One of the greatest challenges of any ongoing production is what to do when a major cast member dies. Marvel Studios definitely has a significant challenge in developing Black Panther in the MCU. His actor Chadwick Boseman passed away in mid-2020, though not before finishing some last voice-work in Disney+’ “What If…?” The LEGO “Ninjago” animated series tackled the same problem when Cole’s voice actor Kirby Morrow also died last year. True, he completed his own voice-work for the seasons that released this 2021. But after those seasons finished, now what? Is Cole going to disappear? Become mute? Get recast?
Brick Fanatics reports that “Ninjago” show-runner Tommy Andreasen released a statement concerning Cole’s future in the series. The late Kirby Morrow gave the Black Ninja of Earth a distinctive voice. Next, Cole is a main character. Finally, the LEGO theme and its animated adaptation are cleared to continue until at least 2023. The options the production had for Cole were to write him out, reuse past-season dialogue, strike him mute, or recast. Ultimately they opted to give Cole a new voice courtesy of Andrew Francis, taking over in seasons starting 2022. Francis previously voiced Elemental Master Shade and the Ghost Morro from previous “Ninjago” seasons.
“We hope you will greet and support Andrew and welcome him with open arms and a hearty NIINJAAAAA-GO!” says Andreasen in his statement. “We are confident we made the best possible choice and the voice recordings for 2022 has crystalized our faith completely in Andrew as a worthy successor to Kirby.” The Danish-Canadian co-production will ease Francis into the role, starting with several “Ninjago” shorts airing in 2022, then moving onto the next full season.
LEGO Ideas and Unity launched their “Ninjago Microgame 1-Button Challenge” on the Ideas Contest page last September 29. Their challenge for Ideas members interested in programing was to develop a Ninjago-themed microgame using the Unity game engine. The “ideas intake” period for the contest runs until November 4 but no members have submitted any ideas yet. Aside from the more technical nature of this Ideas contest, apparently some Ideas members felt the prizes were lacking. For one thing, despite the variety of LEGO sets to be won, none of them are LEGO Ninjago. Fortunately, LEGO Ideas got the message too.
Hello everyone! We have decided to update the prizes for our @unity3d contest, to include Ninjago sets! We heard your loud and clear, Ninjago sets are now part of the prize packages 🙂
According to Brick Fanatics, LEGO Ideas announced that they have updated the prizes for the Ninjago Unity microgame contest. While the official contest page details remain the same, they showed off the changes on social media. The additional prizes follow thus: Grand Winner for each category also gets LEGO Ninjago City Gardens (71741). The runners-up gut will also receive LEGO Ninjago Fire Stone Mech (71720). Add the existing prizes of LEGO NES (71374), Mario Starter Course (71360) and LEGO Minecraft Abandoned Mine (21166) and they’re better. Unity of course has their own prizes: Asset Store credits and a 1-year Pro subscription for the Grand Winners.
Seeing as not all potential contestants might theme their microgame after Ninjago, that’s only one category. LEGO Ideas will also accept original creations and microgames for Unity’s Behavior Bricks template. It would be nice to finally see the entries begin coming in soon. They have until November 4 to submit.
Ninjago stands as an example of a LEGO theme that surpassed its company-predicted shelf life. Well into its first decade, new Ninjago sets continue to come out. As a consequence, its animated adaptation ballooned to double-digit seasons airing on Denmark’s Nickelodeon, Canada’s YTV/Teletoon, and Cartoon Network (US). This year alone saw two “Ninjago” seasons, “The Island” (4-ep) and “Seabound” (16-ep). The latter premiered in Canada back in April, with its tie-in sets debuting later in August. For other territories that have yet to see its premiere, LEGO put up a trailer for “Ninjago: Seabound” Sunday.
Some viewers in North America may already know what goes on in season 14 of “Ninjago.” Thankfully, we can give you a teaser summary if you’re not bothered by spoilers.
