Because this is the 20th anniversary of the original RE I want to share my favorite gaming memory, the first night I played RE. I've told the story many times, but I enjoy telling it. It was week of the release of RE and my brother who had a PS and was a huge horror fan had followed the game in magazines, so he bought it when it hit. I was a sega fanboy, a bad one, I refused to play Nintendo games and laughed at the stupidity of Sony trying to get into the market. I was a proud owner of a sega Saturn, the clear winner over the dumb Sony PlayStation. But deep down I just wanted to play great games, and man did RE look crazy, unlike anything I have ever played in my life.
We made a whole event out of playing RE for the first time. I invited my best friend over for a sleep over. We purposefully waited till midnight to start the game for maximum effect. To kill time my brother also bought the game D, so we played and finished that game in like 3 hours. It was a nice appetizer to the main course. Midnight came and we popped in the black coated disc (remember how awesome those were). The capcom logo appears, then we see a man in a hallway being chased by something, he screams and blood splashes and that VOICE booms out “RESIDENT EVIL!” I was in love.
My brother got to play first so my friend and I just watched. He chose Chris because he was a man, he looked like the hero so of course that was the choice. The typewriter noises begin displaying the date, the amazing FMV intro started. I was watching a movie… I was going to play a movie. “Jill run to that house!” Gunshots firing! They get inside and the cast list rolls out and we get introduced to these characters that we are still following today. The rock music blaring, everyone is standing in an awesome pose. I remember seeing Barry Burton and thinking, that right there is the man, a red beard and a magnum. It ends on the team leader Albert Wesker, who looked like every 80s movie asshole villain so immediately I loved to hate him. Explosion with the title screen RESIDENT EVIL! I remember thinking this is the greatest thing I have ever seen and the game didn't even start yet.
Then the first in game cutscene began with the greatest bad voice acting ever. “Barry, where's Barry?” It didn't matter what it sounded like, what mattered is that it was like watching a scene in a movie. When my brother first took control of Chris he had no clue how to move him, we cracked up as we saw him struggle to move around a dinner table. He finally opened the door to the hallway and there we saw the first zombie, that famous head turn in CG glory. The zombie was slowly walking toward my brother and he had no clue what to do. We all started screaming, “do something! Run! Attack him! He was like “I don't know how!” He managed to find the knife and equip it but it was too late the zombie started to eat him “You Died”.
My turn now, I was smart and knew that Jill had a handgun, I also read the manual so I knew how to play. So we watch the Jill version of the intro, this time it has Barry which instantly became my favorite character. “A dining room!” He is so observant! I remember the first time I took control of Jill, the tank controls felt so strange, like learning to drive a car for the first time. So I go to the first zombie with my gun equipped, no need for it to get close. He starts shambling toward me and I aim and fire,
Pop pop pop, down it goes. Yeah bitch you dead, let me check this body over AHHHHHH it's eating my leg! I mash every button and Jill finally smashes it's head in and a blood puddle forms around the body, my first lesson. So I check Kenneth who is just a shadow of his former self at that point and I got some bullies, woo!
Deep into the mansion I go, blown away at the level of detail. I am pushing statues, solving puzzles, trying to find my way around. I have never played in a 3D like world quite like this, it was groundbreaking. I reach a hall which I remember from magazine pictures, the dogs. We all knew it was coming, the moment was legendary before the game even came out. It didn't matter, i was so scared, inching forward. Slowly. Slowly. And then CRASH! I screamed like a girl and threw the controller into the air! The dogs jump into the room running around me! We are all trying to grab the controller, screaming, the dogs are eating Jill! It was too late. Never has a game instilled fear in me in that way.
My friend went next and got deeper into the mansion than any of us and that is how the rest of the night went. It was magical, an experience that only the new 3D era of gaming could provide. We fought a giant snake, barely escaped situations alive desperately trying to reach that item box. We solved some puzzles like the fantastic picture room with the crows, such a great puzzle that has been copied by so many games. Eventually we went to sleep but my brother played all night. We woke up to him describing this magical run where he went outside the mansion into a guest house with a giant mutant plant and then he went back into the mansion and was killed by the crazy reptile like creature. I had to see this. Oh we had no memory cards so we did all this with one life.
That's how I played for weeks, always starting the game over and getting further and further each time, death meant DEATH. I memorized every line of dialogue, I could navigate the mansion with my eyes closed at one point. This game had so much going on, so many cool locations, incredible music, and an epic finale. I remember the first time I reached the Tyrant and Wesker revealed himself as the villain I wanted him to be, I died fighting the Tyrant, which meant starting all over again. The next time I made it all the way to the end and finally beat the game, got the bad ending with Jill, still it was such a triumphant moment that I called my brother who was out just to tell him I finally finished it.
The reason why this game meant so much to me is that it shattered that fanboy mentality, from that moment on I loved games on a different level. Video games didn’t just have to be toys, it didn’t have to be this odd sporting event where you pick a side. Gaming was the future of entertainment, it could present itself like a movie while still allowing the player to interact in a meaningful way. I got my own PS1 soon after and I started to play everything I could get my hands on. I still did not have a nintendo console for a long while but I finally could admit I really wanted to play their games. The NES started love of gaming but it was Resident Evil that cemented it as the hobby I will love more than any for the rest of my life.
Through this journey as a RE fan I met some wonderful people online. The old ERE group at GS which eventually got its own home when Yama created the Biohaze fan site. Many of you are here as well, your knowledge of the series astounds even me. I love the community, even when we fight because we can’t agree on what makes a better RE game. I think that's a good thing, all the greatest franchises have major debates on which is the best entry, Zelda, MGS, Mario, FF. The reason there is debate is because so many of the games are classics, RE is no different. I hope the debate can continue with new classics on the way, I hope REmake 2 is everything we dreamed of. I hope RE7 is something new we can get behind. I can’t wait to see what’s up ahead.
