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Resident Evil Update
What's new for the DS version? Find out here.
by Anoop Gantayat
September 25, 2005 - The DS is the first modern portable system to get its own version of Resident Evil, and Capcom doesn't seem to be cutting corners. Resident Evil Deadly Silence, a remake of the original Resident Evil, will sport a number of new features not present in the original PlayStation title. For partial clarification, we turn to the latest issue of Nintendo Dream.


RE: DS uses the DS's bottom screen to display most of the action, with the top screen used to display a map, your remaining ammo and your remaining life. There's no life meter in the game, though. You actually determine your character's health by the background color of the top screen. Red means you're in a pinch. Also, until you've actually obtained a full map of a particular area, the map on the top screen will only show areas that you've previously accessed, keeping it in line with previous Resident Evil map systems.
The stylus and, possibly, the microphone will be put to good use in the game. Puzzles make use of the stylus, with the magazine showing off a new puzzle involving a record player. Other screenshots in the magazine hint that you'll be able to use the stylus to wipe blood of the screen and blow into the microphone to give mouth-to-mouth to other characters. These last two areas are just speculation by the magazine, but this sort of speculation often turns to fact in future updates.

Of course, the most striking use of the stylus comes in the form of knife battles, where the game switches to first person and you use the stylus to slash away at oncoming zombies. While this might suggest that you can switch to first person mode whenever you like, in turn suggesting that pre-rendered backdrops have been done away with, it turns out that the knife battles start up automatically at fixed points -- like when you enter a room, for instance. Finish a knife battle, and you're back in the standard Resident Evil perspective.

In addition to these new details, we also have one impressive teaser about the game's wireless play. Up to four players will be able to play simultaneously -- the first time we've had a specific number. Cooperative? Competitive? Capcom still isn't talking.

Deadly Silence is still without a final release date, but we expect it to hit right in time for the original's anniversary, early next year.

Source: ds.ign.com

Co-Op?

omg sex, I hope they do something like that.. playing with others in Resident evil in co-op would be extremely fun, no idea how competitive would work though.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

its still ugly right?

 

[ToyMachine228]

Four-player multiplayer? For $30, I'm there!

 

[John Harker]

Maybe it uses Wi-Fi and it has a Outbreak additional twit to it?

..... or is that too wishful thinking, heh

 

[Zeo]

its still ugly right?

It never was, but that was a nice attempt at trolling.

Sounds great. Co-op would definitely make it worth a purchase.

 

[Lyte Edge]

It never was, but that was a nice attempt at trolling.

Sounds great. Co-op would definitely make it worth a purchase.

Resident Evil on Playstation wasn't ugly? I don't know about that.

Anyway, this sounds pretty cool, although I'd prefer a brand new RE game or a port of some kind of Resident Evil GC to the PSP instead. How many times are they going to port RE1? How about RE2 or RE3 instead, since they never did get remakes?

 

[Wario64]

its still ugly right?

yes

and now it seems we have confirmation that it isn't in real time

 

[Amir0x]

Resident Evil on Playstation wasn't ugly? I don't know about that.

Zeo likes to make concessions for hardware. Because DS can't do much better, it "has always looked good." Because you see, hardware limitations make painful visuals attractive/acceptable.

To be fair, however, RE DS looks better than RE PSX. You can make out clear muscle definition in the DS version of the characters, but in PSX version it's basically segmented polygon arm.

 

[Wario64]

It never was

You're wrong. Resident Evil looks like crap by today's standards. If you think it looks acceptable today, you're stupid. I'm right. I'm always right.

 

[Tamashii]

Most of the info in that article I've actually read elsewhere before, but a few tidbits of it were fresh.

Personally, I'm excited for this title... I've never completed the original Resident Evil, despite me having the "REmake" of it on the GameCube, and I like what I've seen and read of it thus far.

 

[Deku]

In addition to these new details, we also have one impressive teaser about the game's wireless play. Up to four players will be able to play simultaneously -- the first time we've had a specific number. Cooperative? Competitive? Capcom still isn't talking.

Would be even nicer if it had an on-line wifi feature. But wireless multiplay sounds interesting.

 

[Virgin Wii]

Zeo likes to make concessions for hardware. Because DS can't do much better, it "has always looked good." Because you see, hardware limitations make painful visuals attractive/acceptable.

