LEGO Dimensions – Counting the LEGO Multiverse

[Blondie-Wan]

I had to go over to the official Grumpy Sparrows thread to find out what was going on. There seems to be a cycle of bewilderment-amusement-frustration going on over there. It's hard enough to figure out what is going on with Grumpy Sparrows without all this mess, lol.

What happens if you actually type "Grumpy Sparrows"? What if I just say Angry Bird? Or Angry Birding? Or Birds Angry? If I keep posting Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows Grumpy Sparrows, will someone finally notice and fix the flipping filter? What if I just need to complain about some actual Grumpy Sparrows?

And why was this even funny in the first place? It's only hilarious now that they're actually going to make LEGO Grumpy Sparrows sets but we can't actually say Grumpy Sparrows. It's like we're stuck on some lame TV show with made up computer applications like Browser Hound and Search Berzerk.

Until such time as the mods see fit to lift the filter (something I really expected them to have done by now; perhaps they actually intend now to leave it on forever, so that people can't even refer to an actual, official LEGO theme by its actual name without extraordinary measures like the one I'm about to describe), one can work around the filter by breaking up one of the words with the color tag, and just setting the color to black so it shows up the same way, like so: Angry Birds (hit the quote button to see what I've done). Alternately, break it up with italicization tags, like this: Angry Birds.

[TalonCard]

I honestly don't think that Lego Universe and the Spinjitsuverse are the same place. There are some major differences in story, world, and plot, far beyond minor canon inconsistencies.

The LU story took place(if I remember correctly) on a shard of the planet Ninjago that had been Spinjitusued out of the way of the Maelstrom by Sensei Wu. Ninjago in the cartoon is an entire planet, not a shard. This could be explained away as having happened after the cartoon...except that the minibosses and enemy NPCs are Skulkin under the direct control of Lord Garmadon, who not only turned good several seasons ago...but well, might be suffering from a tiny case of

Character Existence Failure.

. Of course, I haven't seen the last few episodes, so it might be that he's controlling them from the Underworld for a second time...but Occam's Razor.

Hmm, I hadn't taken a closer look at Ninjago's presense in LEGO Universe. You're right, it is more a shard than a whole planet. The way the LEGO Universe wiki phrases it, though, it seems like it's just a part of the planet that conveniently contains the Ninjago Monestary. But, y'know, it is a wiki. Is there anyone here more familiar with the game?

Could it be that a portion of Ninjago did indeed break off at some point during the cartoon, before Lord Garmadon's turn, to allow for the events of LEGO Universe? It's certainly possible that we're dealing with a parallel universe, but given the number of character/story inconsistencies in the past (and that a toyline like LEGO demands a certain amount of flexibility), I don't know that it's quite enough to state definitively. (There have been inconpatible stories and timelines for Adventurers and Pirates too, but I'm not sure it's always grounds for a separate universe designation.)

Until such time as the mods see fit to lift the filter (something I really expected them to have done by now; perhaps they actually intend now to leave it on forever, so that people can't even refer to an actual, official LEGO theme by its actual name without extraordinary measures like the one I'm about to describe), one can work around the filter by breaking up one of the words with the color tag, and just setting the color to black so it shows up the same way, like so: Angry Birds (hit the quote button to see what I've done). Alternately, break it up with italicization tags, like this: Angry Birds.

Ah, thanks! I'd seen people doing that, but I didn't know how they'd managed it.

Adrick

[Lind Whisperer]

Hmm, I hadn't taken a closer look at Ninjago's presense in LEGO Universe. You're right, it is more a shard than a whole planet. The way the LEGO Universe wiki phrases it, though, it seems like it's just a part of the planet that conveniently contains the Ninjago Monestary. But, y'know, it is a wiki. Is there anyone here more familiar with the game?

*cough* Jamesster *cough* (I played LU thoroughly myself, but Jamesster was one of the top players.)

