Classic LEGO: Bionicle history
Posted by Huw,
A month ago, when the return of Bionicle was announced, we published a classic LEGO article on Bionicle written by GreenNinjaCP.
Now, the day after the sets have been unveiled, we have another one for you, written by regular contributor SprinkleOtter:
With the return of Bionicle just around the corner, I will be writing a series of articles for Brickset, to share the rich history of Bionicle with those who were either too young at the time, weren't interested, or merely forgot.
Almost 14 years ago, six mysterious canisters washed ashore on the shelves of toy stores. Few knew that they contained the saviors of the world's largest toy companies, or would ignite the longest lasting original LEGO theme. Bionicle spanned an unprecedented nine years, over twice as long as any other original theme, and inspired a loyal following of fans.
Way back at the beginning, there were six Tohunga (affectionately know by fans as "McToran, due to their release with McDonalds Happy Meals), Jala, Onepu, Huki, Maku, Matoro, and Kongu, one from each elemental tribe. Sometime during the Rahi season, "Tohunga" was changed to "Matoran", due to a threatened lawsuit. The Tohunga were the main citizens of Mata Nui ("Great Island").
For a year, the Tohunga villages have been besieged by hordes of Rahi, controlled by the evil Makuta. The Tohunga proved to be valiant throughout their struggle against the Rahi, and immediately stepped up to aid the Toa and defend their villages in the ensuing fight against the Bohrok.
The Tohunga were simple 7-piece models, with a disk-throwing ability, for defense against the Rahi threat. Each Tohunga featured a mask in the same design as their respective tribe's Toa, though in a different color. Their disks also had an image of their Toa's mask on it.
The leaders of the Tohunga tribes were the Turaga, mysterious, seemingly ancient beings, who always seemed to know more than they let on. There were six Turaga, one for each tribe: Vakama of Ta-Koro, Nokama of Ga-Koro, Matau of Le-Koro, Nuju of Ko-Koro, Onewa of Po-Koro, and Whenua of Onu-Koro.
The Turaga had mask powers like the Toa (though weaker), and limited elemental control, also like the Toa. As sets, the Turaga were a little taller than the Tohunga and featured an arm-swinging mechanism.
There were five noble masks in each other tribe color for the Toa (or fans, as the case may be :P) to collect, though you never see them used in the story.
Even with constant Rahi attacks and other dangers, the Matoran did not give up hope - legend spoke of six beings that would defeat Makuta and his minions. The Toa Mata, named for the island they swore to protect, were the heroes of Mata Nui. Each washed ashore at a different part of the island, and, humorously, in pieces that needed to be reassembled. Each Toa was of a different element, one for each village.
The Toa wielded awesome elemental energies, and had Kanohi Masks of Power that could increase their abilities. Though the Toa were initially headstrong and rash, they quickly realized that they had to work together to defeat Makuta. For the first half of the year, the Toa's mission was to collect the Masks of power scattered across Mata Nui, and defeat the Rahi.
Once the Toa had collected the six masks, they placed them in the Suva at Kini Nui, where each Toa's set of Great Masks was transformed into a single Golded Mask, with all six powers in one mask. Now, this is where the story gets a little tricky, with two conflicting stories. In one version, from the Mata Nui Online Game, the six Toa and a Tohunga from each village (plus Tekua) gathered at Kini Nui, where the Toa traveled into Makuta's lair, where they faced hordes of Manas (instead of just two), and faced Makuta, in a Tohungan guise. While the Toa confronted Makuta, the band of Tohunga defended the tunnel entrance against an army of Rahi. In the book version, with their new powers, the Toa descended beneath the island, where after defeating two Manas, confronted six Shadow Toa - dark versions of themselves (even this version has two different endings - in one, the Toa defeat each others' shadow; in the other, the Toa realise that the shadows are part of themselves, and absorb the Shadow Toa. The latter is usually considered canon.)
