Zarkan

The only thing in the Stars line that really interests me is the two-toned Ackar sword, which I know will look great with my revamped Tahu Mistika. I'll most likely order it on Bricklink, as nothing else in the Stars Tahu would be of use to me, and I don't want to display the set without all of its key elements present.

One word - Tuma. Easily one of the most massive looking Bionicle titans ever, even though Takanuva is still way taller. Love the sword and the mask, and the "wings" are a really interresting addition. Plus, you can't go wrong with some great recolors and a very good piece per price value, at least in terms of usual Bionicle prices. Oh, but this is old news, isn't it - since practically everyone besides me who wanted Tuma probably got him ten months ago.

Personally, the possibility that the new theme reuses Thornax launchers is the least of my worries. The Thronax is easily one of the best Bionicle launchers ever - if not the best. Small, unobtrusive, made up with parts that have actual MOCing potential, and you actually have to do a bit of assembly. I mean, come on - would your rather they reused the Squid launcher or Cordak?

As someone who loved the fantasy theme and never understood why people were so against it (what's wrong with a little variety?), I'm a bit disapointed that it won't be continuing. However, this replacement looks just about as good, and you can't go wrong with two human factions in appealing colors like red and dark green. As for the set design, the big castle looks great, but the siege engines seem to be a step down from some of the ones in the fantasy line - particularly the catapault and crossbow launcher from the first wave. But, hey, these are preliminary, so I wouldn't be suprised at all if the designs improve by the time they reach store shelves. Combining this with new Trains, Space Police, Atlantis, and a new Racers line with actual minifigures, and you have what looks like a superb summer wave of lego sets! And to think I was convinced I wouldn't be buying barely any lego next year... looks like I might be wrong about that.

Good question - especially since Lego's supposed reason for doing this is so that they could be innovative, or something like that. But I wouldn't call this innovative - and I highly doubt it will sell nearly as well as Bionicle did.

Actually, my personal opinion is that these names are stupid period. Not even the greatest storyline imaginable could make names like Preston Stormer, Mark Surge, and Xplode sound good to me. And seriously, the names themselves are enough to draw the premature but likely accurate conclusion that the whole line is going to be a step down when it comes to wider appeal. These names scream "only enjoyable by kids," and I bet even some kids will have a hard time laughing at them. Heck, you know what this really sounds like? Power Rangers meets BattleToads, with a hint of biomechanicalness thrown in. Appealing, no?

No, I'm pretty much certain that this will be 100 times lamer than Exo-Force ever was, even at it's lowest points. At least the names of the characters and vehicles were generic rather than ultra lame, and at least the storyline wasn't nearly as far out as this is sounding like it will be. Seriously, this has fail written all over it. Forget all your criticisms and complaints about Bionicle's storyline - at least that line had a first year that basically no-one has ever majorly complained about, storyline-wise or set-wise. But I can't see this line getting the same results at all - in fact, with names these stupid, I'm begining to question if this line will even succeed.

.... I don't really have anything to say, except that the reality that this is replacing Bionicle nearly made my head explode. Seriously, the storyline for this is sounding like it could be lamer than Galidor and Jack Stone combined - and the storyline of Bionicle is the biggest reason why I've stuck with that particular theme for so long. Translation - I'm already about 99.999% I won't be buying any of these.

Thanks for the great review, Darth Pineapple. Don't worry about the picture quality - it's not the best, but it's not bad either. I've got to say, while this kit won't be on my wishlist, it's looks like a perfect gift for the target audience. It's too big for normal sized lego roads, it's too unusual for many people's tastes, but kids will love it for sure. The playability especially looks fantastic - three vehicles in one set, plus a working crane and awesome suspension on the transport truck. And really, you can't go wrong with mostly brick built contrustion and the giant pontoon boat from the 2008 Coast Guard set in a new color. It may not be classic town, but it's sure not Town Jr. either.

I dunno about you guys, but when I read the latest comic, I was reminded less of transformers and more of something more iconic....

Late to the party, but I've got to say that the helicopter with limo set is a really unqiue and unexpected addition to the City line. I won't get it, but I admit that it's a breath of fresh air, even considering that City 2010 is looking a lot better in my eyes now than it was originally. So TRU finally got rid of the outragous Impulse prices from last year (up to 7 dollars a kit) and is selling them at the MSRP? Well, that's a relief.

I personally don't like this idea, as Bionicle has never really been a true action figure line, and it gives a false impression of what is capable of doing with Bionicle parts. Besides, doesn't anyone else it be a bit weird just seeing the name "Action Figure forum" on a site primarily about plastic building blocks?

