OFFICIAL Bionicle 2015 Topic

[Prime Axiom]

TAHU IS BACK!

[Aanchir]

As I understand it, the Toa's elemental powers don't necessarily COME from their masks, but instead the masks enhance their inherent elemental powers and unlock new abilities tied to their elements. So you know that shielding-like "frost sphere" ability Kopaka uses in this image? That might be a special ice power that he doesn't have normally, but unlocks using the Golden Mask of Ice. Likewise, Gali is using an energy attack that could be her "wavestorm" ability... and since she has her golden mask in that pic, it's possible "wavestorm" is an advanced technique that she needs the Golden Mask of Water to unlock.

 

A comparison from the Ninjago theme is how the ninja have elemental Spinjitzu naturally, but they need the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu, the Elemental Blades, or Lloyd's golden power to fire controlled elemental blasts. Or how unlocking their true potential allows them not only stronger attacks, but the ability to fly or levitate.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Aanchir

[bioniclepluslotr]

 

I don't think transformations will occur as often as in old BIONICLE. Hero Factory had an advantage of having a built-in excuse for the heroes' new appearances, and I'm sure LEGO will come up with something that allows them to redesign the Toa regularly without making it seem redundant, as multiple transformations would be.

Well, in some respects they COULD treat certain transformations more like costume changes, provided they keep the relative sizes of the characters reasonably consistent. "Deep beneath Okoto the Toa discover ancient magical armor, masks, and weapons that will enhance their powers". Visually, the Toa Nuva were just the Toa Mata with new armor, masks, and weapons. And giving new powers to new weapons, masks, and armor is no problem!

 

The trickiest bit is making the "upgrade" feel significant enough on a visual level to make the costume change feel meaningful. But I don't think it's a challenge the LEGO Group can't tackle. Look at how the 2013 CHI Laval and CHI Cragger compare to the 2014 CHI Laval or CHI Cragger. They definitely feel like upgrades, even though Laval was already mostly gold in the previous version and the characters didn't get measurably larger or more complex (in fact, they got slightly shorter than they had been previously).

 

Yo I want those Chima sets

[LewaLew]

I have something I need to say.

 

Kids aren't THAT different than they were thirteen years ago. So why does LEGO think that kids nowadays are too "dumb" to understand words like "Kanohi", or understand the word "Toa" when it is used in place of Masters? Why did they have to change Air to Jungle just because "that's what people relate to green". It really upsets me!

 

The new storyline looks great so far, but I hope it keeps at least a few of the things that made BIONICLE special. The sets are already doing a great job of that...

 

It's not that they think they're dumb. It's that they know that kids and adults alike got confused. I can't tell you how many times I've read that parents hated trying to figure out which BIONICLE set their kid wanted just because they couldn't remember what it was called--just the color and that it was BIONICLE.

 

For instance, a kid wants the Onua set for his birthday in 2008. But his mom can't remember that, so he tells her it's "the black toa." Of course, Mom also has no idea what a toa is, but the description of his mask and weapons don't make any sense to her ("What on earth is a 'Kanohi Pakari Nuva' anyway?") so she just goes to the store and sees a black BIONICLE set and buys it. The kid then is very disappointed when he realizes that Mom got him a Kirop set because it was the cheapest black BIONICLE set there.

[bioniclepluslotr]

 

I have something I need to say.

 

Kids aren't THAT different than they were thirteen years ago. So why does LEGO think that kids nowadays are too "dumb" to understand words like "Kanohi", or understand the word "Toa" when it is used in place of Masters? Why did they have to change Air to Jungle just because "that's what people relate to green". It really upsets me!

 

The new storyline looks great so far, but I hope it keeps at least a few of the things that made BIONICLE special. The sets are already doing a great job of that...

 

It's not that they think they're dumb. It's that they know that kids and adults alike got confused. I can't tell you how many times I've read that parents hated trying to figure out which BIONICLE set their kid wanted just because they couldn't remember what it was called--just the color and that it was BIONICLE.

 

For instance, a kid wants the Onua set for his birthday in 2008. But his mom can't remember that, so he tells her it's "the black toa." Of course, Mom also has no idea what a toa is, but the description of his mask and weapons don't make any sense to her ("What on earth is a 'Kanohi Pakari Nuva' anyway?") so she just goes to the store and sees a black BIONICLE set and buys it. The kid then is very disappointed when he realizes that Mom got him a Kirop set because it was the cheapest black BIONICLE set there.

