"I am rather conflicted about this set, overall I really do like it, but there are a few things off putting about it.
let's start with the little guy, Melum (like all the creatures) is frankly quite adorable. His head and his paws, along with his clapping/crushing/hugging function make him probably one of the cuter creatures. His colors go together quite well but there is one thing off about him, and that's the silver torso, I don't understand why make his torso silver but the other metallic parts on him gold. His gear function works great, even if when united with kopaka it doesn't do much, besides just hug him if that's what you're going for.
Kopaka is the real mixed bag of this set, and it's for the most part just with his colors, if he had stuck with gold, trans light blue, white and the metru blue, he would have been great, but instead, most of his gold from last year has been dropped and replaced with silver, now this would annoy me because gold was his metallic last year and it's best to stay consistent, but what annoys me more is that they made his thighs gold and nothing else when not united or with his golden mask.
It would have improved him so much more if his shoulder armor was gold, that would keep him consistent with last year's version and help balance out his colors a lot. Other than his colors, honestly Kopaka's build and general look is pretty great. Though I would have preferred a larger shield, he instead has a buckler with a gun attached to it, he also ditched his lance for a broadsword (and also turned left handed I suppose?) looks like he's no longer the heavy defending knight he was last year, now he is the agile and swift knight. His mask, while I thought it looked okay in the photos, looks amazing in hand, I love that you can swap out the scope colors and the nuva symbol inscribed into his forehead. The waist function that most of these sets have is also pretty great, allowing for an even bigger range of motion than last years sets.
United, the colors are FAR better balanced, and Kopaka actually retains his bulky look from lat year, while still looking agile, overall I'd say you should definitely get this set, there are some things that may bother you, but the packaged deal you get here is good."
I would recommend this to a friend!
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1of1found this review helpful.
Overall:
5/5
Finally. . .
Posted:March 11, 2016
Creation
From: South Burlington
From: United States
Age: 14-18
Gender: Male
Customer Type: LEGO Fan
Building Experience: Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For: Self
Build Time:
08mins
Play Experience:
5/5
Value for Money:
5/5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
"Since I first saw Kopaka from 2001 I immediately wanted every single version of him that had come out. When my package finally arrived, I ripped open the box and started building him. None of the Kopaka sets have ever disappointed me, and this out is my favorite out of all of them."
"Although not as good as the 2015 Kopaka, this new incarnation brings in some refreshing features. Unlike the other Toa, Kopaka wields a Ice Blaster or whatever it's called this time around. His Ice Sword is also cool, and looks pretty good in itself. The overall color scheme is amazing, but the dark blue feels a little out of place. I wouldn't be sure if a gun and sword is the best pair of weapons a character can equip, and perhaps, I would want to see Kopaka gain a new shield. His helmet is definitely not as reminiscent to his original mask as much as the 2015 version was, but the scope part provides some resemblance. His overall look is great, and he has some cool features. The waist feature is great, but I it is rather simple, unlike the gears in 2015, which can be modified. The more disappointing part about this set was Melum. I am very positive Melum is the smallest creature, and also, very possibly my least favorite out of all. It is the typical bipedal creature with two claws, as with Terak. It has less pieces than Terak as well. The color scheme is very sweet, but I'd like to see some more white, rather than gold. The function is very excellent, but once again, it's only a modification with Terak's. I am generally satisfied with my purchase, but I expected more with Melum. Kopaka is generally good, with some slight flaws, and Melum is a nice addition, and also, I would've liked to see a Shadow Trap. I am happy with this set, and the price was reasonable, as compared to Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder. I am happy and would recommend this set to a friend, though definitely not the first."
I would recommend this to a friend!
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1of1found this review helpful.
Overall:
3/5
One of the weaker sets
Posted:February 11, 2016
Fulerton3
From: United States
Age: 19-24
Gender: Male
Build Time:
09mins
Play Experience:
1/5
Value for Money:
3/5
Level of Difficulty:
Easy
"I found some of these sets in toys r' us. I picked up Onua, Lewa, Kopaka, and Pohatu.
Kopaka (and Melum) was one of my choices because he was always my favorite toa. Since this contains two different figures I will review them separately.
Melum is the creature that came with this set, I think he's supposed to be some kind of mole. Anyway Melum is alright, his gear function works well, the "hugging" action is quite amusing too. Melum's biggest problem is the fact that his legs are so short that it limits his pose options. Other than than Melum looks okay.
Kopaka however is a different story. I'll start with the positives: Kopaka's mask looks great, I like how you have the option to change the eye piece in his telescope eye. Also his weapons, despite being an odd choice for Kopaka, look cool. The waist function also works well, having enough friction to stay in place unless you want to move it. However that's where the positives end, Kopaka first off, looks weird, being a odd mix of cyan, gold, silver, dark blue, and occasional green, the gold mask helps balance things out a bit, but it isn't enough to make the set look coherent. I'm guessing they wanted you to combine him with Melum, however the set should be able to have some coherency on it's own. Kopaka also has a problem with his shoulders, where they are constructed in a way that limits posing. Lewa had a similar problem however his was negated by the fact that his arms could still have some unique poses. With Kopaka moving the arms inward and outward is next to impossible, meaning unique poses are out of the question.
Overall I can't say I recommend this set, it's not the worst set of this wave, but I think there are better. Melum is nice, but he's not enough to redeem the set."
Response from LEGO:By Jordan - Core Product Specialist, Consumer Services, February 15, 2016
Thank you for your feedback. It is important for every Toa to be well represented and it is too bad that you felt limited by his shoulders. The designers on the BIONICLE team definitely understand there are many different types of builders and want to make sure every perspective is considered prior to finalizing a set. Having a Toa that can maintain many unique poses is vital to a successful model and hopefully you will still find some great way you can present Kopaka.
I am glad to see that the Creature upgrade is something you have enjoyed and something that has enhanced your overall experience. It truly is amazing what the designers are able to do with just a handful of unique elements.
