(Written by legozebra)
Today let’s talk about the rumored return of LEGO BIONICLE in 2015! For those of you who are not that familiar with BIONICLE, it was one of LEGO’s most successful product lines, saving the company from its financial crisis in the late 1990s. The first sets were originally a sub-theme of LEGO Technic released in the year 2001. In its almost decade long life-span BIONICLE developed a very interesting and complex story-line that many young boys grew up with and were fascinated by. Due to various reasons LEGO BIONICLE was discontinue in 2010 and was replaced by LEGO Hero Factory, but BIONICLE fans have been asking for the return of their beloved theme ever since – and now it looks like their wish is coming true. 🙂
It all started when back in December 2013 Asger Johansen posted on his LinkedIn page that he was developing the “concept, story, and communication for a new LEGO action figure theme launching in 2015″. Johansen has been working as a concept-developer for The LEGO Group on themes like LEGO Hero Factory and LEGO Galaxy Squad, so this started the speculation that the new theme he was working on might be related to the return of LEGO BIONICLE. This was a very hopeful news for BIONICLE fans that was discussed extensively at Eurobricks (see here) and other LEGO fan-sites, but with no further information the conversation died down after a few weeks. Then nothing happened until a blurry black-and-white photo of a supposed LEGO BIONICLE display-case surfaced just a few weeks ago.
Of course most LEGO blogs and forums picked up the news, but the picture was such bad quality BIONICLE fans didn’t want to get their hopes high. In fact, through the years there has been so many fake images about the supposed return of BIONICLE, that a lot of people didn’t even bother believing that it could be real this time. Then a few days later a full color picture of a similar display-box appeared. Now this was a lot more interesting and looked a lot more real! In fact, some eagle-eyed LEGO fans spotted the new rapid-fire stud-shooter (first used on the upcoming #75084 LEGO Star Wars Wookiee Gunship we talked about recently). Thus the BIONICLE image was deemed as legitimate, especially since the original black-and-white picture also shows the same shooter, and no-one could have made a fake display with a part that hadn’t even been revealed yet. So having said all of that I believe that it’s safe to say that BIONICLE is returning in 2015. Then, to give even more validity to the news it was discovered that if you type BIONICLE in the search box of the Online LEGO Shop, you are redirected to a “Coming Soon” page! (Since then this has been changed, and now searching for BIONICLE brings up the new wave of LEGO Hero Factory sets.)
With the news of the return of LEGO BIONICLE pretty much confirmed, speculations on whether this would be a full reboot of the series or a continuation of the previous canon began earnestly. The news that upset many BIONICLE fans (including me) was that BIONICLE is likely going to have a completely new storyline. This is just a rumor at this point, but Greg Farshtey (the writer of the original BIONICLE story) himself declared several years ago that if BIONICLE was to ever return the previous canon would be wiped out and replaced with a new story. This is due to the fact that one or the reasons BIONICLE was canceled previously is because the story was getting too complicated.
However, as mentioned earlier, many fans of the original BIONICLE story would be very disappointed if LEGO erases the previous canon. To quote myself from a comment I left at Brickset, “To me that would be like making a whole new LEGO constraction theme and slapping the name BIONICLE onto it in order to get more fans to buy…” However, this is not the unanimous view of all LEGO BIONICLE fans. There are those, like Aanchir (quoted from the same Brickset article comments), who feel that it would be good to start anew, stating that “If the core mythology is intact, then the continuity doesn’t necessarily have to be maintained. Nor do some of the theme’s more annoying story decisions, like having elements strictly divided up by gender.” However, Aanchir does agree that “losing that component [of the original mythology]… would mean losing a lot of what made BIONICLE what it was”.
There is also the debate on whether or not the new BIONICLE sets should use the LEGO Hero Factory constraction (construction+action) system or a different one. In case you are not aware, in 2011 LEGO completely changed their action-figure system. The original BIONICLE elements were based on the LEGO Technic system, tended to crack easily, and were hard to snap on. Because of this LEGO produced a new system relying almost entirely on ball-joints. Gone were the LEGO Technic pins used to snap armor on; now the armor elements were connected by means of ball-and-socket joints. According to the image we have of the 2015 LEGO BIONICLE sets, it seems that LEGO is using the newer system. I’m happy with this, and find it quite obvious that LEGO wouldn’t bring back the older, weaker system just to have the full BIONICLE reminiscence back.