 

Perhaps the kid could say the black one in a can?

I can't believe they dumbed down everything. Like Lord of Skull Spiders? Really? Remember when creatures had actual names, like Visorak? I wasn't aware that Bionicles had skulls. It seems so out of place.

[Aanchir]

Also, something mentioned at the BIONICLE panel at NYCC was that it's not the terminology that was the most confusing, but the fact that there was more and more of it every year. By creating the rule that every mask has a name in the first year, the writers were obligated to come up with a name for subsequent masks so they would fit in. So even if in 2001 terms like "Kanohi Hau" were not confusing, by 2008 people there were several dozen mask names to keep track of.

 

One thing I like about the new mask names being connected to the elements is that it means all of a given Toa's powers will be thematically linked. As mentioned above with Kopaka's "frost sphere" ability, it seems to work like the power of the Mask of Shielding, but now it has a name that connects it with his inherent power of ice. Powers that were not connected to a character's element or design have bothered me for a long time, and it's something the BIONICLE theme itself got better about as the years went on — the Piraka's personalities and secondary abilities had next to nothing to do with their elemental powers or appearance, but the next year's Barraki villains had personalities and powers that were directly connected with the sea creatures they were based on.

 

Perhaps the kid could say the black one in a can?

I can't believe they dumbed down everything. Like Lord of Skull Spiders? Really? Remember when creatures had actual names, like Visorak? I wasn't aware that Bionicles had skulls. It seems so out of place.

Creatures with names? You mean like the Chute Lurker? Gate Guardian? Cable Crawler? Rock Raptor? Colony Drone? Venom Flyer? Ice Vermin? Sea Spider? Lava Hawk? Dagger Spider? Pit War Tortoise? Spider Crab? Toa Terrain Crawler? Swamp Stalker? Lava Eel? Frost Leech? Mata Nui Fishing Bird?

 

I'm just saying, BIONICLE creatures with generic names are nothing new. And though it might be a surprise, giving everything a weird foreign-sounding name doesn't make everything better. Avatar: The Last Airbender is just one franchise that takes place in an amazing fantasy universe populated by strange creatures that do just fine without needing silly, meaningless made-up names.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Aanchir

[Lyichir]

I have something I need to say.

 

Kids aren't THAT different than they were thirteen years ago. So why does LEGO think that kids nowadays are too "dumb" to understand words like "Kanohi", or understand the word "Toa" when it is used in place of Masters? Why did they have to change Air to Jungle just because "that's what people relate to green". It really upsets me!

 

The new storyline looks great so far, but I hope it keeps at least a few of the things that made BIONICLE special. The sets are already doing a great job of that...

How long will it take before people realize that they are still using the word Toa. No, the sets don't use the word Toa in their names—but neither did the ORIGINAL Toa Mata or Toa Nuva (the Toa Metru were the first to use the word Toa in the set name, probably to help differentiate them from their earlier forms as Turaga).

 

As for why the sets say "Master of (Element)"? Because it actually tells new buyers something about the sets. If a kid who's never heard of Bionicle sees a set called "Toa Tahu", what are they supposed to think? Is Toa a title? Is it the character's first name? What does it even mean? But if they see "Tahu, Master of Fire", that tells them a lot more. Cool! This "Tahu" must have the power to control fire! Look at him surfing on the lava! Mommy, I want that one!

 

See the difference? Yes, the old sets may have occasionally used the word Toa in their name, rather than including informative descriptions. And who knows how many potential buyers decided not to get those sets out of confusion? The new names are just better.

 

As for the word "Kanohi"... half the time the original story just called them "Mask of X" or "Great Mask of X" anyway. The new story will just call them that all the time.

[Willess12]

 

For instance, a kid wants the Onua set for his birthday in 2008. But his mom can't remember that, so he tells her it's "the black toa." Of course, Mom also has no idea what a toa is, but the description of his mask and weapons don't make any sense to her ("What on earth is a 'Kanohi Pakari Nuva' anyway?") so she just goes to the store and sees a black BIONICLE set and buys it. The kid then is very disappointed when he realizes that Mom got him a Kirop set because it was the cheapest black BIONICLE set there.

 

That's why you write it down. that's what paper and pen/pencil are for.  That's why there are Birthday wish lists.  Or, as Bioniclepluslotr just pointed out, he could say the black guy in a set.  And, if he's gonna describe it, he could say "the guy with the big gun."  But it'd make the most sense to write it down.

