KMOI

Whoa. This set looks awesome! Even though I'm still having to get used to R2D2 sitting up in the front like that, this one looks like a real winner. The minifig resembles the Clone Wars Anakin dead on, especially the hair! I definitely can't wait to see the other sets that the Clone Wars series brings us! Thanks for the photos, Vader!

If you can't find a store, try Bricklink here: http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?q=supernova There's quite a few offerings, but make sure you check both the price AND location of the store before ordering. I'll never forget ordering the original Matoran (McDonald's) from some store in Australia 5 years ago! It took half a year to get here! :-D

Nah, I wasn't refering to you, VBBN. I was talking about that guy who reported the finding. Also, adding onto what I said earlier, it's far too early for a theme such as Exo-Force to start having their sets in stores (even Legoland stores). Historically, the earliest Exo-Force sets were released is in December, and we still haven't even made it halfway through November yet. Also, City sets tend to have a way of showing up first, then the rest follow within a month. Or at least that's what happened last year and the year before that.

I really don't see the point of discussing a topic that's already on another board, but I'll contribute. Honestly, I think it's a lie. If said member said ONLY what you've mentioned, then I would definitely call the new product report a hoax. I mean, we've already established the fact that the minibots launch from the arms for the human mechs from all of the photos that we've seen thus far. Unless they mention something extremely specific or believable about the box such as a comic, persay, then I'm afraid I'll dismiss this as another attempt to get attention.

I'll be dreadfully honest. I've written so many essays here explaining how simplicity equates to beauty, articulation doesn't automatically make things better, Rahi = brilliant use of technic rods, connectors and NO NEW PREMOLDED ELEMENTS to make an actual beast and so on and so on. Since I'm almost sure if I make a long winded argument, I'm sure to be ignored, I'll keep it short and simple.

More images posted by HJR from Brickshelf! http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=280744 Now that we have pictures from all sides, I can finally make a call! I gotta admit, I'm really loving the Tiger and the Storm Lasher. The Tiger is sleek, while boasting an undoubtedly impressive array of weapons while the Storm Lasher boasts an absolutely incredibly innovative redesign to the classic Robot jets (Which was much needed after the generic Sonic Raven). I'm also loving the rest, but I feel certainly let down by the panther mech. There's just something about sharp, pointy pieces and that colour scheme that scream "Megabloks." Quite a shame, really. Oh well, I'm sure this is just because I spent too much time staring at the Megabloks aisle. :-D Yep, this year's going to be a clear winner for Exo-Force! Even though the tank looks sort of mashed together at the last possible minute, the rest of the line looks strong enough to make up for ANY possible weak sets. Sweet digs!

Whoa! Nice find, hollisbrick! These sets just look better and better! I'm really blown away by the new Anakin hair though. It looks like they're getting the Clone Wars likeness right down to the hair!

It really pains me to see things like this. I mean, acts like these completely defeat the purpose of good, legitimate sites or just sites in general! I had a similar problem with the LEGO Club pages a long while back, but they responded with absolutely astounding speed. From that point onwards, I just hosted my images on Imageshack while posting only on Eurobricks. I'll admit though, none of my creations are worth stealing! :-D

Seconded. I wasn't going to comment on 2008 because I really don't like how the sets are done, not to mention how the gimmic for this year even MORE closely resembles B-Daman. Kopaka is truly the largest shame out of them all. I mean, while the others have inventive shoulder-mounted jetpacks and helicopter fingers (no sarcasm here), Kopaka is stuck looking like a WWII plane. There are FAR better ways to mount wings (and for that sake, FAR better wing designs), and Kopaka gets stuck looking like an average 7-year old designed him. Not to mention how his only weapon is a bayonet. And the fact that his mask has a Tie-Fighter mouth just makes this thing a completely failed attempt at what could have been something truly awe-inspiring. Oh, and for the record, I am NOT one of those people who expected an exact rehash of the Nuva. I expected drastic redesigns, but this is DEFINITELY not a good redesign. At all.

I honestly have no idea where you got this information from. Like, I know for a fact Takeshi's parents were both saved by Hikaru. Also, I'm talking about PRIMARY characters. To my knowledge, no primary (meaning that they have both a set, have names and play PROMINENT roles in the storyline) have died.

As I said, off-screen deaths of nameless grunts, not main characters. Still, it's debatable whether or not humans are literally killed, as most of the time, they robots just capture them and turn them into slaves.