Looks nearly as bad as Galidor - the only reedeming thing is the purple spikes and the fact that the line uses ball-joints instead of the horrible system used in Galidor. And, since the guy said the plastic is of poor quality, I fear a repeat of Bionicle 2008's shattering joint connections. Seriously, we better get pictures of the Bionicle replacement soon, because I need something to get my mind off the awfulness of this... this thing TLC is trying to market as Lego.

The description for "Piraka" is really lame, although completely expected. Darn recognizeability guidelines and their affect upon advertisements.

Not just slightly unfair, extremely so, as Bionicle has absolutely nothing in common with Hannah Montana. And seriously, did you really expect that Mata Nui and Makuta's apperance would always be secret? It's been ten years now, and it took eight before we even knew what Mata Nui looked like. If you're arguing that Mata Nui should have never been revealed in full, then you're basically arguing that Bionicle should have never been resolved, as Mata Nui's appearance and purpose were basically the biggest mysteries of the entire storyline. Not exactly the ending the vast majority would have wanted, Alg, and I honestly feel that would have been horrible. Especially since that would have meant no Mata Nui set, something that most of us wanted. And really, I don't see how a gigantic tiki statue that contains an entire universe and is extremely inteligent and benevolent is anything less epic or true to Bionicle than a mysterious force that we know barely anything about. Besides, your point is moot, as it was set in stone since 2001 that Mata Nui's reveal would be the big climax, whether at the end of 2001 or later. It was also always set in stone that he would be a 40 million feet tall robot that contained an entire universe. So, if Bionicle had lasted only one year, you would have also been immensely disapointed. Also, your comments about lots of islands and "no unifying theme" make absolutely no sense to me, considering that you really didn't explain them. If you're arguing that Bionicle would have been better if we had just stayed on Mata Nui for 10 years, then I really can't agree at all. More likely, that would have made Bionicle far more redundant than how you think it is today, as Greg and the story team would have struggled far more trying to explain how 20 waves of sets fit into the storyline of one island. Seriously Alg, the expansion of the Bionicle universe and the addition of new lands was only inevitable as the number of sets grew, and that to me has made it a lot more interesting than I would have found it if they continued to use the same six environments on Mata Nui for every single year of storyline. And of course the reality that a lot of people like the current storyline is going to baffle you, as you hate it. Anytime someone hates something, it's often impossible for that person to fathom how another person can like it. Heck, that pretty much describes the viewpoint of some people who have hated Bionicle from day one, although certainly not people here. It's simply human nature that we have a hard time understanding different tastes, as the prevailing mindset is to beleive that our tastes our superior to others. I've struggled with this, as has everyone else who every has had an opinion about entertainment. It's just something that will never fully go away, as long as there are still things to argue over. That doesn't mean we have to let it get in the way of being polite and respectful however. Not saying that you haven't been both, but I'm also not saying that I've never witnessed rudeness when it comes to issues like this. Just read some of the comments on Brickset's announcement of Bionicle's cancelation... ugh.

Technically, Greg actually revealed the mysteries at a library meeting, and then the answers were posted on BZP by attendance. Also, I'm still not totally convinced that Greg was the only person involved in this huge reveal. Remember, Greg isn't this gigantic Bionicle overlord like some people think he is. He has to both work with an entire story team and submit to the will of TLC, and I highly doubt he would be able to reveal all that info if neither of those parties didn't at least approve of the decision. I'm not saying it was a good move, of course, but something tells me it wasn't just a "what the heck" moment. I fear that, like so many of the other decisoins made regarding Bionicle, there's something else going on below the surface.

Took a break from Eurobricks a month or two ago, but I thought it would be apropriate to at least post in this topic before returning to my absence. Needless to say, I am both sad and happy about this decision, although it didn't really come as a surprise. I've been a fan of the line since 2004, and I've enjoyed the line enough that I own nearly a hundered sets and have memorized the vast majority of the storyline. I own nearly every novel and guide, have played most of the video games, and have spent countless hours on Bzpower and Eurobricks dicussing (and ocasionally passionately arguing about) one of my favorite Lego themes ever. So, it's rather disapointing to me that the line is finally ending, but also a relief that the storyline is being continued, as that part will always remain my favorite thing about Bionicle. Regardless, I'm glad that TLC has kept the line alive for this long, considering that none of the other themes introduced in the Dark ages have stuck around for long. That alone deserves my gratitude, espeically considering that it was originally intended to be just a one year line. One way or another, Algernon, you have to face the fact that a lot of people have liked Bionicle through and through, from the very begining to what is now the end. The 2001-is-god position may be somewhat popular among older fans of Bionicle, but there's also many people who have enjoyed the other years just as much as the first. In particular, Bara Magna was for the most part a breath of fresh air for both those who loved previous storylines and those who wanted change, which makes it all the more sad that a whole year of storyline was cut. Many of us would have loved to see 2010 devoted entirely to Mata Nui's journey to to the Valley of the Maze, especially if it meant that the Element lords had a bigger role, better defined personalities, and perhaps sets as well.

