These are probably one of the key reasons Bionicle succeeded when it first released. In a sea of "WOAH CRAZY SUPER HIGH SPEED EPIC" commercials, you had these. No narration. No dialogue. The sounds of wind, rain, nature. A figure, exploring a world, engaging with the elements. Two words: a name, and Bionicle. That much intrigue and you have to get the toy to see what the heck its about.
Lego seemed to miss this with the 2015 reboot. They can start simple and slow, but they went too far in the quick and fun direction, leading most to see the figures as random peeps instead of mysterious, powerful heroes.
@@thunderspark1536 It's a shame too, since it's very clear the creative team behind it had a story in mind, with all the books and concept art we ended up getting. Like, did you notice how the Vahi was showing up in all the animations? And did you know the books stated that the G2 version of the Vahi was the *top* half of a mask that was mysteriously missing a bottom half? It's very clear that the people behind the reboot wanted to do a whole ton more with it but somewhere along the pipeline they got worried it wouldn't sell unless there were more colors on screen at once.
I had bionicle as a kid and I thought it was such garbage (still do) … why the fuck people like them they don’t do anything and you can’t build anything with them so pointless why exist
Really cool commercial. I was 10 when these premiered, although I never saw the commercials on TV, but I did see the toys in a store, and I really liked robots. So after some hospital visit, my mom bought me three of these; Onua, Pohatu, and Tahu. I still have them in a box somewhere.
avante falgione Same here, tho mine are in storage right now. I even have some of the gold masks that they put out in the mask packs. Couldn't afford to get them all, sadly, but they're still.
From what I remember of late 90s and early 2000s CGI, it only started to look bad when it was mixed with live action, since this is full CGI you don't lose the immersion as easily (if at all). I'm just wondering how long it took to make the 3D models.
@@jswatch9270 As do I, my point is that the clips you see in this video show CGI toa in a CGI environment, which means nothing looks out of place, it's not like in the Star Wars Episode II where it's painfully obvious that the real actors are on a CGI set. That and the team behind the CGI did pretty much everything right; the landscapes are shaped like real landscapes and even behave like real landscapes (think water animation and leafs blowing in the wind), the lighting behaves like real lighting, and the Toa character models look like the actual Toa lego models.
@@jswatch9270 ...kinda. They used green scene sets which had CGI effects keyed onto them. There may have been one or two real pieces but a good portion of the sets were CGI, and it really showed on some scenes, particularly this one where the actors just look like they're walking around inside a PS3 game ua-cam.com/video/nStx_RD4tx8/v-deo.html
Wow. This brings me back. It reminds me why I loved Bionicle so much as a kid. These videos make Mata Nui look like this majestic land of mystery and intrigue. Despite all the dangers of giant purple scorpions, giant flies, and blue boxing dinosaur things on tank treads, I'd still wanna go there.
Sums up my memories about 2001 and 2002 Bionicle perfectly. MNOG was the perfect game to emphasize that feel. I miss when rahi had tank tracks... Mata Nui was the perfect mix of south-Pacific and mechanical awesome.
Here are my casting choices for lego bionicle movie Toa Tahu should be played by Liam Neeson, toa kopaka should be played by Daniel Craig, toa lewa should be played by ewan McGregor, toa gali should be played by Angelina jolie, toa Onua should be played by djomon honsou, toa pohatu should be played by Bruce campbell Turaga vakama should be played by Anthony hopkins, turaga nuju should be played by me, turaga matau should be played by jim cummings, turaga nokama should be played by cate blanchett, turaga whenua should be played by James earl jones, and Turaga onewa should be played by ian mckellen please tell me what do u think of that
@@andyrygalski6156 Here are my casting choices for lego bionicle movie Toa Tahu should be played by Liam Neeson, toa kopaka should be played by Daniel Craig, toa lewa should be played by ewan McGregor, toa gali should be played by Angelina jolie, toa Onua should be played by djomon honsou, toa pohatu should be played by Bruce campbell Turaga vakama should be played by Anthony hopkins, turaga nuju should be played by me, turaga matau should be played by jim cummings, turaga nokama should be played by cate blanchett, turaga whenua should be played by James earl jones, and Turaga onewa should be played by ian mckellen please tell me what do u think of that
Even though I loved Bionicle as a kid, and still do. The one thing that keeps me from sharing in your wish is the whole destiny thing. A universe in which everyone's life has a specofic purpose and goal seems so awful to me...
Fun Fact: The Toa Mata's names (Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, Onua, Pohatu, and Tahu) are the Maori words for Hook, Blade, Axe, Claw, Kick, and Flame, respectively.
Another fun fact: the maori people didn't much appreciate this. I'm pretty sure they ran a lawsuit against lego or something, and from then on, new characters, places, and things couldn't be named using maori words.
@@lucaseichler3140 Yeah... I remember that... the Matorans were originally called the Tohunga or something like that... but after that they got renamed. Thankfully the Toa still got to retain their name or rather Title... "Champion."
Now, this is how to sell a toy. THIS is how to sell a world! I wish the movies had kept this literal and grittier aesthetic like from these shorts and the feature mini-discs that sometimes came in the toy capsules.
+Bonkle1337 for some reason I always thought about Lewa as a vegeta from DBZ type of guy. He was my favourite too. Also, Onua always was the youngest one for me
+Aidan Hodge-McNutt I wasnt a fan of the movies on account of their vagueness. The comics were so much better. Kopaka was a jerk at times, but his mask was cool.