After the defeat of Makuta, the Toa emerge at Kini Nui, where they encounter Kapura, who warns the Toa of a new threat- the Bohrok Swarms. The Toa then rush to the defense of Ta-Koro. The Bohrok are defeated by the Toa's quick thinking, but Vakama warns that they only defeated a small part of the Swarm. The Toa return to their villages. The fighting wages constantly for some time, with two Toa being temporarily brainwashed by the Bohrok's Krana- the brains behind the machines. From this, the Toa realize the key to defeating the Swarm. The Toa again ventured below ground, while their villages defended themselves from the Bohrok Swarms. Upon reaching a crossroads, the Toa went down six separate tunnels, where the discovered six suits of Exo-Toa armor.
With their new armor, the Toa confronted Gahdok and Cahdok, the queens of the Bohrok Swarm. They succeeded in driving the queens into a central room, but failed to realize that by being united, the queens were made even more powerful. In the middle of a heated battle, Tahu gave the order for the Toa to shed their Exo-Toa armor, as it hindered their elemental powers, which they would need to defeat Gahdok and Kahdok. By combining their elemental powers, the Toa were able to encase Gahdok and Kahdok in a shell of solid protodermis, that only the Toa could unlock.
In set form, each Toa Mata was built differently, to varying degrees. Generally, their right arm could be swung by gearing in their shoulders, but some had both arms powered by said gear. In Pohatu's case, his entire torso was upside-down, and one of his legs was powered by the gear, enabling him to kick the included Kohli Ball. Each Toa had a weapon or two that was related to their element - Tahu wielded a fire sword, Kopaka an ice blade, and shield that could double as a sled, Onewa had twin earth claws, and Gali had similar water hooks, while Lewa fought with an air axe, and Phatu had foot extensions, for kicking. Even the Toa's packaging was original, being a hard plastic canister, for fans to reenact the Toa emerging from their Toa Canisters.
The Rahi used to be peaceful creatures that went about their business, rarely bothering the Matoran. That is, until Makuta placed Infected Kanohi Masks on them, and forced them to do his bidding. There were multiple kinds of Rahi in the stories, but the main ones were the Tarakava, Nui Jaga, Nui Rama, Muaka, Kane-Ra, and the Manas.
The Tarakava were a peaceful water-dwelling species, that used their powerful forelegs for swimming and self-defense, but under Makuta's influence, they were used to destroy much of Ga-Koro, and in an attempt to trap the Toa. The Nui Jaga were large scorpion-like creatures, with giant stingers that could launch blinding poison a considerable distance.
The Nui Rama were Makuta's main air forces, and a hive of Nui Rama succeed in capturing most of Le-Koro. The Muaka were massive predatory "cats" that were aggressive even without Makuta's influence. Though the Toa never truly defeated a Muaka, they were able to entrap of repel them, to varying degrees.
Although rarely seen in the stories, Kane-Ra (giant bulls) were very similar to a Muaka, in that they were naturally aggressive, and never fully defeated. The vicious Manas were the guardians of Makuta's lair. Manas were basically giant crabs, with giant claw and treads replacing legs. The Manas were naturally aggressive, and if no other opponents were around, they would fight among themselves.
After their defeat by the Toa, the Manas started wandering the tunnles of Onu-Koro. The Rahi sets were heavily influenced by earlier Competition Technic sets - they always came in a pair, and had some some way of fighting their opponent, and knocking their mask/s off. The Tarakava had boxing-style fighting, with their arms being powered by levers on their backs. Nui-Jaga had rubber-band powered tails (just be sure not to break any of the rare teal or pink pieces. I've heard LEGO Customer Service wants millions for replacements. :P).
Nui-Rama had wings that could flap via a gear system when the thorax was pushed forward. Though different species, Muaka and Kane-Ra had similar builds, and were packaged together, and were able to fight with their extending necks. The manas were the largest and most expensive of the Rahi sets, and were unique in that they had special remote controlled motors to power their treads and claws.
The Bohrok swarms were a big mystery when they came out- where did they come from? Why were they there? What was their purpose? Most of these questions went unanswered until 2008. What we did know about the Bohrok was that they were almost innumerable, incredibly powerful, and bent on "cleansing" the surface of Mata Nui, like it was in the "before time".
