is kept, recognizability can be pulled off, but you'd have to be one heck of a good designer to do it, and it also depends on which one it is that is kept. If none are kept, there is nothing by which to identify the character. Primary colorMaskSecondary color There are, of course, additional things that add recognizability – the Nuva's armor, Kopaka's sword and shield, and Pohatu's toe guards. Anything in a character's previous form can serve to make the transformation believable, but the three above (and the Nuva's armor) are the most general. But, these are reasons the Inika bore no recognizability as the Matoran, and why the Mahri were only semi-recognizable as the Inika. Of the Inika, only three retained any of the above three points, and only one each at that. And because these three were now the standard colors for Toa of Earth, Ice, and Water, there was nothing to suggest they were Nuparu, Matoro, and Hahli. When the Inika became Mahri, they kept only one point each (primary colors except for Hewkii, who kept his secondary color), and the recognizability that was there was through the structural similarities to their Inika forms of Jaller, Hahli, and Matoro, and to a very small extent Nuparu. These are the standards by which Lego has to adhere if they want to create Toa recognizable as the Nuva. As I said, it's possible to retain only one of these and have a recognizable set, but that one cannot be secondary color. In the case of the Nuva, it would have to be either mask or primary color, given that these two are very large parts of the Nuva's distinction from recent sets. Secondary color could be kept by itself, but it would have to be in conjunction with another color very close to the original primary color – like Lewa Nuva in lime and dark green, or Tahu in orange and dark red. Also, Nuva masks restyled in the manner of Lhikan's Hau (keeping all the necessary features in the same places, just with a different overall style) would count as keeping their masks. (I would absolutely adore Nuva masks restyled that way, by the way.) I should also differentiate between recognizability and believability. Lewa with a new mask in dark green and lime would be a believable transformation, not necessarily one maintaining recognizability. Matoro, Nuparu, and Jaller Inika were believable, because ice blue was not a great stretch from sand blue, light bluish grey not distant from dark grey, and dark red and bright gold are not terribly far from red and yellow. Believability is subjective; to me Hewkii Inika was not believable at all – for the reason that he was not recognizable. Project Nuva (something that keeps far more than three points of recognizability, as you've seen) will hopefully continue tomorrow – it would have on Monday, but I had difficulty with colors, and since then I've been both really busy (driver's ed after school Tuesday and Wednesday and extraordinary amounts of homework severely limit free time) and lacking an optimal setting of natural light for Kopaka... ~ ToM
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Continuing Project Nuva, just how a Toa Nuva would be rebuilt (see below entry) would be to use these pieces... you can faintly see the lines of the graph paper I drew them on, so if you need a scale reference, it's there. :: New pieces :: Modified single socket, similar to the rubber-lined ones of $20 set fame, except with the middle area shortened by half a stud. This allows for the gears to fit beneath it while still giving neck movement, keeping the head at the same level as the original Nuva (connected to the body by a 3-long axle).Modified Toa body, in the style of the Metru. Again, keeping the gears, but giving a connection slot for a Metru-type hip piece.Shortened Metru hips. Just an idea, having the beam part be only four studs long instead of five, so that they wouldn't have long bodies with short legs.In two pieces, a flexible Nuva leg. The upper half is Rahkshi-thigh-esque, except the socket is built in, making it only one piece. The lower half is one stud shorter than the Metru leg piece (as can be seen by the faintly visible grid).A new thigh armor piece. About the same size and shape as the Metru thigh armor, but smooth and round to work with the Nuva legs and armor.:: Construction :: As you can see from the pieces, the torso would be much like the Metru torsoes crossed with the originals – arms connected both by gears and by friction axle/pins, but with hips like we've had since 2004. This gives a much wider range of both arm and leg posability. The arms would make use of the new Nuva legs, an unfortunate sacrifice of individuality between Toa in favor of flexibility. This means there's both side-to-side articulation, thanks to the single sockets at the shoulder, holding their armor, as well as elbows. But it does seem to be something of a trend that the leg pieces of one group become the arms of the next. (For instance, Tahu and Lewa Nuva's arms, the Metru legs in the Inika and Mahri...) Anyway, the legs would be what was the basic Metru leg construction – short double socket with the new thigh armor piece over it, with either Metru or Inika shins. I imagined Metru on Lewa, Gali, and Kopaka, with Vahki on Tahu, Onua, and Pohatu. And no, I did not realize until afterward that I had split the leg pieces between Wairuha and Akamai. As to extremities, they would keep their feet and tools – after all, one of the many cool things about the Nuva was the dual tool functions. Their heads would use Metru heads, but recolored into light grey, with all their original eye colors. (Which means Metru eyes in trans-pink, ice blue, and trans-yellow!) It would also thus be useful for there to be six new molds of the Nuva masks, just replacing the stud mouthpiece with the axle mouthpiece (otherwise the Kanohi Nuva wobble on the Metru heads). Though something akin to Lhikan's Hau might be interesting as well, I personally have never disliked the Kanohi Nuva... All of this is why I pointed out last entry that Lewa was an example – he conveys their general look, but the points requiring new pieces can't be illustrated photographically. He has the appropriate visual elements, but obviously not the new molds that would be needed... He's still the mascot of Project Nuva, though. ~ ToM
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Again I die and break my schedule, I know, I know. Its been a crazy week, and I'm tired. In fact I should probably save this for the Monday update, but I wanna get it out of the way. Or something like that. Anyhow. On the current state of BIONICLE I'm not happy. Strong words to start off with, I know, but it's true. I'm simply not happy with BIONICLE at this time. Now, before the accusations begin pouring in that I've grown out of it, or I'm a 2001-2003 fan, or something like that. Allow me to head that off--yes, In a way I've grown out of it, however I still purchase and enjoy the sets, and still read the comics and enjoy some of the media, as for being a 2001-2003 fan? I'll admit it, I love the Toa Olda--and I think the Toa Nuva were the most ugly things ever, I also highly enjoyed 2004 and others. This is not about not being on Mata-Nui, or anything like that. This is simply my opinion on the current state of BIONICLE, and the main problem points I've found. Problem point #1 Accessability: Like many of you, I recall when BIONICLE first came out, and recalling the dissapointment that was Robo-riders and Throwbots/Slizers I warily stayed away--and then that accursed and beloved first comic appeared in mailbox and I was instantly hooked, the powerful story, the mysterious origin, everything was so very fascinating to me--and it continued to be throughout...until the first crash. Mask of Light. Now, don't misunderstand, I liked the movie well enough, heck, I still have it. My problem laid with the gaps in the comics, "CONTINUED IN MASK OF LIGHT" well, that bugged me, but it was minor enough that I could overlook it. 2004 came with much fanfare, a return to the past and an interesting story of the Turaga we knew and loved as powerful (if somewhat unsure) Toa. It was an interesting story psychologically, going from the powerful and confident Toa Nuva to the unsure and frightened Toa Metru--and then that accursed thing appeared in the comics "CONTINUED IN LEGENDS OF METRU NUI"--or at least as far as I recall, as it was around this time that LEGO central seemingly forgot that I was to be sent comics as well as catalogues. Three catalogues, no comics. Frustrating. Likewise with 2005, but at least this time they were organized and didn't send me ANYTHING. No catalogues, no comics. 