Let me share some reasons of why I believe that the original BIONICLE story was so rich and such a well-constructed (no pun intended) legend. As I mentioned at the beginning, BIONICLE was born when LEGO was in a great financial crisis and was originally a sub-theme of LEGO Technic. First entitled “Bone Heads of Voodoo Island” and then just “Doo Heads”, it was planned to run for only one year, with the original “Toa” (the main characters) fulfilling their quest by the end of the year. However BIONICLE became so well-received and so successful that the story was kept and further developed all the way up to 2010! The real trick, though, was concealing that everything that happened from 2001 to 2008 was actually happening inside a gigantic robot body, Mata Nui. The spirit inside this body, Mata Nui, was cursed by one of his own creations, Makuta Teridax, who wanted to have control over the universe inside the robot body. The original six Toa, at the beginning of the story, washed ashore on the island that was named Mata Nui, after the Matoran’s (villager’s) Great Spirit. The six Toa were entrusted to awaken the Great Spirit Mata Nui, who had been cast into a deep sleep. Finally, in 2010, Mata Nui defeated the evil Makuta in a final showdown. Now that is great story-telling!
What do you think? Are you excited that it looks like LEGO BIONICLE is coming back? Do you wish to see a whole new story invented, or should LEGO keep the previous one continued? What do you think the story will be about? Should the new BIONICLE sets use the newer ball-joint system of construction or something even newer, resembling the original sets? Would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so feel free to share them in the comment section below! Also, I’m a TFOL (Teen-Fan-of-LEGO) and this is my first post here at theBrickBlogger. Feedback is welcome! 😉
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
Cool! I’ve always preferred Bionicle to Hero Factory.
Everybody does! Even though I’ve never seen the sets. but I’ve heard its awesome!
something totally unrelated! (but it’s urgent!) I’m going to the LEGO store tomorrow. (AWESOME!) but here’s the thing, I was (or might) get the Ewok village, But it seems overpriced for it’s size. Yes, I know, since it’s a licensed theme it’s going to be more expensive but I’m not sure what to do! I was thinking maybe I should get the battle for ninjago city and the ultra agents mission hq. I want those more but I’ve been wanting the Ewok village for a long time now, (and it’s star wars, it’s awesome!) plus the ewok village will be around for longer but I doubt anyone would buy me it for Christmas or something, 🙄 but those are cheaper and stuff! I don’t know what to do and I need some help. thanks guys.
Hm… that’s a tough decision to make as all three sets are great. (You have great taste, BTW!). If there is any chance that you will get the two cheaper sets for Christmas, then I would buy the Ewok Village myself and leave the rest up to Santa. If you would have to make a choice between the Ewok Village and the other two, I would go for the other two. Simply because you would get more play-value (both the Ninjago and the Ultra Agents set are awesome).
The reason the Ewok Village is so expensive (besides being licensed) is because there are a lot of tiny pieces included. They give great realism, but can also be really-really annoying. Like those bridges and ladders are actually made up of tiny pieces, instead of just using a pre-moulded ladder or bridge piece. The play-value of the Ewok village is definitely great, but it is more for older kids who won’t be knocking over the whole set every five minutes and have to rebuild it. Make no mistake; I absolutely love the set, especially becasue it is also a generic forest-scene and it could be easily converted into an elven forest or for other inhabitants, but for the play-value I would still choose the other two.
Another consideration is that while it is unlikely you will ever see the Ewok Village on sale, there is great possibility that the other two will. The Ewok village is an exclusive, whereas the other two are readily available at all LEGO retailers. So from this perspective I would buy the Ewok Village and wait for the other two to come down in price. They will.
Taking all of that into consideration, what I would do is check with your parents and feel out if there is any possibility you could get the other two for Christmas. Just make some hints and see how they respond. If it seems you will get them, go for the Ewok Village. If they don’t seem favorable, you may still consider getting the Ewok Village first, then save up some more money and wait until the other two comes down in price. 😉
Thanks for the complement! 😀 you made a lot of good reasons there, but I was also thinking that with the two sets I would have money leftover, but saving up for the Ewok village will take me awhile. Hmm… What to do. Ill talk to my patents (and my verry giving grandmas!) about it, see there reaction. Thanks! 😉
Well, I figured out what I got. I ended up picking the two sets. But for reason, I bought other things there, and once I save up for it, it will be an excuse for me for my mom to take me back to the LEGO store. 😉
great stuff loved
SPOILERS: In the comic in the LEGO Club magazines, Makuta Teridax became part of the universe after his supposed defeat. End of spoilers. I hope for the new Bionicle but I hope they have Minifig sized Toa and Makuta so my ‘figs can battle alongside or against them, respectively.
That was before 2009 when he send the universe robot to Bara Magna to attack Mata Nui and was defeated…
Oh yeah, I forgot that… hehehe
The guy in red in the first picture sort of look like Tahu Nuva.
Yea they look very similiar
BIONICLE returns! I hope the story line is written by Greg.
Am I correct I saying Fikko will be happy? I know I am! Bionic let was such a sweet theme. Also a LEGO movie 2 is scheduled for either 2015 or 2016. It’s more probable that it will be 2016.