I'm sorry, but I can't accept your apology when it's obvious you don't care about other people's opinions when they are different than yours. None of what was in your unpolite and extremely faulty paraphrase of my post is actually what I said, and you've demonstrated that you don't care about spending time making a comprehensive and logical response to what I said. I never said you sucked for disagreeing with me - in fact I never even said that bionicle is super awesome just because I liked it. The point of my post was foremost to illustrate that the quality of literature and every other form of media is subjective and dependent mainly on personal taste, and you completely twisted my words and mistook what I said. I also did not say that college is stupid and knowledge is dumb - however, I find that it's silly to gauge the latter solely on the former. There are plenty of college courses in the world that are excellent and useful, but just because someone has a degree and another person doesn't does not mean that the first person is smarter than the second. Finally, you claim that Bones allows his personal feelings to influence his opinions, and you act as if that's a bad thing. Fact is, everyone is influenced by their personal tastes somewhat - there is no such thing as total objectivity, nor is there a single person in the world who is utterly non-biased in every respect. The reality of being human is that, even if we can not tell that we are being influenced by our opinions on things, they still have an affect on the way we act and the way we view the world around us. This goes doubly for entertainment and literature, which as I said is only as valuable as each individual person makes it out to be. And honestly, this whole claim of "chiched characters" is silly, because in reality there are only so many different types of characters that you can invent. Most characters in literature and other forms of media fall into one of several different basic types, and all of them are influenced by the realities of human personality and diversity. You see noble and heroic Toa in the Bionicle storyline because that is simply what heroes act like, not because they are "cliched" and overused. Similarly, pretty much every single villian in the history of literature and media can be fitted into one of seven different basic types, all which are based upon their motives. Since there can only be so many reasons why a villian can be evil, the true character has to come from their realtionships with other beings and the history of their live - not their ultimate goal of their evil schemes. One person in the other topic made mention to how the bionicle character personalities sound like a list of topics on Tvtropes - and this is not suprising in the least. However, just because something makes it onto TVtropes doesn't mean that it's overused or cliched - and even if it is cliched, it doesn't mean that the value of that particular character type is wasted. The reason why certain character types have been used for so long is because they work well in the context of a story and can provide many different variations within the general type - not necesairly because people have no imagination. Most of the Toa in the Bionicle storyline are similar in their overall goal in life, but their reasons and their actions have varried from the self-absorbed to the reluctantly leading to the cold and efficient. The gauge of whether a character is interesting and enjoyable for me has never been whether their general personality has been used many times before, but how they interact with the other characters and how they change or remain the same as they go through life. But really, this is all pretty pointless of me to be saying this, as there's no point in even trying to have a reasonable and respectful conversation with you, Vader. Needless to say, I'm utterly fed up with the way you've been treating those who like Bionicle and have explained to you why they do, and I don't expect I'll be spending much more time discussing the storyline on Eurobricks any longer. Discussing the the storyline in this forum has always been extremely hard, and the same few members are continuing to fan the flames of disrespect that make it utterly unpleasent to talk about Bionicle here. If people would simply learn to respect other people's posts and analyze them carefully and with a friendlier tone, then discussion here would be comparable to the discussion in the rest of Eurobricks, but I'm afraid I just don't see this happening in the near future. And that's sad, because this constant wave of disrespect revolves solely around a kid's toy and it's storyline. It's no wonder that people in the world can't seem to debate important issues like healthcare and global warming respectfully - how can they, when they can't even show respect when talking about trivial things like entertainment?

Here's a reply to a post that Darth Vader made in the aformentioned 2010 topic. I was going to make it there, but since iLego started this topic, I might as well reply here. Comments by Darth Vader are in normal font, while my replies are made in bold.

Toa Ignika in general was so incredibly win that he was easily one of my favorite parts of 2008. Seriously, he's possibly one of the most unique characters in the Bionicle storyline - as he's not actually a living being at all, but a mask that temporarily gains the ability to act like a living being. Watching his gradual evolution from a mute and simplistic "being" to a hero was really awesome to watch, and it's one of many things that makes me disagree with Darth Vader's asserations. But hey, since we want to get back on topic, how exactly does Tyranide know that 2010 has something to do with the MU? Seriously, this better not be another fake claim.

