Amazon.com: Resident Evil 2: Video Games

Product Details

Product Description

Prepare yourself for one of the most horrifically fun games to surface on the Nintendo 64. As part of the incredibly popular horror game series, Resident Evil, the zombified townsfolk walk onto the Nintendo 64 for the first time in this follow-up to the original hit.

Resident Evil 2 is set a few months after the first installment's zombie plague. Players assume the role of either Raccoon City police officer Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield, whose missing brother may be involved with those responsible for the invasion. Both decide to venture forth in search of the source of the still-active zombie plague. In classic horror flick style, each goes alone with minimal weapons and a tendency to attract the undead. And since you can't argue with a zombie, players must often choose between firing a precious bullet or running for dear life. Separate character storylines and items that move after each game keep players coming back for more gore.

The hulking 512-megabit game pack is the largest to hit the Nintendo 64, and for good reason. The game features high-resolution 3-D graphics, a massive game world, and even full-motion video (another N64 first).

As millions of PlayStation fans can attest, you'll scream, you'll jump out of your chair, you'll shout commands to your characters as the zombies and mutant creatures close in and--best of all--you'll love every terrifying second of it. --Eric Twelker

Review

You'd expect Resident Evil 2 on the Nintendo 64 - a port of a game that came out nearly two years ago on the PlayStation - to feel dated. Heck, the third game in the series, Resident Evil 3 Nemesis, was released on the PlayStation two weeks ago, and the fourth installment, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, is due out for the Dreamcast in Japan in a few months, with a US translation trailing only a bit behind. Somehow, though, RE2 doesn't feel old or tired at all. And it's as impressive today on the N64 as it was in January of '98, when it first debuted on the PlayStation. Part of that is due to how impressive it is as a port. The game takes the contents of two PlayStation discs - including all the FMV sequences and the bonus Hunk and Tofu missions - and fits it into one 512-megabit N64 cartridge, which ends up being twice the size of The Legend of Zelda cart, for the record. The only thing missing in this edition is the extreme-battle mode from the Dual Shock edition of Resident Evil 2 on the PlayStation, but the omission is made up for by new features, such as a randomizer (which shuffles items around after you've played the game through once) and files (which you can find to learn details about the Resident Evil story, some of which have bits that tie in with Resident Evil 3 Nemesis and Resident Evil: Code Veronica). You can also change the blood color from red to green or blue, or set the violence to low, medium, or high. Sure, and the gang's all here. You play as Leon Kennedy, the rookie cop who has reported for his first shift on the day the T-virus outbreak turns the whole town into zombies, or as Claire Redfield, who has come to Raccoon City to find her older brother, the male lead from the first Resident Evil. To make matters worse, the creator of the T-virus has developed a more perfect virus, which he ingests when the nefarious Umbrella Corporation sends in troops to steal it from him. (In the process, he's become a monster that could even give RE's Tyrant pause). Yes, as either character, you end up in the middle of company politics and a lot of sharp, gnashing teeth. Resident Evil 2 on the PlayStation was full of moments that made you sense that something was going to pop out and attack you (and invariably, something did as soon as you stopped expecting it), and that's reproduced perfectly here. The sound effects are fantastic, whether it's the moan and shuffle of a zombie that's just around the corner or the crunch of your footsteps as you step over broken glass. And save for a slightly tinny quality, the sounds and the dramatic score of the game are just as good on cart as they were on CD. The graphics are even more of a wonder. If you use the N64 expansion pak, the visuals are bumped into hi-res mode, making them look even better than those in the PlayStation version. But even without the pak, they're still very impressive. Sometimes, the backgrounds look washed out while the characters remain brightly hued, making them stand out strangely, but it's a very rare occasion when that happens. The game's frame rate also slows down a bit when numerous monsters are onscreen at once, but not enough to affect gameplay. And though the computer-generated FMV sequences look grainy in comparison with the PlayStation version, they still look fantastic considering the cart format. Of course, the same complaints relevant to the PlayStation original still apply to the N64 version. You'll find that the camera is your worst enemy: When you move into an area of the room that you hadn't been able to see before you'll get ambushed by several zombies that were standing just into the next screen. Or when you're blasting away at a boss or sub-boss, the recoil of your weapon will knock you into another screen, and you'll get killed because you don't know which side you're going to be attacked from. And you'll continue to believe that the strange inventory system should've long since been changed to something more like Diablo's "smaller items take up less space/big items take up more space" system. But even with those few detractions, Resident Evil 2 is still as much an experience as it is a game. A huge improvement over the first title, RE2 succeeds in making you feel as though you're in the middle of a horror film - one in which you'll jump many, many times. If you've already played the PlayStation or PC versions of RE2, there's really no reason to buy this game, but for N64 owners who haven't tried yet, it's an absolute must-have.--Joe Fielder--Copyright © 1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot Review

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

(100)

