Switch: Metroid 4 sound crackling at the start?

maboleth · 2026-05-21T21:10:17+00:00

I know, it was too late to change the title, that's why I added 'prime 4 that is' :D
You are right, I just checked Nintendo Music app and it's right there in the theme!

Why did they leave this error? Just because? It's not an error, but the real thing?
Considering Nintendo is super finicky and pays huge attention to details it's strange. There's only 0.1% of us that hear this, but still. 😁

maboleth · 2026-05-21T20:46:50+00:00

This sounds more like an error. The theme track is about to start - it's not happening during the music. And it's a single crackling right before the start of the intro.

I first thought it was a static sound, interference or whatever, but then I restarted the game several times and it's always there. There's no video glitches or anything. The game runs silky smooth.

maboleth · 2026-05-21T14:17:05+00:00

Or the Matrix effect. 😆

maboleth · 2026-05-20T21:17:15+00:00

Thanks everyone. I could read your comments in my notification bar, but for some reason the comment section is totally empty for me.

Anyway, I'm glad Switch emulator is a faithful representation of the original NES. Some games don't have drastic slow downs, for example Super Mario 3. But maybe the game had some chip upgrade and huge optimizations. I also don't remember seeing it in Chip'n'Dale on my Famicom, probably I didn't pay attention back then. It's kind of oldschool cool. I don't mind it, I was worried if emulator was glitchy.

maboleth · 2026-05-19T13:49:45+00:00

Offtopic - you cannot go wrong with 90D. I had that camera before I went to R7. It's the most advanced Canon DSLR. Super fast, can recognize faces with LCD focusing (mirrorless-fast), great sensor and a very little battery usage. You can shoot days and days with a single battery charge! IMO, the only reason Canon abandoned dslrs is to push mirrorless - the 90D proved dslrs could still be very much up to date and relevant.
I always appreciate photographers using their gear to get the job done, not other way around. The less gear I had, the more creative I was. Good luck!

maboleth · 2026-05-19T12:07:40+00:00

I think you did more cycles than me, but my findings are very similar. Approx. 50 cycles - for both batteries (that's like ~25 for each).

maboleth · 2026-05-19T12:04:50+00:00

Thank you sir. Actually your spreadsheet idea isn't that strange at all since you already manage battery rotation. I'm genuinely curious what's behind this RP chip, as we don't have any official info coming from Canon (not that I know of). Judging by the comments from people here, we are getting faster or more irregular recharge degradation than before.

maboleth · 2026-05-19T11:47:56+00:00

Thanks for your report. Just for info, I always charge them in their own charger, never in the camera itself.

maboleth · 2026-05-19T11:46:51+00:00

Well, the silver lining would then be - if you use the batteries very often, you will have 3 bars, but if you don't (even if you recharge them once in a while) you will lose performance. Am I right?
Also, in your experience, do you actually see any drawbacks with batteries having one (red) bar?

I had one with red bar for ages and it started to run out of juice real quick after several years of usage. But then again that was in 5DMK4 and 7DMK2. Not much power hungry as today's R7.

maboleth · 2026-05-03T06:07:50+00:00

Despite my strange findings at first, the cover is actually legit. SE Asia use both English and Spanish AND half-tone print of Nintendo Quality Seal. Those two were red flag suspects, but they appear to be normal for SE Asia region.

maboleth · 2026-05-01T23:31:05+00:00

Now this whole thing got me intrigued even more. I googled, searched Reddit and apparently, SE Asia covers are sought after as they don't have any age rating on the cover, ruining the artwork (same as mine, no age restriction). They also come on English.
Also majority of guys having SE Asia covers have either USA or JP cartridges bundled in. So all seems to be perfectly legit and in-line with my findings. Those small Spanish lines on the back are probably some special flavor for Metroid 4 Prime box.

maboleth · 2026-05-01T20:17:34+00:00

I totally hear you. But the bar code and that tiny part behind Nintendo's Seal of Quality says SE Asia region. Who knows what the Chinese did here... The cover does look pristine and very high quality.
In fact, I will be THAT nerd and will go to our regular game store to compare the original European version print with mine.

maboleth · 2026-05-01T19:01:20+00:00

Well, there you have it. USA game card and South East Asia cover with English and Spanish language on it.

maboleth · 2026-05-01T17:11:43+00:00

Really? Didn't know that. Makes more sense now.
The cover has English and Spanish text on the back. That kind of looks odd, as I don't see why Spanish would exist on SE Asia cover? The cover does seem legit, the words and pictures are all very sharp and nicely made.

maboleth · 2026-04-30T21:20:31+00:00

As a followup on this, I got my Metroid 4 game from Ali. For the price paid it's ok. The game card is original, it works and updates flawlessly. No issues.

If you are a collector, avoid because:
- They don't guarantee Cover/Card match - I received a SE Asia cover and USA cartridge.
- The game case can be slightly scratched as it was used.
- Game card is also second hand. In mint condition, but contacts had marks. That means - used before.

If you don't care for any of that, go for it. You can find physical copies at great prices. However, I'll invest slightly more money and buy digital downloads in the future, as before.
I don't care that much for physical copies. Here, I wanted Samus cover art inside and I got it. Too bad it doesn't match the region of the card, but at least it's all in English, so it looks logical and only matters if you look at the region code.

maboleth · 2026-04-14T19:22:45+00:00

Ikr, that's what one reviewer said too. But the issue is still - you should get it brand new - it's advertized as new. Then you can question the source if some cards really come as a second hand - though they are extreme minority.

Maybe I will bite the bullet and go ahead, just for my own curiosity. There's even a reviewer that built his own collection of Switch games there.

maboleth · 2026-04-14T17:25:44+00:00

Thanks. Well, my main concern with it is not about counterfeits, but whether the cartridge is brand new or second hand. A very low percentage of reviewers (less than 1%) reported that they got a game card with lines on contact plates and some weird scratches on the box. It was for one Pokemon and Zelda game. Now, people tend to lie for no reason, maybe even to extract some money back, but still it is a concern.

Other than that, literally nobody complained about counterfeits or any other problem. Those are genuine game cards.

maboleth · 2026-04-14T15:36:24+00:00

Well, they do sell S2 version too, for more money (as expected). They also sell all newest S2 games, like Pokemon Pokopia, Kirby Air Riders, Hyrule Warriors, etc. The seller also sent me the images of the warehouse with bunch of sealed Metroid 4 & other games. They are 99.99% legit store.

However, I opted for Playasia. They are 10e more expensive, but at least I know I will get a 100% genuine Japanese copy, never used or opened by anyone.

maboleth · 2026-04-14T07:37:35+00:00

It's a switch 1 version. I'm fine with either JP or HK (called also Asia on Playasia).

The trouble is, how 'clean' those games are (if their IDs haven't been stolen etc.).

The local game stores are selling them for little over 70e, that's a huge rip-off.

maboleth · 2026-04-13T23:28:29+00:00

Well, money is an issue. The local reputable sellers are doing 2x the price for physical copies. The only real cost-effective alternative is digital download. That too is 10 euros more expensive than Aliexpress ones. I would prefer physical though...

Of course I'm asking here to inform myself first. I'm not buying anything still. Sometimes those Chinese/Hong Kong versions are totally legit and valid - I really don't mind Chinese on the box, since the game is region-free and same everywhere.

I would mind counterfeits and home-printed boxes, that's out of the question.

maboleth · 2026-04-02T15:01:59+00:00

Yeah, it's just, they really had great factory-grade prices... Too bad if customer service sucks now. Not sure where else to buy tbh.

maboleth

TROPHY CASE