 

I never had this problem, since my mom was almost as big of a Bionicle fan as I was, but I don't see how it could be a problem.

[believe victims]

I gotta say, I actually wouldn't be a fan of them having natural elemental powers if their masks also give them those elemental powers. It would feel like the Mask of Light and the Mask of Shadows; sure, they may have finer-tuned abilities than the normal elemental powers, but it just feels so redundant. It's like Superman wearing a bulletproof vest, or Spiderman using suction cups to climb walls.

 

then again, my main reason for feeling like that was that other Toa weren't restricted like that, and had mask powers that could complement their elemental powers, but never overlapped, so maybe it's just residue from the old line making me feel annoyed at the possibility.

 

Given the focus on mask popping-off, though, I wouldn't be surprised if they made their elemental masks inherently linked with their powers. That would make it all the more crucial to make sure you don't lose your mask no matter what.

[Lenny7092]

 

 

For instance, a kid wants the Onua set for his birthday in 2008. But his mom can't remember that, so he tells her it's "the black toa." Of course, Mom also has no idea what a toa is, but the description of his mask and weapons don't make any sense to her ("What on earth is a 'Kanohi Pakari Nuva' anyway?") so she just goes to the store and sees a black BIONICLE set and buys it. The kid then is very disappointed when he realizes that Mom got him a Kirop set because it was the cheapest black BIONICLE set there.

 

That's why you write it down. that's what paper and pen/pencil are for. That's why there are Birthday wish lists. Or, as Bioniclepluslotr just pointed out, he could say the black guy in a set. And, if he's gonna describe it, he could say "the guy with the big gun." But it'd make the most sense to write it down.

 

I never had this problem, since my mom was almost as big of a Bionicle fan as I was, but I don't see how it could be a problem.

I never had that problem, either. I gave my mother lists of Bionicle sets that I want by showing pictures and names of certain sets.

[LewaLew]

Some parents don't have the patience. Like mine, for example. My parents never got me a BIONICLE set until my little brother was old enough to point the right one out to them. If they couldn't pronounce the name, they didn't really care.

 

And the "black one in a can" thing doesn't work when the characters come in cardstock package with plastic covers that looks nothing like a can.

[Aanchir]

I gotta say, I actually wouldn't be a fan of them having natural elemental powers if their masks also give them those elemental powers. It would feel like the Mask of Light and the Mask of Shadows; sure, they may have finer-tuned abilities than the normal elemental powers, but it just feels so redundant. It's like Superman wearing a bulletproof vest, or Spiderman using suction cups to climb walls.

 

then again, my main reason for feeling like that was that other Toa weren't restricted like that, and had mask powers that could complement their elemental powers, but never overlapped, so maybe it's just residue from the old line making me feel annoyed at the possibility.

 

Given the focus on mask popping-off, though, I wouldn't be surprised if they made their elemental masks inherently linked with their powers. That would make it all the more crucial to make sure you don't lose your mask no matter what.

It wouldn't entirely surprise me if this were the case, but at the same time, it is clear that the golden masks, at least, specifically grant higher-level elemental control than what the Toa have starting out. As this press release states, "The Toa must embark on a quest for Okoto’s ancient power masks that will allow them to unlock the full potential of their elemental powers." So they don't have full elemental control even with their basic masks.

[believe victims]

Well, yeah, that much is clear. It'd be pointless to start them off with full and unlimited power in their hands. What's to gain if you start off like that? Why bother with the golden masks?

[bioniclepluslotr]

 

Perhaps the kid could say the black one in a can?

I can't believe they dumbed down everything. Like Lord of Skull Spiders? Really? Remember when creatures had actual names, like Visorak? I wasn't aware that Bionicles had skulls. It seems so out of place.

Creatures with names? You mean like the Chute Lurker? Gate Guardian? Cable Crawler? Rock Raptor? Colony Drone? Venom Flyer? Ice Vermin? Sea Spider? Lava Hawk? Dagger Spider? Pit War Tortoise? Spider Crab? Toa Terrain Crawler? Swamp Stalker? Lava Eel? Frost Leech? Mata Nui Fishing Bird?

 

I'm just saying, BIONICLE creatures with generic names are nothing new. And though it might be a surprise, giving everything a weird foreign-sounding name doesn't make everything better. Avatar: The Last Airbender is just one franchise that takes place in an amazing fantasy universe populated by strange creatures that do just fine without needing silly, meaningless made-up names.