Kopaka's the best Toa hands down. A sword and shield- actual weapons of war while everyone else had hooks, claws and steel-toed boots. That, and he was a stone-cold badass with the best looking mask. For some reason, as a kid I thought his mask let him stop time, but just looked it up to double check and he had X-ray vision. No idea how I got that wrong.
Mata Nui always looked so fun to explore as a kid. I especially like how the Toa have scratches on their masks and faces. It sells that effect of them being a natural part of their world, despite that they're clearly robots making servo noises.
Pohatu, master of moon walk. I remember as a kid I had the McDonald's versions of these guys and I would play with them all day. Then I found the actual ones at the store and my heart exploded with excitement and I told my mom to buy 3 but she just got one, I was still happy that day though.
+TheSlickkEffect That's nothing. I entered into a contest to get Kopaka because, where I lived, Bionicle wasn't in stock yet. Then, one day, I went into my first Toys R Us and the first thing I saw was Kopaka and I didn't leave the store without that Bionicle in my hands.
I also had a McDonald's hewki that one of my mum's coworkers gave me.i thought that how like the transformers have smaller scale figures of the same characters I thought it was pohatu (I didn't know his name at the time but I knew him as a picture)
When I was a kid I really loved Bionicles. They also sold these multi-pack of random masks, and there was a possibility of getting a rare gold mask. I got one for Christmas and it came with a gold Gali mask. I was so excited and loved it all throughout my childhood. This story got brought up in conversation today and my parents told me they just opened it, spray painted one gold and put it back and glued it shut. Hahaha. Just a funny story I thought I'd share. :)
+Josh Jackson Wasn't meant to be clever bud, just meant to get a point across :) don't tell me you actually support people like him who so poorly represent the bionicle community?
Man, you make me wish my childhood was then, too. Unfortunately, I grew up with the Hero Factory franchise. And although I enjoyed it plenty and had good memories, I just wish I grew up in the 2000's instead of the 2010's. The Bionicle sets were much cheaper since the economy wasn't as crashed as it is today. Which means I probably could have had twice the amount of Bionicle as Hero Factory. Also, it's story is just much more engaging, and more happened. I believe that I could have had such a better childhood with Bionicle.- Although it's complex build style would probably leave me scratching my head as a little child. XD
*BIONICLE - best invention by all of mankind* Best memories ever. Loved all the oldschool early 2000s bionicle. Thanks for being a part of my childhood! :D
My personal favorite was the Marhi Nui Team. The deep sea aesthetic appeals to me, plus the figures were just that, figures. No unnecessary gimmicks or weird bendy masks to get in the way of it being a good figure.
When I was small, my mom bought me these guys. As I grew older, I noticed that even the Bionicle grew taller and larger. It's like I grew up with Bionicle growing up by my side. I've stopped collecting them now. I hope the new generation of Bionicle lovers will learn of the Toa Mata and the huge story they had. Bionicle, was not just a set of lego toys, it was a legacy.
I really admire how G1 Bionicle made the sets themselves come alive in the adverts. Sure, in real life they couldn't move that way at all, but it made them look and feel incredibly "alive" from the moment I first ran across them. G2 Bionicle's approach, while it's not bad, doesn't have quite the same effect on me (although I suspect nostalgia has a big hand in that). At least both iterations know what they're trying to do, even if one works better for me than the other.
Born in '97 here, and this is basically my childhood. My brother, and a best friend of ours (at that age) used to always watch Bionicle. These small clips from Toa Mata were, and still are, so impressive. As a kid I could never get tired of them. I just watched for the first time after almost 20 years, and it's weird because I had no idea what was going to happen, but somehow I still remember every single video of each character. Wasn't there a game on the bionicle website? I spent hours on the computer, trying to save Mata Nui (or so I thought I was).
Gali- Mistress of the Waters Kopaka- Champion of Ice Pohatu- Stone Soldier Onua- Earth Guardian Lewa- Spirit of the sky, air, and the jungle Tahu- The Lord and Master of Fire
I have to give these mad props for the animation that still holds up pretty well today, they quickly establish each character, their powers, and even subtly shows bit's of their personality; Kopaka stops the avalanche at the last second in one quick motion, he's calm. Pohatu kicks a rock like a soccer ball and then moon walks out of the scene, he's cheerful. Tahu jumps down to a river of hot magma and rides it like a surfer, he's got guts. I also have to emphasize that it's completley show don't tell which is phenominal and adds to the greater feeling of mystery throughout the series. We are introduced to a premise that I don't think anyone has ever done before, a mechanical race living in tribal societies harmoniously with nature, and the heroes have magic connected to natural elemental powers. Can I get the scene of Keanu Reeves saying "Woah."
As I kid I did have a problem with the characters speaking in the movies, I liked the atmosphere better in these shorts, the show don't tell kind. I wished the movies where more like this.
As much as I'm genuinely enjoying the new BIONICLE of 2015 thus far, 2001 shall always remain my most favourite year out of the original era - period. :)
my dad used to take screenshots of the coolest looking frames and print them out for me when I was a little shit and I remember being so happy having my "own" lego-catalogue
I know it was just a ploy to get me to buy, but when this franchise was fresh, I was obsessed with these videos and the stories they told. I would spend hours picking out details and trying to figure out the lore.
Anyone else think it's crazy how good the CGI looks for being made almost 20 years ago? Lego was truly ahead of it's time, because it still looks realistic today.
