Now, years after Resident Evil was born as a PlayStation game, after a 32-bit sequel has come and gone, Nintendo 64 owners are finally getting a taste of the franchise -- a port. Developed by Angel Studios and published by Capcom, though, this is no ordinary port. Nintendo 64 fans can look forward to a whole host of improvements -- yes, improvements -- like an all new high-resolution mode, new "Ex" files that reveal never-before seen story plots and full stereo surround sound. And all of this is possible on a single cartridge. Will the wonders of technology never cease?
The Facts
- Port of PlayStation game.
- All FMV scenes included.
- Improved game graphics.
- High resolution screens.
- MoSys FX Surround sound.
- Faster game play.
- New, hidden costumes.
- Custom feature that allows players to adjust the intensity of the game.
- Change the color of your enemies' blood and adjust the level graphic content.
- New scrapbook. In previous versions of Resident Evil 2, players found clues in books and files to help them complete the game. Nintendo 64 players can access dozens of items and game information from stories published on the entire Resident Evil series, and save in the scrapbook to view at any time.
- Randomizer -- After the game is played once, items will be relocated randomly, adding additional replay value.
- Analog controls and alternate control scheme (allowing for quick turn).
- Rumble Pak support.
- 4MB Expansion Pak Support for high-resolution mode.
- EEPROM saving -- no need for a Controller Pak.
Resident Evil 2 kicks off shortly after the first game ended. Leon Kennedy has just joined the Raccoon City police department when he notices that something doesn't seem to be right. Perhaps it's the zombies walking around the streets and feasting on human flesh. He decides to do a little investigating. Meanwhile, on the other end of town, Claire Redfield (the sister of Chris, the hero of the first game), has come to Raccoon looking for her brother. What she finds instead are loads of walking dead. The two eventually meet up (and then split up), where the adventure really begins.
Gameplay
The Nintendo 64 version of Resident Evil 2 plays identically to the PlayStation game of the same name. Both titles offer players their choice of character -- Leon or Claire -- as they battle their way through a zombie-infested city on a quest to get to the bottom of the undead mystery. For those of you unfamiliar with the franchise, though, here's how it works:
The game situates players smack-dab in the middle of Raccoon City still active with the living dead. The idea is to explore, find new areas and objects, unlock secrets, and most of all, survive. Players really have to know when to stay and shoot a zombie and when to run like the wind. The action is intense and downright spooky. Zombies and horrible genetic mutations await players at every turn and are always all too willing to scare the pants off of us when we're not expecting it.
Characters are controlled with the analog stick. Movement is definitely tight, though a little robotic at times. Turning our heroes around in a flash is difficult in the standard setting, so players must be prepared for anything -- coming from any direction. To allow for quicker turns, Angel Studios added an alternate "first-person" control scheme (the character walks into the direction that you point the stick into, regardless which way he/she is facing). This setting can be a bit confusing because of the constant camera angle changes, but it works out quite well once you get used to it.
Weapons are armed and disarmed through a simplistic submenu system that is easily accessible at all times. Specific weapons inflict more damage upon enemies than others. A pistol, for example, is nowhere near as powerful as a shotgun, which will literally rip a zombie in half. As players progress through the game, they will eventually stumble upon items that they need to pick up and use in certain areas -- be it keys that unlock doors, stones that reveal secrets or what have you. It all works very well. Sure, pushing around stone statues in an abandoned police station may not be the most realistic thing to do in a crisis situation, but it's exactly here that the game succeeds in delivering old-fashioned, campy horror fun.
The Nintendo 64 version of the game features a few extra goodies that are sure to make us all very happy. First, the game plays a bit on the faster side. More importantly, though, the title boasts new "Ex" files implemented by Angel Studios that do their best to link the storylines of all the Resident Evil games -- the original, the sequel, Nemesis (currently available for PlayStation) and Code: Veronica (coming for Dreamcast). This, perhaps, is reason enough for hardcore Resident Evil fans to give the game a good look-over.
Everything said and done, the Nintendo 64 version of Resident Evil 2 plays just as good as its PlayStation predecessor. But it does feature significant improvements in the following areas.
Graphics
Angel Studios "port" of RE2 to Nintendo 64 sets itself apart from other versions primarily in the visual department. The game, which nobody thought was possible for the console, has arrived with a 4MB Expansion Pak ready high-resolution mode and all the FMV cut-scenes of the PlayStation original. How is this possible? A combination of smart compression techniques and a whopping 512 megabit (64MB) cartridge -- the biggest ever for a Nintendo 64 game.
All of this amounts for graphics that, simply put, look a hell of a lot sharper than the PlayStation version without the jaggies associated with so many of the 32-bit console's games. While some of the textures have been heavily compressed (and it shows faintly), nothing ever looks significantly grainy, nor does any area of the adventure appear to really be lacking detail. In fact, RE2, pre-rendered backdrops or no -- is just about as detailed as any Nintendo 64 game we've ever seen. The FMV sequences from the PlayStation title are all included on the cart -- an amazing feat in itself. Are the FMV cut-scenes as good as they are on CD? No. There is definitely some artifacting present, and everything looks a bit more blurry, but otherwise it all shows up -- and truth be told, we're very impressed.
The Nintendo 64 version of the title features options to turn the gore on (and up) or off and change blood color. We suggest the highest amount of red, red blood to best enjoy the adventure. Did that sound sadistic? Certainly it can't be any more so than blowing off zombies legs, heads, arms, bodies and laughing as the blood sprays in every direction. Or, how about stomping on a zombie's head and smiling as it crushes beneath your feat? We're scaring you, aren't we? We admit it, we're sick, and this game more than satisfies our relentless thirst for gore.
Sound
Half of the frightening experience in any horror movie is the music and sound effects. Why should a videogame be different? Resident Evil 2 for Nintendo 64 features all of the classic seat-jumper mood music and shock effects, but more importantly, the game uses it all the right way. So, if we enter a new area, music will begin to play and we become uneasy. But then we turn a corner and all of a sudden everything falls silent. That's when we know that something very, very bad is on the way and we brace for the unexpected. We take a few more steps and boom, something crashes through the window and sprints right for us. This is usually when we check our pants in order to make sure that we've not accidentally embarrassed ourselves.
The Nintendo 64 version of the game features everything of the PlayStation original, plus it also runs in full surround sound. Not too shabby for a cartridge, huh? The good news is that all of the in-game music and sound effects sound great -- they're crisp and all too clear. The bad news is that the sound in the FMV sequences, compressed to no end, has a lot of echo to it to the point where it all sounds tinny, as if everything was taking place inside a coke can. Still, the fact that Angel managed to include all of the FMV cut-scenes in the first place obliterates any real case against the quality of music and sound effects here.