“LEGO Ninjago: Seabound” Quick Catch-Up:
Nya, Ninjago Elemental Master of Water, suddenly loses control of her powers, affecting her confidence. While her mom Maya helps her train to regain her form, the Ninjago team discovers an external factor responsible. An energy surge from the deepest point of the Endless Sea may be interfering with Nya’s abilities. In search of answers, our heroes set out on their submarine, Hydro Bounty (71756).
The source of the energy signal: the Temple of the Endless Sea (71755). Here, the merman Prince Kalmaar of Merlopia is finalizing his sinister plans to attack the surface world. If he can gather the two amulets needed, he can awaken a sea serpent to wreck Ninjago City. Nya will need to shape up to face this challenge head on.
Yes, the Ninjago sets mentioned above saw their animated counterparts featured prominently in the trailer, as pointed out by Brick Fanatics. LEGO sure knows how to promote their products. Ninjago fans buying the new “Seabound” sets only prove their methods work. One wonders how the Unity engine microgame contest on LEGO Ideas fits into this.
When LEGO drops teasers for new product, game, or media, we do our best to guess what they’re planning. Sometimes we hit the nail on the head; other times our theories go wide. But hypothesizing on advance hints by LEGO is fun too. Take for example their recent teaser about a collaborative effort with Unity. We believed that meant a LEGO Ninjago-themed microgame using the Unity game engine, much favored by indie game-devs. A reasonable guess, to be sure; but what LEGO finally unveiled threw our theory off. They’re not making the microgame. LEGO Ideas members will, in a contest.
Heck, we have the official LEGO Ideas Contest page for it. “The LEGO Ninjago 1-Button Game Challenge” pretty much sums up what interested participants are in for. If they have game coding potential they can download the Unity game engine, and their LEGO microgame template, free. The objective: to create a microgame (short, simple videogame) with only one button as input. Think perhaps of a basic “endless runner” app and you’d get the idea. It can be themed after Ninjago or an original idea. Naturally LEGO Ideas won’t allow third-party IPs for this. Designers can then show off their microgames on the LEGO Ideas contest page via trailers or screenshots.
The contest will award one winner for each of three categories: Ninjago-themed, original, and Unity behavior-bricks. And look at these prizes for the lucky ones:
Nintendo Entertainment System (71374)
Super Mario Starter Course (71360)
Minecraft Abandoned Mine (21166)
Unity Pro subscription, valid for one year
$200 in Unity Asset Store Credits
The important thing of all: Your microgame could be featured on LEGO Retail stores.
Other things
Check out the contest page for links to download Unity’s LEGO microgame for development. The Ninjago Add-On pack also went live on Unity’s Asset Store for participants planning to theme their game after Ninjago. Entries must be in no later than November 4. The Top 15 will be subjected to a fan vote on November 18, with the three Grand Winners announced on December 2.
Ever since its original introduction in 2005, Unity Technologies’ game engine has been a godsend for game development. In its more recent iterations the Unity Engine saw use in developing mobile games. Both indie teams and major developers rely on Unity, and in fact LEGO has formed a partnership with them. Unity actually hosts a template with which LEGO fans with game-development chops can use to create playable “Microgames.” While the making of microgames has usually been with fan-devs, LEGO itself has dipped into the Unity Engine too. They’ve even teased an upcoming microgame on social media featuring one of their popular original theme lines.
As seen in this September 25 Twitter post from LEGO, a microgame starring “LEGO Ninjago” is apparently coming. The tweet states Wednesday, September 29, as the possible release date for this microgame made on Unity. The accompanying teaser image shows the Ninjago team and Master Wu, framed in shadow.
What could it be about? Looking at sample footage from Unity’s LEGO section, their microgames evoke the feel of Traveller’s Tales and WB Games. For the most part they consist of minifigures roaming a LEGO-esque landscape interacting with other minifigs and brick-built objects. Now replace the generic LEGO designs with the Ninjago aesthetic. Of course, we’re just speculating at this point. September 29 isn’t far off so we’ll see what microgame LEGO has cooked up with the Unity Engine soon enough.
