Childhood toys

[MrBadGuy]

The narrator does the voices for every character, so they all sound pretty much the same

[Stoney!]

I had a shit ton of LEGO star wars and other star wars merch, but I still have my first ever toy :


Mine is nowhere near in that condition, pain has come off, it has holes, all of the colours have gone pale, and theres no fur, just a red soft ball thing.

[MrBadGuy]

Oh shit, I have one of them somewhere! :O

[buildersith]

Holy Moley, I was on the forum last night and I noticed you all mentioning names from my childhood, names of characters I loved, names of characters that made me the lover of stories and lore I am today. That and they were just such cool toys, Lego was already great, you could make anything out of lego and everyone loved lego, I've still to meet a person who legitimately does not like lego, and if you are that person you're probably 'mr no-fun-allowed'. But Bionicle was just masterful, not only did it stay true to the customisability of lego, the endless possibility providing you had enough of the right parts, but it also created a whole world, a whole universe, with it's on philosophy, its own moral, and there was even a deeper meaning behind the idea that the Toa capsules fell from the sky that pretty much stayed a secret until 2008. Though I'm rambling now, but I'm gonna do it some more because this is a thread about childhood toys, and coming from a poor household, being a child who mostly entertained himself with video games and movies, but mostly video games, rather than toys, Bionicle was the exception, Bionicle was THE toy of my childhood, quite literally. Even then I only usually got like 1 of the sets each year and it was usually on my birthday, or on a special occasion like a vacation were I didn't have video games to play.

I can't remember exactly what introduced me to Bionicle, but my earliest memory is actually the first movie, so it was about 2003, I loved that movie as a kid, If I watch'd it now I'd probably still love it, even if it hasn't held up that well. Although I must've been introduced to Bionicle some time in 2003, I didn't actually get my first set until 2004 and I know this because my first Bionicle was Toa Metru Matau, and I really only got him because green was my favourite colour, I remember very vaguely that not too long afterwards I also got Toa Metru Vakama. I also got The second movie that year, as well as a GBA, and one of the first games I got for it was Bionicle Maze of Shadows, and although Kingdom Hearts might ahve been my introduction to the RPG genre a few years earlier Maze of Shadows was what introduced me to turn-based RPG's, shame it was just kinda dull then, If done right I think a Bionicle RPG could have been amazing. Idon't remember much of 2005, I know I got the third movie then and I only got one set though I forget who... it may ave been Toa Norik but I'm not sure. 2006 was when I was started to lose interest in Bionicle. I got one of the Piraka, so 2006 was the first time I actually owned one of the villain sets, but that was it. 2007 was pretty much the same deal, I got the Barraki Pridak and that was pretty much it. 2008 was when my interest turned from Bionicle to more traditional lego, again I only really bought one set, which was Tanma, and it was the last Bionicle I ever bought though the last Bionicle product I ever bought was the ps2 version of Bionicle Heroes. As I siad my antention really turned to more traditional lego stuff in 2008, I got the lego magazine every time an issue was released, and I vividly remember reading the last issue of 2010, the only metnion of Bionicle was the most recent movie that had been released which I've never watchhed, and then on the next page: Hero Factory. Problem was with the end of Bionicle also came the end of my toy collection, I was growing up and most of my playtime was spent either online or playing games. I still kept the Bionicle I had, in fact i remember mentioning that I was fiddling with one, I think it was Tanma, during one of the record days here. but I pretty much lost the last of my BIonicle the next time we moved house.

Then I started hearing you guys talk about talking about it last night... and I stayed up all night, watching videos about the reboot, finding out why it was actually called Bionicle and how the story itself came to be, learning about a franchhise I adored as I was growing up, and then I went out at 7AM, to ASDA, and for the first time in 7 long years, bought a Bionicle.

And that's pretty much my story of me and Bionicle. As for what I think of the reboot I like were they're going with it, I've heard people complain in the comments of youtube videos I've watched that it's not Bionicle anymore its just Hero Factory with the Bionicle name, and I don't think so, they build like the Bionicles I remember just their a bit more pleasant to look at without having the rubbery, low customisability problem of the 2006-07 sets, and the pieces themselves feel much better designed. I'lll probably spare some of my ext payments to rtry and buy all the new sets seeing as I now have control of my money unlike when I was growing up with Bionicle.

I had one of those Jaffa things... I haven no idea where I got it or what even happened to it. I wonder what it looks like in the middle of the night in a dark room with what little lioght there is shining on its big staring eyes... I should probably stop thinking

[Haruka]

I liked to read your story, buildersith. I love how suddenly a convo about BIONICLE's past encouraged some of us to buy one of the new figures after so many years without doing so. It felt oddly exciting for me to do this and to build up an entirely new figure for the first time after so many years. Something I like in these new figures is the existence of "real hands" and a movable (although limited) head. What I used to do to old figures was removing the head and moving it myself to give the feeling the character was looking to the sides.

I met BIONICLE thanks to a promotional disc inside a Nestlé cereals box back in 2001, and that disc was a fantastic introduction to the franchise since it starts with the mysterious trailer of Turaga Vakama finding Toa Onua's "spare leg" and his footprints in the sand. Then it was a brief explanation of the story around, and details about the Toa (including the special videos about them), the Turaga, the Kanohi, the tools, the locations of Mata Nui, the story between Mata Nui and Makuta, and the infected Rahi. There were few minigames with a piano and a small platform game. A well-made disc, in a way I remember to visit a Toys R Us shop later and bought Gali. Close to my birthday, I bought 4 Toa at once with Lewa missing since the shop did not have it (I later found him anyway). It is a shame I never found the Turaga, I would have liked to have collected them but nowadays, they are pretty rare and expensive as a consequence.

