The Tuesday letters page recommends Screamer despite the relatively high price, as one reader laments the rising cost of amiibo.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Full Spectrum warrior
Really enjoyed the Reader’s Feature at the weekend about Ant Attack and I agree it was a classic that needs more recognition today. It’s definitely one of the best games on the Spectrum but it had me thinking about what my actual favourite is.

I’d say Elite, Chuckie Egg, Knight Lore, and School Daze are all up there, but I think my favourite might be The Great Escape. Another great isometric game but so complicated for Sir Clive’s tiny little 48K monster.

There’s not really anything like it nowadays, which is probably true for most of the games I’ve listed. I’m still upset there isn’t a modern Elite game on consoles and stuff like Knight Lore… I guess modern action adventures are in the same area but nothing has ever been quite the same since all these old UK developers gave up the ghost.
Franky

Back to front
We wall knew something funny was going on with Resident Evil Requiem’s story and ending and I think it’s just as simple as they were running out of time to make it out for the 30th anniversary. It’s such a shame because for the first six or eight hours of the game are pretty much perfect, then it slowly bleeds out.

It’s not enough to ruin the game or anything but when you get that close to nailing it, it feels really frustrating. I think it’s too much to hope for a director’s cut that retcons things but maybe next time Capcom should consider making the games backwards – starting with the final scenes and boss battles and working back from there.

Also, I cannot believe it’s not relatively easy to find someone in Japan that’s good at making boss battles. There must be ex-Treasure people and the like everywhere. It’s weird that’s been a problem with the series basically from the beginning.
Focus

The Legend of Elden Ring
Video game movies are not something I’d normally get excited about but it looks like Elden Ring could be the one to break the curse. I know they’ve been getting better lately but they’re still not actually good, but I hope that this could be the one, especially if Alex Garland is a fan.

The set footage isn’t much to go on but it does look exactly like the game so that’s got to be worth something, even if it is a fairly easy thing to recreate at that scale. It sounds like it and the Zelda movie might come out at more or less the same time, which is going to be interesting.

I imagine to ordinary movie reviewers they might seem very similar concepts, but I can guess which one is going to come out better – and it’s not the one by Nintendo.
Bluek

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Rising prices
I have just bought the Mario & Luma amiibo, which is my first amiibo I have bought with the new higher prices. I have attached a couple of photos so readers can compare their size with the cheaper amiibo. The Mario & Luma amiibo cost me £24.99 including delivery, the Super Mario amiibo on its own cost £12.99 and the Tom Nook one cost me £10.99.

As you can see, the packaging for the Luma amiibo is quite a bit bigger than the lower priced amiibo. I have included a Switch game in the photo so people have an idea how big the amiibo are. I bought the new amiibo as I am a big fan of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.

I will be more selective of what amiibo I buy in future, because of the new higher prices. I hope the amiibo for Resident Evil Requiem are not £24.99 each, as that will be £50 to own them! Nearly as much as purchasing the game!
Andrew J.

GC: The prices are shocking but we’ve got to admit, that Mario & Luma one is nice.

Too much money
That is very surprising to find that Take-Two has laid off their whole AI team. You would’ve thought they would’ve kept it going just to tick a box when attracting investors, but maybe they really don’t need the money.

If that is the case, and it’s not just that the boss has a pet hate, I wish we’d see this in other things they do. Like wasting money on weird ideas and indie games. But I can’t remember the last time Take-Two published anything that wasn’t just a sports game or something from Rockstar Games.

They might not need an AI department but you always need new and interesting games. Heck, I’d settle for a new Bioshock if nothing else.
Danson

Man attic
After making an obvious and cheap gag about the size of the PS5 Pro yesterday, I felt it only fair to show you can fit these modern consoles in quite easily under the TV and while big don’t quite deserve the reputation they seem to have.

This modest space, an attic conversion, has a PS4 Pro, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, plug tidy box behind the Series X, Switch 2 behind the TV, PlayStation VR 2 in a case behind some classic gaming tat and all the controllers, games and charging leads in the box. The TV stand was £50 five years ago from Argos.

I will say though both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 look better stood up but I can’t imagine that’s the most convenient why for most to store them. So for me make the PlayStation 6 and Nextbox with horizontal as the design focus.
Simundo

Luck of the draw
I don’t know if it’s on sale or if it’s that dynamic pricing but I got Astro Bot off the PlayStation Store on Saturday for £32.99.

It’s as good as everyone says it is. Been a while since I’ve enjoyed a game this much. Holds up very well against Super Mario Odyssey.
Tom Thomas

GC: We think it’s dynamic pricing (which is disgusting) as it’s £42.59 for us, at a 29% discount.

A real scream
I bought Screamer over the weekend, as I love arcade racers and I’ve been loving it. My only issue with gameplay was the twin stick turning, which I just couldn’t get the hang of. But thankfully you can map both sticks just to the left stick and it was a gamechanger, it feels much more natural. So if anyone is put off by the controls you can change them.

There’s a lot of mechanics to learn, which offers strategy to the racing, but another nice touch is in private matches or split-screen you can turn off anything that others feel complicated and just have a standard racer, which is cool.

The biggest problem is the price. £60 is a lot for a racer which is trying something new and I feel it’s putting a lot off. I managed to pay for half of it with Microsoft Points, so it only cost me £30. I think it should have been £40 and it looks like the game is suffering because of it, which is a shame as it’s up there with Split/Second: Velocity and Blur for me.
Rob

GC: We agree entirely. It’s a great game but the price is a big ask for an IP most people have never heard of.

Inbox also-rans
That Jesus: The Journey game has got to be some kind of failed superhero game they found the code for or something. Like you said, I don’t see how this stuff gets on PlayStation Store in the first place. Can I just upload some pirated ROMs and Sony will leave them up for six months until they realise what they are?
Campbell

Never heard of the dude that died but Double Dragon was always a favourite of mine when growing. So kudos to Yoshihisa Kishimoto and shame he went so relatively young.
sniperboy

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Has the new Mass Effect been cancelled?

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The Monday letters page discusses how to handle a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, as one reader thinks Sony should copy Nintendo’s approach to making movies.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

No show
I’ve seen some new rumours about the Mass Effect TV show at Amazon, which I’d completely forgotten was a thing. Apparently, they want to change the script so that it’s easier to get into for non-gamers. I can’t help thinking that’s probably a bad thing for authenticity, which is not a direction you would’ve expected after Fallout proved how important it was.

I’m not really that interested in the show though, as I can’t imagine it’d ever do the games justice, given what kind of budget it’d have to have. But it’s sad that we’re hearing more about the show than we are the new game.