Hey, ninja of stealth. I have the Ewok village and its worth it. There is so much stuff to do with it . Plus you can use it for other things that has to do with the forest . You can always save up for the cheaper sets. Also you don’t know what’s coming out for the holidays, you might have other choices to make at that time. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
And…There goes my chances of writing my article. I suppose I could re-purpose my manuscript to see it from more of a story aspect…
You are still very welcome to write on the topic, especially as more information is going to become available. I’m pretty sure that your thoughts, focus and opinions are going to be different than legozebra’s, that is why I have no problem posting more than one review on such a large topic. As I said; your space is reserved. 😉
Now fans have to all get together and do this for monorail! 🙂
Yeah, and you know, it might actually work! LEGO is bringing back so many things; Bionicle, Ninjago, Classic Space… there is hope for monorail fans! 😀
Hope? Hope is to weak of a word… i would use, Excited, Inspired, and overall just plain EXCITEMENT and HOPE! Long live BIONICLE! 😀
All right, there you go! Better expressions! 😀
Classic Space? Doesn’t that comeback “consist” of just Benny’s Spaceship and the Exo-suit? It sounds like straining things…
I might buy some sets if they revived 90’s themes such as Futuron and Blacktron …
Hakan, I have directly talked with Mark Stafford a week ago about this, and as far as LEGO is concerned they consider Benny’s Spaceship and the Exo Suit as “bringing back Classic Space”. Whereas there is going to be more, or this will be all we are getting is not known at this point, but LEGO fans are happy and LEGO is happy that they made them happy. Of course now if the Exo Suit would just be available again that would be great. 🙄
Yeah, I heard about it being sold out…
Pretty cool set, though…
the Bionicle sets were cool, mine are all now either mechs or lost in the black hole under my dresser. never could figure out the story line though…
I hope the new action figure building system has more potential than the current one. because with the hero factory sets, it is hard to build anything other than what the set is made for because of the way the torso is designed.
I am very excited about this. I am one of those people who weren’t into LEGO until BIONICLE was in the Bara Magna storyline, and I never really got into it until it was discontinued. I really hope the storyline will be as good as the original one. By that I mean: Don’t repeat Hero Factory in storyline depth…
Yes, I think that is the main point LEGO needs to realize; Bionicle fans fell in love with the story. Something Hero Factory was not able to match, even though it uses a similar set of building. I also really hope LEGO is going to be able to live up to the expectation as far as the story goes.
I’ve been a fan of Bionicle since the beginning and I still have all the comic books sitting on my shelves. I think bringing Bionicle back would be amazing especially if they give fans upgraded Toa Nui. The Hero Factory builds were actually creative and malleable enough that you can maneuver them as you like as opposed to the original Toa who can move one arm proficiently. I think in regards to storyline a reboot would be beneficial as there was some magic to the island of Mata Nui when it was just the island. If you don’t believe me ask someone who’s played the online game (1 or 2). The idea of these elemental heros protecting their citizens from more and more intelligent threats was engaging and fun. I will always remember the moment in the comics when the Toa Kopaka was surrounded by the Rahkshi after the rest of his team fell. Their was a personal connection with those characters. If Lego brings back that emotional investment then they can do a great job. If they just putz along though and have a set out for a few months then has them upgrade to better suits and weapons then it can get really shallow. Hopefully they don’t and I’m excited to see what they do with the story.
I can understand the problem of pieces breaking as being very annoying, however I hope Bionicle has more complex mechanics over all then Hero Factory did. Personally, I thought the old Bionicle looked great, so yeah, bummer about the snapping issue.
Oh, and I thought the post was admirably carried out legozebra, (if my opinion counts as something,) though I did have to scroll up to doubke check your name :p.
I never really got into Bionicle until the last wave of those canister “star” guys. I could never quite understand the story behind all of those Toas, and Hero Factory came shortlt after that. These new Bionicle sets look refreshing though, it’s a bit different than the usual Hero with the-same-but-differently-coloured-armour. I’ll very muchly so be looking out for this, I’m interested where this will go.
Also, LEGO just can’t make up their mind, can they? First Ninjago, now Bionicle… I mean, you’d be crazy not to anwser to the large demands. Kinda good (but perhaps bad in a way) LEGO won’t keep their words.
Yes, LEGO has been bringing back Bionicle, Ninjago and Classic Space. Very interesting because previously they said they don’t like to bring back old themes. However I think it is smart to bring back a classic favorite when the children who grew up with it become adults. They have a sentimental longing for their childhood sets, and now they have money, plus possibly children of their own. A perfect combination for success for a resurrected product line. You only have to change it enough to keep it fresh for younger generations, and at the same time also appeal to the older fans. 😉
I was never into Bionicle, since it was discontinued before LEGO sets became a major interest for me. And Hero Factory began in 2011, right? That’s when my brothers and I started rebuilding our sets, so we missed it.
