#scuba slizer

[necromastersdomainstuff]

Slizers! All of 'em!

Doing the spiritual precursors to Bionicle was a fun challenge and I've had these sitting on my hard drive for quite some time. Maybe one day I'll take a stab at the Roboriders, who knows.

Really leaned hard into the whole "Blaster is a fusion of Judge/Jet and Jungle/Amazon" idea implied by the face print. He's probably in constant pain.

[boxturret]

Fire Slizer/Torch Faceplate render

In my quest to remake all the Slizer/Throbot visors, I've finally finished another one, Torch!

I spent a long time on the modelling for this one, the part around the left eyeball gave me a lot of trouble, but once I got it okay the painting went super fast, like 2 days.

Took a bit to get the emissives dialed in.

Unlike the first two I did (Blaster is just those two stuck together so it doesn't count) Torch's faceplate is very three dimensional, so it looks quite cool from the sides. The other two are very flat.

Really pleased with how it came out. It looks really cool in the dark.

Made a printed version too.

Next is Scuba, which is the last of the wave 1 Slizer faces, the wave 1.5/2 ones have a much more simplistic style so I don't think they'll be super hard, but I also didn't think I'd spend weeks staring at the edge of an eye for this one so who knows.

I've also redone the other 3 renders a bit, all 4 can be found on my Flickr.

[cometsans67]

prev tags (caption in alt)

ok but these are lego??? u can make ur own??? even make them look more similar!!! i got my gali mata figure this weekend and now im highkey tempted to make a slizer for her, scuba is one of the few throwbots i have pieces for :3

i could imagine a slizer for onua to be a excavator type build, i think thatd be rly silly n cool :3 esp like the throwing arm being on the crane where the shovel for the excavator would normally go

imagine the toa mata getting infected with hordika venom and they just... turn into slizers...

[an-apocalypse-of-magpies]

Cekaha the Wise

Toa Cekaha is the Toa Murai of Psionics. The oldest of the Toa Murai and their de facto leader, she comports herself with an air of poise and dignity, and is known for her wise counsel. She is not one to default to violence, but unafraid of conflict all the same. When the Toa Hora vanished, Cekaha was the one who came to protect Pazu Nui. Now she manages the archives deep in the crystalline canyons of Ce-Wahi.

Cekaha wears the Mask of Conjuring, allowing her to tailor her defences to her foes with enough time or insight, and given that she always takes the time to analyse potential threats, this makes her very tough to counter. Despite her slow and dainty appearance, her Hover Skirt allows her surprising speed and unparalleled manoeuvrability even over rough ground. Meanwhile, her telekinetic control of her Satellite Drones means she can lock down foes even at long range.

Once again I’m playing with bauplans. Psionics scream telekinesis to me, so I wanted to make an elegant Toa who was above common violence. I started making the large skirt and decided it looked good enough without the legs underneath. Apparently, Psionics characters are associated with blue and gold, but I like using yellow as a spot colour for Water characters since my brother got the Scuba Slizer (God, remember Slizers?), so I differentiate Ce-characters by making them use more medium blue, transparent light blue and pearl gold parts, as well as sand blue. Cekaha originally was designed with the sand blue Akaku mask, but when I saw the custom designs online, I thought they looked so cool I had to try them out.

Mask of Conjuring design by KhingK

[kopakaskoolkompanion]

Alrighty so I've not gotten any asks to do this but I've seen some other people do it anyhow so yeah let's go.

Originally posted by @goodguy2008

1. When did you get into Bionicle?

About 2002, 2003? Once I was old enough to read the comics, pretty much. My brother had a couple of slizers so I was already super into the whole MOCing with constraction (before it was cool.)

2. What got you interested in Bionicle?

Slizer.

3. What was your first set?

Panrakh, either for my birthday or Christmas in '03. It was my only Bionicle set until 2008! Unless you want to count Amazon, Torch, and Scuba (jungle, fire, and sub) as my first, which I literally grew up with (having been released less than a year after I was born).

4. What was one set you always wanted but never got?

Well, aside from everything, I'd have to probably say anything. I've gone and bought a LOT of sets on my own from Bricklink but still don't own ANY from '06. Odd. See my header for a comprehensive set list!

5. Which set is your least favourite?

Overall? I'd have to say Gresh stars. Or that whole year. Beggars can't be choosers, though, we were lucky to even have sets that year. Of what I own? I'm not gonna be redundant, so I'll go with... all of my '09 sets. Because they're all broken at the joints.