Hinckley, your reviews never cease to amaze me! I'm already wanting to buy the set from just reading your review! I just love all the little gimmicks and details they managed to cram into what could have been a dull mine. From the modular parts to the simply incredible gem carts, this set is as perfect as it can get! Or, at least the Hinkley-brand photography is making it seem that way. :-D I absolutely adore the comic too! I can't wait to see Sinner's ingenious solution! Keep it up, Hickley!

I really wish this were true, but I think they're just preliminary images, just like how the trolls have yellow hands and the prototype heads for the first Exo-Force wave that we saw from the leaked photos back in 2005. I just hope the mechs stay in those colours, because That tiger one is really growing on me fast! It's simply amazing! As for Ryo, I'm sure he's not dead. The only LEGO line that has actually ever "offed" characters would be Bio-"Toa are our red shirts"-nicle.

With the exception of Bionicle (They ought to rename them to Bionicle: Turbine Overload), 2008 has blown me right away. Everything is just so amazing that I'm at a total loss for words. I LOVE that mini-trains set! And Exo-Force looks like it's going to storm right back after a lacklustre year with their strongest offerings since the second line of 2006. I mean, every year, we get some pretty good offerings. But this year, all the lines are coming out, guns a-blazing! There's only one thing I can say right now, folks. 2008 on. 2008 on!

Ryo finally gets a large dark-green mech to start things off! While I don't exactly like the fact that those spikes look terribly out of place, I'm really diggin the arms and new cockpit construction. Not so much that it's nearly completely enclosed as it is the fact that the pilot isn't actually standing! I was beginning to wonder if those crazy kids got tired from standing while fighting off machines all the time! Well, if this is any indicator, Exo-Force is going to finally get back up there! Mecha on!

Sweet Christmas. LEGO (with a few exceptions) can truly, TRULY do no wrong. When I saw the photos of the Castle, Star Wars, Spongebob and Indy sets, I knew 2008 was going to be the best year. But nothing in the world could ever prepare me THIS. See, I've prayed long and hard for LEGO to start releasing smaller sets such as these since 5 years ago. And at long last, LEGO comes out with not just a set dedicated solely to a minifig and related accessories, but an entire line to this! There are simply no words to describe how absolutely breathtaking this is for me. My quest has finally come to an end after 5 long years. LEGO now has my unending gratitude for this alone! As for the sets themselves, I am incredibly impressed. I just love how every set manages to capture each of the line's respective elements, from the Mars Mission Human's mini robot and mini fighter craft to the absolutely amazing City sets. I love and adore them all equally though the Wizard truly stands out. The return of the one and true wizard is back in Gandalf the grey colours (Yes, I'm well aware of the fact he is sandblue)! The orb is truly fitting and the owl just adds to the flawless set! Truly a shame that 2007/2008 is *just* the year when I had to move for school... Alas, I'll always have Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks! I'll just have to cherish every second when I'm home. :-P

Not to mention that the blur's inconsistant! Poor spelling, lack of capital letters and overall sloppyness (everywhere) cripple this hoax. Truly sad state of affairs, I'd say! [/Nerdspeak] :-D

And in my Mars Mission Astro Fighter, the trans-blue cone was still of the "regular" variety as well. Perhaps it's just for some exclusive sets which require more strain on these cones? Then again, I don't think the cones on Yoda's Spongebob sets were of this same shape either, from what his review said. Most curious indeed!

Welcome Ultraman! Sorry about my late greetings. I got hospitalized for food poisining the day I posted this. :-P Dude, that's one heck of a way to come blasting out of your dark ages! Pretty awesome how you found this set on sale too! Anyhoo, as for the set, I'm looking at it again and it doesn't seem *as* great as when I first saw the photos. I mean, the idea is absolutely phenominal, but the whole "steampunk" look of the spider-ish thing doesn't do it too much good, especially with the overly-exposed technic pin holes everywhere. I'm not one who complains about tiny little holes in the cockpit or the fact that the backsides of most Exo-Force mechs are pretty bare, but having this many pin-holes, it makes it look like it just got used as target practice for a gattling gun. If it were a little sleeker like the Venom, I would consider buying this!

