- note, Oliver says the co-developer is Iron Galaxy, but this isn't true, IG was one of the many art outsourcees
- baked light solution for the environment
- new materials redesigned to take advantage of the new lighting
- beam weapons gave of light in the original version, not so in the switch
- models have been significantly overhauled for more detail
- water reflections are cubemapped and can be misaligned
- one asset is missing Samus's reflection
- camera and animations are generally the same, camera looks to be smoother
- weapon bobbing has been toned down compared to the original
- 900p, no drs
- 600p, no drs
- no AA, minimal aliasing though
- locked 60fps
- loading is practically nonexistent, door loading is instant
-
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Reviews Digital Foundry || Metroid Prime Remastered - DF Tech Review - An Essential Buy For Nintendo Switch
- Thread starter ILikeFeet
- Start date
ProteusRidley
Famiboards one and only Lost Kingdoms simp
It's not the reflection in the hud/helmet, refelection off of the mirror like objects in the world aren't in. OP should be more specific.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No, charged beams can trigger it sometimes. Only in very dark areas though.
Comic Obsessed
Chain Chomp
Pretty excited to see what they will do for MP4.
Which indicates how little the press and different media bother to contrast things.
I don't know who was the first medium to report this lie, but it is worse than the rest of the media and websites that have dedicated themselves to disseminating it without verifying it.
Dcubed
Paratroopa
There's no such thing as journalism in games journalism. The moment a clickbait article/rumour appears, that's then taken as fact.
To this day, you STILL get major websites stating that Nintendo downloaded ROMs off the internet and resold them on the VC service, when that was categorcially disproven years ago.
Basic research is clearly too much to ask off of the major games media outlets.
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Heron
Koopa
It's a great remaster but I'm surprised he doesn't mention texture filtering - feels like the ground textures turn to mud a mere 5 meters away a lot of the time.
And for me it was noticeably sub 1080p. Would have loved to have seen this remastering work with proper modern image quality. Game would look gorgeous at 1440p or above.
And for me it was noticeably sub 1080p. Would have loved to have seen this remastering work with proper modern image quality. Game would look gorgeous at 1440p or above.
Dcubed
Paratroopa
Agreed. It's a bit disappointing that something that is categorically a tarted up Gamecube game can't achieve 1080p, but it's hard to complain with the end result on the Switch's crappy hardware regardless.
Speaks volumes about the sheer quality of the art on display with both the original GCN/Wii version and this new Switch version. The biggest accomplishment here isn't the technical prowess on display, but rather the fact that Retro (and every art outsource house involved) did such a great job of capturing the original game's intended look and feel with these all-new art assets. Much like OoT 3D before it, it really does feel like you're playing the game with the original concept art now playable. It's remarkably faithful to the original game, despite the massive increase in fidelity. This is something that very few remakes ever manage to pull off (I'm looking at YOU Shadow of the Collosus PS4!), and it deserves all the praise in the world for it.
- Pronouns
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Only real technical issue I have with it is 900p looks quite soft on a 4k display but other than that it's looks pretty nice for a Switch game.
manfromthedam
Semi Undercover Game Music Guy
Seems like it runs at a similar handheld resolution as Tropical Freeze. That game seemed to not use the highest clocks there, probably to preserve battery life.
1080p docked would've been nice for sure, but the nature of the environment design usually doesn't make this too obvious.
1080p docked would've been nice for sure, but the nature of the environment design usually doesn't make this too obvious.
I'm going with DF on this one. Pixel crawl isn't too bad because of the style of the artwork, but there's still plenty (for example in the opening scene).
Serif
𝕽𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖌𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝕬𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖑
Honestly the distinction between 900p and 1080p on my 4K set at my viewing distance is minimal. Either way, most televisions do not integer scale so the pixels are impure and fucked with. But a well-calibrated LG CX handles the IQ of BotW, Dread, and Odyssey nicely, even without my mClassic. But it would definitely address the aliasing in this game.
ArchedThunder
Uncle Beerus
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No AA sounds wrong, the game seems way too clean to be a raw 900p.
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Yeah the dismissiveness on motion controls made me stop the video. Nice job taking the game seriously, DF.
Gingerbread Man
Paratroopa
And they don't even mention the best control scheme - dual stick with gyro.
lol it’s literally one joke in a 15 minute analysis, I think we’ll be alright
- Pronouns
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It's 2023, motion controls are not a joke anymore, there's people interested in them and DF basically controls the hardcore gaming discourse to a scary degree.
Not a good sign seeing the first advancement in direction input in 20 years being laughed off like that by an outlet like DF.
- Pronouns
- He
He literally says "which is fine I suppose, if you're into that sort of thing". I get he laughs a bit but at the end of the day its just personal preference and this is very overdramatic.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Gyro or gyro mix should be a staple control scheme. I despise how resistant core audiences have been to it's adoption. Nintendo shouldn't be the only major proponent of it. I know Sony is increasingly including it in their games, probably under the accessibility initiative, but I've seen responses in Sony and Microsoft centric posts and threads on the subject that vehemently reject it's inclusion.
Gingerbread Man
Paratroopa
For many people, playing games where you have to aim without gyro is like playing 3D games with a D-Pad. Everything is smoother and more natural. literally everyone on Switch plays with gyro aiming, though for some reason, it is less popular on Microsoft and Sony's consoles, leading to a dismissive attitude towards it (on the other hand, PC players seem to have embraced gyro with Steam Controller and Steam deck).
So, "that sort of thing" is not a minor, niche feature only weird people care about. Some people might not have bought the game had it not included gyro aiming. The video should have explored gyro aiming more (how is it implemented? does it make the game significantly easier?) and avoided that dismissive attitude.
With that said... The actual "gyro" control scheme of Metroid Prime Remaster is not good -- it tries to replicate Wii controls 1:1 without having the sensor bar. Since it's a literal replica of Wii controls, you can't even use the second stick. Luckily, there's another option -- dual stick + gyro (hidden in a submenu of the "dual stick" control scheme), which is basically "modern gyro aiming" and what everyone was expecting. The latter is not even mentioned in the video, unless I missed it.
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I'm already a huge fan of Nerrel and have watched that video countless times. I don't need to be told this stuff but I appreciate the Nerrel rep.
And yeah, that's another part of my issue that I didn't feel like explaining. Not gonna lie, using Wiimote like gyro for the Switch Pro just isn't good in general. Maybe it's just me, but horizontal movement with big controllers is much better for slight adjustments, not big ones. In the Digital Foundry video, the guy is using the Switch Pro for gyro completely both horizontally and vertically, which means he's making a lot of awkward wrist movements to get full horizontal movement. It just doesn't work that good. Even in Splatoon I use horizontal stick + vertical gyro.
As for him not mentioning gyro + dual stick, he sort of does. He mentions Gamecube control option has gyro controls as well. To be fair, for standard dual stick the gyro is really burried in the options. Also, not gonna lie, Prime is really not a game that benefits from gyro if you're using dual stick. The lock on basically trivializes it. Now preferring to use Wii mote gyro controls with joycons? That makes more sense.
boris_feinbrand
Moblin
Yeah, there's enough dynamic light interaction from the player. Suggesting that it's a performance concession is frankly ridiculous.
curl-6
Chain Chomp
Fantastic results.
For a game this beautiful on what's now a 6 year old portable device, 900p is a sensible choice for maximum visual richness. Sure, they could have made it 1080p, but then there would be less processing time for things like the lighting, textures, and effects.
Just as with Metroid Prime 3, Retro had the difficult task of making a game look great on low spec hardware, and just as in 2007 they have succeeded brilliantly, proving that whatever kept them out of action for so long, their technical and artistic wizardry remains undimmed.
For a game this beautiful on what's now a 6 year old portable device, 900p is a sensible choice for maximum visual richness. Sure, they could have made it 1080p, but then there would be less processing time for things like the lighting, textures, and effects.
Just as with Metroid Prime 3, Retro had the difficult task of making a game look great on low spec hardware, and just as in 2007 they have succeeded brilliantly, proving that whatever kept them out of action for so long, their technical and artistic wizardry remains undimmed.
Mr Doggo
Anti oof
the way retro does 900p is different.
No for real i remember jokes about retro adding ram in their games and lmao i guess it was true in the end
Mr Doggo
Anti oof
I dont think people understand the difference that a game made specific for one console vs a third party made to fit all makes. I mean i remember people arguing that retro could try as much they wanted they would never make something look better than doom 2016 switch lmao, which was absurd even back then.
Hero of Hyrule
Frieren the Slayer
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- He/Him
I'm a little bummed they took out the arm canon bobbing. I know why they did it, and I know no sane person will care (nor should they), but it chips away a little bit of the grounded tactility that made Prime stick so indelibly in my mind for 20 years.
Pennington
Bumpty
On the original I think it's when you hold the right trigger to lock the camera forwards, Samus's cannon doesn't bob and it's like you're just gliding through the rooms.
Pennington
Bumpty
D
Deleted member 887
Guest
I can't figure out how anyone would think there was AA applied, much less MSAA? The aliasing noise in the opening with the space station is obvious. Watch this sequence, when the camera pull back through the two cables and keep your eye on that area. You can see clear aliasing jaggies as those two parallel lines get drawn further and further away.
12:30 into this video here.
I mean, it is in no way a tarted up GameCube game in a technological sense. The fact that the art direction and the gameplay are of that era doesn't change that in terms of geometry, texture res, and lighting, this is on par with other big Switch games. I'm mostly just impressed that it looks this good at 60fps.
ArchedThunder
Uncle Beerus
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2x MSAA doesn’t eliminate aliasing, it just improves it. I 100%ed the game, and outside of fine detail the aliasing is very minor.
D
Deleted member 645
Guest
Hopefully there will be a demo for this game one day.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm playing with full gyro enabled (no right stick usage at all), and I just love the fact that Samus's Arm Cannon dynamically shifts position depending on what you're aiming at, just as in the Wii version. With stick controls, it remains in the same position, at all times.
- Pronouns
- He
Out of curiosity are you using joycons or a Pro controller? I'm assuming joycons.
- Pronouns
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Pro Controller, actually. I did try Joy-Cons, and they're definitely the way to go for most who'd prefer full motion aiming, but I find them too small and uncomfortable to use, personally. It's definitely more awkward on a Pro Controller, but I set the sensitivity high enough to where I'm comfortable with it.
Marce-chan
Magical Girls <3
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- They/Them
Am I a fool for not having bought this at launch? 
Everything I see about this game just makes me think I'm gonna love it like nothing else.
I thought about waiting for the physical version to come and get it on a Chinese importer later(Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes physical is like 39$ already, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Mario Strikers got to as low as 30$ and I got TMS #FE for less than that), or waiting for the first time it goes on sale, but now I'm thinking it might be as hard to find a physical copy in Brazil for even the MSRP and maybe it takes awhiiiiiiile for it to go on sale on eShop.
I'm prioritizing getting Xenoblade Chronicles 3 physical for ~45 dollars as that's a game that'll be like 150h+ for me while Metroid Prime is not that long and I might finish it fast, geeeezzzz what do I doooo
Everything I see about this game just makes me think I'm gonna love it like nothing else.
I thought about waiting for the physical version to come and get it on a Chinese importer later(Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes physical is like 39$ already, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Mario Strikers got to as low as 30$ and I got TMS #FE for less than that), or waiting for the first time it goes on sale, but now I'm thinking it might be as hard to find a physical copy in Brazil for even the MSRP and maybe it takes awhiiiiiiile for it to go on sale on eShop.
I'm prioritizing getting Xenoblade Chronicles 3 physical for ~45 dollars as that's a game that'll be like 150h+ for me while Metroid Prime is not that long and I might finish it fast, geeeezzzz what do I doooo
MeatheadSamus
Moblin
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I am incredibly biased so I'm going to say yes you are a fool!!Am I a fool for not having bought this at launch?
Everything I see about this game just makes me think I'm gonna love it like nothing else.
I thought about waiting for the physical version to come and get it on a Chinese importer later(Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes physical is like 39$ already, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Mario Strikers got to as low as 30$ and I got TMS #FE for less than that), or waiting for the first time it goes on sale, but now I'm thinking it might be as hard to find a physical copy in Brazil for even the MSRP and maybe it takes awhiiiiiiile for it to go on sale on eShop.
I'm prioritizing getting Xenoblade Chronicles 3 physical for ~45 dollars as that's a game that'll be like 150h+ for me while Metroid Prime is not that long and I might finish it fast, geeeezzzz what do I doooo
But in reality, $40 is still $40 (usd) so I totally get it if you don't. It's still hard-earned money at the end of the day. I am just fortunate at this point in my life. Metroid Prime is about 15 hours for a first-timer, I'd say.
Marce-chan
Magical Girls <3
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- They/Them
Yeah, moreso in Brazil where 40$ worths about 1/6 of a salary.
I generally have to save for months in order to buy a game so I really prioritize longer games. Last one I bought was Shin Megami Tensei V when it entered on a sale so I got it for like 35 dollars or something like that, and I've been playing that for months and didn't finish yet!! Meanwhile I rented Dread for 2 weeks, finished the story in 8 days and kept playing til 88%. Also finished the story of Bayonetta 3 in one week, rented that one too. My renting contact doesn't have Prime Remastered yet, if they did I'd be playing it right now lol.
Buy I think I'll end up buying it physical later if any asian exporter has it for the MSRP or lower.