I know EA said last year that it hasn’t been cancelled but I’m not sure I believe them. Is this not cancelled, like Beyond Good And Evil 2 isn’t cancelled? All I’m asking for is a sign of life and I’m not seeing anything, including any leaks about it being shown this summer. If It’s not, then I think I’ll just give up hoping for it. And then I’ll probably play through the trilogy remaster one last time…
Zeiss

Remaking expectations
Nice Reader’s Feature at the weekend, about what to do with a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake. I’m still not convinced it’s going to happen and if it does my guess would be it ends up as basically an upgraded version of the 3DS remaster.

The idea of a Capcom style full-on remake sounds ideal, but I just can’t imagine Nintendo paying for that or even wanting it. It doesn’t seem their style at all. If that is what they go for though I will be very impressed, as it’s something I couldn’t imagine them doing in any other generation.

I just hope that, whatever it turns out to be, they don’t sand off all the interesting stuff. Like the reader said, the weirdness and unexpected horror moments were a bit part of the appeal and would be sorely missed if taken out.
Godgem

Peace offering
I’m not sure what to think about the rumours of a new Uncharted game. First of all, I’m shocked that Sony has been so slow to even announce one, given they did have that movie (which I assume is never getting a sequel now). I get that Naughty Dog didn’t want to make it, but do I believe that they would change their mind?

Ordinarily no, but we’re in difficult times at the moment and I can’t imagine that cancelling The Last Of Us Online was something Sony was all that happy about. They allowed Naughty Dog to do it but Naughty Dog agreeing to make a new Uncharted as a way to make amends makes sense in theory. Whether that’s what’s going on, I guess we’ll have to wait and see but they can’t let the franchise die off.
Olliephant

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Unofficial price
The PS5 Pro is nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds on Amazon.

I’m struggling to see how the PlayStation 6 launches for less money. I started gaming in the mid-70s, first with Pong and then Atari VCS. I obviously still like my games.

But after paying for the hotel, a grand is good enough spending money for a pretty tidy weekend in Amsterdam. No way I could justify that to myself for a console.

How much of this do you reckon is Sony trying to recoup some of what it lost on that live service stuff they crashed out on?
Tom Twice

GC: That’s just a third party seller, not Amazon themselves, who seem to have run out of stock. Sony sees no additional money if a console is sold above the RRP, that’s the retailer’s business.

Blade of nostalgia
I will never understand why Microsoft got rid of the Xbox 360 dashboard and blades. They’re the only iconic thing the Xbox has ever had, in terms of interface, and they’ve got steadily worse with every change.

I realise that’s a very Microsoft thing to do, especially in terms of Windows, but I’m not surprised to see people trying to recreate it. I think they brought it back for the 25th anniversary a while back too? I don’t know to be honest, I haven’t owned an Xbox in a long time and nothing they do has made me want to reconsider that.
Kosco

Parts and labour
As a commenter correctly pointed out with my weekend feature, the law of supply and demand relates to price, which I should’ve qualified at the start. The central issue, though, is with long term investment and the lack of flexibility to adapt to changes in the economy. While small price fluctuations can occur in the short term, as an effect of demand, the price at which a console sells for largely reflects production costs, specifically the cost of labour.

You get a sense of why labour costs are decisive whenever completing games such as GTA, Resident Evil or The Legend Of Zelda and the seemingly endless roll call of credits. Or, when to cut costs, there are mass layoffs.

The price at which the PlayStation 6 does eventually sell at when launched will not be determined by what consumers are willing to pay but mainly through labour costs over the duration of the cycle, from inception through to production and everything in-between. The fallacy in the law of supply and demand is that price is determined by whether a product is desirable and what relatedly people are prepared to pay, not the labour costs which determine the commodity’s value (hence why AAA titles tend to sell at a higher price than those made by small independent studios).

This is also why, even if there’s little demand for it, having already committed considerable amounts of capital, the PlayStation 6 will likely be launched in the next year or two to pay for all that labour and ideally profit from it. Sony could of course cancel it, as they did with The Last Of Us Online. They could, of course, exit the industry altogether.
Ciara

That old joke
Picked up a PS5 Pro before the price hike. Stuck it by the sofa as it didn’t quite fit in the TV cabinet.

Looks nice, very artistic.
Simundo

Hollywood synergy
I think the Super Mario Galaxy Movie was fine; my two kids certainly enjoyed. The post-credit reveal was a surprise though; I wonder if it’s hinting that the third movie will be a homage to Super Mario Land? As far as I understand we didn’t learn who exactly was trying to kidnap Rosalina in the first place so that could be a continuing plot point.

The important thing is that the movie has been another big success and that is going to encourage Nintendo to do even more, obviously, and also incorporate the changes into the games. I doubt it’ll be long till the film’s big lore drop is mentioned in a game and I expect all the characters to start looking like their movie versions sooner or later.

But because everything is so close to the games anyway that’s really not a problem, especially if it means bringing back more forgotten characters like Wart or even, if I dare say, Fox McCloud.

Star Fox was dead as a dodo before the film came out and now suddenly everyone’s talking about it and actually looking forward to the prospect of a new game this year. That’s got to be an absolute win for Nintendo and exactly the sort of benefit they would’ve been hoping from for these films.

I agree a live action Zelda is a lot harder sell, especially as they’re not using a well-known director or actors (a classic case of Nintendo penny-pinching I’d imagine) but we’ll have to see. At the moment they’re two for two in terms of hits.

It makes you wonder why Sony has been so slow to do the same thing, although they already tried that with the Ratchet & Clank movie and that’s really the only thing they’ve got that’s family friendly. Xbox hasn’t even got that.
Lucre

Inbox also-rans
Just found out that Little Mac and his coach from Punch-Out!! are in Super Mario Galaxy Movie, in the montage sequence with Yoshi in the city. Samus Aran’s ship is confirmed to be in it too, just like GC said. The film might be lightweight but the cameos are a lot of fun, if you ask me.
Wotan

The problem with Pokémon Pokopia is it may be too good. I can’t believe how addictive it is and I’m already far more interested in DLC for it than I am Winds and Waves.
Derbel

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: What is the biggest Xbox game of 2026?

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With Nintendo rumoured to be planning a remake of one of their most beloved video games, a reader suggests a number of changes for a modern version of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time.

Nintendo don’t make a lot of remakes, but it’d be wrong to say they don’t ever do them. They are usually for more minor games though, like Super Mario RPG and a few Kirby games. It’d also be wrong to say there are never leaks about their upcoming games. It’s not common, unlike with other publishers, but it does happen – with Donkey Kong Bananza having been leaked years ahead of time, even if the information was a bit vague.

The latest leak didn’t really have any information though, beyond the fact that a remake of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is coming. There’s no hint of who’s making it or how far it’ll go in changing things. Will it be a Resident Evil 2 style deal or something closer to the 3DS version of Ocarina Of Time, which was really just a remaster.

I have no idea, but naturally I’m hoping it’s as big budget an effort as possible, which seems likely if it’s supposed to be their key Christmas game. If it is that kind of effort though that implies changes – just like the Resident Evil remakes – and I have some ideas for what they could be.

