The idea that I knew my time in that world wouldn’t be done in 4-8 hours was comforting, even if textures were popping in and out as I turned my head. I think the scale of the game was also exciting, as it’s probably the largest and most detailed campaign-based game I’ve seen in VR. It made me wonder what other lessons from older games could be learned for this new tech. A lot of that is probably nostalgia, but it was also surprising to see old mechanics like Metroid Prime’s auto-lock aiming actually work extremely well in VR. Tom M: It was a strange and somewhat broken experience, and moving around in VR with a controller will never not be uncomfortable, but it still managed to be one of the coolest things VR has done for me. And due to the limited power of the Gamecube hardware and how the game streamed in geometry to compensate, I could see the level load and deload just outside my peripheral vision, though there’s a checkbox in Dolphin to compensate for that. While I could look around naturally with my head, Samus’ arm was still rigid, tied to the Gamecube’s original control scheme, which is especially strange for most first-person games nowadays. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect experience. I drool at the thought of revisiting Wind Waker in the same way. They’re infamous for selling their games over and over again, but what better way to archive and celebrate an achievement like Metroid Prime than by letting you walk around that space and appreciate it up close? Lauded at the time for pretty frills like rendering Samus’ HUD in-game, it nearly feels like a UI designed for VR. I am now absolutely convinced that Nintendo needs to get into VR, and this is how. It’s a bit disorienting moving in and out of tunnels, but kicking around ball Samus from above gives a nice sense of scale and weight to an otherwise silly mechanic. And the morphball, hoo boy-I’d play an entire VR game designed around it. It’s similar to how a dancer focuses on a single point while spinning to avoid getting dizzy. Lock-on combat targeting slingshots you around space pirates, but because I was focusing on and perfectly orbiting my enemies, nausea was limited. After adjusting to the controls and disconnect between Samus’ body movements and my own, I got back into the groove without much trouble and almost no hint of motion sickness. Metroid Prime is my favorite game of all time, and revisiting it year after year always reinforces my love for its quiet alien landscapes, but actually ‘seeing’ those spaces in VR uncorked a well of love I didn’t know was inside of me. James: Wes didn’t understate my childlike wonder when playing Metroid Prime in VR.

Modded games that work on dolphin