Okay, here’s the first draft, to launch the guide. Some games are a little fuzzy in my memory, so you might see a few question marks, blanks, and possibly... gasp! Errors! (That last one is unlikely, of course.) Anyway, expect to see more stuff filled in or clarified later on. And maybe there’ll be some new entries, if I get the chance to play (or watch) some new games. I don’t record the framerate of a game until I have witnessed it firsthand. That means no rumours (Resident Evil 5 in 60fps? Haha!), videos (most of them are 30fps, anyway) or emulators (unless I’m recording an official emulator’s performance- like The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition- and then, I’m not using the data as if it came from the original N64 games).

I’ve looked for lists of video games and their framerates, and there doesn’t seem to be anything more than a forum post about a specific game’s framerate here and there. So here’s a list I put together of pretty much my whole collection of relevant games* and then some. The average gamer probably won’t care (I didn’t even know how to spot framerate drops until Sonic Adventure DX somehow made me framerate-sensitive), but for semi-technical graphics junkies, this should be a wealth of fascinatingly useless info.

*Only what would be considered “3-D systems” are included. I don’t think anyone really needs to see a list that only reassures them that most NES and Genesis games are 60 frames per second. Or a whole list of SNES games that exists primarily to mention the ~10fps 3-D game Star Fox.

Each entry contains the game’s name, followed by “max”, “min”, and “avg”, a comment, “prog”, and finally, “shadow”.

- “Max” is the highest framerate to be found in the game- essentially where the programmers “capped” the rate. If there are two numbers, the first is the primary framerate, while the second is for rarer occasions, such as menu screens or some cutscenes. (For example, Sonic Adventure for Dreamcast runs in 30fps, but it displays menu screens and one mini-game in 60. This is shown as 30/60.) This usually indicates roughly how the game performs, although in some cases, it can be way off. (Anyone who’s played Goldeneye 007 can tell you it doesn’t actually run in 60fps.)

- “Min”, naturally, is the lowest framerate drop I’ve seen. I can only guess at how many frames are being put out during those periods, especially if they are very brief. Keep in mind that you may never even see the game slow down this much during a regular session.

- “Avg” roughly represents the average framerate. It’s not a true average, but serves to basically give an idea as to how smoothly the game actually runs. If a game runs in 60fps, but drops severely on a few rare occasions, it still counts as 60. Basically, if you want to know, “does it actually run in 60fps or not?”, then this is the place to look.

Remember that this is dependent on my observations, and I have to judge if a game is “pretty much” 60 or not. (The max rate is a more objective number, but it’s sometimes less accurate.)

- The comment describes the frequency and severity of any framerate drops. Some games are less stable than others. Some skip over as few frames as possible, while others go into a consistent 30fps mode for an extended time. Also, some games actually slow down with the framerate. This is where you’ll find out more details about the framerate.

- “Prog” refers to Progressive Scan. Some games draw a full screen every frame, rather than skipping every second line. This results in a clearer picture. I’m not entirely sure how much this impacts the performance of the game, but naturally, rendering all those extra pixels (about 300,000 instead of 150,000 for a typical GCN or PS2 game) is harder on the system. Generally, it seems that Nintendo-made (first- and second-party) and high-end (awesome-looking) games are more likely to run in Progressive Scan. But anyway, I’ve listed each game’s Progressive Scan compatibility.

Note: It turns out that it’s not as simple as looking at the box. I’ll need to look through each game more carefully. For now, I’ve got question marks on the games that supposedly don’t support Progressive Scan

- Finally, just for a random bit of info, there’s the shadow. This briefly describes the type of shadow cast by the main character in each game. Some games use a simple circle, while others trace the character’s outline straight onto the ground. As for environments, it should be assumed that any shadows are prerendered unless otherwise specified (that is, they were made ahead of time so the system doesn’t have to calculate them itself). Polygonal and traced shadows can stretch in different directions unless otherwise specified, while round and predrawn shadows are assumed to be positioned directly under the character.