6. Which year is your favourite?

2007 was a very emotional time for me.

7. Which year is your least favourite?

Hate to be cliché, but '09. I hate Gresh, Berix, and Kiina specifically. Never before had any characters gotten on my nerves as much.

8. What did you think of Gen 2?

I LOVED it. I was very glad it happened, and very hopeful it might again. Hopeful, but unfortunately not expectant.

9. Did you read or own any of the books?

I've read all but like Journey of Takanuva, and own all of the Chronicles and all but three of the Adventures. As well as all the serials and I own Metru Nui City of Legends and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Rahi Beasts.

10. Which book is your favourite?

Ooh I'd have to say either Adventures 3, 5, or 10, or Legends 4.

11. Did you read any of the comics?

Read 'em? I own all of them! And have read them all several times.

12. Which comic series was your favourite?

I'm gonna say either the '01-'03 comics or Ignition, specifically '07. The FEELS.

13. Ride the crab?

ALWAYS.

14. Which Bionicle game do you like best?

MNOG

15. Who's your favourite character?

Do I really need to say?

16. Best toa team?

Either Mata, Mangai, Hagah, Cordak, or Mahri. Too many good ones to choose.

17. Which movie is your favourite?

Web of Shadows.

18. Which movie is your least favourite?

Again with the clichés, but The Legend Reborn. Kiina is just so annoying. However, one can never fail with Jim Cummings, Michael Dorn, and James Arnold Taylor!

19. What is your favourite aspect of Gen 1?

Story

20. What is your favourite aspect of Gen 2?

Sets

21. Do you hope to see a Gen 3 in the future?

I do hope, but don't find it likely at least in the near future.

22. Dump all your pieces out and assemble, or sort carefully and assemble?

With a new set it's always mixed. As a matter of fact, I immensely regretted opening all the bags of the MX-81 when I got it (is had numbered bags). Too bad! All of my Bionicle/Technic parts are neatly sorted for MOCing/reassembling though.

23. What's your favourite Bionicle memory?

The anxiety waiting for the next comic to come in '07, after Mata Nui died. And then Matoro...! FEELS.

24. Did you ever take your Bionicles (sic) outdoors to play?

No, I don't take any Lego outside. Beside which, I prefer building over playing for the most part.

25. Do/Did you break your pieces often?

2 0 0 9

26. How many sets have you collected?

See my header

27. Do you want to see a new Bionicle game? If so, from what year, and which genre?

Definitely if we get a Gen 3, and my favourite games are exploratory platformers, like the "Metroidvania" style (Metroid being my #1 favourite game series, Castlevania #3.)

28. How many of your childhood sets still sruvive?

All. Anything that's broken I have replaced (2009/10 notwithstanding).

29. Which did you like best, Gen 1 or Gen 2?

Gen 1 is what started it all, and I was way into it more. Really only because I could read all the comics and books and serials and such for free, whereas for Gen 2 I'm a broke adult and can't afford sets, nor do I have Netflix (no JTO!!!!) However, Gen 2 gives me hope for a Gen 3.

30. Ask anything else!

Please!

[boxturret]

Slizers vs Throwbots: Regional differences

Its well known that the Slizer line was changed quite a bit for its release in North America. The line was renamed Throwbots, the individual set names were all changed (Honestly this seems to be an okay change, as apart from Judge I quite like the new names, and this doesn't seem to be an uncommon opinion), and the setting was changed.

One very subtle change that I've had a hard time tracking down was the actual art for the sets. I managed to acquire copies of the instruction booklets for every set, Slizer and Throwbots, and have scanned them all, and they can be found HERE.

What follows is comparison between the Slizer and Throwbots instruction booklets.

8500-Fire Slizer/Torch

The Slizer version features a humanoid fire being, but the Throwbots version removes the face entirely, though this being can still be found on the 6 pip disc art. In fact its the same illustration, just mirrored.

8501-Ice Slizer/Ski

The Slizer version features an ice outcropping with an evil looking face. The Throwbot version erases the face.

Though this creature doesn't appear in the discs, a similar concept of an avalanche with a face does, on the 6 pip disc.

8502-City Slizer/Turbo

This is the first one to not have any changes that I can see.

