Bionicle 2008 Images and Discussion

[Visorak-kal]

I actually think Miserix is really neat--I mean, I'm no expert on MOCs as I have no talent for it myself--but he's got a cool design and he's innovative. I fail to see why a Makuta "needs" to have a certain look about him, it is not like he's ever been described or defined and then our total definition was changed. Miserix being a Makuta can look like anything he wants, and after living in the near center of a volcanic island for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if this would be the guise he took. It is almost like a Rahi warlord, it has that hint of intelligence mingled with ferocity that I can easily see as stemming from Miserix's anger at the rest of the Brotherhood. (I mean, he's had a really long time to let that anger simmer and grow.)

Actually, the design is quite nice. The problem is that this is a MAKUTA building contest, not a RAHI building contest, so TLC's judgement automatically fails.

I would understand this statement and your frustration if it was a Toa building contest or Matoran building contest, but Makuta are shapeshifters. Nowhere on the instructions did it say to build a humanoid Makuta. Originality is a plus here, I think, I didn't just want to see a Mutran remake or another version of Makuta 03 or 07. And they did get a lot of Mutran remakes, I hear. So when you've got a lot of great entries, originality and innovation is something judges look for.

It seems you don't like this model because it is not exactly what you imagined (personally, I didn't bother imagining anything.) Did any of you who could enter actually enter the contest? (Here I can understand if you aren't from the U.S.)

Combiner:

That Niaszesk (sp?) is one of the coolest combiners I've seen in a long time. First thing I thought when looking at it was "Nui-Rama!" Those eyes are so reminiscent of those insect-like Rahi from yesteryear. It really has a good style, and though the color scheme obviously is not perfect (what combiner color scheme was, really?) it really does a good job of using the pieces included in those sets. I like it much better than Spiriah.

BrickMaster Rahi:

It took a while to really "see" the design, first thing I thought was that it had a toa head which clearly doesn't fit a bird-like Rahi that it appears to be. After looking at it for a while, though, I must say I'm pleased to be re-signing BM for it. The design makes good usage of the head-rocket combo, the rockets clearly being the eyes. If you look at it a little, it works, I think. The birdlike shape is well-achieved, and it includes a numerous amount of good and useful pieces. Plus, it's the only Rahi we seem to be getting this year, and it's not a bad little bird at that.

That was me who mentioned aforementioned '01-'06 link. I said the 'similar feel' [which I feel was a bit of a lie on his part - he's said '06 is supposed to be dark, whereas '01 always struck me as kind of innocent and mythological] was trees.

I don't know. Granted, I was younger in 01 than now, but 01 felt very dark to me. I mean, the idea of Rahi terrorizing Matoran, and village plagued by an unending, destructive evil that for all they know is deity-like is pretty dark. Nobody actually died like in 06, but that underlying fear was always there.

And the similarity I think goes further than trees; that is sort of an understatement. I think it mean really the return to a rural setting, with the desert, the volcano, the icy region, the forest, the mysterious underground, the quest for a mask(s) again, etc. If you look, 06 does bear certain similarities to 01 in terms of feel and story.

I don't like the whole idea that All Makuta Have Rejected Goodness. Why would Miserix do so if it gets him nowhere?

Miserix I think is more of an evil character who's just not as radical as Teridax, Gorast, and those guys. He rejected light for probably the same reasons as the other Makuta, where he dissented was that he wasn't willing to risk his high position for something that probably wasn't going to work anyway. Miserix, as we saw in the first Mutran Chronicle, wasn't a nice guy, he just wasn't as "crazy" as the rest of them.

VK

Edited May 8, 2008 by Visorak-kal

[Clonie]

I was just going to complain that the Niazesk's leg armour flaps around, but then I realised it gives it a more winged appearance, so it's cool. Yeah, I built it. Awesomeness.

Anyway.

2001 was innocent-like because the Matoran had celebrations. See how those were lacking in 2006?

Celebrations ftw.