Note: All games were viewed in standard definition (640x480) or lower (320x240). High-res modes, HD, etc., will be mentioned as such, if they are even mentioned at all.

PlayStation:	max	min	avg	comment	prog	shadow
Crash Bandicoot	30	30	30
CTR: Crash Team Racing	30	30	30
Driver
The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home	30
NASCAR Rumble	60		30	30; often boosts, but drops when rear-view mirror is active
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit	60		30	unsteady 30, often boosts or drops
Resident Evil: Survivor	30	20	30	dips occasionally, usually when around zombies
Ridge Racer	30	20	30	30, drops at only one spot
Sled Storm	30		30
Spyro: Year of the Dragon	30	24	30	minor tearing on a few occasions		vertex paint (round)
Syphon Filter	24	20	24	occasional tearing (actual stuttering is minor)		round



Sega Dreamcast:
Looney Tunes Space Race	30/60	20	30	unsteady 30; menus and cutscenes 60
Sega Swirl	60	30	60	60, drops with effects
Sonic Adventure	30/60	5	30	dips occasionally, some effects cause severe drops; menus and racing are 60		round
Sonic Adventure 2	60/30	30	60	rarely dips; 2P mode and some cutscenes are always 30; Chao races often dip into 30		simple polygon shapes (straight down), self-shadowing
Sonic Shuffle	30	30	30
Soul Calibur	60	60	60			polygonal outline
Wacky Races	60	30?	45?	unsteady, especially with too many cars on-screen



Nintendo 64:
007: The World Is Not Enough	30			frequent dips; worse in high color mode		arranged figures of simple shapes
Banjo-Tooie	30	20	24	aims for 30, but drops a lot		polygonal outline
Castlevania	30	20	24	often slows down
Dark Rift	60	30	60	dips slightly in at least one victory animation
Diddy Kong Racing	30	20	24	almost consistently lower than 30
Donkey Kong 64	30	20	30	slows down every now and then		multiple round shadows (directional)
F-Zero X	60	45	60	brief stutters are rare		predrawn outline
Gauntlet Legends	60		30?	usually ~30, bursts into 60 in a few places
Glover	20	15	20	consistently low; almost never drops		round
Goldeneye 007	60	5	20	typically lower than 30, suffers severe drops with too many enemies, 60 has to be sought to be seen
Jet Force Gemini	30	5-10	20	typically lower than 30, suffers severe drops with too many enemies		traced outline
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards	30/60	30	30	gameplay is 30; cutscenes are 60 but shudder a bit		round
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	20	15	20	consistently low; almost never drops		double “round”shadows (directional), some use of raytracing
Mario Kart 64	30	20	30	drops during multiplayer		predrawn outline
Mario Party	20?	20	20
Mario Party 2	20?	20	20
Mario Party 3	20?	20	20
Mario Tennis	30	20	30	occasionally dips (usually during close-ups)		single traced or quadruple round
Perfect Dark	60	5-10	20	typically lower than 30, suffers severe drops on occasion (worse in co-op and high-res), 60 has to be sought to be seen
Pokémon Snap	30
Pokémon Stadium 2	30
Rayman 2	60	20	30	60 is rare; usually fluctuates near and below 30		round
Resident Evil 2	30		30	slowdown near some turning gears
Space Station Silicon Valley
Star Fox 64	30	20	30	often dips into 20
Super Mario 64	30	20	30	almost never drops		round
Super Smash Bros.	60	40	60	chronic stuttering; severity depends on the number of players on-screen
Yoshi's Story	60	60	60



