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Monday, May 17, 2010
The Year before the new Millennium
Resident Evil - CODE: Veronica was released in 2000, and in development since late 1998 through 1999. This was the year that the Diet of Japan (relating to politics) held its first Question Time, allowing the lower levels of government to question the upper levels. Since Japan has a government system based of an 'infallible' emperor, the ability to question government is a big first. Also, there was a failed hijacking of ANA Flight 61.
CODE: Veronica
The fourth game of the Resident Evil Series is Resident Evil-CODE: Veronica. This is both the fourth chornological release, and the next game in the time line after RE3. Released in 2000, It stars the Redfields, Chris and Claire approximately 3 months after the Raccoon City Incident.
Few changes were made to the pre-existing formula for the series, the only ones made being refinements on the existing system. Once again the player could not choose who to play as, though the game does feature two protagonists whom you switch between half-way through the game. Ideas from their earlier games, like upgradeable weaponry and the 180 degree spin, return in CODE: Veronica. The most significant gameplay changes were the ability to dual-wield pistols allowing the player to target two enemies at once, and the abitlity to pick up and use herbs (the main healing items of the Resident Evil Series) despite having a full inventory. The latter greatly increased ease of play, while the former was more 'cool' than functional. On the more technical side, CODE: Veronica is the first Resident Evil game to feature non-prerendered backgrounds. This is probably due to the fact that this is the first RE game to be featured on a fourth generation platform. As a side note, this is also the last Resident Evil game to feature real weapons manufacturers in the game. From this point on, all weapons have fictional names, and all weapons in the remade versions have been given new names.
Game Specs from Wikipedia:
| Developer(s) | Nextech Flagship (scenario) |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom Eidos (EU) Nintendo Australia(Australian Gamecube release) |
| Designer(s) | Hiroki Katoh (director) Shinji Mikami (producer) |
| Composer(s) | Takeshi Miura Hijiri Anze Sanae Kasahara |
| Platform(s) | Dreamcast, PlayStation 2,Nintendo GameCube |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | BBFC: 15 CERO: D ESRB: M PEGI: 16[1] |
| Media | DC: GD-ROM PS2: DVD-ROM GC: GameCube Game Disc |
Japan in 1998
During the development of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Japan was fairly calm. They held a multitude of sports tournaments, and had a fairly quiet year. The only real bump in the media was a mass poisoning, taking place in Sonobe distict of the Wakayama Prefecture. One Masumi Hayashi poisoned the group curry with 1000 grams of arsenic, roughly enough to kill 100 people. Only 4 died, but it inspired a large amount of copycats due to the attention given to the incident by the media.
Resident Evil 3
The third installment in the Resident Evil Series, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (known as Biohazard 3:Last Escape) was released in September 1999. Besides being the first in the series to feature a subtitle, few things were changed in the formula for RE3.
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The first, most obvious change was that only 1 character was selectable. Unlike the previous two games, you could only see the story from the perspective of Jill Valenine. Second was the addition of the 180 spin. While this seems like a minor change, it vastly changed game play. It allows the player to more quickly react to the world around them, to quickly change directions instead of turning slowly around. This was huge, and is found in the rest of the series. Also, gunpowder was added. The Resident Evil series has been known for its abundance of weapons, and limited ammo. Adding gunpowder instead of just bullets gave the game another layer of complexity. Combining items has been around since the first Resident Evil, yet never had the player needed to create their own ammo. In fact, the ammo for arguably the best gun in the game could only be made by the player, assuming that they had been crafty enough to discover how to create it, and wise enough to save enough gunpowder. Resdent Evil 3 saw the first Quick Time Events for the series, in which the player needed to make split second decisions to either avoid or incur encounters with enemies; most notably Nemesis, featured in the title of the game. Finally, the last addition to the series was a more interactive environment. Oil barrels, crates, and the like were placed in strategic points throughout the game allowing the player to save ammo, or waste it depending on the situation.
Basically, RE3 was the refinement of an already excellent system.
-cover.jpg)
Game Specs from Wikipedia:
| Developer(s) | Capcom Production Studio 4 |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom, Eidos Interactive(Europe), Nintendo Australia(Gamecube) |
| Designer(s) | Kazuhiro Aoyama (director),Shinji Mikami (producer) |
| Writer(s) | Yasuhisa Kawamura |
| Composer(s) | Saori Maeda, Masami Ueda |
| Series | Resident Evil |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Windows,Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | BBFC: 15 ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+ OFLC: M PEGI: 16+ |
| Media | PS, PC: CD-ROM DC: GD-ROM GC:GameCube disc |
| Input methods | Controller, Keyboard |
Japan around Resident Evil 2
Japan had a lot going on during the development of Resident Evil 2.
