As a gamer, I have a fondness for many games, but there is one I consider to be legendary. The Legend of Zelda was first released by Nintendo in 1986 and told the story of a young warrior called Link, whose destiny was to save the land of Hyrule and its Princess. But the series became a thing of legend when the Nintendo 64 was released. I have fond memories of playing this game. I was ill at the time so was going to school, giving me plenty of time to play the game. I’d asked for the Strategy Guide for Christmas that year, so had to keep sneaking a look at it to help me on my quest. But the game has given me one of my most cherished gaming moments. After pottering around Kokiri Forest and helping the Great Deku Tree, you leave the small area and step foot onto the vastness of Hyrule Field. At the time it was breathtaking. Although it looks a little basic these days, my fondness for the Legend of Zelda runs deep. So when the LEGO® set inspired by the game series was announced, I was extremely excited but does that excitement translate into a great set? Let’s find out, but be careful, it’s dangerous to go alone.
Product Details
Set Name: Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 | Set Number: 77092 | Pieces: 2500 | Theme: The Legend of Zelda
Number of Bags: Bags x 23 (plastic) + Loose elements | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Ocarina of Time – Link & Young Link + Breath of the Wild – Link & Princess Zelda plus Hestu, Navi & Koroks
RRP: £259.99/$299.99/299.99€/449.99AUD/389.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online, LEGO Retailers & Nintendo Store
Taking advantage of the Nintendo 64 being the ‘fastest, most powerful games console in the world’ at the time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time reimagined Hyrule in glorious 3D. During the opening of the Ocarina of Time, a young boy from Kokiri Forest is awakened from a nightmare by the fairy Navi and is summoned to visit the Great Deku Tree. After retrieving a shield and sword, Link is tasked with ridding the Great Deku Tree of an evil dark curse. After defeating Gohma, the Great Deku Tree recounts the creation of Hyrule by the three goddesses, Din, Nayru and Farore who also forged the powerful relic known as the Triforce. The Great Deku Tree appears in another iconic entry in the Legend of Zelda series, this time on the Nintendo Switch. The Breath of the Wild provided a similar technological leap and reimagined Hyrule as a vast, fully explorable open world. Although the Great Deku Tree plays a lesser role in this game, his location is also where players can discover the legendary Master Sword. So the Great Deku Tree is an important aspect of the Legend of Zelda games, making it the ideal subject for a LEGO set.
The set allows you to build either the Ocarina of Time or the Breath of the Wild versions of the Great Deku Tree. The first few steps of the build give you the base to then build one of two different versions of the tree.
But separate from that you first build Link’s treehouse home from Kokiri Forest. This a rather compact version of Young Link’s dwellings but it does feature his bed and tiny balcony. In the bows of the treehouse is a chest filled with familiar items used across various Legend of Zelda games. These include a Magic Jar, a Red Potion, a bomb, a compass and the Hookshot. You’ll also find the iconic Hylian Shield. This is a new element. Unlike similar LEGO shields, this one features a curved surface. It’s nice to see this iconic piece of equipment recreated as a new element. Link’s House is also where you first meet Navi. Your fairy companion is created from a printed parabola disc topped with a transparent blue round tile. This can be swapped out with a yellow or green tile to represent your fairy companion’s in-game ability to show points of interest and targets.
The next section you build is the Sun-dappled glade found hidden within Korok Forest. This is an interesting section to build as it features a triangular platform which is built in such a way that it isn’t held by clutch power but is anchored by three dome elements. It also features a slot for the Master Sword to sit. This iconic sword is recreated as another new element, oddly it features a purple hilt. In most iterations, the sword has a blue handle. Apart from that, it’s great to see the sword crafted as a new design and not just a recoloured version of a previously available element. This forest clearing is home to plenty of plant life, with most of them taking inspiration from those found in Breath of the Wild. These include Endura and Hylian Shrooms, Silent Princess plants and Hearty Radish. Perfect should you wish to cook up a tasty supper.
The Korok Forest glade is also home to a Korok musician called Hestu, who plays the maracas. This fan-favourite character helps you expand your inventory but is best known for his excitable dance whenever you bring him Korok Seeds. As a brick-built character, it uses nothing but elements to craft its detail, so no stickers or printed pieces. It may appear a little simplistic but it’s a great take on the character. Plus Hestu’s maracas rattle, which is a neat touch.
