When you can't tell if you're buying a toy or a thick comic.

One of my favorites! I've still got mine built since I got it in 2007, one of the few sets to never be disassembled.

Exo-Froce Mechs were nicely sized and articulated. Also, they were quite different in build and weaponry. Todays smaller mechs look like some sort of variation of each other. And the larger ones are not that easy to play with but looks very nice though.

@Aanchir said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"When you can't tell if you're buying a toy or a thick comic."

I mean, if it rattles when you shake it I think that's usually a good indicator it's a toy and not a comic! :P Plus, the original box art reads more clearly as a toy photo than this instruction booklet scan (especially since the backdrop had a glossy reflective finish so it clearly stood apart from the matte colors of the set itself).

In general, I feel like LEGO did a beautiful job with the graphic designs for this theme (box art and prints/stickers alike), though in hindsight the manga-ish eyes on the bright yellow, noseless classic minifigs were a bit of an odd compromise between the human facial features in the comics and the more heavily stylized look of traditional minifigures . I think having human-like character designs in the supporting media works better for themes like LEGO Friends and Elves where the characters have more lifelike facial features in the toys themselves."

I believe you mistook my facetiousness for sarcasm. It's an easy thing to do because of my purposeful ambiguity. I think this box art is fantastic!

I agree that heavy artistic stylism on box art is something to be encouraged. Yet, sometimes Lego has gone so far with interesting backgrounds, artistic renditions, or cropping that it becomes difficult (some might even say, 'misleading') to determine what the toy consists.

I enjoy the graphic arts. I think they should have free reign. Perhaps, a compromise would be to put actual photos (or, realistic renders) on the back so that the consumer can see what it is they are actually buying.

Rendering quality could be a bit better, but I like the overall composition, much better than the plain white we get these days for instructions.

KNEES!!!...HE'S GOT KNEES!!!...:D
I mean: this is probably one of the worst mecha designs I've seen since "Robot Jox" (I'd say "Look it up"; but I don't really hate anyone here, so...:)). I mean, I've see 'high shoulder pads' before...but the pilot (driver? operator?...?) can't see left, nor right...I reminds me of a Battletech 'Mad Cat', BUT that mech at least had its cockpit 'forward' of the body; giving the pilot a better operating-view (plus said cockpit looks like the front end of a bomber...mixed with an AT-AS):
https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-111034/lazyguineapig/mad-cattimber-wolf-omnimech-clan-wolf/details

Ah yes from the “just stick some limbs and extraneous bits onto a box” phase of Exo-Force

Why did LEGO waste all their time on Exo-Force when they really should've been doing Pacific Rim? (Regardless of the obvious fact that it wasn't released until 6 years later)

I think it's the second set I ever bought with my own money, an absolute classic, I was impressed by how much of an impression its hefty sillhouette makes for so few parts (and shockingly affordable price!) The mechanism for the blade shield thing was cool and the dark red felt new and exciting, making this my favourite from the wave.

The stickers, especially on the rounded Technic pieces, have not held up well over time, which is a shame because this thing should be in pride of place alongside my very yellowed 7714

@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Why did LEGO waste all their time on Exo-Force when they really should've been doing Pacific Rim? (Regardless of the obvious fact that it wasn't released until 6 years later)"
Once it was released, they did do it. https://brickset.com/sets/theme-HERO-Factory/subtheme-Invasion-From-Below

All hail Exo-Force.

Would the hair pieces make a good Goku minifigure? R.I.P Akira Toriyama :(

Exo-Force walked so Ninjago mechs could run

And you can buy the hairstyle for yourself at Market Street!

@JavaBrix said:
"
Exo-Force walked so Ninjago could run."

Exo-Force ran so Ninjago could trip over its own feet and fall down several flights of stairs.

Ah yes, the Exo-Force equivalent of Gundam Heavyarms.

Seriously though, this is probably my favorite Exo-Force mech set, as I'm a sucker for Gatling guns and the bladed shield is a pretty cool gimmick. While I think the legs could look a bit better (they look too simple compared to the 2006 iterations), the build itself is a lot more solid than the finicky torso of the 1st gen mechs.

What is that if not blood

The boxes from this series are also really great. excellent foil-colors to them.

I have heard of the Colossal Titan. The Armored Titan. The Attack Titan. The Female Titan. The Beast Titan. The Cart Titan. The Jaw Titan. The War Hammer Titan. And the Founding Titan. But never ever was the Blade Titan mentioned....gotta be an Abnormal.

@123MrBrick said:
" @JavaBrix said:
"
Exo-Force walked so Ninjago could run."

Exo-Force ran so Ninjago could trip over its own feet and fall down several flights of stairs."

What’s that? Sorry, couldn’t hear you over the sound of Ninjago turning 13 years old this year.

The best original Lego theme! Bring back Exo-Force!

