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Release Dates for Resident Evil 5 on PS4 & Xbox One

May 31, 2016 // Tim

Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar’s dramatic chapter in the Resident Evil series is making its way to a new generation of consoles. Today we’re happy to announce the release dates for upcoming physical and digital versions of RE5, along with Xbox One pre-order details and info about features like The Mercenaries United and No Mercy Mode.

Resident Evil 5 is one of the most dramatic, high-tension entries in the series, as Chris and Sheva battle through the African settlement of Kijuju, which has been infected by the mysterious Uroboros virus. The duo uses a diverse arsenal of upgradeable weapons to fight the gigantic Executioner Majini, powerful Lickers, and even evil franchise villain Albert Wesker. The suave antagonist is back with his most grandiose scheme yet, aided by enigmatic masked ally.

Two players can team up to play through the intense and extensive campaign together, which includes boating through gator-infested swamps and exploring ancient ruins beneath Kijuju. Co-op in this game builds off of the satisfying, deliberate, and revolutionary gunplay introduced in Resident Evil 4. Friends can team up for both local split-screen and online co-op play. Remember, friendships can either be strengthened or shattered depending on how quick you are to heal your buddy with that first-aid spray.

In addition to the climactic story campaign, fans will also get every piece of add-on content previously released. This includes additional story add-ons “Lost in Nightmares” and “Desperate Escape,” along with No Mercy Mode, which was previously available only on PC, and the all-encompassing The Mercenaries United. No Mercy Mode takes advantage of the extra power of current-gen consoles to throw even larger hordes of enemies at players. The Mercenaries United consolidates every piece of Mercenaries content that was originally released for RE5.

Fans can get their hands on Resident Evil 5 when it releases digitally for PS4 and Xbox One on June 28. A retail disc version will release shortly afterwards in North America on July 12. If you’re planning to pick up RE5 on Xbox One, you can also preorder now !

For more screenshots, check out our Facebook page !

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Ibuki Infiltrates Street Fighter V Roster!

May 30, 2016 // Harrison Young

What’s up World Warriors!

We’re happy to announce that Ibuki — everyone’s favorite kunoichi — is making her return in Street Fighter V! She has always been a very tricky, technical character so players who are looking for a challenge won’t be disappointed as she comes  with loads of new ninjutsu tricks up her sleeve to keep her opponent guessing at all times. Hit the jump for more details on our latest DLC character!

Ibuki has been trained in the deadly art of ninjutsu from an early age in a village located in the mountains of Japan and is often seen with her pet tanuki, Don and her best friend Sarai Kurosawa. She is constantly tasked with difficult missions and rigorous training and dreams of one day finishing her ninja exams, leaving all this behind to live a life of a normal schoolgirl.

 

Her first appearance was in Street Fighter III: New Generation where she is sent by her clan to retrieve the “G file” from Gill, which she obtains after their battle. This document details the start of a new mysterious project and Gill condescendingly instructs her to use it as a reference paper for her studies.

In Street Fighter III: 3 rd Strike, she goes on to complete her training with Oro in the hopes of passing her ninja exams and furthering her education. She does so and is accepted to a university which turns out to be just another chapter in her training as it is revealed to be a secret ninjutsu training facility. Street Fighter III is also where we learn that she has quite the knack for picking up rivals, as you’ll see in her special intro with Makoto.  

Her next major appearance was in Super Street Fighter IV, where she sneaks off from her ninja training to search for cool guys, meeting various rivals like Sakura Kasugano and eventually ending up back at the ninja training camp, late for her exams.

Besides the mainline Street Fighter titles, she has also appeared in a number of crossover games such as Pocket Fighter and Street Fighter x Tekken .

Character Overview

 

Ibuki has always been a very mobile character with various target combos, but she now has even more ways to mix-up the opponent with the ability to glide through the air and toss out ninja bombs, making it very difficult to predict where she will land and where her next attack will come from.

Kunais have also been a cornerstone of her playstyle, but now players will have to be much more strategic in their use as she can only stock five at a time before she has to quickly obtain another set. That said, their utility is just as powerful as ever as she can send her entire stock flying at the opponent for serious damage. 

Ibuki builds up energy and blasts it from her palm towards the opponent. The blast range is dependent on how long Tenrai is charged for.

