Visorak-kal

Kanal, to show the photos you need to deep-link each one of them. This means that, when you go to the picture on Brickshelf, you click it one more time until the screen around it is white, and then copy that URL and paste it here. Otherwise, we can't see the pics here because the folder is not yet public. If someone else could explain this better it would be appreciated, I'm not that much of a technical guy so this may be confusing. VK

While there is really no BIONICLE set I have that I don't like, my favorite lines of all time would have to be the 2007 and Winter 2008 lines. Although many like the Metru for having gears and so making the more complex, I still didn't find their builds very complex and I will always prefer Titans to canisters. As many have already said, 2007 had non-clone, very complex Barraki that, for the most part, were more custom than even the Toa Mata. Ehlek, Takadox, Mantax and Pridak were all custom-built and used no giant single body piece. Even Kalmah and Carapar still had unique designs, Kalmah moreso than Carapar. The Toa Mahri, while they had some aspects I am not crazy about, were overall a very unique and diverse team of Toa. A lot of people on BZP didn't like the backwards Piraka bodies, but I thought that one some Mahri it worked well. For example, Hahli looked perfect with her backwards body, I have never seen Toa of Water as being too heavily armored. And Hewkii made up for his unarmored body with plenty of armor elsewhere. And what the Toa Mahri lacked, the Phantoka Toa Nuva made up for. Although Kopaka and Lewa share the same Inika-frame and Inika-armor as previous years, they make up for it by looking like the Inika should have. They have superb masks, they are well-armored without seeming too thin, and they have their own unique legs, feet, and arms. Also, Pohatu adds some differentiation to the group, looking still like his original form barring the color change. In addition, the Phantoka Makuta are some of the best I've seen in teh last few years. Toa Ignika is also great, with an amazing technic board. So, BIONICLE has really gone in a great style over the last two years; I have yet to see the remainder of 2008, and I hope that the Titans will live up to the great 2007 Titans such as Karzahni, Maxilos, and Gadunka. So far the Takanuva preliminary looks like he will. Not to say that the technic-style Bahrag and Rahi weren't great; they are also great sets. But I think BIONICLE is heading more and more towards the best of both worlds. 2001-2003 were clearly too technic-oriented for the target audience, and I found 2006 to be shying away from complexity far too much. 2007 and 2008 are bringing back complexity amongst the Titans, while also retaining plenty of poseability and simplicity to please the bulk of the consumers. Care to give a reason why? And pig, why do you like the McToran the best? As far as I see, the have the least poseability of any set that isn't a vehicle. VK

Then again, the poster mask of Bionicle will remain the original Hau, so even if this new style did look remotely like the original Hau, it still wouldn't matter because the original is still the poster-mask of BIONICLE. Even if this was a new Hau style, I wouldn't replace the old Hau with the new one. Kongu was too short then. Kongu is too short now. Sometimes opinions don't change, although I must agree that preliminary pics do not reflect the sets well at all. Which is why LEGO doesn't want them spread around the internet. By ToyFair I should have my final opinions decided. We still don't know about Gali's femininity, as we haven't seen her chest or any close up of her. Notice that in that pose, her arm is covering up most of her body. So I wouldn't hire her as a GI yet. ;-) On the other hand, I honestly can't see this Tahu comparison to Blocko. I am seeing on him pieces that have been staples of BIONICLE since 2004 and 2005. I see PIraka legs, Inika feet, a Piraka body, Metru thigh armor, etc. Those jet pieces on him are typical system pieces, and that blaster is no more far-out than the Cordaks or Midaks. I can't even tell what is on his other hand. And that mask does have a lot of style, even if I would have preferred a Hau. I don't see why everyone is basing this is a ninja-style merely because of the mask and what MIGHT be a star-shaped weapon on his other hand. Nor do I get the Blocko comparison, it certainly doesn't have any similarities to a Blocko to me. It's fully poseable, for one thing. VK

