Capcom has finally brought a great game to a Nintendo console since the days of SNES. The original version of this game was released long ago on a console known as the Playstation. But, this year it has been revamped with totally eye-popping graphics and added Gameplay. This is not the exact same game as the original, but more or less it is pretty close. Items are moved in the rooms, ammo is added or removed, and new furniture is added to make the mansion seem more believable. Lamps are supplied to add more moody light, and locations of many things are changed around to make the a game different enough for old school RE fans to try it out. Also, new outdoor environments are added, and some other surprises that those RE fans have not seen in the original. As I said, some things are changed, but if you are familiar with the first Resident Evil offering, you will most likely know this game well. Although it is more or less a port, the graphics make this game so much more than the first. Graphics aren't everything, but it makes this game a whole lot scarier.

Graphics:

Like I said, the graphics are amazing, possibly being the best looking game out on any console as of now. Each characters looks almost real, and that is not just in the cut scenes. Throughout the whole game you can gawk at the lifelike figures as you take your not so leisurely strole through the mansion. Compared to the first RE, this game blows it out of the water. It creates a very spooky mood, and even when nothing is happening, the game can be scary. Lighting flashes through windows and creates eerie shadows on the floor. The shadows are amazing, all the lighting in the game creates lifelike shadows that move as you move and aren't just a black blob on the ground. Everything that can cast a shadow casts one, and that includes other creates you may encounter.

Mirrors create other great effects; in many spots you may see the reflection of the zombie before you see the real thing. Fire flickers and also creates some great moody light; especially in one spot that I think you will know what I'm talking about when you get there. Dim light is cast from candles and lamps, and doesn't quite light up places fully to create a scarier environment. All the backgrounds are pre-rendered and take up a lot of space on the GC disk, but it is worth it to see the amazing graphical masterpiece that is Resident Evil.

Sound:

Very moody music plays throughout the game that keeps the scary spookiness of the game going even when nothing is happening. You can hear footsteps, and some aren't yours. The music picks up when encountered with an enemy and slows down again when you blast him to bits. This game comes with enough scary music and sound effects to keep you up at night, and it even features a great piece of classical music that complements the game well. However, the voice acting in this game is quite poor, but don't let that keep you away from this game.

Gameplay:

This is all great games strive in, and RE is not absent in this department. From shooting zombies to playing the piano, this game has it all. Well, maybe you can't drive a car, or rob a bank, but this game has what it needs, and more to keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat. Surprises creep around every corner, and the storylines continues to its surprising climax. Not only can you complete this game one way, but you can also chose between two grade A killing machines. Chris, and Jill are your S.T.A.R.S. members who you can choose, and depending on who you chose, different things can happen. However, the differences aren't too different and usually the characters you talk to change, and well…the differences are few and far between. For example, Jill gets the lighter and lock-pick early on, and Chris needs to find small keys to open normally locked doors.

In addition to that there are a plethora of different endings, but none of them are too different to really keep anyone wanting to really see them. However, there are different game modes you can unlock and costumes to gain as you beat the game in different ways and in different times. There are the EASY, NORMAL, and HARD modes after you beat the game for the first time. And let me tell you, hard mode is certainly what it says; hard. The other modes I won't reveal because they are more or less secret modes, and to keep them secret and more exciting, it is best not to read them here. But they add some different aspects to the game to make it more challenging. In addition to all these things there are also some extra weapons you can unlock to make your job of killing numerous zombies a bit more easy. Basically, in this game, as most might think, you go around killing zombies and finding out different bits of what happened at this mysterious mansion as you go. You meet old friends, and kill new foes (some of which are things that one will not find in their local big mansion).

Playability:

The controls for this game aren't exactly A+ material, but they usually work ok. Turning and running around zombies is not exactly something the characters in this game seem to be able to do too well, and you may bump into many walls before you get the controls down, and probably even after. There are multiple controls in this game, but next to this are the good ones, they are called Control Style 3, and I recommend it to anyone who plays RE.

The camera in this game is basically there to create a very spooky environment. You generally can't see around corners, and so things will tend to scare you more because you don't know they are there. The cameras are fixed, so the will be the same every time. To summarize, the camera angles are pretty bad, they make it scary, but also quite annoying to get around.

This game may have multiple endings, but every time you play it, it will be basically the same. You can change difficulty levels, but that just makes it harder. Harder means more zombies, less ammo, and the zombies can take more. Also, there are two characters, but playing with either one is almost the same, save some subtle differences.

Lastability:

RE may suffer in this department, but you will find yourself playing this game for a good long while before you put it down. The first time you play you will most likely be playing it for 10+ hours. Unless you know exactly where you are going. The second time you play, that time will most likely be cut in half, because you know where to go, and what items to bring where. There are multiple game modes to unlock, but they are they are kind of secret, so if you want to know them, go look in a cheats section. Over all this game will last for a good 20 hours or more, and you may find yourself coming back to it more than that.

Final Say:

This game is definitely a gem, and a big one at that. It lives up to my expectations, and goes beyond it. It delivers a great game with outstanding Gameplay and truly amazing graphics. Not only that, but it is scary. It is almost like playing a horror movie. The only thing that suffers is the controls, the voice acting and a little bit on the replay value. There are things to unlock, but it requires playing the game over, and it is basically always the same. All in all, this is a great game, and should be at least rented for all Gamecube owners. You won't be disappointed.