We found out a little later that the Bohrok were empty suits of armor controlled by the Krana, which in turn were controlled by the Bahrag. The Bohrok were first seen outside of Ta-Koro, and quickly spread to the rest of the island. Whole villages fell before the Swarm, before the Tohunga again took a stand against their enemies while the Toa ventured below ground to face the heart of the threat. The Bohrok were certainly not the most intelligent beings on Mata Nui, and were repeatedly trapped or ambushed by the Toa, who (like the fans :P) were trying to collect a complete set of Krana for their confrontation with the Queens.
There were six sets of Bohrok armor, each having power of their respective element, except for Levak, which had "acid" for its power. There were many different Krana, each having a different power and rank in the Bohrok Swarm. Like the Toa, each Bohrok came in a canister, in this case representing individual cells in the Bohrok hives, with a special piece that could attach to the back of the Bohrok and to the top of the cell, to suspend the Bohrok in the center, as if sleeping. The Bohrok were made of basically the same parts, with only their Krana and "shields" (hand pieces) being different.
The Bohrok had a mechanism in their torso so that, if a lever on their back was pushed down, the Bohrok's head would snap forward, and if their faceplate is loosened, launch their Krana to take control of any mask-wearing being.
The Tohunga-sized sets for 2002 were the Bohrok Va - small scouts and messengers of the Swarm. The main purpose of the Bohrok Va was to scout and deliver replacement Krana to Bohrok, if their Krana are removed.
The Bohrak Va were somewhat strange looking, with their element's Bohrok shield for a head, and a strange selection of weapons, though usually that element's Toa Tool or Turaga staff. Quickly flipping the Va's weapon arm down would (sort of...) launch the Krana from its holder on the Va's back.
There were four other sets released during this time: 10023 Bionicle Master Builder Set, 8556 Boxor, 8557 Exo-Toa, and 8558 Gahdok and Cahdok that held a category of their own. The first of these sets was Bionicle Master Builder Set, a set which I believe deserves special recognition, as it is the only set of its kind to be released. Bionicle Master Builder Set was a first, and only, attempt by LEGO to make a Bionicle Creator set. This set contained 112-parts, and instructions to build various Rahi, some from the stories. Boxor was the first Bionicle vehicle- a Matoran walking combat vehicle designed to fight Bohrok.
The Boxor had a mechanism inside its body that would enable the Boxor to extend its arms if the vehicle was pushed down. The arms would then retract when the vehicle was released, and, if the claw hooked a Bohrok's faceplate, would tear it open. Boxor was supposedly built from from defeated Bohrok, but you would never guess that from the set, which contains only a few Bohrok-exclusive pieces. Boxor was piloted by an included Matoran Nupara, who would later come to be more important to the story than Onepu.
The Exo-Toa armor was a mystery when it first appeared, with fans having no idea where it came from or why it was there. While the Exo-Toa suits allowed the Toa Mata to drive the Bahrag together, they ultimately hindered the Toa in their fight, which I found to be a big disappointment. While Toa could fit inside Exo-Toa's torso, their legs merely rested on footrests on Exo-Toa's upper legs, and their arms were confined inside the torso, making Exo-Toa less of a suit of armor, and more like the later Exo-Force Battle Machines (but wait...).
Exo-Toa had a rocket launcher on one arm, and an extending claw on the other. The Bahrag were the queens of the Bhorok swarm, and controlled their movements across Mata Nui. The Queens of the Swarm weilded all the powers of the Bohrok, as well as strong mental abilities. When brought close together, the Bahrag became even more powerful, and were protected by a force field.
As a set, the Bahrag were very similar to the earlier Rahi sets. Both Bahrag had extending necks and snapping jaws, which would work in tandem if a trigger in their bodies were pulled. The Bahrag had a piece in their bellies that, if pulled out (either by the other Bahrag or the Exo-Toa), would lock up the movement mechanism.
Bionicle had numerous media products, including games, watches, books, a clock, and video games. Quest for Makuta was the first Bionicle board game to be produced, and centered upon the Toa's hunt for Makuta and struggle against the Rahi.
The other games were trading card games, which centered on the Toa's quest for the Kanohi Masks of Power. Each trading card game came with two Kanohi, one for each Toa on the box. The watches were made of non-LEGO-compatible pieces, though they were interlocking, and customizable. Special adapter parts were used to attack either a Kanohi or Bohrok shield to the watch, marking it as Bionicle.