Ack! The return of the backwards Piraka torso! I thought we were FREE from that with Toa Ignika, who actually used it forwards. My judgings are based on what I can see, which isn't much. I will of course save final judgement for the ToyFair in a few weeks. I can see practically nothing from the Makuta, other than that they are insects one of them appears to have a Pridak-sized head. That one looks way too ugly, but I never buy green anyway. Looks like I lucked out. Gali looks good, though at this point I cannot determine if she will end up with features distinguishing her as feminine, or at least not as a man. (Hahli Inika anyone?) Onua I can't tell at all. The best I can comment on is Tahu. What is on his right hand? I can hardly distinguish what is on either of his hands, the pose is so terrible. I like what may be silver Piraka legs, which lend to an armored feel. I don't know what those things sticking out of his Piraka body are. I do like the colorization and usage of Metru armor, as it lends to a feel similar to the old Nuva. His mask is superb; if only it wasn't Tahu, but instead used on someone else. I would have preferred a modern Hau. I like those blades on his legs, I can see a great variety of uses for them. All in all, I can see that these are a lot farther from their original Nuva counterparts than Kopaka and his group. I'm not sure if I like the ninja/knight style here, but I must say that I do like that Tahu Nuva set, even if I don't agree with it being Tahu Nuva. I will have to retain judgement on the others, because I can hardly see them in those pics. Alert! Alert! Incorrect Factual Information! :-D The Lego Company made a confirmed profit in 2005 and 2006. And I actually feel sorry for the set designers; the other day on Official Greg Discussion, Greg told someone a story of how a set designer actually might have had to the have the COLOR of his model changed because of the focus groups. Imagine what sheer power these focus groups are capable of! They could evolve BIONICLE into something wondrous, or they could destroy it forever. 8-

I wouldn't count too much on these pics looking anything like the finals; they look very similar to playset pics in early 2005 of the Visorak Battle Ram and Tower of Toa. I remember them specifically because the preliminary pics changed drastically into the final products. That said, I am still not crazy about the squarish designs of Rockoh T3 and Axalara. Just not my taste. I do, however, love the design of the Jetrax. That looks neat. I also like Takanuva. Even if Vultraz changes, though, I still can't see myself spending money on a Matoran and speeder. To add to the thoughts on Takanuva's look (barring any unforeseen changes to his set design), I have noticed that Greg confirmed a possibility the other day that a being might control light and shadow. Furthermore, Takanuva's biocast (where he enters a reverse world) will explain his new form. (All of this is from the Greg Discussion topic on BZP, last few pages.) So, I'm thinking, maybe this new world gives Takanuva an opportunity to become a Titan and/or control light and shadow. Maybe controlling light and shadow is the result of his mix of white/black? BTW, I got Mutran and Vican the other day, and I would definitely reccomend them. Far better than any of the Phantoka Makuta canisters, in terms of design. (Although I do like the Makuta.) Plus, the hands are sweet. VK

Are you serious? That is some really bad conversion on LEGO's part, especially considering that I thought 5.99 USD was a tad expensive for the Matoran. At least they could have kept them 4.99 like last year. I know I wouldn't pay ten dollars for a Matoran. Tohst--I always find waiting for BIONICLE sets can be risky. For example, Vezon and Fenrakk, Dekar and Thulox all disappeared from Shop at Home without going on sale. It is always risky, waiting for clearance, especially since most stores do not stock up on the previous year's sets after Christmas. Once they're gone this time of year, they're gone for good. Then again, Axonn and Brutaka both became half-price after a year. So I guess it depends on the risk you are willing to take. VK

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, whether or not you celebrate it! :-) As of now, between my brothers and I, I have had first-hand looks at all Phantoran and Phantoka. I pretty much like them all, with Lewa perhaps a little bit less than the others. I used to think the Makuta Phantoka and Phantoran bodies were pretty useless, but now I see that they have a number of MOCing possibilites. There are a great many connection joints, and the rib cages look good even when not occupied by a Trydax pod. There are also plenty of ways to attach front armor (as in Vezon) to the Makuta PHantoka bodies, though I really don't have the MOCer's brain to do it. Chirox is superb, especially since he does not suffer from arms that are too long. His arms reach just about the edge of his thighs, which is where my hands reach to. (I'm not counting his weapons here.) This is when he is in the way his instructions and box show him; the pictures on teh back of his box have his arms way too outstretched, which I think is not correct. Kopaka Nuva was also fun to build, even though he has an Inika body. I like the back silver armor, and the Midak Skyblaster looks really nice on him. I think the Midak Skyblaster looks better on him than on any other Toa so far. The Phantoran are not as bad as I thought; with the esception of Radiak's arms and legs, most of the pieces are not that pre-bent, and all come with plenty of connection points. While the builds suffered, of course (being only fourteen pieces), the end result is just as playable, if not better, than the Mahritoran. I still prefer the Mahritoran to all other Matoran, though. That is an interesting name list Tyranide and Trexxen found! I am not crazy about the names, but to be honest I could care less what they are called. To me, it is the end result that matters. I really hope those T-things aren't hand-held weapons, I like Shakar's suggestion. I'm hoping for that, since they seem not to be mega-fig style playsets. I am glad for the return of Takanuva and for what seems to be plenty of Titans. Here's hoping they are more built than Icarax. I think the fact that he was "The Makuta" and not merely "Makuta" shows that Makuta was always less of a name and more of a species title. Granted, I always considered it as a singular title at first, Makuta being the "lone" Makuta. I never liked the shortening to Makuta, though I can see why it was done. I honesty can't see the Toa facing him and saying, "Take this, the Makuta!" Still, I will always consider "our" Makuta as Makuta, whatever his actual name will be. Chirox, Antroz and these other guys have their own names, so people will call them by that. I will always see Makuta of Metru Nui as Makuta. VK