Once you’ve constructed the base section mentioned above you have the choice to build either the Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild versions of the Great Deku Tree. For the first of this review, I built the Ocarina of Time version of the Great Deku Tree. It’s worth noting you will need to strip back either version of the set to build the other, with both using some of the same elements in their construction. The Korok Forest Glade and Link’s House can both be built alongside either version of the Great Deku Tree.
In the game, the Great Deku Tree exterior is fairly basic looking. So some artistic licence has been used to jazz it up a little. This is achieved by layer various bow and curve elements. These give the tree a natural appearance and weave the Great Deku Tree’s facial features into the external surface of the tree. In the game, you enter the Great Deku Tree by wandering into his mouth. This has been worked into the set so you can open his mouth by sliding a lever found inside the tree.
Although the inside of Great Deku Tree is vastly smaller than it is in the game, it does include a clever nod to one of the game’s memorable enemies. As you explore the cursed interior of the Great Deku Tree, you hear a scurrying noise and all of a sudden a Skulltula Spider drop from above. This becomes a working aspect of the set. The spider is mounted on a simple disc hidden within the tree. It’s linked to a gear and switch on the back of the tree. Flicking the switch causes the brick-built Skulltula to drop and it can then be retracted by turning the gear.
You finish out the build by adding further details to the outside of the Great Deku Tree and the area surrounding it. The top of the tree is decorated with a flourish of branches which use the recently introduced plate leaf elements. I often dread having to build leafy pieces but these were nice to put together and they are sturdy. Dotted around the base of the tree are various plants and flowers. These can be a little tricky to see where they are placed but as you add more it does become a little easier to see if you’ve mistakenly put something in the wrong place.
There are a few fun links to the Ocarina of Time found around the base of the Great Deku Tree. To the right of it is a Gossip Stone and that happy-looking chap sitting in front of the Great Deku Tree is the Deku Tree Sprout. There’s also a pair of Deku Babas, waiting ready to pounce should someone wander too close to them. Plus there are other Easter Eggs hidden around the Great Deku Tree. All provide recognisable moments and items from the Ocarina of Time.
The set includes four Minifigures. These are based on characters from both versions of the game. From the Ocarina of Time, there’s Young Link and Adult Link. These both use similar parts to create the different versions of Link. Both eras of Link feature a new hair and hat piece. Their torsos are similar and use different daul moulded arms. Young Link carries a small sword and a Deku Shield. Adult Link makes use of yet another new element – an Ocarina. As a fan of the games, it’s genuinely great to see so many iconic items from them becoming new pieces.
Although Link features in almost every Legend of Zelda game, he and other characters are often shown in different forms. In Breath of the Wild, Link can wear many outfits but has many features in a light blue tunic. Although not as iconic as the usual green tunic, it has become synonymous with the game. The BOTW version of Link uses another new element for his hair, which lacks a hat but still features Link’s pointy ears. Link also carries a generic sword and a basic Traveller’s shield. He’s joined by the fearless Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. She also wears a similar blue outfit to Link and has a new hairpiece. The print detail on her torso feels as if it’s lacking something. She includes a Sheikah Slate, the device which Link also uses to explore Hyrule.
I’ll be taking a look at the alternate version of the Great Deku Tree in a separate review as it’s basically another set. But this version of the set is an amazing celebration of the much-loved game series. If you build the three sections mentioned in this review then you get the best of both worlds, with the Deku Tree and Link’s House celebrating the Ocarina of Time and Master Sword glade linking to the Breath of the Wild. There is no getting away from the price point of the set. Yes, it’s quite high however, the set features several new elements, zero stickers and is surprisingly detailed. Plus it allows you to build two different versions. So it does offer a lot for how much it costs. If you are a fan of the games this is a must-have set and even if you’ve never stepped foot in Hyrule it’s still an impressive build. The LEGO Legend of Zelda: Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 set will be available from September 1st and can be pre-ordered now.
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These were provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for this review. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Nintendo. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
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