Last Tuesday, as part of the Nintendo E3 Direct, Spyro Reignited Trilogy was confirmed for release on Nintendo Switch. Soon after, the game was listed on North American retailer Best Buy's website and the box art revealed that an additional download was required when buying the game physically.
Now, this is nothing new - the PS4 and Xbox One versions faced the same issue, with users only being given the first of the three included games on-disc - but things get a little more interesting when looking at the European box art.
As you can see in the comparison below, the European box - which has now been listed at retailers such as Amazon and Smyths - doesn't feature the same 'download required' warning box as the North American release. Does this mean that all three games will appear on European cartridges? It certainly seems possible.
We'll know for sure, of course, when the game launches on 3rd September. Whether by download or as part of the retail package, you'll be able to enjoy Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.
Are you thinking of picking up a copy of Spyro? Have you already bought this on another system instead? Let us know in the comments.
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Comments 78
Even the home console versions require two of the games to be downloaded. I can't imagine the European Switch version is randomly the only one that has all the games on cart.
If additional downloads are required I'll skip the physical release. But if the European release does include them then I'm all for it.
Maybe they're willing to pay for the extra space in different regions for unknown costs per region? Maybe it's a language thing, like they needed to pay extra for different languages regardless and it happens to allow including all of the games?
@Ralizah I don't think space issues were the reason. They printed the game early, when 2 and 3 weren't even finished to rush it out ahead of the holidays, and it seems that their original plan was to offer the rest as a download.
I'm tired of the gaming industry taking advantage of the U.S the largest 1 country market in the world. Way to take care of your largest customer gaming industry.
Surely proof that Nintendo loves Europe more!
That sounds like a mistake on the box. Pure and simple.
@N64-ROX ...because Nintendo is publishing the game?
I can “understand” the fact the part 1 was on the disc on Ps4 and Xbox. They had 4K textures on the disc which also led to bigger GB’s of game data. However on the Switch the max output is Full HD. This automatically means a smaller game since visuals still account for the biggest usage of storage on cards/disc.
After waiting this long to port the game over they could make the game smaller and put the full game on the card.
So I trully wonder if the game finally is on 1 cartridge. If so I will buy it physical.
I'm getting it anyways, but if all three full games are on the one cartridge, just like Crash Trilogy, then Hot Damn!
But for some reason I doubt it, they just haven't plastered the download required sticker on it yet.
Yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I forget did the Crash N Sane Trilogy physical Switch NA version need an extra download?
Well if it doesn't require downloads than I'll get it on Switch over PS4 - when I get round to it
@HeroOfCybertron nope, I think there was an update at the start but all games were on the one cartridge
@KoekiieWoekiie the game only ran at 1440p on both the pro and X.
You'll notice the box art for the Xbox One version doesn't have the usual "Xbox One X Enhanced" logo in the top right corner as a result.
Smart money says this is a mistake. Too weird to be true.
This must be some kind of aesthetics choice: it'll probably be in the back.
The mistake here is having to download 2 of the 3 games (yes, like in Xbox One and PS4). Crash Bandicoot didn't require it, and The Witcher III is 100% in the card, so... Shame on them.
The Australian case has the download notice, and we have, until now anyway, always received the European version of the game.
I was stung with this practice with regard to Resident Evil Origins Collection. I live in the UK and imported the physical version from Video Game Plus. My fault for not doing my homework, but was still disappointed that only 0 is on the cart with a code provided for 1. To me, that is not a collection.
I don't care I'm just glad I don't have to buy a ps4 now
Weird, especially since the European version is usually bigger. Most likely an error. However, we are talking about Activision here, its at least possibly that they just decided to screw the American customers, i can easily imagine that Americans buy more digital, compared to Europe.
That’s kinda stupid. They can spare some money to get all games on the physical release only in Europe?
It's virtually impossible to have this difference since all other releases had mandatory downloads. This one is gonna be the same. Maybe this is a game to buy digitally
I am glad these companies are making it so easy for me to reduce the number of games I want to play. I don't have enough time for all of them and this is a very simple metric to use.