Now that you mention it, I can't remember. It may actually have been 40+, and possibly 70. I am not so sure, and BZP is offline, so I can't check there. And better-than-Kardas Titans would be great! In fact, something that is just as big and complex as Kardas would be nice in and of itself. Shame there's no Makuta of Metru Nui, as I have been hoping for a set of him. Still, Maxilos does work as him, the coloring is exactly the same and the Kraahkan looks great on Maxilos. VK

I'm betting it's all the new pieces, and the rising costs of production. I read on BZP that LEGO is having trouble holding off on raising canister set prices, which is why they re-used Zamor spheres in 2008. I have a feeling they gave us new masks/pieces on the Av-Matoran because they were going to raise the price anyway, otherwise I can't see the reason for new molds except to make the sets more valuable. I wish they weren't six dollars each US, but since I only get the red and white ones anyway it doesn't matter. Plus, if Mutran and Vican are only 15 USD, then that means Vican will be a dollar cheaper than teh other Matoran! Zaktan of the Shadows: I can't wait to see those 70+ sets either, so long as they aren't really hand-held buildable weapons. I honestly just can't see the profit in that, no kid is going to buy a 70 dollar buildable weapon when they just came out with 25 dollar Mahri dart shooters this year that aren't buildable. I'm hoping that, since they ended playsets, we might get real-scale landscapes with lots of technic pieces! Or, as one guy on BZP theorized, it could be a large-scale playset with multiple figures. VK

Yes, but Icarax was a store-exclusive, and they do not have any new pieces. Compare Nocturn to Hydraxon, Maxilos, and Gadunka. All the latters have new pieces. I think the main Titans do get new pieces, just not the store exclusives. Still, if you think about it, to most BIONICLE fans nowadays, the Kraahkan WAS a new mask. I'm like Shakar; I am merely hoping for white-and-gold, and a cool-looking, Avohkii style mask. The old Avohkii would not be bad, though, as I would like to see it in the new gold. VK

Even better, finally we'll have quarreling villains who don't want to kill each other! Oh, as for news; Vamprah has the Mask of Hunger, which lets him choose to drain light, energy, or positive emotions from any target at a distance. Similar to the Rahkshi power, but now with choice. Vamprah prefers to use the positive emotion drain, but will drain energy in battle. The full details are in Greg's blog on BZP. Chirox and Antroz come later this week. VK

I don't think there is a quote, Clonie. Helden probably misunderstood the Greg quote that says Toa Ignika doesn't speak at all and has a naive, baby-like view on his enemies and allies. Icarax IS the final product; box pics appeared on BZP yesterday, and from what I saw they were exactly the same as the pics we've seen in the catalog. Two bits of news, though. One is assuredly good. On the back of the Icarax box, a hand can be seen spinning Icarax's shield without actually touching the shield. Functions have returned again! So, we can still hold out hope that there may actually be functions on other Titan sets this year, even if you don't like Icarax. Secondly, GregF confirmed that Takanuva WILL be a set next year. It was already pretty obvious, as he was slated to appear in books and comics later in the year, and typically, only major characters do that. Now, it's official! There is also speculation that since we saw the return of the Kraahkan, we might see the return of a Brutaka-gold Avohkii from 2003. Hopefully; I like the Avohkii, and my 2003 one is starting to turn green. Ew. VK

If they are, they're doing a bad job of it. They're facing forwards, which means the wheel would be going backwards. :-D Seriously, though, I think this set is neat. It's innovative, and I've certainly never seen anything like it, at least not from LEGO. A giant rolling wheel. I can just see the horrified faces of the knights as the wheel comes out to greet them in the middle of a field battle. X-O And six minifigs is a great deal for what looks like a definitely less-than-fifty-dollar set. VK