And I still don’t understand the whole storyline of Bionicle, nor all the crazy names. Also, I do have two Bionicle sets: Metus from 2009, and Kohrak Va from 2002 (known as Soy Fang 🙂 ). Maybe 2015’s story & sets will be of more interest, though. 😕
WOO-HOO Its coming back! I have been a fan of BIONICLE ever sense 2001! I was really disappointed that they got rid of it, But does this mean they are bringing back the original characters? Like Makuta-nuva, Taka-nuva, and Mata-nui? Because it seems the are using the original charcters Gali, Pohato, etc. and i have never got a set of makuta, otherwise i have every single one!!! 😀
Oh, and i have every single comic/movie also! But, everything looks sweet from the pictures! 😀 <3
This is the greatest news I’ve heard in a very long time! I own every single bionicle set, as well as all the comics and movies. It was Lego’s greatest and most creative theme, and the fact that it continued for ten years is proof of this. Hero Factory was fun while it lasted, but it never really had the heart that Bionicle possessed. If Bionicle really does come back it should be as a reboot. There’s way too much information from the old story for new fans to have to learn. Plus the fact that we have a picture of a new Tahu figure (he was the leader of the Toa) sort of hints at this being a reboot. Either way, I will be very excited to see this great theme return and to see how many other surprises Lego has in store for us! 😀
The red Toa-looking guy seems to have hands like from the movies, so maybe they will have another for this.
I think a re-boot is good, because after the story ended the Mata-Nui robot defeated the (forgot name) robot. At the same time tahu (re-born) is gathering the gold matanui mask parts along with gresh and some other people and with the help of Mata-Nui restore peace to the world of bionicle. And this is way after all the other threats had been defeated. At this time LEGO stopped making bionicle, and ended with a contest to re-engineer and make a lego Bionicle made out of all other current Bionicles. So everything including actual products are wrapped up and finished, no more threats to Mata-Nui or anything the land of bionicle is safe. So like in movies, they (LEGO) reboot it to make it interesting again and to make more money.
The evil robot was Makuta
Is it going to be the original sets or is it going to pick up from where Bionicle: The Legend Reborn left off
It is definitely not going to be the original sets as the parts to make those have been long retired. And as far as the story goes, it doesn’t make much sense to redo the same story as it would have lost its entire mystery by knowing exactly how it would end. So, as the article says, it might either be a continuation that may reference some of the old story, or a completely new one.
What I am thinking is a continuation of the old story, after the original charachters have had a couple thousand years of peace. As for the look snd construction of the new charachters, I think they should use the same general style and build of the originals. Those crazy new masks and strange armor almost make them look like they were caught by Visorak!:) The only peice that I can remember breaking was when I fell down the stairs and landed on my favorate bionicle,( Toa Mahri Motoro) and broke his hip joint:( Considering that we used to play rough with bionicle, they held up well.
The failing of Bionicle, story-wise, is that each year they tried to tack on a new section of this epic mythology of god and devils and mighty heroes, while jumping around in the timeline. That’s really hard to do. The subsequent story based lines (Hero Factory, Ninjago, Chima) have kept it simpler, with a bit more planning, and linear storytelling. Hero Factory, though, has based each year’s toys around a story arc lasting only 2 to 4 half hour episodes. Compared to Ninjago, Chima, or any non-Lego toy line with a TV series, that’s almost like having nothing. Bioncle did amazingly well for what it had story-wise (as far as holding people’s interest) considering it was spread out across comics, novels, the web, web games, and direct to DVD movies.
The failing of Bionicle, toy-wise, primarily is the same thing that all the constraction (as it is now known) sets suffer from, you have one basic body and then tack on armor bits that are slightly different shapes and colors but are still basically identical to each other. In a given year you have probably six of these, and then the next year another six that are variations on a slightly different theme but still really similar to the year before.
Bionicle took this one further, not only did the heroes share a base body, but most of the villains did too, as well as some of the ally characters. This may be okay when you’re just buying an action figure, but when building Lego sets I like variety, not one set six times, over and over.
The other horrible thing that Bionicle did early on was the collectible stuff. Masks, discs, slugs, whatever. It’s something Lego tried out with Throwbots and Roboriders (the forerunners to Bionicle, and much better in variety of form) and it took them several years to stop. I noticed in the later years, after I ragequit the line and sold off everything Bionicle that I had, they switched to the sets having little minigames that kids could play, which evolved into Ninjago and Chima being thematically build around the spinner sets and Speedorz sets. (I wasted a lot of money chasing after those collectible stuff. Just last year I finally went back and completed my Throwbots and Roboriders disc and wheel sets thanks to Bricklink.)