V-TRIGGER: Isshaku Horokudama

Ibuki digs into her bag of ninja tools and throws a bomb at the opponent. Depending on which direction is held upon activation, the bomb can either go off quickly, after a slight delay or after a longer delay. Ibuki is extremely crafty and impatient, however, so there might be other ways to trigger the explosion.

The pinnacle of Ibuki’s ninjutsu training! Ibuki launches the opponent into the air, quickly following after them. She then performs a series of ninjutsu seals, culminating in a large scale blast to the opponent’s skull.

You probably notice from the trailer and screens, but we also have a brand new alternate stage coming! It’s a day time version of the Kanzuki Estate stage, aptly named Estate at Noon. Look forward to throwing down among the sunlit cherry blossoms!

That’s it for today, but we have a lot of exciting news coming very soon! June is going to be a huge month for Street Fighter V, with the highly-anticipated Story Expansion and more surprises planned, so stay tuned and be sure to follow us @StreetFighter on Twitter for the latest updates!

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Monster Hunter Generations Localization Notes Part 1 – Title and Process

May 28, 2016 // Marco

Hello everyone! My name is Marco Bombasi, one of the Localization Directors in Capcom Japan’s Global R&D department. I’m here to give you a peek into the development and localization of the latest title in the Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter Generations! This is a very special title, packed with tons of new content and gameplay features. There’s a lot I have planned to share with you, so I’ll be posting a few times over the course of the next few months leading up to the game’s release on July 15 !

Before we get down to the nitty-gritty, this is my first post on Capcom Unity, so allow me to tell you a little bit about myself. I started at Capcom in 2011, and have worked on titles such as Asura’s Wrath and Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. My first foray into the Monster Hunter series was with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, where I worked as a content direction and translation lead. After MH4U wrapped up, I was given the opportunity to take on the challenge of Localization Director for MHGen , so here I am! The localization for MH4U set the bar pretty high, so I had my work cut out for me with this title. But, now that the game is almost finished, I’m really happy with how the localization quality came out! I hope you feel the same once you get your hands on it this summer.

Now then! Let’s get into the good stuff, shall we? Monster Hunter Generations was a beast (or monster, if you prefer) of a game to localize, so I’d like to give you a look into the development process, some of the issues we faced, and how we went about localizing certain terms. Fortunately, a lot of the standards we established in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate carried over to MHGen , so we had a solid foundation to start with. Andrew Alfonso, the Localization Director for MH4U , goes into detail about these in his blogs from last year, so I highly recommend reading them if you haven’t done so already! No, really, go ahead. I’ll wait.

…All finished? Interesting stuff, right?  

With each new installment in the series comes new challenges for localization.

First Order of Business

We started planning the localization for Monster Hunter Generations back in December 2014, as development on MH4U was winding down. We began having meetings with the development team to get an idea of the overall scope of the game, how much text there would be, what kind of time frame we had to work with, etc., so we could start mapping out our schedule. In the midst of all that, our first official request came from the producer. Our mission: localize the game’s title! We were given the following conditions for coming up with the international title:

1) Needs to match the game content

2) Must be clear that it is not a numbered entry in the series

3) Needs to be understandable in North American and European regions without translation

As I’m sure you know by now, the official Japanese title for the game is Monster Hunter X. I don’t know about you, but when I first saw this, I read it as “Monster Hunter 10.” I knew that couldn’t be right, so my second guess was the letter “X” (as in Mega Man X). Of course, I learned soon after that it was pronounced “cross,” to symbolize the crossing of both the returning and new elements in the Monster Hunter series. But given the conditions above, we couldn’t leave the title as is. We threw ideas back and forth and consulted with our friends at Capcom USA and Capcom Europe to see what would work best for both regions. Suggestions such as “Monster Hunter Tribute” and “Monster Hunter Unity” came up, but in the end we felt that Monster Hunter Generations summed up the game nicely, as it encompasses content from various games in Monster Hunter history.

A Decade in the Making

As I mentioned earlier, Monster Hunter Generations is packed with new content. Additionally, many monsters, NPCs and locations from previous titles will be appearing in the game, including some from Monster Hunter games that were never localized before! For the first time ever, you’ll get to visit Yukumo Village, where you can relax at the Yukumo Footbath before venturing out to take on the elder dragon, Amatsu (アマツマガツム[ a-ma-tsu-ma-ga-tsu-chi ] from Monster Hunter Portable 3 rd). Of course, you could also pay a visit to the footbath after, if that’s your thing. Personally, I’m more of a footbath-before-hunt kinda guy.

