Skylanders Swap Force - Wii vs HD Cutscene Graphics Comparison

As far as I'm aware, nobody's done a video like this so figured I might as well
Left side is the Wii version, recorded in Dolphin with resolution upscaled to 1080p.
Right side is the Wii U HD version, recorded in Cemu with framerate upped to 60 fps.
Occasionally added in the Wii alpha version at the bottom, also recorded in Dolphin with the same upscale.
Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf images were ripped from Swap Force, and the video borders were ripped from Superchargers.
Background image was recoloured from here: wallpapersafar...

[@vincenzomarinostylex9765]

This is just a reminder that I don't own the High Quality versions of Swap Force...

[@TaeKwonWhoa]

Sameee 😭😭

[@TurboWonder16]

Or Trap Team. 😢

[@vincenzomarinostylex9765]

@@TurboWonder16 Oh I got Trap Team

[@BrawlBlades]

Moral of the video don’t play skylanders on the Wii after giants

[@maddoxreddish4352]

I remember the wii looking better when i played it, but that was probably just childhood imagination filling the gaps

[@banopper]

20:52 this thing scared me as a kid when I was playing Swap Force on the Wii, those dark lifeless eyes, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.

[@doctordogelordtmg9637]

Oh my god I was a little coward back in the day thank God I got the Wii U version because that damn monster would've scared the shit outta me and would've probably scared me out of a franchise that I absolutely love now

[@TaeKwonWhoa]

*dies of wii only*

[@LogisTimeWarpTreasures]

You should look into purchasing a Wii U. It’s honestly one of if not the best way to play skylanders. You can play giants to imaginators in HD on a newer console, play spyros adventure and the 3ds/wii exclusive superchargers racing on the wii backwards compatibility. You can also play both the downgraded and HD versions since some have differing content. Just another reason why the Wii U is the best Nintendo console to date

[@TaeKwonWhoa]

@@LogisTimeWarpTreasures i just got a switch recently, i ain’t buying another new console for ONE game

[@LogisTimeWarpTreasures]

@@TaeKwonWhoa That may be true, but the Wii versions of swap force and trap team are pretty bad. Also superchargers is not on Wii only the racing version.

[@TaeKwonWhoa]

@@LogisTimeWarpTreasures i know, i already have a ps4 for the other games. Just swap force for the ps4 in particular costs like your liver or something lol

[@OneOddGamerYT]

@@TaeKwonWhoa Just sell your liver then, easy

[@SquidwardSmellsGOOD734]

Man, I remembered when me and my brothers first got Swap Force for the Wii. We all agreed on how bad we thought the graphics were and always ridiculed them for that. Fortunately, we did get the Wii U version, and let me tell you, it was so refreshing to play the same game, but with more a polished and better looking artstyle on that system. It felt like playing a remake rather than an HD port.

[@Elgi72]

2:45 Funny how the Chieftess has an completely different Outfit in the Wii Version, but still has her regular one in the pre rendered cutscenes.

[@sox1340]

Joe Swanson what are you doing in skylanders

[@silvershadow525]

As someone who has only played the Wii version, I can forgive a few things, namely the lower textures and the lack of most particles/effects. However, my biggest complaint regarding the graphics is the lack of expression on the NPC's, namely Flynn, Tessa, and most enemies (aside from the cyclopes, they actually took the transition pretty well). It's like their faces can do only three things, open/partially close their mouths to talk, look around, and open/partially close their eyes. Flynn takes this especially hard, as he constantly looks... bored... whenever you see him in the world. Tessa is slightly better, but being a more expressive character, it hurts to see her attempting to show her emotions when the face does not match at all. Actually, the scene where Whiskers is de-evilized shows this off excellently. Tessa is supposed to be overjoyed that her best bird friend is finally saved, and when Sharpfin looks to Flynn, he gives a confident smile and a thumbs-up as to say "Yeah, we did good here". The non-Wii consoles show that perfectly, but the Wii version has none of that emotion in a relatively emotion-heavy scene. Like, the actions are there, but the faces are unmoving, like puppets. It's uncanny, man. Funny enough, the large bosses, Fire Viper and Super Evil Kaos, don't have this problem, probably because of their size, so they could afford to have more complex facial movements, at least enough to match the other consoles I also really don't like how they did the lighting. I get that they couldn't do anything too fancy for the Wii, but man there are a ton of places where it's either too bright or too dark, and it especially hurts when facing an evilized creature, where the crystals are supposed to be the main feature, couldn't they have made those a bit brighter? I suppose this is why (graphically) I like Trap Team Wii over Swap Force Wii. Swap Force very much feels like a game that was made for a next gen console (compared to the Wii) that was forced to trim itself down to the bare minimum to fit a console it was not made for. Trap Team feels more like it adapted to the Wii's limitations using an engine that was made for it.

[@OneOddGamerYT]

Funny you mention fire viper not having a problem when its eyes don't move at all for most of it lol

[@banopper]

@@OneOddGamerYT the inner machinations of a fire viper's mind are an enigma

[@Elgi72]

Reminds me of a Video someone else once made, that Person compared both Versions. He never made an second part after that.

[@Qephyr]

He died

[@potamus9973]

I recently played through the Wii U version of the game for the first time, and there's just so, so much that's different between these games. Not just the graphics, but there are so many features, areas, pieces of dialogue, collectable locations, etc etc that are changed or just removed in the Wii version. Despite playing the Wii version hundreds of times and recently playing a HD port, this video is still eye-opening to me and it is astounding that this came out as bad as it did. I understand fitting VV's levels on a Wii was a bit of an ask, but they managed to fit Superchargers on a mobile phone, and yet they couldn't even get most of the basic game contents here to function correctly at all.

