30 August 2024

Review: 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 from LEGO® The Legend of Zelda™

Posted by Thomas Jenkins
Illustration of a Triforce symbol from the Zelda game with each triangle showing a different aspect of the LEGO Zelda set: The 2 versions of the Great Deku Tree, Link in battle and some of the new elements.

Hey! Listen! The LEGO® Great Deku Tree is a brand new set based on the beloved Nintendo video game series, The Legend of Zelda™. As the 2-in-1 name suggests, the parts in this set can build one of two trees: the Deku tree as it appears in the original Ocarina of Time game or the more recent Breath of the Wild. There's a lot to explore including new moulds, recolours, and exclusive figures. Let's go!

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Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1
  • Price: US$299.99/ £259.99/ 299.99€/ AU$449.99
  • Pieces: 2500
  • Release date: 1 September 2024

LEGO Zelda 77092 Great Deku Tree on LEGO.com
Box and model from Lego Zelda 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1

 

The elements

New moulds

It's dangerous to go alone! Take these 3 new moulds, which will surely delight Zelda fans:

A lego shield, sword and ocarina
  • Hylian Shield (6496718)
  • Master Sword in Satin/Opal Trans-Light Blue and Dark Purple (6469635)
  • Ocarina in Blue (6503895)

Lego Link with sword and shield rounding up some chickens

The unique new shield element is moulded in flat silver and features a vertical handle on the back.

The legendary sword has been forged with a dark purple hilt and an opalescent light blue blade. The pommel features an open stud.

And they look excellent in action! Unfortunately, there are no chickens included in the set.


A closeup of the lego ocarina showing how it can attach to a lego stud. A second picture shows the Lego link minifigure holding the ocarina using that same connection point.

The Ocarina Of Time is a new mould cast in blue. The mouthpiece is just a little narrower than a bar, so a minifigure can't hold it there. The reverse is hollowed out and has an anti-stud: the element's only connection point.

Recolours

11 different lego pieces.

The set features 11 recoloured elements. 

Let's look at them more closely. First of all, elements new in dark tan:

4 separate images showing dark tan lego pieces
  • 4x Brick Round 1 x 1 diameter Tube with 90 Degree Elbow (2 x 2 x 1) and Axle Holes (Crossholes) at each end (6490610 | 25214)
  • 6x Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 x 1 with Bottom Cut Outs [No Studs Flat Top][1/4 Arch] (6502627 | 76795)
  • 1x Brick Round Corner, Curved 3 x 3 x 1 Quarter Circle (6490612 | 76797)
  • 5x Tile 4 x 4 Curved, Macaroni (6490609 | 27507)

Some curvy elements get recoloured in olive green:

3 images showing 3 different olive green lego pieces
  • 2x Brick Round 2 x 2 D. Tube with 45° Elbow and Axle Holes (Crossholes) at Each End [LONG] (6483808 | 5489)
  • 6x Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Left (6490611 | 80177)
  • 6x Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Right (6490608 | 80178)
  • 5x Windscreen 6 x 10 x 4 Curved (6490614 | 18729)

Some warm browns and oranges:

2 images of lego pieces; a hat and a bowl
  • 2x Butcher’s hat in Reddish Brown (6490617 | 98381)
  • 3x Brick Round 1.5 x 1.5 Dome Top [Plain] in Bright Light Orange (6504671 | 20952)

Finally, a splash of colour with these new elements in pastels:

2 pictures of pastel coloured lego foliage pieces
  • 64x Plant, Plate 1 x 1 Round with 3 Leaves in Light Nougat (6490613 | 32607)
  • 7x Plant, Flower with 5 Pointed Petals and Pin in Aqua (6500671 | 18853)

New prints

77092 Great Deku Tree really feels like something special. Notably there is no sticker sheet. 

12 different printed lego pieces

Instead, we are treated to a host of printed elements, 12 in total.