Ray, thanks for sharing! Such interesting history! I wonder how LEGO is going to handle the theme and the story this time.
If they do decide to wipe out the old continuity, more than likely many characters from the old series will be dropped. I just hope the Makuta aren’t the main villains in this continuity, or if they are, then at least be, say, an influence from the background, behind the scenes, manipulator, that sort of villain.
Nice article! Although I think the easily broken plastic was because of inferior plastic in 06 and 07 rather than from the system itself.
On the one hand, a complete reinvention of BIONICLE would be interesting, but there is too much that I love about the existing story. The whole Bara Magna arc could be scrapped and I wouldn’t shed a tear though. But if they took out the Toa Mata and Metru, I would be saddened.
As for using the HF system, I guess it’s alright but it doesn’t feel as BIONICLE to me. BIONICLE parts were always kind of steam-punk looking (just a little, not over the top) and the HF system seems super futuristic and sleek and it just doesn’t really scream ‘BIONICLE’ to me. Not that using the system in MOCs and such is bad, actually, not that the system is bad but it’s just not really BIONICLE :/
That’s an interesting point about the steampunk-ish look of BIONICLE. I collect BIONICLE elements because they make excellent parts for greebling, and yes, you are right, they do look steampunk-ish. 🙂
I like ‘steampunk-ish’. SO COOL! Fun to draw, too:)
Bionicle is just the same as Hero Factory. No big deal.
No it is way way better!!!
Shame on builderfox>:(
How were they ever the same?
Bionicle could pile drive hero factory into the ground.
Hmm, the top-right set appears to be in teal, but that’s possibly just an illusion.
In the article it says the the Bionicle parts tended to crack easily, ( The original BIONICLE elements were based on the LEGO Technic system, tended to crack easily, and were hard to snap on) but my original Bionicle parts never broke easily. Granted they were a little hard to snap on, but it rarely gave me any real trouble. I played with Bionicles as a kid and i would treat them like action figures instead of collectibles. i would have them fight each other and i would drop them and the parts would clash against each other and what not and they would rarely break. but once i started buying the hero factory stuff, i found that the parts would begin to crack at the joints. I have had a lot more Hero Factory pieces break than i have original Bionicle. (i know i shouldnt have been so rough with them, but i was kid. what kid isnt rough with there toys?) I also didn’t like how plain the hero factory parts were. You couldnt customize as much and it look more childish than bionicle. I know both are meant for kids, but i have always felt that Bionicle had a more mature feel to it than hero factory, in both storyline and appearance. but thats just my opinon.
I agree that Hero Factory is very simplistic compared to BIONICLE. I’m curious to see how LEGO will handle this with the new sets. 🙂
I agree completely! I have created 2 motorcycles using BIONICLE peices, but can’t seem to make anything look great using HERO FACTORY.
I agree. The only hero factory character that i really liked was von nebula. (And he was mainly made of bionicle parts!)
Yeah, he was cool. my brother has him.
So… I don’t even know how to feel about it. Bionicle was, yes I am quite devoted, my life. I could recite you(and still can) the entirety of the Bionicle story to date by the age of twelve(born in ’99). I’ve collected of 150 Bionicles and have every chapter book+informational book on Bionicle out there… I don’t want to trash Lego’s current constraction set up, but it breaks really easily. When Lego began manufacturing new kinds of parts with the Phantoka/Mistika series, they seem frail. As the storyline progressed and new sets were released, I noticed the quality of the parts had decreased quite significantly from the old parts of the Toa Nuva. I personally believe that the new system will fail at it’s purpose in Biionicle.
The FFFEEEEELLLSSS!!!!!!!!
I really like BIONICLE and would love to see a return, but at the same time I feel like the original sets and charachters can never be replaced. I don’t think that sales will be as good if the original story and peices are left behind and something else is made to replace them. The new HERO FACTORY style of pieces does not look as cool as the original BIONICLE sets doo, and I personally think changing the storyline may be more confusing than not. I have some ideas for a continuing story if Greg Farshtey and the LEGO company are interested 🙂 I am glad that BIONICLE may return in 2015 and I am looking forward to seeing it again. I am 15, with an extensive imagination and still read the books and play with BIONICLE! If you would like to see a continuing story put into words, please let me know.
Go Toa! 😀
Maddy, yes, restarting a succesfull story is always risky. We shall see how LEGO will handle it. And sure, if you like, you can share your story! 😛
Cool! I really think you will find it interesting, and I would like to get in on the action that is BIONICLE. Who should I send it to?
Well, if it is not too long you can just post it here, or you can also email it to me, but if it is good I’m sure other people would love to hear it too. In the Ninjago section lots of kids used to write and post their stories. 😉
Well, it is a bit long for the comments so I will email some of it to you. It is actually a book in progress that I have been writing because I felt like there was no way Makuta could be defeated so easilly, and that there was still more to the Bionicle story.
