The future of LEGO Zelda: playsets, 18+ or a one set wonder?
Posted by Huw,
This article has been contributed by Brickset member Octane_Thermoplastic:
With a beloved IP and a controversial price, I think it’s safe to say that 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 has divided opinions.
While the franchise has seen long lasting popularity among LEGO fans, with nine 10k projects on LEGO ideas and coming top of the 2020 Brickset poll for most wanted new IP, the arrival of the Zelda license was hotly anticipated.
However, despite incredible design alongside an abundance of new moulds and prints, the high price tag of the first LEGO outing to Hyrule is inaccessible to many, restricting access to some very desirable minifigures! Naturally, as someone who worries too much and wishes with all my might that this theme succeeds, it’s time to look ahead and to think about how this partnership may play out:
Will the set flop? Are there more sets on the cards? And can we learn anything from LEGO and Nintendo’s existing partnership to examine four potential directions the Zelda theme could take?
The 9 10k LEGO Ideas Submissions – images from LEGO ideas
Scenario 1: The Lord of the Rings Method
Currently, and this is only based on a single set, the LEGO Zelda (Lelda) partnership has many similarities to the 2023 reboot of the Lord of the Rings license, although we don’t even have Zelda Brickheadz to satiate us fans!
Similarly to the Deku Tree, Lord of the Rings returned with the fan favourite 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell , an even more expensive set that brought grandeur and detail in a fresh package. At the time, the set was criticised for not providing cheaper entry points for fans without £419.99 in their pockets. However, as a one off return most were confident that more sets were to follow, as suggested by the aforementioned Brickheadz.
10316 Rivendell - credit The LEGO Group
It was in 2024 with the reveal of 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr , an equally imposing but perhaps more controversial model that LEGO’s intention for the theme became clearer.
For a second year in a row, LEGO fans were disappointed that no affordable options were present in the Lord of the Rings theme, despite the success of relatively cheaper (sometimes) dioramas for Star Wars, and a trio of Spielberg’s classic films.
The unofficial Spielberg diorama collection – credit The LEGO Group
So how does this relate to Lelda?
Well, apart from both licenses being high fantasy, both lines have not provided cheap entry points, restricting minifigures and locations behind high paywalls and failing to capitalise on content that is more suited to middle price ranges (For example, a balrog on Kazad Dum fits better in the £100-£200 category or even £50-£100 than £400-£500).
Gandalf vs the Balrog, The Fellowship of the Ring – credit to New Line Cinema
The reason this is imperative, is while Lelda could turn around and provide playsets just like Mario does, there is a precedent within Nintendo for the Zelda franchise to be associated with premium products and thus premium prices. Looking at the official Nintendo merchandise available between Mario, Animal Crossing and Zelda, a clear pattern emerges: playable accessories, plushes and apparel are more common for franchises that skew younger.
Screenshot of the average Mario merchandise selection on My Nintendo store 23rd August 2024 – image from My Nintendo Store
Since the release of the Mario movie last year, the eponymous plumber is once again a household name for every child under eight years old. It therefore makes sense that LEGO sets for Mario and Animal Crossing are playable, fun and small for maximum profit. This logic is apparent even in LEGO’s other video game offerings, specifically the Sonic theme, who is another character plastered on Lunchboxes and T-shirts around the world.
All these licences have full-fledged LEGO themes, (I’m sure some of you may argue that mario isn’t a “proper” theme, but that’s a discussion for another day!) and while Zelda certainly attracts many younger fans, most of the games are rated 10 or 12+ in all regions. This represents the older side of LEGO’s core market and brings us back to Lord of the Rings. The original theme launched in 2012 with a 9-14 rating on sets; no data exists to show how successful the line was, but without a movie tie-in following the Hobbit trilogy, it was the last of the classic 2010’s movie IP lines to be discontinued.
