The winning team selected for the estimated £120,000 contract will carry out a condition survey, feasibility study and design reports exploring options to renew and enhance the West Hill Lift which connects George Street in Hastings Old Town to Hastings Castle. The project aims to improve accessibility and preserve heritage of the 1891 funicular railway and the approaches to its upper and lower stations. The search for a design team comes five months after Poroban won a competition for a new visitor centre at Hastings Castle. According to the brief: ‘The Grade II-listed West Hill lift is a tourist and heritage attraction, and transportation link. It is a Victorian funicular railway that is tunnelled into the cliff face. It provides transportation from Hastings Old Town to the top of West Hill, where Ladies' Parlour and Hastings Castle are located.Advertisement ‘A key objective of this project is to produce a comprehensive assessment of the current condition and long-term maintenance requirements of the lift, tunnel, stations, carriages and surrounding area including the steps and approaches to the steps. This project will provide crucial insight into the condition of the asset and produce feasibility reports and designs which can be utilised to progress to the next phase, and aid in applying for funding to undertake the capital works.’ Hastings is a south coast resort town located around 85km from London. Local landmarks include HAT Projects’ Jerwood Gallery, the waterfront Stade open space by Tim Ronalds Architects and dRMM’s redevelopment of Hastings Pier, which won the 2017 Stirling Prize but changed owner within 12 months. The latest procurement comes shortly after IF_DO created a new community hub for Hastings. Holy Trinity Hastings launched a search for a design team for a £2.14 million overhaul one year ago. Bids for the latest commission will be evaluated 80 per cent on quality and 20 per cent on price. Applicants must hold employer’s liability insurance of £10 million, public liability insurance of £10 million and professional indemnity insurance of £2 million. Competition details Project title ESPH AB HBC West Hill Lift Feasibility Study (ESPH687 JB) Client Contract value Tbc First round deadline 2pm, 7 May 2025 Restrictions Tbc More information https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014403-2025

Surveys show that Black, Hispanic and Native Americans are significantly less likely than their white counterparts to have a home internet connection and computer.

April 14, 20255 min readPhysicists Are Closer Than Ever to Solving the Puzzle of the Ghostly Neutrino’s MassIn just the first 259 days of data collection, KATRIN, a beta-decay-based detector in Germany, has set the smallest upper limit yet on the mass of the neutrino—the universe’s lightest massive particleBy Gayoung Lee edited by Lee BillingsLaser Raman system for the analysis of the tritium gas composition in the WGTS. Tritium Laboratory, KITThe neutrino is a notorious troublemaker in the world of particle physics. This tiny, elusive particle with no electric charge likely permeates every corner of the universe, but you’d be hard-pressed to know that without extremely specialized instruments. Trillions pass through you every second, in fact, all without interacting with a single atom of your body. That is but one of the reasons why, for something so supposedly abundant and fundamental, we know painfully little about the neutrino—not even something so basic as its mass.But neutrino physics might be on the verge of an experimental breakthrough: physicists with the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment in Germany have succeeded in measuring the upper limit of the neutrino’s mass to a mere 0.45 electron volts (eV), which is less than one millionth of the mass of an electron. These results, published last week in Science, represent just a fraction of KATRIN’s investigations; about three quarters of the detector’s planned data haul from its ongoing 1,000-day campaign remains to be analyzed and revealed.Another reason for excitement is that KATRIN has achieved a twofold increase in sensitivity from just last year, when some researchers raised questions as to whether the experiment would even be able to make progress on physicists’ decades-long quest to gauge the neutrino’s mass. And the KATRIN team intends to push the detector even further, says Alexey Lokhov, a co-author of the new study and an experimental physicist at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. By the conclusion of KATRIN’s campaign, he says, the detector’s sensitivity is targeted for a lower-end neutrino mass of 0.3 eV, another significant boost.