The Monday letters page asks who’s making the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, as a reader feels the death of physical gaming has already happened.

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

Catch it later
Can I ask why everyone is so excited for GTA 6? I like the series, I’ve played them all from the original through the PSP versions, and all the modern games, but I don’t think I’ll lose any sleep if it don’t get it as soon as it comes out.

All the stories are derived from old crime films and the on-foot controls are awful.

Hopefully they redo the controls for walking and the helicopters. And shooting.

I’m not anti-GTA 6. I will be playing it at some stage and thanks to no social media I can avoid spoilers. I still haven’t seen a minute of Resident Evil Requiem as it’s on my list to buy and it’s been out for months. I do hope the game lives up to everyone’s expectations but we have been burned before, so my cynical side has dominance at this time.

As mentioned above, no social media maybe means I’m missing out on some of the hype, but I’ll wait and see.
Bobwallett

GC: So far, they’ve shown very little of the game, and no raw gameplay at all.

Good timing
Well, who would’ve guessed that increasing your prices to ludicrous levels would mean sales start to plummet? I know it’s not their fault, that they have to raise prices, but what’s the endgame here? Normal people aren’t going to want to pay these sort of prices for a games console, so I really don’t know what happens from here on out.

Sony and Microsoft must be thanking their lucky stars GTA 6 is out this year, so more people are going to be interested in buying a console than normal, but even so this is the most disruptive thing that’s happened to gaming in as long as I can remember. And it’d all thanks to the utterly useless technology that is AI… which Microsoft has played a big part in encouraging.
Doshin

Beyond inflation
Wow, the news of Xbox raising console prices again is staggering. The Xbox Series S used to be like an impulse buy, often available at £199, and now it’s going to cost just shy of £400!

I would have thought Microsoft would have a fire sale just to clear all the consoles they have in stock, not price themselves completely out of hope of a resurgence in sales. I didn’t even know there was a digital-only Xbox Series X until I read your news – shows how well it was advertised.
Mark Matthews

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

Very bad management
Is it unfair of me to think that Sony announced the job layoffs at Bungie at the same time as GTA 6 pre-orders opened, purposefully to bury the news? You can’t prove it, but it definitely turned out to be a useful coincidence for them.

I think it’s obvious that Bungie as we know them no longer exist. They haven’t got the staff to make Destiny 3 now, even if they wanted to, and whatever they are supposedly working on next must be pretty small scale, if it even exists.

It’s a sad end for the creators of Halo and what were for a while one of the most famous developers in the world. I don’t really understand why they weren’t allowed to make Destiny 3 but maybe it would’ve happened if they hadn’t done Marathon instead. That seemed a mad idea from the start but then apparently all this is due to bad management, so I guess that theory check out.
Kimba

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Slice of the pie
Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t get how Tyler Moon’s Reader’s Feature can be right, maybe I’m slow at this but he said the reason GTA 6 is digital-only is so they can make more money compared to the disc version. But I don’t see how PlayStation and Xbox take as much as 30% of the sale, which on a £100 game could be as much as £30, so how can Rockstar be making more money?

Surely the reason it’s digital-only is because there’s a really tight time frame and there just isn’t enough time to finish the game and send it to be printed and sent to shops. I’ve pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition and as long as it’s worth the £90 I’m not fussed if it’s digital, disc or powered by a mouse on a wheel.
David

GC: There is no indication that GTA 6 is on a tight time frame. All games have to pay a licensing fee to the console manufacturer (and to Steam) but on top of that, if it’s a physical copy, they have to give a cut to the retailer, plus manufacturing and distribution costs. So the digital version is always going to be more profitable.

Empty box
For anybody who collects games on physical and they end up buying a box with a GTA 6 download code inside, there is no way that is going to satisfy the collecting gene. A box with a GTA 6 disc inside would scratch the itch, even if the disc only contains the unlock code for the digital game.

Makes no difference if the box art and other contents within it are the same. A box with a code inside and no disc will sit on their shelf, next to all the other stuff, and it’ll never feel quite right. There will always be that nagging feeling that something is just a little bit off with their collection.

