Bioniplush

Bioniplush is a popular sprite kit created by Dokuma in 2004 with the original goal of combining the versatility of Rayg 2.0 and similar kits with the adorability of plushies. It has seen three different releases thusfar, and a fourth version is scheduled for completion sometime in the future.

A sample image showing the new style to be used in the upcoming fourth version of the kit

Installments

Bioniplush 1.0

After a well-received preview was released, the official first version of the kit was released in January 2005, featuring the Toa Mata. In spite of its simplicity which no longers lives up to Dokuma's standards, it received positive and constructive reviews. Updates were relatively frequent, including Rahkshi, Matoran, and Turaga in anticipation of the kit's next release.

Hapori Tohu Expansion Pack

In preparation for the next version, an expansion pack featuring Hapori Tohu, BZPower's mascot, was released. Tohu was depicted in the form of a levitating head and hands.

Bioniplush 2.0

The original topic for the first kit was amended with a link to the second version of the kit, featuring complete Rahkshi sprites and partials of Toa Nuva, Matoran, and Turaga, and integrated the Tohu expansion pack from earlier. The kit also received positive reviews, though it maintained the simplicity of the prior version.

Bioniplush 3.0

Updates to the second version were relatively frequent, and ultimately culminated into the most recent full release of the kit, Bioniplush 3.0. At this point, Dokuma became aware of the inferiority of his prior works and experimented with added colors to the palette, such as in the case of the Makuta Teridax and Nui Rama sprites. Finally, he decided to retool the kit entirely, revamping the original Toa Mata sprite into a significantly improved version. This form lacked the black outline, contained a more detailed palette, altered many aspects of the sprites' shapes, and served as the basis upon which future Bioniplush kit would be made.

Schism, a friend of Dokuma's in real life, approached Dokuma with the prospect of bringing him on as a co-spriter, showing him several samples of his work. Breaking his former policy of not accepting fan work as official, Dokuma allowed Schism to join the project, and announced the new structure in the summer of 2007. The original topic was closed, and the pair set to work on spriting a variety of new characters and poses in the revamped style, with Dokuma serving as the editor of Schism's work.

Bioniplush IV

A release of Bioniplush 4.0 was planned for September 11th, 2007 (a decision of Schism's made with no malice towards the date, but nevertheless causing controversy), but was inevitably delayed due to the lack of progress. Work continued for over a year, but eventually fizzled to the point where no progress was being made. Dokuma ultimately made the decision to take control of the project once again, and about a year ago began to finalize Schism's creations as well as spriting new characters, such as the Toa Inika.

In real life, Schism soon got into what shall only be alluded to here as "some pretty bad stuff" and is no longer a part of the project, though is credited by Dokuma with helping get the ball rolling on the new and improved version of the kit.

Dokuma recently released a preview of the new kit, but this was erased by the "Dataclysm," a massive loss of data on BZPower's servers. Though it had been over two years since the original Bioniplush 3.0 topic was closed, Dokuma still planned to add some final touches to the fourth kit and release it some time in late 2009 under the name Bioniplush IV.

As the end of 09 approached, Dokuma realized that he would have to choose between releasing Bioniplush IV and Nanonicle, and chose the latter. As per Turaga Dlakii's suggestion, Dokuma tentatively plans to turn the kit over the fan expansion (much like the modern RZMIK) and release it some time before he moves on campus at college in August 2010.

Other Media

Thanks to the unusual outpouring of popularity that came with the release of the first kits, Bioniplush has been adapted to several other media.

Fan artwork has always been a major fixture of Bioniplush's popularity, to the point where Dokuma felt the need to ask members not to post fan work in the original kit topic, but in new topics of their own. This rule somewhat stifled fan-made additions to the kit, and is expected to be overturned with the eventual creation of a Bioniplush IV topic.

Many comic series have been made focusing on Bioniplush, only one of which, The Bioniplush Chronicles, being started by Dokuma. Games have also been created by fans of the kit, including a first-person shooter game where one fought a series of Bioniplush Vorahk. Another game was made by Dokuma himself in the early days of the kit, titled Bioniplush: The Game, and was merely an arcade-style adaptation of the freely editable Game Maker game 1948. In it, the player controlled Tahu Mata, who shot bolts of fire at various oncoming enemies to advance to the next wave. Among the enemies were infected Toa Mata and a gigantic infected Avohkii with tentacles.