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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Original Returns!, 19 Oct 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This is just a port of the original classic PSX/PS1 survival horror Resident Evil. But it is so much more than just a port at the same time: the game features two different modes, each with two characters to play as (Chris and Jill) and each character having a different difficulty to play the game on.
I played this game first when I was just 6 years old, 10 years ago, and I was so scared I had nightmares for weeks! But this game, despite the fact that it looks pretty dated compared to the fantastic remake for the GameCube and the new classic Resident Evil 4, is a gaming masterpiece; it started survival horror, and made way for games such as Silent Hill, Forbidden Siren, amongst others. When I first heard this was coming out for the DS back in mid 2005 I just couldn't wait to play it portable.
The game does sound better for the PS1, but the graphics don't look at pixeled (sorry bout the spelling) on the DS version.
The two main modes of the game are Original (the classic Resident Evil that all original fans will remember) and Rebirth (a slightly different version that encorporates the DS' stylus as your knife and also makes you solve puzzles with the stylus i.e. tapping colours on a storeroom chest in order for them to line up and give you a first-aid spray or something - only 25% of the time, when you walk into a room, will you be required to fight with the stylus). Rebirth lasts longer than the main game, as enemies can always come back if you enter a room and are forced to fight with your stylus, whilst Classic is just the exact same game that was made 10 years ago.
Once you have finished the game once you unlock the 'Master of Knifing' minigame, where you play through the 5 main areas of the main game, but shortened down to make it more like an arcade game. The minigame requires you to play with just your stylus as you have only your knife and no other weapons or health-kits etc. and you have to fight as you do occasionally in Rebirth.
One of the best features is multiplayer, although every player requires a game card each - so I had to go spend £70 on 2 versions when the U.S. version came out in February 06 just so I could compete against my brother. Multiplayer allows you to choose a character and either work with your friend or compete against them in 3 different stages (each should last around 3 to 4 minutes). Jill and Chris are only available when you start, but other classic characters can be unlocked as you complete each main game mode on each difficulty, and when you have played through the minigame and got a B rank you also unlock...well, my favourite character out of all Resi games ('the always calm, cool S.T.A.R.S. who always where dark shades' - don't want to give it away for those who haven't played any of the games yet).
The actual story is pretty simple: you are a member of S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) Alpha team who are sent in to help find their 'brother' team Bravo, who you lost contact with whilst they were in the Racoon Forest. You arrive to find their helicopter deserted, are attacked by Cerberus (hellhounds/ mutilated dogs) and are forced to flee into an old mansion called the Spencer Estate. You find the mansion to be infested with the living dead (ZOMBIES!) and other creatures from Hell, such as HUGE Black Widows, Cerberus, the awesome Hunters, and the unforgetable Tyrant, and must now find other ways to escape the mansion and get back to Racoon City.
Whilst some people believe Resident Evil 2 is the best game, I have to say that I always thought this was the best - it's the classic haunted house scenario - and I am still scared to death of the 2002 remake for GameCube (get a Cube and buy that and Resi 4 too!) This game started the legendary Resident Evil series, and it has the most memorable characters out of the entire series (Chris, Barry, Jill, Wesker (oh yeah!), Rebecca etc).
The dialog is so cheap and pathetic compared to today's standards of gaming speech, but that's what adds to the game's legendary status!
I hope that Resident Evil 2 comes out for the DS sometime soon (maybe Feb next year?) as that is the second best in terms of survival horror.
Anyway, get this game; I guarantee that if you like classics or/ and horror games, you will love this!
RESI FAN 4 LIFE!
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Back from the Dead, 22 Jun 2007
Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars
The original Resident Evil was a surprise hit on the Playstation back in 1996 and now, 10 years later, the survival horror classic returns on the Nintendo DS.
In Resident Evil, a rescue group goes missing and a back-up team is sent to Raccoon City in an attempt to rescue them. Unfortunately for them, the place where the group dissappeared is now populated by flesh-eating zombies due to a virus that has escaped.
You take the role of one of two S.T.A.R.S members - Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, who have to search the mansion in order to find out what has happened to the missing team and why the undead are now making a meal of the local population.
In the search you will come across zombies, dogs, crows, mutant reptiles, sharks and finally The Tyrant, all who want a piece of your flesh.
The first thing you will notice when switching on RE:DS is that graphically it is nearly identical to the original Playstation version, which is quite an acheivement for the DS. All of the cheesy cut-scenes are there as well as the awful voice-acting, but it all adds to the atmosphere of this B-movie inspired horror classic.
There are also two modes of play in this DS version. First is the original mode, which is basically the same as the old Playstation version. The controls are fairly straight-forward, using the D-pad to walk about and aim. Hold the X button to run and the B button to examine or to shoot (with the R trigger).
And then there is the DS-exclusive Rebirth Mode, which is a sort of remix of the original game and also includes touchscreen puzzles and has places where zombies will attach you, with your only knife as a defence (which you use the stylus to slash at them).
Deadly Silence doesn't take too long to finish, especially if you have played the original before. But it still a great game to play again and has seemed to have stood the test of time pretty well.
For players who haven't ever tried this before, or have played Resident Evil 4, this may feel like a bit of a step in the wrong direction and they maybe better off trying out the remake that came out for the Gamecube back in 2002.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A POCKET FULL OF HORROR , 28 April 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Anyone who loves Resident Evil shouldn't be disappointed with this Playstation one port. The whole concept of being able to play this great game on the move is awesome. The backdrops sadly aren't as detailed as the Playstation original, nor is the sound as crisp, but the characters and zombies still look great. The sound effects and speech have been squeezed in, and hearing the poor acting once again brings a tear to my eye. The controls of the game are no worse than the original, and play fine. The best part of this conversion is being able to skip the door opening sequences, and being able to view the map constantly on the other screen. This to me creates better fluidity, and speeds the gameplay dramatically. This convertion lacks the atmosphere of the Playstation due to the small screens and quiet background music, but to me being able to play it anywhere makes it a must buy for any fan of the series.
The inclusion of another play mode with different puzzles using the touch screen and 1st person battles also gives the game more value. Buy the game today, you won't regret it!
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