2005 passed without much fanfare from me (minus of course, my own stories) I also managed to snare every toy from this period minus some the Rahaga and the playsets. Ah, 2006 the return to comics and the return to the Nuva--or not. The Piraka were interesting, as was the new art style, but I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't getting the whole story, everything was being told in fragments, little tiny pieces of a greater whole. Where once I could pick up a comic and be quite up-to-date on the general going-ons in the mysterious world of BIONICLE, they started to become shallow, with little information and lots of fighting. (and this is a trend that's continued in my eyes.) And so to come to the crux of the issue, I find it wonderful that the BIONICLE books exist, it's a great way to give the story some depth--however now I find that the BOOKS are what contain most of the story, and the comics are really there to showcase all the nice toys you can buy, and show how 'cool' everyone is. A dissapointment, in my eyes. Problem Point #2 Characters: A sensitive spot for many, I know. It is not that I dislike the characters, no, I quite enjoy many of them. It's more the fact that in my eyes in many ways they've ceased being just that, characters, rather they seem in many ways to be character-types. One of the reasons I fell so madly in love with the story of BIONICLE was the rich characters woven seamlessly with the story. The Turaga while all wise were also all distinctly different, the Toa while powerful had different opinions on how power should be used, they fought, they lost, they argued and they seemed to live. Around 2005 I began to notice this changing, with the advent of the books much of the life seemed to be leaving from the characters--even in said books (I've read quite a few of them, thank you very much) they simply weren't diverse, weren't interesting. It was as though one archetype was chosen and simply given different colours and slightly different views. I noticed this more than ever in 2006. Describe the defining characteristics of The Piraka, Vezon, and The Inika. Now describe the characteristics of the Toa Nuva--notice a difference? It was also around this time that characters truly began to suffer--gone were the brave and diverse Matoran of Mata-Nui, no, upon transforming into Toa it was as though they'd lost their old personalities completely--and still feel this. The Toa Mahri to me seem flat and uninteresting. Now I will admit that I have not read any of the books, but I going back to my first point, I don't think someone should have to read all the books simply to feel like there's a real character, rather than a generic hero. Problem Point #3 Structure: This refers to two things, one, the construction of the sets, while having a definate shakeup in 2007, has been growing more and more generic. Two piece body, plus head, plus limbs. The Toa Mahri and Barraki were a welcome change, but even then the "Warriors" as they're now called, seem like more of the same--not in that they're all the same, as Gadunka is just about the most different thing I've ever seen from BIONICLE ever--but in construction. The pieces seem to be growing ever larger ESPECIALLY in larger sets--now I am not at all advocating for a return to the "Technic" style of the 2001 Rahi, nor the Bahrag. I'm asking for a between-ground. Back in 2003-2005 I could take any of my larger sets, and using only those pieces create something else, be it a Rahi or a Toa or another figure, I could create something. So I decided to do the same when I bought Vezon and Fenrakk--and was absolutely shocked that there was little I could do with the pieces, they were simply too large to do anything good looking with. Now I understand that that MOCers are not the primary market for BIONICLE--heck, we barely fit in at all, but as this is my opinion, I felt I should state it. The second structure? Toy/Story I believe that BIONICLE has a fascinating story, a story in many ways WEIGHED DOWN by the toys. While some of the toys are simply amazing, the fact that we have to constantly 'mutate' or otherwise change previously known Toa or 'create' them from somewhere is frustrating. Now I understand that LEGO is a play company, but I feel that the STORY should be at the forefront--Throwbots and Roboriders were good toys, but were utterly defeated by a lack of story. And now I feel that in many ways BIONICLE is fallling into the same trap, wherein Greg is forced to adapt sets into the story, rather than deciding "This is where we feel the story should go, could you create _____?" Which I feel would be a far superior structure. Problem Point #4 Technology: BIONICLE, in my eyes always walked a fine line. Mysterious and fantastical, yet tempered with the obvious technology of the world (I mean, they're bio-mechanical)...yet with the advent of Metru Nui we began to move away from that and technology began to rise to the forefront, gone were the trials of seeking for the mystical Kanohi masks--here you could simply create them as you pleased, this problem has in many ways fluctuated, as we managed to go to a more primitive location on Voya Nui--unfortunately the Piraka and Inika felt that they needed technologically superior weapons in order to combat one another--even in 2007 we see this trait, Toa with high-tech gattling guns? It seems that in many ways BIONICLE has decided to stop walking that line and has sided unconditionally with Technology. I will also admit that much of my problems come from the "Kanohi" from 2004 onwards. While the interesting characters distracted me from it, I now find that what I had hoped wasn't true was indeed--gone are the simple and almost tribal mask shapes, masks that look ancient and powerful, now there are complicated and elaborate designs that obviously have a more technological and futuristic bend to them. For example, compare the Faxon of Hahli Mahri to the KauKau of Gali Olda, the difference is astonishing. Now while there is much more that I could nitpick, that's not the point of this entry. I still quite enjoy BIONICLE in many ways and am thankful it continues, and am thankful for all the hard work that LEGO puts into making it, these are just my thoughts on its current state. Finally, as many people will undoubtedly say "If you don't like it, why don't you do better", or even "LEGO is all about making your own stuff" To them I say, I can, I have, and will continue to do so. If you want to see my take (Which I understand in many ways would be impossible for Greg to do) then you'll get your chance in my upcoming entry. BIONICLE: Judgement Coming Soon: Ruby Gloom BIONICLE: Judgement 2003-2005