@@thraxxxsd I remember in an interview with the people working on the film they actually talked about why they had to change the designs so It didn't look like an hour and a half commerical. They wanted them to have animated facial features and hands to make it more life-like and engaging.
@@XTheNicksterX It’d look cornier with the facial expressions though. The CGI from the commercials imho was more serious and realistic. To each his own I guess.
Man I remember as a kid when I first popped open my Toa canisters and watched these videos on screen, I was so enthralled with the world. Everything was so mysterious, obscure and handed out bit by bit. It just made you want to find out more about the world of Bionicle.
I love these 90s style renders(I know it’s 2001) with the really dark shadows and the seriousness to them. Reminds me of Jurassic park or Being in a museum. Art is special when you feel like you’re in a whole other mindset.
Here are my casting choices for lego bionicle movie Toa Tahu should be played by Liam Neeson, toa kopaka should be played by Daniel Craig, toa lewa should be played by ewan McGregor, toa gali should be played by Angelina jolie, toa Onua should be played by djomon honsou, toa pohatu should be played by Bruce campbell Turaga vakama should be played by Anthony hopkins, turaga nuju should be played by me, turaga matau should be played by jim cummings, turaga nokama should be played by cate blanchett, turaga whenua should be played by James earl jones, and Turaga onewa should be played by ian mckellen please tell me what do u think of that
My nostalgia from these videos would be to watch them in like 1 frame per second because of the lag when I was playing on a old windows 95/2000 computer
2:26 _"In the Age of the Ancients the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. But then there was Fire, and with fire came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course, light and dark. Then, from the dark, They came..."_
i had the CD of this Bionicle Game. I used to watched this with my mom on her old computer. I didn't know how to use her computer, back then... so i would sit on her knees, and watch it with her. Great madeleine of proust right there
I always loved Kopaka's short. Just him turning around and holding his sword and the avalanche stopping in it's tracks is such a cool way to introduce him.
I never had the pleasure of watching these until recently, but (at the risk of echoing what most people have already said) there is a real sense of mystery surrounding the six Toa here; it makes them seem that much more alien, to an almost creepy degree. That one low, breathy note that plays as each of the Toa's names and masks are displayed just sends chills up my spine. Speaking of chills, Kopaka is easily my favourite Toa. I haven't read any of the earlier books or comics, but I thought his 'lone-wolf' characterisation in Mask of Light was pretty good. Also, Kopaka is the first Bionicle set I ever owned, and I now have every version of him :) Unity, Duty, Destiny. BIONICLE FOREVER!
What I loved most about these toys was the assembly. I had all six of them as a kid. The fun part was you could combine parts of other characters into one super character.
Holy shit, dude. Back when this, and the MNOG was the bit of story I saw in Bionicle, this franchise had SUCH a different atmosphere. I don't wanna say that the movies "ruined" it or anything, but as a kid, I was kind of expecting everyone to talk like something out of Tolkien. Plenty of character, but a great sense of mysticism as well. The first movie felt a little bit more saturday cartoon-ish.
I know. It really felt a lot more mysterious when they didn't have voices, and when we hardly knew anything about the series. This is a blast from the past.
Ya I remember Bionicle before the first movie was very mysterious and seemed so mature at the time. These animations and the comics were so cool and weren't childish or anything. The Bionicle world was so vast and intriguing and that website browser game was the best example of that. I can't find any information on it at all now though. I remember being so disappointed by that movie. They weren't made of the actual Lego pieces and their masks were their faces and everyone talked too much and acted stupid. I was so confused and disappointed, and I was pretty young too so that has to say a lot about how much it dropped the ball.
I remember being in Toys R Us with my mom one day and these happened to be playing on a small TV near the front of the store. Needles to say we both thought these were awesome and I basically got every set for like 5 years straight. Everybody knew.. if you wanted to get me a present as a kid, guy a bionicle. $7-8 well spent lol
Sorry to say you're wrong, but these are actually the correct powers from BioSector01's site: Tahu - Shielding Lewa - Levitation Onua - Strength Kopaka - X-ray vision Pohatu - Speed
Now is Onua the one with poor eyesight in the daytime? The reason I ask this is because I remember reading about Onua and it if I remember correctly it said that his eyesight is pooor in the daytime.
this brings back so many memories. I didn't really play with the toys themselves as much, but I loved reading the Bionicle books and comics. My favorites were Gali, Kopaka and Lewa. I remember reading the Bohrok arc and feeling genuinely concerned. I love how it was this weird blend of sci-fi (robots, kinda?) and mysticism. And also legit sci fi. The OG six toa will always be near and dear to me.
I remember my first toa mata... Pohatu. I was in Toys r' Us and I wanted Tahu but my brother bought the last one so I got Pohatu. Used to have all 6 too. I used to bring Kopaka everywhere. I still own Pohatu, lost his mask and replaced it with a gold Kakama. Good times... *sniff* good times...
2001 @jazzimusprime: i want tahu! @jazzimusprime's brother: i got it! The last one! @jazzimusprime: there's no tahu, at the store! Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! @jazzimusprime: i choose pohatu instead! @jazzimusprime: yay! Pohatu!! Gali, lewa, onua, tahu and kopaka: *dissapears* Kopaka: *goes around the world* Pohatu's mask: *throws into the dumpster* Gold kakama: *clicks on pohatu*
The first toa mata you got: pohatu. There wasnt tahu at toys r us so you got pohatu. You only have 1 toa mata named pohatu. You dont bring kopaka everywhere anymore. You still have pohatu, acheived his golden kakama.
