KMOI

Thanks for the pics! Wow, those box images look awesome! The NYC Toyfair has even more pictures of the Spongebob sets and guess what? Harry Potter sets! Here they are, Spongebob and Harry Potter, respectively. http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/gallery/L...ants/index.html http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/gallery/L...tter/index.html Spongebob sets look great once again. I love how they made that analyser thing that Plankton had in one of the earliest episodes! Harry Potter sets look fantastic, though I'm noticing a lack of a "final battle" set. I really hope they get more for this line! Also, I love the new Snape figure, as well as the Dolores Minifig. It's spot on! 8-

Golden C3PO http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/gallery/L...s/IMG_6507.html Kit Fisto http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/gallery/L...s/IMG_6415.html Can you dig it? CAN YOU DIG IT? It's so beautiful. :'-) And for more Star Wars photos from the NYC Toyfair preview night, check this out! http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/gallery/L...Wars/index.html

Hitomi is confirmed to be flying the orange mech (Sky Guardian lookalike), as shown by the Toyfair photos here: http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/gallery/L...s/IMG_6384.html Got to hand it to that girl! She's one popular lady! I think this is the first time a female protagonist has been in so many non-licensed sets since Princess Storm of the original Knight's Kingdom! EDIT: I just realized that we've had far more female characters. That white haired girl from Rock Raiders, the female team from Alpha Team... Man, this is akward. X-D

ASM has posted their photos from the "collector's sneak peek"! They're located here: http://www.asmzine.com/toyfair07/companies/lego/ They have alot of extremely high quality pics, but easy to load. :-D Too true, my friend! Shame the Bionicle poses aren't exactly gratifying in any manner. The other LEGO sets however, are definately photo-worthy! (Kit Fisto = AWESOMENESS) I do lament the lack of Avatar though. :'-( As for my thoughts on the Mahri, I'm with hewkii9. They just look awful. I think I'll stay to my original opinion that I said before. Anyways, does anyone notice a certain resemblance between Kongu and a certain Hulk Megamorph?

Hmm, interesting! While I harbour very visible grudges against the plot, these sets are interesting! The medium sized sets are quite the strongest of the pack. The Sharkticon, dog and this behemoth come out swinging, winning me over! The designs are stellar as always, living up to a long history of great large sets that they've made over the years. Truly remarkable! I have no more to say! These sets are fantastic! I'm never a big fan of minifig sets, and with all this submarine stuff, it's far too outlandish for me. Hence, no opinion there. As for the Toa Mahiri (Or whatever they are named), I can't say I would name them anything else other than "abominations". There are some really good parts, but for the most part, they come across as rushed and cobbled together. Nuparu (That IS him, right?) has a pretty decent shield, and the blades on Hahili and Neo-Reidak's arms are absolutely amazing. Oh how I wish they came with a set for each pair of hands! However, that is as far as I shall come to praising these. Chain-guns are a definate no-no in my book, and while these designs are "unique", they seem nearly completely irrelevant in terms of roles. Kongu has double chainguns and a tremendous lacking of close-range weapons. He's supposed to be manouverable, isn't he? Well, guess heavy weaponry is his suit now. Hahili, Toa of WATER, has wings. Yes, I know this is underwater, but shouldn't she get something more relevant? Like, flippers, perhaps? And as for Matoro, there are so many things wrong with him that I can't even begin to describe. He has lopsided arms (To compensate for Chaingun), claws that look strangely like the Visorak pincsers, and a horrible leg structure. The "masks" (are they still considered masks?) all look like blatent rehashes of Vakama and Whenua Metru's masks, only with certain changes here and there. The only ones I remotely like thus far are Hahili's and Jala's, considering their slight degree of creativity in their designs. And their height! Compared to the Barraki, these guys are MONSTERS! I mean sure, Pridak is written as scary, but if I just saw any of these Toa, I would instantly suffer a cardiac arrest. On the other hand, I love the shoulder pieces and all those pipes on these guys. Great MOCing potential. Their placing on the figures are also pretty good as well, giving these Toa at least a single strong point in my eyes. And as Jinz has mentioned above, this is truly a welcome return of good, old fashioned plastic masks! After the previous sets, it looked like rubber was the future, but alas, LEGO went back and rectified this problem! Despite all my complaints, the fact that the masks are back in plastic fills me with joy! And as I said previously, those claws and shield are definate highlights. Okay, I know. Yet another scathing critisism from a "purist". But try to understand where I'm coming from. I love the sets. And I'm trying to love these canister sets. I really am. But I can't really find even a small connection in which it clicks for me! There's just so many things that don't look right, considering these are supposed to be the heroes of the series. At least the Inika looked heroic. But these, not so much. On the other hand, if these were marketed as villians, I'd praise them up and down. These guys look downright menacing. They look like they would fill you full of plastic ammo, then eat you raw. That's what I get from these. Creeps from the deep? That line definately applies to these guys. However, given everything I've said, I'll change my judgement later, I'm sure. ASMzine still hasn't uploaded their pics, but when they do, I'll make my call.