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“
It has very complex puzzles and it really works your mind. ”
Aaron| 3 reviewers made a similar statement
“
It has some of the best graphics I have ever seen for an N64 game. ”
Christopher S. Bryan| 5 reviewers made a similar statement
“
I really enjoyed playing Resident Evil 2: first of all, the graphics are outstanding., second, the gameplay is great., third, the storyline is the best for N64. ”
Wayne Holtzclaw| 2 reviewers made a similar statement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gore on N64! November 18, 1999

By A Customer

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars

OK, what most people want to know is how this compares to the PSX Version. Well, hear is an honest analysis. The FMV scenes and sound are by far inferior to the PSX. It's almost like watching a bootleg copy of a movie. But, the actual gameplay graphics are by far superior; it is a night and day difference. There are also just enough added features to make any RE freak buy this version, even if he already has the PSX version. There is now a one button touch map available like RE3. There are also more files, books, notes, etc... to be found that link the game more with RE3. Some of the puzzles are different. For example, the police safe has a diffent combination. Also, everything flows instantly, since no load time is required. An awsome game, and the new graphics are pretty impressive. If you're an N64 owner, this is a must have...

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing accomplishment. December 9, 1999

Though there are many reasons I purchased, this game, let me come right out and say that the biggest reason for me was this: Full-Motion video running on an N64. Resident Evil 2 for the Playstation has always been one of my favorite games, and since I'm too stubborn to buy another system, I had to wait and see if it would come out for Nintendo's black box. In March of '99, my prayers were answered. Not only was EVERYTHING from the original game to be included, but the CG cinemas that set the stage so wonderfully in the PS version were also to be crammed onto the "huge" 64-meg cart.
All of them.
I haven't even mentioned the actual game yet. Though it is short (around 10 hours for the first quest, 6 hours for the second), the suspense-filled, nerve-racking gameplay makes every minute of those hours count. As I heard a publication say once: the atmosphere of the game makes you always feel like something's going to jump out from around the corner--and once you relax and stop expecting it, something DOES. Sheer genius.
Also, when you think you have beaten the game after playing with one character, think again. If you play using your saved data from the first game, but the other character, a whole new quest opens up, forcing you to go a different path, with even more ferocious enemies this time around. Also, many of the plot holes are sealed up the second time through.
No, the FMV isn't as good as on the other system, and no, there isn't a whole lot new to scream about here. There are some new files that you find laying around tieing in the stories of RE3 and the soon-to-be-released RE:Code Veronica on Dreamcast, and some new mini-games, but if you own the Playstation version, there isn't much reason to buy this one. Read more ›

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So what if it's 2 years old, RE2 for N64 is mind-numbing! December 22, 1999

I know of some Nintendo purists who refuse to abandon their N64's for the PSX or even the Sega Dreamcast and in turn have never played a Resident Evil game. I used to feel sorry for those people. They didn't gag when the screen was filled with zombies feasting on what could've very well been a human being, they didn't laugh 'till their sides hurt at the cheesy acting and they didn't scream like Shirley Temple when zombified dogs leaped through the window and made chase. Now, those purists will get to play a real horror game for the N64, not some weak, lame excuse for a horror game. (Nightmare Creatures, I'm looking in your direction...) To begin, the graphics of the actual game are incredible. The characters are now portrayed in stunning high resolution and the pre-rendered backrounds still mangage to impress. The Full Motion Video (FMV) on the other hand, isn't as impressive. Because the N64 uses cartridges as oppose to CD's, FMV's are practically unheard of. But thanks to Angel Studios, Resident Evil 2 is the biggest Nintendo 64 game ever. Yes, even bigger than Zelda. (Zelda was 256 megabytes and RE2 is 512 megabytes) Although the graphics are improved, the rest of the game is exactly the same. To those who haven't played the PSX version, this is neither a good nor a bad thing. But to those who have already experienced RE2, you won't find any surprises here. Well, except for a few new notes and memos that link together RE2 to RE3: Nemesis and RE3: Nemesis to the upcoming Resident Evil: Code Veronica for Sega Dreamcast. The bottom line is that all N64 owners who haven't played this before should buy RE2. I also suggest that hard core Resident Evil fans should pick this one up. Anyone else should give it a rent, just to relive the horror that is Resident Evil. Read more ›

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good enough to keep you awake at night December 30, 1999

The first time I played a Resedent Evil game, it was the original, on the playstation. It scared the poop out of me, even with its bad acting, and at that point I decided I loved it. Being a N64 owner, I rented RE2, and didn't really expect an equal. I was right, it isn't equal to the playstation version; it is way better! I actually yelled out when a licker jumped at me through a mirror, and had to press pause to meditate when I had to kill someone who at one point helped me, just because they turned into a zombie. When I had to return the rented cartridge, going out a buying it was immediate. Then there is the story line, which from my inexpirienced view, is just plain neat. Okay, so the whole making of the zombies thing is psuedo-cheesy. But the development of that cheese makes you feel as if you are a private eye, piecing together the puzzle to find... well, something neat. Me, being a critic at heart who tends to live vicariously through those who are more famous than me, give Resendent Evil 2 for N64 two thumbs up.