I will say from the start, that I’m hoping the changes will be relatively minimal. I don’t think there’s any need to change the combat or (with one exception) the dungeon designs, but there is a lot of fine tuning that would be useful. However, another thing I don’t want them to change is the creepiness and weirdness of the game, which is more extreme than most of the modern ones – so it’ll need actually scary ReDeads and keeping the Forest Temple as it is.

The first change I’d make is simple: voice-acting. The most recent games have been slowly adding more but while I absolutely agree that Link shouldn’t talk everyone else should. It just spoils the immersion when they don’t, and I don’t believe they have it that way for any reason other than Nintendo don’t like spending money on actors.

Another big decision is the art style. It’s hard to tell whether the original was meant to be photorealistic or not, given the limited tech, but while it’s close I’d say it was stylised a bit and it should stay that way. Looking at character faces in particular, you can see a subtle cartoonish effect and I’d like them to keep that.

Some basic changes would be making Hyrule Field bigger and/or filled with more things and generally ensuring that the whole game is just one big open world, just with the same design as the original. That should be no problem given the last two games.

One of the biggest problems I can foresee is that Ocarina Of Time is a lot more complicated than a modern game, especially in terms of dungeon puzzles. It wasn’t considered particularly hard at the time but nowadays people aren’t going to be used to the lack of hand-holding.

The infamous Water Temple is going to flummox any younger gamer, so I think that either has to be changed or, and this would be my preference, they have alternative versions of the dungeons and maybe the game as a whole, with a lite mode that’s easier and simpler and the full fat version.

There’s a lot of other stuff that could be added, like new side quests (the original doesn’t actually have many), more monsters everywhere (again, there’s not many, which is probably because of the limitations of the N64), and maybe even a new dungeon (a lot of fans think there should’ve been a Light Temple).

On a story note, I’d also like some clarification on what happens to Navi at the end, hopefully leading into a tease about a Majora’s Mask remake. I never liked that her fate was never revealed.

Considering how beloved the game is and how many later ones copied it, especially Twilight Princess, I don’t envy whoever gets the job of doing the remake but I can definitely say that I will be there day one.

By reader Onibee

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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MORE: Rogue Trooper and the pain of video game difficulty spikes – Reader’s Feature

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The Friday letters page tries to guess what the Nintendo Switch 2 Lite will cost, as one reader is shocked by the behind the scenes info on The Last Of Us Online.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

First party trio
I know that Xbox gets ragged on a lot everywhere nowadays, and I’m not going to pretend they don’t deserve most of it. However, it’s not all bad and, as someone that owns an Xbox Series X/S, I feel I have to try and look on the bright side.

This is easier than you might think because they have a really stacked first party line-up this year, including Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Fable. There might also be Gears Of War: E-Day, but I’m not clear if that’s meant for 2026 or not.

That is a much better line-up than either Sony or Nintendo at the moment, in my opinion, and while I agree it may get overtaken by the end those are not games to be ignored. I would assume Forza to be the biggest, but I think Fable has a chance to do very well too. I’m not so sure about Halo though, given we’ve already had one remake of it and there’s no multiplayer.

Crazy to think Halo has gone from Xbox’s most important franchise to a second-stringer. Nothing lasts forever, I guess.
Korey

GC: Gears Of War: E-Day has no release year, so it could conceivably be this year.

Lite on value
With prices constantly going up it seems to be only a matter of time before the Switch 2 is even more expensive and I still haven’t got one. I have to assume this is encouraging Nintendo to fast-track the Switch 2 Lite, although who knows how quickly it will be to appear. But perhaps the biggest question now is how cheap could it be?

The normal Switch 2 is £400, or thereabouts, so surely the aim would be to get the Lite version to under £300. But even that seems a lot. That’s still only what the original Switch was at launch, so I’d appreciate at least another £50 off. Although in this case I do accept that there are outside factors.

Gaming is going too expensive in every aspect and I really think it’s about time console manufactures acknowledge this and make an effort to change things as a priority. I would look to Nintendo more than anyone to lead the way on this but so far there’s not really been anything.
Ollienaut

Come back later
I completed Life Is Strange: Reunion over the weekend and basically agree with your review. The whole thing is a rushed mess, with reused graphics, bad branching storytelling, and a terrible plot. Not only do I not think there’ll be another one after this, but I don’t want it after this; Max and Chloe deserved so much better.

Square Enix obviously knew all this would be disaster or they wouldn’t have held back the review copies, so why do it at all? Better to let the series rest for a few years, until people really start to miss it, and then do a new game, even if it ends the story, then with a team that wants it and hasn’t just been gutted by their corporate overlords.
Grackle

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The budget of Zelda
The idea of Nintendo becoming a big time film studio is so funny to me. The company with the least interest in telling a story is making the most successful movies… even if they don’t have stories either. The success of the second Mario film, which I haven’t seen, is only going to cement them further and other studios will be knocking down their door trying to get involved.

But like you said, that live action Zelda seems near impossible to get right. It could be done but I don’t have enough faith in the director or Nintendo as producer to make it work. I also can’t believe that Nintendo will pony up enough money to do the visuals justice.

An animated movie would’ve been such a better choice and a really good thing for more adult themed animation at the cinema. Or at least more adult than Mario. Zelda is the best video game franchise ever but what’s the betting it won’t be the best film ever? Or anything less than an embarrassment?
Coolsbane

Virtual worlds within worlds
Buying a game to pretend to own boxes of games you already have on digital is a hell of an elevator pitch. It’s always fascinating to me to read about these weird PC simulators, like truck sims and that powerhouse one.

I’d never want to play them but after thinking they’re a joke I always end up looking them up and it turns out they’ve sold 10 million or something. It’s easy to forget that non-gamers have very different interests and priorities to the rest of us.
Snoopy
PS: What is an elevator pitch anyway? Is that an American thing and they mean lift?

GC: We think they mean lift, yes.

Cyberdyne Systems
That guy that was working on The Last Of Us Online for seven years only for it to cancelled must have a level of patience I can’t even begin to imagine. Apart from anything, I’m surprised he stayed in the games industry and didn’t go off and work for a saner kind of company afterwards.

Never mind the amount of hours everyone must’ve spent on the game, how much money did it cost to employ hundreds of people for seven years to make absolutely nothing? And the reason they cancelled it is because they didn’t want to spend the next 10 years making more content for it? Did they not know what a live service game was before they started?!

The more you learn about the games industry the more you begin to wonder whether anyone in it has any common sense. There are some creative geniuses making the games but everyone else around it seems to be running on only half a tank.

They keep trying to replace developers and artists with AI but how about swapping out some of these producers and exec types? As useless as AI is I don’t see how it could do any worse in most cases.
Lynch

Resiopia PD
I knew fans would get creative with Pokémon Pokopia and some of those examples were really great. I particularly appreciate whoever did the Resident Evil one because they edited the video for it so well too!