A single clock was released during this time. The clock included a strange assortment of parts, including Gali's Kanohi, and Vakama's FireStaff, and Whenua's Kanohi, in red. There were several video games released during the first year of Bionicle, most of them being for Gameboy Advance. Only one game was set to be released for PCs: The Legend of Mata Nui, also known by some as "The Lost Game". The Legend of Mata Nui was to cover the Toa's arrival on Mata Nui, presumably up to the first "defeat" of Makuta. It was also, unfortunately, canned before it was completed, and only a few half-baked copies were distributed (if you have one, please say so in the comments).
Luckily for Bionicle fans who are still trying to complete their collection (just a few more to go...), most figures are reasonably priced on second-hand selling websites, though this doesn't always hold true for larger sets. Unfortunately, availability is spotty for some of the older models.
1 like
70 comments on this article
Great read!
I did actually buy the first couple of waves of Bionicle (or, mainly it was bought for me instead of SW) and had a little look into the story on the early Internet game so this brings back memories. I preferred the Slizers before, but then they had no narrative behind them
I've just spent 10 minutes reading that and I'm still none the wiser as to what Bionicles is all about. At 41 I must be too old to understand.
I'm not having a go at the author, as it was well written, I just don't get it.
You have put a lot of efforts into this article, thanks a lot Huw
^In the start of the article, Huw says that the article was composed by the user SprinkleOtter.
I was really into Bionicle, mostly in the second and third 'generations' (the Toa Nuva and the Metro Nui eras). After that, I felt that the story was lacking compared to the original ones, and kinda grew out of it.
I always wanted some of the first-gen sets when I was younger - I particularly wanted the Boxor and Exo-Toa, but I could never afford either of them with my pocket money...I did end up with the Toa of Light vs Makuta set (much to the envy of amny friends). One of my friends dads said the thought the Toa of Light's speeder bike thing was a space age carrot-chopper. XD
I also have fond memories of the Mata Nui II online game, but I never got very far in it. I think you can actually download it to play offline these days.
Are you going to continue this into some of the later waves of Bionicle? This is such a nostalgia trip for me...
So Throwbots and those funny Technic disc bikes are unrelated? Oh.
@ProfessorBrickkeeper, thank you, yes that is correct and I should probably make a small change the site so that it's possible to change the 'Huw' in the 'Posted by' line to the real author when I post on others' behalf.
Moar! We need moar! Do the whole series. Each part would be a different phase of the story. Nuva, Metru Nui, Voya Nui, Mahri Nui, Karda Nui, Bara Magna.
Thanks, Paragon! :)
@ The Rancor. I know what you mean- I also liked the Slizers theme, and loved the story it did have, but the story wasn't clear or very detailed.
WTG SprinkleOtter! :D Except that Mata Nui means "Great Spirit", not "Great Island", and the island was merely named after their diety-like figure. But you still did an amazing job. :P
I'm with woony2 - this is the most convoluted back story of any children's toy I've ever read. After reading quickly through this, I'm still not sure what it's about or who is good and who is bad. And I swear someone at LEGO is trolling us with all those names...
I'm glad people enjoy Bionicle and are looking forward to its return, but wow - I'm so glad it came out during my dark ages. I guess the above would have made more sense if I were 20 years younger when it came out? (Actually, looking back at parts of the story, I wonder if I'd be able to follow it better if the names didn't sound so random).
^I think the problem is that it's not a back story, it's how the theme unfolded when it was happening. I guess it is a backstory now, but it's like jumping into a TV show in series 9 - you've got a lot of catching up to do!
Saying that, I read as far as the Rahi, just before the water dwelling guys... and I couldn't go on! It is well written and I'm sure it's accurate, but the whole theme just seems too much if you weren't part of it before. I hope TLG get a good balance with resurrecting the theme, using the material they've already got and rewarding long time fans, but also making it accessible for new fans. I think that'll be a very tricky balance to hit, I hope they do it well.
@ Plasmodium.