LEGO Helms Deep and Mines of Moria showed a variation in age range but still skewed higher than other IP - credit The LEGO Group
The theme is beloved by AFOLs, and it is clear to me that LEGO saw that the demand for this license came from a predominantly adult audience, who grew up with the original films and who have disposable income. In recent years, Nintendo has been pushing Zelda merchandise in a similar direction, with 2 action figures and a toy Master Sword being the child-oriented products featured since the Wind Waker remaster in 2013.
World of Nintendo Micro land building system released in 2013, the last of its kind. – credit Jakks Pacific and Nintendo
Instead, recent Zelda merchandise includes 4 coffee table companion books showing off game art and developer insight, collectors' editions with memorabilia suited to desk displays, alongside an ongoing partnership with first4figures who make large and expensive statues of popular characters.
The companion book: Creating a Champion, that details the secrets of BOTW over 400 pages – credit Dark Horse Books and Nintendo
The question of whether LEGO and Nintendo follow in Lord of the Rings' path is simple: How does Nintendo view the Zelda franchise?
I would argue it is their prestige piece, not their biggest moneymaker, but the award winner, the most sophisticated, and suitable for ordinary adults. So, if this is the case, would Nintendo allow LEGO to make playsets?
Maybe… But is the money there?
Arguably 18+ products are the safest way to make Zelda sets and turn a profit, and I’m sure this would lead to some amazing products, from Hyrule castle to a wall mounted Hylian shield, or even more creative options like what we see from the Mario D2C sets. This of course all depends on one thing…. Deku Tree sales.
77092 The Great Deku Tree - credit The LEGO Group
Scenario 2: The Tree Underperforms
I doubt we will ever know how the Deku Tree set sells, we have the metric of how quickly it reaches clearance, but as this isn’t a robust data set I will present two options. Firstly, if the tree performs poorly, I feel confident we will see one more set, perhaps something already in development.
This is not just speculative guesswork, comments from Mr Aonuma currently visible on LEGO.com state that this is the first piece of the Zelda world to be brought into LEGO form. This is inconsequential evidence until we consider that Zelda has been given a theme heading on LEGO.com, as seen for Lord of the Rings and Fortnite but not for other one-off icons gaming sets, such as 76989 Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck.
Extract of Eiji Aonuma speaking on the release of 77092 Great Deku Tree - credit LEGO.com
This could still just be corporate requirements, but given the long development cycle at LEGO and the healthy nine-year partnership with Nintendo, we should see one more Lelda product even if the Deku Tree release is a disaster. I predict that if their intention is to keep Zelda sets premium, this hypothetic second product would also be an 18+ set retailing for over £200, leading to a similar backlash and the potential cancelling of future products.
However, I present a second option for if the tree underperforms. Perhaps the fan negativity towards the price of the Deku Tree will inspire the partnership to turn towards a second product that is still 18+ but much cheaper, landing at around £70-90. Personally, this feels unlikely.
Scenario 3: Minimal diversification
If the LEGO Group is done with Zelda and doesn’t want to expand this license, it doesn’t mean this theme has to go away. It is becoming clear that while Brickheadz sets are often tied to new themes, there is a separate team creating the designs. This raises the question: where are the accessory products?
The Currently Exclusive Minifigure Line up included in 77092 - credit The LEGO Group
The absence of Brickheadz for Link, Zelda and even Ganondorf has not been a heavily discussed topic in the community however I feel there is a strong likelihood that we will see the Triforce Trio appear in blocky form before too long.
Similarly, keychains of licensed figures are also common, and while I would not expect to see them alongside the Deku Tree release, it would not surprise me if this is also something to come in the next year. (it is worth mentioning that LEGO and Nintendo have never produced LEGO minifigure keychains for any of their crossovers, only metal Digi Mario and Luigi.)
Diversification of this IP into the other premium LEGO themes like LEGO Art and the Botanicals is also a possibility. With the likes of 71426 Piranha Plant, 76433 Mandrake and various Groot’s; media’s most iconic plant life (and a botanist’s nightmare) are trickling into the LEGO system. The most recent Zelda titles: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom feature a dozen beautifully modelled and recognisable fantasy plants used for cooking mechanics. The most recognisable, the silent princess, is a perfect candidate for a small, adult set.