My dream is to recreate the towns as they were, but I don’t know if I’ll ever really get there. I still hold out enough hope that I don’t want to read that Reddit that tells you how to do it though. The fun of the game is working things out for yourself, and I appreciate that it doesn’t hold your hand as much as you’d think.
Bosley

Do a barrel roll
Nice article on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I agree that it’s definitely not a dumb Minions style movie that just wants you to ‘switch off your brain’ (ever notice that the people that say that are the least likely to ever watch something where you need to switch it on?).

It’s crazy and weird (I saw it yesterday with my kids) but it’s meant to be like that and, as you say, it’s closest thing you can get to a game without actually playing it. Is there a better movie that could be made with more character depth? Maybe but I don’t know who you’d get to write it.

As far as I’m concerned the only thing it could do with is more proper jokes in the dialogue, as it was kind of flat like that. But I enjoyed it. The only character that came anywhere close to being annoying was Yoshi and he was fine. I don’t anticipate getting to watch it 100 times when it hits streaming but the first time at least it was pretty fun.

I especially like the Star Fox bit, which I don’t see how any kid could properly understand, but Glen Powell was perfect and I now fully expect a new game to appear, because there’s no way they did all that just so people can play Lylat Wars on Nintendo Switch Online.

I do wonder what it’s going to be but perhaps something lower budget, that is just an on-rails shooter, and go back to basics like that? That’s not the normal approach Nintendo takes but then they don’t have many dead franchises like that, that they have to try a different trick with.
Gordo

Inbox also-rans
If it really is just a fiver I think I’d be a lot more interested in an Indie Game Pass than the Xbox one. I had it for a while and I barely played any of the first party games.
Renton

I’m not sure I see the point in a PlayStation 6 portable. If you’re only going to use it in the house how would it be any different from using a PlayStation Portal?
Wilks

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: What score would you give the PS5 out of 10?

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The new Super Mario movie is already breaking records, despite a critical mauling, but does the Nintendo formula really make sense when applied to motion pictures?

Shigeru Miyamoto is one of the most important creative geniuses of the last century. As the creator of Mario and Zelda, and innumerable other Nintendo characters and franchises, it is impossible to imagine the modern video game world without his input, and yet until very recently he had no experience in making films.

He’s also not directed a console game in decades (he’s 73 at this point) butinstead he’s busied himself with being a producer and ensuring a new generation of talent. That changed when Nintendo got into the movie business, and he was credited as the co-producer of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The film was a massive hit but a critical failure, with this month’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie likely to end up as one of the worst reviewed major releases of the year. That is not a situation he will be used to, but since he didn’t take any notice of the criticism from the first film it seems fair to assume he doesn’t care – especially as the new movie has already been a major hit, right out of the gate.

I watched the film on opening day, along with my autistic nine-year-old nephew, who seemed to enjoy it even more than the first movie – even though his favourite, Donkey Kong, didn’t have a starring role. He squealed with pleasure every time a character he recognised appeared and often shouted out (but not too loud) their name.

It wasn’t just him though, half the audience seemed to be doing this, with the loudest laughs and noises of recognition coming from what were clearly adults. Everyone seemed thoroughly entertained and I have to say I enjoyed it more than the first, with everyone given something to do, despite the surprisingly large cast, with Peach, Luigi, Bowser, and even Fox McCloud all enjoying several moments in the sun.

There was a certain amount of character development for Bowser but in truth all the characters are paper thin; although that’s still substantially more rounded than the video games, where they’re just colourful avatars with little or no discernible personality. Not only is that not a flaw – nobody wants to have to stop playing an action game like Super Mario to watch a cut scene – it’s always been the attitude of Miyamoto, who insists on paring down the linear storytelling to a bare minimum.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is many things but it’s certainly the most authentic video game adaptation of all time. The characters look and act exactly as they do in the games, down to the smallest background details and even mimicking specific gameplay elements – in one case to the detriment of what little character growth Mario shows (I can’t be specific because it’s right at the end).

Miyamoto’s insistence that the cameos of Fox McCloud and Pikmin (I’m sure I saw Samus’ gunship too) are not leading up to a Smash Bros. movie are hard to believe given how random some of them are, especially the one in the final battle which makes absolutely no sense and is given no context whatsoever, even to people who know what it is.

So you have a movie that is both blatant product placement (rumours of a new Star Fox game are now very easy to believe) and an endless stream of memberberries, where there’s no joke or clever excuse for a character’s appearance… they’re just there, with no explanation, and you’re supposed to get enjoyment from that alone.

I’m not surprised to see some film critics decrying the death of cinema, after having watched the film, because I can absolutely see their point. Especially as anyone not familiar with the games is going to find it all absolutely baffling.

The Galaxy Movie might be nonsensical, but it has at least some kind of emotional heart, with a likeable line-up of characters. It also doesn’t have the incongruous pop music of the first film and despite all the different characters none of them is the screeching, overly talkative and infeasibly incompetent boob that most animated movies seem to consider a necessisty. There’s also virtually no potty humour or fart jokes.

Clearly, it gets nowhere near the artistic or philosophical highs of the best Pixar films but that’s not what it’s trying to do. Many balked at the idea of Nintendo teaming up with animation studio Illumination in the first place, given how low brow the Minions films are. But it’s now clear why they did. Whatever faults they might have, Illumination movies are always far more abstract than their peers, with less focus on storytelling and plot. And as far as Miyamoto is concerned that’s a positive.

There are multiple sequences in the movie where it’s just an elongated action scene, often based very closely on an existing game and… they’re all great. There’re no stakes, because you know no one’s going to get hurt, but they’re very competently shot and framed and genuinely exciting. Like a family friendly John Wick.

Miyamoto is not interested in exploring the personality of Mario, because he doesn’t really have one, and yet you still get a bit of new lore and Peach in particular is portrayed far better than almost any of the games, especially the asinine Princess Peach: Showtime! (That’s not entirely fair as the usual joke with Peach is that she’s so hilariously old-fashioned and borderline sexist that she wraps around again to being cool, but that’s never going work in a modern movie).

Miyamoto doesn’t like stories in his games, and he apparently doesn’t like them in his films either. And they are his films, so he can do what he likes with them, especially while they continue to make money. Could there have been a way to make a proper movie with more complex humour? Almost certainly, since all you have to do is follow the lead of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but that’s a fairly niche corner of Mario’s gameography.

The intention with these movies is to recreate the joy of playing the games on the big screen, of turning something interactive into non-interactive entertainment and still having it inspire some of the same emotions. Story and character complexity are not a part of it because they’re not part of the games either and while Miyamoto is in charge that’s very unlikely to change.

How long the franchise can remain popular, given how many different game references they’ve already packed into the last two films, remains to be seen but the real worry is what happens with The Legend Of Zelda movie. It seemed an immediate mistake to make the film live action, not only because of the difficulty that will create bringing the world to life but because having barely any plot or characterisation is going to be a lot more off-putting in live action.