Yes, hardware limitations make lesser graphics acceptable. Because the alternative would be no games on the platform. That's just common sense.

 

[Amir0x]

Yes, hardware limitations make lesser graphics acceptable. Because the alternative would be no games on the platform. That's just common sense.

No, it doesn't make it acceptable or attractive. It just becomes something you have to deal with, or work around. For instance, Viewtiful Joe DS works because it has a nice, unique 3D style, and 2D games on DS look fucking great.

 

[Virgin Wii]

It just becomes something you have to deal with, or work around.

At which point you have accepted it. LOL am i rite?

 

[Amir0x]

At which point you have accepted it. LOL am i rite?

No, because they're still unattractive and painfully below standard and I will never allow my standard to be set at that level. I just have to deal with it or else I won't be playing any 3D games on DS, will I? And fortunately for DS, some 3D games actually have good gameplay.

 

[Tamashii]

2D games on DS look fucking great

Do they really? Or do most of them look like Game Boy Advance games with minor graphical upgrades? Most 2D titles I've seen so far on the DS appear that they could be done rather easily on the GBA.

What I expected out of the DS was near-PlayStation quality 2D, not 2D that is easily mistaken for GBA-quality. I know the DS isn't a "dead" platform yet, meaning that in the coming years developers should obviously squeeze much more out of it, but what I've seen of it thus far in the "2D graphics" department has been rather disappointing honestly.

 

[MoxManiac]

Why can't they make a new one? Why does RE1 have to be remade AGAIN? I love RE1, it's my favorite of the series behind RE4, but god.

 

[Amir0x]

Do they really? Or do most of them look like Game Boy Advances games with minor graphical upgrades? Most 2D titles I've seen so far on the DS appear that they could be done rather easily on the GBA.

What I expected out of the DS was near-PlayStation quality 2D, not 2D that is easily mistaken for GBA-quality.

Of course there is shitty 2D and good 2D, but I don't judge the quality of DS visuals by the worst of the worst.

Castlevania DS, just to name one, is gorgeous.

 

[Tamashii]

Why can't they make a new one? Why does RE1 have to be remade AGAIN? I love RE1, it's my favorite of the series behind RE4, but god.

I'd actually prefer that they remake Resident Evil 2, which in my opinion is the best in the series.

Castlevania DS, just to name one, is gorgeous.

I definitely agree with you there. Castlevania for the DS is one very beautiful game; it's just a shame that, at the moment, there aren't more 2D DS titles that look close to as good as it does.

 

[ToyMachine228]

I'd actually prefer that they remake Resident Evil 2, which in my opinion is the best in the series.

Definitely the best of the PSOne Resident Evil games. Now the REmake and Resident Evil 4 reign supreme. With RE4 high above all of them.

 

[MoxManiac]

Castlevania DS, just to name one, is gorgeous.

I haven't seen it in motion, but in screenshots, it only looks marginally better than a GBA to me. Those Disciples II screenshots that were released, on the other hand...

 

[Amir0x]

I haven't seen it in motion, but in screenshots, it only looks marginally better than a GBA to me. Those Disciples II screenshots that were released, on the other hand...

Are you trying to summon Dragona? Trust me when I tell you this - the sprites and animation are on par or better than even Symphony of the Night. It's REALLY good, and gorgeous imo.

 

[MoxManiac]

Well, that is good to hear.

 

[Lyte Edge]

I haven't seen it in motion, but in screenshots, it only looks marginally better than a GBA to me. Those Disciples II screenshots that were released, on the other hand...

It looks noticeably better in motion, and the sprites have been redone, too, but most of the DS 2D games I've played tend to look too much like GBA games. Probably the most noticeable difference is the sound quality. Much better than the GBA Castlevania games.

The sprites are NOT on par with SOTN, animation-wise, howeveｒ. You can tell when you play as

Spoiler

Alucard from SOTN

, who is clearly better animated than Soma (the other characters aren't even worth mentioning ).

 

[Tamashii]

Definitely the best of the PSOne Resident Evil games. Now the REmake and Resident Evil 4 reign supreme. With RE4 high above all of them.

I really need to pick up Resident Evil 4 one of these days... now that I've re-purchased a PlayStation 2, I think I'll just wait for its version to come out instead of getting the GameCube version.