Well, as you may know, I did a photo review for the Sky Guardian. While I was taking some of the photos of the minifig comparisons, it dawned on me. "What if the two Hikarus met each other?" Many photos later, I found out. May you all enjoy this short comedic piece! PS: For those whom may be unaware, the skeleton swordsman is supposed to be a rift on the new "Knights" antagonists, and the "nationalistic" thing is reminesent of how political some animes like to get. *cough* CODE GEASS! *cough* My, my. Seems I've grown a nasty cold! ;-)

I agree! Besides, I'm sure these initial pics existed before the Germany Toyfair, so there's still a big change that we will get our Black-Hole troopers. Also, the NYC toyfair is coming up, so that should confirm everything. Anyhoo, I really dig the fact that they re-made the Sith Infltrator, but it looks too rounded for me. The Infiltrator was supposed to be flatter on the nose, but they REALLY curved that baby up this time around. The good part about using all these pieces, however, is that this looks to be far cheaper than the original Infiltrator. And cheaper is always a plus! I can't wait to see the speederbike!

Hehe, thanks! I learnt from all those Transformers toy galleries I used to look at. XD Oh, and my art class I took back in Grade 8 taught me all about focal points and hence, I can take some adequete photos. :-D Anyhoo, like the silly fool I am, I forgot to address this question! :-P Actually, I just found out the piece that I got with the Stealth Hunter was actually a factory defect, which trimmed the front excess rubber off, but not the back, allowing for better coverage! Dumb luck aids me once again, huh? *sweet*

Good god! That thing looks incredible! It's spot on to the real thing! Price and all that aside, I'm FLOORED by this. So much for cost-cutting. :-D Say, does anyone know what the blue exhaust *effect* of the engine is made of? It looks far too complex for a sticker... :'-)

:-D Anyhoo, thanks for all the comments, guys! Really appreciate it! I was kinda refering to my Thok review, which pretty well much died. But then again, I was about 5 months late for a review. X-D I understand where alot of you are coming from. This isn't the perfect set, but it is a decent one. SO if you see it on sale, get it! A sale price for this would be fitting, I'd say! Righto, turns out, I forgot to load some pics! Here are the comparison shots between the Stealth Hunter and the Sky Guardian! Additonal Photos: From the back Cockpit to cockpit ACTION!

