GENRE
	Survival Horror
	DEVELOPER
	Angel Studios
	PUBLISHER
	Capcom
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONTROLLER PAK
	yes
	RUMBLE PAK
	yes
	RAM PAK
	yes
	BUY NOW AT

Let me first clarify that this game is rated "M" because of extreme violence and graphic content. Take that as you may but I sleep better by making sure that this important aspect is mentioned in my review. It's good to see that the 64 is finally growing up and getting some titles together that appeal to people my age (20's). I hope Nintendo continues to allow older gamers the choice of Mature games well into their strategy for the Dolphin.

A further qualification regarding my ignorance of the Resident Evil Series should also be mentioned. The closest I've come to a Resident Evil Game is looking at the Playstation case in my buddy Brad's Microplay on Keele Street in Toronto (630-GAME). Sorry about the shameless plug, I couldn't help myself. Anyway, suffice it to say that I'm tackling this review from the perspective of an N64 owner. That is, Resident Evil is a whole new world for me.

The Resident Evil series is unlike anything that N64 owners have encountered. The closest thing to this game would be Konami's Hybrid Heaven. Both are survival horror games that primarily revolve around the flow of their storyline via cinematic sequences. Both try to scare the cud out of you.

In Resident Evil 2, your sorry ass gets planted in Racoon City (stupid name) and you have to fight your way out of that city by finding all sorts of goodies in the Police Station and getting out through the sewers. The content is rich in mature themes and the action is pretty well balanced against the puzzle elements of this game. One glaring thing about Resident Evil 2 reminds me why I dislike Plastation games….length. This game just isn't that long and that's a shame because it sure is fun.

visuals

WOW. Pre-rendered backgrounds compliment the high resolution characters. The game manages to keep things moving well because of it's perspective. For N64 only owners, the perspective is rather different. It's a fixed angle that allows only one line of sight. For instance, you could walk across a room and get three separate perspectives depending upon where you're situated in the room.

The limitations of this angle are purposeful because it is the single line of sight that really allows Capcom to scare the crap out your colon. You turn a corner without a first person or over the shoulder view and WHAM! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Zombie attack, or a licker jumps from the roof. In addition, because the angles are mandated, the backgrounds have been made incredibly meticulous. The reason for this is that the processor doesn't have to continual keep regenerating environments as you move about. The CPU just has to load the one angle of the area your in once you enter it and that's it. Neat idea and it pays off in that the graphics are really out of this world. The detail and textures are absolutely unreal.

As for the Full Motion Videos that everyone's been hollering about…. Well they're in here, all of them. Capcom ran some great compression routines to get all of these buggars onto the cartridge format. The graphics of the Full Motion Video sequence resemble a quicktime that you'd download from a website. They're blurry in "blocks." But they are also super smooth and really fun to look at. These FMVs are a first for the 64 and you should at least rent this game to check them out.

audio

Perhaps the Playstation's dedicated sound chip promoted the influence of sound upon this game. I'm pretty sure that if the Resident Evil series was initially drawn up on the 64, there wouldn't be half as much audio goodies on here. Like the graphics, the audio in Resident Evil 2 is really top notch. The music score establishes a great feeling of suspense and creates great tension during the gameplay. Think of any horror movie, it's that shrilling C sharp during a sequence that makes you want to freak out, not the rain beating down on the character, the half naked blonde next to him or anything else. Audio creates an environment of fear in horror movies and it does the same in Resident Evil 2.

Although the FMV's were impressive, the amount of audio jammed onto this extra large cartridge is astounding. During real time sequences you'll hear characters interact with eachother. Sometimes having a five minute conversation. Try and picture any other N64 title that does this. There isn't. Capcom should be recognized for their work in bringing what is essentially a CD game onto a cart. Even if this recognition is only for the audio work. It's great.

As for sound effects, every detail you could imagine is here. From the sound of shells bouncing off the floor, to the shuffle of a zombie's foot behind you, to the groaning of a half dead night crawler and finally the crisp crack of an acid round disintegrating an enemy. Astounding.

gameplay

I personally cannot stand the control scheme here. It's one of the reasons why I never prescribed to Playstation titles. Because of the limitation of the digital pad most PSX games work on a four axis system. Up, down, left right. And while the Analog stick is utilized to allow you to increase your speed while moving, the directional movement is still rigid and frustrating. For instance, up on the stick is always forward. So no matter which way you turn, up is forward. While this seems logical it does take some getting used to. It would have been nice to see some full analog support for this game.

As for the gameplay itself…. The initial stages of Resident Evil 2 primarily consist of running for your life to prevent yourself from becoming an ASS soufflé like you were Marv Albert's girlfriend or something. Once you get into the RPD police station you'll find that there is a tremendous balance between, action, exploration and puzzle solving. For instance, you will have to explore an area to find an item. Then use that item to solve a puzzle and then shoot your way out of the room where you found that puzzle. I watched a bit of the original Resident Evil game and RE2 definitely has a lot more shooting and action. This is a real plus as some senseless zombie stomping definitely keeps you interested in between solving puzzles and searching for items.

Having played through this game I can say that I was thrilled by the splendor of all that is Resident Evil. But I was disappointed in that these thrills just didn't last. Unlike an epic of Zelda 64 proportions, this game ends much too quickly. Perhaps (like any PSX games) more weight was placed was levied on FMV movies and cinematics then gameplay depth. After all, with the quick turnaround time of PSX games, you can make a sequel quicker than making a long, depth-ridden game. Ah well, RE2 certainly was fun while it lasted. But be warned, because this game is designed like a movie, you'll find that just like a movie, after you've seen it once, the desire to go back to it weans greatly.

multiplayer

As if….not a chance. It would have been nice to have at least a small multiplayer mini game thrown in here. Like find the key first to locate a weapon and kill your opponent. But that just wasn't in the cards.

overall

A lot of time and effort was put into the development of this game for the 64. Quite frankly, that time and effort has paid off in a big way with a polished game that is a totally new experience for N64 owners. Capcom has done a great job with this RE2 port. My greatest complaint is the abbreviated length of this title and it's PSX derived control scheme. Aside from that you'll find Re2 lives up to the hype and more. For really sharp gamers you may want to rent this game for a week or so. You might finish it by then if you play it really steadily. For those of you that want to relish this game, go out and buy it.

By the way, let's hope that Nintendo alters its business model to accommodate companies like Capcom, Namco and Square to rejoin the fold. Whether that includes inducements for these companies or lower royalty rates, Nintendo has to do something to make the awkward and expensive cart format more attractive. Or at least re-establish the connections with these companies for their next project.

8.5/10