[Icesaber]

I don't know. Granted, I was younger in 01 than now, but 01 felt very dark to me. I mean, the idea of Rahi terrorizing Matoran, and village plagued by an unending, destructive evil that for all they know is deity-like is pretty dark. Nobody actually died like in 06, but that underlying fear was always there.

And the similarity I think goes further than trees; that is sort of an understatement. I think it mean really the return to a rural setting, with the desert, the volcano, the icy region, the forest, the mysterious underground, the quest for a mask(s) again, etc. If you look, 06 does bear certain similarities to 01 in terms of feel and story.

I don't see it. '01 was like a mythical struggle against evil to me. '06 reminded me more of a shoot-'em-down fight. I have to agree with hewkii9 here, '06 really did feel more dark and brutal to me.

[Pencoin]

if anyone saw i think the bug thingy appeared in FOF just the and i think bat-rahi did as well

[Zarkan]

I would understand this statement and your frustration if it was a Toa building contest or Matoran building contest, but Makuta are shapeshifters. Nowhere on the instructions did it say to build a humanoid Makuta. Originality is a plus here, I think, I didn't just want to see a Mutran remake or another version of Makuta 03 or 07. And they did get a lot of Mutran remakes, I hear. So when you've got a lot of great entries, originality and innovation is something judges look for.

It seems you don't like this model because it is not exactly what you imagined (personally, I didn't bother imagining anything.) Did any of you who could enter actually enter the contest? (Here I can understand if you aren't from the U.S.)

True. I guess you're right. Still, I think Disky's moc was better - and it still had elements of Rahi in it as well, like a tail and wings. I just would have liked Miserix to be in a more natural form.

I don't see it. '01 was like a mythical struggle against evil to me. '06 reminded me more of a shoot-'em-down fight. I have to agree with hewkii9 here, '06 really did feel more dark and brutal to me.

I kinda agree. 01 was lighter in terms of the storytelling. Still, 2006 still had mythical elements, especially the Mask of life and everything intwined with it.

[Icesaber]

if anyone saw i think the bug thingy appeared in FOF just the and i think bat-rahi did as well

Nope.

[Makuta'sdarkslave]

TLC didnt make that, it was a girl named Sarah Newkick

You think I don't know that? I know and I think that TLC should have looked harder on this, I mean, I definitely agree with that other post on the should-be winner of the Miserix model, it's more HUMANOID.

Somebody said that the Makuta are shapeshifters and that this could work, well what the HELL are we supposed to be getting, I mean, we want something more... Oh, I don't know, worthwhile? A lizard: sure MC said that he liked turning into reptillian creatures, but what about what he REALLy looks like? When we first got MoMN he looked very humanoid and over-all good, probably his original form, we want ORIGINAL FORMS! The Phantoka and Mistika are different, the storyline, right? But Miserix hasn't exactly left Artidax in a LONG time, so he should like his original self, not THIS.

And as some of you have pointed out, the Bionicle universe has... to put it lightly, been going downhill for the past few years. The original Tohunga... err... I didn't really get them, so I couldn't enjoy the disks, and the Mata only moved their arm(s) and one's leg. Then we got better funtionality, the Bohrok and the Va, more stuff to work with, then of course the Nuva and the Kal, each shinier and SEEMED more interesting. Then we got the Metru. So much better, I thought. The disks were AMAZING at the time, since I never really got the Mc-Toran as they could be called. I liked that. FUNTIONALITY. Weapons at the time were in my interests. Then we got the Hordika and Visorak. Glorious, glorious Visorak (If you haven't realized by now, I'm just rambling about). Again, WEAPONS. And then the Piraka. I got the box, I knew about the launchers and I thought to myself "Oh, cool, a new more functional weapon." and of course, the Inika. Same deal. But we finally come to the Barraki and storyline that's been going on. Where the HELL were my favorite heroes, and what the HELL was the storyline doing? I mean, first we had a tropical Island with some bugs and ferocious animals. Okay. Then we had an industrial city place with crazy robots. And then we had a freaky ugly teeny, tiny island with monsters on it, finally we went UNDERWATER? And in a place that was once connected to Voya Nui? What happened to the trees and stuff? And we never get to see inside of it! And under the water are FEROCIOUS SEA MONSTERS! WITH ODD LAUNCHERS! The launchers were bad enough then, but when we got the Mahri.... I only bought them because I wanted to further my collection... and I promised I'd get them. I mean, in 06 I found out the Nuva were coming back into the picture... as hopeless nit-wits compared to the Piraka, probably the most mentally retarded characters we ever had. So the Nuva are hopeless, and the Inika are underwater...? All logic was gone.

