Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Metroid Prime: Trilogy)

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Developer(s)	Retro Studios
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Series	Metroid, Metroid Prime
Platform(s)	Wii
Release date(s)	Original release NA November 15, 2004 EU November 26, 2004 AUS December 2, 2004 JP May 26, 2005 Metroid Prime: Trilogy NA August 24, 2009 EU September 4, 2009 AUS October 15, 2009
Genre(s)	First-person action-adventure, First-person shooter, Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer (4)
Input methods	Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Compatibility	4 Playable
See also...	GameCube Version Dolphin Forum thread Open Issues Search Google Wikipedia page

Metroid Prime: Trilogy is an action-adventure video game compilation developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It features Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption on a single dual-layer disc.

Metroid Prime 2 in Trilogy has been updated with many features from Metroid Prime 3, such as its aiming system, bloom rendering, 16:9 aspect ratio, and reduced difficulty level (to play the original difficulty, play "veteran" instead of normal). The update also has higher resolution textures, and uses Trilogy's menus, save system, achievements, and unlockable soundtracks.

Game Pages

This page should be used for specific issues with the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes sub-game of Metroid Prime: Trilogy. For other Metroid Prime: Trilogy games or launcher information, please see the following pages.

Emulation Information

Constant Wii Remote Disconnects

When using the MS Bluetooth Stack (the default Bluetooth stack on Windows) the game will think that the Wii Remote is constantly disconnecting. Pressing a button on the Wii Remote will restore it, but it will disconnect again seconds later. Disable Enable Speaker Data to remedy this problem. It's a problem bound to PC hardware and driver, you can also try Bluetooth Passthrough, or follow this Wii Remote -TR Connection Guide anyhow to avoid the MS Bluetooth stack. DolphinBar is another viable solution for this problem.

Shader Compilation Stuttering

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Metroid Prime: Trilogy) is one of the most susceptible titles to shader compilation stuttering. The GC and Wii have no concept of shaders - everything is executed directly by the hardware without an intermediate programming language (API). Modern computers and mobile systems do not work in this way, requiring the use of shaders as an intermediary so your system's GPU can perform the tasks that the GC and Wii GPU performed directly. Shaders have to be generated though, and since GC/Wii games are not designed to create shaders ahead of time as a PC game would, when a new effect appears Dolphin has to delay the CPU thread while the GPU thread performs the compilation; a pause that does not exist on the consoles. For most games shader generation takes only a few milliseconds, but for a few demanding titles, the shaders that they generate are so large that they can result in noticeable stuttering, in severe cases pauses of over a second may occur.

Since 5.0-4869, this problem can be solved by enabling ubershaders. Changing GPU, updating GPU drivers, or updating Dolphin may invalidate the shader cache, requiring specialized shaders to be compiled again. Since 5.0-6461, Dolphin caches shader pipeline UIDs independently of the video backend and compiles them on game start. This allows cached shaders to work across different video backends, platforms, hardware configurations and even Dolphin versions as long as changes aren't made to Dolphin's actual shader pipeline. These shaders are compiled in the background when the game starts, which may cause stuttering for a short period. Enable Compile Shaders Before Starting to avoid this.

Problems

Visors

The Scan visor will only work if Store EFB Copies to Texture Only is disabled. Though Store EFB Copies to Texture Only is forced off by the GameINI, visor issues may still occur if the graphics configuration window is opened during gameplay. Disable Store EFB Copies to Texture Only in the Dolphin GUI to avoid any problems. Corrected with default option handling revisions.

The Black Bar

During Shader Compilation, stuttering can become so severe that it desyncs the GPU and CPU threads in Dual Core mode. The game freaks out over this desync, creating a black bar at the bottom of the screen, which takes up 15% of the screen space and "squishes" the game in the remaining space. The black bar will remain there from then on whether stuttering continues or ceases.

After 4.0-7517, enabling Virtual XFB or Real XFB will fix and/or prevent the problem. If XFB is disabled the problem may still occur. Details can be found in the September Progress Report. Fixed with Hybrid XFB in 5.0-5874.

Correct emulation

Black bar and squishing

Enhancements

Bloom Offset at Higher IR

When playing at higher internal resolutions, bloom effects will scale incorrectly, with multiple copies of the bloom spread out from the source, which can be very distracting.

A workaround is to disable Scaled EFB Copy, which will cause all EFB effects to be rendered at native resolution.