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YES. UPDATE TWO IS SEMI-ON TIME. I still have half-an-hour my by clock. Hush. I've also decided to split this group up more than I'd anticipated. This marks the Introduction to BIONICLE: Judgement, 2004 and 2005 will be covered in subsequent entries. Not much preamble this time. In fact this is it, once this sentence ends the preamble ends. Period. BIONICLE: Judgement A Reimagining For those of you wondering, BIONICLE: Judgement is the current name of my long-standing alternaverse--or AU. An Alternate Universe (AU) as most of you know is your own private story wherein you essentially do what you want. You can design them around paticular ideas, rules, or plans--and can break them at any time, that's half the fun about AU's. However with BIONICLE: Judgement I set out with very specific ideas and rules. They are as follows Ideas BIONICLE: Judgement is not a rewrite of the story, rather it is a replacement of certain portions. Others are kept in their entirety, for example 2001 and 2002 are untouched by the events of BIONICLE: Judgement--or rather their direct stories are not effectedBIONICLE: Judgement is my personal playground, most of my stories are incubated in here for a while before being shot into another universe, or my own original stories. BIONICLE:Judgement is all about taking the story in the directions I want it to go without altering it too heavily, as such we enter DA RULES. DA RULESRULE THE FIRST: Canon characters cannot be deleted, omitted, or removed for any reason. Natural deaths may occur but the character must be established ADDENDUM: This is only in place if the character has not been killed off in previous story and has only recently returned in the Official Universe. EXAMPLE: I cannot decide that "Botar" is a stupid name and remove the entire character from the story. I can however kill him off--the addendum to this is if Botar takes a large role in 2008 and he's already killed in BIONICLE: Judgement. I will not resurrect him. RULE THE SECOND: Settings must stay the same for every year they take place in. EXAMPLE: I cannot be working with Mahri Nui in 2004--I can have events HAPPEN in Mahri Nui in 2004, however they will not be expounded upon until 2007. RULE THE THIRD: Character personalities are fair game, changing things such as motivations and names are perfectly acceptable so long as the end character bears resemblance to the original ADDENDUM: Original Characters can be made, so long as their 'base' element is one of the canon stories. EXAMPLE: I cannot have Pridak be motivated by a burning love of Carapar, and also have him control an army of fluffy teddy-bear sharks. It just doesn't work that way.--The Addendum to this is that I can create 'original' characters out of canon characters: Essentially what I've done with the Inika who are no longer the 01 Matoran but are my own original characters. RULE THE FOURTH: Significant portions of story can be changed so long as all existing characters and backdrops are kept.EXAMPLE: Takanuva no longer being Takua, that's a rather significant portion of the story (Considering it got a movie about just that) however I had to keep all the characters and the backdrops--IE: Mata Nui, Ta-Koro, Ga-Koro, etc. RULE THE FIFTH: All deaths are final, none of this comic book stuff with me.EXAMPLE: Takua dies in 2003. He does not return. Ever. And now with that stuff out of the way, let's move on to 'altered' character profiles through the years. Please note that none of this is finalized, and is certainly not in final written format, as such I will only be giving brief outlines of each section of story. The character profiles will also avoid giving out spoilers--those will be given out in the outline quite readily. 2003 Altered characters List: Takanuva Real/Original Name: Takanuva Storyline: Takanuva is the previously nameless Toa of light. Cursed by the master of shadows to an eternal sleep in a near-death state he remains trapped his his tomb at the Kini-nui Story Outline: The first half of 2003 passes in the exact same way, the Kal steal Nuva symbols, Nuva gain them back and Tra-la-la-la, we go on our merry way. The big difference in this comes in the latter half of 2003--once again it's virtually the same but then we hit Mask of Light. While the discovery and quest for the Mask are virtually identical there's a few key differences: 1. Tahu manages to take on multiple Toa and in the end is incapacitated for the final confrontation with the Rahkshi--why? Because four Toa just layed the smackdown on him, that's what happens when you have a rageful fire Toa setting fire to everything. 2. Jaller is critically injured during the quest and is forced to stay with Pewku at a critical part of the journey--little does he know that this saves his life. 3. As I'm sure you already realize Takua isn't Takanuva--this is the third big variation. At the final part of the journey they arrive at the same place, the Kini-nui...surrounded by all six Rahkshi. Definately a bad place to be. However the big difference is that a CAVERN is revealed by the light of the Mask, Takua leaves Jaller and Pewku (See above) and journeys down the passage by his lonesome, Rahkshi in hot pursuit. At the end there's an inscription about sacrifice--I haven't worked out exactly what it says at this time and Takua desperately pushes his hands against the stone the inscription is written on (it's a dead end, by the way)--and unknowingly fulfills the inscription. The wall drains his energy and channels it to the near-dead Toa of Light revitalizing him and allowing to break free from his tomb. Asking the dying Matoran his name the Toa takes on the prefix Tak in honor of the hero who rescued him. He then proceeds to go lay the royal smackdown on Makuta. And there you have it, the beginning of BIONICLE: Judgement--sure it doesn't seem much different, but this is the humble beginnings of something that has blossomed far beyond my expectations. Feel free to leave any feedback you like, good, bad, or ambivalent. I'm always interested in people's thoughts. Additionally, I will try and get the other BIONICLE: Judgement entries up when I'm not sleep deprived, and thus make sure that they're more coherent. Coming Soon: BIONICLE: Judgement (2004-2005) Triad: Gundam SEED Destiny AU BIONICLE: Judgement (2006) Apocalyptica BIONICLE: Judgement (2007)
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I am so hyper right now. Thank goodness for Photoshop, with which I recolored his arms to dark bluish grey so they matched his legs... since him having the old dark grey wouldn't be possible, since that color was replaced in 2004. He's actually an even better example than Lewa (aside from having to edit his arms), because his hunch allows him to still have gears. Along with this, he also has one very useful thing the original Nuva had – the 3-axle/gear contraption to lock his arms in place. You can sort of see it in that pic. His neck isn't quite how I'd want it to be – the socket ought to be level with the top of his body, but the Nuva armor prevents that. To remedy this, his armor would be attached a stud lower – see "How to Rebuild a Toa Nuva" two entries below, including a torso change allowing this. He also has the 3-axles with studs on his feet so the quake breakers can be attached, but unfortunately his Bohrok arms had to go. They were wonderful for individuality, but had to be replaced with Nuva legs to allow for elbow joints (again, see below if you haven't). [subject change] The skit went amazingly well. The only problem was that the timing got messed up when Pac-Man was supposed to eat the Fruit (Adam, Mike, and Lowell as a banana, strawberry, and blueberry). All of Ally and Winona's choreography paid off, and their Ghost dance was awesome. We also used a very good song (don't know the name), so that helped coordinate everything, and people really liked it... ...And yet, it still was given 3rd place. Behind the Freshmen (who had a skit with some funny moments, but just lacked... oomph) and the Seniors (who have twice as many people as us, somehow managed to get a ton of props, including a unicycle, for their circus theme, and always have these flashy skits – but no plot at all). Ours had a plot (and considering our theme was Pac-Man, that's quite something), and also really good choreography, so we were all annoyed about that. However, Rose realized we would very thoroughly get our revenge through the "floats" at homecoming, and she actually got an impromptu round of applause after she gave an Inspirational Speech about it. But it was fun. If annoying to get 3rd place yet again after something we put so much effort into. But we shall have our revenge! ~ ToM