Could it be that a portion of Ninjago did indeed break off at some point during the cartoon, before Lord Garmadon's turn, to allow for the events of LEGO Universe?

Afraid not. For that to be possible, you need two things to exist at the same time:

Sensei Wu, all four Ninjas, and Nya all together above ground(They all appear in the giant LU dojo).

Lord Garmadon controlling the Underworld(He appears in at least one published cutscene, and would almost certainly have appeared in more.).

Nya was kidnapped by Skulkin for most of the cartoon, until the Ninjas rescued her at the Fire Temple. Immediately afterwards,, Sensei Wu went down to the Underworld, blah, blah, fight scene, Lord Garmadon jumps through a portal to another dimension, where he gets a second pair of arms. This is important to note. In the LU cutscenes, he only has two arms. The cartoon makes it very clear he isn't seen again until after he got the second pair of arms, so LU's Ninjago shard is almost definitely an alternate universe.

[SuperGeniusCreator]

*cough* Jamesster *cough* (I played LU thoroughly myself, but Jamesster was one of the top players.)

Afraid not. For that to be possible, you need two things to exist at the same time:

Sensei Wu, all four Ninjas, and Nya all together above ground(They all appear in the giant LU dojo).

Lord Garmadon controlling the Underworld(He appears in at least one published cutscene, and would almost certainly have appeared in more.).

Nya was kidnapped by Skulkin for most of the cartoon, until the Ninjas rescued her at the Fire Temple. Immediately afterwards,, Sensei Wu went down to the Underworld, blah, blah, fight scene, Lord Garmadon jumps through a portal to another dimension, where he gets a second pair of arms. This is important to note. In the LU cutscenes, he only has two arms. The cartoon makes it very clear he isn't seen again until after he got the second pair of arms, so LU's Ninjago shard is almost definitely an alternate universe.

That, or the ninja's memories of the LU story were erased by Ronin. According to advertisements from before LU was announced to close, there was going to be a Fire Temple boss battle where you would fight Lord Garmadon who would receive help from the Darkitect. It would have been interesting to see how they would have ended up tying in the Snakes storyline into the game. But yeah, the "Lego Universe" universe is probably not the same universe as the TV show's universe.

[jamesster]

LU's Ninjago stuff is a weird mess.

First, for people not familiar with LU - the story of the game involved a planet called Crux that got blown up into a lot of smaller worlds. The largest of these chunks was called Crux Prime.

Ninjago was first included in LU as a small area (the Ninjago Monastery Ruins) in Crux Prime. The story was explained through a shrine players could interact with in the ruins:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 (Notice that Jay's element is referred to as Air instead of Lightning)

Part 4

Part 5 (This is where things really diverge from the official Ninjago story)

Part 6

Part 7

In short, when the Ninja recovered the golden weapons, they returned to the Monastery of Spinjitzu, but the skulkin attacked, and destroyed the monastery. The ninja escaped with the weapons, and Sensei Wu used his powers to steer the last remaining piece of the monastery towards Nexus Tower, crash landing it on Crux Prime... Don't ask me how that worked. But the skulkin were also on Crux Prime, mining Maelstrom ore and using it to make weapons. Sensei Wu hung out in the ruins and taught players how to use "Imagination Spinjitzu" to fight them off.

And then all that got retconned.

A huge new world was added to the game - the Ninjago Monastery. This is the Monastery of Spinjitzu (well technically, the Monastery of Spinjitzu was a location within the "Ninjago Monastery" world - the world also included a large battlefield and a lot of caves, surrounding the Monastery of Spinjitzu, none of which existed in the official theme's story as far as I know).

The Ninjago Monastery Ruins on Crux Prime were kept in the game, but the story surrounding them was retconned/replaced, and Sensei Wu was replaced with a new character, Neido (Sensei Wu himself was now found in the Ninjago Monastery world).