I love me a good footbath. But what did all this mix of content mean for localization? Well, it meant we had a looooot of legacy text to polish. We were dealing with text from previous games that each had different character limits and localization standards at the time they were developed, so the quality level of reusable text was all over the place. We spent a total of about three weeks sifting through it all, updating it to our current standards and unifying naming conventions for consistency. The majority of these changes were made to weapon/armor names and their descriptions. In some instances a quick touch-up did the trick, but in others the text needed to be rewritten completely. We do have our own in-house localization tools to help us check quality and iron out inconsistencies, but it’s still quite a time-consuming process to get everything up to the same level of quality, especially given the amount of text in the game (there’s a lot more than you might think!).

A lot of the UI was redesigned for MHGen , which meant any text that we touched up and used from MH4U wouldn’t fit as is. We wanted to avoid sacrificing quality by rewriting the text just so it could fit within a text box, so we negotiated with the dev team to see if it was possible to either increase the UI size or decrease the font size to make the legacy text fit.

Unfortunately, enlarging the UI limits was out of the question. There was just no extra space on the screen. Increasing the UI size in one area would mean shrinking it in another, and that would just cause all kinds of problems. We tried decreasing the font size next, but shrinking it to a point where all the text fit made the text too small to read. The hard truth sunk in—we needed to shorten some of the text. We played around with different font sizes, and luckily found a balance where the text was readable, and only about 5% of the legacy text exceeded the character limit. As a result, we were able to fit the majority of any reusable text from MH4U within the new limits without sacrificing quality.   

The text turned out slightly smaller than in MH4U.

There you have it! Your first behind-the-scenes look at the localization of Monster Hunter Generations! Next Friday, I’ll talk about how we came up with names for some of the new monsters you encounter in MHGen.

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New details about the Mega Man animated series, coming in 2017!

May 26, 2016 // Kellen Haney

If you’re an 80s or 90s kid, you may remember an animated series about the fighting robot (sing it with me now: Mega Man !) that ran for two seasons during the mid-90s. It was a fresh, and unique, if not sometimes silly, take on Mega Man, and one that a lot of people (including myself) remember fondly. The new animated Mega Man series will follow Aki Light – a normal, upbeat, and above all optimistic young school-aged robot living in Silicon City. He soon learns that deep within his programming are secret protocols that allow him to transform – giving him nanocore armor, a Mega Buster, and the iconic helmet to turn him into a superhero – Mega Man!

Promising exciting new technologies and new robots, the series will follow the adventures and trials of Aki Light – a.k.a. Mega Man – as he faces off against threats to Silicon City, while trying to keep his superhero identity a secret and maintain a normal robot schoolkid life.

It’ll be a great way for newcomers and younger fans to meet Mega Man for the first time, and a treat for fans who grew up with the games, featuring  the return of beloved characters like everyone’s favorite robot canine, Rush! Be sure to keep an eye out for the Blue Bomber’s animated adventures in 2017 – the same year as Mega Man ’s 30 th anniversary!

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“Best of PS3” launches on PSN with modern Capcom classics

May 24, 2016 // Kellen Haney

The current console generation and PlayStation 4 as we know is in full swing, but let’s not forget about one of the consoles that helped it get to where it is! PSN has just kicked off with a new Best of PS3 category, offering permanent price cuts to some of the best games on PS3!  Included in this new section are many Capcom favorites from last generation, so check out the list after the jump and grab some great titles for a low price now if you missed them the first time around!

Devil May Cry HD Collection

 $  29.99

 $  19.99

DmC: Devil May Cry

 $  29.99

 $  19.99

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

 $  39.99

 $  29.99

Remember Me

 $  39.99

 $  19.99

Resident Evil Revelations

 $  29.99

 $  19.99

Street Fighter X Tekken

 $  29.99

 $  19.99

Ultra Street Fighter IV

 $  39.99

 $  24.99

 

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Umbrella Corps Deluxe Edition Details, Pre-orders Now Open!

