Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Ok, here it is. Hero Factory. The Replacement of the Legendary Bionicle. once it started out, people cried foul. The series of not-so-posible robots was off to a clunky start, and with the early promise of a tv show to follow, we didn't know what to think. bear with me as I unload what I know about hero fctory, from then to now.

These are the first out of the gate. The names alone made me run away from them. Preston Stormer? Jimmy Stringer? Come on, all the creativity gone already? Lets face it, I'm looking at lego power rangers! At first I was a bit ashamed, but then the baddies came along! And boy were they ever cool and fun to build, and posible to boot!

Von Nebula. Classic bad guy name, with a Classic bad guy game, revenge, power, concealment, the whole deal. Only by working together could the Hero factory team bring him down.
After the first five episodes, I liked what I saw. Potential. Like Power Rangers, but cool.
Fast Forwarding on down the line here to 2.0.

This is were things got interesting for me. I know next to nothing about the 2.0 story accept that the min baddy is known as "The Fire Lord"

But I will know the story in time. what I DO Know is they brought back combination in 2.0.
The figures, on the other hand, came barreling off of the lego assembly line armed and fully posable. My only problem was that they were very VERY Simply constructed, all it was was pop pop pop done, and they didn't bring back jimmy, who after much making fun of his name, oddly became my favorite. I still have the 1.0 figure of him. Solid.
On to 3.0, otherwise known as Savage Planetz. Basically, they are on a hunt for Aldous Witch, otherwse known as "The Witch Doctor.

And the Heros have never looked better (Oh, and Jimmy's back!)

And on another note they can still combine with one another like in 2.0. And Rocka gets some kinda upgrade

Evenually they stop the witch doctor and all is well.
Until we find out who the Black Phantom is anyway. Anyhow, Remember, Bionicle replaced the Throw Bots
Couldn't get a working picture on this computer
So if your a lego fan, I Recomend giving hero factory a try.
Hope you found this interesting, or mind changing, or both. Still, I wish this WAS Bionicle, but like, future or future relatives or something, but that's not the case, so, If you DO Pick up a Hero Factory Figure, tell me your honest thoughts.

I'm sorry, but Hero Factory killed nearly everything good about Bionicle for me. I've bought four Hero Factory sets in all, but I think that they're cutting off the age range from 6-16 to 5-10. I have the first Stormer, Furno, Stringer, and I have Stormer 2.0. They're good and all, but they just don't feel the same. I hate the theme of "Superhero robots built to save the city from bad guys! Yay!". I liked the more mysterious, occult type of theme in Bionicle. It was a lot darker and more serious. Plus, Lego lost my trust after all the crap Bionicles I bought between 2007 and 2010. The damn sockets crumbled apart. The new sockets four years later are much better, but a little too late.

I refuse to acknowledge HeroFactory.

I have tons of Bionicle stuff and they just killed it after Glatorian legends. I want my Bionicle back.

I myself have learnt to accept HF. The story might be something made up a by a 7 year old, but it's a toyline marketed to 7+ year olds, so it works better than the awesome, yet amazingly confusing, plot Bionicle had.

Besides, we've gotten some awesome new pieces in the HF sets. Ever since the 2.0 Heroes came out, the new ball-and-socket oriented building process has yet to fail me.

On my 2007-2010 Bionicle sets, I had to handle the socket joints like they had mild Gold Plastic Syndrome, but with the new, resigned ones, I have yet to even hear a squeak or crackle.

All in all, I'm glad that LEGO decided to try designing something new instead of making more Inika-body clones and Av-Matoran recolors.

(and BTW, I am a huge Bionicle nerd. I've been with the story since 2002 up until today, and caught up with 2001 as well)

robofreak wrote:I refuse to acknowledge HeroFactory.

I have tons of Bionicle stuff and they just killed it after Glatorian legends. I want my Bionicle back.

I agree. I actually almost left Bionicle in 2009 because I simply didn't like all of the "change", but I ended up collecting all 12 Glatorians and all 6 Agori. Then I bought the 6 Stars and waited for word on new sets which resulted in sobbing for days.
No, I didn't cry, but when they killed Bionicle and I saw their replacements, I face-palmed.

all this pent-up rage on hero factory can't hide the simple truth...
Bionicle died when glatorian legends started up. They technically died for me after they took all the gears and mechanics out. Ignika was terrible to me...