Well, here I am again with yet another photo review! I know I'm several months late and that I've lost the honor of being the first person to review Hikaru's mech, but I'm doing it anyways! Nobody is probably going to read this, but I really hope those who are on the verge of buying it will read this! Like my other reviews, there are ADDITIONAL photos in every section as LINKS. And like before, I'm open to photo requests! :-) So, let's get started! THE BOX (Box itself, instructions and previews) Additional Photos: Back of box Demonstration of energy grenade launcher Comic inside instructions This is pretty amazing, but it really cuts down on all those neat touches that the Stealth Hunter box had, such as the opening flap and the neat contrasty blueprints of the mech at hand. Also, if you look at the back of the box, there are no black lines to distinguish the different parts of the box, relying only on colour differentiation alone. For more details, just take a look how that demonstration of the Zamor launcher photo blends into the main image of the climatic battle between the Exo-Force and the nefarious robots. While the insanely reflective look is a very nice effect, I really lament the departure from the blueprints and opening flap. The instructions have the parts guide to it, though it is infinately smaller than the one included for the Stealth Hunter for obvious reasons. Also, the comics that were usually located on the front flap have now been relocated to the instruction manual! Unfortunately, it seems that all the comics now are the same, whereas with 2006's offerings, they were all unique. The figure Additional image: HE SHINES! Hikaru is back in all his blue-haired glory! But this time around, he sports a dark blue suit and gold armour! And this gold isn't that cheap yellow colour. When you turn it at a certain angle, it actually as a metalic looking effect! Not quite your classic Castle royal sword kind, but it's good enough! Yep, it's a good one alright. The face and hairpiece, however, it where it brings it down. See, I got lucky for the Stealth Hunter and managed to get the hairpiece that actually covered the angry face. But this time around, I didn't get so lucky. And to boot, it seems they made a running change with the Hikaru face. They actually made the angry face lower down, so even if you put on my Stealth Hunter Hikaru's headpiece on him, you can STILL see his teeth. I really hate this, seeing as how LEGO knew about it in 2006, had a year to fix it for 2007, and STILL didn't fix it. Shame, really. Also, take a close look at the two figures. Yes folks, Hikaru lost the shine in the bottom half of his eye. I guess that's to make him look older, but to me, it makes him look like your average anime psychopath. But all in all, a good show nonetheless. Honorable Mentions Yes, those adhesive nightmares are back again! Which is a HUGE shame, considering that this time around, they took the liberty of colouring in the background of the sticker, which actually conflicts with the colour of the brick. The blue stickers for the "wings" actually don't match with the blue of the brick. The difference may be slim, but there's a definate difference. I can see why they didn't stick with transparencies, but MAN! Why couldn't they have printed them on the pieces? Yes, I know, cost cutting... Oh, and just like before, it is ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE that you place the stickers on instead of after. But thanks to the instructions, they tell you to do it first. Way to go, LEGO! Rock on! Now onto the main course... SKY GUARDIAN Here it is in all its explosive glory! Yep, the Sky Guardian is a sight to behold, even despite its thin frame and lack of power brick. While the stickering process was grueling, it really was worth it. Though your opinions of it may be mixed, may my review convince you that it's a decent set! There are some really interesting things about this set, so let's kick it off, part by part! The cockpit Additional photos: Everything opens up! OMGZ, HE CAN SIT!? OMGOMGOMG, HE REALLY CAN!!1!111elevenone!one This is the part everyone is always talking about. "Will he be protected?", "OMG NO PROTECTIONZ!?" or "I say, old chap, I do find the lack of safety measures most disturbing." are phrases often assotiated with Exo-Force cockput design. Well, I'm here to say there's awesome news! He is fully protected, and that click-joint allows for movement, hence giving YOU the power to protect Hikaru however you please. But here's the awesome part. He can SIT. That's right folks! The inventors of these "ancient" mechs decided to spruce it up by providing seats! Thanks to the Darth Maul speeder, Hikaru can now relax in the comforts of his own war machine while slaughtering thousands of semi-sentinent robot drones. This idea was so good, I decided to retake all my other pictures with him sitting down! X-D Also, I love the 2x2 tiles with the stickers on them. They look phenominal! The headlights are simply amazing, proving that once again, small details prove to be essential. The Legs Singlehandedly the absolute best part of the set. Sure, the massive armoured pieces may be gone from this set, but there's alot to love about this. The stickered bricks here are absolutely amazing! Never before have I seen the blue, white and yellow