May 24, 2016 // Tim

The U.S. government ordered the absolute sterilization (a.k.a. complete destruction via missiles) of the zombie-infested Raccoon City in 1998. Now fans can return to the iconic setting thanks to new maps revealed for Umbrella Corps. The competitive, online third-person shooter set in the Resident Evil universe allows players to take each other down in the chaotic city streets or battle in a dilapidated reimagining of the iconic RPD (Raccoon City Police Department) building. Fans can also look like iconic RE characters like Leon S. Kennedy or Chris Redfield with skins in the newly announced Upgrade Pack

The first new battlefield revealed is the Raccoon City map, which recreates the hazardous city streets first seen in RE 2 and RE 3. Overturned vehicles, walls of flame, and the shambling undead are scattered around the streets. Mercenaries can also venture down into the sewers below Raccoon City, shooting it out in the same narrow passages where infected rats once spread the T-Virus. Check out the fresh batch of screens on our Facebook page to see players exchanging fire beneath the gated archway of the RPD station.

Speaking of Raccoon City’s Police Department, the headquarters’ main hall plays host to one of the most open maps in Umbrella Corps. The ruinous RPD building interior is reimagined as a patchwork refuge, with metal sheeting and scaffolding connecting the first and second floors. Mercenaries can even take cover beneath the ornate statue which held a key item in RE 2. Don’t get too nostalgic exploring the crumbling hall, however, because players are extremely exposed to enemy fire in this map.

If fighting enemy players and a host of zombies in Raccoon City doesn’t sound right without RE characters like Leon S. Kennedy or Chris Redfield, fans are in luck. The Upgrade Pack includes a host of characters skins, weapons, patches, custom colors, and emotes to personalize your mercenary. The included masks allow players to assume the likenesses of the aforementioned Leon and Chris along with Albert Wesker, Barry Burton, Jake Muller, and a HUNK set that includes a helmet, mask and outfit. Finally, players can settle Wesker and Chris’s differences under the roof they once shared as supposed S.T.A.R.S. team comrades. You can pick up the Upgrade Pack as an add-on for $14.99 to the standard edition of Umbrella Corps ($29.99), or get it as part of the Deluxe Edition of Umbrella Corps at a discounted $39.99.

The release of Umbrella Corps is just around the corner, but you can lock in your copy of the game and score some awesome extra content by pre-ordering starting today for both PS4 and PC. Mercs who pre-order now will receive the “Fashion Victim Pack” as a free bonus. This cosmetic pack lets players add splashes of color to their weapons and armor. Want to see what a souped-up mercenary looks like outfitted in neon orange? Now you can. PS4 owners that pre-order will also receive a dynamic custom theme featuring sounds, music, icons, and other artwork from Umbrella Corps.

Umbrella Corps will be available to download when it releases on PS4 and PC on June 21.

Pre-order now for PS4

Pre-purchase now for Steam

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Monster Hunter Generations Felynes suit up with Arthur gear from Ghosts ‘n Goblins

May 19, 2016 // Yuri Araujo

In Monster Hunter Generations, you’ll get to equip your Felynes with Arthur’s Lance and Knight Armor from Ghosts ‘n Goblins. But don’t worry: it won’t fall off after one hit!

Oh man, what a trailer! Think you can spot all the Ghosts ‘n Goblins references? Let us know in the comments. =)

 

If you like fun little crossovers like this, be sure to check out the Okami and Fire Emblem ones too.

And remember you can already pre-order Monster Hunter Generations and this slick Limited Edition N3DSXL at select retailers. Both come out July 15 !

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RE 20th Anniversary Video – RE Revelations Devs Look To The Past And Future

May 18, 2016 // Tim

This week’s trip back down Survival Horror Lane for the 20th Anniversary of Resident Evil features a double dose from the Capcom development team in Japan. The fourth developer interview video in our ongoing video series features Michiteru Okabe, producer on titles such as RE Revelations 2, along with Yasuhiro Anpo, director of RE 5 and RE Revelations 1 & 2 whose roots go as far back as programming for RE 1 and RE 2.

For this entry in the RE 20th Anniversary developer interview series, Anpo-san and Okabe-san offer insight into the development of the RE Revelations titles. The two discuss how this series was created with the fans in mind, enabling them to focus on beloved characters and experiment with gameplay. Anpo-san and Okabe-san also discuss the future of the Revelations series, which fans will be interested in hearing about.

