For the Love of Bionicle Be Positive

[Tuuli]

 

And the set design of 2016 leaves so much to be desired.

Care to elaborate?

The arms and the "butt gear" which is absolutely horrid for playing. Such bad swinging action and not too great set design.

[Naota Takizawa]

The arms of the toa seem fine to me. Well, Pohatu & Kopaka's arms are an eyesore because the toa of stone has excessive transparent fluorescent green while Kopaka's dark blue shells stand out in the wrong way, but they can easily be fixed. As for the butt gear, it seems silly, but would you rather have no gear functions & have all the toa carry six stud launchers or have no play features? The set designs for the toa all vary in quality & I personally wouldn't put them on display, but they are fun to build & although how well the rear gear works is variable, if it works, it's a lot of fun to play with. Also, don't forget that any set released is always going to be flawed due to budget constraints or designs needing to be changed.

[Toa Imrukii]

The waist swivel isn't that bad. When people mean the set design the mean the whole thing, not the little play gimmick per say. And complaining about the arm swiveling function? Hypocrite much? Mr. Mata Build?

 

The waist swivel is there because of the inability to add a creature to the back if there was a back gear there. If it means anything, Ekimu Master of Creation to my knowledge comes with both, waist and shoulder swivel.

 

The sets design for 2016 is fantastic, and comparatively 2015 was even more simplified, yet even if you compare the set design of the 2015 sets it hails in comparison to the mostly simple builds that HF brought to the table. To say that the new bionicle sets are simple is a cringe and chuckle-worthy lie. And if you are to compare the set complexities and uniqueness for the later years of G1 you'll find that the later HF sets hail in comparison to them comparatively for the simple fact that the ball-sockets don't break, amongst the overall more complex builds and designs used.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Toa Imrukii

[ChaosMarin]

There's barely anything to love about G2 when the story is outright bland and uninteresting. Don't try to tell me "oh it's simplified for the youngsters!" STOP. The 2001 bionicle story was simple enough to understand while still giving you very complex ideas and names and a vibrant beautiful world. On top of that, there always remained a mystery to the aura of the bionicle. However, in this age we live in a time of kids playing on their phones or their xbox's so apparently we need to "dumb down" the story for those audiences, much to the disappointment of a true bionicle fan.

 

While I will say I enjoyed most of the set design from 2015, it's still very lacking as the same mask was used for every protector, and the enemies are so very underwhelming. I feel like the Toa aren't even struggling with the new villians in the story. And the set design of 2016 leaves so much to be desired.

 

Let's face it, Bionicle had its run now it's nothing more than a way for Lego to make abit of extra money from the remainder of the bionicle fandom.

Well why is simplicity bad? We already had a huge and complex universe. G2 is more of a Bionicle as a modrn Lego line than a faithful reboot.

 

Theres still chance itll grow up but this Bionicle is all about toys. Toys are the reason why most kids buy them so investing too much into story which majority doesnt follow may not be profitable.

[Shadow Destroyer]

The sets are fantastic, and the gear functions work very well on all of the sets. I enjoy the new packaging, and seeing Bionicle back on the shelves is always a nice thing.

[Tahu3.0]

 

There's barely anything to love about G2 when the story is outright bland and uninteresting. Don't try to tell me "oh it's simplified for the youngsters!" STOP. The 2001 bionicle story was simple enough to understand while still giving you very complex ideas and names and a vibrant beautiful world. On top of that, there always remained a mystery to the aura of the bionicle. However, in this age we live in a time of kids playing on their phones or their xbox's so apparently we need to "dumb down" the story for those audiences, much to the disappointment of a true bionicle fan.

 

While I will say I enjoyed most of the set design from 2015, it's still very lacking as the same mask was used for every protector, and the enemies are so very underwhelming. I feel like the Toa aren't even struggling with the new villians in the story. And the set design of 2016 leaves so much to be desired.

 

Let's face it, Bionicle had its run now it's nothing more than a way for Lego to make abit of extra money from the remainder of the bionicle fandom.

