Do You Often Nostalgia Binge Old Bionicle Stuff?

[Banana Gunz]

I mean, some days I just sit down and listen to old Bionicle music, play an old Bionicle game or something and let that unexplainable mixture of sadness and happiness wash over me. It reminds me of what Bionicle really was to me, none of the discussions and all of that.

 

Some days it just feels like every note was struck almost perfectly, but just off enough to make you long for more. And listening to old Bionicle music, looking at old pictures and such... well the past and good days crawl back to me.

 

With all the differing opinions we have about Gen 2 and for all the times we find ourselves so adult-ish... I wanted to make a topic where we could talk about what it's like for each of us nowadays with how we handle the memories of Bionicle and what they mean to us.

[Kovika: Visorak Lord]

Binge on old Bionicle stuff? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But when I do, when I go back and play an old game, or listen to Gravity Hurts, or even watch one of the original 3 films (I do not speak of TLR ever.), I feel that rush of emotions hit me. Happiness for the times I had and enjoyed while they lasted, sadness for the fact that something I cared about and cherished is gone, done, and over with, and hope. Hope that the fans of G2, whether old fans of G1 who have decided to be very active and not sit back and see what happens, or new fans who may vaguely know or have never even heard of G1 Bionicle, will enjoy what they have and receive an experience that they will be inspired by and love just as we have felt for G1 Bionicle. As for binging on old Bionicle-related things? It's something that warms my heart, puts a smile on my face, and even gives me inspiration to do something creative or even crazy occasionally.

[Ballom Nom Nom]

Not such much, no. I'm not that big a fan of the films, and I haven't really experienced too much of music from the early media to be nostalgic about in the first place.

 

~B~

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Yeah, I once had it so bad that I bought Kopaka and Pohatu Mata off of Amazon and starting making a Bionicle game (link is in sig). A couple of weeks ago I sat down and listened to a bunch of Bionicle songs while doodling something Bionicle-related (I can't be bothered to remember).

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

Ah man, this resonates with me so much.

I am such a nostalgic sucker, especially for bionicle.

MNOG? the three movies? the music advertisments? Lewa Phantoka?

 

it all makes me fondly regard my past. u-u

[Jacks]

I usually play through MNOG1 at least once a year, which usually leads to me watching all the Templar animations. Sometimes I watch LoMN too. The memories I have of the first times I experienced all those things do not make me sad -- for the passage of time is inexorable and I will simply never again be the person I was back then; sadness over this fact would be futile -- but rather hopeful that gen2 might affect the eight-year-olds of today in the same way gen1 affected me.

[TheGreatSpirit]

"Often" would be an understatement 

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Well, that's what I did from October to December in preparation for G2 -  I just revisited every piece of content ever developed for Bionicle G1. It was a lot of stuff to go through, but worth it. It still holds up considerably well!

 

-NotS

[LegoSWfan]

Yes, all the time.

 

I'm not a fan of g2, so second hand g1 stuff is the only way I can get BIONICLE parts.

[Irrie]

I often replay the Command Toa Mahri games for nostalgia's sake. (Best flash game series by the way ).

Edited March 18, 2015 by The Irrational Rock

[LegoSWfan]

I miss the old games.

[MrSciFiGuy]

Yes it happens, and I always enjoy it. From going through serials to reading the older books, its all so fun to me

[LegoSWfan]

We need a Bionicle book collection.

[Irrie]

We need a Bionicle book collection.

I got all of my books back when I was seven or so. An older friend of mine at church gave me his entire collection (probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me). They came in box sets, so I guess that counts as a collection. 

[LegoSWfan]

Ya, it dose.

[fishers64]

I can't say I get a sudden attack of it, but I crave certain things at times. Like I was playing the Avak shooting game a few weeks ago from 2006. Love that thing. 

 

Or today I reread Dark Mirror. Although my excuse for that was I was refreshing my memory for S&T , but still. 

[dotcom]

Can't say I do. I'm always kind of busy doing stuff so I rarely get the chance to revisit old stuff, and if I were to there's tons of things I'd nostalgia binge (or not as nostalgia but still re-binge-worthy) before Bionicle. I think the last time I really went and read ant significant amount of Bionicle stuff is like. Fricking. 2011, I want to say? Been a while.

[masterchirox580]

Not much really, I do tend to sit down and think about my memories with the theme every now and then (and think about what G2 is doing wrong). 

[bioniclepluslotr]

I walk into my room and see my old Titan sets and think why can't G2 have these. Every night.

[Jacks]

I walk into my room and see my old Titan sets and think why can't G2 have these. Every night.

There's no reason to assume that we won't get more titan sets. Don't forget that gen1 didn't have anything that one could describe as a "titan" until halfway through its second year, and nothing that matches the concept of "titan sets" that we had by the end of the run until halfway through its third year

[bioniclepluslotr]

 

I walk into my room and see my old Titan sets and think why can't G2 have these. Every night.

There's no reason to assume that we won't get more titan sets. Don't forget that gen1 didn't have anything that one could describe as a "titan" until halfway through its second year, and nothing that matches the concept of "titan sets" that we had by the end of the run until halfway through its third year

 

Yeah, but Titan sets have been a part of Bionicle and Hero Factory since then. They're not mirroring how G1 began. Constraction isn't a new concept anymore. The only box set they announced so far is just a double set of standard sized figures.