If you’re just tuning into our RE 20th Anniversary Celebration now, there’s more where this came from:

Resident Evil Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi Reflects On 20 Years Of Horror

RE 20th Anniversary Video – Koji Oda Talks Resident Evil

RE 20th Anniversary Video – Masachika Kawata Talks Co-op & Handheld Development

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Look up! We have a new version of the Capcom Bar

May 16, 2016 // Yuri Araujo

There’s a new Capcom Bar in town!

Okay, poor choice of words on my part; it’s not a bar where you get Capcom drinks–although one like that exists in Japan –but one that grants you easy access to information and navigation around the majority of Capcom websites.

Anyways, let’s take a little tour, shall we?

– CAPCOM logo
This is easy; just like the previous iteration of the Capcom Bar, it will get you to the root of whatever page you are currently browsing.

– Capcom Global
Your quick drop-down menu of all the global Capcom branches.

– Search Box
Now built in to the Capcom Bar itself, the search box shows relevant results, such as websites and latest official stories, as you type, so you can always find what you need no matter what page you are on.

– Profile Icon
Your face, or whatever you choose to represent yourself online. Click it for a quick preview of useful functions, such as checking your Inbox of Private Messages, accessing your Dashboard, viewing your Profile, or Logging Out (come back soon though!)

If you’re not logged on, you’ll see the words “Sign In” instead. Yeah, click that.

– Gear Icon
Quick access to two important website settings: Language and Cookies.

Now on to the second row of buttons and features:

– Community
Hey, that’s where you are right now! 🙂
Anyways, this opens up a drop-down menu where you can select News (read: Official Capcom Blog) or Forums

– Store
A place where you can buy Capcom stuff. No, still not themed drinks… but let’s talk about this Protoman helmet .

– Games
The fastest way to Capcom games’ official websites.

– Careers
We’re often looking to expand our crew, be it here at Capcom U.S.A., Beeline Interactive or Capcom Vancouver . Use this drop-down menu to find more about open positions at each of these branches. 

– Company
Here’s where you’ll find out more about Capcom as a company, access our Press Center or Investor Relations page.

– Support
Need help? Start here: our support database for Capcom games.

– Social Icons
We’re on the Internet! These little icons will take you to our official Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Twitch channels.

And that about covers it. This new and improved Capcom Bar is now live on Capcom-Unity.com but you’ll start seeing it on other Capcom websites in no time.

In the meantime, I encourage you to try it out and let us know what you think. =)

IMPORTANT : if you run into any problems loading the Capcom Bar or the webpage itself, try clearing your browser’s cache and reload the page. If the problem persists, please contact Capcom Admin with a description of the issue along with your OS and browser versions.

Happy browsing!

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#GameJobs: About QA

May 16, 2016 // Jeffery Simspon

There’s a lot of different ways to get into the games industry, but a job in Quality Assurance (QA) is a first step for many people. Incredibly vital to the development of games, by helping to weed out bugs, errors and offer direction on how to polish and improve games, the role touches so many parts of a game’s development that it’s a natural starting place for many in the games industry.   Recently members of Capcom Vancouver’s QA team talked about their first jobs and life at Capcom Vancouver.  

 

Getting into QA

  Dylan Matthews: I got into the industry after graduating from Vancouver Film School’s game design program. I was able to get a lot of valuable connections through VFS which helped me land a job at United Front Games (UFG). After working there for a year I was offered a Developer Support position at Capcom Vancouver and have been here since.   There are a lot of schools you can go to which will help you build excellent connections in the industry, and give you a great understanding of gaming. If you want to go into a Designer role I suggest either Vancouver Film School or Digipen. If you want to get into an artist role I would suggest looking into Think Tank: Training Center. Even if you don’t want to be an artist but you want to see some crazy 3D art, go check out their website. If you want to be a programmer, Vancouver Film School does have a new “Programming For Games and Apps” program, and I hear BCIT offers some excellent computer science courses. An added bonus of building a strong understanding of programming is you can use those skills as a designer. Designers with a background in programming are highly sought after in the industry.  

Andrew Baker: The best way is to get in to a base level testing position anywhere you can, most places require previous education or experience but some studios like Electronic Arts are more than willing to give those with no experience a shot at QA. The majority of those who go to school for video game design/art will end up in QA at least at the start of their careers whereas say someone who went to school for Programming would have a much higher chance of success at landing a job in the industry in their studied role.  