My own Hyrule Botanical collection MOC, one of 90 custom Zelda sets I have designed. - credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
I also hinted at the LEGO Art theme, which could choose from a variety of iconography or memorable moments to create sets. In the newer art style, my personal picks for these would be the main game art for the switch titles alongside the Champions Photo from the Breath of the Wild DLC.
The Champions Photo recreated in brick form – credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
Even with these extra avenues, I don’t believe that LEGO Zelda’s full potential exists under the 18+ line up, which brings us to our final scenario and the one I hope to see play out!
Scenario 4: A playset theme
The potential of a LEGO Zelda playset theme is limitless, trust me I’ve spent 4 years trying to find limits. This is because the series is full of bright colourful charm, iconic moments, locations and characters, alongside several 100 potential minifigures, from Link’s outfits, to classic enemies and companions.
A variety of custom Zelda sets exploring different options a theme could include – credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
The reason I see LEGO Zelda as a playset theme is because of this variety, one 18+ set a year cannot cover the vast number of builds fans want to see, or contain enough minifigures to satiate the colourful roster of fan-favourite faces. It also removes the opportunity to try smaller concepts, or things that work better in playsets. Zelda as an IP lends itself to the colour, action and charm that playset models have, including common features like collectables to encourage multi-set buying, which most Zelda games prominently feature.
Collectable Secret Stones, (a McGuffin in the game) featured across my Tears of the Kingdom Custom sets, alongside collecting the main cast in minifigure form – credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
Similarly, while Hyrule castle is well suited to a large D2C model, it is just as exciting in a modular format, just like the current Hogwarts system, spread out over a multi-year theme. This brand synergy and potential for numerous play experiences is no clearer than in the game series’ dungeons.
4 sets coming together to make a larger Hyrule Castle Model – credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
Each dungeon has a unique roster of enemies; visual style; methods of traversal and unique puzzles. The perfect way to translate this to the LEGO system is through modular dungeon sets. Allowing rearrangeable rooms, to customise puzzles which are represented by play features. In short, sets that rearrange and combine for expanded play and have a customisable element without digital add ons.
A dozen dungeon expansions containing multiple modules seen above are rearranged to create a messy but unique play experience similar to the Mario course building system or LEGO modular buildings – credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
That is just one of many potentials a LEGO Zelda playset theme offers. The brand synergy between this IP and the creative expression of the LEGO medium go hand in hand, I mean just look at the Ultrahand ability from Tears of the Kingdom, that’s just LEGO in a videogame!
A showcase of the Ultrahand ability, sticking objects together like LEGO Bricks. – credit to Nintendo
Playsets, overall, would allow more of the Zelda world to be explored in LEGO form, providing more prints, minifigures and concepts for MOC builders, as well as fleshing out LEGO displays with more than giant models.
LEGO Zelda playsets are definitely my dream for this crossover, but maybe it’s not for you. If I’m honest, I believe that scenario 1 (The Lord of the Rings method) is the most likely, but after 14 years of waiting I’m not ready to give up hope just yet!
Custom sets based on iconic moments: The temple of time, Demon Dragon fight and the Yiga Clan attacking Hyrule Castle Town. - credit to me: Octane Thermoplastic
Let me know which you think LEGO and Nintendo will do next in the comments below!
100 likes
55 comments on this article
A nice article but, TBH, as a PC Gamer most of my life (aside from the early gaming days with my Spectrum and Amiga) I have no interest in the 'console' franchises other than to hope they do not begin to 'take over' TLG's catalogue. I do, however, agree with the premise that smaller sets ought to be created thereby allowing those without deep pockets to join in.
Don't look at me - I'm still waiting for Star Fox!
@EtudeTheBadger said:
"Don't look at me - I'm still waiting for Star Fox!"
I believe it is now customary for someone to invite you to "do a barrel-roll".
I would love a Windwaker sub-theme—the style and colors would work so well in LEGO bricks. Maybe pair it with a Switch re-release of the game?
Or maybe something microscale to go with Echoes?