We were told that 06 would be like 01.... the only thing that was even CLOSE was the fact that it was a small "tropical" island. And the weapons got more and more dangerous. First it was just disks that hit things and had different powers, nothing that could kill, then we had some other weapons that each had a different power and creatures were being brutally mutated. And then more mutation, but only to enlave or to fix. Next we had something that could kill you by sucking the life out of you. FINALLY we had explosive rocket launchers. This year.... well you already know...

My point is, functionality and originality.... and what we really shoul have are all just bogus things that TLC thinks they have for us. I mean, the squid launcher and the Cordak blaster, how hard were those, eh? They think their giving us what we want, but they're WRONG! And Greg's in on it. We had a nice little storyline in 01... now we have evil monsters jumping around, enslaving and killing. What happened to the good ol' days when TLC was run by good, kind, thoughtful people who had very good ideas when it came to MoC contests?

I know some of you don't agree withy me on originality and all the above, but I am freely expressing myself as I know I can here.

[Clonie]

They think their giving us what we want, but they're WRONG! And Greg's in on it.

If they're wrong, explain the increase of set sales.

[Phantoka_Chirox]

Hey do you guys know that Greg already seen Mazeka AND the 2009 BIONICLES!?!?! He said that the 2009 bionicles are good with wicked weapons!

[Visorak-kal]

You think I don't know that? I know and I think that TLC should have looked harder on this, I mean, I definitely agree with that other post on the should-be winner of the Miserix model, it's more HUMANOID.

Somebody said that the Makuta are shapeshifters and that this could work, well what the HELL are we supposed to be getting, I mean, we want something more... Oh, I don't know, worthwhile? A lizard: sure MC said that he liked turning into reptillian creatures, but what about what he REALLy looks like? When we first got MoMN he looked very humanoid and over-all good, probably his original form, we want ORIGINAL FORMS! The Phantoka and Mistika are different, the storyline, right? But Miserix hasn't exactly left Artidax in a LONG time, so he should like his original self, not THIS.

And why should he look like his original self? The original form of the Makuta has never been revealed, so there is no definition as to what it is. All Makuta take a shapeshifted form, even the Makuta of Metru Nui in his 03 set. The instructions did not ask for the winner to make a humanoid figure, therefore to exclude any figure because it is not humanoid would be unfair judging. GregF actually wrote either a blog entry or a post on this subject, where he said that basically they had tied it down to a bunch of equally good models (I received the magazine yesterday and I would have to agree that all the first-place winners are excellent models as well.) and so the winning model ended up being put down to originality. It is a lot more original to have the creativity to see a Makuta in a crowned-Rahi form than as your typical, bipedal figure. Considering bipedal Titans have dominated BIONICLE sets for some time, I found this a refreshing change for a model.

And storyline-wise, Miserix has been in the center of a volcanic island for some time, I think it might have been a little suitable to transform into something better adapted to handle that environment, and lizard/dragon Rahi is the first thing that honestly comes to mind. Plus there is no guarantee that Miserix was in his original form when he was captured anyway.

And as some of you have pointed out, the Bionicle universe has... to put it lightly, been going downhill for the past few years.

Then we got better funtionality, the Bohrok and the Va, more stuff to work with, then of course the Nuva and the Kal, each shinier and SEEMED more interesting.

You realize that so many BIONICLE fans hated the Kal that BIONICLE almost died in 03 due to them? So using the Kal as an example here is not the best idea.