Well why is simplicity bad? We already had a huge and complex universe. G2 is more of a Bionicle as a modrn Lego line than a faithful reboot.

 

Theres still chance itll grow up but this Bionicle is all about toys. Toys are the reason why most kids buy them so investing too much into story which majority doesnt follow may not be profitable.

 

Plus i can be wrong about this 100% kids now a days supposedly are more interested in Video Games and Apps glad im not in that category........BUT WAIT I AM!

[Dogbert]

I like the design of all the 2015 sets. Onua and the Protector of Jungle are my favorite. The story was okay, slowly introducing us to a new yet familiar world. The Toa not directly defeating the villan at the end was a good storytelling use, it showed they were not invincible and still had room for potential.

 

I like the Umarak the Hunter and Ekimu sets of 2016. I love that we got a new medium for the story in The Journey to One. Very good development for the most part.

[Ford]

I quite like the new story and its simplicity. It came at a time where I was growing bored of the "morally gray characters" trope of several TV shows and wanted nothing more than a classic good versus evil plot line, and G2 delivers!

The story, however, only really grows in text formats, being the graphic novels and chapter books. The way I think of it is that the visual media is there as an introduction and the literature is there for the fans who want to delve further into the world. To anyone who isn't really a fan of G2 who hasn't read the books or graphic novels yet, I highly suggest you to do so. They expand and develop the world in ways that the visual mediums do not such as giving the Protectors their time to shine, in-universe legends, character motivations, etc.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I've really enjoyed the sets that have been released since Gen 2 Bionicle started. There are things that I like about all of them, from their Masks to their weapons to the look of their builds. (I particularly think the Mask of Creation looks amazing.) And many of them have some really cool pieces with them as well. I like these sets so much that I got all the 2015 sets. I have only gotten two of the 2016 sets though, but that has more to do with my budget than how I personally feel about them, because I think they are cool too.

 

As for the story, it has been great having Bionicle books and graphic novels back. Revenge of the Skull Spiders did a great job at fleshing out the Protectors a bit, and the graphic novels did the same with the Toa. As for the TV show, I still haven't seen it yet, but I've heard good things about it. 

 

I do think that Gen 2 Bionicle is off to a good start with its sets and story. There have been things I would've done differently, but overall I still enjoy what has been given to us and look forward to what's to come.

[Tuuli]

But why did we have to wait to learn the names of the protectors? It seems like they don't even know their own story, let alone it being a good story at all.

 

"I am here to battle evil! I will collect my golden mask of power and save the island!" That line alone explains the story of Bionicle G2... That's why it's not a good thing to simplify the story. I guess kids these days need something dumbed down, am I right?... What a world.

But don't get me wrong, while every set has its own flaws, I do believe they have set design down. All except for the enemies.

[Pohaturon]

 

"I am here to battle evil! I will collect my golden mask of power and save the island!" That line alone explains the story of Bionicle G2... 

And how exactly was the story in 2001 any different?

 

Before you ask, yes, I've read all the books, comics and played MNOG.

 

The only difference is that they gave things non-English names in G1. Aside from a few name differences, 2001 and 2015 is nearly identical in terms of story. 

Plus, if you were around back then, you'll know that the lore of 01-03 was only really fleshed out in 03. The fact that we already had books and comics in the first year of G2, and JtO in the second means at this point we have more and deeper story material in G2 than what G1 had on its own timeline.

 

I love how the anti-G2 crowd basically can't come up with anything other than "G2 has no/shallow story" when they're comparing it to ALL of G1. Comparing 2 years of story to 10 is more than a little flawed. Comparing the first two years of G1 to G2 is more realistic, and it proves that G2 has the story bit more than figured out.

 

Go read the books and the comics. Or don't.

 

[Lyichir]

 

"I am here to battle evil! I will collect my golden mask of power and save the island!" That line alone explains the story of Bionicle G2...

And how exactly was the story in 2001 any different?

 

Before you ask, yes, I've read all the books, comics and played MNOG.

 

The only difference is that they gave things non-English names in G1. Aside from a few name differences, 2001 and 2015 is nearly identical in terms of story. 