There is more story to the average Zelda game, compared to Mario, but not that much more and so either the film is going to have to add a lot of padding or you’re going to end up with some weird indie style experimental film with more vibes than dialogue.

Nintendo’s move into movies – and theme parks and other merchandising opportunities – is very purposeful and it’s been going on for years now. As Miyamoto plainly stated in a recent interview, the number of people playing console video games is not increasing and yet the cost of making games is, so new revenue streams are needed from somewhere.

So far, the plan to become a movie studio has worked perfectly, but while it’s easy to understand why the film has not reviewed well it would be a mistake to regard it as artless or overly cynical. It’s simply the formula for making Nintendo games applied to a movie and while you wouldn’t want that all the time it is a fascinating divergence from the norm.

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The Monday letters page is appalled at the idea of another PS5 price rise, as one reader questions how a Star Fox revival could work.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Too good to be true
If the rumours hadn’t come from such good sources I wouldn’t believe the news of a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, simply because that seems far too straightforward and obvious. It’s exactly what fans want and that’s something Nintendo almost never does.

I would be amazingly happy if it did happen, but I’ll continue to be dubious until it gets an official annoucement. My dream is that they get Capcom’s Resident Evil remake team to make it. Can you imagine how good that would be? Especially after how well Requiem works on the Switch 2.

The worst case scenario is if they get some no-name team, like the ones that did Link’s Awakening, to make it and it’s all some semi-cheap cash-in. I would not put this past Nintendo as they don’t like spending money and you would assume the main Zelda team is busy right now.

Of course, the question is why didn’t they announce this for Zelda’s 40th anniversary, especially with console sales on the slide, but I’m sure we’ll never get any sensible explanation for that. On balance, I believe the remake is real but I don’t yet believe it’s a good idea.
Onibee

Foxed again
So it looks like Nintendo is pretty dead set on making a new Star Fox, huh? Even if you don’t believe the rumours, putting him front and centre in the new Mario movie is a very strange move if it’s not for a specific reason. I’m all for it but I am dubious as to what it will be and who’ll make it.

The problem with Star Fox is that the first two games – the good ones – are pretty simple updates of the old 2D shmup formula. Star Fox 64 had 3D movement with all-range mode, but it was very limited and I’m not sure how far you can push that and stay mainstream.

The reason the other games have failed is not so much that they were bad but that they diluted the formula so much it didn’t really mean anything anymore. What is Star Fox? Is it a 3D shmup or is it just any random game as long as you have the same characters in it?

That second approach has clearly not worked and I hope Nintendo realise that and take things back to basics.
Starch

Rich customers
I don’t even know what to think about the PlayStation 5 price rises. It says it all when I’ve forgotten whether this is the second or the third one. I do think it’s probably not the last though.

It’s pointless saying it would be madness to release the PlayStation 6 anytime soon but despite that being how everyone else sees it Sony are not going to listen. The world does not need or want an even more expensive console that does nothing except add AI slop (I agree with the Reader’s Feature that a DLSS 5 style tech is very likely).

There’s absolutely no logic to it but it’s not going to stop them because they’ve just got it into their heads that as long as some (rich) people will buy it, it doesn’t matter how many poorer people they lose along the way. Well, count me out, that’s all I can say.
Gritt

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Quick reminder
I recently downloaded Minishoot’ Adventures and whilst I initially enjoyed the game’s exploring, I soon gave up.

There seems to be little or no ability to know where you’ve been in the game. I don’t get to play games as frequently as others so it’s often a few days or a week between sessions, so I’ve completely forgotten where I’ve been and where I’ve got to go. It’s so frustrating.

Is this a shared frustration? You alluded to it in your review, but I just find it such an impediment to my enjoyment. It doesn’t help that the regions look very samey too.

Do you have any tips to help with this?
John

GC: There’s no real way round it, apart from making notes. We mentioned a feature in our re-review of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, that reminds you of the last four things you did when you load the game up again, after stopping. That’s the sort of useful idea that is still not commonplace 22 years later and there’s no reason why.

Better late than never
I’m really glad that Silent Hill f has done so well, that now it’s getting crossovers with other horror series and manga with new endings and all the rest of it.

I admit that I thought announcing all these games was a waste of time and the series was doomed but I’m happy to be wrong. I guess sometimes just throwing enough stuff at the wall until it sticks does work.

Although hopefully they have got into a grove now and Townfall will be good as well. If it is and that’s three good games in a row (maybe four with the remake of Silent Hill 1) that will be quite the comeback.
Grackle

Balancing expectations
With all the doom and gloom around Switch 2 sales, I think people are forgetting what Nintendo forecast when it launched the machine and actual sales figures.

When they launched the machine they predicated it would sell 15 million units by March 2026 and last official sales figures suggest it has already sold 17 million units by the end end of 2025, so it’s already best it’s own estimates by 2 million with three months to spare.

Nintendo did increase the forecast to 19 million units after strong initial sales, so if you were to take that into consideration then they only need to sell 2 million between January and March 2026. And let’s not forget that it was only in February that they kept the 19 million forecast, by which time they would know if it’s tracking to hit their targets – they can’t knowingly mislead shareholders unless they are looking to get sued.

That’s not to say the Bloomberg reporter is flat out wrong – producing 6 million units a quarter means they would be looking to sell 24 million in any given year, which is crazy numbers in the current climate. And maybe Nintendo gave themselves a reality check that they are producing more than they need to, rather than suggest the Switch 2 is a sales flop.

Also, with the EU stating electronic devices need to have user replaceable battery going forward that could be another factor to slow down production of current model, to move capacity over to a revised model.

Basically, not everything needs to be doom and gloom all the time, and it’s OK to take reports with a pinch of salt if they are not backed by hard data.

Either way we find out in a few weeks when the next set of financial results are released (and maybe I’ll have custard on my face).
Anon

GC: It was Nintendo’s own president that admitted Christmas sales in the West had been ‘slightly weaker’ than expected. The question isn’t what’s happening but how serious a problem it is for Nintendo – and you’re right that, at the moment, the answer is probably not much at all.

The Elder Scrolls 6: Bohemia
For anyone hankering after a new Elder Scrolls game can I recommend Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Just picked it up in the PSN sale and while it starts out pretty difficult, I’m really enjoying the first person exploration and levelling up by doing. Definitely worth a look.
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)

Life is strained
In addition to Shahzaib Sadiq’s concern regarding the quality of Life Is Strange: Reunion, he said, ‘but if it is another disappointment from Deck Nine, that is the final nail in the coffin.’

Sadly, I think the damage has already been done, starting with Double Exposure.

I’ve written in to the Inbox three times regarding my love for Life Is Strange, Before The Storm, and True Colors but in one of those emails, I expressed my own worries around the time Double Exposure was being revealed officially.