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.With their eyes on that prize, for this particular round of data analysis, Lokhov and his colleagues, including co-author Christoph Wiesinger, performed several technical overhauls to significantly improve the instrument’s capabilities. “By the end of this year, we’ll have this new, really big chunk of data to look at,” says Wiesinger, a physicist at Technical University of Munich, Germany. “Now KATRIN is in a more stable, near-final configuration, [so] I’m very confident we’ll manage this [sensitivity boost] in upcoming years.”The main spectrometer of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The cylindrical giant tank weighs 200 tons, with a length of 24 meters, a diameter of 10 meters and an inner surface of 800 square meters.ULI DECK/dpa/AFP via Getty ImagesThe KATRIN experiment began operations in 2019. It seeks to constrain the neutrino’s mass by looking at the energy spectrum of electrons and electron antineutrinos emitted by decaying tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. As detailed in the new paper, during the experiment’s first 259 days, KATRIN performed energy measurements of about 36 million electrons. From the energy spectrum of these electrons, physicists were able to infer the mass of the neutrino by identifying what would appear to be a “distortion” in the energy spectrum of electrons, Lokhov explains. “The trick is that to produce a neutrino in this decay process, one needs to at least produce a mass that a small, nonzero mass [that] would influence how much energy [would be] left for the electrons.” And that “leftover” energy, he says, would hint at the presence of something else—the neutrino—present in the decay process.To be clear, KATRIN still hasn’t locked in on an absolute value for neutrino mass—nor is it supposed to. But that may be more the product of the neutrino’s innate weirdness rather than any representation of KATRIN’s shortcomings. The neutrino’s mass is particularly elusive quarry because it stubbornly refuses to abide by the tenets of the Standard Model of particle physics. Famously, almost all of this theory’s predictions have been experimentally confirmed, yet some of its forecasts for the neutrino have notoriously fallen flat. The model predicts that neutrinos should be completely massless, but this was ultimately refuted by a Nobel-winning experiment that showed neutrinos not only have mass but also, for whatever reason, change mass by oscillating between three different neutrino varieties, or “flavors.”“You know, when everything is settled and we are all happy, [neutrinos] are like that one person in the room saying, no, not quite,” muses Carlos Argüelles Delgado, a physicist at Harvard University, who is unaffiliated with KATRIN.But the neutrino’s troublesome nature is precisely why physicists are so enamored with it; the tiny particle, theorists say, must be a rebel with a cause, with some deeper and more fundamental explanation for its quirks that could open vast new realms of physics beyond the Standard Model’s increasingly bland confines. And results like KATRIN’s are part of a steady flow of theoretical and experimental advances bringing us incrementally closer to those long-awaited breakthroughs.“There’s a tricky business here because the neutrinos are superpositions of mass states—they have three—and what [KATRIN] shows is that this mass combination can be no larger than 0.45 eV,” Argüelles Delgado says. Now, with the experiment’s lengthy campaign set to conclude by the end of this year, the clock is ticking towards a final countdown. Time is running out to further boost its sensitivity and tighten its snare around this slippery subatomic subversive. “If the true mass of the neutrinos is within the sensitivity range of KATRIN, then KATRIN should be able to measure it,” explains Georgia Karagiorgi, a particle physicist at Columbia University, who is not part of the research team.That said, KATRIN is probably going to be the last of its kind, Argüelles Delgado says, noting the diminishing returns associated with scaling up such experiments. Major investments to make bigger, longer-running experiments risk only delivering marginal advances—which is all the more reason why KATRIN’s sunk costs and ongoing success now call for urgency. “Given KATRIN’s projections, it’s clear that additional data will help get it to [the researchers’] target sensitivity, so they absolutely need to run it now,” Karagiorgi says.If or when KATRIN achieves its intended higher sensitivity, this particular experiment will end—but the hope is that future instruments will be able to continue its mission by taking heed of what physicists have learned from KATRIN. Despite its end, the data will be a treasure trove that physicists will mine for discoveries for many years to come. After all, the greater quest to measure the neutrino’s mass is unquestionably a marathon.“Neutrinos are so elusive that, well, you need either these big detectors or very, very sophisticated technologies,” Wiesinger says. “But even though that the [neutrino’s] mass is so small, we expect today that just by there being so many [of them], they have a large influence on the cosmos—how structures are forming and how they evolve.”It’s fascinating to realize that such an infinitesimal and rebellious particle can have such profound effects on both subatomic and cosmic scales—and that it can be robustly studied in earthbound laboratories at all.“Neutrinos are one-of-a-kind portals to new discoveries in physics—they were always like this from the beginning, when they were first postulated,” Lokhov says. “And even now, they’re still bringing some new, exciting discoveries that [further] our understanding of nature.”

