Honestly, looking at it in retrospect, MNOG didn't have any reason to be as amazing as it was. But everyday since I'm glad that we had a flash game that tried it's hardest to be more than what it was. It wasn't just an interactive advertisement for a bunch of plastic figurines, it was a tale of hardship and courage, of destiny and unity. It's audience may have been children but the story of Bionicle didn't treat them like idiots, it wanted to give them something that they could latch onto and hold in their minds for years. Something that I think could not be topped by any other toyline, Lego or otherwise. We were more lucky than we realized and I'll always appreciate Bionicle because of it.
It didn't treat us as idiots- it tried to hold it's audience to a higher standard of storytelling then is given to most child's playthings. It succeed.
Actually it had too, since Bionicle was made during the years Lego almost went bankrupt, they needed Bionicle to succeed, so a good flash game that builds onto the world needed to be amazing
@@xXx_Regulus_xXxseems like they haven't made anything, the website provides old product tie in games, the twitters last post was 3 years ago, and the wiki page is dormant
I'm legitimately sad I'll never have the same sense of wonder and discovery that I had playing this game for the first time as a child, we didn't know how good we had it
@@essengerbionicle It's unfortunate I've got a photographic memory... Most things I like I can only truly watch once and then I know the beats of the story and text 5 minutes before it happens again. I don't recall playing this before, maybe a minute or two, but I would have remembered the boxor. Might give it a go in the future.
Anybody else remember that weird Technic/Mindstorms game that they made where the character's a janitor on a ship that crashes onto an uncharted planet in the solar system, and they have to send commands to their cool robots to go explore the uncharted wilderness and crash sites in order to place a rescue beacon in orbit? Whoever was in charge of coordinating and suggesting all these games was a genius.
@@smallboyahoy I'd have to go and investigate, might take a while. I used to know because I played the game religiously until completion as a kid, and it more or less helped awaken a love of scifi when I was younger.
The wildest thing was that this kept all our interest despite being released incrementally and there being no Twitter or central social media to announce updates. My 6 year old self just kept checking in each week on my own to see if the dudes had finished mining the tunnel yet.
That was the best part! That feeling when you found something new was amazing. And, it meant that you couldn't just rush through the whole thing in one sitting. The reason we remember it all so well is because we played it over months, instead of an hour.
For me, I grew up with it during the 2006-2008 era, but I remember playing MNOG on the Bionicle website and being completely enamored with it. Very few things can evoke nostalgia like this game.
I’m sad that I never got to experience much of Bionicle lore until I saw the movies as a kid, but experiencing it all as an adult was amazing because of that I think
Tell the tale, Preserve the literature, Keep circulating the tapes. There was always a new generation that can be enamored the same way we were back in the time before time.
This moves me not just because of the nostalgia, but also because it is so apparent that LEGO put so much passion, creativity, and wonder into this first year, and it’s so readily apparent. These weren’t robots; they were biomechanical, with heart and soul, and complex designs that still capture the imagination today. Healthy or not, I haven’t gone a month without listening to the MNOG soundtrack at the gym, just to experience a tiny fraction of that wonderful dopamine it produced more than two decades ago. Thanks for your content my man!
@@ianhorvath5791 This might not be what you're looking for, but this is the playlist I generally listen to when I'm feeling the MNOG mood. It's the most complete and least compressed that I've found, but it's not 'cd quality', but that hardly detracts from it IMHO. ru-vid.com/group/PLUPGCsWJPPmJkbP0b0VYA_AC8KzVEvry6 I recall reading somewhere that the original composer of the MNOG/MNOGII soundtrack lost the hard drive on which they were stored, so it's lost media unless someone recreates it.
I'll admit it, when the game ended when I played it as a child, I cried because I was sad I couldn't live on Mata Nui with them. Kinda like "Post-Avatar Depression" after people left the theater in 2009, wishing they could live on Pandora. You just wish you could live there, and you feel sad that that reality is never coming.
There should be an easy to access repository of The old schoolastic books, movies, and flash games. A place that we can direct those curious enough to enter the fandom to really immerse themselves. Discover the world the same way we did back in 2001
This game and Bionicle in general still live rent-free in my head and experiencing MNOG as a kid and again as an adult is a big reason for that. Thank you for this trip back to the good times :3
Truly a work of art. I didn't get to play it when it came out because I was pretty much a baby. Fortunately, I got to play it thanks to the biomediaproject. It's awesome to be part of the Bionicle community because so many creative and passionate people keep creating visuals, videos, MOCs. Bionicle has never really died in my opinion, the fandom truly keeps on carrying the Legend of the Bionicle through so many content creators like you, it's heartwarming.
The only thing I wish that Lego had done more was make multiple chapter sequels for the Mata Nui Online Game to give people more reasons to explore the island we've all grown to love. I love the Bohrok animations, but I wish I could have lived them like how I lived the Quest for the Masks. Still, I'm thankful for what we got in the end. This game was the best part of my young childhood. I remember taking time out of my day to go visit the local Library just so I could play this game whenever I could, so I got to watch firsthand as the game slowly developed, adding chapter after chapter over the weeks and months leading to its finale. It's still on my bucket list to someday try and recreate this amazing game that every one of us fans loves.