And then the Piraka. I got the box, I knew about the launchers and I thought to myself "Oh, cool, a new more functional weapon." and of course, the Inika.

And then there are those adamant BZPers who despite the rubber of the Piraka, Zamor launchers, and everything about 2006.

And then we had a freaky ugly teeny, tiny island with monsters on it, finally we went UNDERWATER? And in a place that was once connected to Voya Nui? What happened to the trees and stuff? And we never get to see inside of it! And under the water are FEROCIOUS SEA MONSTERS! WITH ODD LAUNCHERS! The launchers were bad enough then, but when we got the Mahri.... I only bought them because I wanted to further my collection... and I promised I'd get them.

Firstly, you made a dumb move buying the Mahri because you basically showed LEGO that you support those figures by boosting their sales. You have to vote with your wallet, otherwise LEGO would never get the hint. LEGO didn't listen to clone-set complainers until people actually starting voting with their money.

Secondly, I have seen numerous people who despite 2006 and 2008 yet loved 2007.

The point I am trying to make here is that for every person like you who says BIONICLE is going downhill for reasons A, B, and C, there is another who says BIONICLE is going downhill for reasons D, E, and F. Even those who agree that BIONICLE is going downhill cannot agree on what is "good" BIONICLE and what is "Bad." Some say 2006 and 2008 are ruiners, other says 2007, others say they hated it from 2005! There are those who hated 2002 and 2003 but now love 2006. There are those who hate 2007 but love 06 and 08. Every person is different, the only thing we really have to judge here is the facts, and the facts say that 2006 and 2007 revived a dying line. Sales are up. More people like the new BIONICLE, apparently, than hate it.

And come on, Greg Farshtey is not "in on it." It is naive to think that one man can single-handedly control the entire BIONICLE storyline, or that he is somehow twisted into thinking that the majority wants something that they don't really want. He doesn't sit around thinking of new ways to disappoint people. There is a team of people who create the story, and Greg Farshtey is a member of that team. What happens in the books is his decision, the basic setting and story is a co-decision. LEGO is not giving its customers the WRONG thing (if they were, sales would drop), you are just assuming that you are the person they are targeting, which is clearly not the case.

Hey do you guys know that Greg already seen Mazeka AND the 2009 BIONICLES!?!?! He said that the 2009 bionicles are good with wicked weapons!

Yeah, he's an Onu-Matoran, I'm hoping for purple coloring here, but I doubt it.

And considering GregF likes the new weapons chances are most internet fans will hate them when they first see them. I just hope that if there are guns, they are not the only weapon. Villains tend to be better in that respect, I think.

VK

[hewkii9]

I agree with visorak-kal.

But apparantly there's some sort of tizzy about a spoiler video being released [on another site] on BZP, anyone found this video?

What they're saying - Recently a video was released on another website that contained spoilers of the 2008 storyline. The movie was not supposed to be released yet and will soon be taken offline. Do NOT discuss this video on BZPower.

Might be this - http://video.aol.com/video-detail/spoilers...istika/61224957 but most likely not.

Edited May 9, 2008 by hewkii9

[Zarkan]

And come on, Greg Farshtey is not "in on it." It is naive to think that one man can single-handedly control the entire BIONICLE storyline, or that he is somehow twisted into thinking that the majority wants something that they don't really want. He doesn't sit around thinking of new ways to disappoint people. There is a team of people who create the story, and Greg Farshtey is a member of that team. What happens in the books is his decision, the basic setting and story is a co-decision. LEGO is not giving its customers the WRONG thing (if they were, sales would drop), you are just assuming that you are the person they are targeting, which is clearly not the case.

Amen! Sometimes I really get tired of people blaming Greg for everything that supossedly went wrong with bionicle, even if I dislike certain things as well. Greg is not the overlord of bionicle, just one of many team players that work for TLC. TLC makes the sets, and Greg and his team write the story that goes with them, not the other way around.