I started to gradually lose interest in the figures between 2004-2006 mostly because I was not happy about what the story essence was developing to. The fact I was also growing up and getting even more interested in expanding my gaming to consoles and not just exclusively in PC wasn't helping either. I do think that the true essence to the franchise was the mystery and the contact with nature, something that started to be lost from the 4th year onwards. I completely skipped the 5th year, I only own a bed sheet and pillow sheet from the Toa Hordika. The last figure I bought was Piraka Hakkann from 2006, I find a shame that the brain's battery cannot be replaced because mine ran out in the meantime. I also don't like how limited the poses were for this set.

Funny enough I read about the Toa Canisters in the other day in the BionicleSector wiki, I had no idea they were kind of transportation ships. Before it was a complete mystery of what they were suppoused to be and where they came from.

I'll leave here the Toa videos:

[Jewish Candy]

Those ads still work to this day. I want them all. Pohatu's little moonwalk~

I'm really pleased we have this little Bionicle fancorner here, it's really realighted my love for the old series and made me evaluate in more depth exactly what was so special about it. And we all have stories to share.

[Ambidextroid]

The only Bionicle things I had where some figures that were kind of boring and a movie on VHS that was amazing. It had some cyborg guy who lived in the snow, and some lava cave with this guy surfing on lava, and some evil wierd aliens. That movie was cool.

Edit:
I'm pretty sureit was Bionicle: The Mask of Light. Mmm, nostalgia. I'm going to rewatch it as soon as possible!

[Haruka]

I just watched the episodes. I'm going to admit something: I overreacted before. The animations aren't that bad and the reboot isn't that bad at all, in fact I am liking the new story. I found the second episode hilarious .

Now I feel tempted to buy the Protector of Fire and the Lord of the Skull Spiders once I see them.

[Jewish Candy]

Yeah, they're not bad are they? I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Oh, Ambi, you are in for a TREAT. I rewatched BMOL recently and could not stop spurting out water. Wow. But that movie was an integral part of Candkid's VHS library, I treasure it dearly.

[Haruka]

I enjoyed watching it again, but damn, there are a lot of stuff wrong with the movie!

[Master]

Ah yes, Makuta, Teridax, Mata Nui, giant robot. Things did go quite convoluted later on, eh?

[buildersith]

I don't know why but Kopaka's "I didn't slip." cracks me up every time I hear it, maybe its just the novelty of he's the only other toa that actually ot a voice in these besides Tahu.
I like the animation style for these kind of shorts that are setting up the story, whether I'd want to see them go for a full movie with this style or even an animated series I'm not so sure, because I'm guessing they're going to be getting media of some kind to tell the story wether it's through the online adventure games, comics, novels and movies, of the original series, or wether they'd opt for an animated show much like Hero Factory did, either way I want to see were they're going with this reboot, the skull spider's are clearly a villain just there to ease both new and old fans back in, get the new fans familiar with the universe whilst the old fans build hype knowing that bigger and better baddies are coming especially with Makuta still being a thing.

I wish i still had any of the very few movies I owned but I think my sister nicked them, at least the dvd's, my mother through out all our VHS' which is the only thing I had mask of light on, and as I said, my sister nicked LoMN and WoS and I never even owned legend reborn. The only other dvd I owned was Scott Pilgrim. I'm actually listening to the movies soundtrack and the track that plays towaards the end of Mask of Light Is one of the most beautiful piano pieces I've ever heard and just fills me with nostalgia.

I'm now wanting to collect all the sets, sadly when I went to go buy them from Tesco, who didn't have anything on shelves, although they were online, and then ASDA who did but they only had Gali, Pohatu, and Lewa, so I'd have to look elsewhere for the rest though I guess Argos should have all the sets available to order.

[Jewish Candy]

I LOVE Kopaka's line, it's about time Batman got taken down a peg or two.

I really like Mask of Light's soundtrack. It's damn good for what it is. But that movie was a shambles... a well rated shambles, an enjoyable shambles, but still a shambles.

[Haruka]

I really like Mask of Light's soundtrack. It's damn good for what it is.

Agreed, the music was one of the best things of the movie, along with the trailer (who happens to be better than the movie itself).

@buildersith I also cracked up with Kopaka's line too! Doesn't seem quite from him to be honest .

Eh, I would collect all the Toa if they weren't so expensive, I'll stay by Tahu, the Protector of Fire and the Lord of the Skull Spiders if I find these last two later.

[OCG]

I enjoyed watching it again, but damn, there are a lot of stuff wrong with the movie!

I have to check this out.

[MrBadGuy]

Kopaka's one moment was pretty top

I don't know why but Kopaka's "I didn't slip." cracks me up every time I hear it

I LOVE Kopaka's line

I also cracked up with Kopaka's line too!

I'd say it's a pretty successful joke, then

[Master]

It does work pretty well, given as he's supposed to be the mysterious loner.

[Imco]

I had a shit ton of LEGO star wars and other star wars merch, but I still have my first ever toy :


Mine is nowhere near in that condition, pain has come off, it has holes, all of the colours have gone pale, and theres no fur, just a red soft ball thing.

Jaffa cakes... Jaffa cakes... JAFFFA!!!!! JAFFFAAA JAFAF AFJAJFJAJFJAJ JAFFFAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrBadGuy]

It does work pretty well, given as he's supposed to be the mysterious loner.

I read that as "mysterious boner" which I think is a magical phrase

[Jewish Candy]

It certainly is, it summons me