Video: Digital Foundry Takes A Look At Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy On Switch

Anybody expecting this to be a graphical showpiece are playing the wrong game.

@Silly_G - Technically, anyone expecting a graphical masterpiece period is playing the wrong game.

Crash is no masterpiece. Not then, not now. It's a showcase is some new fancy window dressing.

But it's sweet sweet nostalgia.

Realistic is NOT everything because Perfect is Boring.

@Paraka : "Crash is no masterpiece. Not then, now."

That's how I felt as soon as I started playing. It felt so redundant playing such an average game when there is so much better available nowadays (cough Super Mario Odyssey cough).

I used to play the trilogy on my cousins' PS1 back in the day and I remember 3 being quite good at the time. It will be a while before I get that far into the game though.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the trilogy receive a mobile port at some point in the future.

Playing in handheld mode was a nice experience, having previously owned the PS4 version. Its looks and plays GREAT for what it is. You’d have to be a real tech snob to find reasons not to enjoy it. Its of course not going to look as good as Mario Odyssey or Tropical Freeze, but its still very good.

@Silly_G - When you go into the game KNOWING that, you can actually enjoy it for what it once was to you.

And the sales reflecting really positively, this looks promising for a Spyro port, the better of the two platformers I enjoyed on the PS1 (though nowhere near my favs, Medievil and Monster Rancher take that).

I wonder if Activision want to Remake another Crash Bandicoot games from PS2 era such as Wrath of Cortex, Twinsanity, Nitro Race, etc.

@Silly_G As simple as they are, Crash games are also very precise platformers. I cannot imagine a mobile touch based port going over very well.

@AlternateButtons I agree, the fact that the devs originally thought the game wouldn't even run on the Switch is so wrong. This game is far less demanding then Doom, Skyrim, Wolfenstein, L.A. Noire, Zelda, Mario, Splatoon 2, and a lot more just to mention a few. It's not like they had to cut the frame rate either.

@Silly_G I disagree. This game simply looks amazing no matter what platform is on! I say that because there's more to a good-looking game than just trivial technical details.

@AlternateButtons : I completely agree. I noticed the low resolution immediately and I thought it was embarrassing that it was released in such a state considering how superior games on the platform (both visually and in terms of gameplay) are able to perform so much better.

@Silly_G “That's how I felt as soon as I started playing. It felt so redundant playing such an average game when there is so much better available nowadays (cough Super Mario Odyssey cough).”

The Switch doesn’t have that many fantastic 3D platformer, and many of us 100% finished Odyssey 6 months ago. I can fit another 3D platformer in my life.

@AlternateButtons

I purchased N. Sane Trilogy on Switch at launch, and I'm just completely baffled at these reports the game runs at 480p. I thought for sure it had to be misinformation, as the game looks beautiful even in handheld mode. You definitely notice some jagged pixels on finer details like large patches of grass, but for the most part the game looks very crisp and clear. I personally think it's one of the best-looking Switch games to play in handheld mode.

The future levels in Crash 3 look rather low-resolution, oddly, but otherwise I think playing even in handheld mode is comparable to PS4. I also own Lego City Undercover for Switch, and that game looks jaggy as heck in portable mode, like a Wii game or something. Crash looks nothing like a Wii game. I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm no expert like these people at DigitalFoundry, but I just don't feel like the resolution is that low. If Crash in portable mode is really 480p, it's the best looking standard definition game I've ever seen in my life. Again, I'm just baffled here.

Edit: Even in docked mode, while it doesn't look as clean as the PS4 version, I felt like the pixels are less jagged than Breath of the Wild can be at times, and isn't that game like 900p or something? I just don't understand this whole report at all...

At least the game got ported over, that's a win in itself for the switch.
Having said that , I can't help but wonder if panic button would have done a better job on the presentation , they are really becoming the authority on 3rd party.

"basically"

@Silly_G

I honestly prefer the N. Sane Trilogy to Odyssey, but I know I'm in the minority. If you're still playing through the first game, Crash 2 fixes a boatload of problems, and new moves like sliding into a long jump make the game much more fast-paced and alleviates some of the tedious precision required in the first game. Because yeah, the first game doesn't hold up that well and I suppose could be considered pretty average.