A few years ago I found one of these randomly in a toy store that apparently still had them in stock. Unfortunally they only had Pohatu left and none of the others, but I picked him up. Never wrong to own one of these legends.
Gali: I do not fear the storm for I am the storm. Kopaka: The ice cannot harm me for I am the master of all things cold. Lewa: The stand above even the tallest heights. Onua: There is no darkness I cannot burst out of. Pohatu: Even the smallest rock is a great weapon in my hands. Tahu: The terror of the inferno amuses me.
Wow, brings back memories. I remember I didn't have all of them, so I couldn't unlock all these videos. I found out I can just play them from the cd manually, lol.
These are probably one of the key reasons Bionicle succeeded when it first released. In a sea of "WOAH CRAZY SUPER HIGH SPEED EPIC" commercials, you had these. No narration. No dialogue. The sounds of wind, rain, nature. A figure, exploring a world, engaging with the elements. Two words: a name, and Bionicle. That much intrigue and you have to get the toy to see what the heck its about.
Lego seemed to miss this with the 2015 reboot. They can start simple and slow, but they went too far in the quick and fun direction, leading most to see the figures as random peeps instead of mysterious, powerful heroes.
@@thunderspark1536 It's a shame too, since it's very clear the creative team behind it had a story in mind, with all the books and concept art we ended up getting. Like, did you notice how the Vahi was showing up in all the animations? And did you know the books stated that the G2 version of the Vahi was the *top* half of a mask that was mysteriously missing a bottom half? It's very clear that the people behind the reboot wanted to do a whole ton more with it but somewhere along the pipeline they got worried it wouldn't sell unless there were more colors on screen at once.
NO DUMB KIDS WITH FAKE SMILES AND CONSTANTLY SHOWING SHOTS OF THE PRODUCT IN THE CHILDRENS HANDS
EVERY TIME
LIKE
WHY
I had bionicle as a kid and I thought it was such garbage (still do) … why the fuck people like them they don’t do anything and you can’t build anything with them so pointless why exist
Really cool commercial. I was 10 when these premiered, although I never saw the commercials on TV, but I did see the toys in a store, and I really liked robots. So after some hospital visit, my mom bought me three of these; Onua, Pohatu, and Tahu. I still have them in a box somewhere.
I remember I had a CD of a Bionicle game with all of these videos in it from a cereal box. Those were the days. I would really like to own these!!
Jor Jor 1986 2D platformer, right? If so, I did too!
Keichwoud357 I don't even remember what it looks like lol but cool xD
I actually have the original entire set
avante falgione woeeeez
avante falgione Same here, tho mine are in storage right now. I even have some of the gold masks that they put out in the mask packs. Couldn't afford to get them all, sadly, but they're still.
you don't tend to think of it as a kid, but for the time, just coming out of the 90's, the animation here is pretty astounding
From what I remember of late 90s and early 2000s CGI, it only started to look bad when it was mixed with live action, since this is full CGI you don't lose the immersion as easily (if at all). I'm just wondering how long it took to make the 3D models.
@@MythicSuns I say it looks amazing
@@jswatch9270 As do I, my point is that the clips you see in this video show CGI toa in a CGI environment, which means nothing looks out of place, it's not like in the Star Wars Episode II where it's painfully obvious that the real actors are on a CGI set.
That and the team behind the CGI did pretty much everything right; the landscapes are shaped like real landscapes and even behave like real landscapes (think water animation and leafs blowing in the wind), the lighting behaves like real lighting, and the Toa character models look like the actual Toa lego models.
@@MythicSuns actual in star wars episode 2 the sets are real
@@jswatch9270 ...kinda. They used green scene sets which had CGI effects keyed onto them. There may have been one or two real pieces but a good portion of the sets were CGI, and it really showed on some scenes, particularly this one where the actors just look like they're walking around inside a PS3 game ua-cam.com/video/nStx_RD4tx8/v-deo.html
Well nostalgia just punched me in the face
Tobin Zerby ikr
Me too
Same
@@cryptosporidium01 same
And it kiked me to almost death because I would LOVE to have this NOSTALGIA!!!
Wow. This brings me back. It reminds me why I loved Bionicle so much as a kid. These videos make Mata Nui look like this majestic land of mystery and intrigue. Despite all the dangers of giant purple scorpions, giant flies, and blue boxing dinosaur things on tank treads, I'd still wanna go there.
Sums up my memories about 2001 and 2002 Bionicle perfectly. MNOG was the perfect game to emphasize that feel.
I miss when rahi had tank tracks... Mata Nui was the perfect mix of south-Pacific and mechanical awesome.