colour scheme done like this! Once again, LEGO proves to make stickers actually worth your time. The only thing I lament is how there are so few of the thigh armour piece you see there (What you see there is it). I would have loved it if they had thrown more in, considering how great they look. Funny thing is that the "Super sonic" sticker on the leg actually means "sound" "wave" when translated literally. If you ask me, that sounds so much cooler than supersonic. ;-) Left arm Additional Photos: He wants to shake your hand. That's one pelvic-y forearm. Absolutely magnificent. This time around, they took a hint from the success from the Supernova and decided to give Hikaru a hand! Literally! I didn't own any other Exo-Force sets other than the Stealth Hunter, so I spend 5 whole hours just playing with the arm. My judgement? Final call? Magnifico! The forearm, however, is a different story altogether. It's not inventive, nor is it the most asthetically pleasing thing in the world. Simply put, it is what it is. A Piraka pelvis. The only thing that redeems it is the fact that has a good place to put a mini-missile and that it has wings on it. But all in all, a good show! The hand totally rocks, especially since the forearm armour is smaller than the Supernova's. Right arm Additional Photos: Side view GIMMIE YOUR LUNCH MONKEY, KID! If there's one thing I hate more than GregF's horrid plot composition and characterizations, it's recycling of BAD gimics. As most connoisseurs of the non-System forums have noticed by now, I loathe the Zamor launcher. However, you have to give credit where it's due, and I have to say, it's not THAT bad here. "Why the sudden change of heart, KMOI?", most of you are asking. Well, it's not a change of heart. I still hate the zamor launcher with a FURY. But why do I approve? Well, if you turn the entire weapon thing upside down and forget the existance of that plastic marble, the launcher effectively becomes a three pronged claw. And that looks flat out AWESOME. My action photos will prove this later! Other than the launcher, I love how it includes the traditional rifle and the ammo ring. That's what makes this weapon special! (To me, anyways) The wings Again, really nice new molded pieces. That said, it should be used sparingly as wings, because overdose makes your mech look like an oversized wasp/bee. But looking at the rest of 2007's offerings, I don't quite think LEGO picked up on that. BUT, when used as other parts, these are golden. I can't wait to see what some of the mech gods on brickshelf make with these! The sword Another new mold, this sword is AMAZING. I'm really glad it was made, considering the vast MOCing potential for this piece. It's very futuristic, and if recoloured, they could make a great monuments. (I'm getting ideas as we speak!) The back Following the trend, this set has absolutely no back. If you're looking for a mech that looks great from 360 degrees, this isn't really your set. In fact, any mech from Exo-Force would be a bad choice. I am surprised they left it so bare, considering how many other parts they took out. The code brick I'm not entirely sure what the importance of this thing is at this point other than it's a giant plot device just waiting to happen, it's nice. But not nice enough to replace the light bricks. :'-( Articulation KK megafig joints for legs and ball-joints for arms. Friends, it doesn't get any better than this! I'm thankful they stood firm against the fans' demands for balljointed legs. It just wouldn't stand up! Anyhow, it's awesome, as you will find out next, in... THE ACTION SHOTS Now that you've patiently sat through my entire shpiel, here's what you came for: You shall not... PAAASSSSS!! MORE POSES! Gallant defender of the Golden city (Pedestrian view) Gallant defender (Robot/target view) Who said you can't snipe with a grenade? LIFTOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFF!!!! EPIC!Anime swordpose #44654168 FINAL SCORE This is a pretty solid set. While I would recommend it for Christmas, I'm afraid Christmas has come and gone. However, this set is worthy of any Exo-Force collector. For those who aren't fans, I'd still suggest picking it up, but as a parts set more than anything else. There's alot of small things missing from this set. For example, the torso has an hole in it that could be filled with a 2x1 block. There are almost no extra parts to this set. There is no alternate model. The box is a tad lackluster, with the return to conventional, no-flap packaging. The arms can't be posed as it standing properly. If I want to be an overly critical fan, I would say that this isn't Exo-Force, but instead, Discount-Force. But aside from these, this set is generally a good set. Sure, it may be lacking the great piece count, but it's a fun set nonetheless. Great pieces, awesome minifig torso, fun build, there nothing more I would really want from a set. Sure, they may not be as fun as the 2006 ones, but if there's any consellation, this is it! I see tonnes of MOCing opportunities for this set, especially if you got one of the 2006 sets. If you need to look for a fun set to play with, or looking for a gift, this is the ticket! So the final marking: Figure: 9/10 Asthetics (on box): 6/10 Set: 7/10 Playability: 8/10 Final score: out of 5 Water Nation seals. (Buy it!)