The story may have seemed less thought-out, but looking back now at the original Bionicle story, I can see how the later years were some of the most revelation-dense.
Yeah, MNOG II was such a pain go play through, and next to impossible if you were playing the one that LEGO re-uploaded, and lost a good share of important files to. :P
Yep, MNOG II, and pretty much every other Bionicle game or media is available on the BioMedia Project, thanks to my brother and his friends. :)
Yep, my plan it to continue straight through to the end of the original Bionicle storyline. :)
@ ArielHairRaph
Pretty much, yeah. :P
@ MCLegoboy.
Your wish is my command. :) I'll keep going with the series for as long as Huw will take them. :P
I'd be interested to know what actually inspired TLG with the Bionicle theme officially. One could surmise that it's a mixture of Polynesian mythology (the names would certainly suggest so) and the organic robotic ideas of Giger, without having looked at a Wiki page or similar. At the time who could have thought this mixture would be such a commercial and cult success? Weirdly I might still have a Mask of Light VHS somewhere buried, but nothing to play it on!
@ lego613master.
Thanks! :D
Well, it appears that we are both wrong- I just google translated "mata nui" and I goe "Great Face"... Which makes sense, as Mata Nui was above Mata Nui's face. :P
@SprinkleOtter, yeah, I guess it was also at the time that Lego stopped distributing Bionicle comics with club magazines, and generally separated the 'normal' Lego and Bionicle. I didn't have a decent internet connection till I was past bothering about Bionicle, so I never finished MNOG II or kept up with any online story elements.
I actually had a look at the Bionicle Media Project just recently, and I think I'll probably binge read all the comics over the next few days/weeks. :D
The most fascinating thing to me though is the mystery video game that never got released. (Legends of Mata Nui) Only 8 beta discs were made and few if any seem to have survived till now, and it looks like people are going to huge efforts to try and track these down.
And to those who are saying it's ridiculously complicated, well, yes. It kinda is, but that's because it had a storyline written by an actual comic-book writer, which evolved over the 8 or so years it was out. There was no preliminary backstory to the original series - other than that the peaceful inhabitants of an island were being attacked by mysterious beings.
Calling all of the above "backstory" is a bit like saying that the first 4 seasons of Breaking Bad (for example) are backstory to the 5th season. It's kinda true, but they were also a main story in their own right.
But the names? Yeah, they were a bit bizarre. But kids seem to remember names and stuff like that.
I still don't have manas in my collection v.v
I thought Bionicle lasted from 2001 to 2010? It says in the article eight years but I remember it lasting for ten so someone might want to check and update that :)
Never cared for Bionicle and never will. It's just not for me. But to say it is the longest running original theme is a little misleading. I consider City to be an original theme and it's going on it's 11th year. Three years longer then the article says the original Bionicle lasted.
^I'm not sure you understand what "original theme" means. City isn't at all an original theme, it's the complete opposite, surely THE most unoriginal theme Lego has ever produced! It represents something real rather than original content, and produces and reproduces generic sets year on year.
^LOL!!! The irony!!! It burns!
No offense to all the fans out there, as I know you guys love this stuff and it clearly makes TLG wads of cash, but the sets and parts all look the same to me.
And obviously Space is the longest running theme, albeit not continuously.
^While it may be based on things in real life it's still a theme and Lego designed it themselves. Unoriginal themes in my book are Star Wars, LOTR/Hobbit, and Superheros. So in my book original themes = no license. The first three themes were Town, Space, and Castle and so they should be considered "original themes".
@therancor originally Bionicle was a different theme called Voodoo Heads (which is why most of the early parts are named stuff like 'voodoo head' and 'voodoo fire sword' for example). Most of the feel of the theme (which was a mix of polynesian culture, voodoo culture, and steampunk) is retained from the concepts and creation of Voodoo Heads, but the overarching story of Mata Nui and the Matoran Universe was imagined by Christian Faber and implemented as the Bionicle of 2001-2010 as we know it.
Here is a review of the new Tahu brought to you by TTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHUm-t8Stjg&feature=youtu.be&a
It's dense - like a history text. And the names are just plain slippery. Guess it's not for me!
@ TheDesuComplex.