As LEGO began to roll out its wave ofnewsets this 2nd half of 2021, it is also expected that the company will begin clearing out from its shelves (both from its physical stores and online) several of its previous sets that are expected to reach its end of life very soon. Retiring LEGO sets are almost always of particular interest to the LEGO fan community, considering that most of us still have that one set that we are looking forward to ticking out from our LEGO must-have bucket list. And recently, Stone Wars have released a very comprehensive list of all the retiring LEGO sets that are expected to quietly exit or may have exited already, from LEGO stores and online, during the 1st half of this year.
The list of these retiring LEGO sets for H1 2021 is presented here. In case you’re interested, you may click on the following LEGO Shop@Home affiliate links below to check out their current availability. Some of these sets may be temporarily out of stock or tagged as already sold out as I’ve checked a while ago as of this posting. Nevertheless, it is still helpful to check if your expected LEGO set is still included in this listing.
Just a disclaimer though – like previously retired LEGO sets, this list is not 100% accurate considering how fast these retiring LEGO sets might sell out. So I encourage you to do a quick search over at LEGO Shop@Home. A huge thanks to Stone Wars once again for sharing and verifying this list.
LEGO Ninjago fans in the UK and Europe might be glad to know that the commemorative LEGO Ninjago 10th Anniversary BrickHeadz (40490) set is now back in stock over at UK LEGO Shop@Home. The said celebratory set was also made available in the US earlier this month but is now unavailable because of the understandable demand from fans.
Initially, the LEGO Ninjago 10th Anniversary BrickHeadz (40490) set was offered as a promotional set during the whole month of June. For an additional $10 over your single-receipt LEGO Ninjago purchase worth $85, this limited-edition 3-in-1 BrickHeadz will be added to your card accordingly. The set is originally valued at $30 and features the BrickHeadz versions of Golden Lloyd, Nya Samurai X, and the Firstbourne Dragon. For fans who missed this window of opportunity, LEGO also opted to put the set on sale earlier this month. However, stocks in the US seem to have depleted quite quickly since the set was first officially listed over at LEGO Shop@Home.
It’s great to hear that LEGO fans in the UK will have their shot once again of this commemorative LEGO Ninjago set, and we just have to wait and see if it will be the same case in the US and the rest of the world.
Just click on the following affiliate link below in case you want to take a look. Just be quick though, since it may be temporarily out of stock once again.
Kids will love to display these 3 brilliant BrickHeadz™ models – Firstbourne Dragon, Nya Samurai X, and Golden Lloyd – to celebrate the 10th anniversary of NINJAGO® toys.
The June 2021 LEGO Store Calendar has now been uploaded via LEGO’s servers and it looks like there’s plenty to expect at your local LEGO store at LEGO Shop@Home starting next week. The month of June marks the availability of most of LEGO’s H2 (or 2nd half of the year) offerings, and LEGO is throwing in a handful of promotional items as an incentive to tick that that next LEGO wishlist. Let’s take a look.
Offer valid from June 1 to June 30, 2021; in-store only.
It looks like Ninjago is now given the official BrickHeadz treatment, and the timing couldn’t be better. LEGO Ninjago now marks its 10th anniversary making it one of LEGO’s longest-running themes. And aside from the various exclusive LEGO Ninjago minifigures and sets that were announced to celebrate the occasion, LEGO is now throwing in its first BrickHeadz rendition of some of the most iconic characters of the theme. It is not exactly a freebie, but this 3-in-1 set comes in at a discounted price of $10 if you happen to have a single-receipt purchase of any LEGO Ninjago sets worth $85 and more from June 1 to June 30. Originally valued at $29.99, this BrickHeadz trio includes a rendering of Golden Lloyd, Nya Samurai X, and the Firstbourne Dragon. Please take note that this is an in-store offer, so better plan for your next LEGO Store visit.
Free LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Elva (30343) polybag
Offer valid from June 7 to June 20, 2021.
To celebrate the release of its larger cousin, the LEGO Speed Champions McLaren Elva (76902), LEGO is also throwing in a polybag for every single-receipt purchase of any LEGO set worth $40 or more, both in-store and online. You may also want to check out the next wave of LEGO Speed Champions to see what they have to offer.