The production of the game began in 1996 shortly after the release of the first Resident Evil with a scheduled release of March 1997. During this year, the Padilla Car Accident occurred, and the beginning of Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis. Both incidents stuck the Japanse public hard, each with militaristic overtones. The first incident outraged the Okinawins the most, since they were still raw about the Okinawan Rape Incident of 1995. Foreign military presence was grating on the Japanese public, and they wanted more than anything for the American Military presence to end.
When the release date for Resident Evil 2 began approaching, CAPCOM decided to take a risk and scrap the current version of the game in order to create a higher quality product. While this pushed the release date back a year, it was seen as a positive decision since the final product was a more developed, polished game. During this development period, the infamous episode of Pokemon, Dennō Senshi Porygon was released, causing mass hysteria from the sheer number of seizures induced by this episode. This particular episode was never shown on TV again, and removed from all foreign releases. It created quite an uproar, and gave Japanese animation a terrible stigma that still exists today. This year also saw the end of the Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis. All of the hostages were saved, and none of the guerrilla group were spared.
The production of the game began in 1996 shortly after the release of the first Resident Evil with a scheduled release of March 1997. During this year, the Padilla Car Accident occurred, and the beginning of Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis. Both incidents stuck the Japanse public hard, each with militaristic overtones. The first incident outraged the Okinawins the most, since they were still raw about the Okinawan Rape Incident of 1995. Foreign military presence was grating on the Japanese public, and they wanted more than anything for the American Military presence to end.
When the release date for Resident Evil 2 began approaching, CAPCOM decided to take a risk and scrap the current version of the game in order to create a higher quality product. While this pushed the release date back a year, it was seen as a positive decision since the final product was a more developed, polished game. During this development period, the infamous episode of Pokemon, Dennō Senshi Porygon was released, causing mass hysteria from the sheer number of seizures induced by this episode. This particular episode was never shown on TV again, and removed from all foreign releases. It created quite an uproar, and gave Japanese animation a terrible stigma that still exists today. This year also saw the end of the Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis. All of the hostages were saved, and none of the guerrilla group were spared.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2, the memorable sequel to CAPCOM's survival horror. While this game seems far less impressive now, with all the improvements made to video games since its release in 1998, it was a huge step for the Resident Evil Series.
Here, CAPCOM took the time to improve their formula and make an overall better game. The graphics engine was improved, allowing for more effects and more zombies (a maximum of 7 at a time). This game was also the debut of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield
Certain details that were added to the game have become staples for the series ever since. First, the addition of body language. In the original series, the person you controlled showed no visible reaction to wounds or zombies. The only way to tell how much damage the character could stand to take, was to check the item screen. This changed in RE2 when the developers added body language to reflect the character's state. When the character was at full health, they could run at full speed and showed no physical pain. As their health decreased, their movement slowed, their gun lowered, they began to clutch their stomach, and even limp. Secondly, the now dubbed 'zapping system' was created. Like the original, you could select more than one character to play in RE2. The difference was you had to unlock the second character by completing the story as the first character, referred to as the 'A game'. Once the second character was unlocked, you could replay the game except from the perspective of the second character, known as the 'B game'. This was only the start of what you could unlock in RE2. Finally, the grading system was implemented. After every section of the game, you would recieve a grade on how well you completed the level. By attaining higher grades, you would unlock more for the game, including weapons, costumes, the "4th Survivor Mode", and most infamously "Tofu Survivor Mode".
Game specs from Wikipedia:
| Developer(s) | Capcom Production Studio 4 Angel Studios (N64 port) |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom Virgin Interactive (Europe and PC version) Nintendo Australia (N64 and GameCube) |
| Director(s) | Hideki Kamiya |
| Producer(s) | Shinji Mikami |
| Writer(s) | Scenario: Noboru Sugimura Ex Files: Tetsuro Oyama |
| Composer(s) | Masami Ueda Shusaku Uchiyama Shun Nishigaki |
| Series | Resident Evil |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Game.com,Microsoft Windows,Nintendo 64, Dreamcast,Nintendo GameCube,PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | BBFC: 15 CERO: 15+ ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: M |
| Media | PS, PC: CD-ROM N64: 512-megabit cartridge DC: GD-ROM GC: Nintendo disc PC: DVD |
| Input methods | Gamepad, Keyboard |
Monday, April 19, 2010
Resident Evil: Degeneration
To follow up the first post about Resident Evil movies, I will now talk about Resident Evil: Degeneration. Degeneration was announced by Capcom and Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2007, and released in North America and Japan in 2008 both as a DVD and Bluray.
Unlike the live action series, this Resident Evil movie actually follows game cannon, taking place in 2005. The story is centered around Leon S. Kennedy, and Claire Redfield. This CG movie is meant to flesh out events taking place between games, in an attempt to explain story that was not featured in the games. Since there are gaps between the cannon timeline for each game, this left Capcom with ample room to appease fans after the live action movie debacle.
