Plans to give mayors in England the power to introduce a levy on tourists are expected to be outlined on Thursday.

Under the proposals, a fee would be charged to people staying overnight and local leaders would decide how the revenue raised should be reinvested.

The idea – dubbed the tourist tax – was first raised by Sir Keir Starmer’s government in November and is similar to a scheme running in Scotland.

The levy will be charged as a percentage of the cost of accommodation, rather than as a flat fee – a move the government argues will protect budget holidays.

In theory, there will be no upper limit – though ministers are said to believe mayors are unlikely to make it too expensive.

The government will announce more details after the Housing Secretary Angela Rayner meets mayors on Thursday.

A government source said “it will be up to local leaders and local voters” in England “to decide what is right for their area”.

The Overnight Visitor Levy, which was outlined in the King’s Speech in May, means a holiday in England could become more expensive if local leaders decide to implement the tax.

Sir Keir had planned to bring forward legislation to introduce the levy before he was replaced as prime minister by Andy Burnham but the bill has not been brought forward yet.

The prime minister has framed the policy as part of his wider devolution agenda, and No 10 previously said local leaders would be “able to set out plans for how revenues will be invested by March 2028”.

Burnham was mayor of Manchester when the city introduced the City Visitor Charge in April 2023 – a £1 per room, per night fee – to pay for measures aimed at attracting more visitors.

Regional mayors say the levy is needed to raise more income to invest in local priorities and support economic growth.

These taxes are common in Europe and the rest of the world, with New York, Amsterdam and Rome applying overnight charges to accommodation stays to fund local services.

In Scotland local authorities can introduce a visitor levy on overnight accommodation set as a percentage rate.

Edinburgh became the first city there to introduce the tax in July, with those staying overnight in hotels, bed and breakfasts and self-catering accommodation charged an additional 5% on top of their original booking cost. However, the charge is capped at five nights.

Elsewhere in Scotland, a 5% levy in Glasgow is due to come into force from January 2027.

In Wales, a capped levy of £1.30 per person per night is set to be introduced in April next year.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were seen on a rare outing together weeks after their real relationship with their Full House co-stars was revealed.

The 40-year-old twin actresses-turned-fashion moguls were seen on an uncommon casual outing together on Tuesday ahead of New York Fashion Week.

The two stars opted for comfort on the low-key outing as their billion-dollar fashion brand The Row is not set to have a showing during American fashion’s biggest week.

Mary-Kate opted for an all-black look, including a flowy top, relaxed-fit jeans and strappy leather sandals. 

Ashley donned a white T-shirt with baggy black shorts and a sweater around her neck as she held onto a pair of blue jeans.

The twins both donned a pair of sunglasses as their brunette tresses were combed in a middle part.

As mentioned earlier, their luxury fashion house will not be showing at NYFW, however, they are scheduled to present their Spring/Summer 2027 collection at Paris Fashion Week on September 30.

This comes weeks after the twins’ relationship with their Full House co-stars was revealed in July by their onscreen sister Jodie Sweetin.

The Olsen twins were infants when they began jointly playing Michelle Tanner, one of the three children of Bob Saget‘s widower character Danny Tanner.

Sweetin starred as the middle daughter Stephanie, a role she played from the ages of five to 13, while Candace Cameron portrayed the firstborn, DJ.

After Full House, the Olsen twins plunged into a high-octane adolescence of megawatt glamour and scandalous rumors before retreating from showbiz. 

Having escaped the frenzied glare of the spotlight in the 2000s, the now 40-year-old sisters have forged a behind-the-scenes career as fashion moguls, heading up The Row.

Their withdrawal into privacy has allowed an aura of mystery to form around the subject of whether they remain friendly with their old Full House colleagues – a question Sweetin has now answered on the podcast Comics and Kicks.

The Daily Mail contacted a representative for the Olsen twins for comment at the time. 

The 40-year-old twin actresses-turned-fashion moguls were seen on an uncommon casual outing together on Tuesday ahead of New York Fashion Week

The two stars opted for comfort on the low-key outing as their billion dollar fashion brand The Row is not set to have a showing during American fashion’s biggest week

‘Everyone’s on good terms with them, but they were eight years old when this show stopped,’ Sweetin noted. ‘Then they did all those movies and all that stuff that I don’t know that they loved doing all the time.’