[@studiedport5]

I guess I made a good decision getting the 360 version instead of continuing the Wii 💀

[@PrimalKevYT]

Should have ran the Wii footage in the actual resolution it plays in on Wii tbh lol

[@OneOddGamerYT]

I actually did record it with a capture card and real console about 2 years ago, but decided to increase dolphin's resolution to show that everything here is the fault of the game itself and not just the Wii resolution lol

[@red-eyejustice6682]

I always asked myself why does it looks like that? Giants and SSA Look fine on the wii. So why does this one looks like it was power with a potato.

[@tristang7982]

My guess is that when the next console generation approached they decided to put more effort into HD and less into the Wii version.

[@theTadpolshrimpl3425]

Is it just me or the HD version can only go 60fps. Because i don’t see the same frame rate with the Wii version.

[@OneOddGamerYT]

Both are locked to 30fps normally, HD is 60fps in this thanks to Cemu

[@moisttoucan4640]

I tell you what, the hd versions look so amazing, and I don't mind the wii versions, but the wiis swap force version is HORRIBLE for graphics

[@StephenLuke]

The Wii version sucks because there wasn't a lot of blinking or expression changing.

[@ccandskyandzen-akutheeontr7423]

I can't unsee the fact that the snow hound looks like a flying squirrel mixed with a husky ad a raindeer

[@charzardfan7]

will you help me somthing how will i play swap force on the wii without any glicth diffulcties

[@RealKanii_]

Yeah… some things are just really really really bad. I played it on Wii the first time but my big brother started playing it after me and my little brother were having lots of fun with the games. He got it on the PS4 and Xbox One back then and I remember back then I haven’t even noticed why exactly I preferred the console versions over what ever the Wii put out there. I mean yeah. Some bits really aren’t that bad. But the levels over all are really really really bad in comparison. I mean yeah… the level before glumshanks is really good and I don’t think it’s that much worse … but let’s be honest… what they did to the game due to lack of power really was harsh and this wonderful game didn’t deserve that. Yet I’m still thankful that we were able to play it back then when we only had a Wii. Trap team on the other hand… I feel like it’s way way worse and they just shouldn’t have even put it on there anymore. To be fair though they DID give us a download code for the Wii u version for free in the Wii Starter Pack. This is really fair and I honestly think that Toys for Bob and Activision (I don’t know who made the decision to do that) should be praised for that move! Obviously especially Activision shouldn’t be praised too much because the CoD community just got f*ed. Or at least players like me that put time and effort into becoming a better player, playing comp for quite a long time… and no we can’t chill anymore because of sbmm in core…

[@IAmInSchoolRightNow]

I find it funny that Frostfest Mountains actually looks better on the wii cuz the dark blue fog is prettier

[@Elgi72]

All Alpha Cutscenes 1:55 6:40

[@WC_Audio-Stories]

Wii looks like a person just tried sfm work

[@jennifergray8844]

I love this! Can you do a trap team one as well please?

[@OneOddGamerYT]

Maybe at some point, but I'm hoping to work on something else at the moment

[@masterdrewt6698]

Y’know something that just hit me….this game from 1st to 2nd between Spyro’s adventure and giants would’ve got a chance to be on Ps2 if it was possible including swap force seeing how the graphic looks on the Wii. I mean the timeline adds up right?

[@infectorrobert]

The wii version of this game is what I got in Christmas 2013 since I didn't have a Wii U until 2014.

[@eathan8799]

I know the wii verson looks like it's running on a potato, but i still love it just cause of nostalgia

[@xwicked_racer6554]

I'm currently playing the ps4 version of swap force on my ps5, I used to own the ps3 version but that keeps crashing on the Rampant Ruins level, luckily I didn't get the wii version. I'm also currently planning on getting a Nintendo Wii(NOT for swap force) because I wanna play every Mario kart game. Ik that you'll say "Are you also getting a Nintendo GameCube?" No because I wanna get a model of the Nintendo Wii that plays GameCube games & supports GameCube controllers too soo, yea😁

[@fireembliam9090]

This is basically for the enemies not cutscenes.

[@obsidian_citadel437]

Damn I always wondered why ppl dogged on SF Wii bc my version looked good… now I know there’s an HD version 😂😂😂😂

[@forcedexcess26]

What a great port.

[@thegriffin4140]

This just makes me remember how bussing this game was even on the wii which is the version i had

[@fireembliam9090]

I am sad that the last three Skylanders games do not have Enemies introductions.

[@Camorelius]

Do all Spell Punks on the Wii resemble Time Spell Punks?

[@OneOddGamerYT]

Technically no, as they all have the wrong colour trim. (Time punk has blue, the cutscene ones have purple) So in a way all the Wii cutscene ones and the tower of time HD cutscene use a nonexistent punk lol

[@Camorelius]

@@OneOddGamerYT It should be its own species: The Wii Spell Punk...

[@ReeseJohnson-g5w]

What is that troll even doing like is he posing or what? 14:28

[@animeluigiboy]

Thank god I have the Xbox 360 version.

[@yaragh7908]

Nicely done✅

[@Shojiki64]

Could be worse

[@Fireyninjadog]

Ps1 skylanders