Community:The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer

The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer is an unreleased Zelda fan-made title for the PC, created by KingMob in 2007 in the graphical style of The Minish Cap. The game's plot is somewhat reminiscent of Link's Awakening: Link and Zelda are drawn into a Hyrule fraught with nightmares, and can only look to the powers of the Shadowgazer to return the world's "light". As for the game's progression, a playable demo, a trailer, and a collection of still images are available on The Shadowgazer ' s official site, as well as on its community page at Zelda Fan Game Central. Despite The Minish Cap-like graphics, the creator noted that he planned for this title to come after The Wind Waker in the timeline.

Plot
A cutscene tells of a vast storm that begins to rain relentlessly over Hyrule. The King sends soldiers to protect the borders from whatever threat is coming, not knowing that the dark malice responsible for the storm is only interested in revenge against Link. On the first clear day for a long time, Link awakens on a stump in the forest, the result of sleepwalking and nightmares about someone trapped in a tower. When he returns to his village, the residents all wish him a happy birthday. For his birthday, his grandmother and grandfather present him with a shield and their blessings. In a swift turn of events, he receives the titular "Shadowgazer", a dreamcatcher-like object said to protect the bearer from nightmares, from Princess Zelda in the mail. Zelda telepathically contacts Link through the Shadowgazer and tells him her own dreams about the tower. She explains that her father and Impa will not let her leave the castle, and asks him to sneak in to see her. Link travels to Castle Town, but is unable to progress any further, due to the limitations of the demo version.

The official site notes that the world of Hyrule is caught between a "light world" and a "world of nightmares", however, the latter is only seen by those who wield the Shadowgazer. The Shadowgazer is given another powerful trait: the dreamcatcher can protect the user from the horrors and "maddening effects" of the Maren, the archaic demons of the nightmare world. It was planned to be revealed later that an ancient Shiekah shaman named Noon is the one responsible for the creation of the Shadowgazer and the original oppressor of the Maren. Noon was planned to use the Shadowgazer to communicate with Link during his journey.

Game Mechanics and Inspiration
The trailer and demo showcase various scenes from the game, including Link traveling aboard a large ship named "Din's Fire" to Calatia, rescuing a baby Goron from a dream world, discovering a new constellation, riding Epona through a graveyard, and fighting a shadowy boss named Nightmare. Link is also seen using bombs, a boomerang, a sword and shield, and carrying an empty bottle. Overall, the graphics are completely reminiscent of, if not ripped from, The Minish Cap, while incorporating elements from other titles such as a King of Red Lions-themed ship (The Wind Waker), as well as an Astral Observatory and a three-day rotation of time (Majora's Mask). In terms of the enemies of the game, Deku Babas, Octoroks, Moblin Riders, and few other enemies were planned, some of which made it into the demo. The idea of two differing worlds is first seen in the canonical Zelda title, A Link to the Past, and is carried through the franchise, while the Sands of Hours that protect Link from harm while traversing the Temple of the Ocean King in Phantom Hourglass may have provided the inspiration for the Shadowgazer's safeguarding power in the nightmare world.