Overall, I just like the core platforming challenge of Crash, which I felt Odyssey didn't really offer that much of. So many of the Power Moons are just spoon-fed to you for doing tasks as simple as ground-pounding the glowey spot or kicking a rock around, and I found that to be a bit patronizing. Even the final challenge took a relatively small amount of tries. I find Crash to be far more rewarding.

I grew up with the PS1 versions of these games, so nostalgia could very well influence my decision, but I think Crash 2 in particular is phenomenal and in my opinion just as good as Super Mario 64. I personally found Odyssey to be a little on the disappointing side, but to each his own! I still agree Odyssey is a great game overall, though, and New Donk City is one of the finest levels Nintendo has ever created. I just expected more in terms of challenge, and I found many of the challenges got very repetitive.

480p? what a joke

@Silly_G can't say i wasn't. but somehow agreed.

@Anti-Matter why? those games are averate at best, just leave them

No Crash on Switch doesn't look great, it looks [removed] compared for what the Switch is capable of.

This game runs at highest settings on my sisters 4 years old notebook at 1080p 30fps, a 4 year old notebook that in fact can't run anything above GTA 4.

That aside Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey run at higher resolution at 60fps, Breath of the Wild looks better and runs at 900p in dock and 720p in portable at 30fps.

But those are Nintendo games, so let's grab some other games, a game like Resident Evil Revelation 2 that looks barely different than the PS4 version (mostly shadows and lightning) runs at (sadly unlocked) 30+ fps at 1080p in dock and 720p in portable, not to mention more intense games like Doom and Wolfenstein 2 run the same like Crash but are more intense.

No this is a weak port, even without 1:1 comparsion I saw this looks worse than PS4 (mostly the characters themself because lack of fur) not to mention it looks fuzzy which some other lower res games don't on the Switch.

Even on other systems the game is a bad port, PS4 Pro or Xbox One X run it at 30fps, for compasion Xbox One X has comparable GPU to a GTX 1060.

Didn't I say a 4 year old notebook can run this at 1080p 30fps? The GPU of that notebook is barely better than most Intel GPU's (-_-)

With all of the games that bury this game in complexity in both graphics AND gameplay, but run at higher resolutions and frame rates, this just screams afterthought/limited resources committed. Knowing that there's much that happens behind the scenes that we may never know about, I'd never say it was a 'lazy' port. But it obviously wasn't a priority

It is a $39 budget game. People being a bit unrealistic on how much time Activision was going to put into this.

@Agramonte it's not u realistic, there are cheaper indie games were people out more time and effort in porting it.

Saying it's unrealistic for a €40 is nonsense and cheap excuse.

Seeing as they obviously put zero effort into the HDR implementation on X and Pro, I might actually consider getting this on the Switch at some point. There is still a huge visual gap, but in this case, I don't feel like it's deal breaker. Seeing as I am only more or less interested in this anyways, the price will probably decide which version I pick, which in turn probably does not bode well for the Switch and I'll probably end up with the PS4 version ...

@Not_Soos

"Overall, I just like the core platforming challenge of Crash, which I felt Odyssey didn't really offer that much of. So many of the Power Moons are just spoon-fed to you for doing tasks as simple as ground-pounding the glowey spot or kicking a rock around, and I found that to be a bit patronizing. Even the final challenge took a relatively small amount of tries."

This is exactly what I already said on a previous thread.
You're not a minority buddy. I have a lot of friends around me thinking the same way as us !

I even go further than you !

Super Mario Odyssey is the worst 3D MARIO ever. Not a bad game on its own but as a 3D Mario it's wayyyy below all the others.
It fits with the new philosophy from Nintendo, MAKE EVERYTHING MORE CASUAL !

Even games with a core gameplay based on skills (Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze), they have made an "easy mode" with Funky Kong on the Switch version... :/ That's nuts...

Have it on the ps4 and it looks really good. Yeah, it's not as good as Mario Odyssey, but that doesn't make it a bad game and not worth playing. A lot of work went into upgrading this from the ps1 originals and it shows in the ps4 version. Sadly, sounds like the same can't be said for the Switch version.

Hearing a lot of people saying these games are no masterpiece and some saying average at best. Fair enough.

Occasionally a few are admitting they are enjoying the game more than Odyssey. We'll I'm another on that list.