To make it simple, Makuta created a shadow entity with a mind of it’s own before his battle with Mata Nui in case he should fail. Thousands of years later, that entity and it’s shadow bird scared half the wits out of a young explorer and his Rahi companion. Later, that explorer talked with someone who claimed to have met a Toa long ago.
This story has new charachters, new Rahi, a new enemy, and takes place thousands of years after the last Toa existed. But it still mentions charachters from the original story, and no Rahi have gone extinct.:)
Sounds interesting! 🙂
I will email you shortly. Still puting it on the computer, so I will send the first two or three chapters:)
I am having trouble contacting you through email. Can you please send me the adress?
I really think you will enjoy this story. 🙂
I just emailed you. 😉
Sounds great!!!! Looking forward to it’s publishing!!!!! 😉
This is likely not a reboot. If you look carefully at the box art, you see the names of the Toa Nuva. For example, the second green character clearly has the name “LEWA” on the box.
I’m pretty damn excited about the return of childhood. Good move LEGO!
I personally was never big into the Bionicle series, but that’s only because I lived somewhere that never sold them. Ive read, and reread all the books, and think that if they were to change the story it would disappoint many big fans such as myself. I didn’t find that the parts broke to easily and enjoy the challenge that was required to put them together. I’m 17 and still play with the bionicles and what little hero factory I have.
I just sold all my Bionicle because Hero Factory pieces are far superior. Those Galtoran heads! They break so easily, perhaps having something to do with being translucent elements, but I don’t know for sure.
I agree, that they very mechanical look of Bionicle is appealing, though I am also a huge fan of the snap-on cladding system of Hero Factory. Maybe we’ll see a good combination of the two, with sculpted armor pieces! One can hope 🙂
I also want to say that the colors on that photo look great! I feel like Hero Factory’s color palette is kind of bland, but the Chima constraction sets have greatly added to it. I have high hopes for these Bionicle sets!
(On a side note, my sons are not happy that I am selling my Bionicle, and I keep explaining that we can either make some money off of them now, or be sad when they all break. I told them that if a new Bionicle series comes out we can get those. Little did I know that it was actually going to happen!)
Gabriel, good timing! I think it is going to be just like you said; having the awesomeness of Bionicle, mixed with the sturdiness of Hero Factory. At least that’s my hope! 😛
Ugh? No way. Hero Factory parts may not be as breakable but the pre-Inika bionicle parts were perfectly sturdy. The snapping issue was due to a design flaw in the socket design they never sorted out until it was too late. Not to mention, HF parts are incredibly simplistic and allow for no real creativity compared to standard bionicle parts, on account of Bionicle being an enhanced Technic theme while HF is just generic Constraction. That’s not to say some HF parts cant’ look good combined with bionicle parts (Von Nebula), but generally speaking they all feel bland.
Takua, since final images of the new Bionicle sets are now available I will post another article on them so we can discuss the sets further. To my – admittedly untrained – eyes they look similar to the original Bionicle sets. But I would love to hear from original Bionicle fans their opinions. So let’s discuss this further in a few days. 🙂
I really like Hero Factory. I like the story better than Bionicle. I am not trying to troll, but I just wanted to throw that out there. People like me exist. The Bionicle story got weird in a hurry for me. When I learned that the Turaga were once Toa, it totally changed my perspective of the Bionicle first season. Suddenly, the Toa became like teenagers, rather than heroes sent from the heavens to save the world (though I guess those two aren’t mutually exclusive). And I’m not hating on other people, but to me the whole universe-inside-a-giant-robot deal was odd. I prefer the simple storyline and consistent characters of Hero Factory.
BUT. But I am very much looking forward to next year’s Bionicle line to see where it develops.
Gabriel, it is perfectly all-right to like Hero Factory. You are not alone for usre. Personally I’m not a huge fan, but I really like the new mini heroes. 🙂
Hero Factory is an incredibly boring plot with characters that aren’t very interesting. There’s no big mystery and…
…did you really say you like the mini heroes? They remind me of those awful bionicle playsets they made where the only good things in them were the golden Kraahkan, gold visorak parts and bricks that could be added to the collective.
Takua, yes, I love the mini heroes and collect them. Please note that I’m not a Hero Factory fan. I don’t care for the story or the sets. I like the mini heroes simply because they make excellent droids in my LEGO Space setups. 😉
In all due respect, compared to bionicle, hero factory doesn’t have what I would call a story.
Just my opinion.
I’m exited that bionicle is coming back but i have dedicated myself to the original story line and don’t want it to change
P.S i think they should use newer hero factory pieces.
Hero factory sucks, BIONICLE was the best and will always be the best!