Plus, if you were around back then, you'll know that the lore of 01-03 was only really fleshed out in 03. The fact that we already had books and comics in the first year of G2, and JtO in the second means at this point we have more and deeper story material in G2 than what G1 had on its own timeline.

 

I love how the anti-G2 crowd basically can't come up with anything other than "G2 has no/shallow story" when they're comparing it to ALL of G1. Comparing 2 years of story to 10 is more than a little flawed. Comparing the first two years of G1 to G2 is more realistic, and it proves that G2 has the story bit more than figured out.

 

Go read the books and the comics. Or don't.

 

 

I'd actually object to the "more and deeper story than 2001" bit, solely because of the Mata Nui Online Game. Frankly, Bionicle has never had such a great medium for immersive worldbuilding since that game (MNOG2 comes close, but still falls short). So while the story we got in 2015, focused on the Toa, did probably relate more of the main story than anything in 2001 (where only a fraction of the Toa's quest was ever actually depicted in story media), there's still a lot less worldbuilding, which means a lot less context for the characters and setting. For instance, we've hardly seen any villages outside of the boxart for the Protectors, besides the Village of Fire. And there are fewer named minor characters, even with names for all the Toa and Protectors.

 

That's not to say that that's 100% a bad thing. NOT revealing the whole island in detail could probably help to keep the setting fresh over a long period of time—for instance, if the story ever visits the Village of Water it'll still feel new and interesting, even several years in. And this isn't meant as a dig against G2, either—as I said before, nothing in G1 ever approached the depth and density of worldbuilding offered by MNOG1, and later locations like Voya Nui, Mahri Nui, and Karda Nui in particular wound up woefully underdeveloped as a result. But the Mata Nui Online Game pulled an incredible amount of weight for the early G1 story (especially considering cancelled media like the PC game that it had to pick up the slack for), and there's never been anything quite like it ever since.

[Pohaturon]

I'd actually object to the "more and deeper story than 2001" bit, solely because of the Mata Nui Online Game. Frankly, Bionicle has never had such a great medium for immersive worldbuilding since that game (MNOG2 comes close, but still falls short). So while the story we got in 2015, focused on the Toa, did probably relate more of the main story than anything in 2001 (where only a fraction of the Toa's quest was ever actually depicted in story media), there's still a lot less worldbuilding, which means a lot less context for the characters and setting. For instance, we've hardly seen any villages outside of the boxart for the Protectors, besides the Village of Fire. And there are fewer named minor characters, even with names for all the Toa and Protectors.

 

That's not to say that that's 100% a bad thing. NOT revealing the whole island in detail could probably help to keep the setting fresh over a long period of time—for instance, if the story ever visits the Village of Water it'll still feel new and interesting, even several years in. And this isn't meant as a dig against G2, either—as I said before, nothing in G1 ever approached the depth and density of worldbuilding offered by MNOG1, and later locations like Voya Nui, Mahri Nui, and Karda Nui in particular wound up woefully underdeveloped as a result. But the Mata Nui Online Game pulled an incredible amount of weight for the early G1 story (especially considering cancelled media like the PC game that it had to pick up the slack for), and there's never been anything quite like it ever since.

 

 

Granted, I got a tad carried away with that statement. Yeah, MNOG1 alone gave the Mata Nui arc massive weight and backstory. 

However if G2 decides to stick to fewer locations, possibly even stay on Okoto for a few more years, not having a G2 equivalent might be a good thing precisely for the reasons you've stated.

 

Overall, however, claiming that G2 is simplified, or that 2001/2002 was significantly more complex doesn't really hold much water - and I say that as a lover of G1.

 

[Lyichir]

 

I'd actually object to the "more and deeper story than 2001" bit, solely because of the Mata Nui Online Game. Frankly, Bionicle has never had such a great medium for immersive worldbuilding since that game (MNOG2 comes close, but still falls short). So while the story we got in 2015, focused on the Toa, did probably relate more of the main story than anything in 2001 (where only a fraction of the Toa's quest was ever actually depicted in story media), there's still a lot less worldbuilding, which means a lot less context for the characters and setting. For instance, we've hardly seen any villages outside of the boxart for the Protectors, besides the Village of Fire. And there are fewer named minor characters, even with names for all the Toa and Protectors.