I had my doubts (MAJOR doubts) about 7721 before and I'm sure most of you did too when we saw the less than flattering shot of the set in that catalog. Well, seems like Ultraman-bc of Brickshelf's gotten his hands on this set and he's taking the liberty of posting pics here: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=273052 I dunno about you, but I have to say this is an improvement from the previous pic! Docking mechs, new mini-mech designs and the whole "Robot crush puny purplehaired fleshling!" could very much redeem much of 2007's Exo-Force! While I'm still not quite digging how blocky the spider-pack looks, I gotta admit this still looks better than that crazy, giant wheeled monstrocity that is the mobile Devestator. :D

I wasn't going to get back into this topic, but since you brought up Exo-Force, I'm much obliged to re-enter. Exo-Force is a young theme. Sadly, the worse parts of the line have drawn more attention than what the best has to offer. For as long as man asked "What if I made this really, REALLY big" and LEGO has been around, mechs has been an essential part of the hobby. LEGO has made official giant robot sets as part of their space lines. However, as the space line shows, people's taste in robots changes. Robo-Force, Alpha Team and Mission Mars were some of LEGO's last lines involving robots. Since then, the audience has changed. Kids today want to articulate the daylights out of everything, whether it be a Bionicle character or something as small as a keychain. Let's face it, those giant behemoths from Spyrus or Robo-Force weren't exactly Marvel Legends action figures. Even with their rotating hips, moving arms and grasping claws, Mission Mars mechs weren't up to today's liking. Articulation is a key in the younger crowds, and even if a mech lacks so much as an elbow, they'll start riots and torching storefronts. So, designers had to build a design which did the following: Had articulation Be stable enough to withstand play Have recognizable designs Be under a certain price point Kids can build it As you can see, that's quite a criteria, given that this IS a plastic block toy. Stability is not an issue for something like a building or a fire truck, but when you have a model which has a movement range similar to that of a human, you are bound to have a piece of the shoulder fall off sonner or later. However, I want to draw your attention to items 2 and 5. These are perhaps the most important items on the list. I'm not going to lie. You can make absolutely phenominal things with LEGO. I, for one, have enjoyed making mechs of the 1-4 inch range in my spare time. But let's face it. Most of the stuff you see on Brickshelf can't withstand serious play. Nor can most children or adults build things like that. Let's take a look. Can children of ages 7-14 build this? Or this? And all of the above could this withstand hours of play, without having pieces fall off? I think we all know the answer to this, my friends. Though we all pray and wish LEGO would make absolutely mind-blowing sets like Moko, Sugegasa, Izzo or any other designer we see on Eurobricks and Brickshelf, we all know LEGO wouldn't be able to. As a company, LEGO strives to truly meet the age limits they put on their sets, which means that they have to make sets 7 year olds can build. And let's face it. Unless they are extremely gifted, a child of seven years could NOT build like Moko. And inversely, a Moko creation could not stand up to the play a 7-year old. Remember, LEGO's recent motto is "Play on", not "Play, rebuild, then play some more on". And this is why Exo-Force robots look the way they do. They try to emulate the human-estque feel of robots as popularized by Japanese anime while having to hold up the standards of the LEGO name and requirements set out by the designing team. I'm sure LEGO realized having a back wouldn't make much of a difference in the eyes of a younger child. While I agree that some of the designs are lacking, there are many which truly astound and amaze. In fact, most of 2006's offerings were above par, including the Striking Venom, Bridge Walker and Mobile Defense Tank. As for the Sentai Fortress, your complaints are unfounded. Most giant mecha shows today have docking stations or bases from which the battles take place. Take Gundam Seed. One of the most explosive battles took place off the ORB's harbour. Even Evangelion and Codes Geass has a place where the mech resides when not in action. It's a part of the whole giant mech series, which as I said ealier, LEGO was trying to emulate. As for the competitor's products in this area, I disagree that they are any better. In the "Warrior's Future Force" line, there are few mechas. Bad transclear elements, poor plastic quality and somewhat bearable designs. The "J-227 Quadwalker" was an alright set asthetically. However, that is by no means more "realistic" nor better than the Striking Venom. The "real" mecha you have so stated, the RX-78 Gundam by Megabloks Japan, it is by no means a kids toy. Just by looking the price point, piece count and construction methods, it's glaringly obvious that this is NOT for 7 year olds. This product is targeted at predominantly teens and adults, unlike LEGO's Exo-Force. Similarily, it is a license, thus, there is no need to create an original design. As for your claims of ATCO Far East Inc. obtaining the Transformers license to make block toys, I highly doubt it is better than Exo-Force. Having been to Hong Kong and Singapore many times (Both parents from Hong Kong, therefore I am Chinese), ATCO's products occupy a sliver in the toy isle, being absolutely overrun by LEGO. As for their products, I can only describe ATCO as a wretched multicoloured doppleganger of certain LEGO sets, almost copied brick for brick, but splashing it with colours that make Disneyland pale in comparisson. Lastly, I have yet one more point. I disagree. While I know that is the traditional reason, that is by no means why giant mechas exist in fiction. In fact, your point would invalidate the existance of the Gundam and most certainly the Megabloks Quadwalker. Fixed targets can be taken down with missiles. Moving targets can be exterminated by high powered tanks and aircraft. Locating them is simply a task for airbourne drones. If you want to think about the real battle field, anything with legs is impractical. Why? Once you shoot the appendages, your massive, overpriced piece of hardware is toast. But in fiction, having a giant, humanoid mech is a billion time more intimidating than a souped up fighter jet. In a mech, you don't just take out a target with guns. You smash it. With a giant fist. When you shoot things, you're frying them with a massive laser cannon. Mechs have legs for the sole purpose of stomping. The mech is first and foremost a rampaging machine of destruction and devestation. They're not built for practicality. They're built to be awesome. These days, it's not enough to just have some standard, bland RX-78 Gundam. They're meant to look good while roasting enemies with a plasma cannon. They've got to be able to pose for Vogue while they level skyscrapers with their giant, robotic hands. But why do mechs TRULY exist? Because: We dig giant robots. I dig giant robots. Chicks dig giant robots.