When Full House ended, the Olsen twins launched headlong into a whirlwind career of TV movies produced by their company Dualstar, which was run by their manager Robert Thorne until they turned 18 and became co-presidents themselves.

Sweetin observed that the twins ‘walked away from all of us at eight years,’ while she herself was in the midst of her ‘formative years’ on Full House from the ages of five to 13.

However, at ‘eight and earlier, you don’t remember all that much, so it was like, they have a different relationship to being on set all the time,’ said Sweetin.

‘They might not remember being two years old and having us all carrying them around and doing all this stuff, but I do.’

With a cast including Lori Loughlin, John Stamos, Scott Weinger, Andrea Barber and Dave Coulier, Full House ran an impressive eight seasons from 1987 to 1995.

Sweetin also glancingly addressed the twins’ decision not to return for the Netflix reboot Fuller House, which lasted five seasons from 2016 to 2020.

‘They don’t want attention and I get it. They had so much and were so invaded and so for public consumption, I totally understand why they don’t wanna do that,’ she said.

The Olsen twins’ relationship with their Full House co-stars was revealed in July by their on-screen sister Jodie Sweetin. Above, the twins in 2019

The Olsen twins were infants when they began playing Michelle, one of the three children of Bob Saget’s widower character Danny Tanner, and were on the show to the age of eight

Advertisement

Lori Loughlin, John Stamos, Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron, Scott Weinger, one of the Olsen twins, Andrea Barber, Dave Coulier and Bob Saget on Full House

‘Everyone’s on good terms with them, but they were eight years old when this show stopped,’ noted Sweetin

Sweetin observed that the twins ‘walked away from all of us at eight years,’ while she herself was in the midst of her ‘formative years.’ Above, Sweetin on the show with Stamos

Stamos with Mary-Kate (right) and Ashley (left) on Full House. He has shared that the Olsen twins attended Bob Saget’s funeral in 2022 

Advertisement

The twins’ globetrotting life shooting Dualstar movies – which whisked them between such locales as London, Paris, Rome and the Bahamas – was a tabloid fixture.

Then, just after they turned 18, news broke that Mary-Kate had checked into rehab for an unspecified health issue that was widely rumored to be anorexia.

Although Mary-Kate never herself confirmed she suffered an eating disorder, her dramatic weight loss had already fallen under blistering public scrutiny.

In 2004, the then 17-year-old twins had sat for an infamous interview in which Oprah Winfrey asked them their dress size, a question they awkwardly dodged.

Mary-Kate, who was Ashley’s fraternal twin, later confessed that she used to compare her own looks unfavorably to those of her sister.

‘Are you kidding me? I look in the mirror and I’m like: “Why do you look pretty and I look ugly?”‘ Mary-Kate shared on a CBS 48 Hours special.

Even as they retreated into a more private life in fashion, Mary-Kate continued to be a subject of public fascination due to her age-gap romance and eventual turbulent divorce from Olivier Sarkozy, half-brother of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

They began dating when she was 26 and he was 43 and remained romantically involved for eight years before their marriage imploded in 2020.

Having escaped the frenzied glare of the spotlight in the 2000s, the now 40-year-old sisters have forged a behind-the-scenes career as fashion moguls. Above, in 2004 

In a sign of their lingering bond with their old Full House cast, the Olsen twins were present at Bob Saget’s funeral in 2022 after he was found dead at 65 in a hotel room, having suffered what the medical examiners determined was head trauma. 

‘They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep,’ said his family’s statement.

Stamos spoke glowingly about the ‘beautiful’ reunion he enjoyed with the Olsen twins at Saget’s memorial service during an interview on The Howard Stern Show.

He shared that Mary-Kate and Ashley ‘got us all together and said: “We love you. We loved our childhood. We’re grateful for you guys. Thank you for making those eight years so beautiful for us. We have such fond memories. We love you.” And everybody just needed to hear that, and I think it was Bob doing it.’

Full disclosure: I have been a fan of Call My Agent! since 2015, when I saw the first two episodes at a small festival in Brides-les-bains, a spa town in the French Alps. The event was organised by agent-turned-producer Dominique Besnehard, who was showing the episodes ahead of their first airing on French TV.

Having spent eight years getting the project off the ground, Besnehard was anxious to know whether French audiences would like it. They did. The series ran for four seasons, was picked up by Netflix and critically well-received. It won several French TV awards and an International Emmy, with its formula later reproduced in the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain among others. Now comes the movie.