 

None of those were major characters or released as main sets. Like the Lord of Skull Spiders is the main antognist and it just has a generic title. That's like releasing Chima sets with minifigs called Lion Prince, or Eagle Warrior.

Edited October 14, 2014 by bioniclepluslotr

[LewaLew]

We don't actually know what role the LoSS has. It might just be a souped-up Skull Spider, no more distinctive than the Rahi of 2001.

 

But I don't see why giving more marketable English names to sets is a bad thing. Proper names are still made up, and terms like 'toa' and 'kanohi' are still around.

[believe victims]

Or if Ninjago had an antagonist called The Overlord. Sometimes, a simple name tells more than "Kraxiklan the Destroyinator" ever will.

 

Besides, it looks to me from what we see in both displays and screens from the web shorts that the LoSS isn't a single character, but a larger class of Skull Spider. The menacing red eyes that look to be from a being wearing the Mask of Control seems to me like pretty clear evidence the LoSS is not the main antagonist at work.

 

It's not necessarily Makuta, either, considering the Mask of Control was shown on a pedestal in the legend, and thus could have ended up in the hands of another while Makuta still sleeps.

[Toa Of Virtues]

I'd say that the Skull Spiders are servants of Makuta. Their goal is probably to obtain all masks of power, and use them to awake Makuta. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were created by Makuta in the first place. I hope so, because that would mean that Makuta is still the evil mastermind who always plans ahead

 

As for the pedestals, I don't think that they were created by anyone. The masks are probably leaking so much power, they just create a pedestal underneath themselves. Sounds kind of weird, but I don't see why someone would want to find a mask of power just to build a pedestal underneath it.

 

Also, any ideas for what the golden mask in the LoSS set does? I'm betting it gives you spider-man powers

[believe victims]

I'd say that the Skull Spiders are servants of Makuta. Their goal is probably to obtain all masks of power, and use them to awake Makuta. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were created by Makuta in the first place. I hope so, because that would mean that Makuta is still the evil mastermind who always plans ahead

 

That doesn't look like this Makuta's characterization at all, though. In fact, I'd hate to get the exact same antagonist this time around, and I am so glad that doesn't appear to be what we're getting. This Makuta is just a mask maker who made a mask that was too powerful, and it took control of him, and corrupted him, and so his brother had to put him to sleep (which I think is a great idea for making a new and unique plot; I want Makuta to stay asleep for a while and have a grand climax for waking him.)

 

Actually, that makes me think of a flaw in your idea; Makuta wasn't evil. Even if he was permanently corrupted by putting on the mask, he wasn't evil before. He and Ekimu were both merely mask makers who made masks for the people of Okoto. The extent of his evil seems to be making a mask out of jealousy that turned out to be more powerful for him. He's actually an interesting character, not just an obligatory villain. Having the Skull Spiders try to awaken him because they're his servants would make no sense, because he had no need for evil servants before being, you know, evil.

 

I mean, it's entirely possible they're under his control (though I would highly dislike that, as, as I said, I'd rather he stayed asleep for a while) but if they are, he would need to be awake for them to be his evil minions. Otherwise, it makes no sense for them to be his servants.

[The Undertaken]

I suspect that it might be like a reverse skull spider. Where having a skull spider on your face would allow the spiders to control you, wearing the golden spider mask would allow you some amount of control over them!

[Toa Of Virtues]

I suspect that it might be like a reverse skull spider. Where having a skull spider on your face would allow the spiders to control you, wearing the golden spider mask would allow you some amount of control over them!

Ah, that makes sense! That would be an easy way for the Toa to defeat them, however, why would that mask exist in the first place?

 

I agree that they might pull a ninjago on us at the end, and make Makuta a good guy, but I still think that the spiders were made by him. Perhaps they are kanohi experiments that went wrong? Maybe he somehow conjured them while he has been sleeping? Either way, I'm sure that they wont succeed this year, since they are probably keeping both mask makers asleep until the very end.

[believe victims]

I wouldn't say Makuta will necessarily be a good guy when he wakes up, because even if the mask didn't corrupt him irreversibly, he does still harbor a grudge against his more-popular brother. I just don't think we're looking at a "plans within plans without plans" Makuta like we had set up in the original; the legend just doesn't seem to set up that kind of characterization.