@KoekiieWoekiie : They're cartoonish graphics though. The first three games on PS1 combined would hardly fill a single-layer DVD leaving plenty of room to spare. Of course I am only using this example to demonstrate that such small games wouldn't balloon to such an absurd degree, even if remade for HD.
Textures won't turn 2GB or so into an excess of 50! Especially not with this art style.
I hope the (UK) version is all on the cart. Would be lovely!! I guessed it would be rubbish download. Already preordered.
@Coach_A Welp my bad, thanks for correcting me!
@Silly_G True that.
This is really annoying. If the european version doesn't require any downloads, why couldn't Activision just tell us?
And if you have to download the other 2 games they surely did know that right from the beginning. So why did they not add that "Download required" notification to the european boxart right from the start?
Final Fantasy X/X-2 did the same thing in germany. The boxart on Amazon didn't mention that a download is necessary anywere when preorders went live, but a couple of weeks later they changed that.
I wouldn't get my hopes up to high for Spyro in Europe. The product description on Amazon Germany says part 2 and 3 require a download. But at the end it says "Only Game 1 is on the DISK", so it looks like they just copied that over from the other versions. At the end it's still a mystery.
I wish publishers would just be honest about things like this, but instead they seem to think it's fun for us trying to figure out if we're getting a complete product or not.
probably just an oversight. just like european 3DS games never mentioned on the box when a game was 2D only.
@Nagi_Nagisa actually a download is not required for FF X/X-2 as X-2 comes in a code instead (and it is way worse as it will be forever locked on your own switch).
As long as it is not a code for the other two I am fine but if it is all on the cartridge even better (I am getting it regardless)
@N64-ROX This ain't it, chief. The proof was us not getting Freshly Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland.
Amazon.de lists part 2 and 3 as necessary downloads so don't be too optimistic to getting all three games on one cartridge.
I hate additional downloads so much! Especially on these remaster's where its not needed at all! i will not buy the game if i have to download 2 and 3. (Maybe on a huge discount)
@mjharper Bravo to you. (One of my absolute favorite movies, been doing management work for 8 years and it's perfect )
I buy pretty much all of my games digital nowadays anyway
Just wait. Bet that changes.
Makes no difference anyway; it's an Activision game, so I'm not buying it regardless.
@manu0 Yeah, they do; just it's written on the back.
@KoekiieWoekiie I get what you’re trying to say - but the Full HD is a screen resolution on the Switch.. it’s not a texture resolution..... Screen and texture res are entirely independent.
For example, a Full HD resolution game could have a 55k texture (hypothetically).. that texture might be spread across a whole map... This wouldn’t be done, but my point is that the resolution of Full HD or 4k of screen res’ isn’t the resolution of the textures... the size of the possible textures is dependent on the hardware for sure, but just not in the way you’re thinking.
Long story short though - yes, the PS4 textures would presumably be higher than on the Switch.. however also, the cartridges come in large sizes (increasing as time goes on), if the company chooses to buy them, but the Blu-Ray is mostly fixed at a maximum size.
I wonder if there will be an Asia English version of Spyro that will be fit in 32 GB cartridge. 🤔
Great. I am getting an Europe version then.
Maybe it's just okay to swindle people in Europe?
Maybe the import tariffs have meant the US version has had to move down one cart-size?
It seems like the Switch isn't exempt from Activision's BS.
@RainbowGazelle yes but we're talking about the front here
@RazorWind Same here. I just pre-ordered it, but would cancel and import from Europe to get all 3 on the same cartridge. I've actually been pre-ordering/importing European versions of games recently because I've found them cheaper physically and I'm not too hung up on getting it on release date considering the sheer number of titles coming out in the next 6 months. Glad the Switch is region free, but it sure is bad for my backlog...
Yea @Ralizah i would have to agree with you that the U.K will probably be just like the North American version. The best chance for all three games on 1 cart would be the Asian version if they get one. (IMO).