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I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get PDF of the first series of the BIONICLE comics. I haven't read many of them and only the 04/05 ones are on Bionicle.com. Thanks if you can help
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Just a few minutes ago, a lady knocked on the front door and handed me a package. Inside it was Bionicle Legends#7, so I'm happy
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Just so people know, every Tuesday and every second weekend I am at my Dad's house and have limited access to the computer Today my friend finally asked out the girl he likes and she said yes, so that was pretty fun Other than that I made a plastic Mata Nui stone in Manual Arts I'm going to my Dad's place for a few hours soon, so not much to say really. I took some pictures of Gadunka, so there will be a review of him tomorrow when I have more time I'm not going today after all, but I will be away for a week starting Friday I don't have any box pictures or anything, but I will review him nonetheless (Click Here) Gadunka's Design is not similar to any other set I know of. His torso is made up of several Inika bodies held together (Click Here)and a few plates of armour attached to keep the body stable. His arms are pretty standard, basically Kalmah's arms (Click Here) with Mahri Nui Matoran blades as fingers/claws, which to might delight have excellent mobility The squid launcher sit comfortably on his left hand and the two squid ammo are held on hid back (Click Here), again similar to Kalmah. The legs are far apart, but big and sturdy, allowing him to keep his balance. Without the Inika shoulder armour, Gadunka's thighs would look horrible. One thing I also noticed was these little, red two+ (Click Here) rods that sit there uselessly, and considering there is no combiner, I don't know why they're there. Now, I'd say the best part of Gadunka is his awesome head (Click Here). It is pretty cool and for those who still haven't found out yet, his teeth are the same piece as Ehlek's spines and Spinax's back. His tongue is the only odd bit about the head, it's a red Piraka foot (the clawed one), it seems odd that he has a clawed tongue, but it works well with the set. The head is attached to the main body by only two pieces as seen here. Once built Gadunka looks pretty fearsome, especially with a Matoran in his mouth (Click Here) If he stands up to his full hight, he s actually pretty tall (Click Here). He is fun for posing and playing, though the squids on the back fall off a lot. I recommend Gadunka to anyone that can't decide which titan to get first. He ties with Hydraxon as my favourite set of the year that I have so far (Click Here) PS: I changed my font colour again if you didn't notice
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Acquired: Hahli, Nuparu, Kongu, Makutilos, Lesovikk. Hahli: She's pretty awesome, as you are probably guessing. I have a problem with how the tube connects though. It's strung through a piece on her back in such a way that if you move the head without feeding it through that piece, the tube is basically going to come off. Sucks for Hahli, if she likes breathing. Kongu: Kongu has one of the better breathing tube setups. It never leaves the head, and so it works great compared to Hahli's. You should be seeing more of my thoughts on him later though. Nuparu: The ankles and wrists are on 2D joints (the Piraka lower long arm). It gives more stabiliity, but less posability. The breathing tube is a little long, so he can pose his head anyway he likes. Too long, IMO. Makutilos: Spinax is a great model by himself. The tail is too long and unmovable, so he can't crouch down low. Other than that, he's great. Makutilos himself has an interesting torso design with movable shoulders. Not really an incredible design, but it's okay. Lesovikk: The bike is pretty neat. Has some great pieces. Lesovikk is your classic Toa, with Pridak's weapon and no Cordak Launcher (as it's on the bike).
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"Next Issue: Not a JokeNot an Illusion The Death of Mata Nui." You should all know what I'm talking about. The above quote is from Ignition Nine (Mahrition Nine?). We've known about it for longer than that though. I personally blame a certain group of characters for this catastrophe. Read on to find out more. This opinion review on the story review will be updated with new part approximately every day. Now, allow me to continue: First, there is still an extremely slight chance that the story team pulled a fast one. It isn't a joke. Nor is it an illusion. But jokes and illusions aren't the only non-real things. The fact that Greg tries to convince us that Mata-Nui dies may support this theory. But all the same, I doubt it and the story gurus would shoot it down. The remainder of this article will be written assuming he dies, which I believe he does, despite that ever-so-slight chance. Now to vaguely answer the simplest questions about the characters I blame. The ones who share most of the blame number more than seven. They are both good and evil. At least one can be thought of as "neutral." What I say next will either drive you away or keep you reading the updates. This Part #1 of the article will only have the following information: who I don't blame. The Toa Nuva: they did all they could to keep of Makuta's attacks. You might have an argument against that, but I'll address that later in the "who I blame"s. It's not their destiny to save the Great Spirit anyway. They wake him up.Now on to the good part. I'll start with the ones I feel are least responsible and work up. I've removed some of the people from the original list because the blame was so little it didn't really matter. The list:Turaga of Mata Nui: The Toa Nuva should have known about Metru Nui earlier. They might have been able to go during some of the peace months then. Matoran wouldn't have had to know. Even if/though other things stopped them from going to the island earlier, the Toa Nuva still should have known. Toa Mahri: Some of the main villains behind this. The Inika were very good. Just going to Voya Nui took guts. They did what they weren't supposed to and ended up doing what was right for the universe. Now, the Mahri have less than 24 hours to complete their mission. Let's take a look at how they're doing:Hahli: designing underwater Kohli. Yeah, if I had 24 hours to fight more than six powerful beings for a mask, I would certainly be playing sports.Nuparu: having way too much fun practicing with Cordak Blasters. Practice? It's more fun and better for the universe to use them on Barraki.Matoro: learning sea-rahi language. Sure, you may need help from locals later, but Matoran already speak your language. Plus, you should be fighting the Barraki. Your mask can get you an army, no need to negotiate with monsters.Makuta (and his brotherhood): Though most would blame him for the initial sleep of Mata-Nui, I don't. The master mind has slipped. His plans were great. But he sepnt too much time bugging the Matoran. Why not get the Ignika during the pledged year of peace? Then he'd have it in 1000 years when it was needed. What were the other Makuta doing during this time? Could they get it? Why don't they help Maxilos-Makuta now? Mutation not worth their reward? Makuta must have known his sleep injured Mata-Nui, so you would think he would plan the Great Spirit's revival in his plot.And finally...the Kanohi Ignika: So Mahri-Nui needed help. It might need it more when Mata-Nui dies. So the Toa might have abondoned the mask after saving the Great Spirit. I doubt it, it's too powerful. If they left it, they would leave it on Voya-Nui where they got it. It could save Mahri-Nui (if it's still there) by plunging into the sea before then. The mask should get its priorities strait. Universe > Mahri Nui.8-16-07: Now that Premier perks are over for members, this may get more attention. So, I have at last posted the conclusion above.