PlayStation 2:
Beyond Good and Evil	60	10	30	typically 30 or a bit lower; some places are consistently 60	Yes
Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer	30		30		No?
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence	60	45?	60	rare stutters during action; barely noticeable
Devil May Cry	60		60	very slight dip at some point... I think	No?	polygonal outline
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening	60		60		No?
Gran Turismo 3: A-spec	60	60	60		No?	polygonal outline
Guitar Hero	60		60
Guitar Hero II	60	30	60	rare dips, such as when displaying the entire room
Guitar Hero III	60		60
Guitar Hero: World Tour	30/60		30	fretboard displays in 60fps overtop of a 30fps background video
Jak 3	60				Yes
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy	60		60		No?
Jak II	60				Yes
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	30/60	24	30	almost always steady; menus are in 60	?
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	30	24	30	minor drops, such as near fire	No?	two predrawn shapes, one being directional
Need for Speed Underground 2	60?	20	30	unstable 30, garage is 60 while displaying certain very simple cars	No?
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones	30				Yes
Project Altered Beast	30	15	30	considerable choppiness with too many enemies on-screen	?
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando	60		60		Yes
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc	60		60		Yes
Rayman Revolution	30	20?	30	occasionally dips, especially in the hub world	?
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X	30		30		No?
Sega Genesis Collection	60		60		Yes
Shadow of the Colossus	60	15	20	typically choppy, especially in battles; 60 must be sought to be seen (near some walls, etc.)	No?
Shadow the Hedgehog	60	15	24	fluctuates between 30 (bad) and 20 (terrible); at best, runs like GameCube’s worst	?	round
Shaman King: Power of Spirit	30	24	30	dips slightly when 3 characters die simultaneously, or when too many characters are onscreen	No?	round in strategy, traced in fighting
Sly 2: Band of Thieves	60	30	60	briefly dips to 30 occasionally	No?	polygonal outline
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves	60		60		No?
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus	60	30	60	dips into 30 at times	No?	traced
Sonic Unleashed	30		30		?
SoulCalibur II	60		60		?
SoulCalibur III	60		60	very brief dips, usually during a KO (?)	?
Timesplitters	60		60		No?
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger	30		30		No?	traced



