Review: Official Set 8622 - Nidhiki

Last week we took a look at the Dark Hunter Krekka, this week we continue the Dark Hunter trend with set 8622, Nidhiki. Nidhiki was an ex-Le-Matoran turned Toa of Air that eventually defected to the Dark Hunters, which turned him into the insectoid being that we see represented in this set.

This set contains 170 pieces and is recommended for builders ages 8 and up.

Packaging

Nidhiki’s packaging essentially is a pure match to Krekka’s with the Metru Nui skyline in the background and then a nice action shot of Nidhiki running across rooftops in the foreground. The back of the box shows off the different play features that this set offers, and also provides a good preview of the combination model for the 2004 wave of Titans.

Since I bought this set in used condition I received simply a bundle of parts along with the instructions.

The Build

The build was fairly quicker compared to Nidhiki’s counterpart Krekka, coming in at 19 minutes compared to Krekka’s 27 minutes. The build was very straightforward with no issues coming up at all during the entire process.

What really strikes me about the finished model is how well they incorporated Nidhiki’s backstory into the set. Just looking at him I can see the connections to his former self that was a Toa of Air. There are a few pieces across the model that are “Toa Metru” parts such as feet and armor pieces, and certainly they contribute greatly to incorporating the backstory. But the color scheme too pops out as something that isn’t quite villainous. Sure, there’s some black pieces spread throughout, but for the majority of the set the parts are dark green and metallic silver.

The articulation is perhaps more limited than previous sets, but it by no means is a negative. The arms can be posed via ball-and-socket joints that hold quite a bit of friction. The head also can be pivoted around, completing the upper body’s movement. But the issue with Nidhiki’s articulation comes at the legs. The legs can rotate laterally, but they cannot rotate vertically. I like to think that the reason for this is that ball-and-socket joints would have caused the legs to slip out a lot of the time, but I know that LEGO® could have come up with some sort of solution.

The biggest play features are built from a new mechanism that allows the claws and legs to snap in and out. Soft axles into place at two different orientations for each leg and claw, and can be flicked from one to the other, causing a quick snapping motion. The legs include this because by snapping them all up Nidhiki can be put into is flying position seen in the Legends of Metru Nui movie. I appreciate the innovation this mechanism creates, and I honestly prefer this for Nidhiki of rubber bands. With the mechanism chosen by the designers, the claws can really clamp down on something.

The other downsides to this set are focused on the part choice and lack thereof. Starting off with the eyepiece, it’s simply just a basic green one that we got from one of the Vahki sets. I really wish they created an exclusive color or glow in the dark feature since Nidhiki is one of the more expensive sets from this year. And if we move on to the back of the model, it’s completely bare. It’s very clearly an unfinished design, and there are some other gaps in the midsection that just make no sense at all.

Review

Overall, this was a pretty cool set, but it is without question lower on the totem pole when compared to Krekka but that’s not to say it’s all bad. There are some fun elements and features packed into this build, and Nidhiki makes for a great addition to the Dark Hunter gang.

Nidhiki’s current price point lands at the same spot as Krekka where you can expect to pay around $35 for a used copy of the set and $75 for a brand-new one. The only issue I had with this set being used for me was an exorbitant amount of dust that was build up on some of the pieces, but there were no functional issues with the parts being in used condition.

A fun set, and an incredible example of translating story into a model, but I can’t help but feel like a kid could have made this, which takes away from the feeling that this is one of the prestigious Titan sets from 2004.

SCORE: 7.3/10

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