 

[puck1337]

Do they really? Or do most of them look like Game Boy Advance games with minor graphical upgrades? Most 2D titles I've seen so far on the DS appear that they could be done rather easily on the GBA.

What I expected out of the DS was near-PlayStation quality 2D, not 2D that is easily mistaken for GBA-quality. I know the DS isn't a "dead" platform yet, meaning that in the coming years developers should obviously squeeze much more out of it, but what I've seen of it thus far in the "2D graphics" department has been rather disappointing honestly.

Not to turn this into a DS apologist thread, but have you seen Mario & Luigi 2? That's miles beyond the original, and the same can be said for Castlevania.

...as far as RE DS goes, I really hope that it finds an audience, but I doubt that it will. It could do well if it has online coop, but that seems pretty unlikely, and the game has been released too many times for people to get really excited about a handheld version that looks worse than the original. In any case, I'll give it a try if someone I know picks it up. I wish Blockbuster still rented handheld games.

 

[Juice]

At which point are developers going to throw in a game that includes minigames without bothering us with ANOTHER record player doohickey?

That seems one of the most oddball and least useful ideas for stylus input ever.

 

[Tamashii]

Not to turn this into a DS apologist thread, but have you seen Mario & Luigi 2? That's miles beyond the original, and the same can be said for Castlevania.

Yes, I have seen Mario & Luigi 2, which is why I said most, which you can clearly notice in the original post. I'm not saying all 2D DS games look GBA-esque; it appears that most do.

 

[JavyOO7]

Resident Evil DS looks bizarf, and so will most 3D DS games.

But that said and done, I'm buying this. I hope the 4 player thing is co-op and online too.

EDIT: Wished the DS had an analog stick. Mario 64 DS is one of my favorite games on the DS. But it isn't the same experience like Mario 64 because of the control pad. Oh well.

 

[bummyhead]

The sprites are NOT on par with SOTN, animation-wise, howeveｒ. You can tell when you play as

Spoiler

Alucard from SOTN

, who is clearly better animated than Soma (the other characters aren't even worth mentioning ).

That's not true.

 

[Lyte Edge]

That's not true.

Certainly looks that way to me. And they also sped up his animations a bit.

 

[cvxfreak]

I wonder, given the graphics of the game, what this means for an RE2 and RE3 port. If the DS can handle those, then it's most likely Capcom doesn't want to go back and redo the graphics more than they should be. I'd wait awhile before we find out what the standard for DS 3D is.

 

[happyfunball]

Certainly looks that way to me. And they also sped up his animations a bit.

Please go take a look at the PS1 game again. It's not quite as pretty as remembered.

 

[God's Hand]

Mouth to mouth? That is sweet.

 

[Juice]

Please go take a look at the PS1 game again. It's not quite as pretty as remembered.

I demand PSX/DS port (native res) screen shot comparisons of both RE and Metroidvania.

Make it so.

 

[Lyte Edge]

Please go take a look at the PS1 game again. It's not quite as pretty as remembered.

I am talking about Alucard's ANIMATION. Not the entire game. And SOTN still looks more colorful than DoS does, although that's likely due to the DS screen.

 

[shibbs]

Well, here's another chance for me to FINALLY play RE1 :lol

 

[Suburban Cowboy]

for all you bitching about ANOTHER RE-make, just be glad they arent porting the fps re instead. Whats that one called again? (extra points for pic of game box)

 

[Dragona Akehi]

I am talking about Alucard's ANIMATION. Not the entire game. And SOTN still looks more colorful than DoS does, although that's likely due to the DS screen.

Psst, LyteEdge, they redrew Alucard's sprite for Dawn of Sorrow. It has quite a bit more colourdepth, compared to SOTN.

 

[Akai]

for all you bitching about ANOTHER RE-make, just be glad they arent porting the fps re instead. Whats that one called again? (extra points for pic of game box)

 

[SantaC]

its still ugly right?

sadly yes

 

[dark10x]

Ah, but that's the FOURTH game in the "Gun" series.

The DS could not handle that game, so I'm sure they were thinking of...

 

[Akai]

Oh whooooops, I completely missed the word "port" there...

 

[Varian]

and blow into the microphone to give mouth-to-mouth

Screw this. I'll fart into the mic FTW.

 

[Blackace]

BLOOD?!?! I HOPE THIS ISN'T CHRIS' BLOOD!!!