I used to collect PS1 games; had about 300, including all the rare stuff (Castlevania, Suikoden, etc.). All in excellent condition. Decided to trade some of it in. Sold all the rest. All my Xbox 360 games? Got rid of the boxes and put them in cake stand CD holders. Any regrets? None, whatsoever.
Paul C.
PS: Massive saving at the moment on the Xbox and PlayStation stores for the finest shooter/stealth game ever made, in my opinion. Sniper Elite 4: Digital Deluxe Edition. It’s perfection, almost.

All good things
Physical games not existing in a decade seems kinda obvious to me at this point. They barely exist for some formats and genres already and even the Switch is at least 50% digital now, I believe. How long has the PC been digital-only? At least 20 years at this point and it’s never been more popular as a format.

I miss collecting actual boxes and owning stuff but as another reader pointed the boxes don’t have manuals or any cool stuff anymore anyway, so it’s not the same as it used to be even if you try and pretend it is. Things have just moved on, not necessarily for the better, but they have moved on.
Gantz

Perfect remake
So I finally took the plunge over the weekend and bought a Switch 2.

Star Fox is one of my favourite games and the draw was a bit too much for me, that and the fact Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is on its way.

I asked for Star Fox from the lady behind the counter before I even asked for a Switch 2.

If I could have envisioned a remake of that game that is exactly how I would have wanted it to be.

I heard you say the other day that Nintendo left the remaster of Star Fox in the hands of a third party and what a job they have done with it. It is pretty much a straight conversion of a nearly 30-year-old game (that makes me feel old).

Anyway, my question to you guys is, with Ocarina of Time getting a remaster do we know if it’s been passed to a third party or are Nintendo handling it themselves?

As I think if it’s passed to a third party, and this is only my opinion. I suspect it will just be a straight conversion of the N64 classic. Not that I have any problem with that.
freeway 77

GC: Velan Studios is third party, but Nintendo has worked with them before, on Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. We wouldn’t be surprised if Ocarina Of Time was also third party but equally, we’d expect it to be someone Nintendo has a fairly close relationship with. Officially nothing has been said though and in the last few years Nintendo has been very slow at revealing the developers of its games, so we may not know for a while.

Inbox also-rans
Gears Of War: E-Day is going to be such a flop and yet it apparently has a budget of $400 million?! The Xbox console isn’t available to buy new in some countries and the Steam wishlist numbers (which are public!) are awful, so how does this make sense?
Ratso

Wanna know my favourite part of the Star Fox remake? They didn’t try and shoehorn Krystal into it. I hate that character, Katt is much better.
Binz

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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: Is GTA 6 worth the price tag?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will you boycott GTA 6 for being digital-only?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Sonic the Hedgehog cooler than Super Mario?

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said emergency services were called to the park at around 4.49pm on Saturday (June 27).

Today, the search continued with a specialist underwater unit looking for the boy in the River Irwell.

Throughout the day, concerned members of the public stopped by the police cordon to ask officers for any updates.

One man told The Bolton News: “It’s so sad. People don’t realise how dangerous the water down there is.”

Officers will remain at Clifton Country Park overnight (Image: Phil Taylor)

We remained at the scene until 5.30pm, when the specialist underwater search unit stood down for the evening.

An officer said: “The search unit has left for the evening and will recommence in the morning.

“Officers will remain at the scene overnight.”

The search is expected to resume at around 7am tomorrow.

The specialist underwater unit will return in the morning (Image: Phil Taylor)

The incident comes after another water tragedy elsewhere in Greater Manchester.

The body of a 15-year-old boy was recovered from Cowbury Reservoir in Stalybridge after he got into difficulty in the water.

Police were called to the reservoir at around 6.30pm on Saturday (June 27) following reports of a teenager struggling in the water.

Emergency services at Clifton Country Park (Image: Phil Taylor)

Emergency services, including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), attended the scene before specialist teams recovered the boy’s body from the water.

This week six people have died after getting into difficulty while swimming in open water.

Chief Inspector Helen Baxter said: “We remind the public to please avoid being tempted to cool off in reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds.

“We all want to enjoy the warm weather. Please make sure you do so in a safe way.”

The theme park has three high-speed roller coasters a 40-foot go-kart track, a bungee-jumping tower and several rides for families and younger kids

A US theme park is enjoying its final few weeks in business as it prepares to shut down after almost four decades.

