2001-10 Years Later

[-Blank-]

This thread is only for those who grew up with Bionicle since 2001(or 2002) like me. Today I looked at my Mata and kind of though you know what these guys aren't that good. At the time they where awesome and I loved them but years later I find nostalgia is the only thing going for them. The masks and weapons are still cool but if you look at them you can't move their legs up, you can barely pose the arms and the head doesn't turn. These guys are nothing compared to the latter. So guys looking back on your Mata how do you feel about them. Try doing what I did and don't look at them with nostalgia.

[Makuta_of_Oz]

I remember I was disappointed by that too when I first got Kopaka. However, what the Mata had that later sets didn't have were gear functions and collectible masks. That balances it out IMO.

[-Blank-]

At first I didn't care but as time when on that annoyed me more and more. The gears are amazing that's for sure. The Toa Mata have the second best Bionicle gimmick right behind the Bohrok's heads.

[BULiK]

true. i think i got my first toa mata when i was 3-4 around in 02-03i literally grew up on bionicle.you know wut i wanted for my 5th birthday? bionicle. you know what i wanted my next birthday? bionicle. so-on and so-on. that stopped when HF came out. but, im definately going to buy the 2012 HF sets

[Sumiki]

I never really was a big fan of gears or shooters or gimmicks like that. It got in the way of poseability. At best, the Mata had eight points of articulation, but two were taken away if you had the full gear apparatus - taking you down to six viable articulation points. Then if one of the hands didn't have a wrist joint (i.e. Kopaka, Tahu, Lewa), you had five. Of course, I was six, so I didn't care. Plus, comparing the Inika to their set ancestors in the Mata is unfair. Obviously, LEGO's system of BIONICLE builds will evolve over time. What the Mata didn't have was more than made up for with some awesome Rahi functions. I still have the Muaka and Kane-Ra built, and snapping their jaws is as fun as ever. (Plus, did I mention that the Kanohi were the BEST COLLECTIBLE EVER? Because they were. Best designs, best functions.)

[emily]

While it is certainly true that the original Toa and other early Bionicle sets lack the poseability of the later designs, they are still my favorites due to the fact that they are so unique. The robotic look they had set them apart from other toys at the time, and we even got non-humanoid canister set designs, specifically the Bohrok. Piraka onward we got the same designs with small variations for the rest of Bionicle's existence. In the end, it all really depends on what you prefer. If you like poseability and sleeker designs, the later sets are better. But if you like gimmicky play functions and a slightly more mechanical look, then the older sets are better. I apologize in advance if I allowed some nostalgia to remain in that opinion.

[Daiker]

I think they were possibly the second best wave, Nuva being first. I think their originality beats all and their design is a one that's very nice and has the robotic feel. Sure theres the articulation issues and such, but I think the idea of them is great.

[Aanchir]

The Toa Mata were nice sets. They had simple, geometric body parts, but at the same time they set the tone for how BIONICLE would be different from other LEGO themes. Parts had lots of specialized details like pistons and framework-like contours, similar to the Slizers before them. But additionally, the Kanohi offered smoother and more complex contours that would foreshadow even more detail for future parts. Gali's mask in particular was probably pretty groundbreaking in using a 3-D model for the original design rather than carving a 3:1 replica from foam to determine its dimensions. The Rahi were also a testament to what came before them-- drawing from the Competition/Cyber Slam theme-- and they did less to foreshadow specific patterns the theme would follow. The same applies for the Turaga, who barely gave a hint at how much "impulse" sets in BIONICLE would evolve, besides the fact that specialized weapon and mask pieces were used in their design-- something rare for impulse sets in general, particularly in Technic. Overall the design in a lot of ways resembled this year's Ninjago in that there was a "game" component to playing with these toys. Removing a foe's mask and (among the larger Rahi) disabling their functions was integral to the play features of the theme. Later on it became clear that the game function was not the most-loved component of the theme, and more people liked role-playing with the sets as action figures. This is evident in today's sets where the Hero Factory theme has almost no strictly competitive play functions, while the Ninjago theme (aimed at perhaps a younger audience) has separated its gameplay-based sets and its construction-based sets accordingly.The way the story was presented was groundbreaking and has not been echoed by a single other LEGO theme. Online games and interactive comics had been prevalent on LEGO.com even in earlier years, but never had a full-fledged game like the MNOG been such a rich storytelling medium. Comics in LEGO magazines likewise had existed before, but they tended to be photo comics or occasional low-detail illustrations. The BIONICLE comics closer resembled a mainstream comic book in the emotionality and intricacy of their artwork.Even advertising for the theme was advanced, using movie-poster-like graphics and colorful CGI, particularly among the Toa, Turaga, and Matoran. Every piece of artwork and animation seemed more designed to advertise the characters than the toys, even if the CGI was far more loyal to the sets than the later full-length movies.It seems that in a lot of ways BIONICLE tried to distance itself from its nature as a LEGO theme-- thus, for many years the "LEGO" logo appeared in a position on the packaging and instructions that was secondary to the BIONICLE logo in all its mysterious majesty. In retrospect, I don't like this decision, but it shows the amount of dedication LEGO was putting towards this new concept, as well as the desperation they had for a line that could rejuvenate their appeal with preteen boys.How did this year age for me? Extremely well. I cannot say without hesitation that later BIONICLE series were superior to the Toa Mata and Rahi sets in general. There was as much a beauty to the simplicity of Toa Mata design as to the more complex anatomies of the Toa Metru, and as much a beauty to the intricate functionality of the Rahi sets as to the carefully-sculpted details of 2005-2006 titan sets.Ten years later, a lot of aspects of set design have come full-circle. Hero Factory 2.0 and 3.0 heroes are almost identical in size to the Toa Mata, and many of their parts have a sort of design simplicity that one might argue was lost as TLG became aware of how well-loved BIONICLE's intricate details were. Ninjago has created a mythos that has the same sort of diverse adventurous settings as BIONICLE's first year, the same sort of rich multimedia storytelling as BIONICLE adopted over time, and the same sort of magical quest that kept BIONICLE fans engaged as the story of the Toa Mata was told. Nothing has quite taken up the legacy of the more game-based and technically-complex Rahi sets, but in time perhaps a niche will be found for that sort of play.Some of my memory of BIONICLE's early years may be just nostalgia, and anyone who knew be back on the old BZPower forums knows I don't consider nostalgia sufficient reason for a strong opinion. But I think even without nostalgia, appreciating BIONICLE's historical context shows how important the early sets and story of the theme were in the long run.

