Last November 2018 the most famous purple dragon of all time happily returned to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a remaster made ad hoc by Toys For Bob (those of the Skylanders, among other things) and published by Activision: today we return to talk about it with there review di Spyro: Reignited Trilogy to Nintendo Switch. After about a year of exclusivity on the aforementioned consoles, in fact, the three chapters of the original series are also ready for a second test ride on Nintendo Switch and PC, thus becoming officially usable by literally anyone. As always, the question of a port on the hybrid of the Kyoto house becomes interesting, mainly for two reasons: the technical question of the conversion itself, and then the added value of portability. How did it go for little Spyro and company?
Conversion on Nintendo Switch: TV Mode
Away the tooth, away the pain: the conversion Spyro: Reignited Trilogy on Nintendo Switch is not a particularly successful one, and in the course of our hours of play we have really noticed several flaws, probably explained by an attempt at conversion that actually turned out to be a compression for its own sake. Not even particularly victorious, since as you know by purchasing the physical version of the game on the Nintendo Switch you will still have to download a day one patch of about 8 gigs: several for the average of the console. Anyway, the porting quality it is fluctuating, and particularly differentiated depending on whether you choose to play in dock mode (ie in TV mode) or in portable mode.
The first really noticeable flaw in TV mode is a general demotion of Spyro: Reignited Trilogy. Now, the purpose of this speech is not to make a comparison between the various game versions to find a winner, but it must be remembered that on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 the Activision title featured a resolution of 1080p (up to 4K) and a frame fixed rate at 30FPS. At the same frame rate, which however in many cases and especially in the most agitated situations becomes dangerously dancer, going down a little, the graphic detail of Spyro: Reignited Trilogy cannot aspire to the levels of rival consoles even from a distance. Not bad, you will say: because if you buy Spyro: Reignited Trilogy on Nintendo Switch it is certainly not for the technical sector offered by a less performing console than Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
An understandable reasoning, but in TV mode the general glance is really difficult to swallow: at times we even doubted that it was actually 720p. Backgrounds are generally blurred, shadows and reflections grainy, and a persistent blur becomes more and more annoying as the eye moves further away. Load times between worlds are also slightly longer than on other consoles, but this detail is certainly not the most problematic. Particle effects and lighting would also have required a little more effort during the conversion, but perhaps it is in the water sources that the technical problems of porting can be summed up: they seem dirty, blurred, as if suddenly pollution had corrupted Avalar and the Forgotten Worlds.
Portable and tabletop mode
The problems we have talked about so far concern Spyro: Reignited Trilogy played in TV Mode. Things change (albeit partially) once you take the console out of the dock to play in portable mode. The miracles are clearly only apparent, justified by the small size of the screen, which allows to postpone the defects of the graphics sector, and probably due to a port that had its starting and ending point in the mobile version of the title. This isn't the first time Nintendo Switch titles have given their best in portable mode rather than docked.
And just in portable mode here is Spyro: Reignited Trilogy it feels smoother, more detailed, generally more successful: perhaps thanks to our having played the first hours in TV mode. The small size of the screen helps a definition that on balance decreases further, perhaps hovering around 480-600p, but we will need the analysis of Digital Foundry to be sure. At times you will notice on the screen of your console a real grid, a pixelated grid that certainly does not indicate a good overall resolution.
In portable mode, from time to time, some slowdowns and some lowering of the frame rate continue to peep out, but nothing exaggerated for the player. Nothing to report regarding the particularities of the Nintendo console: a vibration system just mentioned is accompanied by oblivion for the true potential of the HD Rumble. It is hard to believe that more dignified results could not be achieved for a conversion of the Spyro trilogy; however, the fun factor is not compromised ... at least in portable mode.
The contents
Let's spend a few more words for the latest arrivals, perhaps for the players who last winter did not even notice the arrival on the market of Spyro: Reignited Trilogy and therefore little know of its content. The package in question, also on Nintendo Switch, contains the remake version (made from scratch, as if they were modern titles) of the first three chapters of the original trilogy on PlayStation 1, namely Spyro The Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage ( known by us as Gateway to Glimmer) and finally Spyro 3: Year of The Dragon. These platforms, which have now become obsolete mainly due to the small size of the various levels and the extremely low level of difficulty, have marked the childhood of many gamers, and the characters present, as well as atmospheres and worlds still have a lot to say to the collective imagination. . Among other things, three very pleasant adventures are offered at a budget price of 39,99 euros.
Comment
Tested version Nintendo Switch Digital Delivery Nintendo eShop Price 39,99 € Resources4Gaming.com6.0
Readers (22)7.8
Your voteSpyro: Reignited Trilogy on Nintendo Switch is a listless and unconvincing conversion, at times really unwatchable in TV Mode. However, if you play in portable mode, the adventures of the purple dragon will have a completely different aspect (literally), overall more pleasant, in the face of a frame rate that is not always very solid. Now, the question, as always, boils down to some final reflections. Have you already played Spyro: Reignited Trilogy on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One? If yes, then you definitely don't need this version. Have you been waiting for the Nintendo Switch version so far, and you have to choose? If you own other consoles, it is best to play the title there. Finally: do you think handheld mode and gameplay while traveling matter more than anything else? Then no doubt: the Nintendo Switch package is the one for you. It was legitimate, however, to expect more.
PRO
- Spyro is now portable too
- Listless conversion at full price
- Graphic and technical sector only sufficient