I'm not saying it's a better game. But hear this - it is a better PLATFORMER Crash has some really good challenging platforming. Odyssey was to busy with lots of other clever idea's but decent long sections of inventive platforming were few and far between. Compare this to Crash, and say, the (for me) masterpiece that was Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS and you have two awesome examples of more and better platforming - which should be almost the entire point of Mario Odyssey - but sadly it wasn't.

Anyway I'm loving Crash so far and technically it totally fine for me.

It seems to me analysing the Switch library has become Digital Foundries raison d'être. I'd never heard of them before so I hope they are grateful to the little underpowered wonder that is the Switch.

@Anti-Matter CTR and Twinsanity HD remaster would be awesome

@Cobalt Totally agree with you guys on this Odyssey was not a great 'Mario' game. Just a good and interesting game - but without the core focus I was craving and had a basis to expect.

@brunojenso

PERIOD !

@electrolite77

Hummm, I cannot consider Mario Odyssey as a platformer anymore...
There are some platforming parts ok, but to define Odyssey as a platformer, it's just NO for me.

480p on handheld is still good for a game like this. The Naruto games on Switch also have a lower setting but it still look good enough to play and have a blast.

Ive heard all versions arent well optimized even the Pro and OneX versions so its obviously a developers thing but Crash, despite being popular is always considered as A or at highest AA while Sonic and Mario where the AAA platformers with mostly Sonic [removed] things up also losing the AAA label in many ways.

I think Activision just lowered the handheld resolution to 480p because of battery live, instead of optimizing it to balance it out well like many other games.

@electrolite77 Fair enough! I was just saying, if they had at least decent HDR support, I would have gone for that version no matter what. That being not the case though ...

If it's truly 480p in handheld mode then you could have fooled me... Game looks and plays perfectly fine no matter how you play it. My only complaint is that Crash 2 feels super cheap compared to the classic Crash 1.

@brunojenso I actually kind of secretly liked Crash more than Mario 64 back in the day. It's a more traditional linear platformer and my friends and I would pass the controller taking turns trying to 100 percent all the levels. Great times and the experience was as memorable as watching Mario run in 3D for the first time.

@Not_Soos It's 1280x720 docked, which is surprising. I would have thought something between 720p and 1600x900 would be the target for docked with 720 or slightly below with adaptive resolution for handheld.

Ah well, it is what it is.

@electrolite77

That's totally not my way of understanding how the game is made.

The core, like you say, is BASIC EXPLORATION not Platforming !

Platforming is a layer stuff not in reverse. Ortherwise we didn't play the same game at all...

A lot of excuses from people on here who just want to play portable or are starving for another platform. "Good enough" was a very positive quote from a very dismal review. At the very least 900p. This is beginning to feel like wii Era.

If it's at all a home console then 720p is a joke. I bought it to use as a home console but I'm beginning to think I'm simply playing a portable plugged into a tv. Really wish there was a pro sku which would offer those who want to use it as a console mainly a more competitive experience.

@electrolite77

Why are you using a full HD or 4K tv then ?
Because with that way of thinking, it's a nonsense...

Why watching a bluray if it's not to have the best quality in sound and image ? Watch VHS in 2018 then... LOL

@electrolite77 I have no problem with people wanting a portable machine. But there are those who would like a more console like experience. Why is it this generation that the console people should be treated like second class citizens. Especially in a world of dual skus. This nonsense that graphics don't matter is plain sillyness. With that logic nintendo could have stopped making systems a long time ago. I get Japan likes portables but Japan is a very small number of overall sales. I guess some are using the switch as a portable next to their PS4/xbox one. So maybe just nintendo exclusives matter. But then those on here shouldn't be begging for ports or third party games. Maybe I should be using my xbox primarily and my switch secondary. Or maybe nintendo should have made a system that could do 1080p 90%of the time. Rather they made a system which does 1080p 10% of the time. Btw how is that nice 4k tv?

I never would have thought the Crash games ran at 480p in handheld mode if DF didn't point it out, that being said the games look and run great in handheld or docked mode on the switch.

Not that much of a downgrade visually to the PS4 version to me and I'll take the portability over that 4k checkerboard stuff anyday.