Bwahahaha! Love that little "mod" on the fish hand you got there, Yoda! ;-) Stellar review! Up until this point, I was never really tempted to actually consider this as a buy, but after reading this, I'm convinced! I'm really digging how this is truly the ultimate Plankton set with almost all the machines and gadgets that he's ever used in the show. While I would have liked a giant Plankton robot, I'd say this is perfect enough! Can't wait for the next Spongebob review, Yoda!

I agree with Jipay. I bought one of the small Dragons sets just for kicks a while back and let's just say it wasn't pretty. The brick scratched even when I lightly traced the side of it with my finger nail. As for the "minifigs", the weapons and headpieces felt like they were made of some mutant hybrid of playdoh and plastic. I ended up "disposing" of the set by giving it to my condo's Christmas donation box for needy children. As for Megabloks vs. LEGO, both ImperialShadows and Natelite have already put down what I'd say. When it comes down to it, LEGO just completely owns Megabloks, no questions asked. All Megabloks really has are a whole slew of improperly executed licensed sets which kids would buy because of the name. Sure, LEGO has licenses, but they're all (mostly) properly done and have spectacular rebuilding potential. With the possible exception of the Super Team line, Megabloks is and will always be a sad, pathetic imitation of LEGO.

Tee hee hee! Well, this summer has practically been made by blockbusters! Here's just a few thoughts on some I've seen: Spider-Man 3: Not exactly what alot of people were expecting, but all in all a fun ride. Final battle was pretty well much the best fight of all the Spider-Man movies! Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End: Simply amazing. Killer soundtrack, amazing scenes and great fights. It's actually turned me into a Pirates fan! While I lamented the loss of the palm trees and other such tropical scenery, pretty well much every scene was memorable! I loved how the film pulled you into the action, truly making it a unique experience! This would be my favorite film of the summer if not for... Ratatouille: Best movie I've ever seen. EVER. It's absolutely flawless. From the truly genuine comedy to the breathtaking scenery, this movie is without the doubt THE movie of summer 2007. If this film gets beat out of a well deserved Academy Award by some surfing penguin cartoon, heads will fly, I tell ye! Transformers: Truly more than meets the eye! With a good mix of both action and comedy, this is definately a personal favorite. I really wished we saw more fights, but the movie was good as is! Harry Potter 5: Pretty good movie! My only complaint about the movie was that the final battle was a bit shorter than I had anticipated. My other issue revolves around the fact that it gets "darker" with every movie. I understand the themes are darker, but is it really nessesary to use so little lighting? I mean, at this rate, the last movie will look like CSI! :-P But all in all, a fun movie! Bourne Ultimatum: Another good thrill ride! My only complaint is that the camera got a bit too shaky during the car chase scene, but it was quite a thriller nontheless! I absolutely loved the chase scene in Morocco. Yep, it's been a good summer. Next up: Rush Hour 3!

My bad! :-$ Anyhoo, I think "Featured" accounts means your creations get shown on the front page or where the current "Recent Folders" page is. It's going to take some getting used to, but I think I'll eventually get used to it. :-D