Here are my casting choices for lego bionicle movie
Toa Tahu should be played by Liam Neeson,
toa kopaka should be played by Daniel Craig,
toa lewa should be played by ewan McGregor,
toa gali should be played by Angelina jolie,
toa Onua should be played by djomon honsou,
toa pohatu should be played by Bruce campbell
Turaga vakama should be played by Anthony hopkins,
turaga nuju should be played by me,
turaga matau should be played by
jim cummings,
turaga nokama should be played by
cate blanchett,
turaga whenua should be played by
James earl jones,
and Turaga onewa should be played by
ian mckellen
please tell me what do u think of that
@@andyrygalski6156 Here are my casting choices for lego bionicle movie
Toa Tahu should be played by Liam Neeson,
toa kopaka should be played by Daniel Craig,
toa lewa should be played by ewan McGregor,
toa gali should be played by Angelina jolie,
toa Onua should be played by djomon honsou,
toa pohatu should be played by Bruce campbell
Turaga vakama should be played by Anthony hopkins,
turaga nuju should be played by me,
turaga matau should be played by
jim cummings,
turaga nokama should be played by
cate blanchett,
turaga whenua should be played by
James earl jones,
and Turaga onewa should be played by
ian mckellen
please tell me what do u think of that
Even though I loved Bionicle as a kid, and still do. The one thing that keeps me from sharing in your wish is the whole destiny thing. A universe in which everyone's life has a specofic purpose and goal seems so awful to me...
Makuta infected the Rahi. Mata Nui used to be an island paradise with the Matoran and the Turaga. The Toa were their only hope of stopping Makuta.
Is it just me, or were toy commercials better animated than movies back then?
Shrek Movie
-Sad noices
No, I wouldn't say it's just you.
Yeah, it was a fine animation job. Lego had good quality animation back then. The damage in the masks, looks great.
hmmm true
these were not commercials these origin discs came in the tubes.
3:45 ...did Pohatu just moonwalk!?
Yes XD
what a fucking legend
tss3393 Hahahahahaha!!
You're goddamn right he did.
Yeah, even though Michael Jackson never existed in Mata Nui. Maybe there's a Bionicle Michael.
Fun Fact: The Toa Mata's names (Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, Onua, Pohatu, and Tahu) are the Maori words for Hook, Blade, Axe, Claw, Kick, and Flame, respectively.
That's pretty cool.
Wow I didn´t know that.
Kick. Lol that's the element of soccer
Another fun fact: the maori people didn't much appreciate this. I'm pretty sure they ran a lawsuit against lego or something, and from then on, new characters, places, and things couldn't be named using maori words.
@@lucaseichler3140 Yeah... I remember that... the Matorans were originally called the Tohunga or something like that... but after that they got renamed. Thankfully the Toa still got to retain their name or rather Title... "Champion."
Now, this is how to sell a toy. THIS is how to sell a world! I wish the movies had kept this literal and grittier aesthetic like from these shorts and the feature mini-discs that sometimes came in the toy capsules.
What I liked about the original Pohatu figure was that he came with a rock
*_R E A L L Y ! ?_*
He was the only mata set I ever got as a kid, it’s a shame I don’t have him anymore
@@gideonthangcin8179 Pohatu was my first figure I got and now can't restore him because I lost the original Mask
@@BadAssXerx3 there's places where you may buy it, or even in Lego conventions you might find it.
Salut
@@BadAssXerx3, you can buy another Kakama on BrickLink.
Kopaka was my favorite.
+DwayneHicks426 Lewa
+Bonkle1337 for some reason I always thought about Lewa as a vegeta from DBZ type of guy. He was my favourite too. Also, Onua always was the youngest one for me
+Aidan Hodge-McNutt
I wasnt a fan of the movies on account of their vagueness.
The comics were so much better.
Kopaka was a jerk at times, but his mask was cool.
@Aidan: Onua had both common sense and a caring nature. [;)] I think Wairuha should have been him, Gali, and Pohatu. [:P]
Kopaka's the best Toa hands down. A sword and shield- actual weapons of war while everyone else had hooks, claws and steel-toed boots. That, and he was a stone-cold badass with the best looking mask.
For some reason, as a kid I thought his mask let him stop time, but just looked it up to double check and he had X-ray vision. No idea how I got that wrong.
No wonder I was so hype about Bionicle as a kid, these adverts are so atmospheric and badass!
Honestly might be the origin of why I like games with a good atmosphere over story/graphics/gameplay.
They have a vibe that no other time period can claim.
Mata Nui always looked so fun to explore as a kid. I especially like how the Toa have scratches on their masks and faces. It sells that effect of them being a natural part of their world, despite that they're clearly robots making servo noises.
Pohatu, master of moon walk.
I remember as a kid I had the McDonald's versions of these guys and I would play with them all day. Then I found the actual ones at the store and my heart exploded with excitement and I told my mom to buy 3 but she just got one, I was still happy that day though.
+TheSlickkEffect That's nothing. I entered into a contest to get Kopaka because, where I lived, Bionicle wasn't in stock yet. Then, one day, I went into my first Toys R Us and the first thing I saw was Kopaka and I didn't leave the store without that Bionicle in my hands.
+TheSlickkEffect I got ALL of the 2001 sets. When I was 6, my childhood became more awesome than it already was
I also had a McDonald's hewki that one of my mum's coworkers gave me.i thought that how like the transformers have smaller scale figures of the same characters I thought it was pohatu (I didn't know his name at the time but I knew him as a picture)
Which one did you get?
Fun fact: 4 of those McDonald's guys became the 2006-2007 Toa
When I was a kid I really loved Bionicles. They also sold these multi-pack of random masks, and there was a possibility of getting a rare gold mask. I got one for Christmas and it came with a gold Gali mask. I was so excited and loved it all throughout my childhood.
This story got brought up in conversation today and my parents told me they just opened it, spray painted one gold and put it back and glued it shut. Hahaha. Just a funny story I thought I'd share. :)
you can only get the golden masks in the krana and kanohi packs. oh, and it's not a "gali mask", it's a kaukau mask of underwater- breathing.
