Resident Evil Gaiden

"Not just another 'BLAST THOSE ZOMBIES!' game"

Resident Evil has Hit The Gameboy and what a surprise to. At first, we'd think of it as a side story like (i.e Metal gear : Ghost Babel) from Metal gear Solid. You'd expect this to me a mini, less detailed version of Resident Evil. But instead, it turned out to be something very new, different and original for the survival horror Genre.

GAMEPLAY 10/10

The Gameplay is something totally unimaginable for a Resident Evil game. Instead of shooting all you see, and sometimes dodging zombies, the Gameplay has evolved to a more RPG type style. You begin as Barry Burton, a S.T.A.R.S member out to find Leon S. Kennedy on a ship which, of course, has been totally ruined and all has been turned to the living dead. You collect guns as you go through, and herbs to heal your wounds. Whenever you see a zombie in sight, an indicator shows that they see something your way, they start to approach and they start chasing you. When they grab you, you can shove them away to a safe distance. It doesn't matter what you do, as you begin a battle. You see the zombie in a distance, depending how close they were. Depending on your gun, the little square accuracy bar will move fast or slow. The further the enemy is, the harder it is to hit them. If you hit the center bar that is a head shot (does more damage). More than one enemy can initiate battle with you, as there is a few seconds before battle starts. The game tells you it's highly recommended you avoid battle whenever you can. But in some cases, keys, herbs and ammo are sometimes found in a zombie/enemy after killed. So as you can tell, it's something totally new. If however you want to fight but from a safer distance, you can aim your gun and point it towards the enemy so you can have a safer, but harder battle. There is the danger of running out of ammo and using your knife, as you can only attack when the enemy is RIGHT UP close to you, and they always strike.Weapons range from you typical weak Knife, to a Rocket launcher. The originals are still there, like the shotgun and handgun. There is also an Ak47, and a GAS launcher which might appeal to some people. The game was made by M4, so the idea wasn't created by Capcom, and it's still good as it's something new.

CONTROL 9/10

The control is very easy. In NORMAL MODE, you get to run around and explore. Pressing the select button brings up the inventory screen. The unlocking system is different now. Instead you must select the necessary key before unlocking the door/object. So now it's more time consuming. Still, it's very easy to move around. The A button is to fire. And the D- Pad is used to run around and move the screen in BATTLE MODE.

GRAPHICS 10/10

This, you can't argue about. The game looks pretty good. Colourful, yet dull and scary at the same time. The animation screens look ok, they are 2D but it looks like enough time was put in to make it reasonable. Battle mode looks really good to, the enemies don't stay there aswell, they move, and you watch the zombies move up and down. The striking sequence to hit you is also good because it's not in a flash. You don't see a striking picture, then the normal enemy one again, it's all put together.

SOUND 10/10

Bullets firing, zombies moaning, and that eerie sound you get from every Resident Evil is still here! Nothing you can complain about here. When firing a gun, different sounds are heard depending on the different weapons used. Not much to point out in the sound.

Lasting Appeal 9/10

The game is challenging and will keep you playing for hours..days.....even months. The storyline is enough to make you think a lot. Of course, there's always that twist in someone in every Resident Evil, and as you progress through the game, you'll discover a lot. Resident Evil: Gaiden, just like every other Resident Evil, is a big thriller with different aspects for the Gameboy Colour platform. This is definately a BUY, and just because it's different, it doesn't mean it's bad.

OVERALL: 48/50 (96%)
10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/31/01, Updated 12/31/01