It may be controversial, but I reckon I’d prefer they adopt the same “1 per year” strategy as the Mario 18+ sets over playset waves. That’s not to say that all the sets need to be enormous and expensive, but just that I want them to be nicely designed and robust display models.
Might want to fix the spelling errors. There's a couple of 'Lelda's in there.
I think one issue with the current set is that it seems purely aimed at hardcore Zelda fans that have money to burn, and I just don't see much apeal to casual fans or people that never played the game. I mean, just judged on its own merits without any knowledge of the IP.....it's a tree. A rather weird and very pricey tree.
And that's very unlike other most game themes (or even other IP's) Lego has done. I mean, I do have the Tallneck here despite never having seen anything of the Horizon Forbidden West game. I'm not a Mario fan, but I have genuinely considered baying any of those 18+ sets at some point. And now we have the Fortnite sets, I have no interest whatsoever in the game but I will probably still buy Peely Bone. And looking beyond games, as much as I am not a LotR fan, there's no denying Rivendell is one of the best sets in recent years. And I haven't seen Dune, yet I do still want that Ornithopter. And I can't be the only one, right?
If they want to make Lelda (I assume those were intentional typos, right?) a success, it's not so much about if they go for play sets or expensive collector sets. It's more about creating appeal to a wider audience than just those hardcore fans. And maybe even convert a few people into Zelda fans after building a Lelda set.
@LowlySalamander said:
"Might want to fix the spelling errors. There's a couple of 'Lelda's in there."
@Octane_Thermoplastic said:
"...the LEGO Zelda (Lelda) partnership..."
That's intentional, and admirable (for me) as I'm always trying to make such compound words (or "curds") for comedy effect. It's everywhere now.
I blame Brexit.
Interesting deep dive in to the possibilities from a dedicated and enthusiastic fan!
It's good to see an article written by a person with so much love for the theme!
I've played almost every Zelda game and was so happy when I saw the first images of the Deku tree, and so unbelivably disappointed when I saw the price...
I completely agree that the smaller waves of sets are the right way to go for the Lelda theme, I am much more likely to spend 300€ in a bunch of smaller sets over time that in one relatively big tree with a lot of spare pieces.
Modular dungeons were also the idea I had in mind, just the thought makes me want to grab the pieces and do it myself!
If you like brickheads I’m happy for you, but honestly I think there’s a lot more validity to say brickheads aren’t a real theme before mario. The mario line is at least playable and creative, and I would be a lot more likely to buy a zelda set similar to the mario ones than a buildable funko pop.
I’m really hoping for more - I think there’s some really good potential for a mix of price points available but Nintendo can be very protective of their brands (supposedly the result of the 90s live action Mario movie) so I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the problem is what exactly Nintendo are willing to approve as well as what LEGO are willing to risk in investment.
A rough idea of what I’d like to see
£30-£50 - King of Red Lions with Toon Link and Aryll figures - could have a little bit of sea as a diorama or possible mechanical playability.
£50-£70 - Volvagia - had appeared in several games but think that the OoT version would be the one to base it off. With a Red Tunic Link and maybe Darunia
£100-£150 - Majora Mask Clock Tower - Yound Link, Skull Kid and maybe Fierce Deity Link figures
£100-£150 - Calamity Ganon Battle - assuming they want more BotW or Dragon battle for TotK
£300ish - Hyrule Castle - there’s a lot of options to draw from so it would probably need quite a lot of work to get it right but would appeal to much the same audience as Deku Tree
I could list a lot more options but this seems a pretty good scatter without relying on Battle pack type sets with generic scenery.
Hard pass on all things Zelda and / or Lelda.
"lelda", intentional or not, should be fixed
Leaks say we are gettings sets :D
@kg said:
""lelda", intentional or not, should be fixed"
Fully intentional! Lego + Zelda = Lelda
Glad people seemed to have enjoyed the article :)
The only thing guaranteed is that AFOLs will be unhappy whatever the outcome.
@MegaBlocks said:
"The only thing guaranteed is that AFOLs will be unhappy whatever the outcome."