And considering GregF likes the new weapons chances are most internet fans will hate them when they first see them. I just hope that if there are guns, they are not the only weapon. Villains tend to be better in that respect, I think.

I had a really good idea for 2009 once - where the new launchers in 2009 would use the Nynrah Ghost blaster ammo but be unique to certain classes. Some would have crossbow launchers, some would have sniper launchers, some would have heavy duty launchers, and so on. If the new launchers are anything like that (since I almost am sure we'll be getting some kind of launcher), I'll be really happy.

Oh, and Greg also said that some of the new parts in the 2009 sets would be really good for MOC'ers. Now, before you say "what does he know?" remember that Greg has said that the sets generally are designed more with playability in mind than MOC'ing. Just the fact that he is saying something like this has to mean good things.

Edited May 9, 2008 by Grevious

[Miraglyth]

I agree with visorak-kal.

But apparantly there's some sort of tizzy about a spoiler video being released [on another site] on BZP, anyone found this video?

What they're saying - Recently a video was released on another website that contained spoilers of the 2008 storyline. The movie was not supposed to be released yet and will soon be taken offline. Do NOT discuss this video on BZPower.

Might be this - http://video.aol.com/video-detail/spoilers...istika/61224957 but most likely not.

The video is here: http://tinyurl.com/5b5478

Edited May 9, 2008 by Miraglyth

[Wrinkledlion X]

It bugs me when people just bash Greg over everything in BIONICLE... He deals with the storyline itself, but the feel of the story is agreed on by focus groups, along with set designs, etc. If it weren't for his constant interaction with the fanbase over the internet (Which he does only because he wants do, and while not at work), we'd have no input whatsoever, being outside the target audience, and we'd never get anything we want.

[Ecto]

I'd bet 10000 widgets that giant in the video was Mata-Nui

this.

Edited May 9, 2008 by Ecto

[:Venomess:]

I'd bet 10000 widgets that giant in the video was Mata-Nui

this.

In which case I'll be taking back a statement I made ages ago about Lego screwing up Mata Nui no matter how he looks.

Reminds me of the Easter Island statues and the Iron Giant, which is a good thing.

Edited May 10, 2008 by :Venomess:

[Ecto]

Easter island does pwn. Back to your roots, Bionicle!

[Wrinkledlion X]

KICK... AAAASSSS!

[The Joker]

Wow. That looks nothing like I thought of Miserix. Anyways, not a half bad combiner. Edited May 10, 2008 by The Joker

[Clonie]

They're not really going back to their roots -- Mata Nui was "designed" in 2000.

[Ecto]

Well, then it's something classic as opposed to

MATA-NUI SWAT TEAM CHAINGUN BAZOOKAMAN

[Icesaber]

The video is here: http://tinyurl.com/5b5478

Can someone please find the video? That redirects to the Amazon page for Lewa Phantoka, or at least for me. Or if they can't find it, at least tell me the highlights and the important stuff?

They're not really going back to their roots -- Mata Nui was "designed" in 2000.

2001 , if he was designed back then. And hooray, TLC hasn't screwed up Mata Nui like they screwed up the Mistika!

Edited May 10, 2008 by Icesaber

[dviddy]

Can someone please find the video? That redirects to the Amazon page for Lewa Phantoka, or at least for me. Or if they can't find it, at least tell me the highlights and the important stuff?

2001 , if he was designed back then. And hooray, TLC hasn't screwed up Mata Nui like they screwed up the Mistika!

The video's on the Amazon page. ;)

[Clonie]

Well, then it's something classic as opposed to

MATA-NUI SWAT TEAM CHAINGUN BAZOOKAMAN

i lol'd

2001 , if he was designed back then.

Not necessarily, they started making BIONICLE a year in advance, as in, 2000.

[Icesaber]

The video's on the Amazon page. ;)

Oh! I see. I liked that video. Loved how they didn't show any of the Phantoka and Mistika but their movie forms.

i lol'd

Not necessarily, they started making BIONICLE a year in advance, as in, 2000.

Oh yeah, forgot about that kind of things.