Nintendo isn't exactly known for its horror games, so it's a bit odd that one of the most critically-acclaimed horror games of all time is exclusive to a Nintendo console. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is one of the top-rated horror games ever produced, and a recent trademark renewal by Nintendo has fueled speculation that the company may be pursuing a new game in the series.

Nintendo recently renewed a variety of trademarks in Australia and South Korea, which includes the Eternal Darkness trademark. Now, it should be stressed that video game trademark renewals don't necessarily mean anything. And in fact, Nintendo renewed the Eternal Darkness trademark back in 2017 with no announcement being made. However, the fact that these trademark renewals are happening so close to when a Nintendo Direct is expected to take place has given the rumors a bit more "oomph" than they would have otherwise.

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While the most likely scenario is that Nintendo has renewed the Eternal Darkness trademark for no reason other than routine paperwork, there is always the possibility that it has bigger plans in store. Perhaps Nintendo is going to move forward with a new Eternal Darkness game for the Switch or maybe even port the original release with some enhancements.

Maybe Nintendo is looking to expand the Switch's library of older games. The other trademark renewals Nintendo made around the same time were all for older games, mostly 3DS titles, and include the likes of Ocarina of Time. Perhaps these games will be used to bolster the Switch Online lineup, or maybe Nintendo plans on releasing them as individual titles in order to give the console some more content this holiday season and beyond.

Something working against this theory is that Nintendo has shown very little interest in Eternal Darkness since the original launched in 2002. Even though the game earned near-universal praise from critics and stands as one of the best Nintendo horror games, it struggled to find an audience. Eternal Darkness was simply not a commercial success, and so Nintendo may not see much value in attempting to bring the game to the Switch.

In 2013, Eternal Darkness writer and director Denis Dyack attempted to create a spiritual successor called Shadow of the Eternals, seeking funding through Kickstarter. Unfortunately for Dyack and Eternal Darkness fans, the Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter failed to generate much interest and fell short of its $750,000 funding goal. This led to Dyack scrapping his plans for the game, and there hasn't been any major Eternal Darkness developments since then.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is out now, exclusively for the GameCube.

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