Tag Archives: Moko

Trio of triangular mechs

What is better than a well-armed hard suit? How about three of them? Moko has put together a hard-hitting squad of brightly colored power armor mechs, each one sharing certain design elements, while sporting very different weapons and other capabilities.

First off, that heavy assault mech, with what looks like a laser-guided rocket launcher, and a shoulder-mounted machine gun. Next, a sniper model complete with some sort of sensor package, and lastly, if you can’t shoot ’em, you can pummel them with punches with the brawler on the right.

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A texture to make your skin crawl off

While I have no discernable ability to build a Bionicle creation myself (though I always dream of one day building one), I’m a great admirer of the amazing creations Bionicle builders come up with. There is just so much more that’s possible than with bricks and plates alone. Take Moko’s Cancer for example. While it would be terrifying to encounter such a thing in reality, as a LEGO creation it’s really quite beautiful. The texture is what I’m really drawn to. Bionicle offers pieces in so many shapes, curved and flowing together that when paired together they give the appearance of a figure missing its skin, like Lord Zedd from the Power Rangers or perhaps something more alien, such as Marvel Comics’ Carnage.

Springboard your adventure in this mechanical grasshopper

Hop around! Hop around! Hop up and up, and get down! In devising solutions for building robots, it’s sometimes best to start with examples found in nature. When Moko set out to build his latest LEGO mech, he looked to the springy grasshopper. Moko’s model is both an excellent representation of the insect and has just enough metallic bits to make it feel mechanical. Hopping power is provided by the legs’ robust hydraulic system, while the black pistol feet likely give it the ability to stick to nearly any surface.

Jason, watch out! Here come the skeletons!

One of the most memorable movies of my childhood was the 1963 stop-motion feature Jason and the Argonauts which features the work of animation master Ray Harryhausen. This pair of skeletons by Moko look like they jumped right out the movie, passing through a Terminator filter on the way out. The skulls, made from this Bionicle skull part, are a perfect choice, and those ribs made from a creature claw are great too.

The minions of hell just got an upgrade

Japanese mecha builder Moko has been charming the world with his LEGO creations for more than a decade, but this latest character takes a darker turn. Moko’s “Hell Warrior” is an evil cyborg that uses mostly black Bionicle and Hero Factory (or “Constraction”) pieces, accentuated by an undead, half-hidden face built from several Krana masks. The overall effect is truly diabolical.

日本語を読める方はどうぞモコさんのブログを読んでください。

Duck duck robot

What do you do if your robot walker develops a waddle? Make it a feature rather than a bug, of course! At least, that’s what I like to think happened in the backstory for Moko‘s latest LEGO creation. This Mecha-Duck is a delight, nicely-built with some cool mechanical details, but also invested with a brilliant sense of fun and character. I’m pleased to see that, like its inspiration, the walker is also amphibious — there’s a little red propeller sitting at the rear, allowing for effective transportation on water too.

Diamonds and gold are a mech’s best friend

The expansion of transparent clear elements over the past decade has allowed for some intricate builds like this glittering mech by Moko, named the MF-10 Diamond Empress. While the frame of the mech is black, it is clad in transparent clear armor formed from tiles, slopes, dishes, windshields, and more. The Diamond Empress lives up to its name with a few parts in rare non-production colors, such as the 2×2 round tile in trans clear. Aside from the build itself, my favorite aspect of this model is perhaps the use of trans clear 12x2x5 tails for the skirting. Meanwhile, chrome gold and transparent red accents provide additional visual interest.

See more of this opulent mech

Black mecha hardsuit is ready to bring the hurt

Armored hardsuits are definitely a LEGO fan favorite subject, and this stocky fellow by Moko immediately caught my eye with some great details. First off, the shoulder guards, which use this unusual hockey helmet, are paired with the Bionicle mask to give the suit a bulky style. The elbow connection is also interesting, inserting clip bars into the underside of a 2×2 round brick. A small detail on either side of the pilot’s compartment is the printed construction tile from LEGO 30529 Mini Master-Building Emmet polybag. The overall effect reminds me of a goliath beetle.

Moko’s militarized mecha is locked and most definitely loaded

The battlefield just became deadlier with this highly capable armored platform by master mecha builder, Moko. When it comes to an attention to detail, the builder has spared no expense. Moko’s piloted mecha is named after the wolf Fenrir of Norse mythology, and it looks ready to dish out some serious pain. Form and function are expertly fused together in a mech that not only takes down enemies, but looks good doing it.

There are plenty of crafty techniques, such as using an old school Bionicle head for the visor and printed elements as the rifle’s forearm. (Those pieces are from last year’s Mack Anthem set.) The design also allows for some intimidating poses.

Just like its ferocious namesake, this heavily armed and armored warrior is unlikely to allow itself to be easily restrained.

This transforming mecha makes the best turtle formation

Continiuing from his recent transforming jellyfish mech, the superstar LEGO mecha builder Moko makes a more defensive, turtle-themed one. Do not let its protective posture fool you — this turtle is armed as heavily as it is armoured!

The animal form is great, but the turtle-like elements extend to the mech form as well, with its bulky shape, as well as a beak-like forehead. All the wedges on the back, set at complementing angles, make for a convincing turtle shell that gives an imposing presence to the mech form as well.

One jellyfish that is not quite as squishy

There is no doubt that Moko is one of the best and most prolific LEGO mecha builders out there and this week he brings us a unique tentacle monster, which is also a robot! And it transforms!

Both forms of the mech manage to look perfect and menacing. Transforming creations often have to make compromises in one or both of their forms, but this one seems like the bricks were just made for it. The rich purple and translucent purple really make for an evil look and the splashes of blue on some tentacles help break it up a little and add a nice contrast. The dome is obviously the centerpiece of the build, but I also really like the grill tiles used on the inside of the tentacles as visible on the humanoid form, as they help to add a flowing look.

An absolute unit of a mech

There are mechs designed to transport cargo, to build new worlds, to race against each other, to save lives… And then there’s the Thunderbolt — designed, well, to destroy. The builder of this titan, Japanese mecha master Moko, made sure every tiniest piece of the mech’s design forebodes its foe’s fast, yet painful death.

But, of course, it’s not the mech’s color that gave it its name. The real show starts once the yellow bracers come open and everything around is illuminated with stunning lightning effects. This is when you notice old LEGO Technic 9V wired connectors running along the mech’s forearms; what a brilliant example of functional elements doubling as decorations.