The park, Fun Spot America in Atlanta, Georgia, originally opened as Dixieland Fun Park in 1990. It was acquired by the Orlando-based Fun Spot America Theme Parks group in 2017 and will close its gates for the final time on August 2.

The theme park boasts 14 major rides, including three high-speed roller coasters and a 40-foot go-kart track. It is also home to Georgia’s only legal bungee-jumping tower and several milder rides for families and younger kids.

The reason for the shutdown has not been made known by the owners.

In the absence of significant new financial resources, theme parks with aging attractions often end up too unprofitable to maintain or refurbish, The Street reports.

The theme park’s owners have said they will independently reach out to any customers who booked school or group trips past that date. Any gift cards or season passes that visitors purchased earlier will need to be used before then.

The two other locations under the Fun Spot portfolio – in Orlando and Kissimmee – will continue to operate.

It is not publicly known whether something else will be built on the lot currently home to the theme park, or how the rides will be disassembled.

It joins the list of theme parks closing down.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” CEO John Arie Jr. said in a press statement.

“Our Atlanta team has poured their hearts into serving our guests and creating a place where families could have fun together.

“We are deeply grateful for their dedication and for the support we have received from the Fayetteville community.”

“Come see us, make one more memory, and take one last ride,” Fun Spot America wrote on its Instagram page on June 25.

A man in San Diego County has admitted to not only feeding his young children hallucinogenic mushrooms but also roping them into a scheme to distribute the illicit fungi.

Randal Vance, 43, said he, his wife, and a friend grew and distributed psilocybin mushrooms from two locations in San Diego County. He made the admission as part of a plea deal, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of California.

“Vance, the ringleader of the conspiracy, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to use a minor to produce and distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distributing a controlled substance to minors, and conspiracy to obstruct justice,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office. “Two co-defendants – his wife Rebecca Vance and friend Keir Ceballos-Rivera – previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.”

He also admitted to feeding his 9 and 11-year-old sons the hallucinogenic mushrooms via capsules every other day. Vance said he began giving his children the hallucinogens around October 2023 and by 2024 began giving the boys the capsules every day.

“Psilocybin mushrooms are a controlled substance,” the attorney’s office said in a statement, “that act as hallucinogenic drugs, inducing altered states of consciousness and vivid sensory experiences.”

Vance’s defense attorney, Peter Blair, said the government was misrepresenting his client.

“Mr. Vance made statements that he micro-dosed his children and he takes full responsibility, but many of his statements were either exaggerated or wholly dishonest in an attempt to ease the anxieties of friends and relatives seeking to replace their pharmaceutical prescriptions with mushrooms for medicinal purposes,” Blair said in a statement to Courthouse News.

He said Vance’s microdosing claims had to be “dishonest” because the boys would have experienced some ill effect from the volume of hallucinogenic mushrooms they would have consumed if his claim were true.

“Some of the doses my client said he gave the children, 0.2 grams every other day, for example, would have caused significant long-term effects, and the children have always denied that they felt any mind-altering effects from any of the supplements or mushrooms they were given by their father,” he said.

Blair said Vance’s children were doing fine.

“Mr. Vance regretfully put his family in a horrible situation,” Blair continued. “Despite that, the children are thriving, getting straight A’s in school, and are extremely well-adjusted, showing no signs of harm from any resonant exposure to illicit substances.”

He said that Vance initially became interested in the mushrooms as a possible treatment for Lyme disease and for his wife’s mental health struggles.

In October 2024, police executed a search warrant at one of Vance’s operating locations in Fallbrook, where they found 257 pounds of mushrooms and 18 pounds of growing material. Law enforcement officials found 25 pounds of mushrooms and five pounds of psilocybin capsules, as well as six firearms, at another location in Bonsall.

The firearms seized in the search include a Glock 34 pistol, a Walther P22 pistol, a Henry Survival AR7 rifle, a Smith and Wesson revolver, an H&R Model 900 revolver, and a Browning 30-06 rifle

Vance reportedly used a pair of websites to market the mushrooms and provided both his wife and his eldest son — 12-years-old at the time — to sell the drugs to their friends.

The plea agreement says that Vance and his co-conspirators destroyed evidence by deleting messages from their phone and shuttering the websites used to market the drugs,

Vance is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18.

