Review: 8562 Gahlok

[Palms]

Title: Bionicle Gahlok

Set Number: 8562

Age: 7+

Pieces: 42

Released: 2002

Price: originally 8$ now 25$

The box image thanks to Bricklink.

First I will go over the instruction manual it is the size of a Star Wars BP manual.

This is the cover it shows Gahlok swimming with an awesome background.

A random page from the instruction manual.

This is one of the "cool" models you can build with three different models.

All the masks for the other Bionicles.

Now for the model itself.

I have to admit it looks pretty cool from this angle.

The rear angle gives a pretty good shot of the rubber bands.

The side, I like the way it resembles a bird.

Here it is with its "beak" extended.

This is one of my favorite features it can roll up into a ball.

This is what happens when you hit the little trans-orange "fangs", it ejects the mask and the

opponent wins.

The complete set.

Design 7/10 It could be sturdier and easier to transform.

Parts 7/10 I don't use technic parts and most of the parts are used only for Bionicle, but for people who like technic there is a great part selection.

Build 8/10 Nice, short, and sweet, though the Ball Joints are rather hard to connect.

Playability 9/10 Very good, especially with the mask release.

Price 9/10 For 8$ it is a good deal because you get a good quality lego action figure. But for 25$ or over get it only if your a collector.

Overall 40/50 I think this set is very good, but not great because it is sturdy, fun to play with,has lots of great parts (for technic users), and comes with a great plastic jar box. However, it does not really "feel" like lego but more like an action figure . Even so I'm going to say this is a buy.

Edited March 8, 2010 by 3D Brickthing

[prateek]

Nice review! I really liked the Bohrok.

[Bfahome]

This is what happens when you hit the little trans-orange "fangs", it ejects the mask and the opponent wins.

Those are its "eyes", in case you didn't know.

I say this because it took me a week to figure it out. :3

[Brickthing]

Those are its "eyes", in case you didn't know.

I say this because it took me a week to figure it out. :3

Same here - for quite a while I looked at the Krana or the holes in the face-plate for the eyes of the Bohrok. Now that the eye-piece has been used as eyes in more obvious ways (such as Visorak), it's much easier to tell.

[Shine]

501 of all the same vote? I think someone''s been playing with the poll.

[FinalFeature]

501 of all the same vote? I think someone''s been playing with the poll.

I find that strange too that it would do that since there usually isn't that many votes in a poll.

Anyway thanks for the review Palms.

[Aanchir]

Someone seriously has no morals if they can justify poll fraud in a set review.

Nice review. I liked the Bohrok a lot, even though they're not by any means my favorite sets. The rolling-into-a-ball gimmick was pretty sweet, as was the way they hung from their "hive" (since yours doesn't seem to have the canister you missed out on that feature-- there's a piece that attaches the rolled-up Gahlok to its canister's lid, and the back sticker of the canister can be removed to make a display case).

[Brickthing]

Someone seriously has no morals if they can justify poll fraud in a set review.

It's only fraud if people believe it. In this case, it's obviously a joke, made because Bohrok are so awesome (and this is our first Bohrok review )

[Lordofdragonss]

Design 7/10 It could be sturdier and easier to transform.

You are joking! Bohroks design is one of the best Bionicle designs to this time. It's sturdy, nothing falls apart, transformation is easy (4 pieces to unfold?) and the best thing:

Edited March 10, 2010 by Lordofdragonss

[Palms]

Those are its "eyes", in case you didn't know.

I say this because it took me a week to figure it out. :3

Oh, thats weird, why would they put eyes there if there were eyes on the mask also .

Someone seriously has no morals if they can justify poll fraud in a set review.

Nice review. I liked the Bohrok a lot, even though they're not by any means my favorite sets. The rolling-into-a-ball gimmick was pretty sweet, as was the way they hung from their "hive" (since yours doesn't seem to have the canister you missed out on that feature-- there's a piece that attaches the rolled-up Gahlok to its canister's lid, and the back sticker of the canister can be removed to make a display case).

I actually still have both the canister and the holder piece but I ripped of the wrapper and made a pontoon boat for my bionicles . Unfortunately it tipped and I lost half my bionicles and the other half smell like seaweed . But never mind what happened when I was 8.

You are joking! Bohroks design is one of the best Bionicle designs to this time. It's sturdy, nothing falls apart, transformation is easy (4 pieces to unfold?) and the best thing:

I probably am not the best judge as this review was my first post ever in the Bionicle forum, However when I wrote this review this puppy had been sitting in the sun for about 8 years so the pieces were brittle and really hard to move. (i even broke a ball joint)

Thanks for al the fish comments

[Aanchir]

Oh, thats weird, why would they put eyes there if there were eyes on the mask also .

The "mask" is only meant to be a mask when it's on a regular Toa or Matoran figure (the humanoid ones). For them, it's like a mind-controlling parasite. On the Bohrok, it's more like a "brain", hence its rubbery material. It's really obvious in the 2003 versions of these sets (yes, I know they're some of the least creative sets ever) which had silver faceplates that concealed the Krana masks.

Really, I think it's ironic that in the story they turned out to be robots, since in the sets they look more "alive" than the good guy sets the previous year-- with organic curviness, white teeth, and rubber "brains". Of course, that's basically a trend in BIONICLE that's been going for a long time: hero sets will be mechanistic, while villain sets will be bestial.

[Palms]

A little bit of shameless self promotion:

I plan to do a review on this and this and maybe a few more bohrok

[-Tilius-]

You're advertising reviews which you haven't yet done....?

Makes sense...

- Tilius

[Front]

I've built the red Tahnok (8563) a few months ago. I did know that these sets are something special, but was still surprised to see how neat the figure fold up and are able to hang inside its canister. The head movement rubber band thing is cool too.

[Palms]

You're advertising reviews which you haven't yet done....?

Makes sense...

- Tilius

I was jut giving you guys a heads up as to what I going to do.

[-Tilius-]

Cool story bro.

- Tilius

He's telling us about something to look forward to reading, which is a much cooler story than spam.

Edited March 11, 2010 by 3D Brickthing

[Walter Kovacs]

Nice review, Palms. I have a special place in my heart for Gahlok.

Years ago, my brother-in-law, knowing I liked LEGO, gave me Gahlok as a gift. I didn't care too much about Bionicle at that time, so I wasn't thrilled with it. But I built it, and played with it a little. Then I saw the page where Gahlok balls up, and hangs from the container top. I thought that was pretty cool.

Years passed, and now I am trying to collect all of the Bionicle sets. But I stilll have my precious Gahlok, with his rubber band still intact.

[II5hyena]

I like the review. I felt the bohrok were to plain, because it was basically the same set only with different colors.

[Jetrax99]

Given that Gahlok was my first Bohrok I gave it a generous vote of "Above Average". It's not as "Outstanding" as the likes of the Kal.

[DraikNova]

I'd have to say that this one is slightly less impressive than the Tahnok (it's amazing what old stuff people are willing to sell), but that's just because, color-wise, it's a little too bleak. The design is still awesome. This set deserves an "Above Average".

[ZORK64]

Nice review. Gahlok was actually my first Bohrok, and I really liked them due to their neat design and functions - and in that department they're also among the best Bionicle sets IMHO.

I'm surprised that people confused the Bohrok eyes for fangs, since I always considered the Kraata more something like a brain module which controls the entire body (including it's eyes) of the Bohrok.