(skip to 1:15 on that video if it doesn't automatically) was that when Samukai was destroyed by the golden weapons, Lord Garmadon was, uh... "banished once more". The Darkitect (the big bad in LU) told Garmadon of the powers of the Maelstrom, and Garmadon sent Nuckal to Crux Prime to mine Maelstrom ore. Sensei Wu sent a ninja named Neido to follow Nuckal. Neido discovered their mining operation, and built a small monastery nearby, which was then attacked by the skulkin miners, becoming the Ninjago Monastery Ruins. Neido then discovered Imagination Spinjitzu.

When the Ninjago Monastery world was launched, a lot of players got confused at how the world was supposedly the land/planet of Ninjago itself, but official artwork depicted it as a chunk of Crux. Unfortunately I don't have a source to back this up as most forums and websites for LU are long gone, but the official answer from the developers was that the depiction in the artwork was a mistake, and that the Ninjago Monastery world was part of Ninjago, not Crux. LU players might notice several other mistakes in that artwork, too.

As for the story of the new Ninjago Monastery world... If I remember right, the skulkin started attacking the Monastery of Spinjitzu with their new Maelstrom weapons and armor (made with the Maelstrom ore from Crux Prime). The golden weapons had been hidden in the caves behind the Monastery of Spinjitzu, but the skulkin had broken in somehow. Players were trained in Spinjitzu by the ninja, and fought off skulkin to recover the golden weapons.

There were plans for more - there were going to be four dungeons themed after the Ninjago elements, one of them (the Fire Temple) was mere days away from being finished and released by the developers when the game was canceled. Players would have fought against Garmadon, who used some sort of Maelstrom spinjitzu. Content themed around Serpentine was in early development, but of course the game was killed off before it could get very far.

Edited June 12, 2015 by jamesster

[Blondie-Wan]

What I want to know about is the LEGO multimegaomniuberuniverse within this one. There are a number of LEGO sets that actually portray LEGO sets, like the Toys 'R' Us truck of a few years ago, or this year's new Town Square. Could we extrapolate from their existence a conjectural entire LEGO multiverse within LEGO City, complete with its own offshoots and such? Does it go infinitely down, in a fractal pattern of infinite LEGO multiverses within LEGO multiverses, like so many interlocking Danish matryoshka dolls?

If so, could it extend the other way? Could we ourselves just be LEGO maniacs in sets or commercials or The LEGO Movie within an even greater LEGO multiverse?

[TalonCard]

Jamesster,I can't think you enough for the summary! I'm still a little confused about Ninjago and LEGO Universe, though. Were the retcons made so that it would fit better into the ongoing Ninjago storyline, or just to explain the expanded Ninjago Monastery game world within the context of LEGO Universe?

All of this also begs the question of whether or how much LEGO Dimensions will be acknowledged within the Ninjago storyline as well...

Lord Garmadon jumps through a portal to another dimension, where he gets a second pair of arms.

Woah, hang on, is this alternate dimension named? We should add it to the list!

What I want to know about is the LEGO multimegaomniuberuniverse within this one. There are a number of LEGO sets that actually portray LEGO sets, like the Toys 'R' Us truck of a few years ago, or this year's new Town Square. Could we extrapolate from their existence a conjectural entire LEGO multiverse within LEGO City, complete with its own offshoots and such? Does it go infinitely down, in a fractal pattern of infinite LEGO multiverses within LEGO multiverses, like so many interlocking Danish matryoshka dolls?

If so, could it extend the other way? Could we ourselves just be LEGO maniacs in sets or commercials or The LEGO Movie within an even greater LEGO multiverse?

LOL, exactly. Does the LEGO company from those sets become the LEGO organization in Clutch Powers? Is the entire Classic Space/Futuron program in the 2070s based on the 70s and 80s LEGO sets seen on t-shirts and in the new Town Square set?

