LEGO® Bionicle 8549 Tarakava | Review

[@NickonPlanetRipple]

I like to imagine the turquoise, stumpier one is a "River Tarakava" and the streamlined blue one is the ocean variety.

[@AllOutBrick]

That's a really good specification you came up with!

[@tristanlee8495]

Ayyyy it's Nick!

[@jmaster2855]

Duuude my thoughts exactly

[@maverick12070]

just imagine... :D

[@jaxwarp8373]

The face on the turquoise one reminds me of a hippo, and the blue reminds me of a crocodile

[@minerman60101]

I like the nuance of the sets being sealed, it's cool to see that aspect of these sets. Looking forward to the RC Rahi!

[@The-Metal-Cooler]

I wish I lived in the magical alternative universe where we also got the sand tarakava, would love to see yellow used in bionicle more properly, the tarakava are incredibly creative designs, bravo lego

[@RebornCroissant]

I wish I had some of these classic sets ! So nostalgic.

[@MattRoszak]

I had a box of random Bionicle parts sitting in storage for years, and when I finally got round to sorting through it, I found these guys. They're pretty cool - you can tell they're an improvement on many of the ideas used in the Technic Competition sets. My fav feature is the suspension at the bottom, making them much easier to "drive".

[@jacoblyman9441]

As a kid I kind of fell in love with the Tarakava from their scenes in MNOG, when Gali defends Ga-Koro against a raging Tarakava wearing an infected mask. It was (by crude Flash animation running on a 2001 dial up modem standards) a really neat action sequence that showed what the Toa were capable of against a very strong and menacing beast. I never got the set as a kid and wanted one for years and finally bought a used one early this year, and it was satisfying to finally have one after nearly two decades. Problem is I want a Sand Tarakava now, and I don't know if I have the patience to Bricklink all the parts needed to create one of those. But the Tarakava are so fun already its tempting to think "sure, a smaller one in yellow would be neat too..."

[@AllOutBrick]

I really wish that the Sand Tarakava was released as planned

[@dylancrampton5620]

I like how you can go into one of the huts after and see the Tarakava being taken care of by a ga-matoran after the infected mask is removed

[@petercottantail7850]

13:15 nothing is more menacing than a T pose. It's asserting it's dominance

[@Jotaceta]

Oh man, I NEEDED a review like this. Im thinking on buying the Tarakava set, all new and stuff. So this is a great push to my direction. Great review.

[@Chuckles_the_Jester]

the "-koro" are the villiages, "-wahi" are the regions of the island

[@nihili4196]

If I remember correctly Tarakava was last turquoise set made. At least up until recently when Lego brought back the color. Also, there has been yellow tarakava. It never was released sadly. And I don't get why tarakava-nui is called nui since if I'm not mistaken "-nui" is used for combiner models including six creatures.

[@vaimantobe3034]

That's only for Matoran/Toa/Turaga combinations. Nui just means 'big' or 'great'. It just means 'Great Tarakava' in the same way Mata Nui is the Great Spirit and a Toa Nui is a Great/Giant Toa

[@devackroyd]

Wow, I just discovered these, they beat the hell out of Eljay's Recap Reviews. As much as I have a fondness for those. As unreasonable of a request as this is, I would absolutely love to see a full bionicle generation one set collection of reviews from you! Fantastic stuff.

[@vaimantobe3034]

Eljay's reviews are... oppinionated. Every single set is gappy, has blue pins, etc. They are fine for being fan reviews from someone from the fandom. But my goodness, their poor lighting quality and often nitpicky and overly critical tone didn't hold up well. At times I genuinely started to doubt if Eljay is even a _fan_ of the theme. What with his mutilation of hate bandwagon sets Good Guy and Solek. These new reviews are just so much more relaxing.

[@Kit_splat]

@@vaimantobe3034 shut up ljays recap reviews are great and ljays opinions are good. Just try do beter review then ljay or all out brick. So shut!!!!!!!!!! Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@diontiksna2443]

This is a very well made review. Thanks for reviving these old bionicle sets!