In the series, written by talented showrunner Fanny Herrero who also wrote the film, we observe the workings of Parisian casting agency ASK (modelled on Artmedia, where Besnehard worked) in light comedy mode. Agents match “the talent” with film projects, while coping with actorly egos, affairs, meltdowns and tantrums. The series’ key trick was to mix the fictional agency staff with real-life celebrities making fun of themselves.

Many major stars were reluctant to join the first series. There was no Catherine Deneuve or Gérard Depardieu, possibly for the best in the latter’s case (in the new film, his name is met with stony silence). Fans had to wait for seasons two and three to see A-listers like Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert and Jean Dujardin, and season four for Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jean Reno and American actress Sigourney Weaver (playing a diva version of herself). In turn, the success of the series brought fame to its actors, especially Camille Cottin (Andréa) and Laure Calamy (Noémie).

There is evidence that great series do not automatically produce brilliant movies – see The Avengers (1998), Miami Vice (2006) and Sex and the City (2008). So could Call My Agent! pull off a movie version?

The one star problem

Season four of the series ended on the break-up of ASK. Five years on, the film picks up with Andréa about to direct her first full-length feature film and Noémie producing a TV series. Both work in the same company as their former boss, Mathias (Thibault de Montalembert), who is also Noémie’s partner. Predictably, things go awry.

Andréa’s star, Laurent Lafitte, drops out and she sacks her producer. After Noémie (who steps in as producer) wrecks the possibility of casting George Clooney by making a series of cringeworthy remarks that incense the Hollywood star, they recruit Vincent Macaigne, who plays a reputed, but fragile version of himself.

Things go from bad to worse when they all move to the south of France for the shoot, with lead actors punching each other, an unruly wild boar and a storm that destroys the equipment.

For fans of the series, there is fun to be had in the familiar banter among the team of former agents reunited for Andréa’s shoot. Each plays up to their established identity: Mathias continues to be a cad; Andréa bullies everyone while fighting with her lesbian ex-partner over their daughter; Noémie’s chaotic energy hides her professional skills; straight Gabriel (Grégory Montel) and gay Hervé (Nicolas Maury) channel their vulnerable masculinity; and veteran Arlette (Liliane Rovère) reveals more of her improbably eventful past.

The problem, not just for Andréa’s film but also the second half of Call My Agent! The Movie, is the featured “star”.

The reason for the series’ success, beyond gossipy shenanigans at a casting agency, is its deep roots in French cinema history. Sustaining 24 episodes is a rich film culture, with stars ranging from internet celebrities (Norman) to international figures (Binoche), auteur cinema divas (Isabelle Adjani), TV stars (Muriel Robin), comics (Frank Dubosc), the old (Guy Marchand) and the young (Julien Doré).

Boiling this down to one star in one film was a challenge to which Macaigne is not the solution. The film, which showcases Macaigne’s trademark depressive persona, never gives him an opportunity to display his craft – he is upstaged by both the wild boar and the storm.

Meanwhile, the input of his co-lead, former model Laetitia Casta, amounts to being punched on the nose. The “joke” that the policemen who arrest the couple at a demonstration do not recognise them may be a little close the bone.

To attain major stardom in France actors must straddle the rarefied world of auteur cinema and popular genres – as is the case, indeed, for Lafitte who would have been ideal star but unfortunately drops out of Andréa’s film. (In real life Laffite is an alumni of the prestigious Comédie Française theatre who stars in both art movies and popular comedies.)

As a result, despite glamorous cameos by Clooney and Eva Longoria, the film is unlikely to attract new viewers. Fans of Call My Agent! will continue to long for another season, but in the meantime they will have to be content with this watchable, but ultimately disappointing film.

The incident happened on Swinside Road in Breightmet, Bolton, at around 6pm on Wednesday, September 9, prompting a large emergency response and a police cordon at the scene.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) confirmed that four fire engines were sent to the scene from Bolton North, Bolton Central, Farnworth, and Whitefield stations.

(Image: NQ)

A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “Just after 6pm on Wednesday 9 September, fire crews were called to reports of a fire at a home on Swinside Road, Bolton.

“Four fire engines from Bolton North, Bolton Central, Farnworth and Whitefield stations were quickly mobilised to the incident, which involved a fire in the kitchen of a ground-floor flat.