+Jesús Guerrero probalby superb idea if you ask me
you have clever retorts!
+Josh Jackson Wasn't meant to be clever bud, just meant to get a point across :) don't tell me you actually support people like him who so poorly represent the bionicle community?
Man, you make me wish my childhood was then, too. Unfortunately, I grew up with the Hero Factory franchise. And although I enjoyed it plenty and had good memories, I just wish I grew up in the 2000's instead of the 2010's. The Bionicle sets were much cheaper since the economy wasn't as crashed as it is today. Which means I probably could have had twice the amount of Bionicle as Hero Factory. Also, it's story is just much more engaging, and more happened. I believe that I could have had such a better childhood with Bionicle.- Although it's complex build style would probably leave me scratching my head as a little child. XD
*BIONICLE - best invention by all of mankind* Best memories ever. Loved all the oldschool early 2000s bionicle. Thanks for being a part of my childhood! :D
My personal favorite was the Marhi Nui Team. The deep sea aesthetic appeals to me, plus the figures were just that, figures. No unnecessary gimmicks or weird bendy masks to get in the way of it being a good figure.
When I was small, my mom bought me these guys. As I grew older, I noticed that even the Bionicle grew taller and larger. It's like I grew up with Bionicle growing up by my side.
I've stopped collecting them now. I hope the new generation of Bionicle lovers will learn of the Toa Mata and the huge story they had.
Bionicle, was not just a set of lego toys, it was a legacy.
a true legend :)
I really admire how G1 Bionicle made the sets themselves come alive in the adverts. Sure, in real life they couldn't move that way at all, but it made them look and feel incredibly "alive" from the moment I first ran across them. G2 Bionicle's approach, while it's not bad, doesn't have quite the same effect on me (although I suspect nostalgia has a big hand in that). At least both iterations know what they're trying to do, even if one works better for me than the other.
after all these years... i finally noticed that Pohatu moonwalks at the end of his video...
Yes, I was surprised as well. I can't believe I didn't pay attention long enough to see his... rather out of place choreography.
me 2
Born in '97 here, and this is basically my childhood. My brother, and a best friend of ours (at that age) used to always watch Bionicle. These small clips from Toa Mata were, and still are, so impressive. As a kid I could never get tired of them. I just watched for the first time after almost 20 years, and it's weird because I had no idea what was going to happen, but somehow I still remember every single video of each character. Wasn't there a game on the bionicle website? I spent hours on the computer, trying to save Mata Nui (or so I thought I was).
Yeah there was and it was called Mata Nui online game.
Same, born in 97 I remember them all so clearly
Gali- Mistress of the Waters
Kopaka- Champion of Ice
Pohatu- Stone Soldier
Onua- Earth Guardian
Lewa- Spirit of the sky, air, and the jungle
Tahu- The Lord and Master of Fire
and Takanuva God of Light
I have to give these mad props for the animation that still holds up pretty well today, they quickly establish each character, their powers, and even subtly shows bit's of their personality; Kopaka stops the avalanche at the last second in one quick motion, he's calm. Pohatu kicks a rock like a soccer ball and then moon walks out of the scene, he's cheerful. Tahu jumps down to a river of hot magma and rides it like a surfer, he's got guts.
I also have to emphasize that it's completley show don't tell which is phenominal and adds to the greater feeling of mystery throughout the series. We are introduced to a premise that I don't think anyone has ever done before, a mechanical race living in tribal societies harmoniously with nature, and the heroes have magic connected to natural elemental powers.
Can I get the scene of Keanu Reeves saying "Woah."
I like how pohatu starts moonwalking for no reason at the end of his.
As I kid I did have a problem with the characters speaking in the movies, I liked the atmosphere better in these shorts, the show don't tell kind. I wished the movies where more like this.
They always have been speaking though.
Before the movies even, in the online game.
Thanks for exactly 4 minutes and 48 seconds of pure atmosphere
Pohatu just moonwalking away threw me for such a loop, this is amazing.
Kopaka is still amazing as he was in 2001, that way he froze the avalanche just blew my mind.
Lego really knocked it out of the park with Bionicle toys just haven't been the same without them at least a first 3 evolutions
As much as I'm genuinely enjoying the new BIONICLE of 2015 thus far, 2001 shall always remain my most favourite year out of the original era - period. :)
my dad used to take screenshots of the coolest looking frames and print them out for me when I was a little shit and I remember being so happy having my "own" lego-catalogue
I know it was just a ploy to get me to buy, but when this franchise was fresh, I was obsessed with these videos and the stories they told. I would spend hours picking out details and trying to figure out the lore.
thank you for uploading this. i love Bionicle. wish i still had my sets
Anyone else think it's crazy how good the CGI looks for being made almost 20 years ago? Lego was truly ahead of it's time, because it still looks realistic today.
It's aged surprisingly well, especially compared to other early 2000s animation
They should've used the CGI from the commercials for the movies.
@@thraxxxsd I remember in an interview with the people working on the film they actually talked about why they had to change the designs so It didn't look like an hour and a half commerical. They wanted them to have animated facial features and hands to make it more life-like and engaging.
@@XTheNicksterX It’d look cornier with the facial expressions though. The CGI from the commercials imho was more serious and realistic. To each his own I guess.
I loved Gali and Lewa as a kid. I used to watch these over and over as a kid. I had the little disk that came with the MacDonalds toys (I think)
Man I remember as a kid when I first popped open my Toa canisters and watched these videos on screen, I was so enthralled with the world. Everything was so mysterious, obscure and handed out bit by bit. It just made you want to find out more about the world of Bionicle.