Dillon MacPherson: We are constantly looking to fill a variety of positions here at Capcom Vancouver with the best talent available, both contract and full time. Keep an eye on the Current Openings page on the Capcom Vancouver website, and you may see something for you.    

Life at Capcom Vancouver

Dylan Matthews: Capcom is honestly the most incredible place I’ve ever seen in my life.   It’s ridiculous. Everyday something magical happens. I met the founder of Capcom, I play Street Fighter V everyday at lunch with a bunch of other employees, there’s an Astronomy Club, Board Games Club, Soccer Club, Slow Cooker Club, and about 40 more clubs. Pretty much, if you can think of a club it’s here. If not, you can make it and people will join.   Also… there’s a Sandwich Club. Of which I get to be a judge in a sandwich making competition where Capcom employees are going to make me tons of sandwiches and all I have to do is eat them and judge people. They have beer at cost (like 2.50 per tall beer), and sometimes it’s free. The other day there was free ice cream cake, 2 weeks ago there was a free BBQ, and they have a massive games library where you can borrow tons of games, free t-shirts and other swag. Oh, and it seems like everyone has a Nerf gun at their desk. I’m eagerly waiting for the day the entire studio suddenly breaks into a Nerf war. If it doesn’t happen soon I may have to start it myself. I can go on for ages about all the awesomeness that happens here. Needless to say – the game industry is a fun place to be.  

Andrew Baker: In general the development process can be a roller coaster, one week you’re finding anything you can to do and come up with nothing, the next week there will be a million tasks and you will be in the studio at all hours. That being said, it is much more relaxed atmosphere in comparison to your typical 9-5 office job. In all the studios I have worked in there have always been activity groups, copious amounts of alcohol on Fridays, and other benefits like game libraries etc.  


Brandon Matheson: Capcom feels like a mix between a major corporation and an indie dev. It’s got a very distinct relationship with Capcom as a whole, but at the same time we indulge in a lot of fun stuff that you normally see in smaller, independent studios with less corporate overhead. Hours are decent, overtime is the same as everywhere else, but the work environment generally keeps things light even when the workload gets heavy (which it does).  

Dillon MacPherson: Like a lot of places in the industry, working at Capcom Vancouver can be challenging. It requires a lot of hard work, a passion for what you’re doing, and a high level of adaptability. However, Capcom Vancouver also delivers on a strong sense of community and ownership. This is our studio, and this is our work. We all put in to make the best products we can, and something we each can be proud of. That philosophy extends to the studio itself as well. We have dozen of clubs, frequent companywide events, and several sports teams. We all contribute to making Capcom Vancouver a great place to work, and in turn the studio supports us in everyway it can.

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The Importance of RE Code: Veronica, RE Remake, & RE 0

May 16, 2016 // Tim

The 20th Anniversary of Resident Evil continues this year with part two of my retrospective looking back at the core titles in the franchise. Last time I reflected on the first three classics , and for this second entry I’m examining the other half of the classic formula RE games.

The following three Resident Evil games are all very important entries in the series for their own reasons. RE Code: Veronica introduced players to a fully rendered 3D environment, the RE (Remake) reinvented the terror of the original game to become its own masterpiece, and RE 0 offered more backstory to the infamous Mansion Incident that started it all. Learn more about them below, along with how they impacted my lifelong RE fandom.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Year: 2000
Platforms: Dreamcast (Launch), PlayStation 2, GameCube, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Capcom’s survival horror franchise jumped into the next generation of consoles as Claire Redfield infiltrated a Paris Umbrella facility while continuing her search for Chris. The Resident Evil series became known for its jaw-dropping CG cutscenes, and Claire’s explosive European excursion raised the bar. The Dreamcast title was also the first and only in the series to replace its traditionally static backgrounds with fully rendered 3D environments, allowing for more dynamic camerawork. Claire’s eventual reunion with Chris was riddled with challenging, memorable moments. No survivor will forget their first encounter with the stowaway Tyrant and spending every last piece of ammo to defeat it.