Ugh.. I just can't.

I was in a bit of a spiral after the first Metru Nui sets.. didn't really get into anything after, until Phantoka showed up. Then it just got me totally back into the Universe. Went back and started collecting the Toas from the series before. And then after Mistika.. it was just, oh, sorry, we're done. Disappoint.

Just glad I got to have Tahu, Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, Onua, Pohatu and Takanuva in their redone forms. Surprised it took 5+ years for them to get figures again, but I took it. I still have to go back and collect a bunch of the sets, like the original Takanuva and the Bahrag twins, but I think I'll just clean up from Mata Nui -> Metru Nui and stop it at the Visorak saga.

Reminds me that I need to catch up on the final story fiction.

And wow, has it been like 6 years since the Toa Mahri, and are they still using the same body chassis piece for HF? Sad.

Damn, seeing all this again makes me want to army build Bohrok....

Blurrz wrote:Ugh.. I just can't.

I was in a bit of a spiral after the first Metru Nui sets.. didn't really get into anything after, until Phantoka showed up. Then it just got me totally back into the Universe. Went back and started collecting the Toas from the series before. And then after Mistika.. it was just, oh, sorry, we're done. Disappoint.

Just glad I got to have Tahu, Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, Onua, Pohatu and Takanuva in their redone forms. Surprised it took 5+ years for them to get figures again, but I took it. I still have to go back and collect a bunch of the sets, like the original Takanuva and the Bahrag twins, but I think I'll just clean up from Mata Nui -> Metru Nui and stop it at the Visorak saga.

Reminds me that I need to catch up on the final story fiction.

And wow, has it been like 6 years since the Toa Mahri, and are they still using the same body chassis piece for HF? Sad.

Damn, seeing all this again makes me want to army build Bohrok....

What body piece are you talking about? True they do use the same idea (two arm connectors, two leg connectors, a neck connector, and some peg holes throughout)
but the new body pieces are significantly different, with very little sculpted detail in the way of pistons and gears, being little more than a frame to place armor on.
(This is great for builders, as there are fewer bits of sculpted detail to get in the way, but it makes the sets look amazingly bland and empty from behind)

Ah, so it's a bit different then, but worse? That's disappointing.

Blurrz wrote:Ugh.. I just can't.

I was in a bit of a spiral after the first Metru Nui sets.. didn't really get into anything after, until Phantoka showed up. Then it just got me totally back into the Universe. Went back and started collecting the Toas from the series before. And then after Mistika.. it was just, oh, sorry, we're done. Disappoint.

Just glad I got to have Tahu, Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, Onua, Pohatu and Takanuva in their redone forms. Surprised it took 5+ years for them to get figures again, but I took it. I still have to go back and collect a bunch of the sets, like the original Takanuva and the Bahrag twins, but I think I'll just clean up from Mata Nui -> Metru Nui and stop it at the Visorak saga.

Reminds me that I need to catch up on the final story fiction.

And wow, has it been like 6 years since the Toa Mahri, and are they still using the same body chassis piece for HF? Sad.

Damn, seeing all this again makes me want to army build Bohrok....

yeah, the original Takanuva and the Bahrag twins were amazing sets! It's stuff like that I'll truly miss in the long run. It seems that Hero Factory is Bionicle's replacement for the same reason DOTM Figures are so simple: It's more appealing to children.
I can stand it, I even like alot of it, but the feeling Bionicle gave me back when it was in it's prime can never really be replaced. I liked the originals the most, and I was enthralled with them. When "The mask of Light" the movie came out, along with all those old comics and the new designs and bad guys, I felt like it was moving forward, but It always kept it's core feel, and not to mention the gear mechanics.
After the metro-nui saga ended, and Piraka and Ignika started up though, That's when I started to feel like, The story's still good, but the toys are suffering...
and it suffered from that since then, until it's end.
There were quite a few awesome sets in those series, I won't lie. But for me, After Metro Nui, it seemed... Different.
The one thing that made me get back into it around Phantoka, then backtrack was the damn promotional commercials.


What is not cool about these!? And when I read their names, Nostalgia took over.
When Bionicle stoped, I felt a bit broke.
but hero factory started up, and Iv'e been collecting the BIGGER Sets and slipping them in with my other bionicles. Sets like the witch doctor for example, Lame name, Awesome set, and totally fits in with the other bionicles. He's currently being stared down by brutaka as we speak...