And that you'll be there to point it out.
@Octane_Thermoplastic said:
" @kg said:
""lelda", intentional or not, should be fixed"
Fully intentional! Lego + Zelda = Lelda
Glad people seemed to have enjoyed the article :)"
I'm aware it's intentional and mentioned as such, but it shouldn't have been done at all
I definitely think Zelda should expand into play themes, there's too much money to be made there and Link minifigures should be as accessible as Sonic and Isabelle minifigures.
However, that does make me wonder, which Nintendo property would fit the LOTR release method most?
Fire Emblem? It's popular yet still a bit niche, skews young adult, it's medieval fantasy as well so it slots in nicely with other 18+ Lego castles, but while FE fans have found certain levels memorable, not a whole lot of exterior structures have an iconic status. The castles start to run together with a few exceptions. I guess they could do stuff with the more distinct dragons, though.
F-Zero? Ehh... the franchise is basically dead. I could see one race diorama, but I don't think it'd sell well enough to justify more than one to the general consumer. As fans we know Mute City, Big Blue, etc. but I don't think they're deserving of sets... not in terms of its own franchise, at least, if you catch my drift. Play sets of the cars would be cool though.
Star Fox? Actually, I could see Star Fox working really well for display models, the Great Fox, an Arwing, a Landmaster... but again, the franchise is in limbo.
Metroid? Yes. The gunship, boss arenas, the Screw Attack symbol, buildable Varia Suit statue. Perfect.
@kg said:
"(...)
I'm aware it's intentional and mentioned as such, but it shouldn't have been done at all"
Subjective.
I ain't reading that all (I did). Great to see being used as examples of possible ways in which the lelda topic could develop. Hope we'll get more from lego
With Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom bringing the Zelda franchise to a new and bigger audience, plus a movie in the works as part of Nintendo's general plan to move their IP beyond just games, I'd say more Zelda sets are to be expected.
I think more 18+ display pieces are a given, easy target, even if there actually are not that many visual icons that span the whole franchise.
A play theme is the tricky one. Nintendo will want the Zelda gameplay mechanics to be represented in the sets in a way that only LEGO can do, that's how they've handled both Mario and Animal Crossing, and even Sonic.
Zelda games are primarily about exploration, plus some puzzles and fights. The older games follow a lock and key progression, the latest ones have a more make up your own solution approach, either way it's enabled by Link's (and now Zelda's) large inventory of items.
If we assume minifgure scale, which is what the AFOLs want, then it's hard to represent that inventory in an actionable way, the items would just have to be custom molds or brick built like with the Deku Tree where you imagine the actions rather then actually do them, and I can't imagine Nintendo, and to a lesser extent LEGO, being satisfied with that. They'll want an angle that nobody else can do.
I've only played a couple of the handheld games, but I'd really like to see that Windwaker boat produced as an official set.
@bananaworld said:
" @LowlySalamander said:
"Might want to fix the spelling errors. There's a couple of 'Lelda's in there."
@Octane_Thermoplastic said:
"...the LEGO Zelda (Lelda) partnership..."
That's intentional, and admirable (for me) as I'm always trying to make such compound words (or "curds") for comedy effect. It's everywhere now.
I blame Brexit."
They're called portmanteaus. There are other terms, but portmanteau is the term coined by Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll.
That's the exact discussion we had with my wife on Friday, please remove all microphones from our kitchen ^^
@MegaBlocks said:
"The only thing guaranteed is that AFOLs will be unhappy whatever the outcome."
Or indifferent…
@MegaBlocks said:
"The only thing guaranteed is that AFOLs will be unhappy whatever the outcome."
The only things guaranteed are that LEGO will add a hefty nostalgia tax, have sneaky piece count (aka tons of microscopic parts and future sets will be “borrowed” from someone and dumbed down.
This article oozes passion and I’m here for how invested the author is! Would love a horse stable, or a village, or a shrine. I do hope a second set comes out next year
@Ridgeheart said:
"I would sacrifice any twelve random Brickset-commenters for a Ganon/Calamity Ganon with Ganondorf-minifig. Make it the Hyrule Warriors-version, and no one is safe or exempt."