I can't exactly play zelda/mario/dk on a PS4 or xbox can I. So that suggestion doesn't work. As for nintendos sales success with the Wii. It better not get too cocky. The Wii sold like hot cakes and then slowed to a crawl and the Wii u suffered because of it. It's price isn't exactly cheap and ps5/xb2 is coming sooner than nintendo cares to admit. All in 4k.

@sixrings I’m pretty sure you were aware of the switches limitations when you bought it, it’s capabilities aren’t going to magically change after your purchase, complaining about that fact now is pretty silly. Especially when you compare the form factor and size of the switch to a PS4 or Xbox whose base models still can’t hit a full 1080p most of the time, well the Xbox at least I’m not a100% on the PS4, but still, the lack of power regarding the switch and 3rd party games is visually obvious from just looking at the hardware itself. Just saying.

So the advice from a nintendo site is ignore nintendo content for four-six years. Great.

I play Crash as a game, not as a movie so those little things means nothing to me. The game is still one of the better platformer on the Switch outside Nintendo's own IPs.

Why can't nintendo supporters just agree a pro sku will be needed? I guess somehow suggesting that would mean you aren't 1000% nintendo loyal.

Having some sort of resolution standards doesn't mean you "aren't about the games.". What kind of koolaid have you been drinking. I'm just going to go downstairs and be happy with my DK arcade cabinet. That was graphics at its finest. Anyone who expects better isn't a real gamer anyways.

@Not_Soos I’m with you. I know they (and others) have claimed 480p in handheld mode but it never looks that noticeably low res to me. Sure, it’s not as crisp as some of the other games I’ve been playing but to me it still looks sharper than say Wolfenstein 2.

I'm the neutral party. I'm just asking for nintendo to meet me half way. But it sure sounds like you are shoveling some good fanboyism. Do you get extra gold points for that.

@mailman exactly... It is a Handheld with a TV dock in the box.

It is as much of a home console as a PS-Pro is a 4K machine.

@Rayquaza2510 you getting 3 remastered games and 2 new levels for that price. And a better version than any other handheld version ever made.

@electrolite77 dude you told me I wasn't a real gamer because I was concerned about the resolution. What kind of reply did you expect. I believe you said I wasn't about the games. I guess I wasn't about the games when I owned a nes,snes,gba,64,gamecube,wii,wiiu,ps,xbox,xbox360,xbox one and several arcade cabinets. Clearly you are about the games because you are happy with whatever nintendo gives you and because you have a wave racer avatar. Congrats. I don't need to prove I'm a "gamer" or I'm about the games to you. You just sound like a nintendo spokesperson. You keep saying I shouldn't expect toe to toe comparison with the other consoles. I wasn't comparing the switch to a xbox one x or a ps4 pro. I was comparing a 2017 system with systems that came out in 2013. So in 2021 when you say the new system comes out the switch will be on the level of a xbox one? By then a xbox two will be out and again the system will be two iterations behind.

The problem I see here, might largely depends on what you consider your Nintendo Switch to be. This console is essentially, an ARM-based tablet with a tegra chipset from Nvidia, not dissimilar to those Nvidia Shield devices. I personnaly consider it as a portable console, with a docking station for TV-out. And considering it like this makes a lot of things people would find unnaceptable in a home console, forgivable.

Think about it. A portable console that can run similar games than those you can find on other home consoles. With compromises of course, but still... it's PORTABLE! I remember a time when anything portable was an obvious low-tech port of a better game, sometimes a completely different game. Just thinking that I can now play the same thing on the go kind of put everything in perspective. At least for me.

I've been playing Crash since its release on the Switch, and really, I can't help but think that these obsessive pixel-peepers are blowing everything out of proportions. 480p is not bad on such a small screen, especially with all the graphical filters in place. I'm not holding my Switch at two inches from my face. It's looking fine. If someone wouldn't have mentionnned it was 480p, I'd never know.

Personnaly, I'm not basing my game-purchasing decisions on game resolution, presence or absence of shadows, quantity of in-game foliage, reflections, level geometry, or if a character has simulated fur instead of simple textures.

Is it fun? That's what matters to me.

To me, I see this as playing Crash Bandicoot trilogy on the go, on a portable console. No other consoles can offer me this right now.

