| Bionicle: Matoran Adventures | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer | Argonaut Games |
| Publishers | |
| Designers | Alex Rutter Paul McGinniss |
| Programmers | Aaron Fothergill Martin Piper |
| Artists | Jason Cunningham Leon Brazil Carl Ross |
| Composers | Justin Scharvona Chris Sweetman |
| Series | Bionicle |
| Platform | Game Boy Advance |
| Release | |
| Genre | Platformer |
| Mode | Single-player |
Bionicle: Matoran Adventures is a 2002platform game based onLego'sBionicle line of constructible action figures. It was developed byArgonaut Games and co-published byElectronic Arts andLego Interactive for theGame Boy Advance. The player controls Matoran and Turaga characters, who must work together to repel the invasion of Bohrok, insect-like robots that threaten the island of Mata Nui.
The game features six levels and three boss battles. Matoran can jump higher and throw discs, while Turaga can activate switches and destroy obstacles; players can switch between the two during gameplay depending on need, similar to the 1993 video gameThe Lost Vikings. Additional characters can be unlocked by collecting mask pieces scattered throughout levels.Matoran Adventures received mixed reviews from critics. The gameplay and charm were praised by some, with some comparing it favorably toThe Lost Vikings, while its short length and lack of creativity were more poorly received.
Matoran Adventures is set on the fictional island of Mata Nui, a "tropical paradise" with sixelementally-themed regions.[1] Each region (the aquatic region of Ga-Wahi, the jungle region of Le-Wahi, the icy and mountainous region of Ko-Wahi, the subterranean region of Onu-Wahi, the desert region of Po-Wahi, and the volcanic region of Ta-Wahi) makes up one of the game's six levels. The game follows a Matoran as they attempt to repel the invasion of the insect-like Bohrok swarm.[2] In the official Bionicle story, the Bohrok are instead defeated by the Toa.[3]
Matoran Adventures is a side-scrollingplatform game[4] withpuzzle elements.[5] The player can choose from three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, and Hard).[2] The game utilizes a character-swapping mechanic similar toThe Lost Vikings (1993).[5][6] As needed, the player can swap between Matoran and Turaga to advance past obstacles. The Matoran character can jump and throw discs to combat enemies, while the Turaga character can break obstacles using their elemental power and activate switches.[7] The Turaga character cannot jump as high as the Matoran.[8] The game features six levels and three boss encounters.[7] The Matoran character's disc is upgraded as the game progresses.[4] Pieces of masks are scattered throughout each level. By gathering all of the pieces of a particular mask, they gain the ability to play as a different Matoran character.[8] One Matoran character, Kongu, is available from the start; the other five Matoran characters must be unlocked.[2]
Matoran Adventures was developed by UK-basedArgonaut Games,[1] previously known for their work onStar Fox (1993).[7] It marked the secondGame Boy Advance game based on theBionicle line to be developed, following 2001'sLego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa.[1] In addition toMatoran Adventures, Argonaut was also slated to produce aseparate Bionicle game for home consoles to be released in 2003.Matoran Adventures was published jointly byElectronic Arts andLego Interactive, along with two other Lego-themed titles (Drome Racers andGalidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension). By partnering with EA, Lego hoped to gain a foothold with young gamers in the 6-12 year old demographic.[9]
The game's first screenshots were unveiled atE3 2002, and the game itself was slated for release in late 2002.[10] The game was one of five EA games for the Game Boy Advance to be showcased at the event.[11]Matoran Adventures was showcased in July 2002 at EA's Camp EA event; Craig Harris ofIGN felt this early version, which he described as "barely alpha", was already "much better" thanQuest for the Toa.[6] Additional screenshots were released in August, with the final release date still pending.[1] The game was released in North America on October 28, and in Europe on November 1.[12][13]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 7.75/10[5] |
| GameZone | 7.2/10[15] |
| IGN | 3.0/10[7] |
| Planet Gameboy | 43%[14] |
| Total Advance | 74%[4] |
Matoran Adventures received mixed reviews from critics. Its gameplay[5] and charm[4] were praised, while its short length[14][7] and creativity were criticized.[15] Matt Helgeson calledMatoran Adventures "surprisingly tight" and "as good a non-Nintendo GBA title I've seen in a long time", praising the variety of gameplay and comparing it favorably toThe Lost Vikings.[5]Total Advance reviewer Jem Roberts offered high praise for the gameplay as "surprisingly addictive" and "bursting with charm", citing it as superior toQuest for the Toa. However, Roberts felt the game's six levels and completion time of "roughly three hours" were "inexcusable".[4] Michael Lafferty ofGameZone calledMatoran Adventures a "solid and a pleasant diversion", praising the game for incorporating the "charm and innovative ideas" of the Bionicle story, but felt it otherwise was simply an "average arcade-adventure".[15]
Planet Gameboy criticizedMatoran Adventures as "uncreative" and "listless" and suggested readers play with Lego toys instead.[14] Adam Tierney ofIGN dubbed the game "bland and glitchy" and a "less-than-average platformer". He also criticized the game's visuals, jittery camera, short length, and the abundance of "leaps of faith" that resulted in deaths inbottomless pits.[7]
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