TC

[jamesster]

Jamesster,I can't think you enough for the summary! I'm still a little confused about Ninjago and LEGO Universe, though. Were the retcons made so that it would fit better into the ongoing Ninjago storyline, or just to explain the expanded Ninjago Monastery game world within the context of LEGO Universe?

The latter. At least I assume so as the second version of the LU story still didn't fit in with the Ninjago storyline.

Edited June 12, 2015 by jamesster

[Transparency for Effect]

The way I read the movie, the LEGO universe inhabited by Emmet, Wyldstyle, etc. isn't "just" a product of Finn's imagination, but a parallel universe that is linked to it and to the greater world in which Finn and his dad live. IIRC, remarks from the filmmakers corroborate this; I'll have to try to dig them up and see if I'm right. Moreover, though, consider that the movie starts 8 1/2 years earlier - probably right around the time Finn is born. I don't think that's a coincidence.

I've heard the commentary states the universe is real, but feel free to check for me. That would also give the mentions of BIONICLE, Fabuland, Friends & Speed Racer more validity, especially since you also see a sign to Heartlake City, Speed Racer as a Master Builder and the heads of Fabuland characters on the wall of the bar:

Of course, I have heard Greg said BIONICLE was in its own isolated universe and that they don't look like LEGO in-universe, but then again, he wouldn't comment on the canonicity either way when asked about the TLM thing There were also BIONICLE appearances in the Studios Backlot game, a LEGO Cinema ad where they watch a Glatorian Legends ad and the LEGO Club TV short Black Eyed Piece.

Can we be sure Christopher Lloyd's BTTF Dimensions video was Doc Brown or Christopher Lloyd himself?

And hey, don't forget the ending of Brick Like Me where it turns out the Simpsons universe is a LEGO Minifigure's LEGO set That potentially also being of Futurama, The Critic, Family Guy, Duckman, The Cleveland Show, American Dad, Rick & Morty, Life in Hell and Bob's Burgers, but I digress.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Transparency for Effect

[Blondie-Wan]

Can we be sure Christopher Lloyd's BTTF Dimensions video was Doc Brown or Christopher Lloyd himself?

It's strongly implied to be Doc Brown rather than Chris Lloyd. He speaks as Brown, wears his clothes, and has scientific equipment scattered about and the DeLorean time machine under a tarp.

Tangentially, the use of the actor as the character in another live-action bit similar to the first does make me wonder not only whether we might see a few more (I'd love a follow-up with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor), but also whether Joel McHale might have something to do with the actual game, and not just the announcement video.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Blondie-Wan

[Transparency for Effect]

It's strongly implied to be Doc Brown rather than Chris Lloyd. He speaks as Brown, wears his clothes, and has scientific equipment scattered about and the DeLorean time machine under a tarp.

Tangentially, the use of the actor as the character in another live-action bit similar to the first does make me wonder not only whether we might see a few more (I'd love a follow-up with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor), but also whether Joel McHale might have something to do with the actual game, and not just the announcement video.

Fair point It's just that he may have been referred to as Christopher Lloyd on the release materials.

To add to that extremely meta TLM talk earlier, in the movie you can see minifigures of Lord and Miller as if they were just directing.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Transparency for Effect

[TalonCard]

Clearly I need to start freeze-framing through the LEGO Movie; I didn't catch the Fabuland heads, the director cameos, or Bad Cop joining the village people, and you guys don't even want to know how many time I saw that movie, LOL.

Of course, I have heard Greg said BIONICLE was in its own isolated universe and that they don't look like LEGO in-universe,

Oooh, was he quoted anywhere?

And hey, don't forget the ending of Brick Like Me where it turns out the Simpsons universe is a LEGO Minifigure's LEGO set

Woah, I need to actually watch this cartoon...

TC

[Murdoch17]

Fair point It's just that he may have been referred to as Christopher Lloyd on the release materials.

To add to that extremely meta TLM talk earlier, in the movie you can see minifigures of Lord and Miller as if they were just directing.