First up, 2 shields get new decorations:

2 lego shields of different shapes and decorations
  • 1x Minifig Shield Triangular with print in Reddish Brown (6496714 | 3846pr)
  • 1x Minifig Shield Round Bowed with print in Light Bluish Gray (6496721 | 75902pr)

Next up, some printed tiles in various sizes:

3 lego tiles in different sizes with different decorations
  • 1x Tile 2 x 3 with new print in Reddish Brown (6497090 | 26603pr)
  • 1x Tile 2 x 2 with print in Dark Bluish Gray (6484945 | 3068pr)
  • 1x Tile 1 x 2 with print in Dark Brown (6496719 | 3069pr)

These printed tiles will be used to build three Korok characters:

3 small curvy lego tiles with decorations of abstract leaf patterns with faces
  • 1x (+1 spare) Tile 1 x 1 Heart with Korok print in Pearl Gold (6496717 | 39739pr)
  • 1x (+1 spare) Tile 1 x 1 Heart with Korok print in Green (6496723 | 39739pr)
  • 1x Tile Round 1 x 2 with Korok print in Medium Nougat (6496724 | 1126pr)

Let's round things off with elements used to build some more brick-built characters:

3 round lego pieces of different sizes and colours and printing
  • 1x Brick Round 4 x 4 Dome Top with Round 2 x 2 Recessed, 4 Studs with print in Tan (6496720 | 79850pr)
  • 1x Tile Round 3 x 3 with print in White (6496716 | 67095pr)
  • 2x Dish 2 x 2 Inverted [Radar] with print in Trans-Clear (6496715 | 4740pr)

Rare elements

As usual, we classify rare elements as those appearing in 3 other sets or fewer.

The following appear in just 1 other set:

10 different lego parts, mostly greenish brown colours
  • 1 x Plant, Leaves Stacked 4 x 5 x 1 2/3 in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6507841 | 5058) also in 42638 Castle Bed and Breakfast
  • 47 x Plant, Leaves Stacked 4 x 5 x 1 2/3 in Dark Green/ Green (6507840 | 5058) also in 42631-1 Adventure Camp Tree House
  • 1 x Weapon Slingshot with Dark Tan Band Print in Dark Brown (6415215) also in 71037 CMF Newspaper Kid
  • 3 x Plate Round 1 x 2 Half Circle with Stud (Jumper) in Bright Bluish Green/ Dark Turquoise (6476747 | 1745) also in 80112 Auspicious Dragon
  • 2 x Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 Inverted in Dark Green/ Green (6493342 | 99207) also in 76925-1 Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car & AMR23
  • 8 x 14716 Brick 1 x 1 x 3 in Olive Green (6473440 | 14716) also in 10326 Natural History Museum
  • 1 x Slope Curved 2 x 1 Inverted in Dark Green/ Green (6505133 | 24201) also in 76925-1 Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car & AMR23
  • 1 x Minifig Head Plain [Vented Stud - 2 Holes] in Bright Green (6454720 | 28621) also in 45823-1 MASTERPIECE Challenge Set 
  • 1 x Minifig Head Plain [Vented Stud - 2 Holes] in Earth Blue/ Dark Blue (6454726 | 28621) also in 76288 Iron Man & Iron Legion vs. Hydra Soldier
  • 2 x Wedge Curved 6 x 2 Right, Smooth Inner Walls in Reddish Brown (6501129 | 5711) also in 76440 Triwizard Tournament: The Arrival

The following appear in 2 other sets:

3 lego pieces, 2 in olive green
  • 6 x 3002 Brick 2 x 3 in Olive Green (6473444 | 3002)
  • 3x 4697b Pneumatic T-Piece (T Bar) [New Style] in Reddish Orange (6486091 | 4697)
  • 6 x 67361 Animal / Creature Body Part, Tail / Claw / Horn / Branch / Tentacle, End Section, Large in Olive Green (6351429 | 67361)

