Lego Zelda Great Deku Tree set interview – ‘This is a very important model to all of us’-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

Lego The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 Set – da da dah! (Lego)

The Legend Of Zelda has joined Super Mario and Animal Crossing in being immortalised in Lego, with two versions of the Great Deku Tree.

Nintendo’s reputation for quality is matched only by their notoriously secretive attitude and as they’ve collaborated more and more with Lego it’s become increasingly clear just how similar the two companies are.

There have been rumours of a 2-in-1 Zelda set, based on the Great Deku Tree, for over a year but only now has Lego confirmed that it’s really happening and released the images to prove it.

As you can see, it looks absolutely charming, with two separate models, only one of which can be built at a time with the included pieces. One is based on the Great Deku Tree’s appearance in Ocarina Of Time and the other on Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom.

The set contains 2,500 pieces and will be released on September 1 for £259.99. The Ocarina Of Time model measures 33cm high and 21cm wide, while the Breath Of The Wild version is 31cm tall and 33cm wide.

That’s clearly a lot of money but unlike most of the Super Mario sets this is aimed squarely at adult fans, rather than children.

Where it also differs from the Super Mario sets (but not the Animal Crossing ones) is that there are traditional Lego minifigures included, with Young Link and Adult Link for Ocarina Of Time, plus The Breath Of The Wild versions of Link and Zelda to go along with the other model.

The Ocarina Of Time version with Link’s house to the right (Lego)

You can see a number of new pieces have been designed specifically for the figures, including elf ears for everyone, plus the Master Sword and Hylian shield. Zelda also has a Sheikah Slate, there’s an actual Ocarina of Time, and you can see the various other swords and shields from the two games.

There’s also a number of brick-built characters from the two games, including Hestu (including his maracas), multiple Koroks, Deku Babas (the Piranha Plant-like creatures), the Deku Sprout, a Skulltula, and even a tiny little Navi the Fairy.

The Breath Of The Wild version of the Great Deku Tree has an animated face you can control with a lever at the back, with its mouth and eyebrows moving up and down. Meanwhile, the Ocarina Of Time version has a mechanism where, when its mouth opens, it reveals a Skulltula (which were carefully hidden everywhere in that game).

The Breath Of The Wild version has a animatronic face (Lego)

While you can only build one version of the Great Deku Tree at a time there is also a Lego version of Link’s House from Ocarina Of Time and the Master Sword pedestal from Breath Of The Wild that are separate and can be displayed with either model.

Although the Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 Set won’t be released until September it is available for pre-order from today, on the http://www.LEGO.com/Zelda.

For the announcement, we were given the chance to conduct an email interview with Lego Design Master (that’s his actual job title!) Wes Talbott. In a very Nintendo-ian move we were told not to bother asking him whether there’d be any more Zelda sets after this, but it seems fair to imagine that there probably will be if this one proves popular – which it almost certainly will.

Is the lack of a classic Princess Zelda minifigure a hint of more sets to come? (Lego)

GC: Zelda doesn’t have much in the way of recurring buildings and vehicles and even the few there are, like the Temple of Time or Hyrule Castle, can look completely different in each game. Is that why you picked the Deku Tree, since he is at least always a tree with a human face?

WT: The Legend Of Zelda series is known for its rich and varied landscapes which, as you say, can change drastically from game to game. The Great Deku Tree was chosen precisely because it is one of a few recurring characters/locations in the ever-evolving world of Hyrule. Its iconic presence, with the distinctive moustache and eyebrows of a wise old man, makes it instantly recognisable to fans across different The Legend Of Zelda titles, providing an iconic part of the games that we felt would resonate well within a Lego set.

But despite it being constant, it does appear differently in different games, which gave us the opportunity to offer the fans a two-in-one build experience from both The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time.

GC: Making one the most recent appearance is an obvious decision but why Ocarina of Time for the second?

WT: The two-in-one set concept celebrates The Legend Of Zelda series’ history and its evolution. The Legend Of Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time remains one of the most beloved titles of the franchise and set the blueprint for the many great The Legend Of Zelda games that followed, marking a significant moment in gaming history.

By including this alongside the most recent depiction, we aim to bridge generations of The Legend Of Zelda fans, offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane while also acknowledging a more current version of the game. It also celebrates what is possible to do with the Lego brick, which was important for both The Lego Group and Nintendo.

Which would you build? (Lego)

GC: What was the hardest part of each build to design, and did you have to come up with any special techniques to make it work?