Since 5.0-16763, Graphics Mods can be used to make only bloom render at native resolution, or to disable it altogether.

Because it was often rendered at low resolutions, the bloom may appear shimmery when rendered at native resolution.

Example of the bloom offset

Visual Artifacts with Anti-Aliasing

When Anti-Aliasing SSAA or MSAA of x8 level is set, weird glowing appears on the bottom and right edges of the screen, to fix this select an Anti-Aliasing level of x4 or lower.

Glowing on the edges

Dot in IR>1

When playing above 1x Native internal resolution, there is a dot in the center of the screen. It's small and easy to ignore, but it's always there. It can be hidden along with the helmet and visor display in the game's options.

Another workaround for this problem is to put these custom textures into the Dolphin Emulator\Load\Textures folder and enabling the Load Custom Textures option in the advanced graphics settings.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/559645428451246090/802436195375382538/Dot_Fix.zip

The Dot, zoomed in 8x

HD Textures

Metroid Prime Trilogy - HD Interface Textures. This texture pack works with the Trilogy and the standalone GameCube/Wii titles.

Configuration

Only configuration options for the best compatibility where they deviate from defaults are listed.

Wii Remote

Config	Setting	Notes
Enable Speaker Data	Off	Causes constant Wii Remote disconnects

Version Compatibility

The graph below charts the compatibility with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes since Dolphin's 2.0 release, listing revisions only where a compatibility change occurred.

r7689

5.0-4869

Δ

5.0-21455 (current)

Δ

Δ

Δ

Δ

Δ

2.0 (r5384)

Compatibility can be assumed to align with the indicated revisions. However, compatibility may extend to prior revisions or compatibility gaps may exist within ranges indicated as compatible due to limited testing. Please update as appropriate.

Testing

This title has been tested on the environments listed below:

Test Entries
Revision	OS	CPU	GPU	Result	Tester
r7689	Windows 7	Intel Core i5-2500K @ 4.4 GHz	NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250	Close to perfect → constant 60FPS, 1280x720, 3xNative textures and DSP-HLE sound (still must use dol swap though)	Zlutz
3.0-766	Windows 7	Intel Core i7-3770K @ 4.4 GHz	AMD Radeon HD 6970	DX11 at 1900x1200 (using internal resolution auto, 4xAA), averages 50FPS. EFB-copy-to-RAM must be used 100% of the time for the scan visor to function (contrast to MP1 where it is only required for the rarely-used x-ray visor), but fastest cache option can be used (causes very minor graphical glitches). "Skip Destination Alpha Pass" also breaks the scan visor and should be left off. "Accurate V-Beam" (in right-click options) provides noticeable speedup in large rooms with no ill effect. DSP-HLE works fine, except for very occasional loss of BGM (can be resolved by save/load or reset); DSP-LLE does not drop BGM but instead causes crackling and clicking sounds whenever framerate drops below 60FPS. OpenMP texture decoder, cache display lists, and disable fog/per-pixel-depth are all recommended for slight speedup. DOL swap still required to run.	anon
4.0-2826	Windows 7	Intel Core i7-4790K @ 4.6 GHz	AMD Radeon HD 7970	OpenGL at 1920x1080 (3x internal res), no AA, 4x AF, works consistently at 58-60FPS so far - I will update if I see similar drops like I saw in MP1	anon
4.0-4843	Windows 7	Intel Core i5-750 @ 2.66 GHz	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680	ES_Launch problems now solved, no problems with speaker data. Direct 3D, EFB to RAM used. Frequent drops to 25FPS and I must go to windowed then fullscreen again to gain 50FPS. Everything OK otherwise.	Paulli
4.0-5384	Windows Server 2012	AMD FX-8350 @ 4.6 GHz	AMD Radeon HD 7970	D3D @1920x1080 (3x IR), no AA, 1x AF, playing at PAL50. Runs very nicely, minor FPS drops when entering water and in some places, otherwise constant 50FPS. Played all the way through without major glitches.	XorUnison
5.0-rc-34	SteamOS 2.60	Intel Core i3-4170 @ 3.7 GHz	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti	OGL, 3x IR, no other enhancements, NTSC-U. Fullspeed aside from portal transitions (where crackling audio is the only noticeable effect). No glitches as far as I could tell.	monojin

Gameplay Videos

Metroid Prime Trilogy (MP1 & MP2) HD Gameplay

Metroid Prime: Trilogy - Dolphin Emulator 5.0-12656 [1080p HD] - Nintendo Wii