Bionicle Heroes for the GBA is a run-and-gun shoot-'em-up that rekindles loving memories of such classics as Ikari Warriors or the top-down levels in Contra III. You won't find much here that's specifically patterned after Lego or the Bionicle brand, but what you will find is shooting, shooting, and lots more shooting. There's hardly a moment when the screen isn't jam packed with robots and bullets, which is a good thing, because the slick graphics and hectic situations go a long way toward helping the player disregard how repetitive the gunplay is.
The point of this top-down shooter is to shoot everything that moves.
Some of the game's 19 levels are lengthy and have multiple sections and numerous optional paths. Others are contained areas where enemy robots constantly spill out of underground tunnels. Regardless of the level type, the gist is that you need to shoot everything that moves. To accomplish that task, your own robot has a blaster weapon that's capable of two different attacks. There's the weaker rapid fire, which you can unleash all you want by holding the A button, and a much stronger, albeit more limited, concentrated-fire option that's unleashed by tapping the B button. You can run and shoot in eight different directions, as well as lock your aim in a specific direction by holding the right shoulder button. When your health is above 90 percent, you'll also be accompanied by a helper orb that will shoot at enemies. This helper orb can be outfitted with different shot upgrades that you pick up throughout the game. Health and scoring are tied to Lego bricks, which you can pick up by trashing enemies and portions of the scenery. Enemies also sometimes leave behind runes that you can collect to unlock useful cheats.
For the most part, the gunplay is satisfying. Shooting the same half-dozen enemies over and over again does feel repetitive on occasion, but it's hard to be bothered by that when enemy robots are always appearing from multiple directions and the screen is constantly filling with bullets and Lego toy pieces. This game must set some kind of GBA record for the number of characters and bullets that are visible at any given moment. On top of that, everything just looks and sounds great. The environments and robots are colorful and detailed, the bullet and laser effects are slick, and the animation is generally smooth. There aren't a whole lot of different sound effects in the game, but all of the various laser blasts and explosions jive perfectly with the mayhem on the screen. What's really striking is the game's soundtrack. The music is intricate and moody, while the overall quality defies the typical scratchy and tonal tunes that the GBA is known for. Sometimes, great graphics and audio can bolster the gameplay experience. That's definitely true here.