Shakar, they're permanently blind in those bodies. I'm sure that the Brotherhood could make them new armor. So it's not like they're doomed. I don't see how it takes away from aura; they're still Makuta. And the blindness gives me a creepy feeling; you can't really be sure if they know you're there or not. I can see Lewa Nuva trying to sneak by Chirox, and then the latter says, "I know you're there." For Vamprah, I don't really care if he talks or not. Being cold and methodical is a style, not a type of dialogue. Its people like Chirox and Mutran that should talk, as it will be fun to see how they speak to each other, considering Chirox does not think much of Mutran's experiments. VK

How so? Besides the fact that the heroes always have to win? I was referring to what GregF actually said, not my own opinion. He said they wouldn't focus the end of 2008 on a character death, because the repeat would take away from the impact. VK

You're referring to LEGO? Or me? Also, they probably are trying to give Titans functions, since they got rid of old-style functions, leaving the projectiles now as the only "function" that still exists in every set. They also make good guts. IMO, Irnakk has the neatest use of Zamors to date, besides their actual purpose. VK

Sorry, guys, I don't think anyone will die at the end of 2008...certainly it won't be a "Death of a Hero" kind of thing. I saw on BZP that Greg said 2008's dramatic climax will not have to do with someone's death, since that was already done in 2007. If you do it year after year it loses its impact. I'm thinking maybe the twist will be that, even though the Nuva succeed in awakening Mata Nui, Makuta unveils his ultimate plan and he wins in 2008 and must be defeated in 2009 or something. VK

I saw that on BZP over the weekend, but couldn't post since I was sick. I think the Makuta being blind thing is SO neat. Its a genius way to incorporate the Matoran (since when would Makuta EVER let Matoran ride them?) and, in a way I can't explain, it gives the Makuta an extra "evilness." I can't explain it, I just think it's a pretty cool idea. I'm glad Kopaka is the leader, as I'm sure he'd make a good leader. I also saw on BZP that the Av-Matoran, being early matoran, have light-based powers. Tanma acts as a living source of constant energy for Lewa's Midak, Solek can make physical objects of light, and Photok is really fast, I think. So, storywise, I think 2008 is looking really good. The early 2008 sets are good as well, so it remains to be seen the real, non-store exclusive Titans for the year! VK

Guys, I've been thinking, and I believe I've figured out the deal with Icarax, as to why he has the same body as the other Phantoka. (And no, it's not because LEGO hates us.) I myself would prefer a more-built body like Maxilos, but I think I see why this was done. Compare the Titans in 2005 and 2007 to the Titans in 2006. Notice something? The Titans in 2006 DID NOT have Zamor launchers, the main "collectible" for that year. The Titans in 2005 and 2007 DID HAVE the projectiles for that year. It seems as if, in 2007, LEGO has tried to make the Cordaks and Squid Launchers "running features" throughout even the Titans. Every Titan had either a Cordak or a Squid Launcher, as did every playset. So, if LEGO intends to do the same thing in 2008, then Icarax would have to have a Trydax Pod. The problem here is that the Trydax pods are connected to the Makuta PHantoka's bodies, and voila! We have Icarax with a canister set body and not a Titan body. I'm not condoning it or anything, as I prefer complex builds, but I'm thinking this might be the reasoning behind it. VK

That's the special edition mask? Sweet! I never got Takutanuva, added bonus for the set. I agree with what you say, Zaktan of the Shadows. I like everything about Icarax, with the exception of his main body; I was hoping, as I said above, for more build. And new wings would not have been missed. I'm glad I can get the special edition Kraahkan! How do you know its the special edition one? Can you tell from the top? (I don't really know what the Special Edition Kraahkan looked like.) EDIT: It's not the special edition? Oh. Oh, well, still a good set. Sorry, KMOI, I thought you were talking about the Makuta wings; and technically, Lewa has jetpacks. I, too, would have liked new wings on Icarax, or at least a better variation than two Chirox wings on either side. VK