“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to extinguish the fire. A man was rescued from the property and has been taken to hospital by North West Ambulance Service.

“Fire crews were in attendance for about two hours.”

The man’s condition has not been disclosed.

The incident led to a significant emergency services presence in the area, with police maintaining a cordon around the property for several hours.

At least four police vehicles remained at the scene late into the evening, and officers were still present as of 9.28pm.

(Image: NQ)

Electricians were also called to the property to deal with live wires, and were seen entering the building at around 9.12pm.

The fire service had left the scene about an hour earlier, but police continued to secure the area while the investigation continued.

The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen of the flat.

A police cordon remained in place late into the night.

Dr Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at Copernicus, described August as “a remarkable month in the global climate record”, and its impacts had been “increasingly being felt by communities, economies and ecosystems across the world”.

The combination of record air temperatures, record ocean heat and Europe’s exceptional summer showed how climate change was now driving extremes across “both the atmosphere and the oceans”, she said.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the record clearly showed humanity’s impact on the climate.

“The evidence is irrefutable: this is the spiralling price of humanity’s fossil fuel addiction, and the global climate crisis it is fuelling,” he said.

On top of the ongoing impact of the use of fossil fuels, the rise of a powerful El Niño is making matters worse, the researchers have said.

El Niño is a natural climate pattern in which a band of the eastern Pacific turns unusually warm, releasing vast amounts of stored ocean heat into the atmosphere and nudging global temperatures upwards for around a year.

The one currently being experienced is still strengthening and could become one of the most powerful on record, according to the Copernicus team.

The biggest impact of this natural phenomenon on global temperatures is expected to hit over the coming year, meaning the current run of records may have further to go.

As the new Telegraph Fantasy Football season approaches, the fantasy football experts at Fantasy Football Hub will continue to bring you the very best in fantasy football knowledge, tips and tools to help you rise up the ranks and win your mini-leagues.

To join the Hub and get access to all their great resources and expert tips you can take advantage of its 50% pre-season discount here.

 

New signings can be a slight risk to include in your very first starting XI. However, many teams got a lot of their business done early this year and there is always a thrill in the unknown of unearthing a potential new fantasy football star. Here are our top five to look out for this season:

 

Mamadou Sangaré (£3.1m)

Ever since the introduction of tackle bonuses, combative midfielders have found their place in the hearts of Telegraph Fantasy Football faithfuls. Brentford’s Malian international could prove to be the next Palhinha or Gomes, with a steady stream of bonuses expected alongside the odd attacking return.

 

Marco Palestra (£2.7m)

The exciting full-back has played the majority of minutes in pre-season under new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, showing a willingness to push high up the pitch. If the defensive and attacking returns come as expected, the 21-year-old could make a mockery of his cheap price-tag.

 

Gonzalo García (£3.7m)

No doubt influenced by his stint in the dugout at the Santiago Bernabéu, Arbeloa beat off stiff competition to land the former Real Madrid striker. At 6’ tall, the striker possesses the physical attributes, alongside the technical ability, to thrive in the Premier League. TFF managers will be targeting the GW6 to GW8 run, where the Cottagers play all three promoted clubs back-to-back, as a great entry point to transfer the Spaniard in.

 

Luka Vušković (£2.9m)

Brighton’s qualification for Europe was built on a solid defensive structure last season, and the ex-Tottenham centre-half has been brought in to fill the Van Hecke-sized hole in their back-line. The highly-regarded 19-year-old could be one of the bargains of the season if he lives up to his potential on the South Coast.

 

Tarik Muharemović (£2.7m)

TFF managers have a plethora of great value defensive assets to pick from this season, and the Bosnian could be the pick of the bunch. Having already demanded attention after scoring with an audacious bicycle-kick in pre-season, it won’t be a surprise to see the new Leeds no.5 in many final drafts.

 

Pick your team for the 2026/27 season >

You can follow the latest Telegraph Fantasy Football news and discussions throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter and Fantasy Football Content Hub.

Phil Wanless has spoken about the impact of his 20-year-old son Fraser’s death in a powerful new documentary launched to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

A Scots dad has told of the devastation of losing his son to suicide after the tragic death of his wife in a heartbreaking new film.

