It looks like the PEGI ratings board may have revealed the return of Tales of Eternia ahead of schedule.
A new rating has temporarily appeared on the classification website for “Tales of Eternia Remastered” on the Nintendo Switch.
The publisher is listed as Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, and attached to the listing is a ‘PEGI 12’ rating along with a brief outline of the action role-playing title:
“Role-playing game which follows the story of Reid and his friends, Farah and Keele, as they meet a mysterious girl named Meredy who speaks an unknown language. Their subsequent quest to discover her origins leads them across a dimensional boundary to an entirely different realm known as Celestia.”
Tales of Eternia made its debut on Sony’s PlayStation in the year 2000 and is part of Bandai Namco’s ‘Tales of’ series. Tales of Berseria Remastered was released on the Switch earlier this year in February.
If we get an official update or announcement about this Tales of Eternia Remastered, we’ll let you know.
Have you played this game? Would you be interested in a remastered release? Let us know in the comments.
This ‘S’ version of the title made its debut on the original Nintendo Switch in 2019 and is described as the ultimate edition of the excellent RPG, adding additional character-specific stories, a new orchestral soundtrack and much more.
We awarded this Square Enix game nine out of ten stars, calling it “the gift that keeps on giving”:
“Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is an achievement that Square should be proud of; this is one of the best games they’ve put out in years. A heartwarming, well-paced narrative supported by a cast of fantastic characters, a dense and interesting overworld packed with dozens of hours of content, and one of the finest soundtracks we’ve heard in a JRPG combine to make this an unforgettable modern classic. Whether you’re a newcomer to the JRPG genre or a returning vet, do yourself a favor and buy Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age as soon as you’re able.”
Of course, this is just a rating, so before we get too excited about a Switch 2 version, keep in mind nothing has been officially announced, and a rating doesn’t always guarantee a release.
Would you be interested in revisiting this title on the Switch 2? Have you already played through it on the Switch? Let us know in the comments.
The idea of an indie Metroidvania exploring mental illness has become a bit of a cliche. The past decade has seen successes in the genre like the Hollow Knight and Ori games, as well as titles like Celeste that manifest their main character’s mental journey through their mechanics. Constance owes a lot to every game listed above, but uses those influences to say something profound, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any significant way.
Constance is a game about overstimulation and concentration, following the titular character as she escapes her overwhelming reality in favour of a fantasy realm of her own mind’s creation, manifesting both its charms and its horrors. Every now and again, we get a peek into Constance’s true reality, memories of her struggling to make deadlines at work, ignoring her loved ones and cracking under the pressure of day-to-day life.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
However, Constance takes a while to get the phlegm out of its throat before it gets to interrogate those themes and feel like its own game. The first hour left me apprehensive. As much as I was completely enchanted by the iridescent 2D hand-drawn art style and Constance’s smooth, swooshing animations, I couldn’t help but be reminded of other games in the genre, particularly of Hollow Knight.
I don’t mean to sound like a ‘guy who’s only seen Boss Baby‘, but there are assets like levers and elevators that look almost exactly like Team Cherry’s interpretations, and a lot of players might take a while for those comparisons to fully leave their heads, especially when using moves like dashes and wall jumps.
But the more I played, the more I found Constance’s unique charm – the game is making you focus. In some platformers and Metroidvanias, clearing a difficult section once usually means you can run back through it without much issue. Developer Blue Backpack refuses to let you have that luxury. If you take an enemy, a platforming section or a puzzle for granted, you will be punished.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
This design philosophy fits into the game’s themes excellently. The opening moments of Constance put me in the main character’s shoes, watching her computer screen explode with emails and messages, causing her to fall into this fantasy realm. If the game is her escape from reality, it makes sense that it’s a space where she only needs to focus on one thing. The idea of balancing work, relationships, food, sleep, and fun is overwhelming for a lot of us, but this is a game that requires you to concentrate. No podcasts playing in the background of this one, Constance demands your attention.
The overall gameplay is lacking any kind of reinvention or departure from what Metroidvania fans will be used to, but those familiar ideas are executed so well that it’s difficult to not have fun. Constance’s main weapon is a paintbrush, linking to her real-life job as an artist but also allowing for the game’s most satisfying animations.
Dashing on the ground means slinking into a puddle of purple paint in a Splatoon-like squelch, with a similar effect in play when melding into walls to wall jump. As well as a health bar, the top left of the screen is adorned with a paint-meter, which determines how much of these special abilities she can use before the colour is drained from both her hair and her brush.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
In this state, using any paint abilities causes you to lose HP. I found this to be a wonderful limitation, something that was always in the back of my head during intense boss fights. Some enemies require the Paint Stab to defeat them, but that move also replenishes health when it lands. This caused me to be more tactical when I decide to avoid attacks and refill my meter and when I decide to go in for the kill.