Metroid Prime 4 is the best example of Switch 2's varied control capabilities, but you might want to work on your thighs I'm not convinced by the mouse. Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer Feature by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on April 14, 2025 I distinctly remember the outcry when Metroid Prime was first revealed on the GameCube. "Metroid isn't a first-person shooter!" the people cried, comparing it to Xbox's Halo that released a year prior. Metroid Prime was a first-person adventure. It didn't need twin-stick controls. It had a lock-on instead! Over time, though, the Prime series has moved closer into first-person shooter territory as its controls have evolved. Metroid Prime 3 used the Wii's motion controls to have players aiming directly at the screen, in a move meant to provide the precision of PC mouse controls but were actually a bit fiddly. This was replicated in the console's re-release of the complete trilogy. Then, with Metroid Prime Remastered, twin-stick controls were properly implemented and proved to be the smoothest method of play after all. (Let's just ignore Metroid: Other M and it's dreadful Wiimote aiming) Now we have Metroid Prime 4 on the way to Switch 2, yet another game in the series with experimental controls. For this one, Nintendo has implemented mouse capability. Flipping the Joy-Con 2 on its side and placing it down on a surface allows players to use it like a mouse, moving the on-screen cursor to aim and shoot directly just like on PC. It's one of the few areas of innovation with the new console and it would appear Metroid Prime 4 is a key example to show it off. I got to try it out for myself at Nintendo's Switch 2 event in London, but I'm not yet convinced it's the best way to play. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – Nintendo Treehouse: Live | Nintendo Switch 2Watch on YouTube In terms of pure shooting, mouse controls do offer a welcome level of speed and accuracy not yet seen in a Metroid game. Of course, this isn't a game for popping off head shots, but turning and shooting does feel fast and smooth, especially in 120fps performance mode. And it feels like the game has been built for this kind of aiming. You can still lock-on to enemies with the left trigger, but then use mouse controls to delicately refine the aiming. The boss at the end of the demo - a hulking, tank-like space pirate that unleashes shockwaves with a stomp - has players locking on to its body, but then aiming at specific weak points away from the centre. Those points aren't always vulnerable, meaning careful shots are required. Likewise, there are doors that require four locks to be shot while locked on - similar to past games, but clearly designed around these controls. At the very least, this setup proves Switch 2 is capable of near-PC levels of accuracy in FPS games…to a degree. Shooting isn't the issue, though, despite this short demo being particularly action-focused. Samus can jump around enemies and, while locked-on, double jump to dodge. This is awkward, though, with the Joy-Con 2 in mouse mode as jump remains on the B button and requires a sort of claw hand to hit with your thumb. Likewise, the morph ball (used in the boss fight to dodge energy waves) is on the Y button and is awkward to reach, while scanning enemies mid-battle is done with X while locked-on. One solution is to place the left Joy-Con 2 down too, and then use the L button to jump instead; in turn, this makes locking-on tricky on ZL. In time this could all prove fine, but initially it's not an ideal setup - easy button presses are a payoff for clean aiming as the mouse controls stretch the boundaries of the game's adventure roots. The other issue with mouse controls - and this goes for all Switch 2 games that use them - is thigh-usage (stick with me here). Nintendo's Switch 2 event had players sitting at desks using mouse controls on a mouse pad. This worked fine, but realistically I'm not going to be playing Switch 2 at a desk, I'll be sitting comfortably on my sofa. As such, I played Metroid Prime 4 with each Joy-Con 2 placed on my thighs. This worked surprisingly well, with the controls still responsive despite being on an uneven surface. Nintendo told me the sensitivity can be tweaked too, allowing for smaller movements. Still, how usable this method is will likely depend on the size of your thighs: if you don't have enough real estate to move the controller around, you'll be moving based on quick adjustments rather