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I just finished my collection of Mahri! No, I didn't buy them off the internet. I do it the ol' fashion way. Who wants to pay 10 more bucks for shipping!? Next on the list, Gadunka. It really helps that I have a little nine-year-old brother that likes to buy them. Yes, we share the Bionicles we have since it';s just a waste of money to buy 1 each. I might take some pics of them on Sunday or Monday. Just a heads up, I'm going to be at my Grandma's house all day. See ya!
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First, Matoro! Posted my revamp of him, fixing everything I didn't like about the set, and even some things that were perfectly fine but could have been more Matoronian. (Namely, the light blue.) I've gotten used to Matoro Mahri as a hunchback and now don't mind it so much, but having a hunch is disadvantageous underwater, since it usually helps to be able to look up while one's swimming. Second, Mahri Nui itself... I was siezed by inspiration to draw this yesterday, did, had difficulty with the Fields of Air, but in the end was quite pleased with the result. It turned out looking exactly like I had meant it to, which was quite surprising considering I've never CG-ed a wide shot like this or drawn such a picture entirely in Photoshop to begin with... On a different note, school starts in two and a half weeks for me, and I have summer reading to finish... I've already done The Sorrows of Young Werther, Germinal, and Kafka's The Metamorphosis for AP European History, but still have to read Bread and Wine... Far too much for my tastes. >< And after that there's still Pride and Prejudice for English... Comments and critiques appreciated as always. I've been on an art spree for the past few days... I sort of wish it were a writing spree; I could use one of those... ~ ToM
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I have Hahli. And Matoro. They are generally spiffing. *angelic chorus* ~ ToM
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Today I got 3 new sets, including Toa Lesovikk. Jaller: Has the best torso design of all the toa mahri, in my opinion. Nuparu: Is basically a toa inika. Lesovikk: Basic toa shape, But he still rules. Speederbike: Looks awesome! It does remind me of a motorcycle. All worth the $40 I spent to get them. Alku
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Today, the Bones Blog provides some much-needed perspective on the issue of the "violence level" in Bionicle. Often lately members have made false claims about certain types of "violence" nowadays compared to 2001 or other years. So I'd like to provide a list of the real story on the history of violence in Bionicle, subject by subject. This will be set up like a Myths and Misconceptions article, listing the subject or accusation that is false in bold then the explanation following. Note, that I put "violence" in quote marks because I am including whatever other members have seen as violence. Personally I see things like swordfights and gunfights and acrobatic fighting as "action" and gore and actual injury as "violence". But for this entry I'm looking at what others have alleged, so let's set that aside for now. From here on in this entry, "violence" means any physical force being used against an opponent, mainly if I've seen other members calling it violence. Also note, I'm including semi-official and official storyline together, since most members bring up even non-official story such as Bionicle Heroes in this debate. But for this entry, I will not include non-official story like that game, since I haven't played most of those (I have played Heroes, but I'm looking farther back in history here). Basics Violence is only a moral issue -- A rarer claim, but I'd like to clear up my view of this off the bat. Violence can certainly be a moral issue. However, in entertainment, there is one type of violence where the amount of it used and shown is actually only a matter of taste, not morals (in my opinion, please note, on this one). That is, "moral violence", as opposed to "unjust violence." The real moral issue in entertainment is whether or not violence is "glorified". When a villain uses violence against the innocent, it is clearly wrong, and showing that as wrong does not glorify it (Bionicle passes this test; this is what we have Toa heroes for). If a good guy uses violence for no good reason, it is also wrong, and it's not glorifying it if this is clearly shown as wrong too (Bionicle passes this test; MOL Poisoned Tahu for example or MNOG Infected Lewa, or the fight-to-the-death test in Inferno). If, on the other hand, a good guy uses violence where he or she must to stop a bad guy before the bad guy causes more violence, this is good and just. (Bionicle obviously passes this test as well; again, the whole point of the Toa.) So Bionicle's got it right on the moral issues. The other question, the one that is generally a concern to member is "How much violence is OK for the age group?" so that's what I'll look at for the rest of this entry. Again, this one is only my opinion, unlike everything that follows, so if you disagree, don't take this as set-in-stone. It is, however, the most logical conclusion I believe that can be reached, being a logician who has studied this issue and debated it several times with some who see it completely differently. It's also based on my religious beleifs, which many may differ from, since just violence is clearly seen as good in the religious text for my religion. 2001 was not violent -- Very wrong. 2001 actually contained many examples of violence. A Muaka was frozen to death, Makuta was hit with a blast of fire (and the other elements too), Rahi punched (Tarakava), bit (Muaka), dropped from heights (Rama), swiped with their claws (Muaka, Rama, etc.), rammed with their heads (Muaka, Kane-Ra), lunge-attacked (Manas), shot poison (Jaga), and done who-knows-what-other-violence in the thousand years that they terrorized the Matoran. Makuta tried to drown Lewa (the plants in the comic), and kill the Toa (the final face-off). Infected Lewa sliced a bird's wing with his axe, sending it and its riders (Kongu and Takua) crashing. Infected Lewa fought Onua by punching, clanking weapons. Onua threw a huge clump of earth at Rahi. Finally, Kopaka even clanked his sword against a Muaka (just before it bit him--and a Muaka-bite is no walk in the park). Even all this only scratches the surface. 2001 was very violent. It is simply faded memory at best, or selective memory at worst, that causes this misconception. These things aren't up for debate--they happened. The claim that 2001 wasn't violent is quite simply false. It is illogical to argue that what is OK in 2001 is somehow not OK in 2007; we must be consistent if our arguments are to be taken seriously. The real question is, was it less violent than later years? Violence Level is going up and up -- Actually, while this is to a degree subjective, the violence or darkness level increased in 2004, and it has stayed roughly the same since then. The style or method of violence has simply varied each year, for the most part. This increase was in response to BZP complaints and LEGO research that revealed that previously, Bionicle had been holding off a little too much on the level for what the target age group could handle/wanted. For example, the characters held bladed weapons, but rarely actually used them in melee combat, which was a source of annoyance for many fans. The basic change in level began with the "plant-death" of Morbuzahk and the real, violent death of Lhikan in 2004, not to mention the first really horrible catastrophe, the Great Cataclysm. Other lesser examples of this basic level are clear in the books, starting with Voyage of Fear. Since then, although not everyone agrees, not much has happned to "up" the level at all (read on for details). Now, one caveat to that is that with Pridak's "blood", if it had panned out as we originally thought, that would have introduced gore to Bionicle (although it would only have been fish blood), but this has