Actually, it was "The Boneheads of Voodoo Island." :P And that was probably because LEGO didn't want a clone company getting leaked names and making a theme called "Bionicle" before LEGO.
@ Plasmodium.
Um, what? :P I don't think LEGO ever stopped releasing the comics in the LEGO Club magazines... You're talking US, right?
Can you tell me why you think that there are only 8? :P I'm trying to track this story back to its origins. My brother has been doing a lot of research on this, and has found out the LEGO got weekly copies of the game as it progressed.
@ Emmafofemma.
Weeeelllll.... That's a tough question. :P Bionicle sets were released from 2001-2010. however, only six sets were released in 2010, the Stars, which were basically a "last hurrah". The story lasted for a time after, with no sets released.
Okay, I guess you're right. Could Huw or someone who has the ability to make changes correct that to "nine years", please? :)
@ kreel.
Neither do I, so don't feel bad. :P
@ "Original Theme" discussion. :P
What I classify as an "original theme" is a string of sets that are connected in some way, and are not based off some outside material (books, movies, etc...) or the real world. Castle, Pirates, and, well, sorta Space are based off of the real world.
@ Calsteguy121.
Of course. :) Trying to write the whole history of Bionicle in one article would be like trying to write the history of the world in a Bionicle novel-sized book. :P
wow this is very good things about bionicle that i never knew about so this is great and i dont think bad a bionicle its just that bionicle never really had any good sets but 2015 is going to a turn around so....
i hope everything goes well
Great article! If the rest of this "series" is open up to other authors as well, I volunteer to write the 2006-2007 story arc!
@ Legozebra.
I think it's up to Huw, but I'm open to some other authors writing more. I might want to fact-check them, though. :P
Some things never change: I didn't like Bionicle back in the day and I don't like it today. I tried to read the article, but thought after a third: Yeah, the same old rubbish... ;o)
Very interesting article.
The golden years of Bionicle. Loved the Bohrok enemies and 2001 Toa and Toa Nui. Had the Exo Suit as well. Sold all my Bionicle and made a good fortune.
@gmonkey76 and @peterlmorris - I've made a prat of myself haven't I!
I was thinking along the lines of @SprinkleOtter, which to be fair is what was meant in the article as he wrote it!
But thinking about it a bit more, with unoriginal themes clearly being licensed themes like Star Wars, I'd think that City not qualifying is because it is bigger than a theme, e.g M-Tron and Blacktron were themes within the Space category/genre. That all comes down to terminology though, and aren't those debates always a barrel of laughs!
I never got into Bionicle when it was first released because that was about the time I was slipping into my Dark Age. I think I get the story for the most part, but I am sure there is more to it than just from this article. I think I will pick up a few sets from the reboot, if for nothing more than challenging new parts and to learn new techniques.
As for SprinkleOtter's claim that Bionicle is the longest-running original theme, I would say that's accurate, but needs to be qualified a little--for example, the longest-running original story based theme. Sure, Castle, City, and Space have been around for a longer time, but it makes more sense to call those sets (for example)"Castle-themed" because they all feature a castle, or some kind of spaceship, or a police station, and not because they belong to some overarching theme. There was usually not much story, only a few named characters, and when a new wave was released it started all over.
Bionicle, on the other hand, followed the same characters in the same trajectory throughout their story over the course of its entire run. Each new wave furthered the story, rather than replacing it, so it makes more sense to me to call that a single unified theme rather than the evergreen 'categories'.
But, as zips said ^, it all comes down to which words you want to use, so feel free to tell me why I'm wrong XD
I have no interest in Bionicle and, like others, the plot lost me a bit. However, the recap was interesting and I am happy for Bionicle fans that the theme will soon be making its return.
I have to say it again, and this time screaming: YES!!! BIONICLE IS RETURNING!!! I thank Huw for giving all those who don't know the original Bionicle story a small recap. And I do think Huw should tell the rest of the stories of the Bionicle sagas.
UPDATE: JUST2GOOD HAS POSTED A VIDEO SHOWING THE PROTECTOR SERIES OF BIONICLE SETS AND ONUA: MASTER OF THE EARTH. PLEASE ADD THESE IMAGES TO THE DATABASE!!!