Police attended after an unaccompanied Pitbull-type dog attacked a woman’s dog.

After intervening, the hound then attacked the woman.

Police say that her injuries aren’t thought to be serious, but her dog is currently undergoing emergency surgery.

Cleveland Police confirmed that, due to the risk posed to members of the public, it was forced to put the attacking dog down.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland said: “Initial indications are that a member of the public was walking her dog when she was approached by an unaccompanied Pitbull-type dog, which then attacked her pet.

“The lady sustained a dog bite during the incident, and thankfully, this is not believed to be of a serious nature. Sadly, her own dog sustained very serious injuries and was taken to the vet by police officers, where it is currently receiving emergency treatment.

“Unfortunately, due to the serious nature of this incident and the potential risk to other people in the immediate area, our specially trained officers had to put the dog down near the scene.

“We understand that anyone who witnessed the initial attack or the aftermath may have experienced shock or distress however, the safety of the public is always paramount.

“Enquiries are ongoing, and we are appealing for anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Cleveland Police via the 101 number or via the force website. Please quote reference 125672.”

The motorway is closed to traffic in both directions

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A major Lancashire is shut to traffic due to an ongoing ‘police incident’ tonight (Sunday, June 28).

The M65 motorway is closed in both directions between Junction 4 and Junction 3 near Blackburn and Darwen.

The closure was first reported shortly after 8pm and delays are reported in the area.

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A National Highways spokesperson said: “The M65 has closed in both directions between J4 and J3 near Blackburn due to a Police led incident.

“There are delays of 10 minutes and congestion of approx. 1 mile in the vicinity. Please allow extra time if you’re travelling in the area. Diversion route to follow.”

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: “We are currently dealing with a concern for welfare incident between Junction 3 and Junction 4 of the M65. As a result the motorway is closed in both directions. Please avoid the area if you can and we will provide an update when possible. Thank you for your patience.”

Inrix, the traffic data company, said: “M65 in both directions closed due to police incident from J3 A674 Chorley Road (Blackburn West / Wheelton) to J4 A666 Earcroft Way (Darwen / Blackburn South).”

Over a third of the children were still waiting for treatment, with more than 60,000 waiting over two years for help – an increase from over 44,000 children the previous year.

Fewer than one in five with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions went on to receive treatment in 2024-25. Those who did waited, on average, a year for support.

Dame Rachel called the figures “stark”, saying that while there had been some improvements, with more children receiving support last year, it was hard to ignore the “colossal challenge” facing mental health services, as demand outpaces system capacity and funding.

She said there needed to be a shift in approach, with greater focus on joined-up services “across health, education and social care to ensure children are getting the help they need in schools and the community”.

The charity YoungMinds said it was extremely concerned about the additional barriers and waiting times some were experiencing, particularly by black and racially minoritised children and young people, as well as those referred to services with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions.

The figures show that black and Asian children are underrepresented in referrals and that when they are referred, they are much more likely to be in severe distress or crisis.

One in four black children directed to children and young people’s mental health services were referred for being in crisis, compared with 16% of Asian children and 7.4% of white children – raising questions over why some children from ethnic minority backgrounds are not receiving help earlier.

Children from the poorest 10% of areas in England made up 15% of referrals, compared to 7.6% from the least deprived areas.

If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line

WHEN people think about improving their health, they often focus on exercise, diets or supplements.

While those things can all help, there is one simple habit that often gets overlooked – drinking enough water.

READ MORE: The simple rule I use to stay active when I have no motivation

It might not sound exciting, but water is one of the most important things for your health. It supports almost every function in the body and can have a big impact on how you feel each day.

One of the first things hydration affects is energy.

Many people feel tired during the day and immediately think they need more caffeine. In reality, they may simply need more water. Even mild dehydration can leave you feeling sluggish, less focused and lacking motivation.

Hydration also plays a big role in digestion.

Water helps move food through the digestive system and can help reduce issues such as constipation. If you often feel bloated or uncomfortable after meals, improving your water intake is a good place to start.

Another area where water is important is exercise recovery.

When we exercise, especially during warmer weather, we lose fluids through sweat. If these fluids are not replaced, recovery can be slower and you may feel more tired or achy the following day.