 

That's not to say that that's 100% a bad thing. NOT revealing the whole island in detail could probably help to keep the setting fresh over a long period of time—for instance, if the story ever visits the Village of Water it'll still feel new and interesting, even several years in. And this isn't meant as a dig against G2, either—as I said before, nothing in G1 ever approached the depth and density of worldbuilding offered by MNOG1, and later locations like Voya Nui, Mahri Nui, and Karda Nui in particular wound up woefully underdeveloped as a result. But the Mata Nui Online Game pulled an incredible amount of weight for the early G1 story (especially considering cancelled media like the PC game that it had to pick up the slack for), and there's never been anything quite like it ever since.

 

Granted, I got a tad carried away with that statement. Yeah, MNOG1 alone gave the Mata Nui arc massive weight and backstory. 

However if G2 decides to stick to fewer locations, possibly even stay on Okoto for a few more years, not having a G2 equivalent might be a good thing precisely for the reasons you've stated.

 

Overall, however, claiming that G2 is simplified, or that 2001/2002 was significantly more complex doesn't really hold much water - and I say that as a lover of G1.

 

 

Again, you may be overstating things a bit. 2001 was almost certainly more complex than G2 Bionicle has been. Almost every character, landmark, creature, and concept had a name in an invented language, and there was even a multi-page lexicon on the website for keeping track of all those names. However, there are multiple types of complexity, and the complexity granted by unique names for every little thing is primarily surface-level—it's not the same thing as a truly complex plot or complex characterization, and nothing about the direction of the story would have been different if Turaga were called Protectors and Kanohi were just referred to as Masks of Power.

 

G2 started with a very deliberate effort to have less of that surface-level complexity by using more generic, English-based names that could be learned easily by children. It's backed off a bit from that approach as the theme has gone on, with more characters in particular getting unique names. But either way, eliminating some of that terminology isn't a bad thing. Heavy use of invented language may create an exotic feel but for the theme's target audience of young kids, some of whom are not even that skilled at reading plain English yet, it also serves as a barrier to entry. I only knew a few other kids who liked Bionicle growing up, and even they could hardly follow the story beyond things like the movies. My hope for the new Bionicle is that it will be something that kids like I was can introduce their friends to without having to spend hours explaining what all the different names and terms mean, and that by being more accessible it can become a much less isolating experience for children who are passionate about it.

[Pohaturon]

Again, you may be overstating things a bit. 2001 was almost certainly more complex than G2 Bionicle has been. Almost every character, landmark, creature, and concept had a name in an invented language, and there was even a multi-page lexicon on the website for keeping track of all those names. However, there are multiple types of complexity, and the complexity granted by unique names for every little thing is primarily surface-level—it's not the same thing as a truly complex plot or complex characterization, and nothing about the direction of the story would have been different if Turaga were called Protectors and Kanohi were just referred to as Masks of Power.

G2 started with a very deliberate effort to have less of that surface-level complexity by using more generic, English-based names that could be learned easily by children. It's backed off a bit from that approach as the theme has gone on, with more characters in particular getting unique names. But either way, eliminating some of that terminology isn't a bad thing. Heavy use of invented language may create an exotic feel but for the theme's target audience of young kids, some of whom are not even that skilled at reading plain English yet, it also serves as a barrier to entry. I only knew a few other kids who liked Bionicle growing up, and even they could hardly follow the story beyond things like the movies. My hope for the new Bionicle is that it will be something that kids like I was can introduce their friends to without having to spend hours explaining what all the different names and terms mean, and that by being more accessible it can become a much less isolating experience for children who are passionate about it.

 

 

I don't really consider fantasy names to be "complexity", but I guess that's one way of looking at it.

Like you said, calling the protectors "Turaga" =/= complexity, which is from where my argument stems.

