ZORK64 Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) Before I start my review, I'd like to inform you that I live in Germany (in Nuremberg, to be more precise). While Germany is indeed quite a nice place to live, it has one drawback: Many of the cooler things (like toys and especially video games) get released much later here than in Japan or America - or in the worst case, they didn't even make it to us. However this isn't always the case, as LEGO proves with the release of the new summer sets of Hero Factory, which already hit the shelves of my local LEGO store (however, I wouldn't had noticed their release if I hadn't read about it on the Hero Factory 2011 topic). After some pondering I bought Bulk and went home quite happy about that luck. And because I want to share my luck with you, I'll write a review about the set for you. Set name: Bulk 3.0 Set Number: 2182 Price: 9.99 Euro Pieces: 30 pieces Year of release: 2011 The canister The front of the canister shows Bulk in a menacing fighting pose, standing in the middle of the jungle. If you look closely enough, you'll notice four Raw Jaws prowling in the background. It seems like that they're about to attack Bulk, but a strong hero like him shouldn't have any problems taking those guys out, right? Oh, and the symbol on the bottom right tells you about a code inside of the canister. The back looks pretty much like that of the 2.0 heroes. It's dominated by the large chunks of text about choking hazard in various languages, but the first thing you'll most likely notice is the combiner model of Bulk and Furno. Since I don't own any Furnos, I hadn't bothered myself with building the combiner yet (I'm also not much into combiner models anyway), but since I do like Furno 3.0, odds are quite good that I'll give this one a try, since he looks pretty cool. Just in case you hadn't noticed, this picture nicely demonstrates you that the 3.0 heroes uses the same canisters as the previous 2 waves. Similiar to the 2.0 heroes, all 3.0 canisters are in lime green, fitting the jungle theme of the wave (Same goes for the boxes, which is a nice contrast to the rather dark boxes of the previous wave). So, I think we talked enough about the canister, let's take a look what's inside of it. The pieces Bulk 3.0 comes with 30 pieces in total. Most of them were already released in the past wave, but some of them come in new colours and there also a few new pieces. The recolours which catched my eyes first were the limb pieces in dark grey instead of black. It's good to see the limb pieces in more colours, especially since grey is also quite versatile (just like black, but only brighter) for MOCs. Another nice additon are Bulks head and hero core in orange. Oh, and before I forgot them, he also got the 2.0 hero feet in silver. Among with the building instructions and all the new pieces there was also this sticker, a nice reminder of the Hero Recon Team (which also reminds me that I wanted to give a try to it). Speaking of the Recon Team, I can't wait to see some of the new 3.0 pieces in it. Let us just hope TLC put them into the sortiment soon. The building instructions, featuring the same picture as seen on the box. A random page of the instructions. Aside from the colours there isn't much difference to the 2.0 heroes. Here's another picture of the combiner model which also requires Furno. As I already stated above, I'll most likely get Furno as well. Perhaps I'll make also a review of him. In this case, I'll give the combiner a try. Okay, now to the new pieces... Those... armour pieces become the center body of Bulk's arm blades. As the one on the left shows they got two pegs on the inner side, which means you can easily attach them to the armour pieces just like the flame pieces of the fire villains. On the other end of it you can connect it via a C-join, which also means it can be hold by minifigs. I really like the design of this piece with its details but still a quite sleek look. Next are the daggers, which look just beautiful. There isn't much more I can say about them. They look great. The only new piece I love more than the daggers... ...is Bulk's wolf helmet. You attach it to the actual head the same way as the headgear of the 2.0 heroes (for obvious reasons, you can't combine them with that helmet). The design of Bulk's helmet is just awesome. It looks gorgeous. While not a new piece Bulk's namebadge deserves mention. It looks pretty cool and heroic with the wolf emblem (which slightly looks like a bear to me...) and the banner and the wings above it. Due to the colours of the logo, it works fine with Bulk's colour scheme. The piece itself is in translucent green. Due to this it sure stands out quite a bit, but I think it will look neat if you got more than one hero since the translucent green will connect them and mark them as members of the same team. The build The build starts with Bulk's skeleton, after this, you attach armour to the legs. Then, his weapon got assembled with the use of the EXO-FORCE robot arm. I just recently found out how useful they actually are for Bionicle-like MOCs, so I'm glad to see them in more smaller sets recently. Then you continue with the head... ...you add his armour and finally, Bulk is built. Wait, what? Yes, that's right. This time, the chest armour (and thus, the hero core) is the last part you attach on him - just like he would be built in the assembly tower. Well, almost. While it's not a great difference, it's nice that TLC put that into thought this time. As you can see, Bulk looks, well, bulky with his massive forearms and his blade thingies attached to them. The grey limb pieces work also great with his colours. Bulk's back is just like that of the older heroes quite hollow. Luckily his chest armour is also black, so it doesn't look sooo bad. Still, I'd wish TLC decide to give the new sets also some sort of armour for their back. Playability Bulk 3.0 comes with the same articulation points as the 2.0 heroes (or most Bionicle sets which used the Inika build), so he's fairly poseable. In addition to this, he's well balanced and his feet give him a stable stand. You can also move