A LEGO Zelda Game Feels More Likely Now, But It Would Have a Big Choice to Make

LEGO has been slowly expanding its horizons when it comes to new types of games, and a crossover with The Legend of Zelda has never felt closer to reality. But, The Legend of Zelda series has so much to offer, a LEGO game could face a difficult decision during development.

The LEGO game 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 the Mario games, 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 on Mario, Animal Crossing, and an upcoming LEGO set based on The Legend of Zelda’s Deku Tree. While Mario and Animal Crossing might not fit the typical LEGO game style, Zelda seems to have the opposite problem. While many fans would love to see Link join the ranks of their favorite LEGO heroes, 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 that many Nintendo franchises would make great LEGO games, the conversation rarely focuses on what exactly those games might look like. When it comes to the Zelda series, that is the most important question that fans should be asking. From its early NES roots to Tears of the Kingdom, the Zelda games have taken many forms throughout the years, as have the LEGO games, so choosing which versions of each series to use could be a stumbling block for development. The main formats for Zelda games are the third-person and top-down styles, which would both have pros and cons when considering a transition to the LEGO world.

Third-Person Zelda Games are Closer to the Normal LEGO Style

Some of the most iconic Zelda games are in the third-person style, like Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild. This would offer a distinct advantage because most LEGO games 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 the Zelda series typically shies away from. This seems to be the route LEGO has taken with its upcoming adaptation of the Horizon games, LEGO Horizon Adventures.

A potential drawback of this format, though, is that third-person Zelda games often feature a larger overworld than the top-down games do. With the massive map used in Tears 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 of adapting the Hyrule Warriors style as a LEGO game. Hyrule Warriors used 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 in games like Link’s Awakening and the original Legend 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 a LEGO game. Both game styles offer their advantages and disadvantages, but with the right minds at work, any Legend of Zelda game would be a great fit for the LEGO Games universe.