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Set Review: 8723 Piruk
 Saturday, December 24th, 2005 at 12:47am by Andrew, BZPower News Manager[Source: Kex] Well, it's been a while since our last detailed review so we here at BZPower decided that the new 2006 sets would be a great chance to bring this feature back. A huge thanks goes to our very own Forum Assistant Kex for taking time from patrolling the boards to get this new set and write up a review. Now without further ado, I turn it over to Kex and his review of the Voya Nui Matoran Piruk THE BOX The the most superficial part of any LEGO product, but the one that often determines whether or not the set is a success or failure.  The box is pretty much the standard size as it is for any of the smaller sets. It stands at about 5 and a half inches tall. I find that the new box-art scheme is very neat and organized. The portrait in the upper right hand corner adds a nice touch.  On the back of the box, it shows all six of the Doomtoran, along with a little �map� of Voya-Nui.  Something new is on the side of the box: Kanoka Club Points. The side of the box shows the same portrait that is in the upper-right hand corner on the front, and then shows you a code for Kanoka club points. Pretty neat, and another way to snag some more of the codes. WHAT'S IN THE BOX? So you've bought it and taken it home (or at least made it to the car), punched the perforated tabs and dump out the contents. What do you get for your money?  Contents: Inside the box are the pieces needed to create the set, as well as a small instruction booklet. On one side there are instructions for constructing Piruk, and the other one-third of the instructions needed to make the combiner of Piruk, Velika, and Balta. More on this combiner later in my review. As you can see, there are no new pieces that are introduced with this set. However, there are some rare/useful parts in this set, including dark green Bohrok feet, hip joints, and a Great Mahiki. Four trans light green Bohrok eyes are also included. BUILDING EXPERIENCE What can you expect while putting this model together?  The build is pretty straightforward, and only takes a couple of minutes. The set has 27 pieces included, and seven steps in the instructions. There is a little add-on for the instructions. Each piece has a seven-digit number next to it. This is the item number for the particular piece. This way, if you lose a piece, break a piece, purchase a set missing a piece, or just need more of that particular piece, you�ll have the piece number to give to Lego. This will add onto Lego�s already great customer service. PLAYING EXPERIENCE So you've got the model together, but is it more like playing with a block of wood or an interactive toy?  After building, you have a completed Matoran Piruk. The overall design is very different from a typical Lego set. Because of the usage of older parts (some in many ways they�re not intended to be used) it gives the set a feel that is very similar to a MOC (My Own Creation). I think this gives the set more personality and individuality. A step in the right direction.  In my opinion, the greatest part of the set design-wise is the head and the way it is mounted. However, I really don�t know why a Metru head is used, but no Metru eye piece is included in the set. There are no eyes. Very strange. The head (a Toa Metru head) is attached to a Bohrok foot, as shown in one of the pictures. This allows for many more poses to be achievable.  Speaking of posability, for such a small set, Piruk has decent articulation. See some of the pictures for various poses. One thing that does disappoint me is the fact that the mask is re-used. To me, the best part of the smaller sets (Matoran specifically) is the masks. Even if it is just an old mask in a new color, it�s better than the same old mask. You can�t expect new parts and pieces from every single set. I understand that from Lego�s point of view, re-using the Metru masks was very economical. And they really don�t look that bad with the sets either. I�d have just preferred some new masks. OVERALL Here's where it all boils down to whether the model is worth your money and time or not. Overall, I think Piruk is a pretty decent $4 Matoran set. The parts usage is great as well. Lego did a good job using what they already had available. I would suggest picking up a few of the Doomtoran. They�re neat little sets, at an affordable price. A nice addition to your collection for sure. To go along with my Piruk review, I have some pictures of the combiner of Piruk, Velika, and Balta. Because no storyline information on any of the 2006 set combiners has been released, the combiners name is unknown for now, as well as any information on the set.    That�s all for now, and I hope you enjoyed the review and the pictures. See you around!
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