Mata Nui Online Game

Background and gameplay

The game is set on the fictional island of Mata Nui, divided into six elementally-themed regions: Ga-Wahi (aquatic), Le-Wahi (jungle), Ko-Wahi (icy and mountainous), Onu-Wahi (subterranean), Po-Wahi (desert), and Ta-Wahi (volcanic). Each region contains a village called a koro, led by a Turaga elder. A great temple, Kini-Nui, lies near the center. The island is inhabited by Rahi animals, some controlled by the evil Makuta.

To defeat Makuta, the Toa warriors must collect six Kanohi masks granting unique powers. Some game elements are not officially canon to the Bionicle story, but the game is regarded as a major story vehicle for 2001-2003. It is a browser-based point-and-click adventure designed for Adobe Flash. The player controls Takua, an adventurous villager who also appears in Lego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa and the 2003 film Bionicle: Mask of Light.

Movement is done by clicking icons at screen edges. Objects and characters can be interacted with; items can be presented to NPCs or used. A flute later allows fast travel to any village. The game was released episodically, with future content teased via an in-game telescope.

Background and release

Lego contacted Templar Studios in 1999 to develop material for the upcoming Bionicle line; the companies had worked together before. In September 2000, Templar pitched an adventure game similar to Myst set on Mata Nui. Because the Toa story was told elsewhere, the game focused on Tohunga villagers from McDonald's Happy Meals.

Lego intentionally split the story across platforms so kids could always learn something new. The game was a key part of Lego's multimedia campaign, introducing players to the world. After the cancellation of The Legend of Mata Nui in October 2001, the 2001 story was resolved in other outlets including this game.

It was updated regularly with new content, referred to internally as 'programs'. The first episode launched in January 2001, before the toy line's May-June release; the final episode came in December 2001. The Templar team, based on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, witnessed the September 11 attacks from their office, which influenced the final chapters including Makuta's dialogue.

Plot

An amnesiac Takua awakens on the beaches of Ta-Wahi and meets Maku from Ga-Koro. He learns her village was attacked by a Rahi and offers help. In Ga-Koro, he frees villagers and Turaga Nokama from a submerged hut by reactivating a pump.

The Rahi returns but is defeated by Gali, the Toa of water. After visiting Ta-Koro, Takua goes to Po-Koro to inform Huki that Maku is safe. He finds the village struck by a disease; Huki is gravely ill. Takua discovers infected Comet balls are the source.

He steals a key from a merchant, goes to a quarry, and finds a cave of infected balls guarded by a Rahi. With Pohatu's help, he collapses the cave. The merchant flees, and villagers recover.

Nokama appoints Takua Chronicler. In Onu-Koro, mining has stopped due to a lava break. Takua crosses it with a lava surfboard and activates a pump, allowing miners to complete a tunnel to Le-Wahi. In Le-Koro, most villagers have been abducted by Rahi.

Kongu and Takua fly to the Rahi hive, where the population is forced into labor and Lewa is controlled by an infected mask. Onua arrives, removes the mask, and everyone escapes. The villagers celebrate, and Lewa receives a golden mask.

Reception and legacy

The game received marketing industry awards: the Web Marketing Association's 'Best of Industry' WebAward in the 'Best Toy and/or Hobby Web Site' category in 2001, and the Silver Award in the 'Consumer Informational Site' category at the 2002 Summit Awards. Leah Weston, senior developer of Bionicle.com, said Lego was 'highly pleased' and noted the site averaged 500,000 views monthly. In 2003, Fast Company highlighted the game as key to Bionicle's market leadership. At a 2011 MIT conference, Aaron Smith cited its episodic structure for keeping players returning.

A sequel, Mata Nui Online Game II: The Final Chronicle, was released. In a 2005 Kritikos article, Thorsten Botz-Bornstein argued the game redefined traditional Lego play as more abstract and postmodern. In 2020, USgamer called it a 'classic' Flash game; in 2021, Screen Rant credited it with introducing the aesthetic and visual themes of Mata Nui to a wide audience.