BIONICLE HEROES

'''Bionicle Heroes''' is a 3D video game of the third-person shooter genre, based on Lego popular Bionicle franchise. It was released in November 2006 by TT Games on all then-current console systems (Playstation 2, Xbox 360, and Nintendo GameCube), PC, and Nintendo's handhelds (Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS); a Nintendo Wii version was later released in April 2007. The game stars Bionicle's 2006 feature characters, the Toa Inika and the Piraka. Players must destroy enemies, solve puzzles in order to progress further, and throughout the game, maximize their individual special powers (for example: the ability to activate certain objects, construct vehicles and platforms, or even binocular vision) and gain better and deadlier weapons.
''Bionicle Heroes'' has 25 levels and 19 bosses (seven of which are the Piraka, including Vezon) in total. Players are able to upgrade weapons throughout the game, starting with ones resembling the Toa Mata's tools; armor and abilities can also be upgraded.
While the game is loosely based on the first third of the ''Bionicle Legends'' story arc, it is non-canonical and features several characters from previous arcs in the franchise.
The Nintendo DS version of ''Bionicle Heroes'' is in the first-person perspective instead of third-person, and is the first LEGO game to be rated T for Teen. The Game Boy Advance version is also vastly different, having a top-down perspective instead of over the character's shoulder.

Contents

Gameplay

Characters

Playable

Enemies

Reception

Trivia

References

External links

Gameplay

Players control an anonymous hero out to stop the evil Piraka, who have used the power of the Mask of Life to transform the wildlife of the island of Voya Nui into aggressive, evil creatures. The character is able to wear the masks of the Toa Inika in order to take on their appearances and powers. Players can switch between any collected masks at will, but if they run out of health the current mask is lost and a new one must be found before the character can become that Toa again. Collecting a mask also restores health, even if it is one the character already has.
During gameplay, players collect Lego pieces with different point values. Collecting enough points fills a meter and activates "Hero Mode", turning the character golden and giving invincibility as well as an offensive boost. After completing a level, points collected can also be used to purchase items and upgrades from the in-game Lego Shop.
Throughout each level are several Lego "constractions" (a combination of the words "construction" and "action") that can be assembled. Two kinds that must be activated to proceed are normal constractions activated by Toa Hewkii and golden constractions that can be activated by anyone in Hero Mode, though doing so causes Hero Mode to end and more points must be collected before it can be entered again. Also found are character-specific constractions that provide bonuses when activated.
Scattered throughout the levels are several canisters that give bonuses when collected: collecting all of the silver canisters in a level unlocks a common enemy for viewing between levels, while each gold canister found unlocks a collectible item for viewing. Each regular level includes five silver canisters and four gold canisters, and boss levels include four gold canisters apiece. Boss enemies are also unlocked for viewing after they have been defeated.

Characters

Playable

'The Toa Inika:'

★ 'Toa Jaller:' Toa Jaller is the fastest Toa, but also the weakest. He can walk over lava, and after upgrading he can burn down passage-blocking vines. His Fireblast weapons are rapid-fire and are good at short- to mid-range, but spread out and become inaccurate at long range. Jaller's weapons include Toa Tahu's Fire Sword, Toa Vakama's Launcher, and his own Energized Flame Sword.

★ 'Toa Nuparu:' Toa Nuparu is the slowest Toa but is quite powerful. He can climb certain walls and cliff faces, and later in the game can dig up treasures. His Earthburst weapons fire grenade-like energy balls with a large blast radius that are slow to reload, but can be launched around corners and detonated manually. Nuparu's weapons include Toa Onua's Claw, Toa Whenua's Earthshock Drill, and his own Laser Drill.

★ 'Toa Hahli:' Toa Hahli can cross streams and rivers, and later on can manipulate blue water-based constractions. She has medium speed, but is stronger and faster when in water. Her long-range Watershock weapons don't have as much power, but as long as they are firing they cause steady damage. Hahli's weapons include Toa Gali's Hook, Toa Nokama's Hydro Blade, and her own Laser Harpoon.

★ 'Toa Hewkii:' Toa Hewkii can assemble normal constractions from the various LEGO pieces found scattered in each level, and can upgrade this to the ability to collapse certain walls. Like Nuparu, he is slow but very strong. His Stonesmash weapons act like rocket launchers, and are slow to reload but have a large blast radius. Hewkii's weapons include the "Po-Koro" (based on Toa Pohatu's hands), Toa Onewa's Proto Pitons, and his own Laser Axe.

★ 'Toa Kongu:' Toa Kongu can leap certain gaps marked by green landing pads, and can gain the ability to use green wind-based constractions. He is the second-fastest Toa behind Jaller and has medium strength. His Airshot weapons are of medium strength, but grow weaker over long distances, as they possess a function similar to that of a shotgun. Kongu's weapons include Toa Lewa's Air Axe, Toa Matau's Aero Slicer, and his own Laser Crossbow.