I agree with Maiaki. I also think this will be a good move for LEGO, but only if they stick to the original cladding system. You just can’t make a warrior, or a vihicle, or anything else look, well……awesome, with the limeted peices and constuction of the Hero Factory sets. The villans aren’t verry smart, either.
If they stray too far from the Technic system of building, and their traditional “steampunk-ish” look that truely makes them Bionicle, they won’t have as much luck. And they will lose a lot of fans, probably including me:( No doubt I will keep what books and few Bionicle that I have.
I am working on a solution for repairing and preserving Bionicle peices, I will keep you all updated on the subject:)
If LEGO can use a better, stronger plastic and stick to the old system, they will do well, even if they change the story.
As far as the story goes, I think they should jump ahead a couple hundred thousand years, bring in a new enemy (possibly something created by Makuta), and create new toa.
But people don’t always buy the sets to match the charachters from the books and/or comics. They buy the sets because they’re cool. And if the sets are REALLY cool, they get the books/comics too. But I hope they stick to movies. A Bionicle TV show would just be…….weird:/
I would like to see the sales of Bionicle and Hero Factory compared. Which one had the best sales? I’m sure we would all like to know.
Happy building!
Maddy, I would love to hear about your solution for cracking parts. I’m pretty sure Bionicle did better as far as sales than Hero Factory. Hero Factory has been around for four years only, and it seems like it will be replaced by the new Bionicle sets (I highly doubt that they will run the two themes at the same time). Bionicle was produced for 9 years before it got discontinued. This is a pretty solid indicator of which one has been selling better. 😉
A good solution to cracking joints found! Cheap dollar store tripple antibiotic ointment. Use a q-tip to work a light coating over the ball and socket joints. Cleaning the joints with rubbing alchohol prior to treatment helps tremendously.
also apply treatment to connecting pins.
I have done this to three of my Bionicles as a test, and since it’s working, now I need to do the other nine including Thornatus (this one may take awhile) and some other odd peices.
For broken parts, I used my wood burning tool. Use the angular or flat tip. This may sound savage, but when used EXTREMELY CAREFULLY, it works. However, the plastic melts verry quickly, and hardens as soon as it is taken away from the heat. This works best for ball joints that have snapped off, but the Bionicle still won’t be in the best condition for battle, or constant reconstruction.
For repair, touch both sides of the broken peice to the flat sides of the tip, the plastic will melt imediatly. Quickly merge the melted sides and gently press them together. Do not twist. The plastic will harden as soon as it is off the tool.
This also works for sockets, but keep them on their ball joints during repair. Otherwise they will just snap again and you might as well have not bothered fixing them at all. Just be careful not to melt the ball joint in the process. Do not touch the tip to anything you don’t want to melt.
Touch ups can be accomplished using a sharp, pointed pocket knife.
When using a wood burning tool, DO NOT, for any reason, touch the metal tip! It will burn you instantly. If you must tighten the tip while working, use pliars. These tools can be purchased for about $10 at walmart.
Crazy Glue, aka Cragle, might also work, but I have not tried it yet.
Happy building, and good luck!:)
I loved bionicle and i still do… Im 14 nd i still play with mine… Ive been collecting since it first came out(wasnt so good with building) end been collecting since the end. I never treated them as collectables i used to do what youd normally expect a kid to do. When hero factory came out i was excited because i thought it was going to continue the bionicle legacy but then i saw what a disappointment it was. Since hero factory season 2 i never wasted my money on any more of them
Same Here! and go to their website and scroll all the way down in their product list. You may just find something that will make u excited.
Hey guys! It’s TheNerdyCreeper here with some exciting news for anyone who enjoyed bionicle! Lego announced on September the 19th Bionicle will return in 2015! THIS IS OFFICIAL!! Can’t wait for 2015 with the Lego Minecraft and now BIonicle!!! #2015legorocks
I have noticed if you look closely on the toa of stone
you will see a pohatu mask in the bottom left corner so I think pohatu is a
returning character OR lego kept the old story
but matoran find old toa masks and transform into toa with the classic
powers (speed, x-ray vision, ect).
Gosh, you have good eyes! 🙂
I honestly believe that, from what I can tell, Lego is redesigning bionicle, with a close story, but new enemies. The story could be taking place in an alternate universe.
Otherwise, I am not a big fan of the characters. The green character with the crossbow(?) is pretty sweet, but the new toa look too bulky and huge. I prefer the skinnier, more robotic feel, personally.
Bionicle is good but the Hero Factory is much better
Not…….true…..at all.
I was so excited the other day when I realized BIONICLE was returning. But in finding out that it is a reboot, I am sorely disappointed. It’s not even the fact that it’s a reboot, but that it’s a reboot intended to dumb down the amazingly rich story of BIONICLE (for instance, the masks and the element powers are now just all the same thing). From a marketing perspective it makes sense for LEGO to do this, but from the perspective of a fan who grew up with this story line I just hate what’s being done to BIONICLE.