not ended up being the case; it is simply red markings officially. Violence level has raised as fans have aged -- Absolutely not. Bionicle targets the same age-range in 2007 as it targeted in 2001. This is a totally unfounded myth that is contradicted by every available fact. For one, the vast majority of those complaining about violence are much older fans than most fans, even than many BZPers, so upping the violence level would be the opposite of what they want. Secondly, it was always clearly stated that the violence level was raised in 2004 because that is what the target audience was seen as wanting. Bionicle is a toyline; it targets kids, not teens. This myth is usually one of the main points made by those complaining about violence, usually coming in unaware of anything that's been said in previous debates on the issue and simply assuming it from the start, rather than thinking it through. It's understandable; many other franchises do this (Harry Potter, for example), but Bionicle has never done it that way, is not now, and never will or could. All the changes that have been made are tested with target age-groups, or done because of what the target age group wants, not the rare older fans. Most kids lose interest in toylines when they grow up, so there would not be enough to sustain that kind of targeting. Yet Bionicle's sales have gone up, not down, which can only happen if the target age group likes the change. Specifics Explosions -- First, remember that explosions are the answer. That aside, the allegation is that things like the Cordak Blaster are new increases of violence. In truth, the Cordak blaster is only used to blast the stone cord apart, not to attack the Barraki directly. Even if it was, a fiery explosion is no more violent than a blast of actual fire sent at an enemy. Tahu did this in 2001 (MNOG Makuta battle), in 2003 (versus Rahkshi in MOL, and when poisoned, against Gali), and perhaps most notably in 2002 (when he built up heat pressure to literally explode a Bohrok lair). And as far as actual explosive weapons, two words: Madu Cabolo. These explosive fruit were featured in 2001 (the first GBA game). And like the Cordak Blaster, they were used to blast through rock, not characters. [Note: Ojhilom says they actually could be fired at Rahi in the game -- I apparently forgot that myself. Not sure if you ever had to or not -- if so, that would change this quite a bit, but I do not want to just assume that. If anyone knows, please comment.] Fireworks were also featured in MNOG, presumably powered by Cabolo or something similar, though these are not weapons (but they could be used as them, as I have used them in one of my epics, for example). And let's not forget that all an explosion really is is a wave of high pressure expansion and/or in most cases, high heat as well. Tahu demonstrates both or just heat sometimes, but high pressure expansion is the same idea as powerful punches, which is seen all over since 2001. There are also many "explosions" not of fire but of some other power as well. Probably most notable is the "explosion" of Makuta himself at the end of MNOG. Pieces fly all over--and as far as we knew at the time, that "explosion" actually killed him. It didn't, but regardless, it hurt. Other examples include some of the Kal's demises, the explosions that seemed to blast dismembered Toa out of their canisters (a very violent-appearing opening to Bionicle itself, notice!), the explosions that blasted Takua across the island (big island, note) and made him lost his memory on impact it was so strong (if that's not a violent explosion, what is? He survived only because he landed on loose sand, really), Pohatu exploding a hill of rock (which then buried Kopaka alive), and many more. Note: There is some dispute more recently over whether the Cordak are used to fire at Barraki or not. I'm not sure what the correct answer is yet, but take note of this confusion for now. The primary purpose is, however, still to fire at the stone cord, and again, Tahu did the equivalent of it several times. Guns/Projectile Weapons -- When the Kanoka Disks came in 2004, we heard cries of outrage and dissapointment. "Bionicle shouldn't have projectile weapons" we were told. Well, many of us seemed to forget that we had projectile weapons in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, we had the clearly gunlike weapon of the Exo-Toa, and in 2001, we had powerless versions of Kanoka; bamboo throwing Disks. The bamboo throwing disks were specifically shot from a mechanical device mounted on the back of a Gukko (Kewa, as it was called then), shooting down flying Rahi (Nui-Rama). Both of these are projectiles, and essentially "guns". There have been two changes, however: 1) The style of the projectiles has varied. The only point I've ever seen someone raise against the Exo-Toa launchers, for example, was that they did not "feel" like a gun to that person. This shows that it's a matter of style, not actually of violence level; that is a matter of taste for that person. Now, note that Bionicle has, for now, a "no actual guns" rule, but this is done purely for style reasons, for the same reason wheels were originally not allowed. It just isn't seen as fitting the Bionicle style as well as more inventive weapons like Zamor launchers or Cordak Blasters. But there is no rule against weapons that resemble guns, which is why Hakann's lava launcher and the Cordak itself look like guns. Neither is technically a real gun, because explosive force does not fire them in the story; they are simply launchers much like the Zamor launcher, with a different shape, so the projectiles are not going at bullet-deadly speeds. 2) Projectiles have replaced collectibles in sets. This is important, because most Bionicle fans like "guns" or projectiles, much more than they like collectibles, and so Bionicle has adjusted accordingly. There are, of course, more projectiles now than 2001-2003. However, they aren't really new. Swordfights -- The first fully official swordfight was featured in 2006, when Zaktan fought Tahu. Swords were clanked, and when Tahu lost, Zaktan's sword turned into protodite form and "stabbed" underneath Tahu's armor, forcing him to lose consciousness so he could be captured. Those that don't like this might want to know that I take some of the "blame" on this one as I was actually one of the people arguing for this change. I based that on the fact that, as many had pointed out previously, the bladed weapons really would be used, and as long as they aren't actually used to cut anyone up (Zaktan didn't do that, notice) and thus there was no gore, it was "action", not "violence". Others may disagree, of course. But something that has stood out to me about most disagreement with this swordfight is total silence on the same thing in 2001. In MNOG, Lewa and Onua were swinging axes and claws at each other (Lewa was infected), and clanking them. At one point, Lewa actually swipes Onua so hard Onua flies backward and slams into a wall. This is essentially a swordfight. The only difference is that one weapon was an axe, and the other was bladed claws. The concept is the same, though. Kopaka, on the other hand, has a real sword. And he used it in MNOG. In what was probably the most violent action used by a good against a bad guy in 2001 (other than blasting Makuta to pieces, perhaps), Kopaka turned invisible with a Noble Huna, and swung his sword at the Muaka beast that was attacking him. It hit. Three times, once on the face! The animation shows dark lines on impact, implying strongly that the Muaka's armor was chipped. Curiously, those complaining about the 2006 swordfight never bring this up, and when questioned, they appear never to have taken objection to it, or they had brushed it aside for whatever reason and forgotten it. Now, one caveat can reasonably be applied here. MNOG was not totally official, and Kopaka's use of the Huna in this scene indicates that it may not be totally official. Officially, the Toa could borrow the Turaga's collected masks via the Suva, but they didn't collect their own, as