Phil Wanless has spoken about the impact of his 20-year-old son Fraser’s death in a powerful new documentary launched on Thursday to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

Fraser was just eleven years old when he found his mum, Lisa, dead after she suffered a fatal epileptic seizure.

The former Portobello High School pupil struggled to grieve her death, turning to substance use and experiencing difficult relationships before taking his own life in 2021.

What I Want You To Know follows Phil’s journey as a bereaved father.

Phil says in the documentary: “Fraser and I spoke every day, whether it was a voice call or a text. I hadn’t heard from him for a day, and that was very unusual.

Advertisement

“I don’t believe he wanted to die. I just don’t think he wanted to live. He just didn’t want the pain any more.

“The boy that I brought up, bought his first football boots, and put his first Hearts top on, everything was gone in the blink of an eye. Part of my heart is missing. That’s the only way I can describe it. It’s not a cliché. Part of my heart is missing.

“It broke us. It took a family that was pretty close, and broke us. I wish I had the chance to tell Fraser right now how much I loved him.

“It is Fraser’s story, but it could be anybody’s story.”

The dad also talks about how his grief of losing Fraser led to him contemplating taking his own life.

He said: “The impact of Fraser’s death was profound, and was felt from as soon as Phil learned his son was gone. Eventually, he also planned to take his own life.

“There were no instructions on how to grieve. The only time anybody talked to me about my mind health was at the point of crisis. That has to be the wrong way round.

“Suicide is the end product, and it’s the permanent product. But the truth is, we want to reach anybody who’s feeling like that long before we get to crisis.

“We need to stop the idea that the first time you get to talk to anybody is when you’re thinking about taking your life. We have to treat mind health as every bit as important as physical health.”

Phil wants the principles of time, space and compassion to be taught from an early age.

He said: “In my whole life nobody ever taught me about compassion, and yet it’s one of the most important things in life. I think we should be teaching it at school.”

The 30-minute film is released by Suicide Prevention Scotland, the community of people and organisations delivering the Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint suicide prevention strategy, Creating Hope Together.

Phil is joined by his partner Debbie Rowan, Fraser’s friend Darren Gallagher, Iain Corbett, a community development practitioner who has extensive experience working with young men, and John Gibson, founder of The Canmore Trust.

John and his wife Isobel lost their son Cameron to suicide in 2019.

Suicide Prevention Scotland’s national delivery lead Haylis Smith said: “The film shines a light on the reality of suicide in a way that hasn’t happened before. I know Phil doesn’t think he’s extraordinary, that he’s simply a grieving father angry after the loss of his son.

“But Fraser’s death will not be in vain, because Phil, Debbie and their families have opened up their home and lives in a way that will help so many people think about how to support people who experience trauma. He is extraordinary, because Phil’s intervention will save lives. We might never know who, but it will.

“We can see in the film where there were missed opportunities for time, space, compassion. It shows what their absence feels like, how much there still is to learn about reaching people long before a crisis and how we can all play a part in supporting people at risk of, or impacted by suicide.”

Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Mental Wellbeing, said: “Losing a loved one to suicide is a tragedy beyond measure and this documentary brings home the devastating impact. It also reminds us that opening up conversations about suicide and encouraging people to seek help can save lives.

“Our work on suicide prevention is informed and guided by those with lived and living experience. I am determined that we learn from Fraser’s tragic death as we continue that work to ensure that anyone with thoughts of suicide or impacted by suicide in any way gets the help they need and feels a sense of hope.”

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

May Edwards, a resident of Peterlee for more than 60 years, marked the milestone on Friday, September 4.

Born May Savage in Horden, she played a vital role during and after the Second World War, working at the miners’ hostel in Horden and supporting Bevin Boys – young men conscripted to work in Britain’s coal mines.

Mrs Edwards said: “I was proud of that job; it was my bit for the war effort.

“It was a paid job and I had a little room to sleep in.

“I was a canteen girl, helping in the kitchen and making tea and coffee for the lads, who were lovely and worked so hard.

“I had wanted to work in the munitions factory in Sheffield, but I wasn’t old enough.

May Edwards. (Image: Believe Housing)

“Looking back, it was for the best.”

She later worked in a drapery shop in Horden, where she met her future husband, Stanley Edwards, who worked at the nearby butcher’s.

The couple married in 1948 and later moved to Peterlee as the new town was being developed.