@SprinkleOtter. No, UK based here. I only recieved 3 or 4 random bionicle comics. They were, good, but I think I only ever got issues 12, - 14, and maybe one around 20?
I'm not sure about the 8 beta copies. It's just a number I saw somewhere - I'm no expert, but your article inspired me to do some Bionicle themed googling, and that's just one theory I saw on a forum somewhere. Count me interested though if he does find any more info. I'm a history student who's into computers/gaming, so this kind of digital 'archaeology' is just fascinating to me. :-)
Mata is the Bionicle word for spirit
Nui is the word for great
Where did you get the idea Mata Nui means "Great Island"
Not to be a Bio-Grammar nazi, just pointing that out.
Nice work on the history though.
Well I guess if I get to use a bunch of special definitions, provisos, and caveats, then I can make any "theme" the longest running "theme" in LEGO history. LOL!
Now it's the special pleading that burns! MY EYES!!! I NEED AN EYEWASH STATION!!!
@ Plasmodium.
Ah, that would explain it. :P I'm in the US, and Club magazines always had comics here (with only one month exception).
Okay. :) If he does find anything more, how would I tell you? :P
@ SuperFan451.
My apologies- I thought I heard that somewhere a while ago. :P
Hei... Never mind :P
Thanks. :)
Thanks, Droid.Workshops.Inc :)
@peterlmorris, I'm not taking that one, you're complaining about how language works! Words have semantic ranges, each specific use will, according to context, carry a different meaning from within that range, which will often be very nuanced, yada, yada, yada. *yawn*
I'm more than willing to admit my first comment on this was dumb.
You say it's special pleading to suggest that, for example, the overall City theme and one like Jack Stone could be viewed on different levels? I'm not feeling so dumb any more. ;)
(Or am I about to get another ridiculing with you asking for "MORE EYEWASH!!!!!"?)
@zipsforbananas not exactly sure what a prat is,but not a problem. that what makes this hobby so much fun, that people can have different opinions about our favorite plastic brick. Not everyone is going to agree on everything, but in the end as long as we still play with Lego all is good.
@woony2 it was mostly all about the complex storyline behind the sets which was holding a lot of secrets. Those secrets have been revealed step by step and some of them still remind a mystery. That's how to fire up one's curiosity. Back then in 2001 I was a kid, and now, when im 23, I'm still wondering what's going to happen in this new storyline
@SprinkleOtter - I'll probably google it every now and then, so I'll probably see if there's an announcement on bmp or whatever, but feel free to email me via the site - click on my name to go to my profile and then click on 'contact Plasmodium'. :-)
@SuperFan451: Technically, the real-world meaning of Mata Nui is "Great Face", which is one of many, many early hints about the secret "big story engine" that was finally revealed in 2008.
@TheRancor: Anybody who wants some insight into how the BIONICLE theme's sets and story were originally conceived and why they became so successful should read the book "Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry" (http://books.google.com/books?id=4YgAjv9bdT0C). It's about the LEGO Group's financial troubles in the late 90s and early naughts, and the steps they took to recover. An entire chapter is dedicated to BIONICLE, since it was their most reliably successful new initiative during a time otherwise characterized by many expensive failures, and it served as somewhat of a road map to the LEGO Group's recovery.
I may have one of the 8 beta discs but I'm not sure. It's a grey, smaller sized disc with what looks like a weapon going up the middle of the disc.
@ BrickofC4. You mean a Rahkshi staff end, right? :P If so, that's a promo disk, not the Legend Of Mata Nui. :P
@SprinkleOtter Yes its a Rahkshi staff end.
I'd really really really love me some Bionicle articles from @Aanchir. He really knows his stuff, and then some. And he's always very active on the forum and in the comments alike, so he'd probably have the time, too.
I'm still more or less a complete noob, despite owning a few of the biggest Bionicle sets ever released, and BLing many of the parts from the rest. If the 2015 reboot is not the perfect opportunity to catch up, then I don't know what is.
Bring it on, @Aanchir. Make it happen, @Huw.