Now, I admit that if you use your Switch primarily as a home console, it's not the best version out there, graphically speaking. If you have another console, get it for that one instead. But still, the game, aside from these differences, is the same.

So now we're saying. Well it's the best portable out there so be happy with whatever it's capable of because nintendo has a monopoly.

@Cobalt Are you including 3D Land/World in that list of 3D Mario games that are better than Odyssey? Because that's where I start to get a little uncertain. I would agree that 64, the Galaxy games, and probably Sunshine are quite a bit better than Odyssey.

You said " If you can’t tolerate the limitations and resolution is more important than the games you aren’t that bothered about the games."

"They can only support one system and that system has to be portable. ". Why again can't they support a pro sku? Sony can. Xbox can. Why can't nintendo?

You keep saying I shouldn't expect toe to toe comparison with the other consoles
"You shouldn’t. See Wii, DS, 3DS, Wii U, Switch. Recent history suggests Nintendo have no interest in doing that. The current market suggests it would be a bad idea."

You conveniently failed to address my point that the switch came out in 2017 along side the ps4 pro and xbox one x. Xbox one and ps4 came out in 2013. So it isn't about competing toe to toe it's about not being able to compete with 3 year older tech while the other systems upgraded their tech. Btw I'm pretty sure Sony is making good cash selling powerful hardware.

@Not_Soos

I trully think that 3D World is the most underated 3D Mario ever !
It's particulary true for the 2nd part of the game.
Basically, the game is divided in 2.
The 1st part is a "how to play mode" with a ton of different mechanics and ideas, and the 2nd part is a "put in practice what you have learnt before but with several tricks and an awesome level design".

To be honest with you, 3D World is better than odyssey, sunshine and Galaxy 1... I mean for me.

@sixrings

My friend you are talking with a "Nintendrone"... If your goodsense and honesty are what you are using to just THINK... trust me, you loose your time...

I personaly understand totally your point and my vision fits yours.
I even think that the Gamecube should has been the N64, that the Wii should has been the Gamecube, that the Wii U should has been the Wii and the Switch, the Wii U...

It's like Nintendo is always in the past since the N64 with exponential delay with the time, meaning that in the present time, it's not one generation too late anymore but almost two already...

@Silly_G True but this game looked way worse than I thought it would. I personally feel like it look so much like garbage that it changed the mood of it plus made it difficult to "platform" undocked. A game like Doom gets a pass for me...but this just looked really bad. Gave it a weekend then changed it in for credit. I just don't understand why this game is 480p in handheld. Not what I bought the Switch for...graphics only twice the resolution of the 3ds that actually look worse.

@Cobalt 3D World is my favorite Mario platformer between the Snes era and Odyssey (never had anything to play the Galaxy games on).

@Dang69
480p is 4 times the resolution of 240p.

@Dang69

3D world is like I said the most underated 3D Mario ever ! It's an awesome game...

@westman98

You're right on that but it doesn't change the fact it's a SD resolution...

@Cobalt
Sure. It's a disappointing resolution, but let's not exaggerate how the game actually looks.

Mario 3D World deserved better. Being on the Wii U and looking so similar to Mario 3D Land did it no favors. Hoping for a Switch port someday, as the game deserves a bigger audience and its co-op multiplayer work well on the the Switch.

@westman98 yes but....

"1080p

Often, 1080p is referred to as “Full HD.” In a 1080p television, there are 1,920 columns multiplied by 1,080 rows for a total of 2,073,600 pixels — more than twice as many pixels as you’ll find in a 720p display. For several years now, 1080p has been the industry standard for high definition displays, and most content (that is, television broadcasts, shows, movies, and video games) is produced and distributed in 1080p.

4K “Ultra HD”

The next level of HD is 4K — often called “Ultra HD” or UHD. Technically, the name is a bit of a misnomer, because there are only 3,840 columns and 2,160 rows of pixels (so shouldn’t it be 2160p?). That’s a total of 8,294,400 pixels, which is four times as many pixels as a Full HD 1080p display and nine times as many pixels as a 720p display."

so essentially the other consoles base product are twice as good and their pro models are NINE times better. But who cares about graphics right?