Note to self: Watch out for @Ridgeheart and avoid posting location on ANY site at all costs!
LEGO—and many AFOLs as well I suspect—really ought to try harder to remember that not every AFOL is a thousandaire, and some of us live paycheck to paycheck with rent to pay. Cheaper offerings for one of my favorite video game franchises would be *greatly* appreciated.
Great article but a very long way to say that 2 extremely greedy companies are leaving money on the table and consumers aren't getting what they want.
Great article! Love your Youtube channel!
I'm more of a 'videogames' fan than a TV fan - and while sets like ghostbusters, LoTR and back to the future are very nice and enticing, I prefer buying sets like Horizon Tallneck and the Mario Piranha plant. These last two sets have a nice characteristic - they are relatively small (footprint wise). I'm all in for Lego to develop pretty much every themes/IP under the sun (most of them I won't like but other people may like them) but I would like Lego to ALWAYS produce themes with a price range (1x$20, 1x$50, 1X$100, 1x$250+). Those with deep pockets can buy them all, those with reduced means can buy according to their budget.
I am still undecided on the Deku Tree. But I doubt it will do poorly. My nephew buys a set every other year. For this one, He prepaid it as soon as Lego allowed people to order it. Of course one person is not a trend but there are many people who are not Lego customers but they are specific IP customers and if that IP has something nice in Lego form, they will buy it.
For the future, I hope we will get low cost (and smaller footprint) sets for LoTR and Zelda (and many more really). Sometimes, money is not even the issue - space is. Great article!
@JulieHD said:
"LEGO—and many AFOLs as well I suspect—really ought to try harder to remember that not every AFOL is a thousandaire, and some of us live paycheck to paycheck with rent to pay. Cheaper offerings for one of my favorite video game franchises would be *greatly* appreciated."
ARWING POLYBAG!
@Murdoch17 said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
"I would sacrifice any twelve random Brickset-commenters for a Ganon/Calamity Ganon with Ganondorf-minifig. Make it the Hyrule Warriors-version, and no one is safe or exempt."
Note to self: Watch out for @Ridgeheart and avoid posting location on ANY site at all costs!"
The important takeaway here is that he's apparently willing to give up his own life to ensure that this happens, since he neglected to exclude himself from his proposed "deal with the Devil" before putting it out there. And once offered, it's too late to change the terms. Either it'll be accepted, or it won't. And of course, the Devil being the Devil, you know that things tend to work out against the poor sucker who makes the offer. So, eleven random members, and one "random" member.
The biggest problem for Zelda, as well as LOTR, is the distinct lack of giant mecha.
This was somewhat ameliorated in Tears of the Kingdom, but there’s a long way to go.
Great article! Love this kind of content
@peterlmorris said:
"The biggest problem for Zelda, as well as LOTR, is the distinct lack of giant mecha.
(...)"
I like to think of Ents as honorary mecha; biomecha, if you like.
Zelda OoT alone could spawn sooooo many sets!
If you add Zelda BoTW&ToTK, is virtually limitless!
I could easily ditch any Harry Potter sets for Zelda sets as a substitution for Castle.
@Alia_of_AGL said:
"I definitely think Zelda should expand into play themes, there's too much money to be made there and Link minifigures should be as accessible as Sonic and Isabelle minifigures.
However, that does make me wonder, which Nintendo property would fit the LOTR release method most?
Fire Emblem? It's popular yet still a bit niche, skews young adult, it's medieval fantasy as well so it slots in nicely with other 18+ Lego castles, but while FE fans have found certain levels memorable, not a whole lot of exterior structures have an iconic status. The castles start to run together with a few exceptions. I guess they could do stuff with the more distinct dragons, though.
F-Zero? Ehh... the franchise is basically dead. I could see one race diorama, but I don't think it'd sell well enough to justify more than one to the general consumer. As fans we know Mute City, Big Blue, etc. but I don't think they're deserving of sets... not in terms of its own franchise, at least, if you catch my drift. Play sets of the cars would be cool though.