The bosses themselves range from repetitive to glorious. Some, like the Astral Academy area’s High Patia, don’t use the area’s deeply satisfying Aerial Boost power-up in many interesting ways, but are visually stunning enough to make up for it. On the other hand, Cornelis forces you to use the Plunge ability, a harsh downwards strike, in such creative ways. For the most part, the bosses feel a bit too repetitive and lacking more than one dimension. It would have been great to see them exist in more phases rather than offer up the same challenge.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
Another essential part of any Metroidvania, and one of Constance’s key strengths, is its atmosphere. It has a lovely blend of that classic Metroid isolation with the feeling that this world is populated by enough people for it to feel alive. Each area feels truly distinct from one another, the standout being Chaotic Carnival, whose deep orange backgrounds and circus-inspired soundtrack make for a memorable trek. Adding to its uniqueness is the area’s structure, being one long boss rush.
The design of key elements like Shrines, where you go to save and replenish health, also make Constance stand out. When saving, we see the character meditate and float into the air, fitting nicely into the idea of this world being an escape. The world is populated by machines both friendly and antagonistic, a subtle way to express technology as a key factor in our overstimulation, but also an indispensable tool.
The only reprieves from the intensity of the gameplay are death screens, where you’re fittingly met with the phrase “lost in thought,” and those flashbacks to Constance’s real life. A lot of these take on the form of low-stakes minigames that could revolve around designing a logo or a violin rhythm game. These are a great way to uphold the themes of the game without it feeling too punishing.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
I mostly played Constance on Switch 2 and had a lovely, smooth experience in both handheld and docked modes. The Switch 2’s screen dovetails beautifully with the strength of the game’s colour palette. There are also Performance and Quality modes for Switch 2 users, which I found to be a bit unnecessary as in Balanced mode the game looks great and runs nicely.
As this is technically a Switch 1 game, I also tested it on that system and found the performance equally as good, even if the splendour of the screen is lacking slightly.
Conclusion
Constance is an example of one of the hardest things in gaming. To take ideas established four decades ago and use them to say something different and interesting is a wonderful feat worth celebrating. Constance has something to say, and it says it well. There are flaws in the moment-to-moment gameplay, such as its bosses and a few tedious platforming sections, and it’s not something that’s going to completely rock the Metroidvania space, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a much-needed reminder of the joys of concentration and an antidote to an overstimulating world.
This is an easy recommendation to any Metroidvania fans who want something familiar to spend 10 hours on. Those a bit more wary of the genre might find themselves less enchanted, but Constance is absolutely worth playing for its visuals and ideas alone.
Brace Yourself Games is celebrating Crypt of the NecroDancer‘s 11-year anniversary in 2026, and to mark the occasion, the studio has released a new crossover DLC pack for us all to dig into.
Yep, as if the headline and lead image weren’t enough of a giveaway, Mr. Indie himself, Shovel Knight, is joining the rhythm action game as a new playable character. We actually heard about this one towards the end of last year, but surprise! The DLC is now available on the eShop for a mere £1.69 / $1.99, and it looks like a match made in heaven.
In new Crypt form, Shovel Knight can use his iconic ‘drop’ move to bounce to the beat between enemies and spring off walls to keep the rhythm going, all accompanied by a boatload of Jake Kaufman’s original SK tunes.
Here’s a brief rundown of the DLC’s key features and a handful of screenshots so you can see it in action:
– Play as Shovel Knight — attack with Shovel Knight’s signature Shovel Drop move, leaping from enemy to enemy and even walls – Move in all 8 directions – No need for weapons: use stronger shovels to boost your power – Create shortcuts to deeper floors by building Shovel Drop combos – Dig up Treasure Piles for glorious loot
Today, 29th April 2026, is Yoshiaki Koizumi 58th birthday.
Currently the Senior General Manager at Nintendo EPD, and a Senior Executive Officer at the company, Koizumi-san is a long-time legend, having been with the company for 35 years (via Stealth40k)
He joined Nintendo in April 1991 and cut his teeth on the manual for a little game known as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, where he came up with the idea of the three goddesses and the game’s backstory. he went one step further with Link’s Awakening, creating the bulk of the story alongside Kensuke Tanabe.
Working as assistant on Super Mario 64 and Wind Waker around the same time, his first game as lead director was Super Mario Sunshine, followed by Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, a bit of an NL fave.
But perhaps most famously, Koizumi directed Super Mario Galaxy, and is responsible for sneaking in more story elements to the main game. Since then, Koizumi has largely been a producer and supervisor on many Nintendo titles, most of which fall under Mario’s banner, including Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario Odyssey.
One of our favourite videos after Odyssey’s release is this Guessing Game, which Koizumi took part in alongside Breath of the Wild and Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma.
