LEGOhas been slowly expanding its horizons when it comes to new types of games, and a crossover withThe Legend of Zeldahas never felt closer to reality. But,The Legend of Zeldaseries has so much to offer, aLEGOgame could face a difficult decision during development.
TheLEGOgame series has tackled some of pop culture’s biggest properties, with the likes of Batman, Star Wars, and Marvel to name a few. When the company officially partnered with Nintendo for sets based on theMariogames, fans were naturally curious if this partnership could add some Nintendo franchises to that list. So far, three Nintendo series have received the LEGO treatment with sets based onMario,Animal Crossing, and anupcoming LEGO set based onThe Legend of Zelda’s Deku Tree. WhileMarioandAnimal Crossingmight not fit the typicalLEGOgame style,Zeldaseems to have the opposite problem. While many fans would love to see Link join the ranks of their favoriteLEGOheroes, the franchise’s history might put LEGO in a tough spot when choosing which game to use as a base.
A LEGO Zelda Game Could Take Many Forms
Despite the consensus among fans thatmany Nintendo franchises would make greatLEGOgames, the conversation rarely focuses on what exactly those games might look like. When it comes to theZeldaseries, that is the most important question that fans should be asking. From its early NES roots toTears of the Kingdom, theZeldagames have taken many forms throughout the years, as have theLEGOgames, so choosing which versions of each series to use could be a stumbling block for development. The main formats forZeldagames are the third-person and top-down styles, which would both have pros and cons when considering a transition to theLEGOworld.
Third-Person Zelda Games are Closer to the Normal LEGO Style
Some of the most iconicZeldagames are in the third-person style, likeOcarina of Timeor Breath of the Wild. This would offer a distinct advantage because mostLEGOgames also take on a third-person format. These games also tend to include more story elements than their top-down counterparts, which LEGO could use to its advantage when designing a game where the overworld gives way to more structured levels, something theZeldaseries typically shies away from. This seems to be the route LEGO has taken with itsupcoming adaptation of theHorizongames,LEGO Horizon Adventures.
A potential drawback of this format, though, is that third-personZeldagames often feature a larger overworld than the top-down games do. With the massive map used inTears of the Kingdom, LEGO might find it too hard to create a sprawling world that would live up to fans’ expectations. The solution to that problem could come in the form ofadapting theHyrule Warriorsstyle as a LEGO game.Hyrule Warriorsused a third-person viewpoint as well as a level-based progression system, making it a great fit for LEGO. It also included versions of Link, Zelda, and their allies from across the series, who would all make great LEGO minifigs.
A Top-Down LEGO Zelda Game Would Have More Defined Boundaries
The other choice for adaptation is the top-down style as seen ingames likeLink’s Awakeningand the originalLegend of Zelda. These games often feature more boundaries between different areas, and a smaller overworld map, which would be far easier to create out of LEGO bricks. While the world’s size is less expansive, that could be made up for in the plethora of items and dungeons the game would feature. Link’s inventory could include items based on different building techniques, allowing for unique mechanics that would only fit in aLEGOgame. Both game styles offer their advantages and disadvantages, but with the right minds at work, anyLegend of Zeldagame would be a great fit for theLEGOGames universe.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