WT: We have a really nice family of elements we call ‘special bows’ that when attached at various angles can quickly achieve a more organic shape. We also have some more recently produced botanical elements that help create a fuller tree canopy.

For me, the hardest part was trying to nail the facial features of both versions, not only because building a human-like face out of Lego bricks is difficult but also because I was limited to using mostly the same bricks across both versions.

It was my first time designing a 2-in-1 set, so it was a real challenge to keep stock of what bricks I had to work with and figure out where I needed to add new ones to create the iconic differences.

GC: How did you narrow down which enemies to include in the set? The Skulltula was a great pick but how exactly does that action feature work?

WT: The Skulltula, which is also represented in multiple games, was a natural choice because it shows up several times within the Great Deku Tree’s dungeon. I wanted to create a function that felt faithful to how Link interacts with the Skulltulas in the game and so I knew it had to be suspended from a string. I also thought it would be fun to surprise your friends by dropping the spider from inside the top of the tree.

This made use of what would otherwise be empty space in the model and it’s also nice to be able to hide the spider by winding it back up with the winch on the back, if you want to look through the opening of the mouth which also serves as the door to the dungeon.

The Deku Babas were also included to bring more details from the game into the model and represent the dangerous pathway Young Link travels to get to the Great Deku Tree.

These are adorable (Lego)

GC: How did you narrow down the minifigures that were included and did they create any difficulties? It looks like quite a few new pieces were created for headgear and weapons?

WT: We started with Young Link as the obvious choice, as he is the version of Link you explore the Great Deku Tree with in The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. Then, of course, for The Legend Of Zelda: The Breath Of The Wild version of Link in his iconic blue champions tunic, ready to discover the Master Sword.

Even though in The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild you never see Zelda together with Link at the Great Deku Tree she does visit the tree on her own in a memory scene and we felt it was important to include her as the titular character of the franchise.

Then, later on, we thought it would be a shame not to have Adult Link, especially because we wanted to include the Deku Sprout that shows up when you visit the forest seven years later in the game.

Each character is equipped with their most iconic gear, including three swords, one of which is a new mould for the iconic Master Sword; three shields, one of which is a new shape for the Hylian shield; a new mould for the Ocarina of Time; and a decorated Sheikah Slate.

There are also plenty of extra iconic items for you to decide what you want to have each character holding. Our graphic designer Austin Carlson carefully crafted the designs of the minifigures, working closely with The Legend Of Zelda team to translate them into Lego style, while staying faithful to their designs from the games.

This also required our element designers Matias Carbone and Simon Wilson to design new elements for Link’s iconic three-coloured headpiece, as well as two colour wigs for The Legend Of Zelda: The Breath Of The Wild Link and Zelda.

The back of Link’s house, with Navi ‘flying’ nearby (Lego)

GC: How do you decide which details to include in the model? Do you make a short list and see what fits in or make sense? Is there anything in the set that only hardcore fans will recognise?

WT: We started with a comprehensive list of memorable elements from this area in both games and then refined it based on the set’s scale and theme. We strive to include nods that will be appreciated by all, but there are certainly a few subtle inclusions that only the most dedicated The Legend Of Zelda enthusiasts might spot.

These hidden gems add an extra layer of discovery and enjoyment to the building experience. But I am not going to spoil the surprise by giving them away!

GC: How involved were Nintendo with the creation process? Did they offer suggestions or make decisions about what could or could not be included?

WT: Nintendo has been an invaluable partner throughout the creation process and were greatly involved from start to finish. They provided insights and feedback to ensure that the set remains true to the spirit of The Legend Of Zelda series and will resonate with fans of the franchise.

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GC: What are some of your favourite details from the set and which of the two models is your personal favourite?

WT: That is a very hard question to answer without naming almost everything. This is a very important model to all of us on the design team and we were all very happy to put lots of time and love into it. If I had to choose, I am really happy with how Hestu turned out. The way just a few simple Lego bricks work to make his iconic design was wonderful to discover. Of course, all the unique-to-The Legend Of Zelda decorations and elements are a dream come true to see.

As for which version is my favourite? I have to choose between the first The Legend Of Zelda game I ever played and introduced me to the franchise, and my favourite The Legend of Zelda game so far… so I’m going to be that guy and say both will have a prominent place on my shelf!

It’s funny how well Nintendo and Lego get on (Lego)

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