[@booyah344]

The Rahi Beasts sure took a more .... "Lego" like approach to thier construction. Using pre-existing pieces and stretching the imagination to redefine them and create beasts from those "redefined" pieces. Such imagination

[@michaelmaasen872]

Love the videos guys! If you use Premiere, here's a video editing tip... In the effects panel, search for "denoise". Will take the buzzing right out of your audio.

[@AllOutBrick]

Thanks for the tip!

[@angreydoggo4357]

Finally, a LEGO channel that isn't concentrated cringe.

[@wyattbartlett3660]

What wrong with eljay

[@angreydoggo4357]

@@wyattbartlett3660 *what's Try again baby boy

[@CrossingRover]

It's sad but I agree with you. I hate when people do skits with silly voices or other cringe. I'm sure they're awesome people but I can't stand that stuff.

[@colinroberts2060]

This was the only Bionicle set from 2001 that I owned, even if it wasn't until '07. Story-wise, I personally don't remember where the teal Tarakava or Kane-Ra appear, since I haven't read most of the comics from the first three years. It's kind of a similar story with the Maya blue Nui Jaga or the orange and white Manas. As for the color teal, it first appeared in 1998 as part of the "Competition" subtheme of Technic, and was used in the "Turbo/City" and "Amazon/Jungle" set from the Slizer/Throwbot theme in 1999 and in some sets in the "Life on Mars" theme in '01. It became a more rare color after that year, but it appeared in the right arm of a minifigure in an Alpha Team set in 2004. In more recent history though, the color has reappeared in a few city sets, though its first official re-introduction was in the Creator "Downtown Diner" (10260) in January 2018.

[@Turak500]

The combiner model on first glance looks a bit like a matoran sitting in a giant boxing-mech.

[@TheAutobotPower]

Nuparu's inspiration had to come from somewhere.

[@wingwhacker]

I’m thinking it looks like an ape, A chest beating ape.

[@benjaminford8173]

Excellent channel, thanks for reviewing these old bionicle sets!

[@PolaireOfAstora]

Just finished building them. Always saw them as a kid, and (like the rest of the 2001 rahi) never owned any until now. Absolutely loved putting them together and their functions just awe me to no end.

[@ElParteDiscotecas]

Really good quality on these videos, keep up the good work!

[@XTheNicksterX]

This one has always been my favorite Rahi set from 2001.

[@0rapter]

I'm glad you know your bionicle lore

[@PuppeteerGaming]

Great review once again! Now I dont have the most recently opened Tarakava, oh well, it's a weird thing for me to be all that proud about

[@AllOutBrick]

Thank you!

[@gabrielmanera4555]

The turquoise colour was used before in a technic set in the 90's I don't remember what the name of the set but I used to have one

[@legofan60]

The turquoise was also used for the throwbots lone prior. Turbo i think was the name of the set

[@vaimantobe3034]

Not to mention it's use in half of the Technic Competition theme from 1999. Some of those sets are clear precursors to the rahi

[@georgeharrisonfan789]

The cardboard insert/drawer was made to use as a building tray! Something I wish would be used in any large building set from Lego. Meant to keep everything organized and prevent dropping/losing any pieces.

[@alexandrepinto7610]

And the sand tarakava. Good video.

[@pokemonduck]

I assume the cardboard insert was to give the box additional strength and protection from getting squashed and dented. Love your Bionicle videos by the way :D

[@islandmaster5064]

The resale value is out the window now the box was opened

[@maszkalman3676]

@@islandmaster5064 it would be still expensive... opened ones at least aronud 135 dollars right now in 2023 and up just for being in worknig order with box and instructions.

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

I always wanted then as a child! There weren't any of the rahi sets in my city's toy shop... But nowadays I really don't like them! They don't look like a "animal" to me, and I'm not particulary found of their appearance. But I get why they are a fan favorite for so many people!

[@vwvn4056]

I for one find their clunkiness and non-animalistic features unique and also alien to animal designs we’re used to seeing from LEGO. In addition, they are Technic and have great color schemes and I think it’s easily some of the best sets in Bionicle.

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

@@vwvn4056 I don't think they should look like any particular animal. But I prefer when rahi look like they are a living thing. The Tarakava do not in my opinion. Specially because of the trendmill at the base of their boodies.