[The Undertaken]

 

I suspect that it might be like a reverse skull spider. Where having a skull spider on your face would allow the spiders to control you, wearing the golden spider mask would allow you some amount of control over them!

Ah, that makes sense! That would be an easy way for the Toa to defeat them, however, why would that mask exist in the first place?

 

I agree that they might pull a ninjago on us at the end, and make Makuta a good guy, but I still think that the spiders were made by him. Perhaps they are kanohi experiments that went wrong? Maybe he somehow conjured them while he has been sleeping? Either way, I'm sure that they wont succeed this year, since they are probably keeping both mask makers asleep until the very end.

 

Perhaps the spiders were a weapon created by the big bad(whoever he/she/it turns out to be) and the spider-mask was created either by Makuta or Ekimou to defeat the spiders in ages past, but was stolen a while back by whoever is behind them now. Alternately it could have been possibly created by the big bad to maintain control over the spiders so that they didn't turn on her/him/it, and was lost somehow.

Alternatively(again), the big bad could be the MoUP itself and it created the spiders to try and do whatever dastardly deed it's up to,  and the spider mask is an unfortunate side effect of their existence.

Edited October 14, 2014 by The Undertaken

[NickonAquaMagna]

 

I'd say that the Skull Spiders are servants of Makuta. Their goal is probably to obtain all masks of power, and use them to awake Makuta. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were created by Makuta in the first place. I hope so, because that would mean that Makuta is still the evil mastermind who always plans ahead

 

That doesn't look like this Makuta's characterization at all, though. In fact, I'd hate to get the exact same antagonist this time around, and I am so glad that doesn't appear to be what we're getting. This Makuta is just a mask maker who made a mask that was too powerful, and it took control of him, and corrupted him, and so his brother had to put him to sleep (which I think is a great idea for making a new and unique plot; I want Makuta to stay asleep for a while and have a grand climax for waking him.)

 

Actually, that makes me think of a flaw in your idea; Makuta wasn't evil. Even if he was permanently corrupted by putting on the mask, he wasn't evil before. He and Ekimu were both merely mask makers who made masks for the people of Okoto. The extent of his evil seems to be making a mask out of jealousy that turned out to be more powerful for him. He's actually an interesting character, not just an obligatory villain. Having the Skull Spiders try to awaken him because they're his servants would make no sense, because he had no need for evil servants before being, you know, evil.

 

I mean, it's entirely possible they're under his control (though I would highly dislike that, as, as I said, I'd rather he stayed asleep for a while) but if they are, he would need to be awake for them to be his evil minions. Otherwise, it makes no sense for them to be his servants.

 

 

 

Perhaps the mask of ultimate power has a mind of its own, and desires to be reunited with its wearer. Maybe IT'S working through the skull spiders to find and reawaken Makuta so it can essentially use him as a body again. THAT would be interesting.

[Toa Of Virtues]

Perhaps the mask of ultimate power has a mind of its own, and desires to be reunited with its wearer. Maybe IT'S working through the skull spiders to find and reawaken Makuta so it can essentially use him as a body again. THAT would be interesting.

Now THIS theory is what I'd like to see! Lego as a lot of different avenues they can go down with this setup!

[LewaLew]

 

 

I'd say that the Skull Spiders are servants of Makuta. Their goal is probably to obtain all masks of power, and use them to awake Makuta. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were created by Makuta in the first place. I hope so, because that would mean that Makuta is still the evil mastermind who always plans ahead

 

That doesn't look like this Makuta's characterization at all, though. In fact, I'd hate to get the exact same antagonist this time around, and I am so glad that doesn't appear to be what we're getting. This Makuta is just a mask maker who made a mask that was too powerful, and it took control of him, and corrupted him, and so his brother had to put him to sleep (which I think is a great idea for making a new and unique plot; I want Makuta to stay asleep for a while and have a grand climax for waking him.)

 

Actually, that makes me think of a flaw in your idea; Makuta wasn't evil. Even if he was permanently corrupted by putting on the mask, he wasn't evil before. He and Ekimu were both merely mask makers who made masks for the people of Okoto. The extent of his evil seems to be making a mask out of jealousy that turned out to be more powerful for him. He's actually an interesting character, not just an obligatory villain. Having the Skull Spiders try to awaken him because they're his servants would make no sense, because he had no need for evil servants before being, you know, evil.