These appear in 3 other sets:

a range of 7 different lego parts
  • 4 x 2445 Plate 2 x 12 in Bright Bluish Green/ Dark Turquoise (6453950 | 2445)
  • 1 x 2639 Plate 4 x 4 Corner in Reddish Brown (6397609 | 2639)
  • 1 x 5630 Bar 7 x 3 with Double Clips (Ladder) [Round Clips] in Reddish Brown (6509834 | 5630)
  • 32 x 25269 Tile Round 1 x 1 Quarter in Olive Green (6454942 | 25269)
  • 2 x 22484 Bar 2L with Towball in Bright Orange/ Orange (6373074 | 67692)
  • 2x 32606 Plant, Flower, Minifig Accessory with 7 Thick Petals and Pin in Bright Green (6471730 | 32606)
  • 2 x 68013 Brick Round, Half 1 x 2 in Reddish Brown (6478179 | 68013)

Minifigures

A Legend of Zelda LEGO set is a dream come true for many fans. With more new moulds and dual-moulded torsos and legs adorned with new prints, these minifigures do not disappoint.

Young Link

The Young Link minifigure contains 4 new elements, including a new hairpiece mould and a recoloured skirt element: 

2 images showing either side of the Lego young Link minifig from the Zelda Great Deku Tree set
  • Hat in Bright Green (6475262)
  • Head with new print in Light Nougat (6484935 | 28621pr)
  • Torso with new print in Bright Green (6497089 | 973pr)
  • Minifig Hipwear Skirt Short, Angular in Bright Green (6490615 | 65753)

The legs are a rare part, having only appeared in 1 other set, 43217 'Up' House.
  • 1 x Leg Short with Light Nougat Stripe Pattern in Reddish Brown (6444245 | 16709) 

Link is probably delighted by all the new elements found in this set.

Adult Link

The adult version of Link shares the same new hairpiece mould as his younger self, while the rest of his body comprises all-new prints:

2 images showing either side of the Lego adult Link minifig from the Zelda set
  • Hat in Bright Green (6475262)
  • Head with new print in Light Nougat (6484937 | 28621pr)
  • Torso with new print in Bright Green (6498258 | 973pr)
  • Legs with new print in Bright Green (6510508 | 970pr)

Breath of the Wild Link

This version of Link has the same head printing as the Adult Link above but features a new hair piece, in a surprising colour:

2 images showing either side of the Lego Link minifig from Breath of the Wild version
  • Wig in Pearl Gold (6475255) – new mould
  • Head with new print in Light Nougat (6484937 | 28621pr)
  • Torso with new print in Medium Azure (6498542 | 973pr)
  • Legs with new print in Medium Azure (6484941 | 970pr)
I love the printing on all these figures but the graphic designers have captured the trademark 'Hyaa!' face perfectly.

Zelda

Finally, Zelda appears with a new hairpiece and unique face, torso, and leg prints:

2 images showing either side of the Lego Zelda minifig from the Great Deku Tree set
  • Wig in Bright Light Orange (6475258)
  • Head with new print in Light Nougat (6484942 | 28621pr)
  • Torso with new print in Medium Azure (6498548 | 973pr)
  • Legs with new print in Black (6484944 | 970pr)

The build

Brick-built characters

As well as the 4 exclusive minifigures, the set includes a host of brick-built characters to accompany the build. All of these characters can be built at the same time, regardless of which tree you choose to build.

Navi/ Fairy

4 images of the Lego navi fairy, each with a different colour of transparent round tile at the centre. The blue one is pictured hovering over Young Link's head.

Link's companion from Ocarina of Time, Navi is represented by a printed transparent-clear 2x2 dish. The central 1x1 tile can be swapped out to represent her different appearances and functions in the game: default blue, yellow for targeting an enemy, and green when a secret is nearby. A pink tile is also included to represent a generic fairy from Breath of the Wild

I like the approach of representing the character in this way, but the print is lost on such a small element. I wonder if this lovely print might be better appreciated on a 3x3 dish. 