[@Flammberger]

Turquoise was very well represented in the "LEGO Technic Competition" series back at the time.

[@robbymanable]

When you said the Tarakava Nui was the Godzilla of Bionicle, it made me want to see that fight a Tatorahk

[@jackaustin2210]

Ah yes the Rockem Sockem Rahi

[@they3lloax060]

The Tarakava are my favorite rahi

[@vaimantobe3034]

No mention of the springs that hinge the handle and thread sections? To what extent do those allow them to bend forward?

[@0rapter]

I can't wait for muaka and Kane ra

[@Leon_der_Luftige]

I still have those 2 somewhere. Really fun set. I used to battle my brother a lot with the clearly superior blue Tarakava. :)

[@antimatterstudios8395]

I hope I find that sets box one day...

[@ahigherplace1542]

Gonna buy these one day, and play rock em sock em Rahi with my sisters xD

[@Bionifigs]

Turbooooo-poing ! S'il y a des geeks francophones qui passent par là, il y a moyen qu'ils aient la réf. x)

[@AlbertMenarYoutube]

Miss the long hair XP

[@tresheppard8942]

Bionicle: Tarakava.

[@Perryshotter]

Blue and Turquoise aren't complimentary colors but its still a good color scheme as you were saying.

[@fivenightsatmimikus7508]

Boxing water lizards!!!!

[@diamondlucky-p840]

Where do u get ur bionicle?

[@harrisonwebber6272]

I Think The Bionicle Tarakava Are Definitley Lizardlike Rahi!

[@cosmicprison9819]

There was also a Sand Tarakava in yellow / brown... don't know if it ever came out as a set. If so, it was a very special one and is probably completely unaffordable by now.

[@apothisiii5549]

The sand Tarakava was only ever a prototype, it has no official release.

[@cosmicprison9819]

ApothisIII Thanks a lot! 😉

[@nihili4196]

@@apothisiii5549 if i remember correctly it was sold on auction Few years ago. One day I'll have to google how it looked and bricklink parts to it

[@vaimantobe3034]

I recall that four 'Sand Tarakava' prototypes have ever been made available to the public by Lego. So you chances of ever finding one are close to zero, as those four are unlikely to ever change hands. These use a prototype yellow Ruru with some letters on the front. Beyond that they are bricklinkable, although the thread is from a duplo set for some reason.

[@taekwoncat9803]

My favorite parts of the tarakava are the teal kanohi mask, the white hooks, and the blue toa mata feet... I am going to use these parts to build the 3 ultimate heroes... For the white hooks, I will use them for my patriotic version of boxor and for the blue toa mata feet... I am going to use it to build the blue ninja, and lastly, I am using the teal kanohi mask for a new ally that doesn't have a name known only as the ignitor brawler...

[@KamenRiderDC]

Mans really needs to learn the difference between a Koro and a Wahi already, jesus

[@DJCashew-DJCantaloupe]

Love these

[@obituarytube7253]

Where do you even get these? 🤯

[@they3lloax060]

Bricklink probably

[@cringedefender5264]

Of ebay

[@137shadowX]

it's teal not turquoise, turquoise is more blue. sorry that just was bugging me.

[@AllOutBrick]

I was just referring to the LEGO® part color, which is dark turquoise.

[@they3lloax060]

It does not matter

[@Friendly_Neigborhood_Astolfo]

The Tarakava Nui from the front looks like it is t-posing

[@adamthespinygiant]

Tarakava = 7.7 B tier

[@tristanlee8495]

Haircut! Haircut! Haircut!

[@swemx7403]

It's like they didn't really know what the f*ck they were doing back then. The designs is like the 90's gaming consoles. They had so many ideas but the tech wasn't really there yet.

[@Takanuva7-1]

These don’t even look like rahi

[@FlameGirlPlays-gq9xv]

Currently only have the Tarakava Nui, and honestly... It's an ok build. I had my fun with it, and it looks great sitting by my other 3 Rahi combiners. But yeah... Coulda been more, but I won't complain since it's just gonna sit on my shelf anyway