 

I mean, it's entirely possible they're under his control (though I would highly dislike that, as, as I said, I'd rather he stayed asleep for a while) but if they are, he would need to be awake for them to be his evil minions. Otherwise, it makes no sense for them to be his servants.

 

 

 

Perhaps the mask of ultimate power has a mind of its own, and desires to be reunited with its wearer. Maybe IT'S working through the skull spiders to find and reawaken Makuta so it can essentially use him as a body again. THAT would be interesting.

 

 

What that would be, my friend, is The Lord of the Rings.

 

It's already been done. No need to retread that path.

[The Undertaken]

 

 

 

I'd say that the Skull Spiders are servants of Makuta. Their goal is probably to obtain all masks of power, and use them to awake Makuta. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were created by Makuta in the first place. I hope so, because that would mean that Makuta is still the evil mastermind who always plans ahead

 

That doesn't look like this Makuta's characterization at all, though. In fact, I'd hate to get the exact same antagonist this time around, and I am so glad that doesn't appear to be what we're getting. This Makuta is just a mask maker who made a mask that was too powerful, and it took control of him, and corrupted him, and so his brother had to put him to sleep (which I think is a great idea for making a new and unique plot; I want Makuta to stay asleep for a while and have a grand climax for waking him.)

 

Actually, that makes me think of a flaw in your idea; Makuta wasn't evil. Even if he was permanently corrupted by putting on the mask, he wasn't evil before. He and Ekimu were both merely mask makers who made masks for the people of Okoto. The extent of his evil seems to be making a mask out of jealousy that turned out to be more powerful for him. He's actually an interesting character, not just an obligatory villain. Having the Skull Spiders try to awaken him because they're his servants would make no sense, because he had no need for evil servants before being, you know, evil.

 

I mean, it's entirely possible they're under his control (though I would highly dislike that, as, as I said, I'd rather he stayed asleep for a while) but if they are, he would need to be awake for them to be his evil minions. Otherwise, it makes no sense for them to be his servants.

 

 

 

Perhaps the mask of ultimate power has a mind of its own, and desires to be reunited with its wearer. Maybe IT'S working through the skull spiders to find and reawaken Makuta so it can essentially use him as a body again. THAT would be interesting.

 

 

What that would be, my friend, is The Lord of the Rings.

 

It's already been done. No need to retread that path.

 

Yes and no, while a self aware(and almost certainly malevolent) magical artifact of sufficient power is not uncommon among fantasy(most notably LoTR) that aspect alone would not make it LoTR. For one, the guy who forged the One Ring, he was most certainly evil. Indisputably so.

 

Makuta(this version of him anyways) seems more of a jealous younger(or twin or older) brother, and is not in any way in control of the Mask. If anything, what we've seen so far suggests that the mask was in control of him.(a more literal interpretation of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" perhaps?) In this instance, the Mask of Ultimate Power would be it's own bad guy, not answering to anyone or anything but itself, whereas the One Ring seemed to be an instrument of control for Sauron, through which he could control the hearts of men and better direct his forces.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

So read about those mask powers.

 

Kind of disappointed, and I wish there was more an emphasis on collectibility. Regardless, it will be cool to see the Toa master their elemental powers via masks this time, ensuring the mask powers will not be forgotten.

 

-NotS

[dotcom]

Anyway. About the whole "Lego dumbing things down because they think kids are dumb" thing...it's not like that's something they just unilaterally decided just because they think kids are dumb. They made it pretty clear in NYCC that they focus group tested Bionicle a considerable amount, and they changed things up according to what the kids said. Evidently, they wanted less confusing words. They were responding appropriately to what the children, who are their main costumers, wanted. This is being smart in a business sense. They're not demeaning children by refusing to cram a million made up words into their story.

 

Similar thing about changing air to jungle. When it was said that Lewa was originally still air, but was changed to be jungle because green is more of a plant color, several people decried this as dumbing things down and assuming too little of kids. But again, in an interview, I believe the one with Cerim Manovi, when he was talking about the focus testing, he mentioned that they asked kids if the elemental motifs came across clearly on the sets. It's not difficult to see why kids who are unfamiliar with the original Bionicle would associate green with jungle and not air--in reality, green was always an odd choice for that element. Changing the element to match what kids saw as more logical is not dumbing things down, merely restructuring them, smartly, for a newer audience's benefit.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I apologize for changing the topic, but this has been on my mind ever since I watched the NYCC panel:

 

The Creative Director really emphasized the addition of Protector of Fire parts onto Tahu (which we can see on the back of the packaging as well) and then later mentioned the golden mask in tandem.