[GSR]

Though as noted above they were fairly limited in motion and posability, in terms of design they very much appealed to me as a kid, which is really what LEGO was going for. I've regrettably lost or given away my old sets, so I don't have much basis for modern comparison.

[Bambi]

I like my Mata better than the newest Bionicle sets..

[Gorag]

Mata was my favorite, hands down. Sets were awesome and everything looked amazing. Right after Mata is Nuva, and then Ignika for me. But always and forever- the Mata years were gold. No, not gold, platinum.

[HordikaMode]

Well, seeing as my first Toa was Lewa Nuva, I would say they are very useful.

[Larnuu]

The Mata are epic win still to this day. The fact that there legs don't move much and the gear arms are kinda irritating when doing stop motion (well, use to, i just put pin connections in all my Mata and they all kinda waddle, exception for Pohatu ) I kinda liked the fact that all of them had 6 masks to get, (even tough i never got a mask pack) and i still wish they did that with later sets (saves shape jobs fo MOCs and it was a cool idea IMO).

[Akuna Toa of Sonics]

There is just something about my Mata Nui Saga sets that just make them plain awesome.Sure, the Inika had amazing pose-ability, but they just seemed bland after a while.

[-Blank-]

There is just something about my Mata Nui Saga sets that just make them plain awesome.Sure, the Inika had amazing pose-ability, but they just seemed bland after a while.

I disagree I like the Inika build and I must be the only person who didn't mind it again and again.

[Michael J. Caboose]

They look really cool. Not just because of nostalgia but they actually look cool. They seem more primitive and thats why i like them, sure they aren t super posable but they still have certain points that make them good.

[Eeko]

Design wise, I still like them better compared to newer sets. Functionally, obviously newer sets have improved mobility and joints.

[Just A Dot]

Those sets had the best build to them. They were enjoyable, and not at all repetitious. And I kind of liked the old colors better. They weren't all about gold or silver. And when it was gold, I liked gold better then the new gold.EDIT: 300th post. And I got a Hau to go with it.

Edited October 23, 2011 by The Beninator

[SonicBOOM XS]

The real thing about that point in time was how much hype and marketing LEGO put behind it. It was the Battlefield 3 of toys, for lack of a better way to put it. The sets were really basic, but I think that most people did not care as long as they were at the very least able to be posed. The story also sucked them in, and there were more innovations (Manas, anyone)? Over time, LEGO put less emphasis, so yeah.

[Jiayi]

Actually, the Toa Mata are my favourite Toa sets! I love how aspects of the character and story were imbued into the sets themselves. For example, we have the canister packaging and mask shapes that actually resembled their function. Lewa's mask is very aerodynamic, Gali's resembles a snorkeling mask, Kopaka's has multiple lens, etc. I wished the designers continued doing that with the newer sets. Granted, they did for the Ignika (Vitruvian Man and all), but in general I found that it was dropped in favour of just having a cool looking figure to sell. (btw, I love the Kanohi Ignika, gorgeous, gorgeous design) What also got me was the bright, vibrant colours. I was disappointed that 2004 and onwards featured more muted and grey pieces. I like bright colours. :3 But I do agree with you on the articulation. Getting them to pose in interesting poses was a challenge! My Toa Matas are just standing on my shelves, all in the same stance haha. Some knee and elbow joints would've been fantastic.

[son of the shadows]

The Toa Mata look better still than the later to me, besides the Toa Metru because they were the first Toa with bendable arms and legs!

[Astrotorical]

The Toa Mata had the same thing going for them as the Hero Factory 1.0 sets. Void of elbows and knees. But the Masks and weapons were really cool, and the Toa Nuva were good too. They Made the Mata as a prototype, to see if the market could go for it. "You dont start a game on the last level, you start at the first. The game gets better from there"

Edited October 23, 2011 by Astrotorical

[PutYaGunsOn]

I honestly think the Mata are among the coolest-looking sets. I mean, I know they couldn't be posed very well, and that admittedly is annoying, but hey, if you're one of those people who buys figures to stand there and look nice (like me after '06 ), they're pretty much a must-have.