the web team seemed to think. This case is a toss-up. Nuju wears a Matatu, not a Huna, so Kopaka could reasonably have switched. But the mask is shown gold in the scene, which is incorrect. The gold Kanohi could only change to the other Great Mask shapes/powers, not the Nobles. So it's possible the Muaka sword-clanking episode never happened in the actual story. But we also must keep in mind that since MNOG is semi-official, and also is mistaken for official story by many fans (and most, including me, assumed that in 2001), the perception that Kopaka used his blade on an animal is still protrayed, coming from LEGO. So just as someone might take issue with Toa blasting creatures in Bionicle Heroes, it would be consistent for them to take issue with this even if it wasn't official. And one final note; the Lewa Infection scene is known to be official, though it is less emphasized than his later Krana-ization which was featured in fully official story sources. Also of note is that the endscene with Makuta is official, and he is blasted to bits, which is arguably worse than clanking weapons that cause no major damage. So this caveat is not worth much; the point is that if what amounts to "swordfights" are okay in 2001, they must be okay in 2006. Deaths -- The first permanent death was in 2004 with Lhikan killed violently by Makuta (or Morbuzahk killed by the Toa, if you count smart plants), and other deaths have followed, with Visorak killed by Roodaka and Sidorak killed by Keetongu in 2005, Matoran being killed by Piraka in 2006, as well as deaths such as the messenger from Mahri Nui dying due to lowered pressure on the surface. Probably the biggest death imaginable is Mata Nui's death, which will occur this year (it's not even considered a spoiler, it is that huge). It's true that prior to Lhikan, no sapient being had ever been permanently killed. However, we should not forget that death is not new to Bionicle. It began, like most things, in 2001. Kopaka froze a Muaka to death. It was just a Rahi, true, but then in 2004 we learned that some Rahi are actually intelligent, such as Kikanalo, and mistaken by Matoran for dumb beasts -- Kopaka had no way of knowing for sure that the Muaka he killed was not sapient like himself. Makuta, as mentioned above, appeared to be blasted to bits. Dead as a shapeshifting doornail. It wasn't until 2003 that we learned he had only seemed to die (we even saw a corpse!). Several Bohrok were destroyed, as well as the Kal and Rahkshi armor, although these were not "alive". But more importantly, Jaller died in 2003. "But bones, but bones," you say, "he didn't stay dead." This is true. But an injury to somebody's skin by, say, a sword that cuts, can heal as well. Does this make the swordcut or the gore that, for example, a violent movie shows, any less violent? No, of course not. Death is death. It hurts, you die. Unless you're undead, your death is just as bad whether you are later revived or not. Jaller died; death of sapient beings began in 2003, not 2004. Takanuva died in that year as well; he was also revived. It's fair to say that here, yes, there was a change. Permanent death certainly has more of an impact on us as readers over the long haul. Many of us liked Lhikan, and wish he could still be around (although it's worth pointing out that he's actually gotten far more story features since his death than many characters who are still alive, lol--but that's just one example). So yes, this is one where we can say without question "it's changed from 2001." However, let's not kid ourselves into thinking it's changed all that much -- and let's be consistent. If these things are OK in what we assumed happened in 2001, or what happened in 2003, they must also be OK in 2007. Also, again, let's keep in mind that just because it changed, it isn't necessarily bad. If the deaths are not glorified and the age group can handle it, there isn't really a problem. Gore -- Actually, Al has never been in Bionicle. Just kidding. Obviously, Bionicle has never had any actual blood and guts, but this is an issue that is often on people's minds. Personally, this is where I draw the line, as do many others. Many wonder, "if the violence level is going up, will it include this, and go too far?" We had a scare recently. When the first images of Pridak came out, members noticed that the teeth and mouth, and blades, had red markings that appeared like blood. Official word was unclear at first, and there were rumors of set designers saying the equivalent of "let's have blood on this guy". For a while, Greg could provide no official answer, leaving it to fan imagination. It could be seen simply as red markings, or as fish blood, depending on the fans' choice. Since Pridak is a shark, he does eat fish, many of which in the surface Ocean being totally organic, not biomechanical, so reasonably could be assumed to have blood. (Most Bionicle characters/creatures do not have blood.) It would be reasonable to assume it was fish-blood stains, just like real sharks' mouths. If it had been this, even though it is "gory" to a degree, it could be considered to not cross the line, since it is simply a shark eating fish. However, recently it has been decided that it was merely red markings, not blood at all. So this is now a non-issue. Also there was a scene in one book where a Toa was fighting with Zaktan, and after the battle, there was a puddle of some sort of liquid and pieces of armor--some have claimed that this was offscreen violence or Zaktan "eating" the Toa. However, officially it is not stated what occurred. This is a case of readers reading violence into a scene where it may not actually be, not a case of actual gore, which speaks more to where the fan's imagination is at than what Bionicle is doing. We know that Zaktan did not "eat" the Toa; it is possible that some inorganic armor was simply chipped off in a swordfight (like the Kopaka 2001 example), and a stun liquid weapon was used on him. In any case, it was "offscreen", and clearly not glorified. The main change since 2001 is that armor-damage is clearly depicted now. However, remember that Kopaka's sword clank in MNOG seems to have damaged the Muaka's armor too, so the only change is that this is in official storyline now. There are certainly other issues, but these are the biggies that have been in people's posts the most. But if I've missed anything major, by all means, please comment. I hope this helps us keep in mind the actual history of Bionicle and violence/action. Regardless of your opinion on this issue, you can form a better opinion about just about anything when you keep its history in mind.
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I know they're old but I finally got my first ones I got Zactan and Thok. They were 50 % off so I got them for the price of 1 Piraka
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Most of it was spent clothes shopping. Over the week, I decided which sets I liked... Mahri Hahli Mahri: Yes, but I'd change the lime green for blue faster than you could say, "kamikazi!" Jaller Mahri: His set is fine, but not $10 fine. I'd get him on sale. Matoro Mahri: I can't believe I'm saying it, but this one is better than I originally thought. However, I'd still wait for a discount. Kongu: No; the only reason why I would buy Kongu would be to change him entirely. Nuparu: I like his shield, and if he has four matching armor plates... I could use it for an MOC I want to make. Hewkii: Yes. Not quite sure why. Titans For now, the only Titan that interests me is Gadnuka: with his/its big teeth, wouldn't it be awesome for Halloween? Limited edition Both Lesovisk and Karzanni are tempting, but aspects of both make me hesitant. Lesovisk does come with a silver pridak blade and hunter green parts, yet his speeder bike does not seem interesting in real life. When I originally imagined Karzanni, he was tall, black, and twisted. Now we see him, and he's... green? And where's his "mask that seemed to be made of several masks patched together?" I will have no internet access for the next ten days. Peace, Y'all!