Having held various positions at the company, he was Deputy General Manager at Nintendo EPD from 2015 to 2023, when he then became Senior General Manager, under fellow Nintendo Direct host Shinya Takahashi.
So, to say Koizumi is one of the most-influential people at Nintendo is an understatement. And to think, he played his very first video game at 21 years old: Super Mario Bros. 2. You can see a comprehensive list of all of his credits at Moby Games.
Happy birthday to Yoshiaki Koizumi! Here’s to many more fruitful and happy years.
Released on other platforms in November 2025, Total Chaos is an intriguing first-person survival horror in which you explore the mysterious island of Fort Oasis. Once a bustling community of industry, it’s since fallen into ruin, and it’s your job to explore the environment, piece together fragments of the past, and ultimately survive against the encroaching horror.
Born via a Doom II conversion mod from developer Trigger Happy Interactive, Total Chaos is a slow burn that encourages you to scour the environment for items, weapons, and notes. Emphasis is on survival, and you’ll need to not only keep your health full, but also make sure you’re eating to stave off hunger. Thankfully, you have a pretty hefty inventory, so it’s worthwhile just grabbing whatever you see lying around.
Throughout the environment are crafting benches, and here you can combine certain objects to make weapons or recovery items. They show up quite frequently, as do the manual save stations, so you’ll rarely find yourself lacking essential resources or having to reload to a much earlier save.
Though it’s a slow-paced experience, you’ll quickly come across waves of enemies on the island. Combat is fast and responsive, though there’s a jankiness that could do with ironing out. Swinging melee weapons or using ‘A’ to dodge will quickly deplete your stamina, so you’ll need to be strategic in how you approach each encounter.
What’s nice is an abundance of options when it comes to tackling the main game. You can adjust your inventory space to give yourself a little boost, or begin in ‘Tourist Mode’, which allows you to disable mechanics like weapon durability, hunger, and bleeding. Chapter select is also an option, but you’ll need to make sure you complete each at least once to unlock them.
There’s a lot here that directly speaks to me as a horror fan, and I wish I could say that I loved my time with Total Chaos, but unfortunately the visuals and performance severely dampen the experience. This is a Switch 2 title, but it feels like it was built for Switch 1. Visually, it looks muddy and lacks essential detail, especially in the outdoor environments. Some of the lighting effects are nice, but the overall brightness is way too low. You can crank it up in the settings, but then you completely lose the sense of atmosphere. Sophie’s choice.
Then you have the frame rate. Oh boy… You can choose between quality and performance modes, but neither feels particularly great. At a push, quality mode probably offers a bit more stability, but it still judders. Performance mode, meanwhile, hits that 60fps sweet spot on rare occasions, but you’ll find it struggles to keep up no matter what environment you’re exploring.
With a patch or two, this one could be worth investigating, but for now, maybe stick to other platforms.
We’re baffled that, somehow, Nintendo hasn’t given us a proper Zelda dungeon maker. No, the Chamber Dungeon in Link’s Awakening on Switch doesn’t quite scratch the itch. So thank goodness for indie developers, huh?
Temple Maker 64 (spotted via Dexerto) is looking to fill that gap with a specific chunky N64 flair. Developed by Ki3 Games, a one-man studio with a passion for Zelda and developing 3D Zelda-likes, it’s currently slated for release on Steam, but we had to report on this, because look at it; it’s basically an Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask dungeon maker.
Using an intuitive 3D map editor, players can create their own devilish dungeons and then share them online for others to play.
You place down traps, monsters, and all sorts of objects where you please. And you can even include various sub-weapons — classics such as bows and bombs, but also more-unique items.
If you’re not the creative type, however, you can just try out other people’s creations, too. Looking at the way the main character moves, it looks like Ki3 has really nailed the N64 feel, not just the chunky look.
Ki3 has been running a playtest for the game over the past few weeks, and some creators are already going all-in on creating both realisting Zelda-like dungeons or crazy challenge maps:
The developer has been working on the game for about a year and a half now, but they’re also working on another 3D Zelda-like in Seed of Life. This game takes a more traditional route — except, you’re a wolf accompanied by a bird and not a boy who can transform into a wolf.
There’s no release date for Temple Maker 64 yet, and so far, it looks to only be coming to Steam. Perhaps we can pray for a Switch (2) version in the future?
We wish Ki3 the best of luck on the game — it looks fantastic so far!
What do you think of Temple Maker 64? Want to see it on Switch? Let us know in the comments.
A popular Pokémon YouTube channel called ‘PokéNational Geographic’ is no more after a series of copyright strikes from Nintendo.