MK11 also lacked any download notice. This still had the 16gb day one download as the others.
meh its not that big of a deal
Witcher 3 makes this seem even worse for physical buyers. I'm digital only (wily kids will destroy anything) but that sucks for primarily physical gamers.
Am still getting this game regardless.
I will be picking it up, regardless. Would be good if we don't have an additional download.
So excited for this I can hardly wait
@KoekiieWoekiie
There is no way 3 Spyro games would fill a Blu-ray Disc. As someone else mentioned, it was a timing thing, not a space thing.
They should easily be able to fit them all on one cartridge.
activision pulling a crapcom and 2k move not surprised.
As long as it plays good then I had no complain, I was never a fan of the last two games anyways.
I'm getting the game, but it's annoying and a bad practice on Activision's part - not that you can expect anything different from them.
At least they fixed the subtitles issue on the other consoles so I hope this comes with subtitles right out the bat. If it doesn't, it will become a skip for me.
I really do hope this is the case, and that it will become the case for the US as well. It's so incredibly dumb when you have to download more than half of what you should have physically in the box. It's like, ''Hey, we have your physical option here! Oh but half or more has to be downloaded, please understand.'' Ugh.
Getting complete trilogy on cart would be the only reason for me to get physical version day 1, so I hope this is not a mistake. I love Spyro, but having to download more than half of the game beats the purpose of getting physical copies and with digital purchases I always wait for significant discounts.
It most likely says about the download required on the back of the box for the European one. It's just the US one says it on the front.
If breath of the wild can fit on a cart, then spyro can too. Dont be lazy
Capitalists have really gotten out of control in the U.S.
Their greediness is on another level.
C'mon European version of Spyro please have all 3 games on the cart. If not I'll just get the NA copy, seeing as you have to download Spyro 2 and 3 no matter what system you buy it for anyway 😒. I have been patient enough waiting to play these games.
Our best bet for a version with all three games on the cart is if Asia gets a release. They always have everything on the cart
As long as a majority of the game is on the cartridge, Nintendo of Europe doesn't require publishers to use the mandatory download banner on the box art. The Banner Saga is a good example; the first two games are on the cartridge while the third is a download, and yet there's no download banner on the box art.
I wouldn't count on it, but man would it be cool if we would get all 3 games on the card (as it should be)!
@Octane more like spyro the ripoffagy
Sounds like a mistake to me. I think a download will be required..... 3 games on one card would be nice, although I will get it either way providing its good...
Great, wanted to fill up my Switch with huge files anyway.
hopefully it means the asia version will have all 3 on a cart like they done for most games in that region
I blame it on the tariff war honestly, it is the only thing that makes sense.
@knoblife actually the Spyro reignited trilogy on PS4 needs over 60GB just for the base game before the subtitles patch.
The PS4 blu rays can only hold 50 GB
@Aurumonado NBA 2K18 and 19 both require download when buying Japanese/Asian version.
Which western published games in the region have had whole game on cart while EU/US copy needs a download?
Very much doubt spyro would be any different.
Well, the European box art for MK11 didn't have a download required warning on it, while the game actually required a 16 GB download. So my guess here is that Spyro requires a download, even if it is not written on the box.
This could just mean Nintendo of Europe isn't as adamant about the warning label on the front of the box. Regardless, if it's not all on cart I'll just hold off for a massive sale instead. I have no interest in paying full price for digital games.
32gb carts will not happen at this moment at a 30/40 dollar price point. Witcher 3 is 60/70 am I right?
@Dev893 yeah it running well and looking good is important, spyro original trilogy is my all time favorite games and I can't wait to play the remakes on my hybrid device
what I've seen of the games in videos is amazing but I have neither the time nor money to add ps4 or xbone to my house, and besides I've hardly played on tethered consoles for a loooong time as I like being able to game on the go and would rather continue playing the same game instead of playing a handheld game on the go and a console game at home
it's for that reason I picked switch as I could still play on the go while having the option to connect to tv while home(which I usually do except for a couple of games that play better with touch controls The World Ends with You and Piczle Lines XD)
I just checked on the official site of the game European version it is indicated that the game requires an additional download in its version switch
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