I'm pretty sure that the Great Deku Tree is the best gaming Lego set ever made.
OK, I know it's a bold claim - especially with a brand-new Pokemon range on the horizon. But we've made a lot of gaming-related models here at GamesRadar+ HQ, and honestly? Few of the others have even come close to the first Legend of Zelda kit. (It made enough of an impression to go straight onto our list of the best Lego sets, anyway.) Otherwise-impressive kits like the Fortnite Battle Bus, Nook's Cranny, and Sonic Green Hill Zone stand in the literal shadow of The Great Deku Tree. In fact, the only gaming Lego sets that I think can compare in terms of spectacle are the Mighty Bowser, or the Mario and Standard Kart display piece... but they lack the intricacy seen here. Much like a Zelda dungeon, this is the kind of model with secrets.
I put this model together last year, and in terms of attention to detail, it's up there with the Lego Rivendell model so far as I'm concerned. This is the kind of kit where every single corner and crevice holds a reference, so even after you've built the thing, you'll keep rediscovering Easter eggs each time you pass by and admire it. There aren't many entries in the best Legend of Zelda merch catalogue that can say the same thing.
As an example, the Breath of the Wild version is littered with plants and mushrooms (like the Hylian Shroom) from the game that Link cooks into hearty meals, not to mention Silent Princess flowers or eggs in nests just like you'd find while exploring Hyrule. Tiny Koroks are also squirrelled away across the model, with their camp ready for visitors in the bowels of the Deku Tree itself alongside riddle-obsessed Walton in the boughs.
That's just the Breath of the Wild version, though. If you make the Ocarina of Time equivalent, you aren't getting a half-hearted "eh, close enough" alternative. The whole base takes on a boggier, grungier look and is crewed by piranha plant Deku Baba foes. Spin the tree around and you'll actually see a Golden Skulltula lurking inside. Even the trunk itself looks drastically different, recreating the somewhat more genteel, moustachioed Deku Tree from 1998.
While it's a bummer that you can't build both at once because they use the same skeleton, it's neat that both you and I could have very different display pieces based on exactly the same set. Plus, you don't have to completely do without Ocarina or Breath of the Wild references. You can build young Link's treehouse from the N64 game (complete with items like the Hylian Shield and grappling hook) along with the Breath of the Wild Master Sword plinth separately. In other words, you can display these to one side regardless of the tree you choose, or incorporate them into the main design if you'd prefer. The Master Sword plinth slots nicely into the Breath of the Wild Deku Tree base, for instance.
The minifigures don't reuse pieces either; they're all completely separate models. Considering how you're getting three versions of Link (Young Link and Adult Link from Ocarina, alongside Breath of the Wild Link) besides Zelda, I hadn't expected that when this thing was announced. I'd half expected certain parts to be mixed and matched depending on the Deku Tree you chose to make.
Basically? The upcoming Pokemon sets have a high bar to overcome.
Don't miss our guide to creating the ultimate Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary setup. If you're after something a little different, check out our new guide to the best toys on the market right now, as well as the best Nerf blasters cash can buy.
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