Kombo : : : PS3 | 360 | Wii | Cube | Xbox | PSP | DS | Forums | Podcasts

AROUND KOMBO:
BLOG
My Xbox is Sexy
Kill Screen #7
Bionicle Heroes
Console
Nintendo DS
Publisher
Eidos Interactive
Genre
Action
Developer
Eidos Interactive
Release Date
11/14/06
ESRB Rating
Teen
StumbleUpon Toolbar  
Bionicle Heroes
Lego Prime Hunters
February 22, 2007 | 1:49 PM PST

by: Weston Bass

My only exposure to this fantasy universe of Lego has been the occasional commercial, and I think my six year old son once rented one of the movies. Sitting down to play the game then, reading about all to the Toa masks available, and the evil Piraka I would soon be battling was as alien to me as my wife’s bathroom cabinet.

Apparently the land in which the Bionicles (or is it simply Bionicle, like moose or deer?) inhabit is divided between the good (Toa) and bad (Piraka). The objects of their battles are masks which grant their wearer different elemental powers. Thrust into this fight, you’ll shoot your way through six different locations with their own respective levels. Much like the Metroid series, the different masks you acquire throughout the game will have you revisiting earlier level to gain access to areas which the newly added powers grant.

The game offers two control schemes which are both solid and you’ll defer to either based on personal preference. I ultimately went with the more traditional control scheme, because it only took a few minutes of using the touch screen to aim before my hands started to cramp. This is only because the smaller DS Lite and my large hands aren’t exactly a match made in heaven.

Once you pick a control scheme you’re dropped into the 3D worlds that are a mix of Quake inspired level design and, well, Lego. Much like another Lego inspired series, you’ll find Lego pieces scattered around which you can piece together to build stairs, ramps or various other structures allowing you access to secrets or shortcuts through levels. Lego pieces also serve as health and ammo pickups. Fighting your way through the game you’ll start to get upgrades to your Toa masks that can be combined to add various moves or guns to your repertoire. Toa powered guns have limited ammo, but finding additional rounds requires little effort in either searching the surroundings or simply destroying enemies. This gives you the pleasure of getting to use the more powerful weapons without feeling like you need to save them for the boss fights at the end of every area.

The graphics are pretty darn good for the little handheld that could. One of the pitfalls many developers seem to fall into is creating 3D landscapes with a color palette that end up camouflaging the architecture and its inhabitants into one muddled mess. Thankfully, Heroes offers crisp models with enough detail and definition to keep everything in eye pleasing contrast. The other necessity for any competent FPS is a smooth frame rate, and once again Heroes doesn’t fail.

Lego Prime Hunters?
Ultimately though, I found myself getting bored of the game after only a few hours of playing. As a single player game, there isn’t enough diversity in the mechanics and levels to keep your attention. The biggest drawback of the title is its lack of Wi-Fi multiplayer. Limiting your chances for human death matches to multicart local wireless means most players will never experience what is a very good multiplayer game. As it stands, I can only recommend this game to serious FPS aficionados and fans of the Bionicle universe.

-- Weston Bass
Visuals
Suprisingly detailed and sharp 3D. Smooth framerate too!
8.0
Sound
Music is decent but nothing memorable. Sound effects are varied and effective.
7.0
Control
Two different schemes with pretty good results. Your mileage may vary based on hand size though.
8.0
Gameplay
Metroid like power-up system will have you revisiting levels, but the excitement starts to wane after a while.
8.0
Lasting Appeal
Would have been a great Wi-Fi title, but relegated to multi-cart local means limited replay value.
7.0
Verdict
It's not a bad game by any means, but the lost potential for online FPS action really leaves this game lacking.
7.6
[not an average]
Review Scores Guide

Got something that we should post on the site? Send it to us!
February 8, 2010
Twenty more winners to go for our Game a Day Giveaway! Don't hesitate... enter today! Also, make sure you become a fan of Kombo on Facebook!!!

-- Ken Cauley, Editor in Chief

Kombo Breaker
FTW
Kombo's Game a Day Giveaway!
We're giving away a new game EVERYDAY throughout all of February!

Official Contest Page!

WINNERS:

  • February 2: John Riemer, Virgina
  • February 3: Jonathan Dowell, Pennsylvania
  • February 4: Chris Ryan, Florida
  • February 5: Chris Foster, Michigan
  • February 6: Adam Cuevas, Florida
  • February 7: Josh Minar, Kentucky
  • February 8: Bradley Mosbacher, Missouri
  • If SEGA made Shenmue 3, would it SELL?
    Vote!
    (02/09/10 | 5:56 AM PST)
    HDTV vs. SNES
    (02/08/10 | 12:03 PM PST)
    Console Wars "A Bit Silly," Says 2K Marin
    DiRT 2!!!
  • DiRT 2 for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3
    Enter to win!
    E-mail us and include your full name, age and mailing address to enter.

  • Software
    Hardware
    All Time
    Weekly
    9.89m Japan
    31.48m America
    25.90m Others
    67.28M 
    1.25m Japan
    21.76m America
    14.63m Others
    37.64M 
    4.74m Japan
    12.71m America
    14.31m Others
    31.76M 
    29.79m Japan
    44.83m America
    50.20m Others
    124.81M 
    14.02m Japan
    18.98m America
    20.85m Others
    53.85M