Resident Evil 2

"Port of the Year"

You may seem disappointed thinking this isn't a remake of it, but still is a genuine classic. I was disappointed that this isn't a remake but years ago I never got the full RE2 experience. Now I do, and having a lot of fun with it.

Gameplay-8/10
Just your average zombie shoot-em-up, sort of. It is still like the original RE2 (ok, to be honest all of it is exactly the same) where you don't shoot everything you see. Teaches you to conserve ammo for the bigger baddies, like bosses. If you haven't played RE2, I'll give you a little run down of what to expect, controlling wise. Controls are very awkward if this is your first RE, but don't fret just yet, you get used to it. At first you probably will think ''What the hell, what kinda controls are these,'' then you change by thanking them from avoiding baddies. Sad part is there isn't a 180 turn if you only played REmake, but no big deal. Also when you beat the game for the first time the game doesn't quite end there. There is a second scenario that you play with the opposite character you played at first, adding more storyline and a little more difficulty (as well as kind of creepy).

Story-10/10
That's right, exactly the same as RE2 for PlayStation and the other ports, but again I'll refresh your minds or give details to the new people. Raccoon City, a peaceful town in a middle of a mess (literally). A few months back there was a mansion incident involving zombies(that's right, zombies). That was the work a Umbrella, a large pharmaceutical company. The T-Virus changes a human into a almost-death state (or zombie), causing them to feed on humans. S.T.A.R.S was sent out to investigate and the case was closed after Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine exposed the T-Virus. Unfortunately, the mansion blew up, eliminating all evidence, so the public didn't believe them. Months later, Leon S. Kennedy arrives for the first day as part of the R.P.D (Raccoon Police Dept.)and finds the city empty. Leon drives along and stops his car and finds a dead body. Weird, he thinks, then it rises. Then more ''people'' come from behind so he starts shooting them, but they won't stay down. His only option is run. He goes down an alleyway and finds the back door to a diner when a girl flies out with a zombie on her tail. He takes the zombie out, and they both run to a police car and drive. She identifies herself to be Claire Redfield, looking for her brother Chris. They drive but little they knew a zombie was in the back seat. The car crashed into a wall and they both are safe, until a gas truck comes to them and crashes into the car, causing both to flee to opposite sides. Now separated, their struggle for survival starts now...

Audio/Visuals-8/10
The game looks nice, not great compared to games today (like REmake) but from when the game came out it was good, not great even at that time. Cut-scenes shine in this version, probably due to the graphics update from the GameCube, not the game itself. Plus the violence is still there, saying this is not really for younger kids. That and some of the areas look scary in a way, and scenes that might make you change pants too, but if you played REmake a lot (which will scare the crap out of you, one way or another) this might not be scary at all to you, but that doesn't take out the enjoyment from everything else. The sound is good, but not great. Don't expect high quality sounds from current GameCube games, this port has everything from the PlayStation version, not that it's bad. Hearing a zombie growl or footsteps add the scary factor, plus the music near the end add panic while you play (hint hint)

Replayability-9/10
Since the are different scenarios, you might find yourself playing this game for a long time. Eventually, like all games, you will get bored from it, but that will take time to come. The arrange mode adds to that, a game in which the plot twists when you do something in the game, and the nice weapons you start out with too.

Final Saying
Alright, to the real point. Will you enjoy this game if you played the other versions of this game to death? Maybe. I suggest you don't buy it, it's all the same, and you won't be missing anything. But if you haven't played this game or haven't done everything it is worth renting or buying. It's only $40 so you have nothing to lose. Also try RE3 for GameCube, but it's a port as well. If you haven't played that, try that also. It adds to the story. Don't forget, this might keep you occupied until Resident Evil 4, so until then, happy hunting (zombies, that is)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/03, Updated 01/28/03