than smooth, sweeping motions. Shoot the weak points on the boss with careful aiming | Image credit: Nintendo I also tested the mouse controls this way playing Mario Party Jamboree's new minigames. These aren't the most exciting of minigames and are instead another way of Nintendo showing off the mouse capabilities: we sorted letters into folders, played air hockey, and steered characters round an electric maze, for instance. Mouse controls were totally fine, but again thigh use proved cumbersome - with the hectic nature of the game, reliable controls are a necessity. Table play was definitely preferable. Then there's Drag x Drive, Nintendo's wheelchair basketball game that's essentially yet another spruced up tech demo. I love that this game exists as a sort of curio in the launch lineup, and the motion of steering a wheelchair does make sense with twin mouse controls using both Joy-Con 2. I also appreciated the use of rumble to mimic the feel of the wheels turning. Yet accurately moving and steering proves tricky, and considering this is meant to be a team sport, unless you're facing the right way you often miss the action - there's no option to turn the camera (your player's head) while awaiting a pass from behind. The game is a fun idea that fails in practice, while rapidly rubbing my thighs with two Joy-Con 2 under the table probably drew the wrong sort of attention. Thankfully for Metroid Prime 4, there are alternative control options. Holding both separated Joy-Con 2 in a regular manner reverts to traditional twin-stick controls, while placing the right-hand side down instantly switches to mouse aiming and back again, so it's perfectly possible to seamlessly alternate based on the situation. Maybe a tense combat sequence or boss demands the precision of mouse controls, while exploration is more laidback. Further, aiming with ZL while holding the Joy-Con 2 traditionally allows for pointer aiming using motion controls, much like Metroid Prime 3, again allowing for improved accuracy. This, from the game's trailer, is the Metroid I'm looking forward to playing | Image credit: Nintendo There's another option: the pro controller. I wasn't able to try this at the event, but considering it won't have pointer or mouse functionality, this will presumably offer the more familiar twin-stick controls from Metroid Prime Remastered. In all honesty, this is most likely to be my preferred playstyle - it's not only what I'm already used to, it will allow me to sit back comfortably on the sofa to play with ease, rather than hunched over the coffee table or stroking my legs. Of course, this is how handheld mode will function too - though Metroid Prime 4 deserves to be seen on a big screen. What's more, Nintendo hasn't clarified which control methods will be available with the game's release on the original Switch. Mouse controls won't be an option, but perhaps pointer controls will be? In all, Metroid Prime 4 does wonderfully exemplify the varied control options Switch 2 provides. I just hope the changes in control style aren't a sign the series is losing its adventure roots. The demo was presumably from the start of the game to offer an action-packed opening, as Samus joins Federation soldiers in battle against space pirates in the air and on the ground. It certainly looks beautiful - the lighting and reflective textures of Samus' Varia Suit look gorgeous - but it feels closer than ever to that Halo comparison fans feared over two decades ago. I yearn to explore a hostile alien planet in total isolation, solving morph ball puzzles, and soaking in the strange atmosphere Metroid games are known for. Mouse controls certainly aren't necessary for that.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here The bulky-but-powerful Steam Deck competitor MSI Claw is reportedly abandoning its Intel SoC for AMD in a new 2025 refresh. Following the majority of handheld PCs, an upcoming refresh of the handheld will no longer be powered by the beefy Intel chips the handheld is known for. According to Igor’s Lab, MSI is considering a switch to the AMD Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme APU for its next-generation MSI Claw handheld. The current incarnation of the handheld—the MSI Claw 8 AI—uses an Intel Core 7 258V and offers some great performance, but the new AMD chips could prove even better. MSI Claw AMD could be one powerhouse handheld Via the report, unofficial benchmarks of the Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme at a 17 watt TDP offers