Hmm. Seems I'm learning more about Yoda from this topic then I ever had at my time at Eurobricks! :-D Nah, just kidding! I suddenly understand why I love Eurobricks so much though. :-P Anyhoo, I'm pretty sure the "WALL" isn't a one piece thing. Afterall, you can do the break-off effect with those smooth tiles and a few normal bricks (1x6 and 1x4s).

Just wait until the New York toy fair! I'm waiting for it already! I really hope they give us some really nice sets, considering they got past the basic sets in 2006, much like Spongebob's line. Here's to hoping for a small set with Sokka! X-D

You've done it yet again, Brickminer! You're truly amazing, y'know that? I'm not too sure if this was intentional, but I just love how all the space figs are approaching an unusually enraged Hikaru with extreme caution. It's cute! :-D

I actually think Mrs. Puff is a great figure! It's mostly because she never really makes use of her hands, other than to wave it the odd time. I only wish they made her inflatable, just like she puffs up when something scares her. :-D I think it's going to come out in the Summer, judging from the way things usually work. I'm probably wrong though, considering my record. Anyhow, SWEET DEAR NEPTUNE! Looks like the Chum Bucket is truly a combination of Plankton's most nefarious schemes! Robo-Bob (Spongebob's brain transplanted), Spongebob (Under control of Plankton, who was inside our yellow friend's head), the robot Krabby patty and that diabolical chamber looking device! This just keeps on getting better and better! Whoa. Is that a tank? I thought it was a grill. Hmm, I never recall him using once of those... Of course, I don't recall there being a basketball hoop in Spongebob's house either! Oh well, the more war machines, the merrier!

Usually, the "starting" assortment of most of these non-LEGO products are about one saga behind. Well, at least I think so. All I remember is that by the time the Bohrok saga was kicking it into gear, they only began releasing the Toa pens. Also, 2006 was far more friendly in terms of colours. They had some really nice defiant colours on there that stood out. And that's the kind of thing you're looking for in a birthday! 2007 for Exo-Force is more along the lines of "we darkened everything, then embossed it with MIRROR!Gold". So, yeah. It doesn't exactly make the nicest colour combination for birthday/party utensils. Afterall, do you REALLY want little tikes to be blinded by their shiny paper dishes and cups? ;-)

I'm sorry to hear about how it all turned out. While words may bring little comfort to you at this point, I send you, his family and friends my sincerest condolences. I'm sure he's in a better place now. :)

Me too. Though I have to admit, I thought Dumbledore's office was a pretty neat set. Shame I never got around to buying it! Another set I really want now would be that mini set with Harry and Draco when they were practicing flying. Two of the main characters for such a low price! Anyhow, I'd love to see a battle at the Ministry of Magic set, but I would also want to see more castle-estque buildings from Harry Potter. I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but I'm really falling in love with all those small sets the Harry Potter line is famous for. I just love the idea of combining sets into one big scene! :-D

I disagree! I think it's a rather neat little set, considering they definately weren't trying to build the Chum Bucket in big scale. Though it's more of "Plankton's lair" rather than the actual restaurant itself, I love the details on it, especially how they've got the whole "evil scientist setup inside, as well (from what it looks like) Karen the computer. That hand is also done amazingly well, considering how many builds for hands by mecha fans are either too fragile or don't fit the Chum Bucket look. Bravo LEGO! I love the Boatiing school too, though I hope they may give us a paper mat that resembles the setup they got there. It would be icing on the cake! Anyhoo, does anyone else think that the lighthouse may actually light up? Usually, I'd perish the thought, but judging from how small the light-up minifig batteries were, perhaps there's a small chance!

Seconded. While you can draw remote links between the two sets, there's very obvious differences. Aside from the obvious difference that the Striking Venom has legs and that wheelcart has wheels, the Striking Venom has a more circular main body stricture, whereas the "Mobile Devestator" has a rectangular mass of cages and assorted pieces. Mobility is a difference too, as the Mobile Devestator looks like it's incapable of moving from to side to side, whereas the Striking Venom has the mobility of an insect. I don't think it's a bad thing here though. Sure, it can't move around much, but if the box art is any indicator, this thing takes up more of less the entire width of the bridge. I'd like to see the Exo-Force squad try to sneak under and shoot at its underbelly this time! Oh, and from the German toy fair, who wants cake? I got the cups and plates! http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2299277