I said having Max as the main protagonist – something some of the fans wanted, but not me – was probably a bad idea, as I felt it was watering down and taking away the magic of what we loved of the first game, à la Ellie in The Last Of Us. And now they’ve bought back Chloe, which looks like they have either run out of ideas or simply given in to fan demand, which in turn may leave a permanent bad mark on their character.

The series now appears to be reliant on these two fan favourites, that they are now at risk of being overexposed, if you will.

I also mentioned in one of the aforementioned emails that some story characters are best confined to the one game/film they originated in, because actually sometimes, the wonder and speculation of what happened to them is better than what we actually know due to official canon.

I never played Double Exposure and just won’t ever, because I feel this game series has become a Donnie Darko/Ginger Snaps type thing where the first film was great but subsequent films told a story no one wanted to hear or cared for in the first place.

I sometimes feel we gamers don’t really know what we want…
LeeDappa

Inbox also-rans
Excellent interview with Jesper Kyd, GC. He’s always been my favourite video game musician and I had no idea he, or half the companies he talked about, go back so far.
Purple Ranger

GC: Thank you.

A £90 price increase for all PlayStation 5 console is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe that me buying one at launch turned out to be the cheapest option. And yet I still feel like I was conned somehow.
Grendel

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A reader offers up his own personal list of the best male protagonists in gaming, from Super Mario to Resident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy.

Video game characters are often discussed in terms of which is the best, most iconic, most memorable, and most favoured.

They range from characters who have appeared in only one title (Arthur Morgan) or legendary characters such as Samus Aran and Marcus Fenix, who have their own established franchises.

I’d like to take this time to list my own 10 favourite male gaming characters. I will list my favourite female characters in a future feature.

10. Mario

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Super Mario

The face of Nintendo itself. A plumber with a moustache and an unmatchable presence. Mario is without a shadow of a doubt the greatest and bravest plumber who ever lived and a bona fide legend of gaming.

9. Jin Sakai

Ghost Of Tsushima

One title to his name and what a beautiful story it was. Trained as a samurai and a journey to becoming the first shinobi. To visit his grave in Ghost Of Yōtei and claim his mask as Atsu was truly a heartwarming moment.

8. Nathan Drake

Uncharted

The character that I can relate to more than anyone on my list. I truly adore Nathan as a protagonist. Endless charisma and impeccable charm. A testament to the genius of Naughty Dog and a perfect series of performances by Nolan North. Nate is truly a special character.

7. Cloud Strife

Final Fantasy 7

It will be 30 years since his debut in 2027 and his presence still remains legendary. With a giant sword and spiky hair, Cloud remains a fantastic character and it’ll be a boon to see the third title in the remake trilogy and the continuation of Cloud’s journey

6. Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Assassin’s Creed 2

The man who remains untouched in Ubisoft’s long-running series. Charismatic, skilled and loyal to no end. Ezio will always remain the best of them all.

5. Leon S. Kennedy

Resident Evil

Where’s everyone going? Bingo? How could I not include my favourite Resident Evil character on my list? The master of one-liners and a guy who always puts others ahead of himself. Leon is the definition of a role model. Ada is a lucky woman indeed.

4. Master Chief

Halo

Prominently known as John 117. The single most badass soldier who ever lived and the face of the original generation of Xbox. Chief is the embodiment of a super warrior and it’ll be amazing to see his debut on PlayStation 5 this year.

3. Solid Snake

Metal Gear

Kept you waiting, huh? The greatest stealth protagonist of all time. The perfect weapon and a marvel at going prone. Snake is certainly an example to follow and is the reason why we have stealth focused characters such as Sam Fisher, Ezio, and Corvo Attano. He truly began it all.

2. Link

The Legend Of Zelda

A hero without fail. A perfect knight in shining armour. Link is yet another Nintendo legend and if it wasn’t for his continuing heroics, Zelda would have been long dead. He’s truly a perfect fighter and more than deserving to be on my list.

1. Kratos

God Of War

The epitome of character development and personal growth. A warrior. A father. A champion. Kratos’s journey is one of exceptional writing and a truly memorable story. From a vengeful killer without equal and a revenge tale spanning an entire journey to a hardened father, raising Atreus through a harsh and brutal Norse world.

To see where he began from and where we left him it’s, in my opinion, the best written character ever in gaming and my personal favourite male character. I could have given Arthur Morgan that honour, but I’ve yet to play through Red Dead Redemption 2 and for now I’ll say that Kratos is my all-time guy in gaming.

I cannot wait for the next evolution of his story and that will be the remake trilogy. I can’t wait to return to Greece and take vengeance once more on the pantheon.

By reader Shahzaib Sadiq



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A remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time will allegedly launch this year, to mark the series’ 40th anniversary, but not a new 3D Mario.

Nintendo’s Christmas game for 2026 has been the subject of much speculation this year, with the common assumption being that a successor to Super Mario Odyssey is the obvious choice.

The announcement of Pokémon Winds and Waves for 2027 only solidified this belief, but it seems like Nintendo has another firecracker in store for the Switch 2 later this year.

According to reliable insider NateTheHate, who accurately leaked details on the Switch 2’s launch, Nintendo is planning to release a remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time ‘in the second half of 2026’. He’s also leaked several other games from Nintendo’s line-up, with his information being corroborated by VGC.

There are no details on the scope of the remake, or confirmation that it is definitely Nintendo’s big Christmas game, but it stands to reason it’d have to be a substantial overhaul if it is – especially if it’s a Switch 2 exclusive.

Nintendo released a minor Ocarina Of Time remake on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, which featured updated graphics, stereoscopic 3D, and quality-of-life improvements. The Nintendo 64 original from 1998 is also available on Nintendo Switch Online, so another remake will have to sport some decent improvements to encourage people to lay down cash.

If it turns out to be the reimagined version we’re all hoping for, it’ll certainly be a big deal. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is widely recognised as one of the greatest, and most influential, video games of all time.

A remake makes sense to celebrate The Legend Of Zelda’s 40th anniversary, although it is peculiar that Nintendo hasn’t announced it already. The actual anniversary has already passed (February 21) and a small teaser may have helped drive lagging Switch 2 sales in the West. It would also give those Zelda Lego sets some added context.

While a Zelda remake appears to be on the cards for 2026, NateTheHate ruled out the chance of a new 3D Mario arriving this year. ‘One game that will not be releasing in holiday 2026 is 3D Mario,’ he said on the latest episode of his podcast. ‘3D Mario will be releasing in 2027.’

If that’s true, that means a 3D Mario and Pokémon Winds and Waves will be arriving in 2027, which is a pretty big double whammy. It’ll also mark 10 years since the release of the last 3D Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey, which is pretty crazy to think about.

There have been other Mario games released over the years since, though, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario Maker 2, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.

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Worried that many long running franchises are running out of new ideas, a reader suggests that pastiche is the best way to keep them interesting.

Is your favourite game series at risk of exhaustion and irrelevance? Are you worried about a dearth of new ideas? Do your favourite developers seem to struggle to figure out what’s next for their valuable properties?
‘’There’s got to be a better way!’’