@BaconKing said:
"Would the hair pieces make a good Goku minifigure? R.I.P Akira Toriyama :("
I've often kicked myself for not buying 8106 when I saw it on clearance at KMart, The hair from that set's pilot, https://brickset.com/minifigs/exf019/ha-ya-to-gold-armor would be great for Crono from Chrono Trigger.

Oh, I have this one! Didn't get it at the time though, only maaaaaaany years later...

So, maybe half a decade ago now, our neighbours were doing a clear-out, particularly of old Christmas and birthday presents that their late-teen kids had received over the years but had never touched or opened. As a kid who'd always try out the stuff I got given, even if I wasn't that interested in it, I was kinda baffled by the fact that they had two-and-a-bit large bin bags full of unopened toys...

Anyway. They didn't know what to do with these, but knew that my mum had used to do a lot of kids' work with the church; so they figured that she'd have the connections to be able to find people to give the stuff to, and left them with us. One of the bags had several unopened Lego sets on the top that I scoped out; but other than 8989, as one of the few Bionicle sets I'd never owned back in the day, I didn't ask for any of them for myself: I figured that whoever they went to in the end would get more enjoyment out of them more than I would have. The others, as I remember it, were Onewa Hordika, a Hero Factory villain, a couple of Tiny Turbos, one of the small Atlantis box sets, and maybe one other that I'm forgetting, among a variety of other non-Lego toys.

But then, when we were going through and taking stock of what was in there, I found one more Lego set tucked away down the side of the other bag, away from the rest: and that was this one. Exo-Force had been, essentially, the last homegrown theme of my childhood - I'd seen some of the later ones pop up before my 'dark age', but not been interested enough to pursue them - but had never had any of its sets bigger than 7708 and 8101. Nostalgia won me over and, with permission, I added this guy to my collection.

It was a fun throwback to open a brand new set from my childhood era and build it for the first time, especially as this was right around the time I was emerging from my dark age little by little ^^

@PurpleDave said:
" @123MrBrick said:
" @JavaBrix said:
"
Exo-Force walked so Ninjago could run."

Exo-Force ran so Ninjago could trip over its own feet and fall down several flights of stairs."

What’s that? Sorry, couldn’t hear you over the sound of Ninjago turning 13 years old this year."

Speaking purely in terms of mech styling.

@Aanchir said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"When you can't tell if you're buying a toy or a thick comic."

I mean, if it rattles when you shake it I think that's usually a good indicator it's a toy and not a comic! :P Plus, the original box art reads more clearly as a toy photo than this instruction booklet scan (especially since the backdrop had a glossy reflective finish so it clearly stood apart from the matte colors of the set itself).

In general, I feel like LEGO did a beautiful job with the graphic designs for this theme (box art and prints/stickers alike), though in hindsight the manga-ish eyes on the bright yellow, noseless classic minifigs were a bit of an odd compromise between the human facial features in the comics and the more heavily stylized look of traditional minifigures . I think having human-like character designs in the supporting media works better for themes like LEGO Friends and Elves where the characters have more lifelike facial features in the toys themselves.

Also, Exo-Force was unfortuately still a relic of that time period when action/adventure themes were lucky to have a single girl character in a single set — something that LEGO has thankfully made a lot of good progress on in the years since.

@Lego_lord said:
"Exo-Froce Mechs were nicely sized and articulated. Also, they were quite different in build and weaponry. Todays smaller mechs look like some sort of variation of each other. And the larger ones are not that easy to play with but looks very nice though."

I think Exo-Force mechs were more standardized than you remember them. For example, 8100, 8101, and 8106 all have the same "skeleton" (without elbows and knees), just with different decorative elements and weapons. Likewise, this set and 8103 are reskins of the same basic frame, as were the four $15 mechs the previous year.

Ninjago mechs never became nearly so standardized up until the, the 2022/2023 "power-up" mechs and this year's mix-and-match mechs. Maybe that sort of thing is an inevitability when you have a whole wave of sets that's heavily mech-focused — after all, prior to 2022 there were usually just a few different Ninjago mechs per year. That said, the proportions of this year's ninja mechs vary quite a bit even at a shared $20 price point, which I think is a pretty impressive feat, all things considered!"

I’d like to point out that 8100 and 8106 are canonically the same mech, just repainted/reskinned :p

@123MrBrick said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @123MrBrick said:
" @JavaBrix said:
"
Exo-Force walked so Ninjago could run."

Exo-Force ran so Ninjago could trip over its own feet and fall down several flights of stairs."

What’s that? Sorry, couldn’t hear you over the sound of Ninjago turning 13 years old this year."

Speaking purely in terms of mech styling."

But still, heading into its 14th year and no sign of concluding, vs only three. One (or is it two?) failed attempts to cancel it, vs no serious attempt to even save it the first time. 31 sets by mid-March this year, vs 44 lifetime. Say what you will about quality, but the popularity speaks for itself.