Nintendo GameCube:
Animal Crossing	60	60	60		No	round
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg	60	30	60	briefly dips to 30 occasionally	Yes	traced straight down
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex	60	20	30?	fluctuates from 60 to 30 and 30 to 20	No
Donkey Konga 2	60	60	60		No	N/A
F-Zero GX	60	30	60	extremely rare dips into 30 in replays	Yes	predrawn outline
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles	30	15	30	rarely drops, at least in 1P	Yes
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life	30	30	30		No
The Hobbit	30	20?	30	typically a little unstable	No
Kirby Air Ride	60	30	60	dips during explosions; some other minor shudders	No
The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition	60/20	15	60	menus and NES games are 60, N64 games are 20	Yes	double “round”shadows (directional)
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures	60	45?	60	some effects cause minor slowdown	Yes
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	30	24	30	shudders a bit in Hyrule Field	Yes	traced outline
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	30?	24?	30?	dips with fog effect in one dungeon	Yes
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	60	15	30?	wildly unstable, but 60 is seen	No
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age	60	10	30	typically 30, can go in either direction	No
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	60	30	60	usually 60, shifts into 30 every now and then	No	traced straight down
Luigi's Mansion	30	20	30	drops noticeably in one room; other dips are rare	No	traced
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour	60	30	60	drops noticeably when moving with long putter or in coin mode (physics problem, not graphics); does ~30fps in close-ups of the flaming golf ball	No	traced outline
Mario Kart Double Dash	60	60	60		?
Mario Party 5	60	60	60		?
Mario Party 6	60	50	60	1 sec. of slowdown in one mini-game	Yes	traced downward
Mario Power Tennis	60	60	60		Yes	traced outline
Mario Superstar Baseball	60		60		No
Mega Man Anniversary Collection	60		60		No	N/A
Mega Man X Collection	60/24		60	Battle and Chase game is choppy	No
Metroid Prime	60	45	60	drops noticeably during cutscenes and very mildly in waterfalls	Yes
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes	60/30	30	60	drops a few frames occasionally in 1P; runs in 30fps with 3-4 players	Yes
Midway Arcade Treasures 3	60/30	15?	60	depends on the game; Rush 2049 is massively unstable due to a smoke effect, while some games are consistently choppy	No
Naruto: Clash of Ninja	60	60?	60		No
Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2	60	30	60	drops during Uzumaki Barrage attack	No
Odama	30		30		Yes
Pac-Man World 2	60	50	60	shudders mildly in Clyde boss battle	No
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	60	30?	60	extremely rare drops on certain occasions	Yes	round
Pikmin 2	30		30		Yes
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	30	20	30	drops when looking in a save point	No
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within	30		30		No
Resident Evil	30	30	30		No
Resident Evil 4	30	20	30	extremely mild, rare shudders; dips more noticeably in some explosions	No
Resident Evil Zero	30	30	30		No
Second Sight	60		60		No
Shadow the Hedgehog	60	15	60	brief massive slowdowns encountered in first stage; chronic shuddering	No	round
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle	60	60	60		No	traced straight down
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut	60/24	10	60	near-chronic shuddering ranging from 30-60fps; cutscenes are forced into 24fps and lower	Yes	round
Sonic Gems Collection	60/30	30	60	some games are capped at 30	No	polygonal outline/round
Sonic Heroes	60	60	60		No	traced straight down
Sonic Mega Collection	60/30	30	60	some games are capped at 30	No	N/A
Sonic Riders	60	30?	60	dips briefly at one point	No
SoulCalibur II	60	60	60		Yes	polygonal outline
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy	60	24	60	dips briefly during effects (water spray)	Yes	traced outline
Spider-Man	60				No
Spider-Man 2	30		30	rare framerate drops	No
Spyro: A Hero's Tail	60	30	60	rare dips due to breath effects, plus one room has noticeable slowdown	No	traced straight down
Star Fox Adventures	60	15	60	slight shuddering is common; zooming in very closely on grass can slow down severely	Yes	traced outline
Star Fox Assault	30/60		30	traditional on-rails shooting is 60, everything else is 30	Yes
Super Mario Strikers	60	30	60	drops into 30 with Super Strike effects	No
Super Mario Sunshine	30?	20?	30?	final battle causes significant slowdown; minor dips in Gelato Beach (mirrors) and if Mario sprays water into the camera	No	simple shapes (straight down)
Super Monkey Ball	60	60	60		?
Super Monkey Ball 2	60	30	60	some effects cause slowdown	No
Super Smash Bros. Melee	60	50	60	minor shuddering in melees	?	traced outline
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare	30	24	30	slowed down on one occasion in 3P mode	No	round
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005	60	30	60	sometimes dips into 30	No	traced outline
TMNT	30		30		No
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue	30		30		No
Vexx	60	30	60	60 is common, but game tends to get stuck in 30 too easily	Yes	traced straight down
Viewtiful Joe	60	30	60	rarely dips into 30 with effects	Yes
Viewtiful Joe 2	60	30	60	usually dips into 30 with effects	No
Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble	60	60	60		No
Wario World	60	30	60	occasional slowdown during some explosions	Yes



Wii
Guitar Hero III	60		60
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	30		30
Mario Kart Wii	60/30		60	3P and 4P modes run in 30fps
Mario Party 8	30/60		30			traced
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition	30		30
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles	30		30
Super Mario Galaxy	60		60
Super Smash Bros. Brawl	60		60
Wii Play	60		60
Wii Sports	60		60



Xbox 360
Bioshock	30/60		30/50	30fps cap can be disabled; results in noticeable tearing and shuddering
Call of Duty: World at War	60	30?	60	shudders noticeably in multiplayer
Dead Rising	30		30
Guitar Hero III	60		60
Guitar Hero: World Tour	60		60
Halo 3	?/30		?/30	30 in multiplayer, at least
Left 4 Dead	?/24		?/24	24 in co-op mode, at least
SoulCalibur IV	60		60



PlayStation 3
Little Big Planet	30		30			traced
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe	60		60
PAIN	30		30
Street Fighter IV	60		60			traced