Every piece of Slizer art features the main set, and in the background one of the enemies the Slizer would face in its region. For City Slizer it seems to the be city itself, this large building featuring a monstrous face. For whatever reason this face was deemed not necessary to remove, perhaps because it was positioned mostly behind the logo.

The instructions use the cover background and the face can be seen more clearly there. Notably Flare Slizer uses the same background for its instruction book.

Turbo's 6 pip disc doesn't feature a malevolent building, but instead a truck intent on running them over.

8503-Sub Slizer/Scuba

Again, this one was not altered, perhaps it was found that removing the evil eyes off the giant jellyfish was counterproductive. A modified version of this art (or is the cover version the modified version? Hard to know what came first) can be found on the 6 pip disc.

This same creature also appears in the small comic on the poster I believe was included in some Slizer sets. Its delightful.

8504-Judge Slizer/Jet

Again, no change. Unlike the other's Judge doesn't feature this, or any creature on its 6 pip disc. This star monster is featured in the comic though, seeming to be the target for the disc launching game, of which Judge is the...judge of.

8505-Jungle Slizer/Amazon

Finally, there are more differences. The Slizer version features Jungle Slizer slicing this evil tree, complete with mouth, eyes, and hands, in half. The Throwbot version simply removes the eye light, the facial features are still there. The 6 pip disc features them fighting a different type of plant, something more modelled off a Venus Fly Trap. The 5 pip disc though does feature them chopping a seemingly not evil tree in half.

8506-Rock Slizer/Granite

This is one of the more subtle ones, way in the background there's a rock formation that resembles a skull. In the Slizer version it features slightly glowing eyes, the eye glow is removed in the Throwbots version. The 6 pip disc art features Rock Slizer facing off against a similar stone face with glowing eyes.

8507-Energy Slizer/Electro

Finally we come to Energy. This one I think is one of the more odd ones, as the Slizer version features this evil cloud zapping Energy with arms made of lightning. The Throwbot version removes the red eyes, but everything else remains the same, the mouth, the lightning arms, the zapped Electro. This exact art appears on the 6 pip disc.

To my knowledge there was only one set of discs, so despite the changes made to the packaging the Throwbots's discs featured all these creatures that the modified box art didn't want to show, its very odd.

And this is where the version differences end, for the instructions at least. After this, with the release of 8520, though they still changed the name, Millennium Slizer vs Millennia, they stayed with one instruction book for both, the back of the booklet even featuring both line's logos, and both names for each set (though you can see they are using the Slizer box arts).

Then by wave two proper there was no more name divergence, and the logos and names were left off the instructions entirely.

One has to wonder if the successor series, Roboriders, featuring the names of the characters printed right on their face pieces was an attempt to stop this whole naming issue coming up again.

I just wanted to have all this data in one place, I've spent a lot of time searching for the different versions and its quite hard to find good images, even leog's own site isn't consistent, featuring okay versions of all the Slizer's instructions, then this awful uncropped vertical scan of Electro.

So now everything is at least in one place and in consistent quality.

[romanticaveman]

It actually varied depending on the region.

In the initial release, they seemed to be teams of gladiators fighting on a multibiome world. Torch/Fire Slizer, Ski/Ice Slizer, Turbo/City Slizer, and Scuba/Sub Slizer were labeled "good," and Jet/Judge Slizer, Amazon/Jungle Slizer, Granite/Rock Slizer, and Electro/Energy Slizer were labled "evil," with Jet/Judge explicitly having world domination as their goal.

Notice the two names for each of them? Well, their initial release names were the "[Blank] Slizer" names. In their North American release, however, they got different shorter names (Torch, Ski, etc.). That wasn't the only part of the lore changed too. Now the NA-Christened "Throwbots" mostly adapted and kept to their own individual worlds with a (mostly) single biome.

The lore was mostly the same for the last wave of Slizers/Throwbots (Blaster, Spark, Flare, and Millennium) that they came out of a crater for a massive astroid impact (either as delivered by the meteor or mutants created by the meteor). Non-NA lore makes it explicitly clear that these guys are even bigger bad guys, though even NA-lore also makes it clear that they seem particularly unstoppable.

That's the quick and dirty, at least. There's a Brickipedia article that goes into it a little more.

Fairly threadbare, but probably enough to form a serialized series. I still probably would've eaten up a Beast Wars-style cartoon involving these guys. ;)

What was the story of Throwbots?

I own the green one, I know what they are, but what was their mythology or their story?

IT’s been so long, I cannot recall.