Community:The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer
From Zelda Wiki, the Zelda encyclopedia
| Non-Canon Information |
| The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer(s) | KingMob |
| Designer(s) | KingMob, using Game Maker software |
| Release date | Under inactive development (TBA) |
| Platform(s) | PC
|
 Guide/Walkthrough at StrategyWiki | |
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".[1] 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.[2]
Contents |
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[3], 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[4][5]. In a swift turn of events, he receives the titular "Shadowgazer", a dreamcatcher-like object said to protect the bearer from nightmares[6], from Princess Zelda in the mail[7]. Zelda telepathically contacts Link through the Shadowgazer[8] 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. [9]
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.[6] 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.[6][10][11] 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.[12]
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).[13]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.[14] 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.
Gallery
The title screen.
The King of Red Lions-esque ship, "Din's Fire".
The ship docked in a town harbor.
Inside the Astral Observatory.
In conversation with Goron elders in The Shadowgazer.
A fight on horseback in The Shadowgazer
References
- ↑ "Can Link harness the dark power of the Shadowgazer to awaken the hero within and bring Hyrule back into the light?" — Official site, www.zgfc.com
- ↑ "Obviously I'm using a lot of the familiar stuff from Zelda but I've come up with what I hope you'll think is an original take on the Zelda formula, and I've tried to give it a true Zelda feel. I've even decided where it might fit in the timeline: some time after WW.. How's that for vague?" — Zelda Fan Game Central Forum: The Shadowgazer, www.zgfc.com/forum
- ↑ Ah, Link! Happy birthday! It seems the dark clouds have lifted just for you!--Owner of the inn (The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer, demo version)
- ↑ Seeing you standing there now, I know your grandfather is right. I have to accept you are old enough to look after yourself.--Link's Grandmother (The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer, demo version)
- ↑ Your grandmother and I are very proud of the young man you've become. The future may be uncertain, but I know you will face it with a strong and courageous heart.--Link's Grandfather(The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer, demo version)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Two parallel versions of the game world: the everyday waking world, and its nightmarish counterpart, unseen by all except those trained to use the Shadowgazer - a magical totem that protects the bearer from the nightmare realm's maddening effects." — Official site, www.zgfc.com
- ↑ Friends in high places, eh, Link? What am I talking about? The letter I just delivered to you bears the Royal seal, that's what! Not all of us get birthday cards from the Hyrulian Royal Family, you know!--The Postman (The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer, demo version)
- ↑ So, you're probably wondering what I'm doing inside your head. Well, it's the dreamcatcher I gave you... It took me a while, but I'm completely tuned into it now, and I can watch over you wherever you go - see what you see. And, obviously, I can talk to you wherever I happen to be. Oh, you needn't look so worried - there are some things a girl would rather not see, believe me!--Princess Zelda (The Legend of Zelda:The Shadowgazer, demo version)
- ↑ This is about as far as the demo goes, kid. But why don't you head back to the village and see what your friends are doing? Thanks for playing!--Man at dock (The Legend of Zelda: The Shadowgazer, demo version)
- ↑ "Close your eyes and step into a shadowy other Hyrule, a dream-like realm blighted by the Maren - ancient evil spirits that cause nightmares." — Official site, www.zgfc.com
- ↑ Maren Concept Art
- ↑ Noon Concept Art and Plot Significance
- ↑ "A rotating three-day schedule, governed by the comings and goings of the ships in the port town of Hyrule." — Official site, www.zgfc.com
- ↑ Enemy Concept Art
| ||||||||