Edited March 21, 2015 by bioniclepluslotr

[Jacks]

They don't have to mirror gen1's release patterns for the point to stand. This is one of Lego's most popular themes ever, so many fans have been hoping for its return for years, and now that it's back, we know we're getting quality products. What does Lego have to gain by pulling out all the stops at once? If we have titan sets right out of the gate, where does the theme progress to from there?

 

idk, to assume that because gen2 doesn't currently have titans, it won't ever have titans seems wicked illogical

[LegoSWfan]

I don't remember if skeleball can do Titans. Someone once said that they can't do Titans in the Axxon sense of the term, more like Teridax-like Titans.

 

I could be wrong though.

[Jacks]

If by "skeleball" you mean CCBS, yes indeed it can do titans. Hero Factory had some pretty impressive-looking titans in its run

[LegoSWfan]

As impressive as Axxon or Hydraxon?

[Jacks]

I mean...Axonn really wasn't that impressive. He was only taller than the Inika because of the spire on his mask.

 

but yeah, the HF titans looked pretty solid to me. I've never seen one in the flesh plastic, but based on images, I'd say most of them were about Brutaka-sized maybe

[LegoSWfan]

I found Axxon to be one of the better Titans. And he showed just waht you could do with an adaptable system like the inika build.

[Lyichir]

I found Axxon to be one of the better Titans. And he showed just waht you could do with an adaptable system like the inika build.

Technically speaking, Axonn used a Piraka torso, though I would agree that he was one of the best sets to use that piece.

 

But CCBS can be used for "titans" as well. The largest and most complex of those would be 2011's Witch Doctor, who was on-par with sets such as 2008 Takanuva in terms of size, but there have been a fair number of others. Arguably the new Bionicle theme is blurring the line between "titans" and other sets—the new Tahu, Onua, and Kopaka are similar in size and complexity to the smaller Titan sets like Nocturn, possibly even moreso.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Lyichir

[LegoSWfan]

Ok, piraka torso.

[Rooster Nui]

I occasionally sit in bed and listen to the soundtracks of MNOG and the first two movies. While I was too young to fully understand and play MNOG back in the day, the music gives me a bit of a nostalgic feel as I started playing it in 2006, which I'd now consider to be a really long time ago.

[LegoSWfan]

^ mnolg had a good soundtrack.

[Lyichir]

I don't do much—I definitely haven't read the books or comics nor watched the movies in several years. But occasionally I allow myself the indulgence of a quick Mata Nui Online Game playthrough, listen to Cryoshell's music or the Power Pack CD, or pull my 2001 Rahi down from the shelf for a few rounds of competition.

[doodleloot]

I do that quite often, I just rewatched Legends of Metru Nui last week.

[Pomegranate]

Before BZP reeled me back in last year, I spent many, many years going through periods of nostalgic Bionicle binging. I'd rebuild old sets, or tear through my book collection, or watch the movies and flip through the comics, usually a little bit of everything. Always cheered me up.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I don't really binge old Bionicle stuff anymore. I do listen to 'Crashed' by Chris Daughtry every once in a while though.

[bioniclepluslotr]

If by "skeleball" you mean CCBS, yes indeed it can do titans. Hero Factory had some pretty impressive-looking titans in its run

The question is if any of the recent sets can charitably be called Titans. The last HF series was all mechs so I'll set that aside in its own category, but in Brain Attack, the big sets like Dragon Bolt hardly seemed complex in design. Even the small boxed sets in G1 Bionicle were cooler, like Nocturn.

[Lyichir]

 

If by "skeleball" you mean CCBS, yes indeed it can do titans. Hero Factory had some pretty impressive-looking titans in its run

The question is if any of the recent sets can charitably be called Titans. The last HF series was all mechs so I'll set that aside in its own category, but in Brain Attack, the big sets like Dragon Bolt hardly seemed complex in design. Even the small boxed sets in G1 Bionicle were cooler, like Nocturn.

 

Dragon Bolt was quite complex (on Nocturn's level, if not above it), and Evo XL Machine could also be considered a "Titan" as far as size and complexity are concerned. Before that, Stormer XL, Black Phantom, Witch Doctor, and Fire Lord would all qualify unambiguously as "Titans".

 

Keep in mind that "Titan" is a vague term that was only ever used for two years of Bionicle's run (2005 and 2006). It's typically considered to mean any figure (typically humanoid, with the exception of Fenrakk) that is larger than the main series of canister sets for that year. But since the new Bionicle doesn't have "canister sets" and the boxed sets occupy a wide range of sizes, there's no longer a clear line between "titans" and regular figures. CCBS sets don't always match the price and piece counts of classic Titans like Axonn, but that's often by design—the CCBS, unlike the classic Bionicle system, has limb bones specifically designed for larger sets so that they don't need to resort to complex custom limbs by necessity. Witch Doctor was the most complex CCBS titan with 331 pieces (more than any single-figure, non-combined sets in the classic Bionicle theme apart from Toa Mata Nui and, arguably, the Exo-Toa). He proves that the CCBS is just as capable of large, complex figures as the classic Bionicle system—the fact that none have matched him is probably more of an indicator of how small the market is for sets like that (don't forget that Titans were often less successful than other sets during Bionicle's classic run, as well). It's also worth noting that even larger, more complex models have been built by Lego designers to demonstrate the capability of the system—but seeing as they dwarf even the largest classic Bionicle sets, I don't expect us to see a set like that for some time.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Lyichir