This movie is hailed by hardcore fans as an amazing addition to the series, both in plot and entertainment value. Even those unfamiliar with the series can at the very least enjoy the movie, and its excellent soundtrack.
Unlike the live action series, this Resident Evil movie actually follows game cannon, taking place in 2005. The story is centered around Leon S. Kennedy, and Claire Redfield. This CG movie is meant to flesh out events taking place between games, in an attempt to explain story that was not featured in the games. Since there are gaps between the cannon timeline for each game, this left Capcom with ample room to appease fans after the live action movie debacle.
This movie is hailed by hardcore fans as an amazing addition to the series, both in plot and entertainment value. Even those unfamiliar with the series can at the very least enjoy the movie, and its excellent soundtrack.
Degeneration takes place 7 years after the original game, placing itself after Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3, yet before Resident Evil 4, and 5. The main characters, Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield are voiced by their original voice actors allowing for hardcore fans to instantly connect to them again. Also, the characters in game use the same weapons they were known to use in the game. This is probably because CAPCOM, the creator of Resident Evil, actually produced this movie, unlike the live action movies.
For more about the film, and about how closely it relates to the Resident Evil Cannon, I suggest the Resident Evil: Degeneration Wikia Article, and the Wikipedia Article.
Resident Evil Movies
In recent times, Resident Evil finally hit the mainstream as a Hollywood movie series.
The first movie was released in 2002, and was not a true interpretation of the Resident Evil games. The movies in order are as follows: Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction, and Resident Evil: Afterlife. The last movie in the series is to be released September 2010 as a 3D movie. In theory, the movies follow the video game progression. The only real similarities between the two series are the fact that zombies created by the T-virus exist, and so do a few characteristic enemies and villains (mostly in namesake). Though the movie characters shared the names of the video game characters, their backgrounds and mannerisms differed enough to make them almost impossible to see as the same people.
Originally, the movies were scripted to be almost direct adaptations of the games into film media, but Capcom believed that the original script was simultaneously not close enough to the games to satisfy hard core fans, and not interesting enough to satisfy an audience just being introduced to the series. The final product, though successful enough to justify a full series of movies, was disappointing to the game's fans and generally received negative reviews by critics.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Afterlife
The first movie was released in 2002, and was not a true interpretation of the Resident Evil games. The movies in order are as follows: Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction, and Resident Evil: Afterlife. The last movie in the series is to be released September 2010 as a 3D movie. In theory, the movies follow the video game progression. The only real similarities between the two series are the fact that zombies created by the T-virus exist, and so do a few characteristic enemies and villains (mostly in namesake). Though the movie characters shared the names of the video game characters, their backgrounds and mannerisms differed enough to make them almost impossible to see as the same people.
Originally, the movies were scripted to be almost direct adaptations of the games into film media, but Capcom believed that the original script was simultaneously not close enough to the games to satisfy hard core fans, and not interesting enough to satisfy an audience just being introduced to the series. The final product, though successful enough to justify a full series of movies, was disappointing to the game's fans and generally received negative reviews by critics.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Fear in Japan
An interesting point to note about the Resident Evil series is that during its development, Japan was in a state of fear. 1995 was not a good year for Japan, beginning with the Great Hanshin Earthquake which caused the equivalent of $102.5 billion in damages and claimed 6,434 lives with roughly 300,000 left homeless.
Later that same year a controversial religious group known as Aum Shinrkyo (now called Aleph) terrorized Japanese citizens with a string of Sarin Gas attacks on the Tokyo Metro. These attacks first began in June of 1994, but the attack in May of 1995 was of the largest scale. 12 people died, with 1,034 people injured (50 severely; 984 with temporary vision problems). Before this, Japan had never really had a terroist attack, never mind one of bioterrorism.
I bring this up because a large number of the people working on this game were Japanese. Capcom is a Japanese company, the producers were Tokuro Fujiwara; Masayoshi Kurokawa; and Masayuki Akahori, while the director was Shinji Mikami. All of these people would have been aware of the attacks during the development of the game. Considering a huge section of the plot line is actually about bioterrorism, the original game title being Biohazard, these attacks must have played some sort of role conciously or not.
Later that same year a controversial religious group known as Aum Shinrkyo (now called Aleph) terrorized Japanese citizens with a string of Sarin Gas attacks on the Tokyo Metro. These attacks first began in June of 1994, but the attack in May of 1995 was of the largest scale. 12 people died, with 1,034 people injured (50 severely; 984 with temporary vision problems). Before this, Japan had never really had a terroist attack, never mind one of bioterrorism.