You see, this is one of the reasons why I find it difficult to have a decent discussion with certain members on this site. Because, for some reason, they feel as though their opinions have somehow evolved into facts. Seriously, everyone has different standards on what makes good writing, and I for one think he's fine. You've got to remember - the books he writes are aimed as kids, and thus they can't be nearly as complex or as detailed as books aimed at teens or adults. However, for what it's worth, they're also far better than most childrens books, and they manage to be entertaining enought that at least some teenage Bionicle fans have enjoyed them (including me). Like it or not, Vader, there are people that like his writing, and you can't explain away their opinions just because you have a different one. Also, I get tired of people claiming that the earlier character's personalities have been changed. Perhaps this is because I never thought they had that much personality to begin with, as my standards of personality revolve around more than just dialogue (which, by the way, is all we got in the comics and MNLOG). For me, unless I can hear a character's voice or at least see what their thoughts and feelings are at the moment, it's very difficult to find personality in Bionicle characters, who because of their masks and fairly expressionless eyes look pretty much the same in the MNLOG and comics no matter what they do. This is why I would argue that the bionicle books of 2002 were superior to the MNLOG and Comics in describing the characters, although I still would call Greg's writing superior. By showing actual emotion and the thoughts of the characters, you're able to get a much better perspective on who they truly are. Can't say the same about the other forms of Bionicle media that everyone else loves so much, however. And what's this about juvenile violence? Seriously, the current level of violence in the books and comics doesn't even come close to the level of of Michael Bay's violence or even violence in most modern comic books. If Greg was truly like Michael Bay, there would be pretty much nothing but mindless action, and thus we would not get scenes like Kopaka talking to Solek or Mata Nui, Ackar, and Kiina exploring the Great' Being's lab. I feel personally that Greg has achieved a good balance of violence for the most part, and the battle scenes he writes are excellent. Violence =/= juvenile all the time, Vader - otherwise practically ever epic fantasy or sci-fi story would be juvenile in your eyes. And besides, there are people who would argue that Dan Brown is no better a writer than Darth Vader thinks Greg F. is. Seriously, you can't win or lose a debate like this, because it consists totally of subjective opinions that neither side can claim as fact. That's why I get sick of the attitude that "Greg's a bad writer and if you think he's good, then you have no literary taste." If you don't like Greg, fine, but don't act like your opinion is suddenly better than the opinion of somebody who does like him. Tvtropes Will Ruin Your Life Seriously, you spend enough time on tvtropes, and pretty much every literary character or storyline will look like a cliche.

Neo Shifters actually has a story? News to me.

Bionicle Heroes is fun, and I don't regret my purchase. However, I wouldn't recommend it to a non-Bionicle fan, as overall it just isn't the greatest game. The combat and game engine is even simpler than the System lego games, the cutscenes are dumb and the bosses are too easy, there's only three types of basic enemies, and Hero mode takes away what little difficulty that their might have been without it. The only reason I enjoyed it was because the graphics are great, the music is cool (except for Hero Mode), and you destroy lots of stuff made out of legos. Bionicle Heroes for the DS, on the other hand, is superior to the console versions and also is a very respectable FPS. There's greater enemy variety, the game engine is less watered down (you can actually jump whereever you want and fall off of edges), and there's actual difficulty. Sure, it's not as legoy and doesn't have as many secrets as the console version, but it's still a lot more fun. I haven't played the GBA version, so I don't know whether I'd like it, but I heard that it was a good shoot-em up game. Again though, that's only because you could blow up lots of stuff.

Agreed. Seriously, Greg F. is no George Lucas, nor is he a bad writer. Sure, not everything he has done is perfect, but he's only human, and I find it annoying that people constantly complain about him when he has done so much for us. And don't give me the whole "Bionicle would be better if Greg wasn't involved in it" - everyone should know by now that many of the things we don't like about the storyline weren't his fault, but were the fault of TLC or the movie producers. I honestly find it amazing that Greg and the story team have been able to fit together nine years of sets and create unique personalities and backgrouds for them that all fit together in the same timeline. Had this been done like most kid's toys (Power Rangers, for example), each new set of villians and heroes would have almost no connection to each other and would not fit into an overarching timeline at all. There would be no years devoted totally to flashbacks, no story serials with exclusive content, and each set of villians and heroes would have exactly the same personalities as the previous set. Bionicle has not had any of these problems (no, not even the last - seriously, try to compare the Toa Mata to the Toa Metru to the Toa Inika someday), which IMO makes Bionicle's storyline one of the best of any toy-based line, if not the best.

Niiiiice. So Branar has red markings on his face, huh? Good to see that he's at least a little different than the normal Skrall in appearance.