Hestu and Koroks

Lego Hestu and Lego Koroks

The brick-built Hestu is a wonderful recreation of the musical character from Breath of the Wild. I love the use of the 1x2 plate with bar (4623) which doubles up as his nose and as an attachment point for his leafy beard. A 1x1 plate hidden in each maraca means that they'll rattle when he's moved about. A nice touch!

The Koroks are super-simple little builds, comprised of just a few elements. The new printed tiles go a long to way to give them some character.

Deku Babas, Deku Sprout, and Skulltula

Lego Deku Babas, Deku Sprout, and Skulltula characters

Two Deku Babas occupy the base of the Ocarina of Time tree. Their jaws snap thanks to the clips and bars used to build their heads, and Mixels joints at their bases lend them a little extra posability.

The Deku Sprout is a recurring character in the Zelda series but appears in this set on the base of the Ocarina of Time Deku Tree. The printed 4x4 dome forms his head, and like Hestu, his body is built around a core of two 1 x 2 x 1 1/3 Bricks with studs on three sides (67329).

The Skulltula is an enemy that appears in many Zelda games but accompanies the Ocarina of Time tree in this set. Its skull like abdomen uses the new 3x3 round printed tile.

Side builds

Regardless of which tree you wish to build, the set includes parts for two side builds: Young Link’s treehouse from Ocarina of Time, and a pedestal in which to place the Master Sword to accompany the Breath of the Wild Deku Tree. 

a 2-storey lego round hut

Link’s Kokiri forest abode looks very neat thanks to a few clever building tricks.


interior of a lego tree trunk showing tall bricks arranged in an octagon

The very cylindrical-looking tree trunk is based on an octagon with its sides smoothed off by curved slopes. A pair of inkwell elements (20482) keeps the diagonal walls in the correct position.


Lego health and stamina potions, a bomb, and a hookshot pouring out of a Lego crate piece

Atop the trunk is a modestly furnished room with a very simple bed and a nice looking brick-built curtain.

The trunk hides a box of treasures: brick built items from Link’s Ocarina of Time adventure. Players of the game will recognize health and stamina potions, a bomb, and a hookshot.


Lego triangle base on greenery and a pond

The geometry of the Master Sword pedestal looks quite impressive but is overall quite simple in its construction.


2 images showing the master sword pedestal from Lego Zelda and a partially deconstructed version showing how it is made

The central triangular dais is a sideways build featuring a narrow slot to house the Master Sword. Jumper plates create a half-plate offset and are paired with a panel to create this little trick.

A larger triangle with hinge plates at each corner surrounds the central triangular platform.

Deku Tree Stump 

An H-shaped, incomplete lego tree construction on a base of greenery and water

There is nothing too complex about the base for the Deku Tree. The build is mostly studs-up with a few spots of SNOT to build up the bark. The real fun comes later when it comes to completing the two characterful trees.


close up of lego deku tree showing how large pieces are set at 45 degrees.

One stand-out technique is the use of A-plates (15706) to install the new olive green windscreens at a 45º angle. The way these nestle into the model is quite satisfying, with a smooth transition into the surrounding brickwork.

Breath of the Wild Deku Tree

the completed Breath of the Wild version of the Lego Deku Tree with pink flowers

With a well-sculpted face and a magnificent crown of pink blossom, this completed tree is an impressive sight. 


Closeup of the face in the trunk of the Breath of the Wild Lego Deku Tree

A lot of the recoloured elements in the set are dedicated to building the face but the highlight are the new reddish brown butchers' hats used as eyes.


Two images showing the face of Breath of the Wild Deku Tree and with parts removed to reveal the technic mechanism inside

A combination of hinges and Technic elements create all the angles here. The connection for the nose is particularly interesting, with Technic connectors attaching the 4x4 round plate at a 45º angle.


2 animations showing how the Breath of the Wild Deku Tree face moves

Not just a pretty face, the head also hides a mechanism that animates the lower jaw and eyebrows.

The mechanism features a fair amount of Technic elements and is operated by a switch on the back of the model. 


