Join the Toa as they don their masks and head out on incredible adventures in the best LEGO Bionicle games to play today!
When LEGO Bionicle released way back in late 2000 and early 2001, they took the world by storm becoming some of the best selling construction kits ever made. With their more intricate design and lore behind the characters, these became fan-favorites among the slightly older target market.
In fact, at the time, LEGO was on the verge of failure, and the huge number of sales and subsequent revenue that Bionicle raised ushered in a new era for the company. They were, however, discontinued in 2010 due to falling interest, and even a reboot in 2016 didn’t bring the spark back.
Because these sets were so popular to begin with though, akin to the Star Wars franchise sets, they also received their own video games for Bionicle lovers to enjoy. Here, we’ll be detailing the best LEGO Bionicle games that were ever released so you can revel in some biomechanical fun.
Table of Contents
1. Bionicle Heroes (2006)
Yes, that’s right, even though we’ve already featured Bionicle Heroes on this best LEGO Bionicle games list, the Game Boy Advance variant of the title is not only different, it’s actually even better, taking the number one spot on this beset LEGO Bionicle games list.
Contrary to the home console release, the Game Boy Advance version of Bionicle Heroes is a run-and-gun type game rather than a LEGO Star Wars clone per se. This gives it an extra edge in the comparison of the two, and probably opens it up to more people as a whole.
Moreover, there’s so much action for a Game Boy game, putting it ahead of its time in some regards.
You’re constantly firing as many bullets as humanly possible to push back enemy forces, which can get repetitive at times, but with varying aspects such as collectibles, allowing you to unlock fun new guns, this can be forgiven.
Once you complete the game, you can also go back in Free Play mode and replay as many levels as you like which is pretty fantastic.
2. Bionicle: The Game (2003)
The game with the simplest name makes its way into our list as the runner-up. This one lets you play as a Bionicle in a fully 3D environment, doing the usual platforming stuff
There’s combat to enjoy, collectibles to find, and some interesting features such as elemental absorption that is fairly unique in its delivery.
The one real downside with this one is that it is incredibly short. You can probably get a run in from start to finish within three hours which for a fully fledged console release is quite poor.
However, if you’re just looking for some Bionicle fun and have made a New Year’s resolution to yourself to complete every game you start like I have, it couldn’t be more perfect.
3. Bionicle Heroes (2006)
If you’re a fan of the LEGO Star Wars titles, then Bionicle Heroes will be right up your alley.Some may even describe Heroes as a LEGO Star Wars clone, and those people would be mostly right.
It pulls a bunch of elements directly from that set of games, albeit with altered names, aiming to replicate the acclaim they received. You’ll be collecting a more refined version of Studs, Canisters – its version of Minikits, and more.
One big departure though is that Bionicle Heroes uses an over the shoulder third person camera akin to that of Gears of War.
This does provide it with a unique twist compared to LEGO Star Wars, and when you pair this with other gameplay elements such as the Bionicle combat, there are enough differences between the two franchises. Despite its shortcomings, Bionicle Heroes is fun on the whole, and might be the most ‘free’ feeling Bionicle game out there.
4. Bionicle: Matoran Adventures (2002)
The second Bionicle game to make it onto the Game Boy Advance – Bionicle: Matoran Adventures, is probably the title that is the biggest outlier compared to the others in this list.
This is because it is a 2D platformer, almost Donkey Kong Country-esque, with a few more puzzle elements.
While a little short, the game is an overall enjoyable experience, and it more than deserves its place in this roundup. If you’ve still got a Game Boy Advance laying around, you can pick up a good-conditioned boxed copy pretty cheap, so no real reason not to give it a try!
5. LEGO Bionicle (2001)
LEGO Bionicle (known as Lego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa in the UK) had a bit of a rough start when it released in 2001 for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
Actually, it wasn’t initially named LEGO Bionicle: Quest for the Toa at all. Instead, it was called LEGO Bionicle: Tales of the Tohunga, but upon some serious pushback from Māori groups the creators saw to make things right by altering the title.
While this controversy surrounded the game at the time, some gameplay elements were pretty decent. Like other games released on the Game Boy Advance in this era, Quest for the Toa is an isometric platformer tasking you to make it around various levels, avoiding pitfalls and defeating any enemies.
Its biggest strengths lie not in its core gameplay loop but instead in its minigames which are quite frankly stellar.
Moreover, considering it was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2001, the graphics are brilliant, especially compared to other games of this ilk. There’s even some character creation too!