 

Overall, while I do have a fondness for the wacky G1 names, it does indeed make it less accessible. Looking back, I'm somewhat surprised G1 was as popular as it was. Hopefully G2 gains some steam this year and the next, allowing it to grow further.

Despite not being a massive collector of G2 sets (I have a total of 5 of them, 15 and 16 combined), I'd love to see higher set counts, like in the latter years of G1 with some Limited Edition canister sets and more titans. True titans,

 

 

 

Swinging back on topic after this lengthy deviation, there is plenty to love in G2, even for die-hard fans of G1. In comes aspects it's worse, in other better.

 

I guess you can chalk up accessibility to the bonuses too.

 

[Pomegranate]

I love G2 because it's brought back Bionicle's spirit of fun and adventure. It is such a bright and exciting line, and there's so much to explore and vibrant characters that really bring everything to life. It's full of very interesting and creative design choices and it's brought so many new things to the table. G2 is new, and bold, and very light and approachable. In some ways, it feels more magical than G1 did even in the first few years. I hope many, many children out there are falling in love with it the way we all fell in love with the mysterious island of Mata Nui.

[Taka Nuvia]

I really adore how the new sets combine poseability with gear functions. The cleaner, more streamlined look of the sets makes them more enjoyable to draw, too. Plus the smaller sets are really cute. :3

[Alyska]

Baby robots.

[Takametru007]

I like that the story is a bit looser, really. I think they took some of the good elements from Hero Factory in this new generation: a tighter cast, a looser story. I feel it leaves more room for you to do the world building. Though I don't follow the books or comics, so I don't have the full picture either.

[Tuuli]

 

 

 

"I am here to battle evil! I will collect my golden mask of power and save the island!" That line alone explains the story of Bionicle G2...

And how exactly was the story in 2001 any different?

 

Before you ask, yes, I've read all the books, comics and played MNOG.

 

The only difference is that they gave things non-English names in G1. Aside from a few name differences, 2001 and 2015 is nearly identical in terms of story.

Plus, if you were around back then, you'll know that the lore of 01-03 was only really fleshed out in 03. The fact that we already had books and comics in the first year of G2, and JtO in the second means at this point we have more and deeper story material in G2 than what G1 had on its own timeline.

 

I love how the anti-G2 crowd basically can't come up with anything other than "G2 has no/shallow story" when they're comparing it to ALL of G1. Comparing 2 years of story to 10 is more than a little flawed. Comparing the first two years of G1 to G2 is more realistic, and it proves that G2 has the story bit more than figured out.

 

Go read the books and the comics. Or don't.

 

It's not the same. The toa were collecting all 6 of their great masks, not golden versions of their own. Also they were battling rahi and other things more dangerous than "skull spiderz"

[Pohaturon]

 

 

It's not the same. The toa were collecting all 6 of their great masks, not golden versions of their own. Also they were battling rahi and other things more dangerous than "skull spiderz"

 

And how is that technicality of any substance? Call them what you will, "great" or "gold" (plus the G1 Toa's ultimate goal was to get their own golden masks, so that point is moot.) the story was still "collect thing being protected by enemies".

 

The fact that there were 36 masks to collect in G1 as opposed to 6 in G2 means that more padding was required in G1 - which was elaborated upon in the books, which you by your own admission haven't read.

 

Ergo we're back to my initial question. How is "I am here to battle evil! I will collect my golden mask of power and save the island!" any less descriptive of 2001 than it is of 2015?

 

[Aanchir]

It's not the same. The toa were collecting all 6 of their great masks, not golden versions of their own. Also they were battling rahi and other things more dangerous than "skull spiderz"

Considering that more Toa lost their masks in 2015 than in 2001 I think it's fair to say that most of the enemies they faced in 2015 were just as dangerous to them as the ones from 2001.

 

Also, the Toa's reward for finding their six masks in 2001 was getting a golden version of their original mask that replaced all the other masks they had collected. So the only difference is the number of mask quests that had to go on in between… and back in 2001, we didn't even get to SEE all those mask quests. We just got to see three Toa (Kopaka, Lewa, and Gali) find one mask each. So technically we were shown more mask quests in 2015 than we were in 2001!