The interior of the lego Breath of the Wild Deku Tree has cooking equipment, bed and mushrooms

Around the back of the model, the ground floor represents a location from the game called Great Deku Tree's Navel. This condensed version includes a cooking pot, a bed, and a Korok selling a variety of mushrooms.


The top of the interior of the lego Breath of the Wild Deku Tree has creatures in it

Up in the branches, the pink foliage encircling the Deku's head gets a bit repetitive to assemble. However, the forehead itself is a more interesting assembly featuring 2 A-plates to achieve the angles and plenty of brackets to attach the bark.


Two hidden items revealed within the trunk of the lego Breath of the Wild Deku Tree

Removing the olive green windscreens on each side of the tree reveals a couple of Easter eggs from the game. On the left is a holder for the Sheikah Slate, which we got as a printed tile and on the right, the remote bomb rune, an unlockable ability in the game.

Ocarina of Time Deku Tree

the completed model of the Ocarina of Time version of the Lego Deku Tree

The big blocky polygons that created the character in the original 1998 game translate very well in to LEGO bricks. The facial features on this tree are sharp and angular compared to the softer and more curvy shapes found in the Breath of the Wild version. Computer game graphics have improved considerably over the last 30 years! 

It's impressive how different these two trees look despite sharing the same base structure.


2 animations showing how the mouth of the Ocarina of Time version of the Lego Deku Tree opens and closes

There are two interactive features hidden in this version of the model. First, just like the game, where the Deku Tree provides access to the first dungeon, the mouth of the LEGO Deku Tree opens and shuts. 


Animation of the interior of the Ocarina of Time version of the Lego Deku Tree. Something is pressed and a large Skulltula drops into view

But watch out! The second play feature drops the Skulltula from above! 


hidden items in the trunk of the Ocarina of Time version of the Lego Deku Tree

The Easter eggs hidden in this build include the Fairy Bow accompanied by three round tiles depicting the three types of arrows it can shoot: fire, ice, and light, and a statue showing the first three notes to play Saria's Song on your new ocarina.


a grey lego stone with a face among vibrant greenery

With the massive roots from the other build recycled into the model, the base seems comparatively plain and flat. It hides one fun detail in the brick built Gossip Stone to the right of the tree.

Closing thoughts

Overall I had a lot of fun with this set. The characters are beautifully realized in minifigure form, the new moulds look great, and building the set was generally an enjoyable experience. I'm confident that Zelda fans will love this set, as for the price tag, perhaps not so much...

Your love of the franchise will dictate how much value you get out of this set. In terms of the parts and figures you get for your money, it's a relatively bad deal in comparison to other licensed sets. An extra figure (an Ocarina of Time version of Zelda, perhaps?) would have sweetened the deal for me. 

The two versions of the Lego Deku Tree: from Breath of the Wild and from Ocarina of Time

Both trees are beautiful looking display pieces, however, I think the 2-in-1 feature could have been better implemented. Disassembling the set and finding the pieces to rebuild the alternate model was a bit of a chore, but not hugely difficult for experienced LEGO builders. I would have liked to have received extra parts to keep the subassemblies used to build both trees intact, which would make the process of switching between the two models much quicker and easier.

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LEGO Zelda 77092 Great Deku Tree on LEGO.com
US$299.99/ £259.99/ 299.99€/ AU$449.99
Box and model from Lego Zelda 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1

  

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8 comments:

  1. A wonderfully detailed review, thank you Thomas! As a now-adult, then-child who grew up on Lego and LoZ, I have waited anxiously for decades for this perfect intersection of fandoms. While the color green certainly becomes associated with “stamina” in BotW, I believe that the designers intended (based on the gold band around the neck) for the green container in Link’s OoT trunk to represent a “Magic Jar” which would replenish his “Magic Meter”.

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  2. Good review of an amazing set!

