5781 LEGO BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui

LEGO BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui, also advertised under the truncated title LEGO BIONICLE, was a PC title set for release in 2001, to tie in to the launch of the BIONICLE theme. But then it was cancelled. 
== Story ==
Six heroes, the Toa, descend from the sky in metal capsules, washing ashore on the island of Mata-Nui. The island is beset by the evil Makuta and his terrible Rahi beasts, so the Toa must set out to find Kanohi masks of power that will enable them to defeat the threat. 
Each Toa travels through their own region, finding masks and reclaiming lost items belonging to the inhabitants. They also fight elementals, powerful beings that are (surprise!) immune to elemental attacks. Finally, all six heroes meet in the center of the island, and don Gold Masks in order to confront Makuta in his lair. They are victorious, but even as the celebrations begin, an ominous sphere opens its eyes...
== Gameplay ==
The Legend of Mata Nui is a 3D action-adventure platformer. Combat with Makuta's creatures is ranged, with the Toa firing lasers from their tools. Some creatures will spawn infinitely from nests, which must be destroyed to stem the tide.
Mask powers are another core element of gameplay, and span a wide range of uses that must be put toward solving puzzles.
* Pakari: allows the Toa to dig through certain walls and mount Kane-Ra
* Ruru: grants vision in dark areas
* Huna: turns the Toa invisible. This prevents certain pillars used to cross chasms from collapsing. Somehow.
Mask usage is dependent on an energy meter that drains while a mask is in use.
Pickups refill ammo, health, and mask energy. A fourth pickup, in the shape of the Bionicle ying/yang symbol, acts as a collectible that, presumably, unlocks additional material.
== Cancellation and Search ==
The game was announced to be cancelled on October 19th. The official statement is reproduced below:
```The LEGO® Software division has decided it will not release the previously communicated and much anticipated LEGO® BIONICLE™: The Legend of Mata Nui PC CD-ROM game. The LEGO® Company is committed to producing only the highest quality products for children, and as a result of several issues in development on the title - including chip compatibility and timing - they will not move forward in finishing the game. BIONICLE™ has become an extremely strong property since its launch in June, and the decision to cancel the PC title also reflects our commitment to maintaining the strength, longevity and value of the BIONICLE™ property with only the best in product offerings. LEGO® BIONICLE™: Quest for the Toa for Game Boy™ Advance has been released and currently is topping video game sales charts in its first few weeks. Future BIONICLE™ software titles are planned - likely for console or hand-held gaming systems.```
For several years, nothing else was heard on the matter. Then, in 2004, Mark of the Bionicle fan site Mask of Destiny shared a look at the game provided to him by an anonymous owner of a prototype copy of the game. The anonymous owner, who went by "Deep Brick," offered a small essay on the game, complete with screencaps of the one level he was able to access (the first, featuring Onua). 
In 2010, Deep Brick responded to requests for more by providing the cinematics found in the game's files, and began to communicate via Mark with fans on BZPower. Over the course of months, it was established firmly that Deep Brick could find no means to surpass a glitch in the game, where Onua would spontaneously die upon any attempt to pass through a necessary area. In the interest of engineering a way through this, he offered another portion of the game - onua.apk. This contained models related to Onua. Neat! Deep Brick also recorded a playthrough of the sections of the game he could access.
The abrupt and lengthy 2011 downtime of the BZPower forum resulted in radio silence from Deep Brick once again. 
== See also ==
* 5782 LEGO BIONICLE: Tales of the Tohunga
* BIONICLE: The Game
== External links ==
* Bricklink
Category:BIONICLE
LEGO BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui
Category:5000 sets
LEGO BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui