I don't think people really grasp that this game was on hardware that was probably 1/2 as powerful as the original Xbox, and yet, it ran @ 60 FPS with amazing visuals and animation. Metroid Prime was/is incredible.
I agree with you although it depends on how many 'best of' games you can have for yourself. I'd say it's the best gamecube game and the best single player console game for sure. The 'alone on the world' vibe together with the atmosphere, graphics and music made me feel I was in that suit playing the game.
YES! I have been waiting for this. Metroid Prime 1 is one of the best fps / exploration games, even today. Edit: Holy shit I felt 60fps smoothness before I even knew it existed. The Gamecube was a beast at the time considering how good Prime 1 looked and how well it runs.
MehrunezZ Dagon Member Thardus? Member encountering the space pirates? Memberberry jokes aside, they really don't make them like the used to. With some rare exceptions like the souls series. Now everything feels committee designed, safe and formulaic. MP had heart, which you noticed from the very outset.
That wasn't the clever bit. The clever bit was allowing you to start the game with them all, have them all stripped away again, and then give them back with new ones in between. It gave you the anticipation of getting your former abilities back, but combined it with the tension of not knowing whether you'd get a new ability or the one you had already spotted a use for elsewhere.
@@redchris05 That's not entirely true. You don't start with "them all". Sure, there's a lot of power loss when you don't have charge beam or missiles or the morph ball for a while. Even then, when you finally get the plasma beam later on, that's not something you had had at the start, and it was the most powerful thing available by then by a landslide.
Well, not exactly. It was more that they had wasted tens of millions of Nintendo's money through useless meandering in the 2 years proceeding and Nintendo was coming down on them full force. They had to deliver a masterpiece or they would all be fired and the entire studio liquefied. Nintendo kept very tight control over everything and were ruthless in chewing out people if something was delayed or didn't meet their standards. Metroid Prime is one of the few examples were the publisher cracking the whip on their developers actually turned out very well.
@@CharmedReally7 It was mostly the founder's fault. Retro was working on 3 concepts and the two others were axed by Nintendo. Only one left was the one that would eventually become Metroid Prime and the founder during all of this was out partying and posting pictures of himself with prostitutes on his personal website. Nintendo cut a deal with the founder and bought out Retro Studios. By then, Metroid Prime was already well into development. The staff themselves were all untied and put to work on Metroid Prime.
I think it's more to do with Sony and Microsoft trying to compete with the PC whereas Nintendo isn't trying too, because of that Nintendo games focus on 60fps where PS and Xbox games focus on 30fps, to get better visuals, they lower the frame rate, personally, I think they should focus on 60fps, adds a lot more to games in my opinion, the PS4 Pro should've done that but again, they are trying to compete with the PC on visuals, will they ever learn, if I want PC visuals then the PC is the best place to be, it's why out of all the consoles, Nintendo offering is more appealing to me.
The Wii actually has quite a few 60FPS-titles that are awesome. One of my favorites as Need for Speed Nitro, which is underrated imo. Its a very simple game, but perfect for when you only have 30min or so to waste for a comple races. The only annoying thing in the game beeing the low camera angle which some times makes you crash if you dont know the map.
***** That's true and that might change with the Nintendo Switch, that could be going up against Apple and Android smartphones, it wouldn't take much effort for Apple and Google to get smartphones to do the same that Switch is doing.
***** With any luck it might wake the smartphone industry up, the hardware is capable as I'm sure the Switch will show and smartphones are pretty much the same kind of hardware level, if Nintendo show it can be done, smartphones should be able to do it.
***** I think the real problem is the weak cpu then it being GPGPUs, a more beefy cpu and more games would be able to do 60fps, we see it on the PC how going from 30fps to 60fps is more taxing on the cpu and unfortunately for console gamers, looks like Sony and Microsoft are prioritising visuals over frame rates. From thing I like about Nintendo is that many of their games run at 60fps even though they have the weaker of the hardware whereas Sony and Microsoft are in a mad race trying to compete with the PC which is kind of pointless in my opinion, PC will always win the visual stakes.
I beat this game for my first time 2 months ago. It was even my first Metroid. My brother got it for me on the GameCube so I played the original. Well, what I can take out of that experience, is that Metroid Prime is the most profoundly perfect and flawless game I've ever had the magnificent pleasure of playing. The atmosphere, the music.... And oh my god is that music amazing; but everything in general just coincided so well to captivate me in what was such an amazing experience. Zelda is my favorite series, but Samus is still my profile pic just because Metroid Prime was so amazing to me. Seriously, if anyone hasn't played this game, then you're missing out on such a wonderfully majestic experience, and I urge you to change that.
Aeddy35 that is a good point. I mean even Nintendo still make 60 fps games on the Wii U (which was underpowered). The PS4 and Xbox One crearly have enough power to achieve good looking graphics along with consistent fps but that requieres optimization something that some developers out there decline to use and then they said that the reason why this happens is because lack of power and make the impression that PS4 and Xbox One are underpowered and that is not entirely true.
+Daniel Santana they're underpowered when compared to what? one could claim that they are actually overpowered because you have no comlarison point other than eachother. either console could run games at 1080p 60fps ( mgs5 is a perfect example) so why don't they? simple. developers choose to push graphics capabilities as high as possible to attempt to match high pc, thus taxing the frame rates. any game out there currently could be set to run at 1080p 60fps, they'd simply need to scale back some of the advanced graphical features.
MixeTube I always hate the "trying to match high PC". Console ALWAYS were underpowered compared to the high PC but that was because they were never trying to be a PC. Consoles were made to simplify the use of games for people who didn't had the time or resources to buy a PC. I think Consoles should focus of simplicity and try to give a different experience to PC because the only way to make a console that can compete with high PC is to make a high PC (without the ability to personalize as much as a PC, of course) and relase it as a console and then relase the new ones more ofter since they need to upgrade the hardware.... and that is an awful idea in my opinion.
+Joel Sola López hate it or not, that's what they try to do graphically, its up to the developer to choose 1080p 60fps, or 30fps with higher emd graphics.
Yeah, Halo is the antithesis of Metroid Prime. I DO think Halo looks great and was impressive for what it achieved but MP holds up much better. MP is all about lots of complex geometry at a high frame-rate. Halo is all about shaders, detailed bump-mapped textures and per-pixel lighting. It looks neat but poly starved in comparison today.
Halo and Metroid should not be compared IMO. The only thing they have in common is that they are first person sci-fi games that feature a guy/woman in a super suit. Halo might have a better story, but the story in Metroid Prime is told in such an iconic way instead of the linear traditional way Halo did it. I'd also say that comparing the music is wrong, because they both do such an amazing job at creating the atmosphere intended for the games. PS: I'm a massive Halo and Metroid fan (at least before Halo 5), so I wouldn't say that I'm biased either way.
If you consider simply the original game, Halo, the story is weak. Not sure why you're bringing in Halo 3 and ODST there. (Although hiding things in Audio Logs and text dumps is very lazy "storytelling".) Having played the original Halo campaign recently for the first time (on xbox one), I cannot say it holds up that well. Overall, there are some fantastic levels, but there are also some truly awful levels and extremely badly conveyed directions & layouts.
The gamecube hardware was the most brilliantly designed console from any era. It's a little easier to do certain shaders on Xbox, but gamecube edges it overall by being much better at polygons, and it does so while being vastly more efficient. Not to mention that blazing fast loading! I'd love to see DF take a look at Xbox games like Panzer dragoon orta though.
Menges specially because the size of the games was higher than any PS1 game (Saturn has stronger hardware than Playstation 1) also effects and resolution that the PSX could had trouble if it was ported (the main producer of Team Andromeda, the creators of the Panzer Dragoon series said that Saga and Zwei couldn't be ported because of the lack of power, polygons, and a weak CPU and GPU, in other words, the PS1 was underpowered in comparison to the Saturn and N64 specs).
Though Nintendo's insistence on a small form factor was a stupid idea. I mean sure the Gamecube itself is relatively small but if you have to also take with you the power adaptor, several controllers, memory and several games you still need a backpack that you could have fit a original PS2 as well. I feel console sizes go up in 4 levels. First is true handhelds which would be the size of a smartphone. Something you can easily fit into your pocket, whip out and put back in with one hand. Then you have 2 hand handhelds like the Switch or tablets. You can't just put those into your pocket though the removable joycons of the Switch help greatly. After that you have the medium sized consoles. That you can't just take with you but you can easily fit in a standard backpack and take to a friend. Then you have the ones like the new PS5 and X-box-X which are pretty much pieces of furniture like a desktop is.
Nicolás Monzón Key difference: *Metroid Prime* is absolutely one of the best games ever made. Super Metroid is one of the least enjoyable games I've ever played.
Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games ever made. So is half life. Hence, "one of the greatest ever made" This list is getting large. Whether you prefer HL over Metroid, their both great, and on said list.
Yeah, looking back, I realize it's actually one of my favorites. Both in terms of the game lineup and in terms of hardware. It's Nintendo's finest console from a hardware perspective - extremely balanced, incredibly fast yet all packed into the most perfect little cube form factor. Truly a marvel of engineering. The GameCube being that good is why Nintendo were able to basically extend its life through the Wii. So while the Wii looked dated in 2006, it was already running on hardware engineered in the 90s. NGC forever.
With all the good games it had (even third party on board)it's hardly a demo console. It successfully made a Metroid 2D/3D transition like is being explained in the video. PS2 just happened to be the more popular system while the Xbox and NGC actually pushed the industry forward in terms of tech.
@@cyphaborg6598 Exactly, and if it wasn't for the N64 and Saturn being blunders (esp the Sat) allowing the Ps1 to monopolize the greatest third parties (Konami, Capcom, Square etc), the Ps2 wouldn't have had as much hype around it. The Ps2 was extremely popular based off the momentum given from the Ps1 and its DVD player. It's a shame the by far more capable systems were largely ignored by the public, therefore making developers reluctant to develop exclusively for the platforms, Ps2 got wayy more support than it deserved and feels dated compared to them, as a result it has a brilliant library, probably the greatest of all time, where these games would have looked and ran better on the other machines.
I completely disagree with your assertion that _Metroid Prime_ is just as successful a translation of 2D gameplay into 3D as _Mario 64_ or _Ocarina of Time_. It's even better.
I douno.... super metroid and zero mission have that "secqence braking" aspect that make the games super replayable... Prime has it in glitching the game
So I JUST finished Metroid Prime on Dolphin after playing it back in 2002 on GC. From start to finish it ran absolutely beautifully. Getting to play it in 1080p with no problems whatsoever was a damn dream come true. If you haven't played this gem yet, do yourself a gigantic favor and do so, even if your only option is on the original hardware.
"Now we are basically still waiting to see what they are going to do next". Who would have thought that the next Retro Studios' game would be... Metroid Prime again.
Eeeeeeh, personally, I think SNES was Nintendo's best system. Gamecube was underrated though. It was the last time Nintendo actually tried to compete directly with Sony & Microsoft
Yeah, true, Adventures had really decent visuals while keeping the game locked at 60 fps and even had widescreen support which you don't normally see on titles from this generation
im SO glad you covered this game, it holds a special place in my heart. never have i felt so immersed in a game since dkc2. the visuals, the sountrack, and the gameplay were unlike anything i played at the time. thank you again.
Revisiting the Gamecube really brings home how underestimated a lot of gamers made it at the time. Tons of games with absolutely solid performance and amazing experiences. I still maintain my campaign you should do F-Zero GX since that game was absolutely mind melting at the time. Especially in the level of graphics it was pushing and the liquid 60FPS framerate with the outright speed of the game. And it wasn't even Nintendo that made it since it was Sega's Amusement Vision who developed it. It would be a hell of a DF Retro episode.
I'm not exaggerating, DF Retro is, right now, the best damn thing on TH-cam. All your videos are absolutely master pieces. I couldn't care less about Metroid to be honest but because of this video i wouldn't hesitate to picking the Trilogy on Wii U, but... it's Nintendo and it's online. I'd love to play this on the Switch, i'm sure it's powerful enough to emulate Game Cube, but again, Nintendo, and they are not going to allow that. Because, again, of course, Nintendo.
My favorite game of all time. Played this at least 15 times on my GC, never found anything that was even remotely similar in terms of quality and depth. Sure there are better and more complex games around these days, but considering this game released in 2002 I think that Retro did an absolutely superb job, not only in terms of technical aspects but also did a really good job exploring the lore and the environment of Metroid.
I am in the process of playing this game for the first time I decided to play it in Dolphin VR and I was shocked at how well it works, it's almost like an actual VR game, playing on my Pimax 8k+ at 4k 110hz, and it's one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the lack of the original water animation of MP in the Wii Trilogy, as it is something you somehow analyzed quite a bit here 😐
Yes, and I believe it's missing some other effects as well. Still plays like a dream on the Wii, though, but if you don't want to mess with motion controls, the GameCube version controls really great.
They also got rid of some of the arm cannon effects, presumably because they were prerendered effects that wouldn't map to a constantly moving arm model. No hardware excuse for dumping the water ripples tho, I guess whoever did that effect left the company and they couldn't re-implement it in time.
Shukterhouse Jive It's because Metroid Prime 1 Wii uses Metroid Prime 3's engine, which has a side effect of using its greatly enhanced water physics. While Metroid Prime 3 doesn't have too much water, Metroid Prime 1 has vast areas containing water, and the physics would be too much for the Wii. Thus, the cut. They could have just used animations though
My favorite Metroid by far... I still remember playing it when it came out, My mouth dropped from seeing the graphics (Not a PC gamer yet)... It holds up even today! Echoes is my 2nd favorite.
A few key differences others have noted between Prime and the 2D games: 1. A lot more verticallity in the 2D games, whereas Prime's map is more horizontal. 2. 2D metroid is faster paced, especially the late game when you can clear a whole room with the screw attack. In the end i think Nintnedo made the right choice to call this a 'First Person Adventure' title. Prime really does resemble an Adventure game as much as its a Shooter or Action title, if not more so.
They are both 2D in a way, if you look at how they work. It's just that instead of looking at it sideways, you look at it from the top, map wise. In that sense, Prime had more depth and breadth as it not only adapted the side-view vertical huge map from Super into a flat thing, it actually had levels per each room too. A more honest comparison would be to imagine a Super Metroid with doors in the levels that were on the background walls that you could enter too, or different layers to stand on like the newer Kirby games.
this is the one game I never got to play on my beloved gamecube. My mind is absolutely shattered at the quality of the visuals on display here coupled with its rock solid frame rate. Gamecube was such underrated hardware at the time.
I have to say that I love Eurogamer for creating Digital Foundry for tech focused coverage. Other media sites would branch out into general pop-culture coverage, but the level of analysis that Digital Foundry is allowed to do is amazing. DF Retro gives us the opportunity to find out more about our beloved favourites that is well researched, something I can't say about the Gamespots and IGNs. Thank you Digital Foundry and thank you Eurogamer.
Fuddy Duddy I doubt it, but I can't be completely sure when it comes to the level of PC support out there. However only try the wii-mote if its the Trilogy version, otherwise the game isn't designed around the wii-mote.
***** Uhhhhh what gamer doesn't know that. Like every other person out there, the NX is a slip up I'll make probably even when THE SWITCH is finally released. Regardless of particular tech the thing has, you can make a great game from a potato system. For Nintendo especially, they can make a AAA Metroid game that looks and plays good on that thing. Look at Federation Force, looks quite good on the 3DS. And THAT'S a potato.
Isn't the switch using a next gen tegra? if so that will be an actual good CPU and most likely better than the AMD counterparts in the PS4/XOne although i do find it rather interesting that Nvidia refused to partner with Sony/Microsoft but okayed Nintendo =P
***** May have a decent CPU but nothing quite as comparable to even the PS4 and Xbox One APU CPU performance. We don't know if it's Tegra 1 or 2 yet. I speculate it'll be a Tegra 1 because Nintendo is cheap like that but I'll be happy if they actually put some money in for a Tegra 2.
FrostyP Wouldn't surprise me tbh you gotta give Nintendo props, Sony and Microsoft originally went to Nvidia to try and get them to power there consoles but Nvidia straight up refused but I suppose Nvidia like Nintendos ideas or maybe the switch will have some Nvidia shield features my god i would love to be able to stream my PC to the switch =P Michael Hulcy you are aware tegra processors are APUs as well . . . and the PS4/XOne APUs are seriously under clocked mobile versions of AMDs version. The tegra one could play PC games at 1080p/30fps so if this is their new chip it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it could almost compare to the other consoles given Nvidias track record of being able to put out more power than AMD at a constant while being much cooler and drawing less power. either way i suppose we will find out eventually =)
The Metroid Prime trilogy is one of the best gaming series I have ever played in my whole life. I was watching this video while smiling continuously - I have so many great memories of playing alle of the Metroid Prime games :D
Sorry, but that's just wrong. It's not about the console's design, it's about the games' design. The 360, PS3, XB1 and PS4 all have no problem running a game at 60 FPS (there's plenty of smaller games that run fine at 60 FPS on these consoles, after all)... but the game won't look as good as the version that runs at 30 FPS. Since nice graphics are great for marketing and show well in previews, reviews, etc, that is what most game companies go for.
I have never seen a game that sacrifices FPS for graphics where i say "this looks better". I don't understand it. To me every game looks better with 60fps or more...why keep devs doing this? It makes no sense
An effect that blows my mind even though it's so subtle, is the reflection of her when flashes hit the visor. This is the type of minor detail that only a expert and loving developer would put into their games. I only played this game at a Wal-Mart Kiosk back in 2002 (I was 9) so I had a hard time understanding it. Now that I'm older, I'm finally going to jump back into this series!
It looks amazing on the emulator there. There's a number of effects in Metroid Prime that still impress. Such as rain bouncing off of Samus's weapon arm. It irks me that today in rain heavy levels on many FPS we don't get similar effects.
I had an original Xbox at this time, but since then really appreciate the amazing clarity via both audio and video on this system...this machine simply puts the PS2's abilities to shame... cheers.
Such a great game! I remember getting a GameCube at launch, simply because all the Xbox were sold out. I'm so glad I did. This game, Rogue Squadron, Eternal Darkness, RE 0, RE, Super Mario Sunshine, Viewtful Joe, and others kept me happily invested!
May I simply comment that you have impeccable taste in music cues on your DF Retro videos, John. Really, you always pick the right tracks to highlight aspects of their classics.
I've just been playing Metroid Prime and WOW. I've played a lot of the "best" fps shooters out there and I honestly believe Metroid Prime is one of the best ever. I believe a lot of the audience that played more "shooter/adventure" style games had ether a PC at the time or played a different game-system and the Metroid Prime games never got the overall attention I think it deserved. I personally never had a copy of the game until recently and I'm blown away. There is literally a whole audience of people that have never played those games, because they simply never kept buying Nintendo consoles.
Nearly 20 years later, this is one game that I still think back to. I think EGM back in the day summarized it best: Metroid Prime is a actually a game from the future. And it was. Everything about it was way ahead of its time.
I'm a hardcore playstation fanboy, and I agree, Metroid Prime was the best gamecube game and game of that generation. That shit blew me away, I bought a gamecube just to play that game.
As a sole GC owner during the era (I later bought a Xb and Ps2 with my own money), for me its always been a tossup between Prime, F-Zero GX and Melee, forever 3 of my most favorite games ever, incredibly under adopted and unappreciated console during its era. When I found out how little the GC sold compared to Ps2 as a teen, I was in shock and couldn't understand why.
The Metroid Prime Trilogy is one of the few games that gets motion controls right when playing with the Wiimote, it's actually very accurate and inmersive with the first person perspective, but sure it may not be for everyone. Man, but makes you wonder what happened to Nintendo, where are the games that we loved and wanted so much? Just now we are getting the The Legend of Zelda we deserved, I hope Metroid gets a better treatment.
"used the polygon pushing power.. to pull off detailed visuals without having to rely as heavily on textures.." "things like cracks in the walls and other smaller details are actually rendered out as polygon measures rather than as simple textures, giving everything a more three-dimension look." This. This makes the game hold up like no other of the sort from that era. Stunningly beautiful to this date.
Zi X Sonic the hedgehog 2006: The Bottom of the Barrel Redefined Real talk though I think there's been enough videos on how and why that game went wrong, I think sonic gets enough shit as is lol
But there hasn't been a single one focused entirely on the technical aspects of the game. I do remember playing it when I was 13-14 years old and thinking something was off. The long loading times, the slowdown, the bland visuals... I think it needs to be analyzed in a technical aspect. If anything, because some idiotic publishers still think rushing a game to meet a certain time of the year is a good idea (never forget Assassin's Creed Unity). That's just my perspective on it, though. Does the Sonic franchise gets a lot of flack? Yes. Undeservedly? NO.
Juan Valencia It's not undeserved but it's beating a dead horse at this point. People have been screaming how bad that game is for 10 years so much that it's overshadowing the actual good games, lol. There's honestly no point anymore. It was just Sonic Team working with a terrible deadline and an unfinished engine, in fact the engine used in the trailers and demo was better than the final game because the version we got was the more stable build, lol. It was a textbook failure and really not that interesting beyond that.
I'd rather they stick to good games instead of beating a dead horse as others have pointed out. Modern 3D Sonic games are all about that Rush/Unleashed gameplay now which are actually quite fun.
The Nintendo GameCube was a real powerhouse which can put lots of polygons per second on screen with many effects. It also has Hardware Lighting X8 and that’s quite spectacular.
Not really as the last metroid game was Other M and it was shit, not made by retro and completely forgot what made Metroid games what they were. Now Splatoon is an online game hence, more people will buy it because that solely. Metroid are more of a niche title but for a singleplayer game with no online interaction 1.5mill copies (only in USA and not counting other countries OR Pirates) is a really good number specially in 2002
Yeah, even if you're not into 2D Metroid, the Prime games just have an incredible sci-fi atmosphere that is hard to beat. It's a very evocative game and quite fun to play.
Mimu Mi Apparently they had something to show at the year before last's E3 but it got bumped. It likely got moved to Switch at this point. (Or cancelled.)
I'm kind of shocked that you didn't catch the differences in the Wii version of the game. Particularly that the rippling water effects are completely missing from the Wii version, which is an effect that you specifically pointed out in the GCN version. I believe that they also added bloom lighting effects to the Wii version. Great overview overall, but it's unusual for you to miss stuff like this!
Heh, well, I can explain that. I did this video right before leaving on holiday and I completed everything except for the Wii section. It was a blank spot in my time line. So the last thing I did was capture some footage and included a mention of it. I just ran out of time to really look closely at it, which is a shame, but I felt that main point was to showcase how impressive the game itself is on GameCube. If I go back and cover Metroid Prime 2 or 3 in the future, I'll be sure to include a more detailed comparison with Wii.
+METR0lD +John Linneman Do you know if the Wii release included updated/higher-res textures? I heard that the resolution was bumped up to the Wii's native 480p, but I have not come across anything related to textures yet.
Ha! Well that explains it! Still a great job overall, as always. There is one other difference that I forgot to mention in the Wii version. The arm cannon effects while charging your blasts are also missing in the Wii version. Like the effect of the ice covering the arm cannon when charging the ice beam, or arcing electric bolts when charging the wave beam. Interestingly, these effects are not missing in the Wii version of Metriod Prime 2.
I absolutely love the digital foundry retro videos. I’m watching all of them through right now. The retrospectives of the games that I’ve played are even more fun to watch.
We have the originals at home for the GC, but also the Trilogy and Other M for the Wii. I don't know why, Metroid has always that awesome imersion feel that almost no other game can reproduce. Thank you for this awesome episode of DF Retro :)
Thinking back on it, I think Turok on the N64 was the first time I got motion sickness from a 3D. Yeah the narrow FOV on a 20" CRT with all the character bobbing and weaving made me want to puke.
Not gonna lie, I originally hated this game, simply because I couldn't wrap my head around it's controls. I LOVE the 2D games, and I saw every bit of potential in Prime..., but I just couldn't like the controls.. however, I recently grabbed it on the eShop, and I have to say... all three of these games are AMAZING using a Wiimote. I never thought I'd love motion controls in a game so much except maybe in pikmin's case... but.. there you have it I suppose. in any case, I now have just as much love for this game as you do, and I really hope the series gets continued properly some day on the switch. 2D, 3D, doesn't matter to me, i really want to see Samus in a new adventure. Hopefully the controls are better this time around!
IrisSapphire the Switch doesn't have motion controls as a main focus so if it happens they are probably going to use traditional controls. Although have to say that the pointer controls of the Wii were precise (especially compared to the movement controls that lost your position easily if you move the Wiimote too fast).
60fps with graphics that good in 2002 holy shit
mindblowing really
***** yea but this is a console and a 99$ console at that.
Walther Penne Ja aber das Spiel sieht SCHEISSE aus.
I don't think people really grasp that this game was on hardware that was probably 1/2 as powerful as the original Xbox, and yet, it ran @ 60 FPS with amazing visuals and animation. Metroid Prime was/is incredible.
Mad Pistol bs. The gamecube wasn't that weak
It truly is a masterpeice
One of the best games ever made
Agreed. On a console that had more than its fair share of masterpieces, this stood above them all.
Abdullah ALZaid I personally prefer Prime 3 over Prime
At least you guys enjoy Prime. Whether it be 1 2 or 3.
@@LosN209 Damn straight.
I agree with you although it depends on how many 'best of' games you can have for yourself. I'd say it's the best gamecube game and the best single player console game for sure.
The 'alone on the world' vibe together with the atmosphere, graphics and music made me feel I was in that suit playing the game.
YES! I have been waiting for this. Metroid Prime 1 is one of the best fps / exploration games, even today.
Edit: Holy shit I felt 60fps smoothness before I even knew it existed. The Gamecube was a beast at the time considering how good Prime 1 looked and how well it runs.
An absolute masterpiece.
MehrunezZ Dagon Man, I've played this game so many times... Both back in '02 and recently on Dolphin.
MehrunezZ Dagon Member Thardus? Member encountering the space pirates?
Memberberry jokes aside, they really don't make them like the used to. With some rare exceptions like the souls series.
Now everything feels committee designed, safe and formulaic. MP had heart, which you noticed from the very outset.
+Fuddy Duddy Hear, Hear!
Fuddy Duddy indeed. Well said
you could tell it was a masterpiece on day 1. glad to see nothing has changed
not to mention when you obtain each new power up you feel like a monumental badass
That wasn't the clever bit. The clever bit was allowing you to start the game with them all, have them all stripped away again, and then give them back with new ones in between. It gave you the anticipation of getting your former abilities back, but combined it with the tension of not knowing whether you'd get a new ability or the one you had already spotted a use for elsewhere.
@@redchris05 You don't start with all of the abilities. Far from it, in fact.
@@redchris05 That's not entirely true. You don't start with "them all".
Sure, there's a lot of power loss when you don't have charge beam or missiles or the morph ball for a while. Even then, when you finally get the plasma beam later on, that's not something you had had at the start, and it was the most powerful thing available by then by a landslide.
A shining example of a company that takes Quality Control seriously.
Well, not exactly. It was more that they had wasted tens of millions of Nintendo's money through useless meandering in the 2 years proceeding and Nintendo was coming down on them full force. They had to deliver a masterpiece or they would all be fired and the entire studio liquefied. Nintendo kept very tight control over everything and were ruthless in chewing out people if something was delayed or didn't meet their standards.
Metroid Prime is one of the few examples were the publisher cracking the whip on their developers actually turned out very well.
@@MrMarinus18 how can you say that? you work there?
@@CharmedReally7 It was mostly the founder's fault. Retro was working on 3 concepts and the two others were axed by Nintendo. Only one left was the one that would eventually become Metroid Prime and the founder during all of this was out partying and posting pictures of himself with prostitutes on his personal website. Nintendo cut a deal with the founder and bought out Retro Studios. By then, Metroid Prime was already well into development. The staff themselves were all untied and put to work on Metroid Prime.
It's funny that there were more games that ran in 60fps two console generations ago than now...
I think it's more to do with Sony and Microsoft trying to compete with the PC whereas Nintendo isn't trying too, because of that Nintendo games focus on 60fps where PS and Xbox games focus on 30fps, to get better visuals, they lower the frame rate, personally, I think they should focus on 60fps, adds a lot more to games in my opinion, the PS4 Pro should've done that but again, they are trying to compete with the PC on visuals, will they ever learn, if I want PC visuals then the PC is the best place to be, it's why out of all the consoles, Nintendo offering is more appealing to me.
The Wii actually has quite a few 60FPS-titles that are awesome. One of my favorites as Need for Speed Nitro, which is underrated imo. Its a very simple game, but perfect for when you only have 30min or so to waste for a comple races. The only annoying thing in the game beeing the low camera angle which some times makes you crash if you dont know the map.
***** That's true and that might change with the Nintendo Switch, that could be going up against Apple and Android smartphones, it wouldn't take much effort for Apple and Google to get smartphones to do the same that Switch is doing.
***** With any luck it might wake the smartphone industry up, the hardware is capable as I'm sure the Switch will show and smartphones are pretty much the same kind of hardware level, if Nintendo show it can be done, smartphones should be able to do it.
***** I think the real problem is the weak cpu then it being GPGPUs, a more beefy cpu and more games would be able to do 60fps, we see it on the PC how going from 30fps to 60fps is more taxing on the cpu and unfortunately for console gamers, looks like Sony and Microsoft are prioritising visuals over frame rates.
From thing I like about Nintendo is that many of their games run at 60fps even though they have the weaker of the hardware whereas Sony and Microsoft are in a mad race trying to compete with the PC which is kind of pointless in my opinion, PC will always win the visual stakes.
I beat this game for my first time 2 months ago. It was even my first Metroid. My brother got it for me on the GameCube so I played the original. Well, what I can take out of that experience, is that Metroid Prime is the most profoundly perfect and flawless game I've ever had the magnificent pleasure of playing. The atmosphere, the music.... And oh my god is that music amazing; but everything in general just coincided so well to captivate me in what was such an amazing experience. Zelda is my favorite series, but Samus is still my profile pic just because Metroid Prime was so amazing to me. Seriously, if anyone hasn't played this game, then you're missing out on such a wonderfully majestic experience, and I urge you to change that.
A large game that runs at 60 frames on console? Huh, would you look at that.
Daniel Santana I really don't think it's that, I think the developers are either being graphics whores or just lazy. MGS5 was 60.
Aeddy35 that is a good point. I mean even Nintendo still make 60 fps games on the Wii U (which was underpowered). The PS4 and Xbox One crearly have enough power to achieve good looking graphics along with consistent fps but that requieres optimization something that some developers out there decline to use and then they said that the reason why this happens is because lack of power and make the impression that PS4 and Xbox One are underpowered and that is not entirely true.
+Daniel Santana they're underpowered when compared to what? one could claim that they are actually overpowered because you have no comlarison point other than eachother. either console could run games at 1080p 60fps ( mgs5 is a perfect example)
so why don't they? simple. developers choose to push graphics capabilities as high as possible to attempt to match high pc, thus taxing the frame rates. any game out there currently could be set to run at 1080p 60fps, they'd simply need to scale back some of the advanced graphical features.
MixeTube I always hate the "trying to match high PC". Console ALWAYS were underpowered compared to the high PC but that was because they were never trying to be a PC. Consoles were made to simplify the use of games for people who didn't had the time or resources to buy a PC.
I think Consoles should focus of simplicity and try to give a different experience to PC because the only way to make a console that can compete with high PC is to make a high PC (without the ability to personalize as much as a PC, of course) and relase it as a console and then relase the new ones more ofter since they need to upgrade the hardware.... and that is an awful idea in my opinion.
+Joel Sola López hate it or not, that's what they try to do graphically, its up to the developer to choose 1080p 60fps, or 30fps with higher emd graphics.
Possibly the greatest game ever made
It is one of the best. THE best is all personal opinion. But if it lands on a List of the best, that's good enough.
Now with the greatest remaster ever
Now back when I told people that the prime games used more polys than halo they thought I was crazy.
Yeah, Halo is the antithesis of Metroid Prime. I DO think Halo looks great and was impressive for what it achieved but MP holds up much better. MP is all about lots of complex geometry at a high frame-rate. Halo is all about shaders, detailed bump-mapped textures and per-pixel lighting. It looks neat but poly starved in comparison today.
Doctre81 Both are amazing imo
Halo and Metroid should not be compared IMO. The only thing they have in common is that they are first person sci-fi games that feature a guy/woman in a super suit.
Halo might have a better story, but the story in Metroid Prime is told in such an iconic way instead of the linear traditional way Halo did it. I'd also say that comparing the music is wrong, because they both do such an amazing job at creating the atmosphere intended for the games.
PS: I'm a massive Halo and Metroid fan (at least before Halo 5), so I wouldn't say that I'm biased either way.
Halo is nothing compared to Metroid Prime
If you consider simply the original game, Halo, the story is weak. Not sure why you're bringing in Halo 3 and ODST there. (Although hiding things in Audio Logs and text dumps is very lazy "storytelling".)
Having played the original Halo campaign recently for the first time (on xbox one), I cannot say it holds up that well. Overall, there are some fantastic levels, but there are also some truly awful levels and extremely badly conveyed directions & layouts.
One of the best games ever made, period. Design, gameplay, story, music and sound are nothing short of phenomenal. GameCube was a beast.
I'm going to get Metroid Prime 4 on me.
same lol federation force was a steaming pile of shit
Nintendo Switch You'll get a second Splatoon before MP4. Because Splatoon sold well.
Good. I'll get the Switch when Metroid Prime 4 comes out then.
No you won't.
Nintendo Switch get a 2D Metroid and I will lick you
i remember getting my gamecube in 2003 when i was 8 years old and playing this game all the time, i was amazed by the visuals and climate at the time
The gamecube hardware was the most brilliantly designed console from any era. It's a little easier to do certain shaders on Xbox, but gamecube edges it overall by being much better at polygons, and it does so while being vastly more efficient. Not to mention that blazing fast loading!
I'd love to see DF take a look at Xbox games like Panzer dragoon orta though.
Menges specially because the size of the games was higher than any PS1 game (Saturn has stronger hardware than Playstation 1) also effects and resolution that the PSX could had trouble if it was ported (the main producer of Team Andromeda, the creators of the Panzer Dragoon series said that Saga and Zwei couldn't be ported because of the lack of power, polygons, and a weak CPU and GPU, in other words, the PS1 was underpowered in comparison to the Saturn and N64 specs).
Menges saga is a great game, and Orta too
I don’t know about that. Cause the Achilles hill of the GameCube was ITS DISC Drive. Also Xbox was still a bit stronger than the GameCube.
Though Nintendo's insistence on a small form factor was a stupid idea.
I mean sure the Gamecube itself is relatively small but if you have to also take with you the power adaptor, several controllers, memory and several games you still need a backpack that you could have fit a original PS2 as well.
I feel console sizes go up in 4 levels. First is true handhelds which would be the size of a smartphone. Something you can easily fit into your pocket, whip out and put back in with one hand. Then you have 2 hand handhelds like the Switch or tablets. You can't just put those into your pocket though the removable joycons of the Switch help greatly. After that you have the medium sized consoles. That you can't just take with you but you can easily fit in a standard backpack and take to a friend. Then you have the ones like the new PS5 and X-box-X which are pretty much pieces of furniture like a desktop is.
This game is a MARVEL of technology at the time.
It was literally a jaw dropping each minute playing.
And the OST? OMG....one of the best ever made.
Metroid is the most underrated series of all time, both the 2D and 3D games
DigitalFoundry + Metroid Prime = Instant click
one of the most enjoyable game i've ever played
I can’t wait for the follow up video to this for the remaster!
that wireframe view...really puts into perspective in a super clear way how impressive the game was. very neat.
Once or twice a generation there's a game that blows me away and changes how I think about video games. Metroid Prime was one of those games.
One of the greatest game ever made. Stands right up with Super Metroid.
I played hl/hl 2 back then. Honestly, it bore me the fuck out of it.
Nicolás Monzón
Key difference: *Metroid Prime* is absolutely one of the best games ever made. Super Metroid is one of the least enjoyable games I've ever played.
Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games ever made. So is half life. Hence, "one of the greatest ever made" This list is getting large. Whether you prefer HL over Metroid, their both great, and on said list.
You already know.
NGC is one of the most underrated consoles of all time.
Yeah, looking back, I realize it's actually one of my favorites. Both in terms of the game lineup and in terms of hardware. It's Nintendo's finest console from a hardware perspective - extremely balanced, incredibly fast yet all packed into the most perfect little cube form factor. Truly a marvel of engineering. The GameCube being that good is why Nintendo were able to basically extend its life through the Wii. So while the Wii looked dated in 2006, it was already running on hardware engineered in the 90s. NGC forever.
With all the good games it had (even third party on board)it's hardly a demo console.
It successfully made a Metroid 2D/3D transition like is being explained in the video.
PS2 just happened to be the more popular system while the Xbox and NGC actually pushed the industry forward in terms of tech.
@@cyphaborg6598 Exactly, and if it wasn't for the N64 and Saturn being blunders (esp the Sat) allowing the Ps1 to monopolize the greatest third parties (Konami, Capcom, Square etc), the Ps2 wouldn't have had as much hype around it. The Ps2 was extremely popular based off the momentum given from the Ps1 and its DVD player. It's a shame the by far more capable systems were largely ignored by the public, therefore making developers reluctant to develop exclusively for the platforms, Ps2 got wayy more support than it deserved and feels dated compared to them, as a result it has a brilliant library, probably the greatest of all time, where these games would have looked and ran better on the other machines.
Gamecube have, 4 amazing zelda games, 2 amazing metroid prime games, melee, 2 good pikmin games, fzero gx.... Not a fan of sunshine tho
I completely disagree with your assertion that _Metroid Prime_ is just as successful a translation of 2D gameplay into 3D as _Mario 64_ or _Ocarina of Time_.
It's even better.
Like he said in the video.
Both Super Mario 64 and Zelda OoT were released one generation earlier, so that explains why.
Just Andre Agree!
Best game that translated a 2D series into 3D:
Super Mario 64
Final Fantasy VII
Zelda Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Metroid Prime
Fallout 3
I douno.... super metroid and zero mission have that "secqence braking" aspect that make the games super replayable...
Prime has it in glitching the game
"'I've tweaked it to look pretty nice, I think' said John, before showing AO bleeding strongly through a steam effect."
I'm not the only one to notice that.
So I JUST finished Metroid Prime on Dolphin after playing it back in 2002 on GC. From start to finish it ran absolutely beautifully. Getting to play it in 1080p with no problems whatsoever was a damn dream come true.
If you haven't played this gem yet, do yourself a gigantic favor and do so, even if your only option is on the original hardware.
"Now we are basically still waiting to see what they are going to do next".
Who would have thought that the next Retro Studios' game would be... Metroid Prime again.
Gamecube is the best Nintendo console.
+Walther Penne pikmins? gg troll
Eeeeeeh, personally, I think SNES was Nintendo's best system. Gamecube was underrated though. It was the last time Nintendo actually tried to compete directly with Sony & Microsoft
@Walther Penne so? Shoters is better than your japan rpg shit
hundjsiegfried agreed
Have the worst mario game tho
Gamecube was awesome.
Star Fox Adventures is a great game to talk about in DF Retro since it has impressive graphics and performance too
Nice Episode BTW, i love this show
Rafa Coprimo would love to see a sfa retrospective. the gfx in that game were mind blowing at the time
Yeah, true, Adventures had really decent visuals while keeping the game locked at 60 fps and even had widescreen support which you don't normally see on titles from this generation
Yep, and still at 60 fps
Metroid Prime is one of those game that will never age
masterpiece, number one reason i still own the GC.
im SO glad you covered this game, it holds a special place in my heart. never have i felt so immersed in a game since dkc2. the visuals, the sountrack, and the gameplay were unlike anything i played at the time. thank you again.
Revisiting the Gamecube really brings home how underestimated a lot of gamers made it at the time. Tons of games with absolutely solid performance and amazing experiences.
I still maintain my campaign you should do F-Zero GX since that game was absolutely mind melting at the time. Especially in the level of graphics it was pushing and the liquid 60FPS framerate with the outright speed of the game. And it wasn't even Nintendo that made it since it was Sega's Amusement Vision who developed it. It would be a hell of a DF Retro episode.
Super monkey ball series is also very good!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! Metroid Prime is a masterpiece! I hope you do one for Prime 2 and 3.
I'm not exaggerating, DF Retro is, right now, the best damn thing on TH-cam. All your videos are absolutely master pieces. I couldn't care less about Metroid to be honest but because of this video i wouldn't hesitate to picking the Trilogy on Wii U, but... it's Nintendo and it's online. I'd love to play this on the Switch, i'm sure it's powerful enough to emulate Game Cube, but again, Nintendo, and they are not going to allow that. Because, again, of course, Nintendo.
Metroid is a pretty cool guy. He has lots of polygons and isn't afraid of anything.
Amazing video on one of my favourite games ever made.
Would love to see an episode on F-Zero GX! :)
Metroid Prime is the best looking game from that generation in my opinion. The series is so organic unlike most other FPS from the time and beyond
My favorite game of all time.
Played this at least 15 times on my GC, never found anything that was even remotely similar in terms of quality and depth.
Sure there are better and more complex games around these days, but considering this game released in 2002 I think that Retro did an absolutely superb job, not only in terms of technical aspects but also did a really good job exploring the lore and the environment of Metroid.
DF Retro is by far the best of DF. No stupid kids in comments and no stupid console war.
That solid 60 fps in Metroid Prime is very impressive.
Those load times were so fast it was hardly noticeable. I'll take 60 FPS and slight transitions between rooms any day.
I am in the process of playing this game for the first time I decided to play it in Dolphin VR and I was shocked at how well it works, it's almost like an actual VR game, playing on my Pimax 8k+ at 4k 110hz, and it's one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the lack of the original water animation of MP in the Wii Trilogy, as it is something you somehow analyzed quite a bit here 😐
Yes, and I believe it's missing some other effects as well. Still plays like a dream on the Wii, though, but if you don't want to mess with motion controls, the GameCube version controls really great.
They also got rid of some of the arm cannon effects, presumably because they were prerendered effects that wouldn't map to a constantly moving arm model. No hardware excuse for dumping the water ripples tho, I guess whoever did that effect left the company and they couldn't re-implement it in time.
Hmm... I didn't know that, ut I did know that it was missing the heat-effect coming from the arm cannon after spamming a lot of shots.
Plays like a dream, but the motion controls are irritating at times. Sometimes I long for the GC controller instead
Shukterhouse Jive It's because Metroid Prime 1 Wii uses Metroid Prime 3's engine, which has a side effect of using its greatly enhanced water physics. While Metroid Prime 3 doesn't have too much water, Metroid Prime 1 has vast areas containing water, and the physics would be too much for the Wii. Thus, the cut. They could have just used animations though
This game graphically was way ahead of its time. At certain areas it looks like a 360/PS3 era game. Incredible!
Smooth is the definite word to describe Prime.
My favorite Metroid by far... I still remember playing it when it came out, My mouth dropped from seeing the graphics (Not a PC gamer yet)... It holds up even today! Echoes is my 2nd favorite.
I'm interested in a video of how the original Golden Sun duology pushed the GBA hardware to the limit
Retro Hero 276 yesssssssss! Golden Sunday was surely one of the best looking games on GBA, and still looks good.
i love Golden Sun,!
Blaize Makin-it-Rain I like sunday
there's a lot of killer ip in the catalouge ninty can make
Retro Hero 276
OMG I need this
This is my favourite series to watch on TH-cam. Keep up the excellent work!
A few key differences others have noted between Prime and the 2D games: 1. A lot more verticallity in the 2D games, whereas Prime's map is more horizontal. 2. 2D metroid is faster paced, especially the late game when you can clear a whole room with the screw attack. In the end i think Nintnedo made the right choice to call this a 'First Person Adventure' title. Prime really does resemble an Adventure game as much as its a Shooter or Action title, if not more so.
They are both 2D in a way, if you look at how they work. It's just that instead of looking at it sideways, you look at it from the top, map wise.
In that sense, Prime had more depth and breadth as it not only adapted the side-view vertical huge map from Super into a flat thing, it actually had levels per each room too.
A more honest comparison would be to imagine a Super Metroid with doors in the levels that were on the background walls that you could enter too, or different layers to stand on like the newer Kirby games.
this is the one game I never got to play on my beloved gamecube. My mind is absolutely shattered at the quality of the visuals on display here coupled with its rock solid frame rate. Gamecube was such underrated hardware at the time.
One of the best games ever made,hands down.
I have to say that I love Eurogamer for creating Digital Foundry for tech focused coverage. Other media sites would branch out into general pop-culture coverage, but the level of analysis that Digital Foundry is allowed to do is amazing. DF Retro gives us the opportunity to find out more about our beloved favourites that is well researched, something I can't say about the Gamespots and IGNs.
Thank you Digital Foundry and thank you Eurogamer.
Pick up the MP trilogy on the Eshop if you don't already have it.
SCP-1048 Builder Bear love too but since there hasn't been a new metroid game I neglected to get a Wii u... a bit too late now for me to get on.
Do they also still work with the NGC controller, or are they wii-motion only?
wii-motion only, which is actually a huge benefit for Prime 2, but maybe not Prime 1
SerenGetter Do those wiimotes work properly on Dolphin? I might just pick one up.
Fuddy Duddy
I doubt it, but I can't be completely sure when it comes to the level of PC support out there.
However only try the wii-mote if its the Trilogy version, otherwise the game isn't designed around the wii-mote.
This for me is the best game ever made for a nintendo console
Great video. I need that Chaos Theory analysis though!
VaNilla thumbs up. been recommending it, they said they picked it up
I also recommended that a while back. Extremely impressive game for its time, and holds up incredibly well to this day, alongside modern titles.
mclouf89 It's one of my top 5 games for sure.
Definitely one of my favorites too, and still the best Splinter Cell game.
really good choice. MGS2 would be another good choice. definite system seller for the ps2
I thumb up "DF Retro" videos up before I watch them - that's how good they are!
Oh yeah! Now THIS is a DF Retro for the ages!!! Fucking love Prime! NX BETTER get a fucking Prime game!!!
***** Uhhhhh what gamer doesn't know that. Like every other person out there, the NX is a slip up I'll make probably even when THE SWITCH is finally released.
Regardless of particular tech the thing has, you can make a great game from a potato system. For Nintendo especially, they can make a AAA Metroid game that looks and plays good on that thing. Look at Federation Force, looks quite good on the 3DS. And THAT'S a potato.
Isn't the switch using a next gen tegra? if so that will be an actual good CPU and most likely better than the AMD counterparts in the PS4/XOne although i do find it rather interesting that Nvidia refused to partner with Sony/Microsoft but okayed Nintendo =P
***** May have a decent CPU but nothing quite as comparable to even the PS4 and Xbox One APU CPU performance.
We don't know if it's Tegra 1 or 2 yet. I speculate it'll be a Tegra 1 because Nintendo is cheap like that but I'll be happy if they actually put some money in for a Tegra 2.
Uchiha Silver I have hunch that the Switch started out as a Shield successor.
FrostyP Wouldn't surprise me tbh you gotta give Nintendo props, Sony and Microsoft originally went to Nvidia to try and get them to power there consoles but Nvidia straight up refused but I suppose Nvidia like Nintendos ideas or maybe the switch will have some Nvidia shield features my god i would love to be able to stream my PC to the switch =P
Michael Hulcy you are aware tegra processors are APUs as well . . . and the PS4/XOne APUs are seriously under clocked mobile versions of AMDs version.
The tegra one could play PC games at 1080p/30fps so if this is their new chip it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it could almost compare to the other consoles given Nvidias track record of being able to put out more power than AMD at a constant while being much cooler and drawing less power.
either way i suppose we will find out eventually =)
The Metroid Prime trilogy is one of the best gaming series I have ever played in my whole life.
I was watching this video while smiling continuously - I have so many great memories of playing alle of the Metroid Prime games :D
Why do devs still deny us 60fps games? i don't understand it...everyone says its better...why don't they just do it? Retro did it...
Sorry, but that's just wrong.
It's not about the console's design, it's about the games' design. The 360, PS3, XB1 and PS4 all have no problem running a game at 60 FPS (there's plenty of smaller games that run fine at 60 FPS on these consoles, after all)... but the game won't look as good as the version that runs at 30 FPS. Since nice graphics are great for marketing and show well in previews, reviews, etc, that is what most game companies go for.
F-Zero on the N64 ran at 60fps, in fact there was a few Ps1 and Saturn games that hit 60fps like Virtua Fighter 2.
PS4 and Xbox One not designed for 60FPS? Halo 5, Uncharted 4 Multiplayer, TitanFall 2, Metal Gear Solid 5 say hi
PS4 and Xbox One not designed for 60FPS? Halo 5, Uncharted 4 Multiplayer, TitanFall 2, Metal Gear Solid 5 say hi
I have never seen a game that sacrifices FPS for graphics where i say "this looks better". I don't understand it. To me every game looks better with 60fps or more...why keep devs doing this? It makes no sense
DF Retro is realy the best series on youtube! Awsome work!
Metroid Prime a real masterpiece.
An effect that blows my mind even though it's so subtle, is the reflection of her when flashes hit the visor. This is the type of minor detail that only a expert and loving developer would put into their games. I only played this game at a Wal-Mart Kiosk back in 2002 (I was 9) so I had a hard time understanding it. Now that I'm older, I'm finally going to jump back into this series!
It looks amazing on the emulator there. There's a number of effects in Metroid Prime that still impress. Such as rain bouncing off of Samus's weapon arm. It irks me that today in rain heavy levels on many FPS we don't get similar effects.
I had an original Xbox at this time, but since then really appreciate the amazing clarity via both audio and video on this system...this machine simply puts the PS2's abilities to shame... cheers.
A legendary game, I played this so much on my GC at the time!
Here's a very retro and obscure suggestion: Marathon Trilogy (precursor to Halo)
Such a great game! I remember getting a GameCube at launch, simply because all the Xbox were sold out. I'm so glad I did. This game, Rogue Squadron, Eternal Darkness, RE 0, RE, Super Mario Sunshine, Viewtful Joe, and others kept me happily invested!
a DF retro review of factor 5 games for nintendo consoles!, those titles surpass technical boundries of the consoles in that date
May I simply comment that you have impeccable taste in music cues on your DF Retro videos, John. Really, you always pick the right tracks to highlight aspects of their classics.
Remaster bros where you at?
I've just been playing Metroid Prime and WOW. I've played a lot of the "best" fps shooters out there and I honestly believe Metroid Prime is one of the best ever. I believe a lot of the audience that played more "shooter/adventure" style games had ether a PC at the time or played a different game-system and the Metroid Prime games never got the overall attention I think it deserved. I personally never had a copy of the game until recently and I'm blown away. There is literally a whole audience of people that have never played those games, because they simply never kept buying Nintendo consoles.
damn, 2002? damn...
Nearly 20 years later, this is one game that I still think back to. I think EGM back in the day summarized it best: Metroid Prime is a actually a game from the future. And it was. Everything about it was way ahead of its time.
the metroid prime love never stops
Thank God, I was waiting for this one for long! Thanks guys!
Without a doubt the best Gamecube game, perhaps even the best game that generation!
***** na man i owned ps2 and xb also back then. and i said; perhaps ;) but prime is definitely up there among the best of that gen for sure.
I'm a hardcore playstation fanboy, and I agree, Metroid Prime was the best gamecube game and game of that generation. That shit blew me away, I bought a gamecube just to play that game.
As a sole GC owner during the era (I later bought a Xb and Ps2 with my own money), for me its always been a tossup between Prime, F-Zero GX and Melee, forever 3 of my most favorite games ever, incredibly under adopted and unappreciated console during its era. When I found out how little the GC sold compared to Ps2 as a teen, I was in shock and couldn't understand why.
The Metroid Prime Trilogy is one of the few games that gets motion controls right when playing with the Wiimote, it's actually very accurate and inmersive with the first person perspective, but sure it may not be for everyone. Man, but makes you wonder what happened to Nintendo, where are the games that we loved and wanted so much? Just now we are getting the The Legend of Zelda we deserved, I hope Metroid gets a better treatment.
I love metroid prime! it's easily my favorite first party Nintendo franchise.
"used the polygon pushing power.. to pull off detailed visuals without having to rely as heavily on textures.."
"things like cracks in the walls and other smaller details are actually rendered out as polygon measures rather than as simple textures, giving everything a more three-dimension look."
This. This makes the game hold up like no other of the sort from that era. Stunningly beautiful to this date.
Make an episode on Sonic The Hedgehog 2006.
Zi X Sonic the hedgehog 2006: The Bottom of the Barrel Redefined
Real talk though I think there's been enough videos on how and why that game went wrong, I think sonic gets enough shit as is lol
No. No more. Please.
But there hasn't been a single one focused entirely on the technical aspects of the game. I do remember playing it when I was 13-14 years old and thinking something was off. The long loading times, the slowdown, the bland visuals... I think it needs to be analyzed in a technical aspect. If anything, because some idiotic publishers still think rushing a game to meet a certain time of the year is a good idea (never forget Assassin's Creed Unity).
That's just my perspective on it, though. Does the Sonic franchise gets a lot of flack? Yes. Undeservedly? NO.
Juan Valencia It's not undeserved but it's beating a dead horse at this point. People have been screaming how bad that game is for 10 years so much that it's overshadowing the actual good games, lol. There's honestly no point anymore. It was just Sonic Team working with a terrible deadline and an unfinished engine, in fact the engine used in the trailers and demo was better than the final game because the version we got was the more stable build, lol. It was a textbook failure and really not that interesting beyond that.
I'd rather they stick to good games instead of beating a dead horse as others have pointed out. Modern 3D Sonic games are all about that Rush/Unleashed gameplay now which are actually quite fun.
The Nintendo GameCube was a real powerhouse which can put lots of polygons per second on screen with many effects. It also has Hardware Lighting X8 and that’s quite spectacular.
this game show why I don't buy nintendo consoles if they don't have a metroid game
Not really as the last metroid game was Other M and it was shit, not made by retro and completely forgot what made Metroid games what they were.
Now Splatoon is an online game hence, more people will buy it because that solely. Metroid are more of a niche title but for a singleplayer game with no online interaction 1.5mill copies (only in USA and not counting other countries OR Pirates) is a really good number specially in 2002
Fascinating video with TONS of technical aspects that I wasn't even aware of. Learned a lot from this video, THANKS =D
I was never interested in the Metroid series but Prime looks awesome. It would definitely worth a try.
Yeah, even if you're not into 2D Metroid, the Prime games just have an incredible sci-fi atmosphere that is hard to beat. It's a very evocative game and quite fun to play.
szogyenyi AM2R is a free fan remake of metroid 2. Feels almost modern, metroid Prime is good too
Great game and trilogy! Nice work DF bringing back this classic to the audience!
Retro has been working on *something* for a long time now, I can't wait to see what, I don't even care what IP it's for.
Mimu Mi Apparently they had something to show at the year before last's E3 but it got bumped. It likely got moved to Switch at this point. (Or cancelled.)
Most Nintendo studios have been silent for too long now. They have obviously moved a lot of projects from Wii U to Switch.
the whole Metroid franchise is underrated, excellent games with excellent soundtracks and ambiance.
I'm kind of shocked that you didn't catch the differences in the Wii version of the game. Particularly that the rippling water effects are completely missing from the Wii version, which is an effect that you specifically pointed out in the GCN version. I believe that they also added bloom lighting effects to the Wii version.
Great overview overall, but it's unusual for you to miss stuff like this!
Heh, well, I can explain that. I did this video right before leaving on holiday and I completed everything except for the Wii section. It was a blank spot in my time line. So the last thing I did was capture some footage and included a mention of it. I just ran out of time to really look closely at it, which is a shame, but I felt that main point was to showcase how impressive the game itself is on GameCube. If I go back and cover Metroid Prime 2 or 3 in the future, I'll be sure to include a more detailed comparison with Wii.
+METR0lD +John Linneman Do you know if the Wii release included updated/higher-res textures? I heard that the resolution was bumped up to the Wii's native 480p, but I have not come across anything related to textures yet.
Ha! Well that explains it! Still a great job overall, as always.
There is one other difference that I forgot to mention in the Wii version. The arm cannon effects while charging your blasts are also missing in the Wii version. Like the effect of the ice covering the arm cannon when charging the ice beam, or arcing electric bolts when charging the wave beam.
Interestingly, these effects are not missing in the Wii version of Metriod Prime 2.
I absolutely love the digital foundry retro videos. I’m watching all of them through right now. The retrospectives of the games that I’ve played are even more fun to watch.
Conkers bad fur day? This game doesn't get enough praise.
We have the originals at home for the GC, but also the Trilogy and Other M for the Wii.
I don't know why, Metroid has always that awesome imersion feel that almost no other game can reproduce.
Thank you for this awesome episode of DF Retro :)
Turok was also great at giving you motion sickness
Thinking back on it, I think Turok on the N64 was the first time I got motion sickness from a 3D. Yeah the narrow FOV on a 20" CRT with all the character bobbing and weaving made me want to puke.
There are remasters for pc, so you could try those ones.
Not at all. I only got motion sickness on the gcn version. 1 to 3 were perfect..
FOV was 47.5° which is unfathomable for modern games.
+John Linneman great series, thanks for creating this. Being released on a sunday just adds to it! Keep up the good work
Inb4 Nintendo copyright strike
What is inb4 ?
@@mrahaman0307 "get in before"
@@DasAntiNaziBroetchen it literally means "in before" meaning "I'm here before blank"
Retro for Retro!
The opening scene for Metroid Prime still gives me goosebumps.
Not gonna lie, I originally hated this game, simply because I couldn't wrap my head around it's controls. I LOVE the 2D games, and I saw every bit of potential in Prime..., but I just couldn't like the controls.. however, I recently grabbed it on the eShop, and I have to say... all three of these games are AMAZING using a Wiimote. I never thought I'd love motion controls in a game so much except maybe in pikmin's case... but.. there you have it I suppose. in any case, I now have just as much love for this game as you do, and I really hope the series gets continued properly some day on the switch. 2D, 3D, doesn't matter to me, i really want to see Samus in a new adventure. Hopefully the controls are better this time around!
IrisSapphire the Switch doesn't have motion controls as a main focus so if it happens they are probably going to use traditional controls. Although have to say that the pointer controls of the Wii were precise (especially compared to the movement controls that lost your position easily if you move the Wiimote too fast).
+Joel Sola López they anounced splatoon on switch and the better if not the only way to play the game is with motion control
One of the most impressive Nintendo games of all time
man this is a retro game now...
It was a Retro game even before it came out. kekekeke
@@NovaPrima Spotted the Brazilian!
John, you REALLY gotta do a F-Zero GX retrospective one day. It's as much of a technical masterpiece as this game was.
Another 60FPS jewel. Really innovative track design, convincing sense of speed, and brutally difficult.