I’m here to tell you that pastiches are the solution.

Pastiche (n)
1. a work of art that mixes styles, materials, etc.
2. a work of art that imitates the style of another artist or period.
(Collins definition)

I’m not talking about licensed spin-offs into different genres but the application of well-established, genre-defining ideas to properties and genres not historically associated with them.

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Here are some of my favourite examples.

Castlevania but it’s a role-playing game
Symphony Of The Night is closing in on 30 years of age but it’s still a top example of how to breathe new life into a series (and a scrolling action genre) that was potentially beginning to struggle in terms of relevance and ideas.

We’ve since seen the RPG-ification of pretty much all genres in one way or another, and there’s a reason for that. I’d consider Symphony Of The Night to be an early pioneer.

Prince of Persia but it’s a Metroidvania
Sticking with a theme for a minute, Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown has probably been the best in the series over at least the past two decades. It demonstrates how even something that’s now as oversaturated as the 2D Metroidvania can still be fresh and compelling when applied to a series known for its fluid mechanics and satisfying challenges (or at least The Sands Of Time gave the Prince that reputation).

Shout out to Yoku’s Island Express as another pastiche in this genre. That, of course, representing the Metroidvania and the enduringly popular dung beetle simulator…

Pokémon but it’s Dragon Quest Builders
Builders was already a mix of Minecraft and Dragon Quest so Pokopia is worth bringing up if only to show you can nest your pastiches within pastiches.

But here we also have the most recent successful rejuvenation of an increasingly exhausted series as a result of looking more outwards in terms of both developer and premise. One well-executed mix and match has resulted in the most highly praised Pokémon game ever.

Zelda but it’s a rhythm action game
I won’t claim Cadence Of Hyrule: Crypt Of The NecroDancer was the pinnacle of Zelda but it was very worthwhile. Once again, this is the exact sort of approach Nintendo should be taking to keep its biggest and oldest properties fresh, and to attract development resources that’ll do them justice while we wait for the next killer app instalment.

Also worth mentioning is ‘Zelda but it’s a twin stick shooter’. I’ve yet to play Minishoot’ Adventures but there’s a reason it’s celebrated as more than just another Zelda or Geometry Wars clone.

Final Fantasy but it’s a Sekiro style parry fest
For those who could never gel with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice compared to earlier From games, I’ll die (once) on the hill that says getting to grips with its combat is one of the most satisfying experiences available in all of third person action gaming.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s application of that to a turn-based role-playing game was a masterstroke, to the point where someone like myself – who would traditionally try and avoid too many random turn-based encounters – was actively looking for a fight whenever possible.

It sounds like such a basic thing: when the enemy slashes horizontally, jump and attack. When they come at you with their rhythmic pattern, don’t block or dodge, but take the risk of a parry and you’ll eventually be consistently rewarded with counters that represent high-damage cinematic loveliness.

Gears Of War but it’s a bullet hell roguelite
Around these parts it’s probably accepted a bit more than elsewhere, that Returnal is one of the best games of the generation so far. I’m hopeful Saros will help players to draw out its merits more easily, so fewer are put off by certain design decisions.

Clearing a busy room by maximising the benefits of whatever set-up the game serves you felt balletic, psychedelic, empowering and – crucially – always engaging.

XCOM but it’s a deck builder
Speaking of making the most of the hand you’re dealt, when we first learned about Marvel’s Midnight Suns, the deck builder route attracted a lot of complaining, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to see a more pure attempt at Marvel’s XCOM.

The apparent impact of Midnight Sun’s reception on key Firaxis talent is a modern industry tragedy but this is a great game in its own right, with the deck building encouraging some very satisfying moment-to-moment improvisation.

I hope these examples get the point across but here are a few suggestions for new genre mixes that I think could be quite powerful.

Mega Man but it’s a 3D Soulslike
I don’t like the idea of everything copying Dark Souls but I feel the genre’s properties could bring a lot to some games. The bosses, the difficulty, the level structure and the non-linearity of Mega Man are already all there in Demon’s Souls.

Start off in some sort of lab-based hub that branches into different zones. But this time Easy mode involves completing those zones in a logical order based on the abilities you earned from earlier bosses (Wood Man after Heat Man, etc). But on top of the abilities you acquire there are Soulslike attributes to level up and customise Mega Man.

To me it sounds like the best way to bring the series into the modern day (and successfully into 3D for the first time).

Titanfall but it’s a battle royale
This is what I sort of hoped Apex Legends would evolve into. To be honest I’m not sure it would really be better than the amazing Titanfall 2 – I’ve only dabbled in battle royale games so far – but it feels like a logical evolution in terms of scope.

Equal shout out to a Splatoon Battle Royale. I love that series, but it needs to branch out a bit now. Maybe the upcoming Splatoon Raiders will successfully borrow from elsewhere too.

Zelda but it’s a full-on survival game
I feel like some of the best parts of Breath Of The Wild were down to the survival lite resource gathering, but I also think some of the backlash against it came from a refusal to recognise that was a fundamental aspect of the game, at least at the start.

Eventide Island, where you’re stranded with barely a twig to your name, is a real series highlight. To double down on what was good about that, I’m thinking Subnautica, whether Zelda goes back to the sea or it just takes spirit of that game but stays on land or in the sky.

Tears Of The Kingdom was criticised a bit for the arguably unfocused applications of its building system. Let’s see that game’s emergent interactivity mixed with Subnautica’s branching craft-based objective systems and settlement building.

I want to see Link (or Zelda) start with nothing and progress to running a fully customised resource rich estate with a permanent fleet of crafted vehicles and powerful weapons. But with the well-designed dungeons and compelling overworld that Subnautica lacked.

Super Mario but it’s Breath of the Wild
Many will no doubt roll their eyes at the suggestion of another tightly designed series moving into the less focused realm of open world but I’m standing my ground.

I’m sure Sonic Frontiers gives a rough idea of what I’m thinking (maybe it’s one of the reasons GC were fans) but I haven’t played that yet. The basic principle for me is nonetheless that Zelda brought as much to the open world format as the series took from it, and I’d have to think the peerless level of invention associated with Mario would make it an equally great contributor to open world design.

I’d like to hear from others regarding existing examples and suggestions for great genre mix-ups. As I’ve tried to show, it’s long proven to be a way to keep things fresh and interesting but I never seem to see it discussed and acknowledged as much as I’d expect, either as a solution to creative stagnation or commercial struggles.

By reader Panda



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The Tuesday letters page is surprised by all the positive reviews for Pokémon Pokopia, as one reader has had enough of God Of War.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Super Nintendo plan
So I’m guessing I’m not the only person to be annoyed that there’s still not going to be a full Nintendo Direct anytime soon. The Switch 2 is sitting there with almost nothing on its schedules and while it’s nice to hear Pokémon Pokopia is good it’s out next week and then that’s it, nothing else with a confirmed released date and hardly anything else of any kind at all.