They raised two children, Alan and Glynis, in the home where Mrs Edwards still lives today.

Now widowed and a grandmother, she remains active with the support of her family.

May Edwards with Kim Corfield and Beverly Goodwin from Believe Housing. (Image: Believe Housing)

Mrs Edwards said: “I have a lovely big family and they come to help me with the jobs I cannot do myself, but I like to keep busy and try to keep active.

“I have a little four-wheeler to whizz around.”

She added: “My garden has always been one of my great pleasures; I still like the borders to look good.

“My family take me for a look out, we go all over.

“I enjoy a garden centre trip and going out for food.

“I’m lucky that way.”

To mark her centenary, neighbourhood officers Kim Corfield and Beverly Goodwin from Believe Housing, of which May is a customer, visited with a birthday card and a hamper.

The Thursday letters page gives its view on the second Nintendo Direct of the week, as one reader falls in love with Onimusha: Way Of The Sword.

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

Mama mia!
Considering it was September I didn’t think that Nintendo Direct was too bad. They never announce anything really big at this time of year, but I was surprised by Metroid Ravenous and the new Kirby game.

I don’t care about Kirby, but Metroid looked really good and hopefully will take away the bad taste of Metroid Prime 4. To be honest, I’m surprised they even made a new game, but I suppose they started years before they realised what a dud Metroid Prime 4 was.

As usual for the Switch 2 generation, the real question is where are all the big names? We’ve had two Kirby games before we’ve had even a hint at a new Mario (I think that’s two Directs in a row where he wasn’t in any game at all) and there’s still no word on Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros., Luigi’s Mansion, or Splatoon 4.

Whether you like these games or not the priorities Nintendo is showing are just absolutely baffling. I can only assume that something has gone wrong with the development of all these games and the ones that are coming out are quicker to make and didn’t have any problems. But it really is weird. It almost feels like Nintendo’s lost the rights to Mario or something. And where is the new IP?!
Xane

Anything but Mario
A-woo-hoo! Super Mario and the world beyond! Ahem, joke, it’s Kirby isn’t it…

You know what? No one can say there wasn’t a lot of incoming titles in that Direct, most of which I probably wouldn’t get.

Back in the N64/GameCube eras, they were my only consoles so I would of bought and traded almost all of these titles and convinced myself that Eternal Darkness, Star Fox Adventures, and Blast Corps were better alternatives to Tomb Raider, Metal Gear, and Resident Evil. But on the flip side I was playing Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, and F-Zero GX; so swings and roundabouts.

Anyway, choice is always a good thing and there was certainly lots of choice packed in there.
big boy bent

All in good time
What surprised me about the Nintendo Direct was the sheer volume of games. It’s almost too many. I’m joking of course.

It seems the Switch 2 is going to become the indie machine. My Switch 1 is already full to the brim with games for my commute and this is pushing me more towards upgrading. This and Zelda: Ocarina Of Time.

Also, it appears, if you don’t mind waiting, then most games are going to end up on here. Maybe even GTA 6. Never say never.
Rob Taylor, Attorney at Brid Law

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

Portable Legend
What a nostalgia bomb the Zelda update was, brought back great core memories as a kid. Running onto Hyrule Field for the first time, it felt unreal. Up there with Super Mario 64 for the sense of awe for the first time.

Tempted me to get a Switch 2 for sure, between being a grown-up and having kids there is just hardly any free time, so I think being able to play on the sofa while kids asleep and the Mrs watches whatever on Netflix is the only way to squeeze all these games in.
Rich

Portable Christmas
I’ve bought my little nephew a 3DS for Christmas, as he’s getting into Pokémon a bit. Would you have a list of must play games on the system? Something for him when he gets bored with Pokemon. He’s seven if it helps.

Thanks for any advice you can offer. It’s a system I’ve never used and Google just gives the same list of Mario, Metroid, etc.
Bobwallett

GC: Well, Super Mario 3D Land and Metroid: Samus Returns are very good but there’s also Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D, Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, Fire Emblem Awakening, Fire Emblem Fates, Luigi’s Mansion 2, Pushmo, Mario Kart 7, Etrian Odyssey 4, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Another great game
I’d never played an Onimusha game before, but thought the recent demo looked interesting, so decided to give it a go. I was also slightly influenced by the excellent work Capcom has done over recent years with the Resident Evil series and Pragmata, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

The demo was impressive and piqued my interest enough to put in a pre-order, leaving me excited to know more about how the mechanics of the game and how the story might develop. Playing the final release has been a real eye-opener. Not only is it graphically stunning, with some of the best character models and animation I’ve ever seen, it offers deep and varied gameplay and the mythology, and gradual opening of the map and widening of the story, have been a joy to experience.