around 20% better performance compared to the ASUS ROG Ally X. As the current king of handheld PC power, this means that the new Claw would be a substantial upgrade, especially as the APU could be set to a massive 35 watts should users want that extra power. With Valve opening up SteamOS for other handhelds, the new MSI Claw could even launch with a SteamOS variant, offering up even more performance. While it would trade-off compatibility with some titles, performance has often been proven to be slightly better for games via Proton than natively running through Windows. As potentially the most powerful PC handheld on the market, we’re only set to wonder what Valve’s eventual Steam Deck 2 will look like. As the company has shut down the prospect of constant revisions, it’s going to be years until we see an official Steam Deck follow-up, this time in a very stacked market. Additionally, Xbox is also entering the handheld market with its own bespoke PC portable. While the Steam Deck is still, by far, the most convenient handheld, it’s also placed in a much busier market than ever before. Related Topics MSI Claw Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

“The number of people who are now renters in our country has skyrocketed,” says Faizah Malik, an LA-based attorney and tenant rights advocate who has worked on housing issues for almost 15 years. She’s currently the managing attorney of Public Counsel’s housing justice initiatives. “We are now a nation of renters, and over time I have seen rents become more and more unaffordable for people.” In fact, a recent report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that half of all renters in the US spend over 30% of their income on rent and utilities, which is more than at any other time in history.With more people spending a greater share of their earnings on rent, it’s essential to understand a tenant’s rights. “It’s really important for renters to get empowered and educated about what their rights are—and not be afraid to assert them,” Malik says. With the help of Malik as well as real estate attorneys in Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas, we’ve rounded up eight lesser-known rules that can help protect renters.1. Application fees can’t be excessiveHere’s one that will benefit anybody who knows the financial sting of applying to multiple apartments at the same time. “[Many] states have different laws about maximum screening fees,” Malik says, which means a landlord can’t arbitrarily charge an exorbitant amount for an apartment application. In California, for example, the maximum fee allowed is $62.02. In New York, it’s $20, though that has to be waived if the applicant provides a copy of a background check or credit check conducted within the past 30 days. And in various states—including Colorado, Maine, and Nevada—the fee can’t exceed the actual cost of the screening. “Tenants should be sure to consult the applicable rules in their state,” Malik advises.Rental laws vary by state, so it’s always important to check local regulations. Photo: Getty Images2. Landlords aren’t allowed to swing by unannounced“This comes down to the tenant’s right to privacy,” Malik says, “and it’s especially important right now with the political climate surrounding immigrants in the US. It means that landlords can’t enter a home without providing notice.” Malik says a 24-hour notice is typically required, though there are some exceptions for emergencies, such as a burst pipe or gas leak. The notice should be written and provide the date, time, and reason for the visit.3. Tenants may be able to withhold rent if a landlord doesn’t make repairs“People have a right to habitable housing, which means the landlord has to maintain good livable conditions,” Malik says. “Tenants should not be afraid to ask for repairs. And in California, they can withhold rent if the landlord doesn’t make repairs in a reasonable amount of time.”Before you stop paying rent because you don’t like the paint color in your kitchen, it’s important to know what type of repairs this applies to. Malik says it comes down to a repair that would affect the health and safety of the tenant, such as anything having to do with plumbing, heating, and maintaining a pest-free environment. And as for what a “reasonable amount of time” means, Malik says it depends on the circumstances. “In some cases they need to move ASAP, while other repairs are seen as less urgent.” She adds that a reasonableness requirement is often interpreted as 30 days.