Actually, I don't mind the mask (although I DO prefer new masks on new sets. 3 bucks for recolor masks is the point of collectibles.) I just minded the usage of Chirox wings, Chirox body armor (the Metru thing), Antroz feet, etc. But, actually, the Matoran is not a remake of Kirop; I was incorrect. The arms and legs ARE different. I just like Chirox's wing design better. But I think we're forgetting something; Mutran is supposedly 15 dollars and he comes with a Matoran. That means that we really shouldn't be looking at him as a Titan. We should be looking at him as a canister set. And, thinking of that, he is a pretty cool canister set. Icarax, on the other hand, is a Titan. I like the color scheme, the mask, the legs, etc. The arms could do with more bulk, but Umbra's didn't have bulk either and they still looked cool. There ARE two things I don't like: A. The usage of Ehlek claws and lack of hands. I thought Titans were to a point where they consistently had actual hands? The Ehlek claws are not hand-like enough, though just last night I was having trouble thinking of new hand-designs for Titans. I couldn't think of any. B. The body. Every Titan has had an improved body in some way; Icarax lacks that. His legs may make up for it with a good build, but the body build is lacking considerably; I like his double-wings, though, but double Antroz wings or some new type might have been more acceptable. For store-exclusives, which never use new pieces solely for themselves, Icarax is not bad. I may just get him to see that shiny version of the Kraahkan. In addition to the good points I mentioned above. His body may have alteration just yet. After all, Umbra's looked hardly altered but included some build on his backside. Remember Umbra, boys. Out of all of BZP, I was the ONLY person to like him in that first image photo. (GregF himself said so, when I PMed him asking him about Umbra.) As new images came out, it was clear that Umbra was the most underrated set of his time. I pride myself on that. Maybe the same will happen with Icarax! Yep, tons of people on BZP hate him too. ;-) KMOI, this is anything new. They didn't beef up a single shin in 2007. I agree with you on the simplicity of the arms and legs, but I have yet to see the back. And there are only two wing designs this year, KMOI; Antroz wings and Chirox wings (Vamprahs are just blue Chirox wings). I actually like the original Kraahkan, though I might switch it around since I like the other side better. VK

Oh, no, I didn't mean he was a bad set, Shakar. I am just not sure if it is worth the space when chirox's style is nicer. I may get him yet, though...sets tend to grow on me over time. He is a good set, but I have a little bit of a space problem. VK

Woah! Chirox and Kirop in new colors! |-/ Not so intersted...unless that is a new Chirox mask. It may be different, but the Matoran's is definitely a Kirop mask. There are hardly any new pieces; basically, the only real good thing are the hands; now those are neat hands for a canister set. It isn't the best...Toa Ignika definitely comes first. I don't think I'll get him. Hey, Shakar, Mutran himself seems the result of a bad experiment...lol. Got any Icarax pictures? EDIT: Okay, Mutran's character MIGHT save him. But it would have to be a REALLY cool character...or the set could just grow on me. As of this point, the latter is looking unlikely. VK

Are you sure about that? I check all Greg information frequently, and I don't remember him saying that. He said that the Ignika does not speak at first, and may speak later on the in the story. It doesn't speak baby. He may have used the term "baby" when speaking about its mind. The Ignika sees hostility as hostlility and friendliness and friendliness. If you are good and act hostile to it, then it will attack you. At least, that is how most of the people I've seen, including myself, interpret it. I also like the villains better than the Toa; their look just seems better to me. I actually like the Toa designs, but the villains have way more originality; new bodies, new parts, etc. However, the Toa may be improved-Inika-remakes, but they still look cool in my opinion. Pohatu doesn't look as lanky as the others, just like Kongu Mahri didn't. The shortness works on Pohatu, though...it didn't look so good on a Toa of Air. VK

Grievous, there are some reviews on several 2008 set on BZP...some of the people there changed their minds upon seeing better pics. You might want to check them out. :-) I actually like the new Makuta bodies, as they are very aerodynamic and are not as skinny as the plain Inika/Piraka bodies. While I had hoped for more build, as with some Barraki, this new body piece makes up for that. I don't see the masks as being any uglier than the Barraki! I like Toa Ignika because he is a real great Toa figure. He is completely armed and has armor on his back; he has a melee weapon and a long-range weapon. I might just switch the place where his head is located; that might have been done because of his mask size. I see the Toa Nuva as mass improvement over the Toa Mahri; LEGO has taken everything wrong with the Inika and fixed it. (Not that the Inika weren't good!) They have back armor, good and normal masks, one of the best long-range weapons I've seen in a while, and they have three different flying modes. I can understand your disappointment with the Matoran, though. I also like the Mahritoran best, but remember the two problems with the Mahritoran: 1. They have so many pieces that we get hardly any new pieces. 2. They would probably be too big to sit on the Phantoka, which is what the designers obviously wanted as a gimmick this year. So the Mahritoran had to go. I, too, like more build, but this doesn't bug me becaus the small sets never have much build anyway. More or less of a little is still a little, lol. :-D I am glad they have a variety of new pieces, masks, and compatible heads. They may have some build yet, Grievous, because somehow the jetpacks for the good Av-Matoran have to be attached. VK