A true beauty. Been bugging a good friend of mine recently about Bionicle and how good it is. Reccomended a couple sets for him to pick up along with checking out the flash game. Very happy to have gotten yet another friend of mine into this beautiful theme.
This was wonderful. Felt absolute goosebumps when the Ta-Matoran guard came to the fight at Kini-Nui. And Maku + Huki and Jala + Hahli are totally together.
I've been playing MNOG since 2007 and every year I played through it again at least once, till last year I was too busy with crazy life events that I had no time for any games. This has inspired me to start the tradition again 💙
It's incredible to me that LEGO was able to pull off such good animation in an ancient version of Flash. It's perfectly stylized to look good while still being very limited and minimalist.
There is a great sovl that comes with the flash of old. It is an era gone now only to be fondly remembered like this here, its all we can do now is look back and remember with a smile
I still love the flash games till this day and have so many memories with it. When I was a very young kid, I was only allowed to play for 30 min on PC and I had to play this game so often, that I managed it one time to beat it in about 30 min. I once went to the telescope because I had nothing to do and fell asleep to the sounds. When Taipu managed to break through the wall to create a road to Le-Koro, I was so happy seeing the light pouring in. I started actually learning the Matoran Alphabet, so I could easier find the ways in the game. The fight between Onua and Lewa is still awesome till this day. The first time I reached the snow storm area of Mount Ihu to find Matoro... man the struggles XD The battles of Kini Nui of the Matoran and Toa were just awesome. And the ending... god. I remember the first time reaching it and I loved the sounds of the music and firework so much I just sat there as long as I could XD This game is just so damn legendary, I love it. I wanted to play MNOG 1.5 too, but I never found a full version, even on BMP back then. Not sure if it's finished now and MNOG 2 I still play sometimes if I just want to travel and grind/craft stuff :)
I don't know if anything will capture the magic that bionicle had, but seeing so many people keeping the spirit and memory of it alive gives me hope for what people will one day create in the future.
In our lifetimes? Maybe there will be something that has the magic, but ultimately, that's what makes it magical: It's one of a kind. And perhaps, to not squander it, we should cherish it rather than hope to endlessly bring it back with deminishing returns.
Checking my messages on here I thought this video's title was a reply to me from somebody on some video's comment's section. I was about to go off so hard XD Yeah, it's a Flash Game, but it's the absolute best damn Flash Game there ever was. Getting to live the adventures, see the communities of the island, help out the Toa, rollercoaster into that climax that's sort of ported over from the never-to-be Computer Game, and realize that the guy you're playing as at the end is the same guy from the Gameboy Advance game establishing Takua as essentially the main character of the original years as you see him develop into a hero himself. It's not only just a great Flash Game, it's one of the greatest experiences I've ever had.
This reminds me of how much of a moron I was, all I did for like an hour every other day was collect shells and flax to sell for widgets, got bored, didn't play for a while, and then came back and realised you were supposed to fix the bridge and, you know, play the actual rest of the game.
I wish I had played it when it came out but I didn't know how to speak in English at the time. Thank god Biomedia Project rescued this game when I learned
Man, I've always looked back to this game. First time I've ever played it, I felt as though I was brought into the world itself. Little 8-9 year old me was HOOKED. School would start kicking my butt, and my mother, and suddenly I vanished from the world. I still thought about it though. I'd say a year passed since then, and I decided to hop back into it. I was stuck on a mission, but I decided to take a hike around all land that I've touched. Still hit by the warm atmosphere. It was calming. Little mini-games were all there was to enjoy. Some time passed since the last visit. And out of nowhere, the world has vanished. I later found out that flash was gone. And so we're the archives of my warm and comforting world. I'm not gonna lie, I was disappointed. And this same feeling carried with me for years to pass. But I do feel accomplished that someone out there; this person of this video, has shared the same emotions and experiences that little me did. And I am glad that it's archived in a splendidly made video. Thank you 🥹
I was there. I was there when Takua took his first steps on the shores of Mata Nui. I was there when there when Gali protected her people from the rahi. I was there when Pohatu raced back into the desert, the infected Comets no longer an issue for his people. I was there when the braves of Le-Koro rode against the rahi swarms, and when Lewa struggled against an infected Kanohi. I was there when Kopaka appeared before us in the blizzard. I never got to finish my journey with Takua. But I was there. I know that sandy shore. I know those winding caves. I know those rivers of lava. It would be nice to go back someday.
I was only 3 when the Mata first landed, missing out on the sets and never had a computer to play the games... but with this video, i feel like i can still be a part of them. We'll never forget the adventures and journeys we had and MADE ourselves... who knew little bits of plastic would bring so much joy and community... and i love every moment. Thank you for this ^-^ And congratulations on making the big time Essenger, cant wait to see what you and Cryoshell create next!