Star Fox? Actually, I could see Star Fox working really well for display models, the Great Fox, an Arwing, a Landmaster... but again, the franchise is in limbo.
Metroid? Yes. The gunship, boss arenas, the Screw Attack symbol, buildable Varia Suit statue. Perfect."
I have to say that is absolute double-Dutch to me (with appropriate apologies to our regular posters from The Netherlands) but, then again, if I said "a sheet 5 jump" or "A hollow voice said PLUGH" you'd probably think the same of me.
I have zero interest in this theme but is anyone gonna comment on the extraordinary effort by the author in producing mocs? That is just crazy dedication and worth a standing applause from me.
Eejit
:-))
@bananaworld said:
" @kg said:
"(...)
I'm aware it's intentional and mentioned as such, but it shouldn't have been done at all"
Subjective.
"
If nothing else, it served as a really good metric for showing how many people won’t read an article properly but be fully blue-bricked up to blast away in the comments.
I feel like it would be absurd for LEGO to not delve into making smaller playset Zelda sets. Though, I do think LEGO has tried to center several of their video game themes around a major playable function (Super Mario's digital figures, the launching mechanism for Sonic sets). Granted, Animal Crossing seems to be doing just fine on it's own there. I wouldn't be surprised if we got sets in a similar vein there.
Zelda strikes me as a particularly easy one to do this with. Tons and tons of monsters/enemies that would scale to be decently sized $30-40 sets, if not bigger or smaller at times. Many locations and fixtures to have several versions of. I would be surprised if we don't have something like a Guardian set, or a Bokoblin camp, or "Link's Zonai Machine" set of some sort. Easy to do Hyrule Castle playsets like the Peach's castle ones, or notable battles (I can see making a "Demon King" fight like the end of Ocarina of Time).
What's nice too is that Zelda, like many ongoing Nintendo franchises, has significant staying power and viability. Easy enough to dip into specific games, which are likely to be recognized, and a lot of potential for invariably non-specific sets (any "dungeon battle" that consists of Link and an enemy in a vaguely dungeony build could do this). It's like how the Mario playsets occasionally riff on the specific (Bowser's muscle car) and meanwhile follow the regular trappings of the Mario games (a lot of the course sets or castles, etc).
I really like the flora of Hyrule set concept - especially with BOTW/TOTK so fresh in the mind. Things like the Piranha Plant do make me wonder if we'll see more. I'd be surprised if we don't eventually get a big set of colored tiles as a "Classic Nintendo Art" kit someday with instructions on a handful of sprites one could make and display. Though it does seem like LEGO is preferring interactive, like with the current Super Mario World Mario and Yoshi set.
Either way - high hopes for Zelda. I will be bummed out if they follow the LOTR trend of just big display pieces. It's just such a good opportunity...
I think a variety of minifig-scale sets for Mario and Zelda would do well. LEGO already has the Sonic range, as well as Animal Crossing.
I've noticed that Jakks Pacific has Mario, Zelda, Sonic, Sega, and Simpsons figures at a variety of sizes and price points (cheap small impulse-buy figures, $10 4", and I think $15 5") at my Walmart, and they sell quite well.
@Ridgeheart said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
"I would sacrifice any twelve random Brickset-commenters for a Ganon/Calamity Ganon with Ganondorf-minifig. Make it the Hyrule Warriors-version, and no one is safe or exempt."
Note to self: Watch out for @Ridgeheart and avoid posting location on ANY site at all costs!"
The important takeaway here is that he's apparently willing to give up his own life to ensure that this happens, since he neglected to exclude himself from his proposed "deal with the Devil" before putting it out there. And once offered, it's too late to change the terms. Either it'll be accepted, or it won't. And of course, the Devil being the Devil, you know that things tend to work out against the poor sucker who makes the offer. So, eleven random members, and one "random" member."
I know what I'm about, son."
FLY...you fools!