@Aanchir
You mean in the Maori Language? Ah snap. The more you know. I was just going off the in-universe definitions. It never occurred to me to see what the real-world meaning for Mata Nui was.
You know how a large amount of these old bionicle had mechanical functions such as gear powered arms... If you look very closely at the bionicle pictures on lego.com you will see that there appears to be similar constructions on the new bionicle. There are gears in Lewa's shoulders in the main pic and there are parts 32072 in yellow on the backs of all toa. The large evil character (sort of like a spider) has these parts connected in his legs and they appear to move like 70708: Hive Crawler. But, there does not appear to be a wheel to power them anther there is a rubber band extending into his body.
Just thought you might be interested.
@ tumaskrall10. Yeah, I noticed that. Bionicle seems to have come full-circle, with sets back to having gears and masks that pop off. :P
@tumaskrall10 Yep! The small gears used in Lewa's shoulders don't control anything, they just add friction (so if you put him in a pose with his arms raised they won't just drop down when you let go of the gear). Most of the other sets hide these small gears inside, but Lewa can't do this because of the way his shoulders are raised, so they go between the gearbox and shoulders instead.
All the sets use knob gears like the one you see on their backs to control either one or both of the arms. My brother has some individual pictures of the new beam piece and the assembled gearbox here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/71476500 @N08/sets/72157648278868990/
Awesome.I grew up with loads of bioincle lego.It is probaly my allltime fav theme.Until I had a younger brother(he smashed it all)Bit of a shame really.
@ Aanchir: Thanks Where did you get the gearbox anyway? And doe this mean we can't move their arms separately anymore? And they can't be posed at the shoulder?
@SprinkleOtter: I was never around for this stage of bionicle And I think that the mask removing functions would be fun. Additionally they give some more influence to the idea that the mask gives them their powers. I never used this because when you switch out the masks the characters loose their personality (maybe that is why every set comes with a gold mask version so you do not have a blue to a with a purple mask)
By the way, what are the faces with legs that appear to be in every set?
@tumaskrall10: Remember when the LEGO Group gave a lot of the major fansites (BZPower, Eurobricks, Brickset, The Brothers Brick, etc.) NYCC Thursday tickets to raffle off or give to staff reporters? Those who won such tickets also got invitations to two special invite-only events: the BIONICLE panel at NYCC, and a separate event at the new LEGO store in the Flatiron district.
The LEGO store event was an amazing experience. You know the bins that are usually filled with basic LEGO and Duplo bricks for kids to play with? Well, for this event they filled them all with pieces from the new BIONICLE Toa sets. People on the guest list received a T-shirt and a transparent mask (identical to the one given out at the LEGO booth at NYCC, but in different packaging) and given free rein to build with the pieces in the tubs. Most impressively, we were allowed to KEEP whatever we built at the end! I might have been able to refine it even further and pile on more awesome new parts if I hadn't arrived to the LEGO store event half an hour late.
My creation:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/aanchir/15308587649/
My brother's creation:
https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/q82/s720x720/10609549_10204948721502236_1632082675599028873_n.jpg?oh=ca2b1dc1209df55fb624828478ffd75b&oe=54B00068
The "faces with legs" are called Skull Spiders, and they are the enemies that the Toa and Protectors will be facing. Like the Krana from the 2002 BIONICLE sets, the Skull Spiders can attach to characters' faces (the same way you'd attach a mask) and then mind-control them. It's a neat feature, since it gives kids a scenario in which a Toa might have to "fight" one of their teammates.
Wow that is really cool. I wish I had had the opportunity to go to that bionicle event (maybe some day...)
Thanks for clarifying the Skull spiders.
Nice feature about the mind control. (works much better than the HF brains because the heroes lost their face when you took off the helmet and then they were faceless beings with big brains on their heads. This way they will still have a face because the skull of the spider forms the effect of a face)
I am getting more and more excited about the new bionicle sets and series. Cant wait to see the story that i meed out on.
@huw and GreenNinjaCP This is a great article and i look forward to the next installment.
Thanks again
^ Oh, I didn't write it. I wrote the last one, though, which you can see here! http://brickset.com/article/12398/classic-lego-sets-bionicle