A look at all models in the 2002 Bionicle Rahi Master Builder Set, including the Ussal Crab, the Fikkou Spider, the Kofo Jaga, the inexplicably-flying Shore Turtle and more! #lego #bionicle #review
I don't ever remember seeing this set in stores, which is really a shame because I think this set really encapsulates everything good about the early bionicle line. Such infinite possibilities, and such wondrous creatures from truly simple combinations of parts. I don't think any other set of toys ever made me feel so whimsical as the early bionicle sets did.
I wish they would have done endless versions of these sets, with new masks and weapons but using the same core parts. Another edition after the Bohrok to use their parts would have been great. The later half of Bionicle totally disinterest me because entire bodies are just new single parts rather than clever reuses of existing ones
I think part of it is also the fact the set is basicaly a 40 in 1 so lots of people built some of it and then the pieces got mixed and it gets disolved into a collection easily. it's not like a set where you have all the pieces in one model and kept together over the years.
As a rahi designer, the Master Builder set holds a special place in my heart. I've since thrown together a handful of other rahi builds for this set and I absolutely love it's versatility, yet the the restrictive parts list that forces you to be creative
Nice to hear that other people enjoy this set. I wonder what it would look like if it came out a few years after? Would Lego's wider inventory help or hinder the set?
From some of the comments i've seen on other videos, the younger generations of the maori people actually liked the representation, and it was just the elders being sticks in the mud.
I think it’s their language and likenesses that have been portrayed without acknowledging the people they are profiting from. LEGO did not ask to use the language in this way and they did not pay any reparations initially for everything the Maori have been through. The elders know a lot more of the pain of the history of their people, whom in a short period of human existence suffered greatly from colonizers of European descent and then are taken advantage of again through product profit. The kids wouldn’t know or probably care when they initially saw Bionicle in 2001
@@hazbaska1To be fair, why Lego would pay any kind of reparations to them? I can understand asking for permission to use their language and borrow from culture, and I would argue that Lego should have done that in the first place, but that's about it. Up until Bionicle, Lego had nothing to do with Maori
a set like this adds a lot of worldbuilding, even if the models were kinda underwhelming. thats probably the reason they didnt continue doing that for the next waves, but still a nice thing overall.
BTW, some of these would turn up waaaay later in the Voya Nui Online Game, from 2007. Hikaki, Fikou, Kofu-Jaga, Shore Turtle are all names I recognise from that game I also loved your recolorings of some of the Rahi, looks lovely!
That set is just awesome. I remember being in awe in front of the Bionicle catalog pages, because the sets were displayed with backgrounds that really felt like a world that would actually exist, and to me the Rahi sets were the main reason for that. I never knew that set existed as a kid, but that'd probably be my most wanted one, so I could populate my "Bionicle World" (I only had limited knowledge of Bionicle lore back then, I'm pretty sure I didn't know what Mata Nui was)
I've literally never knew this existed. I never even seen it advertised in Bionicle sets. This would have been amazing to have multiples of, because I ALWAYS wanted to make the Rahi seen in the games!!
what a lovely blend of bionicle and the early 2000s CREATOR sets. I really appreciate the alternative builds and even instructions for those. Not a thing these days, except the 3in1 sets .
See this is why I think early G1 was peak Bionicle and kinda went slowly down hill after that. All these different creative designs you got and more importantly many of them with their own clever functions or how you were encouraged to combine multiple sets and be creative with them is just so much more fun than "a few big pieces with cool but very specific and limiting designs" that the later sets had,especially G2. And yes I know you can build some great stuff with those too but for out of the box creativity they have nothing compared to the early sets.
I wish the Ussals got individual releases in all the different colors. Also the Kofu-Jaga's lore is explained. Torch light/Fire based Light doesn't bother them...only bright light like from the Sun or from Light stones scares them
Never knew about the Slizer torsos in Mata red being exclusive to here. In addition-at the time of this set's release in May 2002, it was the least expensive way to get the "Voodoo Hooks" from Gali in Mata red, as their only other appearance was as part of the Kane-Ra (in 8538) the year before. This set also went on to be the second least expensive set to have the Technic 5M-5 3D panels in Mata red, behind one of their debut appearances in a "Speed Slammers" set (8241) from January 2001. This set was also the only appearance of the 8-tooth and 24-tooth gears in the old dark gray, though the latter of those first appeared in the "Millenium" Slizer (8520) two years earlier.
@@brickthumb It is a reference to the prototype title "Boneheads of Voodoo Island". And the term is often used for any part that originated from the Toa Mata.
@@colinroberts2060 I've only ever heard of "Voodoo Balls" before, I didn't know the other parts introduced with the Toa Mata were also called "Voodoo"! That's good to know
Some of these creatures also popped up in the game "Voya Nui Online Game", and the turtle and the build on the box art are two of the most annoying enemies
I owned this set way back in the day and if I remember correctly, this was something you had to order directly from LEGO, it wasn't sold in stores. I distinctively remember having to mail some money in for the set and, being just a kid, I sent cash in.
Really? That's interesting, would certainly explain the rarity. I don't remember seeing it on shelves either, but maybe it was different in other countries.
I kinda want to know if anybody didn't read the name or knew anything else about the set and got it juts fir the build on the box and found out "oh! it comes with more!"
I was able to get all of these models built at once by buying enough parts from Bricklink. Although those slizer parts I had to spray-paint in red for most of them. I was only able to find two at the time.
I rem having to order it through the mail as a kid via the magazine, so maybe it was a lego club or mail only thing and only saw release in some stores.
