Review: 21584 Nether & End Portal Journey
Posted by TheBrickPal,
A popular part of Minecraft gameplay is exploring the bizarre different dimensions in the game. While you'll spend most of your time in the Overworld, there are some great adventures to be had by travelling to the fiery Nether and to the barren realm known as the End.
21584 Nether & End Portal Journey seeks to provide an inexpensive taste of both of these locations. This seems like a fantastic set from official images, and I have been very excited to take a closer look at it.
Summary
21584 Nether & End Portal Journey, 192 pieces.
£12.99 / $14.99 / €14.99 | 6.8p / 7.8c / 7.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
An ideal set for enthusiasts of Minecraft's unique dimensions
- Cool Hero minifigure is indeed quite cool
- Cheap way to get an Enderman
- Accurate baby hoglin
- Great portal builds
- Useful side models
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
The Cool Hero is the protagonist of this set. He definitely looks cool, with blue shades and abs visible through his shirt! I wouldn't want to mess with this guy.
An Enderman is also included. This mob has only appeared in the range nine times over the course of eleven years, and this is the cheapest set to contain one thus far. This set might be many LEGO Minecraft fans' first time encountering the Enderman figure, as it was for me. These neutral mobs spawn in all three dimensions, but are most commonly found in the End, and will attack those who harm them or stare at them directly in the eyes.
I very much like how this figure looks, using a combination of specialized pieces and common plates and tiles. Here, it carries a sand block, while the Cool Hero has a cool enchanted bow.
A baby hoglin was featured in 21172 The Ruined Portal back in 2021, but did not look right at all, sharing an inaccurate appearance with its adult counterpart in 21168 The Warped Forest. That version got an update more recently in 21255 The Nether Portal Ambush, and here comes its offspring with an updated design to match!
This hostile mob can be found in the Nether, so it makes sense to include, and the nougat body and tan tusks look great to me.
The printed 2x3 tile for the face is the same one used for the aforementioned adult hoglin.
The Completed Model
A minifigure scale Nether portal has appeared in six sets before now, but like with the Enderman, the cheapest option to obtain one is this set. It looks good from all angles, and I like how the obsidian blocks are represented with black bricks and purple 1x1 studs.
The central part of the portal is hinged, allowing the trans-purple wall elements to swing open and act as a gateway for the Cool Hero to teleport through!
A small segment of Nether terrain is also included, with obligatory lava and a block of Nether quartz ore. Simple, but effective, and a perfect area to place the baby hoglin on.
Onward to the End! We've had some exit portals in End-related sets, but this is our first portal to the End that has appeared in a set in ten years, since 2016's 21124 The End Portal. It is long overdue! This example looks very nice, particularly with the central detail that did not exist in the previous, due to that portal being inactive. Lava can be found underneath, suggesting a surrounding stronghold, as that is the only place where an End portal can be found.
The Eye of Ender can be used to find strongholds and to activate an End portal, where twelve are required. I love the printed detail of the 1x1 dark blue tiles that represent them.
You can convert the portal to an inactive state by flipping the plate, which works well enough.
Chorus plants are commonly found in the End and this one looks good. Alongside it is a potion of healing, which could come in handy...
Overall
This is a phenomenal set. For a low price you get a lot that should satisfy long-time LEGO Minecraft fans as well as newer ones. Between uncommon mobs and a structure that hasn't been seen in a long time, there's something for everyone here.
The Nether portal is a common design, but having multiple can be useful, and the set would feel incomplete without it. I have no issues with any of the contents and £12.99, $14.99 or €14.99 for 192 pieces is very reasonable, especially considering the volume of stuff included. With all of that in mind, I wholeheartedly recommend this set.
Too late to turn back now...
49 likes
10 comments on this article
Great set for its price, will definitely get it day one!
This one is amazing! I'm so glad they managed to cram this into the range where a kid realistically can buy it with their own money too. It will be hugely popular.
I'm not a MC fan, but that looks like a battlepack to me. I like that tall, dark figure. It would look good in Halloween displays.
The only thing that upsets me is that it's going to take a diamond brick-separator to disassemble that Nether Portal.
@Crux said:
"The only thing that upsets me is that it's going to take a diamond brick-separator to disassemble that Nether Portal."
Maybe the teal ones are diamond?
@Crux said:
"The only thing that upsets me is that it's going to take a diamond brick-separator to disassemble that Nether Portal."
Rumor has it they used lava and water when molding these parts at the factory.
I find those tiny Nether and End token terrain builds quite silly, but in a good sense. They are enough to convey the idea, without needlessly taking up parts from the main selling points. This set really feels like a "battle pack" to enhance your existing Minecraft collection.
I don't think I knew about this one, but I just added it to my wanted list. I haven't bought nearly as many Minecraft sets since my stroke as I did before (since most of them have had stuff that was added to the game since I became unable to play it), but this is still pretty cool, and it's cheap, and I recognize most of the stuff in it.
10/10 set
Pretty solid intro set.