Yep, Spongebot is from the time Mister Krabs accidentally lost Spongebob to Plankton after wagering our yellow friend in a foolish bet. The antenna Spongebob is when Patrick came up with the idea of sticking a walkie-talkie in Spongebob's head so Spongy could cheat on his driving test. It worked like a charm until Spongebob realized it was cheating. It pretty well much went downhill from there. Anyhow, WOW! The TIE crawler is real? I thought it was a fanmade design. Well, this is most interesting! They did a really good job at the treads and the body overall. I'm kind of curious as to how the wheels hang onto the main body though. Seems like it's just a cone! Hope there's some sort of technic rod to hold that together.

Sweet mother of bricks. Now that's good animation! The whole blocking energy part really blows me away. How does one do that? 8-

I tend to think of an oversized battering ram. Remember that giant rat tied to a wooden frame in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King? Yeah. That beastie.

I think we just smashed the record for topic-revival! Anyhoo, I think this entire Eurobrick Veterans vs. Bionicle fans is just a giant misunderstanding. Afterall, we're basing our counterarguments on arguments that were made over a year ago. You also got to remember that no matter how logically you try to convince either side to like or hate Bionicle, not one person would budge. In my view, Bionicle isn't traditional LEGO. Is it system? Nope. Is it Duplo? HECK NO. (Though traditionalists argue yes) Is it technic? Nope. So what is it then? I like to view it as Technic v2. It's not traditional Technic, as builds were vastly simpler (Though I do consider the Rahi to be 90% technic). You also got to take in consideration that when the Toa and Rahi came out, they were looped into the "Technic" label. Though I never felt the shockwave because I loved Throwbots, Cyberslam and to a lesser extent, Roboriders, I can kinda understand them now. Just imagine if the "My little pony" characters began to have weapons and had this incredibly violent adventure storyline. I can't even begin to fathom what chaos those My Little Pony fans would wreak onto our unsuspecting world! Though LEGO has had various adventure related themes, nothing they knew existed in Bionicle. Adventurers had interesting builds and a storyline everyone could relate to (INDIANA JONES=WIN). Heck, even Knight's Kingdom (Leo's kingdom) had some castle fans foaming at the mouth. But Bionicle? Everything is alien. And therefore, mouth-foamage and rioting are suitable responses. To put it into closer perspective, it's just like me (Ravensburg and others too) and the current storyline. I despise it for everything that is and nothing will convince me (And others) otherwise. Same goes with classic LEGO fans and Bionicle. As for Bionicle fans not being LEGO fans, I think that's also true. I think the reference was to Bionicle ONLY fans, and not those such as yourselves who dare to cross back and forth between "normal" LEGO and Bionicle. Just try to think about it for a second. LEGO is a contruction toy which prides itself on being able to be built time after time in different combinations. Recently, Bionicle has even tossed that out the window, with the inability to combine Toa and the larger sets having no alternate build other than to combine with another set. I tend to think those who still rebuild or even think about rebuilding as LEGO fans, as they play with the original intent of LEGO. All of us here all are undoubtedly LEGO fans, as not only to we preserve and practice this tradition, but also integrate Bionicle with other themes, such as the original technic. The "non-LEGO" fans of Bionicle are most likely the ones who genuinely loved that "Save the band" campaign and who spurn the tradition of LEGO. The ones who treat them like action figures and never customizing or rebuilding. The ones who haven't even remotely thought of Bionicle as LEGO. I think THOSE are which the Eurobrick veterans are refering to. Anyhow, that was most likely my best attempt to try to bring some understanding between the two sides. I think I failed. Well, on topic, I can't remember what I voted for, but if I voted today, I would say ZNAP by a FAR margin. Some may argue Bionicle isn't LEGO, but ZNAP wasn't even remotely in the range of LEGO. No offense, but that thing was unsightly and a costly mistake. I sure hope that plastic was then reused for something better. :-D PS: I sincerely apologize if I have offended any of the classic LEGO or Bionicle fans in my post The terms I've used were very general and most likely not entirely applicable to either side.

Since you asked.