Pohatu moonwalking away like a boss ^^
I agree :) Michael Jackson of the Bionicle World :D
+Kin Thegamer (Kin2444) :D
yes
Pohatu + Fortnite Floss = God himself
@@paraierchestevmnsiem522 I want to facepalm and say no, but I have to agree
I love these 90s style renders(I know it’s 2001) with the really dark shadows and the seriousness to them. Reminds me of Jurassic park or Being in a museum. Art is special when you feel like you’re in a whole other mindset.
The best ever. Even to this day. They were the classic bionicles. I had mata tahu
Oh god the memories !!! (T-T)
My childhood mask of light movie
Lol I got these 2 weeks ago
Same here.
Here are my casting choices for lego bionicle movie
Toa Tahu should be played by Liam Neeson,
toa kopaka should be played by Daniel Craig,
toa lewa should be played by ewan McGregor,
toa gali should be played by Angelina jolie,
toa Onua should be played by djomon honsou,
toa pohatu should be played by Bruce campbell
Turaga vakama should be played by Anthony hopkins,
turaga nuju should be played by me,
turaga matau should be played by
jim cummings,
turaga nokama should be played by
cate blanchett,
turaga whenua should be played by
James earl jones,
and Turaga onewa should be played by
ian mckellen
please tell me what do u think of that
Lego just isn't the same as it was back then.
Who else was randomly brought here by the algorithm 16 years after this video was posted?
My nostalgia from these videos would be to watch them in like 1 frame per second because of the lag when I was playing on a old windows 95/2000 computer
2:26 _"In the Age of the Ancients the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. But then there was Fire, and with fire came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course, light and dark. Then, from the dark, They came..."_
Bionicle had such a creepy dark vibe, both then and even more so now...
i had the CD of this Bionicle Game. I used to watched this with my mom on her old computer. I didn't know how to use her computer, back then... so i would sit on her knees, and watch it with her. Great madeleine of proust right there
The cd broke in half, her computer is now rusty and dusty, and the screen is broken.
I always loved Kopaka's short. Just him turning around and holding his sword and the avalanche stopping in it's tracks is such a cool way to introduce him.
Honestly, that scene was the only one I remembered almost perfectly until nowadays..
So nostalgic. These mysterious promos had me hooked as a kid. As soon as they did the damn McDonalds happy meal Matoran promo I was fully invested
I never had the pleasure of watching these until recently, but (at the risk of echoing what most people have already said) there is a real sense of mystery surrounding the six Toa here; it makes them seem that much more alien, to an almost creepy degree. That one low, breathy note that plays as each of the Toa's names and masks are displayed just sends chills up my spine.
Speaking of chills, Kopaka is easily my favourite Toa. I haven't read any of the earlier books or comics, but I thought his 'lone-wolf' characterisation in Mask of Light was pretty good. Also, Kopaka is the first Bionicle set I ever owned, and I now have every version of him :) Unity, Duty, Destiny. BIONICLE FOREVER!
What I loved most about these toys was the assembly. I had all six of them as a kid. The fun part was you could combine parts of other characters into one super character.
Holy shit, dude.
Back when this, and the MNOG was the bit of story I saw in Bionicle, this franchise had SUCH a different atmosphere.
I don't wanna say that the movies "ruined" it or anything, but as a kid, I was kind of expecting everyone to talk like something out of Tolkien. Plenty of character, but a great sense of mysticism as well.
The first movie felt a little bit more saturday cartoon-ish.
The third movie was gold.
kira64
I enjoyed that one enough.
My favourite was and still is the second one, though.
Minigun101
Heh.
I getcha.
I know. It really felt a lot more mysterious when they didn't have voices, and when we hardly knew anything about the series. This is a blast from the past.
Ya I remember Bionicle before the first movie was very mysterious and seemed so mature at the time. These animations and the comics were so cool and weren't childish or anything. The Bionicle world was so vast and intriguing and that website browser game was the best example of that. I can't find any information on it at all now though. I remember being so disappointed by that movie. They weren't made of the actual Lego pieces and their masks were their faces and everyone talked too much and acted stupid. I was so confused and disappointed, and I was pretty young too so that has to say a lot about how much it dropped the ball.
My childhood 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Always loved watching them putting on their masks!
it’s crazy this was uploaded 16 years ago
and the videos themselves are 22 years old
Most Toa: Mysterious, slightly threatening mood.
Pohato: Football and moonwalking.
This brings back so many memories I used to collect them all and enjoy watching the promos on my computer, thanks for uploading this.
i can say my childhood was AWESOME! thanks Bionicle!!
Seeing this in adult eyes makes me realize one thing:
Pohatu fricking moonwalks away. XD I love it.
These videos have a unique feel to them. Just a cool character doing cool shit. Nothing more nothing less
Watching these makes me feel like a kid again :')
Ah the nostalgia
same I just watched it for the first time in over 10 years. The feels.. I wish I was a kid again lol
childhood, how i miss you' we will meet again.
20 years....nothing will ever be as awesome
I used to love these toys! Played with them nonstop, I remember connecting them together and making one huge super machine.
Anyone here just randomly searching for childhood toy commercials? I remember when I saw this when I was 9.
I watched these so many times as a kid, It's burned into my memory.