Water also plays an important role in joint and muscle health. Our joints need fluid to help them move smoothly and comfortably. When you are not drinking enough, you may notice more stiffness, especially first thing in the morning or after sitting for a while.

Muscles also rely on proper hydration to work well. Being dehydrated can increase the risk of cramps, tightness and fatigue. Simply drinking enough water can help your body move more freely and comfortably throughout the day.

Sleep is another area that can be affected.

If you are dehydrated, you may wake up feeling thirsty, uncomfortable or with a dry mouth. Drinking enough throughout the day helps support better sleep and can leave you feeling more refreshed in the morning.

One thing I often tell people is not to wait until they feel thirsty.

Thirst is one sign that your body already needs fluid. A better approach is to sip water regularly throughout the day.

During the summer months, hydration becomes even more important. Warmer weather means we lose more fluid, even when we are not exercising.

You can also include foods with a high water content such as cucumber, watermelon, strawberries and tomatoes.

Sometimes the most effective health habits are also the simplest. Water is a perfect example of that.

Officers from the Bolton North Neighbourhood Team were on patrol in Halliwell on Slater Street when they stopped a vehicle on Saturday evening (June 27).

Following checks, police discovered that the driver was disqualified from driving.

Further enquiries also revealed that the man was in breach of his bail conditions, which prohibited him from entering the Halliwell and Smithills areas.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of disqualified driving and breach of bail. His vehicle was seized at the scene.

He has since been charged and remanded in custody and is due to appear before Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (June 29 June).

Vietnam is increasingly using broadly written laws to arrest activists, dissidents and others that authorities consider a threat to the Communist party’s rule, according to a new analysis released Monday by a human rights group.

The 88 Project, which focuses on rights issues in Vietnam, documented 56 such arrests in 2025, the third consecutive year of increases and double the number in 2022. The report includes only arrests where the defendant could be identified by name and the case tracked, and the actual numbers are believed to be much higher, said Ben Swanton, co-director of the group.

The report says the country under leader To Lam “routinely weaponizes criminal law” to quash dissent. To Lam, the country’s former top security official who has served as general secretary of the Communist Party since 2024, was also elected president earlier this year.

The arrests are largely driven by fears of an uprising against the leadership in a so-called “color revolution,” like the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine, or the 1986 Yellow Revolution in the Philippines, according to the report.

It is a fear shared by the Communist Party in neighboring China, which has been accused of using similar tactics to stifle critics. Though competing maritime claims have led to confrontations between the two countries and a tense diplomatic relationship at times, China and Vietnam were able to agree earlier this year to together “prioritize political security and enhance efforts to prevent and resist color revolutions,” the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

“With the ascendancy of To Lam, the country has become a literal police state that tolerates no dissent,” Swanton said.

“This represents a serious regression from the period of relative openness in the 2010s when some dissent was tolerated and civil society groups were able to engage in policy activism.”

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the findings of the report.

The report found that authorities are relying increasingly on Article 331 of Vietnam’s penal code, which makes it a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison to “abuse democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state.”

Previously little used, “authorities have enlarged the scope and application of Article 331 so that it reaches further into society, beyond human rights and democracy dissidents … to all those who voice any grievance with state or local Communist Party and government officials,” New York-based Human Rights Watch wrote in a report last year.

“The Vietnamese authorities’ increased use of Article 331 is a little known facet of the government’s expanding crackdown on ordinary people who are seeking to use social media and other peaceful means to publicly raise important social issues, including religious freedom, land rights, rights of Indigenous people, and government and Communist Party corruption,” Human Rights Watch wrote.

Among those arrested under Article 331 last year were three men behind the YouTube channel “Nguoi Da Tin’ — The Messenger — on allegations that videos they uploaded were ”distorted content” that violated the statute, The 88 Project reported.

The report provides details of every arrest identified as politically related in 2025.

Those also included an activist for the minority Montagnard group who was arrested in Thailand and extradited to Vietnam, a dissident writer accused of spreading “propaganda against the state,” and a man who helped residents of Ha Tinh province file complaints demanding fair compensation for land expropriated for a new highway.

“The Vietnamese government has dealt alarmingly severe punishments to longstanding targets like journalists and human rights activists, while displaying an increasing willingness to attack groups previously thought safe, such as political exiles and legal petitioners,” the report said.