the blades away, but if you do so, they'll only point away from his body, which looks kinda odd to me. Armed with his blades, he's ready to take out all kinds of bad guys, no matter if Witch Doctor, Fire Lord or Rotor. Shoryuken! Final Thoughts While there are only minor improvements compared to the 2.0 heroes, Bulk 3.0 is with no doubt a fantastic set. His design and his colours are great, and he comes with a fair amount of nice pieces. Personally I have only two complains about him. First, his daggers tend to fall out of the robot arms when I pose them, which isn't much of a deal, but slightly annoying. Second (and this one weighs more) I'm not happy with the poseability of his arms. I don't understand why TLC doesn't use for the upper arms the same pieces which were used for the forearms. If they would, Bulk could fold his arms and the poseability of his arms (which is for a character with dual weapons even more important) would be much better than it is now. Anyway, aside from this, I can only recommend you to buy him. And hey, after all, he comes with a Wolf Mask, and that's just awesome. Edited July 15, 2011 by Brickthing Poll added! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightshroud99 Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) I'm guessing your not done with the review, right?? EDIT! Wow I love him, his wolf helmet is kick-megablocks! I personally love wolves, will have to get multiples perhaps... Edited June 16, 2011 by Nightshroud99 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZORK64 Posted June 16, 2011 I've accidently hit "Submit" instead of "Preview". But now the review is complete. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prateek Posted June 16, 2011 Nice. I like this jungle theme a lot. Can't wait to see more pics of the rest of the line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpiderSpaceman Posted June 17, 2011 I'll be using that with system parts fo' sho. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vexorian Posted June 17, 2011 That combiner looks great in CGI. I guess it really says something about the HF build system that combiners do not look like improvised, random things. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aanchir Posted June 18, 2011 Great review. Bulk 3.0 is one of the 3.0 heroes I know I'll be getting, even though I'm a bit uncomfortable with my own decision on that. I'm not sure how much of it is me liking the set's design and how much is just me being a "completionist" (something I want to avoid after experiencing that as a BIONICLE fan). His parts are definitely very nice, and I like his physique and symmetry. The transparent green name badge is cool, although I much preferred the design of the 2.0 name badges, and out of the 3.0 name badges Bulk's is one of my least favorite. I just don't like the design of that wolf pattern. Bulk's color scheme is very nice and echoes his previous form very nicely. His canister is well-designed, and after reading the directions for his combi model online it's one of the ones I'm most impressed with. The Hero Recon Team sticker is a cool inclusion, although since it's basically the "Agent" sticker from the actual Hero Recon Team purchase with different text, it makes the Hero Recon Team offer a little disappointing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bfahome Posted June 18, 2011 Those new armor pieces are definitely going to make Nektann MOCs easier. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dviddy Posted June 18, 2011 Weird, my canisters didn't come with any stickers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r4-g9 Posted June 18, 2011 Weird, my canisters didn't come with any stickers. maybe it's random like 500 in canisters around the world, making them rare. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ceroknight Posted June 18, 2011 Thank you for the review! I think his weapons dims his awesomeness really Other than that he is so cool Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aanchir Posted June 18, 2011 maybe it's random like 500 in canisters around the world, making them rare. I doubt it, since it's just an ad for something you haven't gotten rather than something that's explicitly a "reward" (like the Agent sticker in the actual Hero Recon Team package). I'd be more likely to think that it's a regional thing-- after all, it wouldn't make much sense to advertise Hero Recon Team in countries where it's not available. The ones offered to online reviewers by TLG could very easily be the "bare minimum", without any regional goodies. On a side note related to the stickers, do you know what I'd like better than either sticker that's appeared in HF sets? A sticker of an actual Hero Core. It'd look great worn on a T-shirt (for the kids) or put on a laptop (for us AFOLs who wouldn't dare waste it on something we'd have to tear it off of later). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dviddy Posted June 18, 2011 I'd be more likely to think that it's a regional thing-- after all, it wouldn't make much sense to advertise Hero Recon Team in countries where it's not available. The ones offered to online reviewers by TLG could very easily be the "bare minimum", without any regional goodies. The ones sent to us are full production, store-ready sets. So I guess the stickers are probably a regional thing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheRedGuy Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) I doubt it, since it's just an ad for something you haven't gotten rather than something that's explicitly a "reward" (like the Agent sticker in the actual Hero Recon Team package). I'd be more likely to think that it's a regional thing-- after all, it wouldn't make much sense to advertise Hero Recon Team in countries where it's not available. The ones offered to online reviewers by TLG could very easily be the "bare minimum", without any regional goodies. On a side note related to the stickers, do you know what I'd like better than either sticker that's appeared in HF sets? A sticker of an actual Hero Core. It'd look great worn on a T-shirt (for the kids) or put on