Tesla (TSLA) is back in the spotlight after Swedish billionaire and hedge fund manager Christer Gardell issued a dramatic warning, predicting the stock could collapse by 95%. Speaking to EFN, Gardell criticized Tesla’s current valuation as “incomprehensible,” citing weakening demand, ongoing controversies surrounding Elon Musk, and production woes with the Cybertruck as major red flags. While he didn’t specify a timeline of a potential crash, Gardell cautioned that it’s inevitable and could be severe. Notably, Christer Gardell is the founder of Cevian Capital, one of Europe’s largest and most influential activist hedge funds. Gardell Flags Tesla’s Sky-High Valuation Tesla’s market capitalization currently sits in the hundreds of billions, but Gardell argues that this valuation is detached from the company’s core fundamentals. Gardell further stated that Tesla is probably the most overvalued stock on global markets, particularly given the ongoing political drama and backlash surrounding Musk. Furthermore, Gardell stressed that, fundamentally, Tesla remains an automaker, despite its expansion into robotics and AI. Therefore, compared to its auto industry peers, its stock is vastly overvalued. According to Companies Market Cap, Tesla’s valuation is more than three times that of major automakers like Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VWAPY). However, Tesla’s recent sales trends underperformed, showing declines across all major markets. Gardell also highlighted the poor performance of Tesla’s Cybertrucks. While Musk initially projected annual sales of 500,000 units, current figures indicate the model has not reached 10% of that target. To drive sales, Tesla has had to revise its financing options and offer more competitive interest rates to attract buyers. Is Tesla Stock a Buy Now? On Wall Street, analysts have maintained a neutral stance on Tesla stock. According to TipRanks, TSLA stock has received a Hold consensus rating, with 16 Buys, 11 Holds, and 11 Sells assigned in the last three months. The average price target for Tesla shares is $305.93, suggesting a potential upside of 21.3% from the current level. Year-to-date, TSLA stock has plunged over 37%. See more TSLA analyst ratings Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue

While players are still hoping for a big content update soon, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has been busy making some tweaks to the game as the Meridian death ball situation in the Galactic War has reached what could be its conclusion. Read more

Customization possibilities Save time with automatic vehicle material generation and enjoy customization possibilities with extensive color editing options. New UI and improved 3D viewport Explore the modern and user-friendly interface that introduces an optimized graphics engine for superior computational performance—ideal for handling large-scale simulations.  New 4D people Browse the expanded Anima character library and enjoy a greater choice of 4D people to use in your scenes. Featuring a wide range of ethnicities and outfits, the collection now exceeds 4,000 assets—and with new additions every month, you can look forward to even more variety in the future.  

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Love and miracles. These are two words that get thrown around a lot when talking about video games, particularly our childhood favourites. But with the Lunar Remastered Collection, these are two words that feel more than appropriate. A combination of rights disagreements between co-developers Studio Alex and Game Arts and the passing of Game Arts co-founder Takeshi Miyaji in 2011 meant that many thought the Lunar series was lost to time, aside from a PSP and mobile port of the first. But GungHo, of which Game Arts is a subsidiary, has made possible the miraculous. If you played either of the first two Lunar games growing up, there’s a good chance that you really love them. And it’s clear the team at GungHo also really loves them. Love is at the centre of these games, both thematically and in how they’ve been preserved. They’re about loving adventure, loving discovery, loving the world, loving its people and, most importantly, falling in love. And the romantic, over-the-top, cheesiness is here in all of its glory. Lunar is back, with some warts old and new. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Originally released as The Silver Star and Eternal Blue on Sega CD, this collection brings the enhanced PS1 versions to Switch beautifully, complete with touched-up visuals, brand new voice acting, a new script, and a handful of quality-of-life changes. And all of those tweaks aim to keep that Saturday Morning Cartoon™ feel that the games are so distinctly cherished for intact. This ends up being a bit of a mixed bag. The original voice acting is what it is – OTT ‘90s anime dub-style that is hard not to smile at. The replacements here attempt to match the tone and lip flaps with varying degrees of success. Silver Star Story is the better of the two, with all voices a net upgrade over the originals while still retaining a degree of camp and fun. In Eternal Blue, however, the voice direction feels a bit off, as it attempts to stick far too close to the original diction, and multiple voices just do not suit their respective characters. As a result, some of the cast come off as wooden or far too old. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) Fortunately, the localisation helps keep that coming-of-age teenage snark and cheek present. Working Design’s original localisations are infamous for myriad reasons – presidential jokes, commercial references, and some unfortunate, outdated language are just some examples. By and large, the scripts are the same, with those less-timely jokes removed, but Silver Star Story gets a few more tweaks compared to Eternal Blue to help with the flow of dialogue. You'll still have to put up with lots of ahem jokes that appeal to horny teenagers, though. We’re just glad Ronfar still shouts “Happy hour!” whenever he uses a healing spell in battle. Another tweak here is the visual upgrades, which are fantastic across both games. You can play in either Classic (which features the original pixel art at the original aspect ratio) or Remastered (which ups the resolution, detail, and colour while ensuring it still looks great in a wider aspect ratio). Comparing them side-by-side, the Remastered visuals look great and enhance the original look perfectly. And the enhanced animated cutscenes also look fantastic. Weirdly, you can only select the visual mode from the title screen and not from the in-game menu, but your save file can be used across both versions. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) One of the biggest additions is in Silver Star Story’s inventory management. You can now toggle between the original, character-based inventories – which highly limit the amount of items you can carry, particularly as items don’t stack and collectibles take up inventory space – or a new shared inventory managed by your flying “cat” pall Nall. Items still don’t stack, but it allows you to carry so many more. Eternal Blue already has a shared inventory with stackable items, so nothing needed changing there. That upgrade to Silver Star Story, however, completely obliterates any difficulty the game had. As long as you have the cash – and you will, because the treasure chest values have been reset to match their Japanese counterparts (e.g., a chest that had 500 silver in the US PS1 version will have 1000 in the remaster, as it would have done in JP back in 1998) – and the inventory space, you can stuff your bag full of HP and MP healing items with little consequence. Eternal Blue remains one of the tougher turn-based RPGs as it’s virtually identical here to its PS1 Western release, meaning unless you know the exact strategies or grind a bit, you’re going to die a fair amount. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) That brings us to our favourite addition: fast-forward. In combat, you can speed up battles up to three times the speed of the original games. In both Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue, combat was slow as molasses thanks to the wide battle arena, and Range being an important factor. If an enemy was too far away, they could approach, but couldn’t attack. Fast-forward makes combat zippy and fast and helps speed up some of those longer, blander late-game dungeons. And some of those dungeons are a struggle, particularly if you play both games back to back. While Eternal Blue is the more polished of the two generally, this remaster exposes some of its weaknesses more glaringly. Movement speed in Eternal Blue’s dungeon remains slow, with only a quick dash on hand that lets you attempt to dash past enemies. There are no random encounters in either game, but there may as well be in Eternal Blue, because attempting to dash past fast-moving monsters in narrow corridors is pretty annoying. Another issue with Eternal Blue is that you can’t compare equipment stats in shops, yet you can (and could) in Silver Star Story. That’s not a huge problem as, most of the time, the next town’s gear will be better, but it would be nice to see the differences, particularly with accessories. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) Fortunately, both of these games can wash away many problems just with the amount of charm they bring to the table. Even now, few games can match the sense of excitement, adventure, and genuine love that Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue bring with them. We never got bored of Kyle and Jessica’s bickering, or pretending to not know who Mystere is, or watching Alex fall in love with Luna, and Hiro fall in love with Lucia. These are of-their-time adventures that are special to those who grew up with them, and while they’re not particularly revolutionary, if you like RPGs, they’ll almost definitely bring a smile to your face. Finally, we can all forget about Dragon Song. Conclusion The Lunar Remastered Collection respects the enhanced PS1 versions while also making a few tweaks to modernise parts of each game. While not all changes are entirely successful, and there are other aspects that haven’t aged particularly well, we can’t deny that Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue are bursting with charm and wit that many RPGs today lack. They might not revolutionise the genre, but if you’re looking for a good time and have a little patience, you can do far, far worse. Updates visuals are lovelyFast-forward makes battles zip byScript tweaks stay faithful to tone of originalsCharming characters and story, if simplistic New voice acting is hit and missDungeon design is still uninspiredEternal Blue's problems exposed by some enhancementsSome missing options feel odd Good 7/10 Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.