Best of BrickNerd: Weekend Highlight — Article originally published October 14, 2021.

Tiny LEGO Themes - BrickNerd - Header.jpg

Continuing our dive into Tiny Themes, today let’s look at LEGO’s own ideas that did not end up sticking around. Are these better or worse than the IP themes? You be the judge!

What Makes a Tiny Theme Tiny?

To start off, it is difficult to determine which original themes are actually the smallest. LEGO has produced so many different concepts, often under a broader theme, that many lines end up being very short-lived. I mean, even today, LEGO seems to have trouble categorizing many of their products! For example, some themes, such as Unitron (remembered for being one of only three monorail sets 6991 - Monorail Transport Base), lasted for only four sets, but is largely just considered the “Space” theme for that era.

Does “Monorail” count as a tiny theme? 3 Main sets and a few suplemental packs make it pretty small. Image via brickset.com

These next few themes will try to avoid that type of categorization and try to take a look at some of the truly unique themes that died off either much too soon or as perceived failures.

LEGO Universe

To kick things off, let’s start with a theme that had a lot of potential: LEGO Universe. Based on the fondly remembered attempt to create a LEGO MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) game, Universe only ended up receiving a whole two sets, both promotional polybags. The 2853944 - Universe Nexus Astronaut polybag was an exclusive for anyone that preordered LEGO Universe, and the 55001 - LEGO Universe Rocket had a bit wider of a release but was also initially a promotional item.

There were plans to continue releasing products for LEGO Universe that even managed to make it to the prototype stages. While these would not necessarily be traditional sets, custom minifigures based on your in-game character did actually gain traction. There are more wild rumors that sets could have been produced for the game as well, but the entire effort was shut down before either of these things could become available to the public.

Two different MOCk-ups of what could have been. Image via user Jamesster on legouniverse.fandom.com

LEGO Universe would eventually also have a number of small giveaways for very limited promotional events, often consisting of two plates with an image and a tile. These do not really appear as sets (no packaging from any reports I could find) and are treated more like gear, avoiding adding to the Universe set total.

LEGO FORMA

If you thought that LEGO Universe was a strange brick-built product line, LEGO Forma is even weirder.

Released only through crowdfunding (but more traditionally and specifically through The LEGO Group, unlike the initial BrickLink Designer Program), this project consisted of essentially one set, 81000 - Koi. There would be three additional plastic “skins” that were available to put on over the mechanical framework of the initial set. While these sets are largely Technic sets, they get a special shout-out due to their release style and the fact that they did receive exclusive parts outside of the Technic line; the plastic sheets of different skins and the Technic, Pin ½ with Foil Connector.

a rare enough part that the Bricklink image still looks cryptic. Only avaliable in white through the LEGO Forma sets. Image via Bricklink.com

LEGO Fusion

App-based integration is nothing new for LEGO sets. With Hidden Side including a significant VR component, the new Powered Up functions of many electrical components, and even special code bricks that unlock online exclusives from lines like The LEGO Movie and Exo Force, there are many instances of LEGO attempting to bridge physical and digital play.

Looks super exciting. Image via Time.com

LEGO Fusion was one of the initial attempts to fully cross the bridge of combining physical brick with the digital world. While this line may have paved the way for more of the app-based technology we see today, this line only lasted for a total of four sets. Largely underwhelming due to the limited number of bricks for the price point and the overly simplistic models, these sets were around for less than a year.

One of four Fusion sets. Image via engadget.com

The technology behind the apps may have been impressive, but to consumers, this theme fell flat fast. 200 pieces for $35 was going to be a hard sell anywhere.

Inventor

In another attempt to combine function with bricks, Inventor served as a crossover of Creator and Technic/Mindstorms, utilizing brand new battery powered electronics for simplistically programmed movements and other new mechanically based parts. With only four sets, each trying to highlight a different type of movement, they must have run out of new ways to explore motion quickly.

Can you guess what this is? Congrats if you said mixer, cause that’s what the instructions show it doing. image via bricklink.com

Given the limited number of these sets currently on BrickLink, they have largely been forgotten—even though they seemed to have been available for quite an extended period of time. While very interesting to play with, many of these sets also required the additional space to allow them to drive around, or even somewhere to hang a string to allow them to climb along, potentially limiting their appeal.

Look at this creativity, we found a way to motorize a fish…on land. Image via bricklink.com

And while the sets may have provided multiple instructions to build different forms, the specialization of the mechanical bricks seems to have shut down a lot of reuse of the bricks for other projects.

Spybotics

This theme may be the closest to a subtheme on this list. However, Spybotics separated itself from the majority of the standard Mindstorms theme at the time by combining programming with remote controls—all while utilizing the mission system to allow for individual or cooperative play with other Spybotics sets. LEGO would also end up releasing a web game focused around more of the mission story, however, it was severely lacking in tie-ins with the sets themselves.

Note the sale price on the box. Image via Brickset.com

Spybotics has largely stayed separated from the rest of Mindstorms still to this day due to the remote transmitter and highly specialized functions of the programable electronic bricks. These sets also seemed expensive, even compared to Mindstorms sets, running at $60 each for under 300 bricks. Many of these sets ended up seeing deep discounts towards the end of their lives as well—and with many of the technology-based sets, software and hardware became more outdated.

How did these not sell better with an ad like this? Video via YouTube.com

Just Like These Themes, We’ve Come to an End Again

To keep it short, just like the lifespan of these themes, that about wraps it up. As mentioned there are a lot of short-lived experiments throughout LEGO’s history, and these are just a few of the most prominent and shortest-lived. If you missed it, check out our earlier look into the short-lived IP-based themes as well!

Do you remember any other short-lived themes? Any favorites or predictions on upcoming canceled themes? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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