Remember, you don't have to be the first. You just just don't want to be the last. ;)
@SolidState said:
"Great article but a very long way to say that 2 extremely greedy companies are leaving money on the table and consumers aren't getting what they want."
Comment Winner!!!
Second place: @Ridgeheart for his noble attempt to end us all.
Third place: portmanteau and the pejorative discussion of subjective-objective ethics.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
"I would sacrifice any twelve random Brickset-commenters for a Ganon/Calamity Ganon with Ganondorf-minifig. Make it the Hyrule Warriors-version, and no one is safe or exempt."
Note to self: Watch out for @Ridgeheart and avoid posting location on ANY site at all costs!"
The important takeaway here is that he's apparently willing to give up his own life to ensure that this happens, since he neglected to exclude himself from his proposed "deal with the Devil" before putting it out there. And once offered, it's too late to change the terms. Either it'll be accepted, or it won't. And of course, the Devil being the Devil, you know that things tend to work out against the poor sucker who makes the offer. So, eleven random members, and one "random" member."
I know what I'm about, son."
FLY...you fools!
Remember, you don't have to be the first. You just just don't want to be the last. ;)"
Do we have any concrete evidence @Ridgeheart isn't the devil and is prepared to end us all, one by one? I mean, if he did destroy all of Brickset users at once, people would notice - it would make the news. One at a time, nobody would mind / notice. (Like in the boiling frog analogy: put a frog in boiling water and it will jump right out - slowly turn up the heat and it will fry.)
@Murdoch17:
I’m pretty sure if you drop a frog into boiling water, it’s going to end up the same as any lobster would. Except I’ll mourn the frog, while picking lobster out of my teeth.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Murdoch17 :
I’m pretty sure if you drop a frog into boiling water, it’s going to end up the same as any lobster would. Except I’ll mourn the frog, while picking lobster out of my teeth."
I've had frog in New Orleans. It isn't bad. It tastes like @Ridgeheart .
Should we set up a rollcall/wellness check to combat the clearly epidemic levels of commenter sacrifice/cannibalism?
@StyleCounselor said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Murdoch17 :
I’m pretty sure if you drop a frog into boiling water, it’s going to end up the same as any lobster would. Except I’ll mourn the frog, while picking lobster out of my teeth."
I've had frog in New Orleans. It isn't bad. It tastes like @Ridgeheart .
Should we set up a rollcall/wellness check to combat the clearly epidemic levels of commenter sacrifice/cannibalism?"
Was the frog's name Kermit, by any chance? Oh, and are you saying @Ridgeheart is a Satan Frog? (That sounds like a good metal band name... Satan Frog.)
Also: I'm present! (future and past too)
@Murdoch17 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @Murdoch17 :
I’m pretty sure if you drop a frog into boiling water, it’s going to end up the same as any lobster would. Except I’ll mourn the frog, while picking lobster out of my teeth."
I've had frog in New Orleans. It isn't bad. It tastes like @Ridgeheart .
Should we set up a rollcall/wellness check to combat the clearly epidemic levels of commenter sacrifice/cannibalism?"
Was the frog's name Kermit, by any chance? Oh, and are you saying @Ridgeheart is a Satan Frog? (That sounds like a good metal band name... Satan Frog.)
Also: I'm present! (future and past too)"
Now that you mention it, I believe the dish was call kermit-de-licious.
Rock on, Satan Frog!!! ><
SC Present!
@Murdoch17 said:
" Was the frog's name Kermit, by any chance? Oh, and are you saying @Ridgeheart is a Satan Frog? (That sounds like a good metal band name... Satan Frog.)"
Death prefers albino Pacman frogs. They made a show about it:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lSi-_LeSAWw&pp=ygUYRGVhZCBsaWtlIG1lIHBhY21hbiBmcm9n
He, uh…needs to brush up on his zoology, though.
@LowlySalamander said:
"Might want to fix the spelling errors. There's a couple of 'Lelda's in there."
It's his way of saying lego zelda
My top picks for Lelda sets are a shrine, the divine beasts, gerudo town or fortress, the lumpy pumpkin and the temple of time