Free LEGO Swing Ship Ride (5006748) for VIP Members
Offer valid for LEGO VIP members only from June 21 to 30, 2021.
Here’s a treat for LEGO VIP members. Any single-receipt, LEGO purchases worth $85 from June 21 to 30, 2021 will entitle you to this free LEGO Swing Ship Ride (5006748) set. We have little information about this freebie, especially about its piece count. But judging from its initial photos, we can see that the Swing Ship Ride comes on an 8×8 base that features a swing mechanism and a sticker that echoes LEGO’s founding principle of “LEG GODT” or “play well”. I’ll give you updates once more info comes in.
Free LEGO Blue VIP Keychain (854090)
Offer valid when you sign-up for the first time to become a LEGO VIP member. Promo runs from June 1 to December 31, 2021.
Throughout the second half of the year, LEGO is giving out the exclusive LEGO Blue VIP Keychain as an incentive for signing up as a LEGO VIP member. Its a great way to start your journey on great LEGO discounts, rewards, and other cool LEGO giveaways.
Free LEGO Bob Minion with Robot Arms (30387)
Offer valid from June 24 to July 11, 2021.
To mark the long-overdue release of Universal Pictures’ Minions: The Rise of Gru animated film, LEGO is also giving out incentives for those who will make their next LEGO Minions purchase. From June 24 to July 11, any single-receipt purchase of any LEGO Minions sets worth $40 will entitle you to this Bob Minion polybag. It’s a nice way to build your army of little yellow minions if you ask me.
I have to say that the offerings and promos listed in the June 2021 LEGO Store Calendar are pretty exciting. So be sure to check with LEGO Shop@Home for the latest and upcoming LEGO sets next month.
Following the official announcement of the summer 2021 wave of LEGO Friends, shop.LEGO.com has updated its servers once more to include its collection of LEGO Ninjago summer 2021 sets. Officially revealed earlier this month via 3rd party retailers, this latest wave of Ninjago sets features an underwater theme, complete with new underwater antagonists, and other mythical sea-dwelling beasts.
Check them out by clicking on the following LEGO affiliate links below, and adding them to your LEGO wishlist, and be sure to mark your calendars on August 1 when this latest collection is slated for release.
Dutch online retailer Ottosimon updated their listing once again to now include the LEGO Ninjago summer 2021 range of sets that are scheduled to arrive in June. These sets follow the LEGO Ninjago 15th season storyline where the team’s next adventure sends them off on a journey in the depths of the sea, in search of answers for Nya’s mysterious powers.
Since February, it was rumored that these sets will be featuring an underwater adventure theme, complete with new aquatic creatures, and other mythical sea-dwelling beasts. These are all tied into the ninjas’ quest of answering the mysteries surrounding Nya’s uncontrollable powers.
Now that third-party retailers have been listing these sets already, then I guess it’s just a matter of time before they officially find their way over at LEGO Shop@Home. Needless to say, it’s a great year for LEGO Ninjago as well since the theme is celebrating its 10th anniversary, along with commemorative sets that include collectible golden minifigures.
I’ll be updating this post once LEGO Shop@Home lists these sets on its website. But in the meantime, let’s enjoy these images and other details.
Lloyd’s Hydro Mech (71750)
228 pieces | 19.99 Euro | Minifigures include Scuba Lloyd and Maaray Guard
Ninja Sub Speeder (71752)
356 pieces | 39.99 Euro | Minifigures include Scuba Jay, Scuba Cole, and 2 Maaray Guards
Water Dragon (71754)
737 pieces | 69.99 Euro | Minifigures include NRG Nya, Scuba Zane, Kalmaar, and 2 Maaray Guards
Temple of the Endless Sea (71755)
1,060 pieces | 99.99 Euro | Minifigures include NRG Nya, Scuba Kai, Benthomaar, Kalmaar, Glutinous, and 2 Maaray Guards