(Of course they could always spin this as one of those alternate realities which Takanuva visited…and a sentence like that is the main reason they’re rebooting it.)
John, I appreciate your points. I would encourage you not to get disappointed just yet though. I’m sure LEGO thought this through and they will make BIONICLE awesome. Give them a chance. 😉
Bad news for the ones who would rather have the older style of building in these new sets. I was on e-bay the other day looking at bionicle, and found a set of six posters of the new sets for sale. No trace of the older style at all. Toa Gali was hardly recognizable. I had to read the poster. It didn’t even say “Toa Gali”; it said”Gali, Master of Water”. Disapointing.
I also found a poster of Toa Pohatu, with the same result.
Maddy, you can always get the older sets if you prefer that style of building. And I’m pretty sure that the new parts will be compatible with the old sets at least to some extent (as LEGO always does) so you can even mix and match. It would not be possible (nor it would make sense) for LEGO to release the same sets that they have discontinued in the past. I just talked with a former LEGO designer yesterday and he specifically talked about how the original Bionicle got completely out of hand with the amount of new parts they had. It would be financial suicide for LEGO to do something like that now. The good thing is that old Bionicle parts are usually available very cheap on the secondary market. 😉
Thank’s Admin, and good point. 🙂
Still, the new sets don’t seem nearly as cool as the old ones. They lack charachter. I think in the long run they will be better for younger kids, ( larger pieces, less pins, etc. ) but for those who like the older style, these new sets won’t be too impressive. Just my oppinion.
Maddy, I understand. Give it a bit of time though. BIONICLE was always about the story, so let’s see how this one unfolds, and perhaps that will make the new characters feeling more real and alive. And it is also possible that nothing will ever come to the level of the first BIONICLE series. Real timeless legends and characters are impossible to replace. 🙂
Got a Lego magazine today with an advertisement for the new Bionicle. In my oppinion, the armor is too bulky, and those spider-like things look slimey. Hopefully the story will be good though. 🙂
And, do you like the first part of that story I sent you?
I haven’t had the time to do that much typing lately, even though I already have it in a notebook.
Maddy, I don’t think I received a story from you. Did you email it? 😕
Yes. I will send it again, just to be sure 🙂
Just got the magazine today and Tahu’s head looks AMAZING I love it and I hope they make novels and movies like they did last time.
ive been rereading the original series recently. Its such a great story. Today though my brother gets the lego magazine where Bionicles are supposedly coming back. I look into it on their website and now i have mixed feelings. Watching a couple of the videos it looks like it will have a more hero factory feel. (Which i wasnt a fan of). And they changed important details. Mata nui’s name i thought i heard them change, and he only created masks not the entire bionicle race, which hurt me cause i am after all rereading the original comics. I also noticed Makuta’s motives changed in a bad direction. Yes he was jealous of his brother, but not because of a mask his brother made. I am sort of glad for the story to be brought back so that it can catch the attention of the younger audience. But for me i just see too many flaws in this new bionicverse.
Interesting you mention that. I just got my LEGO Club Magazine yesterday and was looking over the information on BIONICLE. I have also noticed the similarities to Hero Factory. While there are faults, and older BIONICLE fans will likely always prefer the original story, I think it is great that BIONICLE is back and gives fans a chance to continue the saga, and also – as you said – introduce a brand new generation to it. We shall see how it all unfolds. LEGO now has a lot more experience with story-telling, and I have a feeling that they will do a good job. At least I hope so… 😛
Just saw an ad for the new Bionicle sets today, and I’m feeling very nostalgic and excited! I was in middle school when they first came out and I was a huge fan up until they went with the prequel storyline. I found it a tad confusing at that point. Then they went with the Toa Inika, and Glatoran and it became a mixed-bag. And with the switch to Hero Factory I just became dismayed that Bionicle actually ended, as I know most other Bionicle fans liked Mertu Nui and onward. So to hear that they’re bringing back the original Mata Nui crew back together is like a dream come true, and they’ve never looked better! Plus the new Protectors are also very well done. Though I do feel that the villains could’ve been better; spiders who can latch onto their faces and control their minds? Its just the Bohrok and Visorak rolled into one. YAWN! I’m just hoping they’ll have multiple baddies to go up against like they used to, and that after the Skull Spiders are gone the new villains will be more original.
P3rs8naloly imwas sdisspapointed by tue reboot series but allwps well tjat ejd sell i gues
just wamt the series to continue some hw and il try not to get too dissapointed howe legos diverging thier uniqueness frpm the toyline and the differance of figure bidy molding builds…