I bring this up because a large number of the people working on this game were Japanese. Capcom is a Japanese company, the producers were Tokuro Fujiwara; Masayoshi Kurokawa; and Masayuki Akahori, while the director was Shinji Mikami. All of these people would have been aware of the attacks during the development of the game. Considering a huge section of the plot line is actually about bioterrorism, the original game title being Biohazard, these attacks must have played some sort of role conciously or not.
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Monday, March 1, 2010
Fixed View
One of the most memorable features of the original Resident Evil game was its game play. It combined the traditional RPG vibe (inventory included), with mind-bending puzzles, real-time puzzles, and of course the fixed camera view. Players controlled their character, either Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield, from a third-person view with every area having its own unique camera angle.
While the camera first appears to be just another part of the system, it adds a lot to the feel of the game. Enemies could appear from any point, but the fixed camera kept the suspense high as you can hear the enemy far before you are able to see it on screen. This greatly affected interaction, making the game much harder with a feel that no other game had at the time of its release. The Resident Evil series had kept this fixed camera position as an iconic part of their games, appearing in every incarnation of the series until Resident Evil 4 in which the viewpoint was changed to the over the shoulder view. This change was most likely due to the increase in the popularity of first-person shooters at the time of Resident Evil 4's creation, 2005.
Though the fixed camera views was a staple of the series, and dictated gameplay for all who attempted the game, not everyone was so enthused....
Video by G4 back in the day.
While the camera first appears to be just another part of the system, it adds a lot to the feel of the game. Enemies could appear from any point, but the fixed camera kept the suspense high as you can hear the enemy far before you are able to see it on screen. This greatly affected interaction, making the game much harder with a feel that no other game had at the time of its release. The Resident Evil series had kept this fixed camera position as an iconic part of their games, appearing in every incarnation of the series until Resident Evil 4 in which the viewpoint was changed to the over the shoulder view. This change was most likely due to the increase in the popularity of first-person shooters at the time of Resident Evil 4's creation, 2005.
Though the fixed camera views was a staple of the series, and dictated gameplay for all who attempted the game, not everyone was so enthused....
Video by G4 back in the day.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Biohazard First Hits
Resident Evil, originally known as Biohazard in Japan, first hit the streets in 1996 on the PlayStation. It was one of the first video games to earn the title of "survival horror" and has held on as one of the most influential games of all time.
Specifics from Wikipedia:
Specifics from Wikipedia:
Developer(s)
Capcom Production Studio 4
Westwood Studios (PC Port)
Nextech (Saturn port)
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Virgin Interactive (Europe and PC version only)
Nintendo Australia (Gamecube and DS)
THQ Asia Pacific (Wii)
Director(s)
Shinji Mikami
Producer(s)
Tokuro Fujiwara
Masayoshi Kurokawa
Masayuki Akahori
Composer(s)
Makoto Tomozawa
Akari Kaida
Masami Ueda
Series
Resident Evil
Platform(s)
PlayStation, Windows, Saturn, GameCube, DS, PlayStation Network, Wii
Release date(s)
March 22, 1996[show]
PlayStation
JP March 22, 1996
NA March 30, 1996
PAL
August 1, 1996
Director's Cut
JP September 25, 1997
NA September 30, 1997
PAL December 10, 1997
Dual Shock Edition
JP August 6, 1998
NA 1998
Windows
JP December 6, 1996
PAL September 17, 1997
NA September 30, 1997
Sega Saturn
JP July 25, 1997
NA August 31, 1997
PAL October 1, 1997
GameCube
JP March 22, 2002
NA April 30, 2002
PAL September 13, 2002
Nintendo DS
JP January 19, 2006
NA February 7, 2006
PAL March 30, 2006
PlayStation Network
JP November 22, 2006
Wii
JP December 25, 2008
NA June 23, 2009
Genre(s)
Survival horror
Mode(s)
Single-player
Rating(s)
BBFC: 15 / 18PC
CERO: D
Monday, February 22, 2010
Starting Point
Alright, I figure the best place to start is to put what CAPCOM (the creators of Resident Evil) wants people to know about their series. Resdient Evil Portal.
This site links together all of the most recent parts of the Resident Evil franchise, with a smattering of the old. A good place to get yourself acquainted with the series.
This site links together all of the most recent parts of the Resident Evil franchise, with a smattering of the old. A good place to get yourself acquainted with the series.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Why this Exists
This blog is a dedicated personal research blog exploring the culture around the ultimate zombie survival video game, Resident Evil. I will uncover everywhere this game has touched in culture, from the Video Game realm all the way to your everyday shopping experience.
I will be exploring the impact of the entire series, starting with the first Resident Evil game all the way to Resident Evil 5. Keep an eye on this place for some in depth analysis, and some interesting cultural finds.
I will be exploring the impact of the entire series, starting with the first Resident Evil game all the way to Resident Evil 5. Keep an eye on this place for some in depth analysis, and some interesting cultural finds.
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