The swordplay is so satisfying, with a strong sense of physical connection, and the more fantastical areas of the map are so full of detail and imagination, it has really been an absolute joy to play. It has become an instant classic, sitting amongst the best games I have ever played. I highly recommend it. Thanks for the great work GC team.
Rob

GC: Thank you.

Autumn harvest
That was a disappointment after yesterday’s Zelda one. The only two games I am really interested in are Metroid Ravenous and Danganronpa 2×2, but both are next year so I try not to think of anything that far off.

Really wish we had had even a hint of a new Mario, although I guess they want to do Zelda first and then reveal it maybe.
Simon

Don’t miss Gaming news! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal GameCentral reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for gaming stories. We have all the latest video games news, reviews, previews, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Advertisement

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Familiar song
Hey Listen! Firstly, that full orchestra montage of Zelda melodies that preceded the Zelda news certainly give me a tingle of excitement and damn near brought a tear to my eyes.

Secondly, Ocarina Of Time reborn looked absolutely phenomenal and a dream come true for myself, that cherished the original growing up. This is exactly how I had hoped it would look in the modern era.

Honestly, though, I was pretty surprised navigating through some of the negative comments out there, attempting to paint some sort of portrait of ruin regarding the new visuals.

It’s like Star Fox 64 remake all over again, particularly the fastidious scrutiny of the character art. But less we forget, there has been a harmony of dissonance in the Zelda fandom’s idea of the ideal artistic direction, ever since The Wind Waker’s whiplashing cartoony aesthetics were unveiled.

Fortunately, many have come to accept that Fox McCloud and co.’s initially polarising new designs actually looked just fine in the finished article, and I believe that’ll be the case here.

For me, new Ocarina Of Time’s art direction is like an amalgamation of organically evolved assets from the N64 original, that Space World 2000 Zelda technical demo, the 2011 Wii U HD Zelda technical demo, and perhaps a hint of some of the more impressive Unreal Engine Zelda interpretations on YouTube; but a thousand times more considered, artistically nuanced, and resplendent.

Sure, I would’ve loved an additional dungeon or two – although such an accommodation technically hasn’t been ruled out yet and I am about as hopelessly idealistic as you can be – but I didn’t set myself up for disappointment because I was fully expecting a virtually 1:1 remake, so anything extra was a wishful bonus.

What Nintendo have delivered, though, looks transformed and more grand courtesy of the quantum leap in visual fidelity. I’d liken the Ocarina Of Time remake style to Resident Evil remake in some ways, which for my money is still the finest remake to date. In that it’s beautiful and extremely faithful to the original, with a healthy dosage of new quality of life features.

Admittedly, Resident Evil remake did also have new mechanics, lore, enemies, and a brand new area, so I don’t know where I’m going here. Just wanted to give Resident Evil remake a shout out I guess.

Visually though, new Ocarina Of Time impressed me almost as much as GTA 6’s proper reveal did, because I just wasn’t prepared for just how stunning it’d be. Which is truly a testament to the talents of Nintendo’s in-house, or out-house (?!), developers.

Watching the footage, the remake is probably how Ocarina Of Time looked like to my 12-year-old mind all those decades ago. It spoke directly to the inner child in me. That sense of wonder and childlike glee it invoked was just magical. Now I await the sand in the phantom hourglass to run its course!
GG

Inbox also-rans
Really liked the look of Metroid Ravenous in the Direct and there were a few other good things too like Fright Night and Onyx: The Dark Grip. Who knows how they’ll turn out but I liked the idea of them.
Taylor Moon

I really wish Onyx: The Dark Grip wasn’t by Bloober Team or I’d really be looking forward to it, because I love the idea of the character becoming aware of you as the player. I hope they pull it off.
Focus

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.

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

MORE: Games Inbox: Did the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake live up to expectations?

MORE: Games Inbox: What will be in the Zelda Direct today?Games Inbox: What will be in the Zelda Direct today?

MORE: Games Inbox: When will GTA 6 be released on PC?