Aye buddy, those videos are killer, and the Mahri one totally sold me on the sets. Kinda interested in just completing the current Order of Mata Nui, but damn, that's still a handful. There's also Axonn and Brutuka - Anyone have those sets, and want to comment on them?

Blurrz wrote:Aye buddy, those videos are killer, and the Mahri one totally sold me on the sets. Kinda interested in just completing the current Order of Mata Nui, but damn, that's still a handful. There's also Axonn and Brutuka - Anyone have those sets, and want to comment on them?

Brutaka is DEF. Worth it.
Axonn is an amazing figure, but you need them both, along with "The seventh Piraka" So you can combine them as well as keep them seperate.
EDIT*
Look up Vezon and Kardas.
That's all three sets in one big box, and instructions on how to combine them all.

That looks huge.. tempting.

Yeah, those where three awesome sets. Unfortunately, they have been lost to neglect, snapping socket joints and hard play. (What? I was 12 years old)

I may try and pick them back up on Ebay, if I can find them for a sane price.

Anyone still have one of these guys?
EDIT*
Can this thread be re-naimed Hero Factory and Bionicle discussion? I like the conversation, but I don't want it to de-rail the thread.

I have one. I need five more...

Blurrz wrote:I have one. I need five more...

I Know the feeling.
Oh, and thanks for the name change!
Another set I HIGHLY Recommend? Well, this guy gets the shaft ALOT, but the original Makuta is beast.

Their return wasn't un-foreseen, right?
Anyhow, here's a look at what's to come:

you guy's may not be HF Fans, but hey, at least you get a pair of makeshift stasis cuffs with every hero!

I'll have to admit, the Hero Factory "4.0" looks much better than the past year. But I still don't know if I'm going to buy any. But seriously, the Zamor sphere and the Thornax launcher could use a retirement.

Any way, seeing the Mahri and Phantoka videos really brings back the great memories of several years ago when I had become a diehard Bionicle fan. Those were probably the best two years of Bionicle in my opinion. I originally didn't like the new ideas in 2009, but I ended up collecting all 12 Glatorian and all 6 Agori. I also ended up buying the 6 lame "Stars". Then they killed the whole thing...

OptiMagnus wrote:I'll have to admit, the Hero Factory "4.0" looks much better than the past year. But I still don't know if I'm going to buy any. But seriously, the Zamor sphere and the Thornax launcher could use a retirement.

Any way, seeing the Mahri and Phantoka videos really brings back the great memories of several years ago when I had become a diehard Bionicle fan. Those were probably the best two years of Bionicle in my opinion. I originally didn't like the new ideas in 2009, but I ended up collecting all 12 Glatorian and all 6 Agori. I also ended up buying the 6 lame "Stars". Then they killed the whole thing...

I Like the new armor designs. Breeze has the best IMO, full coverage. The shoulders are rounded, wich almost makes them look knightly, all while giving them back their original masks, 2.0 posability, and the new armor designs, all and all, I like it so far. Still, I don't think they have fixed the "Hollow" feel of them yet...

ALways wanted to have the guys that appeared in the mask light movie.(and the others movies and video-games too.)

Here are my Gold Toa Mata;

Blurrz wrote:Here are my Gold Toa Mata;

I Remember this.
Wasn't getting those gold masks a wild goose chase? I Liked the idea though, random boxes of random masks. An Idea that could still work if they used it to this day.

Actually i cheated. I only got the Tahu and Onua Gold masks in the crazy blindpacked boxes. A couple years back, I didn't feel like forking over $50 on eBay for a chance at getting the other four gold masks, so I just painted the others. As you can tell, I think I did a better job on the Gali mask...

Blurrz wrote:Actually i cheated. I only got the Tahu and Onua Gold masks in the crazy blindpacked boxes. A couple years back, I didn't feel like forking over $50 on eBay for a chance at getting the other four gold masks, so I just painted the others. As you can tell, I think I did a better job on the Gali mask...

Takes away a bit from the gali mask though. To me, the apeal was the fact that it was translucent. I Actually have 2 translucent glitter-gold masks of light, I use them as Shoulder Armour peices on this Taka-nuva moc-up that's not quite finished, but I'm told there particularly rare...