Anyone else remember the Bionicle comics about these guys? Epic as a kid.
Jason Murillo Me! XD
I sure as hell do!
I remember something about a evil tree. Very vaguely.
Bornstellar Makes Desired Future qqq
Allan Friis Hansen Found it: www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3406305 Took me a good while though considering there's so much.
I remember watching these videos over and over on the bionicle website
I remember being in Toys R Us with my mom one day and these happened to be playing on a small TV near the front of the store. Needles to say we both thought these were awesome and I basically got every set for like 5 years straight. Everybody knew.. if you wanted to get me a present as a kid, guy a bionicle. $7-8 well spent lol
Man what a blast from the past, I remember as a kid I watch those little videos like 1000 times
Bionicles were like the best toys ever made
Ohh bionicly du hast mein Kindheit begleitet, bin so dankbar gabs dich damals
Tahu mask = improve power and balance
Gali mask = underwater breath and climbing skill
Onua mask = improve digging skill and night vision
Lewa mask = improve agility and speed
Kopaka mask = improve smartness
Pohatu mask = improve moonwalking skill o_O
Sorry to say you're wrong, but these are actually the correct powers from BioSector01's site:
Tahu - Shielding
Lewa - Levitation
Onua - Strength
Kopaka - X-ray vision
Pohatu - Speed
Now is Onua the one with poor eyesight in the daytime? The reason I ask this is because I remember reading about Onua and it if I remember correctly it said that his eyesight is pooor in the daytime.
Swampert Gabbi haha funny good one
hilarious.
Dream Extracter and epic moonwalking XD
this brings back so many memories. I didn't really play with the toys themselves as much, but I loved reading the Bionicle books and comics. My favorites were Gali, Kopaka and Lewa. I remember reading the Bohrok arc and feeling genuinely concerned. I love how it was this weird blend of sci-fi (robots, kinda?) and mysticism. And also legit sci fi. The OG six toa will always be near and dear to me.
4:37 "Why don't we take a closer look at those falls?!"
Watch in 144p for the authentic experience.
4:03 now THAT is how you sell a kids toy, I refuse to believe there's a kid out there that doesn't find the idea of a robot surfing on lava awesome!
I like how pohatu does the moonwalk in his character video
I remember my first toa mata... Pohatu. I was in Toys r' Us and I wanted Tahu but my brother bought the last one so I got Pohatu. Used to have all 6 too. I used to bring Kopaka everywhere. I still own Pohatu, lost his mask and replaced it with a gold Kakama. Good times... *sniff* good times...
2001 @jazzimusprime: i want tahu!
@jazzimusprime's brother: i got it! The last one!
@jazzimusprime: there's no tahu, at the store! Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
@jazzimusprime: i choose pohatu instead!
@jazzimusprime: yay! Pohatu!!
Gali, lewa, onua, tahu and kopaka: *dissapears*
Kopaka: *goes around the world*
Pohatu's mask: *throws into the dumpster*
Gold kakama: *clicks on pohatu*
The first toa mata you got: pohatu. There wasnt tahu at toys r us so you got pohatu. You only have 1 toa mata named pohatu. You dont bring kopaka everywhere anymore. You still have pohatu, acheived his golden kakama.
I still remember seeing these videos on one of these mini cd's back in the days, freaking loved it
I’ve never noticed pohatu moonwalking till today
This just popped up in my recommended.
The nostalgia hit me like a freight train going mach 5. God do i miss bionicle and the simpler times.
nostalgia meltdown
Getting mad Ground Zeroes vibes when Gali claimed that cliff with those glowing yellow eyes.
“Kept you waiting, huh?”
A few years ago I found one of these randomly in a toy store that apparently still had them in stock. Unfortunally they only had Pohatu left and none of the others, but I picked him up. Never wrong to own one of these legends.
I died of nostalgia watching this.
Holy molly, when I saw Onua just EXTERMINATING the dirt in the tunnel, it was unexpected at least...
I love how Pohatu moonwalks away.
I kinda want Kopaka. Love its design. I miss Bionicles :(
I haven't felt this much nostalgia in a really long time. Thanks :)
I remember thinking Kopaka was such a badass.
Gali: I do not fear the storm for I am the storm.
Kopaka: The ice cannot harm me for I am the master of all things cold.
Lewa: The stand above even the tallest heights.
Onua: There is no darkness I cannot burst out of.
Pohatu: Even the smallest rock is a great weapon in my hands.
Tahu: The terror of the inferno amuses me.
It's amazing to see how far 3d animation has come.
This brings back memories!
OMG THANKS FOR COMPILING EVERYTHING AND UPLOADING!!!!!!!!!
good old memories.. :) 4:10 is way too epic for a kid in the early 2000's
Man, this takes me back... :)
I was 9 or 10 when this came out. Now I'm almost 30. *I feel old.*
You are not the only one.
Wow I still remember when I first saw the green one when I was in elementary school visiting family in Louisiana back in this decade.
I don't remember where I got the CD but I watched this videos over and over!
Wow, brings back memories.
I remember I didn't have all of them, so I couldn't unlock all these videos. I found out I can just play them from the cd manually, lol.
I remember thinking kopaka was just the absolute coolest of the bunch
Him Onua were my favorites, I liked their contrast in biomes.
Why the hell did this appear in my algorithm 16 years later.
Here i am again, on another nostalgia tour... god damnit.
Here in 2024 rebuilding my Bionicle collection. Thank You for this nostalgic video!