Tim’s Take: The return of Claire Redfield was the sole reason I begged for a Dreamcast for Christmas in ’99. To this day Code: Veronica represents what I consider perhaps the most challenging classic RE game. I have vivid memories of barely limping past poisonous Hunters with my health in the red, palms sweating from anticipation. Speaking of your health EKG meter, the screen on the Dreamcast’s Virtual Memory Unit (VMU) offered a novel way to keep track of your status. To me, both chapters of the Redfield family reunion – the prison on Rockfort Island and Umbrella’s Antarctic Base – are equally demanding and unforgettable events in RE history.

Resident Evil (Remake)
Year: 2002
Platforms: GameCube (Launch), Wii, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

The original Resident Evil was already considered a classic by 2002, but that didn’t stop Capcom from completely remaking it with improved gameplay and stunning new visuals. The Resident Evil remake faithfully retold the S.T.A.R.S. team’s tragic stay in the Spencer Mansion while introducing players to expansive new areas and scares that toyed with expectations based on the original. The most exciting change involved zombies that, if not destroyed with a headshot or methodically incinerated, would return as faster and deadly Crimson Heads. The Resident Evil remake is still considered one of the greatest horror games of all time, and its legacy continued with last year’s HD remaster featuring modernized controls and a Very Easy Mode that allowed newcomers to test their courage.

Tim’s Take: The Resident Evil remake is not only my favorite Resident Evil game, but my favorite horror game of all time. The graphical leap this title made in only one generation is still mind-boggling, made even more impressive with the recent HD remaster. I’ll never forget walking through the East Wing corridor from the Main Hall, expecting a cerberus to crash through the window, but only to see a glass pane subtly crack. From that moment on I knew that this remake’s mission was not only to refine the 1996 original, but to also use my knowledge of the original against me.

Resident Evil 0
Year: 2002
Platforms: GameCube (Launch), Wii, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Before the Spencer Mansion incident, the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team’s helicopter crash-landed in the forests of Raccoon City. S.T.A.R.S. medic Rebecca Chambers’ story of survival took a surprising turn before she reunited with her team members in the mansion. This prequel recounted Rebecca and mysterious fugitive Billy Coen’s adventures aboard a runaway train teeming with zombies, a decrepit Umbrella Training Facility, and connected with memorable locations from Resident Evil 2. Switching between and controlling both Rebecca and Billy throughout Resident Evil 0 was a rewarding trial, and one we were happy to relive with this year’s HD remaster. The RE 0 remaster came along with the same modernized benefits as the Resident Evil remake, as well as Wesker Mode, which empowered players with potent Prototype Virus powers like super speed and red eyes that unleash powerful energy.

Tim’s Take: I remember daydreaming about what it would be like to venture back out into the Arklay Forest and further investigate what happened to the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team after they crash-landed. Those dreams were answered when Resident Evil 0 released and let me discover the fated Raccoon Police Department (RPD) squad’s tale before the infamous Spencer Mansion incident. I enjoyed being able to set and forget items without the time-and-space-defying item boxes, and managing both Billy and Rebecca was a unique challenge. One of my favorite segments of RE 0 involves venturing into the factory location from RE 2 and seeing what those memorable areas looked like with improved visuals. This only adds more fuel for the flames of my excitement around the confirmed Resident Evil 2 remake.

Next time we’ll look at the rest of the core Resident Evil games as the franchise evolved in new directions and offered players unprecedented new ways to control the action. Also be sure to check out the RE 20th Anniversary developer video interviews with the director of RE 0, Koji Oda , and longtime RE producer, Masachika Kawata .

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Support troops around the world with 8-Bit Salute’s Military Appreciation Month

May 13, 2016 // Kellen Haney

Over the years, Operation Supply Drop has raised over $8,500,000 supporting over 50,000 veterans across the US, NATO, and ANZAC. These games and consoles will go to some of the people who need them most – it goes without saying that a soldier’s life is stressful, and the escape and relief that video games provide can be a true bastion for those on the front lines, those recovering in hospitals, and all those serving far from home. While in previous years, 8-Bit Salute has run weekend marathons, they’re doing something a bit different this year – the entire month of May is dedicated to their cause with 8-Bit Salute: Military Appreciation Month! They’re looking to raise $100,000 for their noble cause over the course of May, and you can help via the 8-Bit Salute charity page – direct donations are always an option, and you can also campaign for them by setting your own streaming and donation goals or even creating your own team to help support the cause! If you aren’t able to donate but would still like to support them on social sites, make sure to use the #8BitSalute tag to get awareness out there.

Thanks for your support, and happy gaming!