I’m so grateful I got to experience the Bionicle craze at the very beginning. To a lot of people, it’a just a line of Lego toys but to me, it was an incredibly immersive experience. You could feel the love put into the design, the lore, the games, and the music ❤️❤️❤️
I really wish I could have experienced playing the flash games as a kid, but sadly I was literally too young (like.... one year old 😅😭) but hey, I'm glad that I finally got into Bionicle as a young adult now! I might not have the same feeling of wonder when playing/watching the flash games like other folks, but hey I'm still blown away by the lovely clean-cut art direction and the overall charm of the flash games! 💕
Just beat it. I was really little when Bionicle was in its golden age, so I didn't play this as a child, but playing it for the first time now was still amazing. Mata Nui is now safe from the threat of the Rahi, but I fear I/Takua may have awoken a greater danger. Which I found multiple hints at by reading the Matoran script throughout the game. "Wake one and you wake them all" was written just outside of Le-Koro, and "Beware the swarm" in Ko-Wahi.
Mnog was basically the first game I ever played. And while I didn't quite understand what was going on since I was so young, its memory has never left me since.
Well this made me replay the game for the first time in decades, thanks for that LOL! Though I think what makes this set of stories engaging is these aren't the heroes of the story, just the people caught in the middle. It's so interesting to me that the writing/promotional team put so much time and effort into tell the story of the villages and stuff, to make the island of Mata-nui feel like an actual place. The borok swarms story in particular I think works REALLY well too because we get to see just how much damage their doing. It does a lot to explain the stakes of the conflict and in many ways grounds the heroes of the story (the Toa) by showing their not omnipresent and how the Toa really can't be everywhere at once. Just man, good stuff.
My 8yo mind was blown away by the scope of the game and being able to explore all the different places, the simplistic art style and cinematography also reminded me a lot of Samurai Jack as well. 1:37 Now I'm 30 and am also blown away by the fact that someone managed to make such a fleshed out adventure game on a flash player. Also cringing at the phone bill I racked up for my mom because I was playing on dial-up 😬
Even ignoring the platform, I think MNOG is easily one of the best point-and-click adventure games ever made. It did so much with so little, not just in terms of game assets, but also how much LEGO actually supported the project. Templar Studio created an absolute masterpiece with literally canonical leftovers that basically framed and defined the narrative and aesthetic for the apex of Bionicle storytelling. After MNOG 2, when the characters first spoke in Mask of Light, and Tony Wedgewood was no longer the only human voice in Bionicle media, something beautiful ended.
One of the first bits of storytelling that stuck with me, made me obsessed with Bionicle, and shaped my storytelling forever. God what a time. What a special, unique, unduplicatable time.
Thank goodness for the BioMedia Project for preserving this and all sorts of other amazing pieces of Bionicle lore. I still love booting up MNOG to this day! 🤘😭
Bionicle was already over when i first saw the movies, and i didnt undertood anything from them, and given bionicle wasnt even sold in my country as far as im aware, i never even got the chance to know about it until about a year ago, i respect all of the people who made and still make content about this franchise, because to me, its still the first time. Godspeed gentlemen
why did it take so long for me to see this The MNOLG is the unsung hero of the franchise IMO. I think it was vital to Bionicle's early success, because it was easily accessible, both in the commercial sense (didn't need to buy it like the books, just an internet connection) and in the lore sense. Playing as an amnesiac matoran whose job is to _chronicle_ all the events going on was _brilliant._ Sure, the amnesiac player cliche was common even back then, but there's a very good reason it's used so much. It makes it very easy for the player to be introduced to the world and have its concepts explained to them. And the MNOLG did a fantastic job of introducing not just the lore, but Mata Nui as a place. Emulating Myst's style of gameplay was a brilliant way to make the player feel even more connected to all the characters they would meet and help out along their journey. It also had _really_ good music and a phenomenal art style and animation (by the standards of of the time at least). And lego knew that, which is why it continued the animations for the next few arcs (and also kept the focus on the Matoran, making sure we still had that connection to the characters we grew to love, and show what's at stake while the Toa were off battling the new threats).
It's surprising how well this game holds up just shows how innovative talent will stand the rest of time even 20 years later there's such an active community for a silly bio mechanical toy line
I recently did research into this game and the visuals never cease to amaze me every time. And this was a Flash game. Such a tribute to animation and storytelling. I wish they would have made animations for the other years in this medium.
it was just like growing up. The world was mysterious, yet simple at the same time. All that mattered was the here and now, no past or future to worry about, no distant lands. And as we grew up, the story got as complicated as our lives.
We did not have internet until 2009 and I learned english around 2012. As a huge bionicle fan since the toa metru toys came out, I am very sad that I did not have the oportunity to experience all the online stuff like flash games when I was a kid. None of my friends had internet either, all we could od was play for a little bit during the school computer classes when teacher was not looking.