★ 'Toa Matoro:' Toa Matoro has the ability to zoom in towards targets, and some faraway white targets require the closeup view; he can also upgrade his ability to freeze water in places to make pathways. He is one of the slowest among the Toa, but has one of the strongest weapons available, able to kill some enemies in one hit. Toa Matoro's Icecrack weapons are similar to sniper rifles, with the ability to shoot lethal blasts at the expense of recharge time. Matoro's weapons include Toa Kopaka's Ice Sword, Toa Nuju's Crystal Spike, and his own Energized Ice Sword.
Each 'Piraka' can also be played after they are defeated, though only in their own levels (for example, Vezok can only be played in the "Vezok's Coastline" levels); and they can activate special Piraka constractions. Once the game is completed, the individual Piraka are replaced by 'Vezon', who can activate not only Piraka constractions but black constractions found in each level.
In the Game Boy Advance version of the game, the six Toa Mata are playable instead of the Piraka, in both their original and transformed Toa Nuva incarnations. Later on, if you go back you can find the Toa Inika Masks and play as the Toa Inika

Enemies

The main enemies of the game are the Piraka, a group of invaders that have abused the power of the Mask of Life:

★ 'Vezok', who controls the coastline

★ 'Avak', who operates out of the Piraka Stronghold

★ 'Thok', who reigns over the island's mountain

★ 'Reidak', who makes the desert his home

★ 'Hakann', who has claimed the volcano as his domain

★ 'Zaktan', who makes his base in the jungle
The game's final boss is the seventh Piraka, Vezon, and the giant Fenrakk spider that he is fused to.
The most common enemies faced include each of the six main breeds of Bohrok, Vahki, and Visorak. The following characters also appear as bosses alongside the Piraka:

★ The six Rahkshi: Guurahk, Turahk, Kurahk, Lerahk, Vorahk, and Panrahk

★ Nidhiki

★ Krekka

★ Sidorak

★ Roodaka

★ Axonn

★ Brutaka
The handheld versions only include the seven Piraka as bosses.

Reception

At its release in November 2006, ''Bionicle Heroes'' was mostly overshadowed by higher-profile releases; specifically the launches of the Playstation 3 and Wii consoles later that week. Nearly all reviews noted the similarity to TT Games' previous Lego Star Wars games - several suggested that ''Heroes'' was perhaps ''too'' similar, and having two such games released within a couple months of each other was tiresome ('' had been released the previous September).
Nintendo Power noted that the game "doesn't feel very LEGO-ish; block-building aspects seldom come into play, and the scenery is only rarely reminiscent of LEGO pieces." (However, this is entirely consistent with the Bionicle universe as depicted in other media, and they are most likely not well-versed in the special Technic pieces used in the Bionicle line.) GameSpot blamed Hero Mode for making the game repetitive: "By being even remotely selective with how you pick up Lego pieces, you'll be invincible a good two-thirds to three-fourths of the game, which means that nearly every situation before a boss battle is utterly trivialized." Another common point in several reviews was that the game lacked a real story.
As of December 2006, the XBox 360 version of ''Bionicle Heroes'' has been the subject of the most reviews according to GameRankings.com, and has an average rating of 60%.
Though reviewed less than the console versions, both the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance scored quite well in comparison, with reviews around 70 to 80%. The DS version of the game is considered a very competent first-person shooter, with responsive (though not quite perfect) controls and fast, smooth visuals; several reviews stated that it holds up well to the critically acclaimed ''Metroid Prime Hunters''. However, one major drawback is its lack of online play. The Game Boy Advance version was reviewed only twice, but both reviews agree that the game's nonstop, relentless shooting is shallow though very entertaining; both also praised the game's musical score.

Trivia

★ The in-game silver and gold canisters are somewhat diamond-shaped with rounded corners, similar to canisters that some real-life Bionicle sets have been packaged in; however, the details do not correspond exactly to any specific real-life design. However, the "Villain's Lair" section of the game's hub world, where defeated bosses can be viewed, has the characters caged in canisters specifically modeled after Visorak canisters.

★ When creating many of the 100 collectible bonus items in the game, producers turned to the BZPower fan community for help. A sample of suggested items can be found here.Official Bionicle Heroes Topic p. 20 at BZPower forums, post #594
'Goofs and Differences:'

★ While the in-game Bohrok enemies are visually modelled after the main six breeds, the names and profiles are those of the elite Bohrok-Kal.

★ Axonn's mask is mistakenly called a "Roden" instead of a "Rode", copying a recurring typo from Lego Shop at Home catalogs.

★ The trophy room has several mistakes:

★
★ The Ta-Metru, Ga-Metru, and Le-Metru Great Kanoka Disks are mislabeled.

★
★ Shadow Kraata are colored silver instead of purple.

★
★ The Golden Kanohi masks are described as being awarded after the defeat of the Bohrok swarms, when they actually came before.

References

★ Visiting the World of Bionicle Heroes, BZPower. Published Aug. 28, 2006.

★ Bionicle Heroes Video Interview, Pt. 1, BZPower. Published Oct. 14, 2006.

★ Bionicle Heroes Dev Team Q&A, BZPower. Published Oct. 16, 2006.

★ Q&A from T.T. Games, Mask of Destiny. Published Oct. 18, 2006.

External links

★ Official site

★ Wii Resource Centre: Wii: Bionicle Heroes