LOL when reading digital trends this is what they say " For several years now, 1080p has been the industry standard for high definition displays, and most content (that is, television broadcasts, shows, movies, and video games) is produced and distributed in 1080p." Tell that to Nintendo!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/720p-vs-1080p-vs-4k/

@sixrings
I mean, Nintendo aren't the ones making Crash Trilogy on Switch, so...

Their own games are 720p-1080p in TV mode, often with dynamic resolutions.

@westman98 you do realize you just said "their own games are 720p-1080p in tv mode." Considering that Nintendo doesnt use ultra high end visuals in their own games you would have thought they would have strived to make a console which could have done their stuff in 1080p. Yet they didn't. That is a problem.

@imananjidesuka for me the problem is although i own a xbox one i much prefer my switch. as a result id rather as much as my library as possible be there. Yet for games like this I really am torn... Torn to the point I probably will never pick it up or until xbox has a crazy gold sale..

@imananjidesuka Also there was console wars back in the 90s. I wanted a neo geo so bad but couldnt afford one growing up... Nintendo had a sony sound chip and mode 7... but sega had "blast processing." People compared games like Aladdin and which street fighter was better. This always existed. We just didnt have the internet to rage on. The thing is though there really wasnt much of a difference between a genesis and a snes so you werent left out in the cold. I guess you were if you owned a Turbo Grafix... Maybe thats it... Switch is essentially a Turbo Express... Be happy its portable...

@imananjidesuka not true... both genesis and snes had turtles, streetfighter, final fight, madden, mortal kombat... Sega CD final fight ftw since it included 2 players. Genesis mortal kombat also included blood. Graphics were a big deal then as well. It wasn't only gameplay.

I'll never understand people getting really picky about resolution and framerate. Unless it actually hinders my experience,(really choppy 15-20fps etc.,) then I don't care. Each to their own, though. I just find it odd that people seem to be really picky about this sort of thing when it comes to Switch games, but will happily play a 30fps game on Xbox One or PS4. shrugs

I haven't picked up Crash on Switch yet, but to me, it looks great.

@imananjidesuka I think we knew considerably less when relying on game pro, next generation, nintendo power, EGM which all came out monthly... Nintendo Power was the monthly advertising campaign for Nintendo. I couldn't trust any of their reviews yet I owned and loved every magazine which came to my house.

@KryptoKrunch Well some people are saying that it is indeed hindering their experience. Those same people are being vilified for caring about the graphics. One person in here returned the game because of it. I get some people may be ok with it but I find it all a bit hypocritical when games like Mario Kart 8 come out in 1080p 60fps and everyone gushes over it. Either graphics matter or they dont. I think they do. The better the graphics the more immersed I am. It is true I grew up on a black and white tv. Then I got colour. Then 720p tv. And now 4k. Once you go forward it is very difficult to go back. Everytime I turn on my xbox then I go back to my switch I am a bit sad. I love my switch. I miss the voice chat. I miss the fact I cant message people on there. I miss the graphics. It doesnt need to be 4k but at this point I feel 1080p is the comprimise. If you want to say 900p I can live with that. But 720p is basically 360 ps3 generation. Now I thought the wii u was more powerful than those consoles. And I thought the switch was inbetween the wii u and the xbox one. So I dont get some of these graphics. Call me a graphics whore. Sure. But dont think I dont care about the games.

@sixrings
I don't think Nintendo cares at all about resolution in their games. As long as they have an appealing artstyle and are in HD (720p - 1080p), then they are satisfied.

These games look so much better than their originals on ps1 so I don’t care about fur or PS4 or XBox One graphics if I did I would have bought one of those versions.I use my Switch pretty much 100% handheld and the ability to play these games handheld is worth what small sacrifices that were made.

To me the game looks good in handheld. No stuttering. Quick loading. It works fine.

As for the games itself: Yeah they aren't Mario or DKC, but I am happy that I am playing a different platformer for once. One that isn't a indie-download. And about the weird camera-angles: That's part of the charm, that's what makes it different.

yet people who made the jump from xbox one to xbox one x with hdr claim there is a huge difference... ive never experienced it but there would go your diminishing returns argument.