    I love that the designers managed to incorporate so many items from both Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild! I know the printed shields and molded Master Sword and Ocarina of Time will be the highlights for a lot of people, but I'm also a big fan of all the brick-built cooking ingredients and tools like the bombs and hookshot, especially since it makes it easy to MOC other items in this style!

    It's a bit of a shame there's no printed map to accompany the compass, since those are two items that are generally most useful in tandem, but I understand it since there's no existing map print that'd be quite suitable for charting a dungeon interior, and I would certainly not want a new map print to take the place of any of the printed character elements or shields.

    Another item that might've been nice to see is the paraglider from Breath of the Wild, since it's such a prominent element of that game — but I'm not quite sure how best to make that work, since even if you come up with an appropriate brick-built solution to hold a textile cape/sail element, minifigs aren't really able to hold their arms over their heads very well, which would make it tricky to accurately recreate Link's gliding pose.

    The brick-built characters/creatures are very nicely designed and instantly recognizable — an especially impressive feat for Hestu, who manages this without any printed elements! The lack of any Breath of the Wild enemy creatures is a bit of a shame, but that's something that MOCs or future sets can easily address (plus, the Great Deku Tree is a peaceful enough setting in that game that brick-built enemies might've felt out-of-place).

    Honestly, I disagree about the print for the fairies being too small to appreciate. I think it looks pretty much just right at this size, whereas a 3x3 dish would both make the dish piece itself too prominent (especially with the thicker rim around the perimeter) and make the overall build too large for minifig scale — after all, fairies in the Zelda games are small enough to catch in a butterfly net or store in a jar.

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    Replies
    1. The Deku Tree itself looks fantastic in both builds. The bark feels appropriately rugged, the branches and leaves form an impressively large and vibrant canopy, and the animated facial features call to mind the puppet-like playable details of sets like 71411 The Mighty Bowser — really emphasizing that these trees are not just plants, but characters in their own right.

      The interior spaces are also used to pretty good effect, with iconic dungeon features like a torch and treasure chest in the Ocarina of Time version, and impressively authentic inn/shop features in the Breath of the Wild version. It does make me wish that the designers included a Deku Stick for young Link, though, since that would let young Link carry flames from the torch to either attack enemies with fire or burn spiderwebs (and could be repurposed as a generic tree branch item in the Breath of the Wild version of the build). Even the hollow spaces of the tree's "roots" are put to clever use in both builds.

      Moreover, the Breath of the Wild version of the build is easily one of the most impressive forest scenes I've ever seen in an official set, with enough trees to feel lush and thriving, but also enough space between them to ensure the forest floor remains highly playable and visible. And the designers did a good job putting all that space to good use with details like scattered cooking ingredients, a flower trail like the ones you follow in the game to find hidden Koroks, and plenty of undergrowth for Link to clear away with his sword.

      One disadvantage of this set's design is that the stylish and sturdy base construction is a bit inconvenient if you want to expand these models into a larger scene (for instance, building a larger Kokiri Village scene around Link's house). Obviously I realize that these sets are display-focused rather than play-focused, so a kid-friendly modular approach like in the Super Mario or Animal Crossing sets would not really be appropriate here, but part of me wishes that the edges of the base had a more natural look like the bases of many recent medieval sets, instead of an obvious black "frame".

      Despite all my misgivings, I've found this set EXTREMELY impressive, not to mention inspiring and can't wait for my copy to arrive! Hopefully this won't be LEGO's last foray into the world of Hyrule.

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  3. Most of my Legend of Zelda exposure was to the original 8-bit through an emulator, back when I thought Link was Zelda. I have only played a couple hours of "Ocarina of Time," and maybe an hour of "Wind Waker," (I've never played "Breath of the Wild") so it is a testament to the quality of this set design that I now really want to go back and play the newer games to appreciate the story. The graphic designer(s) really did nail the 'Hyaa' face, which brings back memories of my cousin Reuben playing as Link in Super Smash Bros and beating me over and over again. The hairpiece designs look amazing, and the gold hair looks way more natural than I would have expected. I've never seen any images of Hestu before, but his design is so charming in the brick that I want to meet him in-game! This is the first time that a LEGO set has actually inspired me to experience the media that it is based on.