a laptop (for us AFOLs who wouldn't dare waste it on something we'd have to tear it off of later). Well, the guy that made the video reviews said only Rocka had it. If the regional thing is true, why didn't his other heroes have them? I guess they're rare on countries that have them-Or not at all. A hero core sticker would be nice, but you can easily acquire them with a little effort. (Printing some picture of a core in a sticker sheet.) Anyways, onto the set. I will probably buy Bulk first as he is my favorite hero in the next time I go to my local ToysRus. (They already have them ) I don't get why Bulk is so sleek tough. Edited June 18, 2011 by TheRedGuy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aanchir Posted June 18, 2011 Anyways, onto the set. I will probably buy Bulk first as he is my favorite hero in the next time I go to my local ToysRus. (They already have them ) I don't get why Bulk is so sleek tough. Bulk was somewhat sleek in his original form as well, although this was partially just because the first wave of heroes had almost identical builds. Out of the first six Heroes, I'd say that Stringer was probably the chunkiest design. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aethersprite Posted June 19, 2011 A pity the blades fall out easily, but easily fixable. Thanks for the review! Probably my favourite 3.0 hero. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CabooseBM Posted June 19, 2011 Bulk was somewhat sleek in his original form as well, although this was partially just because the first wave of heroes had almost identical builds. Out of the first six Heroes, I'd say that Stringer was probably the chunkiest design. Yeah, but he was characterized as "The Big Guy"/"Strongman" character, so it's not unrealistic to expect him to look properly big. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZORK64 Posted June 19, 2011 A pity the blades fall out easily, but easily fixable. They don't fall off that easily. They fit as tight as the spikes on the armour of the 2.0 heroes fit, only they are in a more exposed position. Because of this it happens much more often that I accidently touch them with my hand wrists while I'm posing Bulk, thus letting them fall out. Frankly, I'd prefer it if they were attached to his arms in a more solid way instead of that robot arm, since moving the blades around doesn't make much sense anyway. The poseability of his elbows still bothers me more, especially since this problem is most likely shared by all six heroes and could easily been avoided. And by the way, thanks for the nice comments on the review. I hope it's helpful for those who are still unsure about Bulk. Since I'm a MOCist, I mainly bought him for his parts, but I can also assure you that he's a pretty good set. I'm still pondering which other heroes I should get. So far, Furno and Stormer have good chances, but maybe I'll rather pick one of the small boxes instead of Stormer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vexorian Posted June 19, 2011 Yeah, but he was characterized as "The Big Guy"/"Strongman" character, so it's not unrealistic to expect him to look properly big. Bulk 1.0 did not look sleek to me. The armor seems more bulky than with the other heroes and the gun covers a lot of the body. The helmet does not cover many space vertically. He does look sleek in the legs, but all 1.0 heroes have the same legs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aanchir Posted June 19, 2011 Bulk 1.0 did not look sleek to me. The armor seems more bulky than with the other heroes and the gun covers a lot of the body. The helmet does not cover many space vertically. He does look sleek in the legs, but all 1.0 heroes have the same legs. Huh. His helmet definitely didn't look sleek; I was speaking more about his torso. But I was personally only going by official pics, photos, and the TV episodes, since I never had any first-wave sets myself, so I could be flat wrong. It definitely looked sleeker than the rookie torso to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aethersprite Posted June 20, 2011 I just noticed: The instructions say to attach the armour on his right thigh sideways, but the boxart (and Toy fair pics) shows it facing the front. Which is the official version, then? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cap'n Kopaka Posted June 20, 2011 I'm too distracted drooling over the helmet to care what the rest of the set looks like. I'm getting this one for sure. Probably one of the coolest Hero Factory sets as of yet. Nice review, btw, and congrats on getting your hands on a third-wave set so early! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZORK64 Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) I just noticed: The instructions say to attach the armour on his right thigh sideways, but the boxart (and Toy fair pics) shows it facing the front. Which is the official version, then? That's a good question... it also reminds me that I had intended to mention that difference. Btw, if I remember correct, Avak had a similiar problem with his right forearm. Personally, I go with the building instructions in such situations, although it doesn't matter much in a case like this. Nice review, btw, and congrats on getting your hands on a third-wave set so early! You know, I still can't believe my luck that the new sets are already available here. If I wouldn't save my money currently for some other things, I'd have already bought a few more sets from the new wave. Oh and just in case I wasn't clear enough in my review and in the two other posts were I mentioned I want Bulk... his helmet was along with all the silver pieces the main reason for getting him. Edited June 20, 2011 by ZORK64 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toatyger Posted July 2, 2011 Yes!! A silver chestplate! Custom silver hero, here i come! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZORK64 Posted July 3, 2011 Yes!! A silver chestplate! Custom silver hero, here i come! Also, don't forget the silver feet - I really missed those at the Recon Team Hero Builder. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