I’m not going to bother trying to predict what a new Nintendo Direct may or may not annouce but I really hope it contains at least a hint as to the next Legend Of Zelda. It’s nearly six years since Tears Of The Kingdom, so they should be able to say or show something, even if it’s just a bit of artwork – which is usually how they start the hype.

I really don’t know how we’ve gone this long without any hint of a 3D Mario or a new Zelda. And in a year with a Mario film and a Zelda one next year! If there’s a secret plan Nintendo is following I’d love to hear about it, because at the moment it just feels like they’re asleep at the wheel.
Molston

Direct troll
I guess you could predict that Nintendo would do an Indie World next but, like another reader said, do they realise they’re trolling fans with how they’re handling this? I doubt they’re doing it on purpose, but the trolling is happening whether they intended it or not.

So now we’re looking at a proper Nintendo Direct being mid-March at the absolute earliest, and probably later. I think that’s the latest Nintendo has ever done it in an ordinary year and yet the need for it seems like the greatest it’s been in a long while.

It’s interesting that Pokémon Pokopia has got such surprisingly good reviews, but I don’t know how much that’s going to satisfy people who want to know when the next big game is arriving. Apart form anything Pokopia barely has anything to do with Nintendo, since it’s mostly an Omega Force joint. So I wouldn’t count it as first party.
Sonicer

Surprise hit
Really did not expect Pokémon Pokopia to be getting such good reviews. Its Metacritic is above Resident Evil Requiem now, which I would not have betted happening. I guess sometimes you just have to make a good game and it’s great to have two good ones come out so close to one another.

I’m not convinced it’s something I’ll like personally but I’m very tempted, just because it seems weird and all the praise. It’s exactly the sort of game that I’d wait a few months for and pick it up when it’s cheap but since it’s a Nintendo game we all know that’s not going to happen. Oh well, maybe I’ll convince my girlfriend to half it with me.
Korbie

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Artwork of Vengeance
Just a heads up for anyone who would like to get Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance on Switch 1, you can currently get it from the Limited Run Games website while stocks last. The version they have has different cover artwork to the UK version and it contains a region free cartridge that
contains the whole game on the cartridge.

Please read the terms and condition on the page, which is not very long before buying. If you buy Shinobi UK version on Amazon UK it is a code in the box, so getting it from Limited Run Games mean you get an actual cartridge. It’s currently $39.99, not including postage and tax, which is a lot cheaper than going on eBay. I know a fellow GameCentral reader was interested in the Switch version of Shinobi.
Andrew J.
PS: Will Game Central be doing a review of the Talking Flower from the Nintendo Store when it releases? As I am thinking of getting it.

GC: Not unless Nintendo send us one, but its features seem fairly clear cut so we doubt they will.

Catching a feeling
I am delighted to see the widespread good reviews for Pokémon Pokopia. I have played all of the recent Pokémon games, as I continue to chase in vain that feeling of wonder and joy the series held in my childhood with the Silver and Ruby versions.

Only Legends: Arceus has come close since the DS era, but between the re-release of FireRed and now Pokopia’s imminent arrival, maybe I will finally recapture some of that feeling. I can’t wait to get stuck into both in the coming weeks! I am dubious that Winds and Waves can return the main series to its glory days but at least Pokopia is carrying the torch for them regardless.
Pigfish2 (PSN ID/NN ID)
Now playing: Mario Tennis Fever on Switch 2 and Resident Evil Requiem on PlayStation 5.

Are you a god?
A God Of War spin-off starring Kratos’ wife was not something on my bingo card and I’ll be honest, I’m already having trouble getting excited about it. She was in Ragnarök for 10 minutes, collecting berries, and didn’t make any impression on me at all. But now she’s going to be the start of a more action-based game?

God Of War might not have been non-stop but it was still an action game, so I’m not sure I understand. The mention of Devil May Cry was weird too. So she’s going to be dancing and spinning around like Bayonetta? That does not seem like something she would’ve done or anyone would have done in the God Of War games.

I’m also still confused as to whether giants in God Of War are actually giants? They seemed to be at the end of the first one and then there was some kind of retcon that they were normal sized? Mind you, I don’t really understand what a god is meant to be in this universe. Just someone that’s hard to kill but not impossible? I mean, it’s not like Kratos has any powers or is omnipotent or anything.

I really think it’s time to admit the God Of War story is over. There was no need for a prequel, there’s no point going back to the Greek games, and there doesn’t seem to be any sort of vision for the future. After the success of the last game they could’ve made anything they wanted and the idea that they’ve gone for some weird spin-off, rather than pushing anything forward, says a lot to me.
Hoofton

Adult response
I’ve been trying to figure out the logic of why Call Of Duty players are so much more likely to cheat than anyone else. You would’ve thought it’s because they’re all kids, but Fortnite was actually quite low down that list. I think the sad truth is that it’s probably because there’s more adults playing Call Of Duty and they can’t bear to lose to kids, so they show them how grown-ups handle a problem like this and… cheat.

I’ve pretty much given up playing any online game nowadays because of the amount of cheaters. I tend to lose anyway, because I’m not very good at them, but knowing I haven’t got a chance anyway, because of the cheats, just completely puts me off.
Corvey

Mega music
The Sega Mega Drive is a console remembered from the 1990s, not only as one of the best consoles ever released for that time period, with its incredible library of games still enjoyed by fans today, but also because of the sound chip. Not only was this great competition for Sega’s competitor but it was also responsible for amazing games music. The Yamaha YM2612 was an impressive FM synthesizer which also worked alongside the Texas Instruments SN76489 PSG chip to ensure amazing audio.

You only have to look at classic games and the soundtracks for Streets Of Rage, Sonic The Hedgehog, Road Rash, Golden Axe, ToeJam & Ear and countless more to see just how incredible the music was for games of that era.

In 2026 we are still seeing fans create music using a Sega Mega Drive synthesizer and software to make new music, as well as many fans creating new Sega Mega Drive titles.

If that’s not enough to convince you that the Sega Mega Drive had the best soundtracks for its era just take a look at the hundreds of games released for this system and the top 10 soundtracks for it and hear for yourself why this console inspired gamers to make incredible music for future games consoles.

When you take a look at the new Mega Drive music being made it still sounds good. While the Yamaha YM2612 was limited at the time it still remains one of gamers’ most remembered sound synthesizers.

The Mega Drive’s sound was amazing and even today people still remember it and don’t forget about the amazing memories and times that were had with this awesome 1990s console.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

Inbox also-rans
I appreciate you still reviewing VR games, but it feels like a losing battle. VR is dead as far as anything but low budget indie games go, and it’s a real shame. Thanks for nothing Sony.
Limpton

So now that Overwatch is popular again does that mean we’re never getting a story campaign for it? I was actually really looking forward to that.
Mick

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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