    I just finished spending the last year or so reading through every article on New Elementary, and, obviously, I love this resource. You guys conveniently started right after I entered my dark age, so I was able to catch up on much of what I missed, which I'm so thankful for!

    I especially appreciate the insight you guys often provide from the designers. I don't know if I would have known about any set designers without your helpful articles. Wes Talbott, in particular, has really impressed me, and this set is another great example of an incredible set that he has worked on. Thank you so much for providing these amazing articles and bringing so many great designers to my attention! I look forward to reading more in the future.

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    1. I've never played the 3D Zelda games either — stuff like aiming a bow or slingshot in 3D space always just feels awkward for me, whereas the traditional top-down perspective and grid-based world design of the 2D Zelda titles tends to be much more my speed.

      But I still have pretty fond memories of the 3D titles from watching my twin brother and wife play through some of them, so between that second-hand nostalgia and the amazing design of this set, I can't help but feel excited seeing all the authentic details on display here.

      On a non-LEGO-related note, I'm also looking forward to the upcoming Zelda game "Echoes of Wisdom", which looks very reminiscent of the games I have enjoyed on my own like A Link Between Worlds or Link's Awakening! And maybe it might inspire me to make some MOCs based on stuff in that game, as well!

      Delete
    2. Wow, you caught up on 11 years' worth? Great to hear Darmetricus, thanks for the kind words! Other than the designer insight, I would love to know which articles – or which style of articles – stood out for you? I often feel like most of our "new element" content becomes dull old news, but perhaps not.

      Delete
  4. Haha, yes, I've read all 11 years of the free articles, and I now have a little bit of Purple Dave's love of transparent neon yellow to prove it! My first New Elementary article was "Combo NEXO Power shields," which I read in 2018 after I found it on The Brothers Brick. At the time, I told myself I didn't have time to read everything on this site, but, obviously, I circled back years later.

    That article on the "Nexogon" is still one of my favorite articles because of its in-depth analysis of one particular element, and I have enjoyed the other articles that do that, like Tom Loftus's "LEGO® part 3172: Plate Special 1 x 2 with Pin Hole On Side." I don't have time to do that kind of thing myself, so it's really neat to see the fruits of New Elementary's talented team's labors.

    I also love all the "Old Elementary" articles. It is fun to explore the geometry of older elements, especially one i have never heard of. One I saved to read again was "Old Elementary: Inside the LEGO® DUPLO® phone." All the BIONICLE ones felt like a slice of 2000s magic.

    The best is when I get to see how the old interacts with the new, which happened recently in Thomas Jenkin's "Review & MOC: 76925 Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car & AMR23 from LEGO® Speed Champions" where he explored uses of the old clips and lampholders alongside newly recolored elements.

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    Replies
    1. I also love anything having to do with the manufacturing process, like MABS, which often also comes up in the comments section of New Elementary articles.

      The monthly lists of new elements and the PaB updates aren't my favorite to scroll through, but they are so useful, and I'm so thankful for tobymac's work. (It has also been fun seeing him start to MOC.)

      Lastly, I love articles where the authors' passions come through. I'm not an architect, and I have no training in architecture, but Eero's article on Notre Dame was so interesting, and I hope to see him do more like it. "Christopher Hoffmann's Ma.K MOC using 42156 PEUGEOT 9X8 24H Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar" was so much fun to read not only because Ma.K was so popular when I was most actively following sites like The Brothers Brick, but because he brought so much of what he had seen happen in the community over the years into his article.

      I'm not sure if I fully answered your question, but I hope that what I wrote helped. As I continue to read new articles, I will definitely be thinking more about what it is that I enjoy the most about this resource. In the meantime, feel free to message @darmetricus on Instagram if you have any other questions about my reading through all those articles.

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