Resident Evil 2

"Obvious drop in visual quality aside, RE2 is a successful conversion of the PSX classic!"

I've been a big fan of Resident Evil 2, and have played the PSX version to death. So obviously when the N64 version was released the first thing I was going to do is compare it to the PSX version. Now before I go into my grins and gripes, remember that this is a 2-CD game squashed into one 512-megabit cart, so there is going to be a drop in quality somewhere. Also remember that I don't have an expantion pak, so I probably have no idea what I'm truely missing.

The biggest drop can be seen in the visual quality of the FMV scenes. This is understandible, considering the N64 was made to be a polygonal powerhouse and not much else. Still, the idea of the N64 having FMV of any quality is astounding, and when you figure a good 99% of the FMV made it into this cart with all the voice and sound intact, well to say the least it's an amazing feat.

The next thing on the list is sound. Voices sound as if it were coming out of a radio, this drop is once again understandible, considering the amount of voice this game has in the first place. The music's probably the most amazing aspect in this field, as every track has been successfully converted without loss in the quality. In my opinion, the best soundtrack since "Shadows of the Empire" on the N64.

The last thing is the picture quality of the prerendered scenes you run around in throughout the game. It looks like color was sacrificed to squeeze every frame in, and thus it look like it's running in 16-bit color mode on your PC. Still, the fact of prerendered ANYTHING on the N64 is quite a step, and this is all thanks to the compression techniques Angel Studios, which was the leading force behind the N64 "Rogue Squadron", another game heavy on voice. They did a great job here, and this game will look extremely good on the company's already future-bright resume.

The only problem this game's going to have sales-wise is the fact that Resident Evil 3 Nemesis was released the exact same time this game was, and since many people have already played the PSX version, that will make any real reason to play this excellent conversion almost null. Still, give this game a rent, if for anything, being able to see FMV on the N64. You won't be disappointed, I can assure you.

All the rating that's fit to print! (On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best)

Graphics-8
Drops in quality aside, this is over a gig's worth of information squeezed into a 512-megabit cart, so don't complain about it.

Sound-9
You got voice, and you got music. So there.

Control-9
You played the PSX version, right? Then you probably won't have much problem picking this up. You can even use the joypad, so everything's fine.

Fun/Overall-8
It still captures the scariness of the PSX version, even in the lower quality, so that's got to be a good thing.

This review Copyright 1999 Brian "TheFreak" Balsan & Gamefaqs. Any copying, retransmission or infringement of any kind is strictly prohibited. Break these laws and get whipped 1000 times by a man in a monkey suit with a major case of the Chicken Pox. Thank you and have a nice day.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/99, Updated 12/07/99