Channel creator Elious delivered the new himself (thanks, Kotaku), confirming in a video posted on 26th April that he has 7 days before the channel is gone for good. This is in accordance with YouTube’s three-strike policy, which was quickly enacted after Nintendo of America sent four separate copyright notices across a total of 20 videos.
The videos, which were animated takes on David Attenborough nature documentaries, are alleged to inappropriately contain “content used in Pokémon video games including audiovisual works, characters, and imagery”. He claims that the only content directly pulled from were “tiny sprite roars”, while noting that other content on YouTube, including some generated via AI, have not been targeted.
Ultimately, Elious expressed willingness to comply with the copyright strikes, stating “I can’t fight this”. However, he’s understandably unset over the loss of the channel’s 100K+ subscribers, while a Patreon page launched to support his work now “under review”.
He’s also stated that he will continue to create animations for his alternative channel (which you can visit via the video above), but these understandably won’t be related to Pokémon in any way.
What do you make of all of this? Was Nintendo right to target Elious’ channel? Let us know with a comment.
As we get closer to June, Square Enix is gearing up for the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on the Switch 2.
Previews, which were limited to handheld mode, have now gone live alongside the demo release. Here are our first impressions:
“The Remake trilogy remains in safe hands on the hybrid console, and as long as those larger areas hold up, it should still be a perfectly pleasant way to experience the trio for the first time. Like Remake, there are some cutbacks here, but nothing remotely drastic enough to affect the overall experience. Let’s just hope that the open world doesn’t prove too taxing in the long run.”
And here’s what other sites had to say about this upcoming release:
RPGFan: “I didn’t get too much time with the Switch 2 version of Rebirth, but playing in handheld mode showed me that it is truly enjoyable in this iteration. I played the first section in Kalm and noticed a few things about the Switch 2 version of the game. First off, the frame rate was steady in handheld mode, both in and out of combat. I didn’t notice any dips. If I had to guess, it was running at a steady 30 FPS, at least. Load times were quick and snappy for cutscenes and when initiating Queen’s Blood with the opponents around the town. It looked great as well, probably on par with how Final Fantasy Remake looked on the PlayStation 4, and in docked mode, I can only assume it looks better with the higher resolution. Overall, the game plays great on the Switch 2.”
Temple of Geek: “After spending about 30 to 45 minutes with the game in handheld mode, the clearest takeaway is this: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth works on Switch 2. That does not mean it is the most visually impressive version of the game. During my hands-on time, I noticed some texture pop-in, especially in denser environments. Some areas looked like they were clearly making concessions for the hardware. However, the more important part is that the game felt playable where it needed to. Combat was smooth, inputs felt responsive, and the open-areas I played maintained the core rhythm of Rebirth’s exploration and action.”
But Why Tho?: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth runs very smoothly on Switch 2, but it doesn’t always look its absolute best. Again, my time in the game was spent with handheld mode, where the very occasional texture looked a little rough, but the most glaring issue was with hair, which often took on a fuzzy look. This has been explained in the past as an issue attributed to the Switch 2’s handheld resolution and the game’s temporal anti-aliasing. It’s honestly nothing that should detract from the experience, but it’s definitely worth knowing about going in.”
Indy100: “When it runs as it should, the game looks great, performance is largely stable and it’s genuinely mightily impressive a game of this size and scope runs on the console at all. I have experienced more hiccups playing this early build for 30 minutes than I did in the whole time I’ve played Remake on the console and I’ll reserve full judgment until playing the more expansive open world sections as well as the more dense areas of Kalm.But if Square Enix can iron out those kinks and polish Rebirth‘s Switch 2 port, then it has the potential to overtake Remake as the console’s best port yet.”
RPG Site: “Switch 2 actually holds up rather well. I did notice some slight hitching in towns, but the game feels like it mostly hits that 30 FPS target where it counts. Crucially, the game’s input latency is practically negligible despite its 30 FPS target… In terms of visuals, thigs are similar. The game of course is using DLSS to output to a higher resolution, and the game unsurprisingly doesn’t look quite as sharp as Remake on Switch 2 – but it still holds up remarkably well in handheld mode compared to PC gaming handhelds.”
Have you tried out this demo? Will you be getting the full game when it arrives on Switch 2 this June? Tell us in the comments.
The catch is they’re not actually proper physical releases. In fact, they’re not even being distributed as game-key cards.
Instead, you can expect a “code-in-box” release, with the box art on each case noting how a game card is “not included” and a full game download is required. So it’s a display case at best! Here’s the official reminder from Bethesda:
Bethesda Studios: “The Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 in a physical code-in-box edition. Available now!”
Image: Bethesda
If you already own the Nintendo eShop versions of these titles, you’re not really missing out on anything here.
Since these games arrived on the Switch 2, Bethesda has released some updates. This includes a 60Hz mode for Skyrim, and more recently, DLSS support was added to Fallout 4.