 

Is it possible that the Golden Mask gives the Toa a kind of super mode, where these additional parts come into play? It's not an actual physical combination between the two beings but more an incentive for the consumer to buy both characters and create this mode.

 

-NotS

[masterchirox580]

 

They're not demeaning children by refusing to cram a million made up words into their story.

 

Correction, a lot of the "made up words"(such as toa turaga kanohi)are actually words from various Polynesian languages(the main language used being the Maori language).

 

 

Huh taking this into account I just realized something, bionicle was sorta educational, it taught you words from various old languages.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Makaru

[Pohatu: Uniter of Stone]

I wonder if the sets will come packaged with posters like they did in 2001.

[Rider Of Spiders]

I apologize for changing the topic, but this has been on my mind ever since I watched the NYCC panel:

 

The Creative Director really emphasized the addition of Protector of Fire parts onto Tahu (which we can see on the back of the packaging as well) and then later mentioned the golden mask in tandem.

 

Is it possible that the Golden Mask gives the Toa a kind of super mode, where these additional parts come into play? It's not an actual physical combination between the two beings but more an incentive for the consumer to buy both characters and create this mode.

 

-NotS

PIÙ POTENZA

 

I think the Protector + Toa combo will be non-canon. I have all the possibility to be wrong though. The Golden Mask might just be there for advertising.

 

I really hope they have the Toa Kaita though, and maybe some Protector Kaita/Fusions.

[Sssgth]

@masterchirox580

 

Y'know, "kaukau" is Polynesian for "food." In addition, Chirox's name is a pun on Chiroptera, the taxonomical family that bats belong to.

[bioniclepluslotr]

I wonder if they're still doing 6 good guys in the first wave, and then 6 bad guys in the second. The way they split up the sets with 6 small, 4 medium, and 3 large, but having the Toa team split seems peculiar, like not all Toas are created equal.

[Lyichir]

I wonder if they're still doing 6 good guys in the first wave, and then 6 bad guys in the second. The way they split up the sets with 6 small, 4 medium, and 3 large, but having the Toa team split seems peculiar, like not all Toas are created equal.

Varying price points for "good guy" sets were introduced by Hero Factory, and I love the way they're being implemented in the new Bionicle. They make the Toa team much more diverse, with Pohatu being small and speedy, Lewa being tall and lanky, Tahu having a tall, heroic build, and Onua being short, burly and broad-chested. Every Toa's build is different and it gives them each a distinctive appearance, but they still look great as a group and none of them look significantly worse than the others.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Lyichir

[masterchirox580]

@masterchirox580

 

Y'know, "kaukau" is Polynesian for "food." In addition, Chirox's name is a pun on Chiroptera, the taxonomical family that bats belong to.

Now I know!

[Zeb]

@masterchirox580

 

Y'know, "kaukau" is Polynesian for "food." In addition, Chirox's name is a pun on Chiroptera, the taxonomical family that bats belong to.

So Gali wears a Great Kanohi Kaukau, Mask of Food!      

[Voltex]

Weighing in on the whole "different price points for good guys thing"; while I do miss the days where the heroes were all the same size, I feel like that's mostly my nostalgia talking (but not entirely), I feel like having different sizes for the heroes is a good idea. 

 

I remember having the most fun playing with sets like the Inika and Toa Inika more than even, say, the Barraki and Toa Mahri because they were all the same size and, as clones, they were all on equal footing; that said, pricing (and sizing) the sets differently allows for more experimentation with the larger sets, and also allows the focus to be put on a select few heroes with each release. As long as it's not going to become the standard that the red, white and black heroes are larger than the others, I'm totally fine with it.

 

I do hope that we'll see some differently coloured Toa this time around, though, controlling different elements; I'd love to see a silver Toa controlling, say, iron released as a set, or perhaps a Toa of Gravity with purple as their primary colour.

[Infamousevil]

So from a video I watched it seems that the Skull Spiders/Skull Krata are gonna be able to be worn as masks, which means I can use them as Stone Masks .

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

It seems that despite the price points, the Toa aren't actually all that different in height though. So I wouldn't worry about that. Onua and Pohatu are still shorter like they were back in 2001 and the 3 more expensive Toa just have a more complex build.

 

-NotS