Bionicle Prototypes

[Brickthing]

Brickshelf Gallery of Prototypes

Another Bshelf Gallery

Mistika Sketches

Early Mistika Prototypes

Yet another Bshelf Gallery

General LEGO Prototypes

From BZP:

Ultimate Guide For Bionicle Prototypes/Misprints - Known prototypes and misprints to have slipped into the hands of the public

Prototype Identification - Identifying the prototypes and misprints that Black Six has

Thanks for the links Omi!

Discuss, and feel free to share links to any other prototypes that aren't here.

[Omicron]

Bask in its awesomeness.

-Omi

[prateek]

I'm pretty happy that they chnaged the prototypes before releasing them, although the visorak does look interesting. Thanks for the links

[Brickus]

Some of the prototypes look much better than the official sets. For example all the 2005 prototype sets.

Edited February 2, 2010 by Aussie Tahu Nuva

[Lordofdragonss]

I would buy this just for this cute Mini Keetongu!

[Aanchir]

Some of the prototypes look much better than the official sets. For example all the 2005 prototype sets.

It largely depends on what stage of prototype you're looking at. I agree most of the ones we saw from 2005 were mostly good, but then there were the much-more-finalized Toa Hordika which often shared heads, making them even more cloned than the final sets.

I liked the Toa Inika prototypes, myself. While I love the finalized Inika masks at least as much (and the final color schemes are a lot more exciting), the prototypes had a cool concept going with Hahli's flippers, Jaller's jetpack, etc. There are still echoes of that in the final sets, with Nuparu having a pair of claws in addition to his tool and Hewkii having a chain. But one wonders if the 2006 story might have been given some more adventurous segments were all of these extra bits kept in the final sets.

[ultimate antrozek]

I would buy this just for this cute Mini Keetongu!

Yeah! Mini-Keetongu is awesome!

[prateek]

I would buy this just for this cute Mini Keetongu!

Me too. I was actually really mad when I saw the official set without Keetongu

[Aanchir]

Me too. I was actually really mad when I saw the official set without Keetongu

Well, admittedly even at that scale he seems out of proportion with the Visorak and Toa Hordika figs. And what's with the blaster?

[Zarkan]

All I have to say is that Toa Mata prototype might as well be the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It's amazing that we were able to get anything half-way decent out of something as bizare and cartoonish as that, much less something that set the standard for all later sets.

[Chunky!]

I was also disappointed that the finalized version scrapped the Toa-sized Keetongu. There were so many great recolours in that thing. I would've much preferred this prototype.

[prateek]

Well, admittedly even at that scale he seems out of proportion with the Visorak and Toa Hordika figs. And what's with the blaster?

BUt who really cared? That big huge Visorak thing that was in the final set was out of scale too, and as Chunky! said, we missed some really good recolours

[Chunky!]

Omi, you just love showing off that little gem anytime you get the chance. But honestly, that thing is really snazzy.

[Omicron]

BUt who really cared? That big huge Visorak thing that was in the final set was out of scale too, and as Chunky! said, we missed some really good recolours

That huge Visorak thing is actually a Kahgarak, which come in a variety of sizes

Omi, you just love showing off that little gem anytime you get the chance. But honestly, that thing is really snazzy.

Yes I do with every chance I get. It is how I get the ladies.

-Omi

[Aanchir]

That huge Visorak thing is actually a Kahgarak, which come in a variety of sizes

-Omi

...and most of those sizes are larger than regular Visorak, given that the first "Kahgarak" was a Visorak combiner and one of the playset versions was roughly standard-Visorak sized. One even made it into WoS as an enormous gold Visorak which Roodaka was riding.

Also, while the Keetongu is kind of cool (if only in terms of parts), the rest of the set is bland and not very BIONICLE-looking. The actual playsets not only managed a BIONICLE feel, but furthermore gave us some Keetorange pieces which even the prototypes didn't have-- for instance, the Pohatu Nuva Climbing Claws and the Toa Mata heads.

[Brickthing]

Also, while the Keetongu is kind of cool (if only in terms of parts), the rest of the set is bland and not very BIONICLE-looking. The actual playsets not only managed a BIONICLE feel, but furthermore gave us some Keetorange pieces which even the prototypes didn't have-- for instance, the Pohatu Nuva Climbing Claws and the Toa Mata heads.

I also imagine that this prototype of the set was split into the final we know now, and the Keetongu set - so if we had the recolours in this set, we would've missed out on a lot of smaller yellow-orange Technic pieces, which IMO are ultimately more useful than yellow-orange Toa Metru parts.

[Omicron]

I also imagine that this prototype of the set was split into the final we know now, and the Keetongu set - so if we had the recolours in this set, we would've missed out on a lot of smaller yellow-orange Technic pieces, which IMO are ultimately more useful than yellow-orange Toa Metru parts.

Oh no there was also a Keetongu set as well. Otherwise people wouldn't have been excited over a huge Keetongu and a smaller Keetongu when the images came out years ago.

-Omi

[Brickthing]

Oh no there was also a Keetongu set as well. Otherwise people wouldn't have been excited over a huge Keetongu and a smaller Keetongu when the images came out years ago.

-Omi

Was there a prototype image of Keetongu in the same prelim style as the Tower of Toa set? Otherwise it would seem more like the Tower of Toa image was extremely early, then the Keetongu image was made later when the decision was made to have Keetongu as a separate set.

[Omicron]

Was there a prototype image of Keetongu in the same prelim style as the Tower of Toa set? Otherwise it would seem more like the Tower of Toa image was extremely early, then the Keetongu image was made later when the decision was made to have Keetongu as a separate set.

There was an image at the same time the playset images came out. Though Keetongu was more finalized on the box.

-Omi

[Brickthing]

There was an image at the same time the playset images came out. Though Keetongu was more finalized on the box.

-Omi

Which makes it impossible to tell I guess, as when images were leaked and found doesn't indicate when they were made.

[Mesonak]

Some more prototypes.

Still more.

-Mesonak

[Aanchir]

Some more prototypes.

Still more.

-Mesonak

Thanks for the links!

Here are the Inika prototypes I was talking about: Hahli; Jaller; Nuparu. There's also a Hewkii who may or may not be from the same stage of development.

Besides Nuparu (whose color scheme is mostly the same as the final set), the color schemes are all fairly bland, and Jaller's tool is not nearly as creatively-designed as the final version. But I love how each Toa had an "extra tool"-- Jaller's jetpack, Hahli's fins, and of course Nuparu's claws and Hewkii's chain. The masks are also nice, even though I like the final Inika masks better.

[Mesonak]

I always thought the Inika prototypes looked very nice, particularly Nuparu. I love how his prototype claws are designed, and I wish that was carried over to the final version. His mask is very nice as well. As for the others... I like them all, but not as much as the final versions. Especally Hahli. :P

-Mesonak

[Artahn]

I always thought the Inika prototypes looked very nice, particularly Nuparu. I love how his prototype claws are designed, and I wish that was carried over to the final version. His mask is very nice as well. As for the others... I like them all, but not as much as the final versions. Especally Hahli. :P

-Mesonak

I honestly think that the desire for the prototype claws were what caused us to get the Mistika claws that we have now.

[Mesonak]

I love the Mistika claws. They're much more versatile than the Nuparu claws, IMO.

-Mesonak