@westman98 How is that calculated? I thought 480p meant 640 (approx) pixels wide by 480 pixels tall and 240p was 320 pixels wide (approx) by 240 pixels tall (pixel count for width changes depending on ratio of physical, so you use the height as the standard number). Let me know what I'm doing wrong so I don't sound dumb again.

@sixrings I agree with everything you're saying btw - some of the sub 720 graphics are happening not because the Switch isn't more powerful than the 360, but because the modern games being ported are so demanding, the ports are sacrificing the visuals to free up the ram so the games can keep stable frame rates and stuff. None of these game are made with the Switch in mind, so these port imo are getting really awkward looking. I'm not a graphics nazi, but when the game starts looking like Crash does, 480p on the handheld, and a muddy looking 720p docked (and hey XBC2 was 720p docked and looked sharp and great) I just can't do it. It feels awful. I honestly wasn't sold on this system (seems like constantly now) having games on it 720 docked and sub 720 in handheld.

i didnt think 1080p in 2018 was being a graphics nazi... especially on a game like this. people are acting like its wolfenstein or forza 7. Its a basic game. 1080p shouldnt be that difficult..

i dont think people have clued in that if its to difficult to get this going at 720p that surely there will be games which simply arent even attempted a port. People here will either say the developer is lazy and or who needs call of duty anyways. It isnt about the developers being lazy or if you or i like call of duty. The switch wont be able to strive on simply nintendo exclusives (which apparently they are having a hell of a time making despite abandoning wii u long ago) and indies...

@Dang69
(480x640) = 4×(240×320)

@sixrings @electrolite77 Yes and no. Actually mathematically speaking the returns should technically be the same because 4k is 4x 1k but we haven't got there yet. So it should look like 480p jump to FullHD as FullHD is to 4k. Because of the way the game is designed, Metroid Prime will probably be that series where we can compare the differences (or the lack there of) between Metroid Prime Trilogy (480p upscaled to FullHD), Metroid Prime 4 (HD/FullHD) to Metroid Prime Future (4k). Once we get past 4k I'm sure we'll have to start using our imaginations again to think of stuff to put into digital universes that isn't doable in real life. You will notice a difference with late 4k games to 1k games in terms of background environments and details and what not. That said, we have to get more creative then that from there. Maybe instead of making it visually more impressive someone will implement say a system similar to our DNA strand. It might not change the visual appeal very much but it'll make games more interesting again and use up complex resources like that. Just like 8 bit to 16 bit games again. The jump isn't about seeable graphics necessarily though we can tell a difference it more about what else we can do with it thus the diminishing returns argument. Our visual cap is limited only by our imagination.
As for the game being very low resolution/framerate, it was kind of a "lazy" port. The engineer showed results in one day...but I guess that's because in a game like this people don't care. Unlike the other two (Xbox and PlayStation), I doubt Activision even has an engine specifically designed for any Nintendo system because they keep changing their damn architecture all the time. There's a reason why the other two have specs similar to that of a PC and are almost exactly the same as each other....because they design their system around getting third party ports who develop for the PC primarily. Its the same reason why Apple took forever to get Photoshop running native on the Mac despite having arguably the more powerful hardware. Nintendo will have to stick to their guns for at least a generation if they want third party onboard the hype train. I would argue the Switch is like a GameBoy 3.0 and like the GameBoy, how many non-Nintendo games do you remember playing on there honestly? (Especially visually impressive ones or groundbreaking titles?) The Advanced was much better and my favourite of the lot but short lived and didn't arguably have as many Nintendo titles. Then the PSP came along and finished the job while Nintendo moved on to the DS. I suspect that for the Switch something similar might happen.

@sixrings @electrolite77 I know its kinda irrelevant to what you guys have said but I would like to see a PSP-like device from Nintendo. The GameBoy Advance was doing so good in terms of its games and was getting there then life was cut short and replaced by the DS. The DS was more like a reboot (GameBoy 2.0 if you will) then a sequel even though it could play most your GameBoy Advance games and is more comparable to the Wii-line. It found a new Blue Ocean and had essential games but was lacking something. 3DS continues this trend and was more comparable to a DS version of the Game Boy Color. It'll be interesting to see if history repeats itself with Nintendo rolling out a 4DS which doesn't sell as well but has the game catalogue of a GBA/GC then Sony jumping in and taking the market by storm with a DS-like device.