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Now that the Mahri are occuring in stores, they have an amazing mini-site and animations of their own, and there's been plenty of time for my opinions on them to stew since their appearance at ToyFair, I figured I'd post my current thoughts on them. Jaller – Ho hum. Not bad, but not exceptionally good either. I might get him – I never got Jaller Inika, so his Inika bits (the many of them) would be effectively new for my purposes... and the orange double-sockets I could use. Kongu – Take the dark green, color it black, make it Nuparu, and I would not complain. In fact, it would be rather perfect. Except for the absurdly wide shoulders. I still think he looks like a quintessential Onu-Toa: short, bulky, wide-shouldered, large-masked, and with heavy weaponry. But this is utterly horrible as Kongu, who is supposed to be light, sleek, bright-colored, and tall. But in and of itself, it's not a bad set. The fact that he looks rather cool in the Mahri teaser animation tempts me... as do his recolored pieces... Hewkii – Hewkii Mahri has a design that could be very cool. At the moment he has long, spindly arms, short, thin legs, and a wide, bulky torso and mask: not a good combination. But make his legs longer and bulkier, shorten and flesh out his arms, and rearrange his color scheme slightly, and he would look quite cool. The shape of his mask has grown on me (I still dislike the lack of a mouth connection), and I could use the spike ball halves and his black Inika feet for several MOCs. Those and the desire to revamp him to live up to his full potential mean I'm almost certain to get him. Nuparu – The one Mahri I absolutely refuse to get. He has gaping holes in all his limbs and armor that is almost nonexistant from many angles; his mask is silver when no other part of his body is; his chest armor is misaligned with his hips despite the fact that the two were designed to be aligned. And I rather dislike how the Volitak looks in the first place. The silver Metru chest piece on his back is still strange (and the neon green clashes with his eyes and visor), but I like the principle – an air tank of sorts. His shield is his only redeeming quality in my eyes, since I can get black Piraka feet from Hydraxon. Hahli – *angelic chorus* Solid dark blue Inika pieces. Wings. A totally awesome mask. Get rid of the red Cordak ammunition, and you have a strikingly cool color scheme. Replace the lime with light blue, and you have perfect Hahli. Matoro – Matoro would be on the same level as Jaller if not for two interest-grabbing things: white Inika body and black tubes. Good color scheme. Nice claws. Interesting piece arrangements. Not perfect, but pretty good in my eyes... though he would, of course, be better straight-backed... The Mahri mini-site does its job remarkably well: it makes the six look cool. Kongu looks remarkably good in the movie, Hewkii's form is striking in the animations in his game, and all six sitting in the Toa Chamber have an air of majesty and power... And so, as it currently stands... Hahli and Hewkii – definitely getting. Matoro – very likely. Kongu and Jaller – possible. Nuparu – utterly no. Maybe I'll do another entry on the Titans and playsets, in the same vein as this one... At the moment I'm using the wallpaper of the empty iconic circle in the backgrounds of all the Mahri's canister shots. It's a very cool design. *goes off Mahri-fishing again* ~ ToM
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And possibly playsetic, too, but that would look odd in a title. Continuing the last entry, because I have nothing else to blog about... Gadunka :: YARGH. It's a walking, eating, giant head with limbs. My immediate reaction was, and remains, dislike. Intriguing though his body construction is, I just don't like how he looks, at all. I would like him better in the tiny size he was before his encounter with the Mask of Life... As he is, the only appeal he has to me is his plethora of dark blue. If I found him at a very low price, I might get him just for that. But that's the only condition under which and reason why I would buy him. Hydraxon :: My favorite of this year's titans (or warriors, as they're being called). Like Hewkii Mahri, he has potential, but some design flaws. Skinny legs with wide shoulders (even wider than usual, thanks to his shoulder-mounted blades), messy upper legs, and as a matter of personal taste I just don't like the blades behind his head or his "mask." It's too small, too thin, too rectangular for me. Overall, he has a very thin, sleek appearance and a very simple design, which makes me think he ought to have been a $15 set like Nocturn, who was similarly simple and slim. I have full intentions of getting and revamping him. Plus, he has a variety of useful pieces – black and silver Piraka feet, a silver Pridak blade, silver Kalmah armor, and a slew of for some reason iron grey robot arms. Maxilos and Spinax :: His box art makes him look the best (that is, in my opinion, some of the best box art Bionicle has seen in years), but other pictures reveal otherwise. Admittedly, being full of holes is understandable for a robot and useful underwater, but that doesn't make it look good. I've resolved not to get him, but Maxilos has one particular very nice bit about him – his shoulders. They have full realistic articulation: up and down, front to back, thanks to the Throwbot limbs in there. If his holes were filled in, he would be a perfect new body for Makuta in my eyes, and does look rather cool as it is, just too holey and blocky for me. The iron grey, dark grey, and red color scheme is, of course, a perfect match with 2003 Makuta. And I still don't like his "mask" much. Spinax neither interests nor appeals to me aside from the silver Piraka armor and Ehlek spines. Karzahni :: Oh, the temptation! Dark green Mantax and Pridak feet. Blended lime/dark green Mantax armor. Dark green Vakama Hordika heads I could care less about, as I neither have a use for them nor like how they look on this set (but a recolored old piece is good on principle). I really dislike Karzahni himself, but he has some very nice pieces. I could use the Takadox blades, too. Bow-legged, rather bulbous in shape, and Karzahni is supposed to be tall, black and gold, and imposing. This looks more silly than intimidating to me. But I may yet get the set... Idris :: If she were sold by herself, I would buy her instantly. Dark blue Ruru, dark blue Bohrok limbs (I still don't have any), and the Hewkii shoulder spike is very good as a blade. Plus she has Kongu Mahri's new eyepiece. She, combined with Karzahni's pieces, may persuade me to get the set – if I can find it on sale. Sarda is not worthy of note. (Idris, by contrast, is so cool that she gets her own listing.) Lesovikk :: Lime green Faxon. Lime Piraka body. Awesome. He has a very nice appearance, the silver of his feet working with his chest and shoulder pads – if Kongu Mahri had been built this way, he would have been glorious. I like the bike, too, using Nidhiki's leg construction; with a bit of refinement and covering up gaps, it would be perfect. Having looked at the instructions, I like the use of Mantax's armor – it gives a nice slope down to Lesovikk's seat. It also has the best attachment for the Cordak blaster after Maxilos. ... Maybe I'll do the playsets another entry. Maybe not. For now I'll say that I like the Toa Terrain Crawler the best, as it is very clearly an undersea machine (despite being made a Rahi in the story). The portals on the middle section, the presense of a claw arm, the various steering wheels and air tubes, and the Faxon-shaped visor all lend to the aquatic appearance, which is good. I also like the Carapar-headed beastie, for some reason. It embodies the strangeness of the deep sea creatures one finds in the pit – four arms and two tails... And as it stands once again... Hydraxon, Lesovikk – definitely getting. Karzahni and Maxilos – possible. The former more than the latter. Gadunka – more or less utterly no. ~ ToM