SNIP

There also seems to be The Village People on the right behind Batman!

[Transparency for Effect]

Clearly I need to start freeze-framing through the LEGO Movie; I didn't catch the Fabuland heads, the director cameos, or Bad Cop joining the village people, and you guys don't even want to know how many time I saw that movie, LOL.

I only first heard about it in description of the movie's commentary: http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/24-awesome-things-learned-lego-movie-commentary.php I've also heard in the commentary that Miller says the LEGO universe is real and Emett merely gets transported between the two, but I unfortunately don't get access to it simply because I got the DVD version

Oooh, was he quoted anywhere?

Well, that's why I said I heard. I assume it might have been answered in the Ask Greg topic, but I haven't found that so far. I hope it wasn't answered somewhere like BZP's old fourms, which were purged some time ago. Of course, you could just ask him again.

Woah, I need to actually watch this cartoon...

There's also references to themes like Architecture, CMF and Pirates in there.

[Lind Whisperer]

There also seems to be The Village People on the right behind Batman!

That's actually Bad Cop and Frank the Foreman with a couple of other minifigures. It might be a homage, but it's not a cameo.

[Transparency for Effect]

For what it's worth, multiple sources call for a LEGO Dimensions multiverse:

http://legodimensions.tumblr.com/post/119627694668/if-youre-going-to-traverse-the-lego-multiverse

[TalonCard]

Clarified (well, sorta) the Ninjago/Universe situation, added 1300A: Garmadon's Dark Dimension (is there an actual name for this?) and 2504 Half-Life-Verse as

. An interesting thing to note: Doc Brown is the one who delivers the LEGO Dimensions box to Chell, and while it wasn't obvious at the time, I suspect the Joel McHale character was the one who delivered it to Doc. This indicates that: A., the "parent universe" characters are crossing universes as well, and B., it's the same box being passed around. Can't wait to see where this leads...

(By the way, the Portal stuff looks awesome and I haven't even played Portal. Be sure to freeze-frame the Dimensions diagrams; they're hilarious.)

TC

Edited June 18, 2015 by TalonCard

[jamesster]

Well... This happened: http://hamigakimomo.tumblr.com/post/116431985944/here-it-is-the-ninjago-manga-in-the-coro-coro

[TalonCard]

What...was that? LOL.

TC

[TalonCard]

Added #3047: McStuffiniverse after seeing this DUPLO set on the August LEGO store calendar. Gotta keep an eye on those liscenced DUPLO sets...

TC

[SuperGeniusCreator]

Well... This happened: http://hamigakimomo....n-the-coro-coro

WAHT AM I LOOKING AT?!? That comic was just... bizarre.

Edited July 2, 2015 by SuperGeniusCreator

[TalonCard]

So I don't know how I missed this, but in LEGO Jurassic World, during the Jurassic Park III cutscenes, a crashed and buried DeLorean set can be seen at Alan Grant's excavation, with two paleontologists puzzling over it. At first glance, this would seem to be one of the game's many, many throwaway gags, but at the very end of the game there's a flash back to Alan's excavation, where he discovers a portal from LEGO Dimensions--it's all connected. Well played, LEGO.

TC

Edited July 4, 2015 by TalonCard

[TalonCard]

Updated with the 3048: Midway Arcade universe from Dimensions, which does indeed seem to be a world of arcade game playing rather than one inspired by game storylines. Also learned that Ninjago's latest storyline introduced the Sixteen Realms, which apparently includes 1300A: Underworld, 1300B: Dark Realm, 1300D: Cursed Realm, 1300E: Cloud Kingdom and the Land of Chima, formerly 1500, now (approprietly enough) 1300C. (Those of you who actually watch the show, please feel free to fact check these names.)

TC

[Transparency for Effect]

Can anyone list all of the other theme references that are in the bios of the collectible minifigure series?

[Transparency for Effect]

Well, guess what franchise is next to receive the Dimensions package?