My RE collection. It's no CVXfreak but it covers basically everything.
Not pictured, I forgot to include Mercs 3D. My original RE1 big box case. Some action figures and the CG movies. Of course all the digital games.
Wesker's the bad guy? Aww man, thanks for spoiling it for me. 
Your collection of RE bests mine. I have a game.com version and saturn one as well, but there are six games in that shot I do not have.
Resident Evil has always been one of my top franchies as well. Its not what it used to be, thanks to developer shifts, but I've enjoyed all the games for the most part. To me, RE1 through RE4 was when it was easily one of the top 5 franchises in gaming. RE1, RE2, Code Veronica, RE remake, and RE4 all completely blew me away. And Nemesis was damn good as well even though it felt like a RE2 add on. The atmosphere and fun factor of those early games were just on another level.
Just reminds me how influential FM-Fucking-V was during that generation. Fricking PS1 owners.
gamingeek said:Just reminds me how influential FM-Fucking-V was during that generation. Fricking PS1 owners.
U mad bro?
Edge share a story. How did you get into RE.
You want me to type? The fuck man...
Dvader said:Edge share a story. How did you get into RE.
He saw an FMV trailer on TV and mistakenly believed that was what the PS1 could do graphically.
Like everyone else. Pffft.
Well....I had gotten out of gaming for a few years from like 94 to 96. I know...dumb time to get out. I had convinced myself that I was too old to play games anymore and decided to focus on tits and music.
Well then news of all these crazy 3D systems started floating around. Sony was coming out with a games machine in the style of SEGA, and Nintendo had this beast system coming out. Nobody seemed to give a fuck about SEGA at this time, so I really didn't pay attention to the Saturn. My brother had moved out a few years back and He picked up a Playstation. I remember thinking he was stupid to go with a Sony system over Nintendo and Sega....lmao. Then I had seen commercials for Tomb Raider and thought wow, that looks insane. In fact I had heard of TR before Resident Evil even though RE came out first.
So I go over my brother's house out of the blue one day, walk into his man cave, and him and a friend of his are sitting there playing Tomb Raider. I was astounded. Like I mean this was one of the most OMG moments in gaming for me. I could NOT believe what I was seeing. The last game I had actually sat down and played was probably Super Castlevania a few years earlier. So imagine going from that to this. A bit different than going from Call of Duty Black Ops to Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. Right then and there...I knew. I HAD to have a Playstation.
As I'm sitting there with my jaw on the ground telling them this is the best thing I've ever seen....my brother's friend laughs and says "Have you seen Resident Evil? It might even be better than this". I looked at him questioningly, and said you must be joking right? There's no way any other game can be this badass. He says dude you like horror stuff right? Well its like playing a horror movie set in a huge mansion. So I said shit...if that's the case that's two games I need to get.
Now, by the time I got a PS for myself it was a few months later. Got Tomb Raider right away and at that time, RE was actually hard to find. Everywhere I looked, no go. Finally one day in a local 2nd hand music and collectibles shop, I just happen to notice they have a games section and HOLY SHIT...there is Resident Evil! Big box and all. I still have the exact copy too, which is awesome. It was mint with the manual and all. I remember the dude at the store thought I was nuts because I was grinning from ear to ear like I just won the lottery.
Went home...waited for nighttime, and popped it in the PS.The opening FMV scared me...I was like man I hope the whole game isn't like this SEGA CD shit...lmao. But as soon as the gameplay kicked in and that opening scene inside the mansion hall, I knew I was in for magic. I was really blown away by the camera angles and how they set the mood and made it seem like it really was a movie being shot. I played that game until like 4am...could not stop. The thrill of every new door, every new key, wondering what you'd find around the next corner. Between this and Tomb Raider I couldn't believe the level of immersion I was feeling....these games made me feel like I was THERE. Its a feeling I hadn't had since the days of A Link To The Past.
I think I beat it in two days and my mother was pissed because she bought it for me...said it was a waste of money. I said no...not a waste of money at all.....it was two of the best days in my gaming life.
My story is boring, I got RE2 on Dreamcast, then RE3 and Code Veronica.
Enjoyed em. But I wasn't really wowed by them. I used to love the old Alone in the Dark games and these were the same in a different setting. The fixed perspective is a bit ass backwards these days though.
edgecrusher said:Well....I had gotten out of gaming for a few years from like 94 to 96. I know...dumb time to get out. I had convinced myself that I was too old to play games anymore and decided to focus on tits and music.
Well then news of all these crazy 3D systems started floating around. Sony was coming out with a games machine in the style of SEGA, and Nintendo had this beast system coming out. Nobody seemed to give a fuck about SEGA at this time, so I really didn't pay attention to the Saturn. My brother had moved out a few years back and He picked up a Playstation. I remember thinking he was stupid to go with a Sony system over Nintendo and Sega....lmao. Then I had seen commercials for Tomb Raider and thought wow, that looks insane. In fact I had heard of TR before Resident Evil even though RE came out first.
So I go over my brother's house out of the blue one day, walk into his man cave, and him and a friend of his are sitting there playing Tomb Raider. I was astounded. Like I mean this was one of the most OMG moments in gaming for me. I could NOT believe what I was seeing. The last game I had actually sat down and played was probably Super Castlevania a few years earlier. So imagine going from that to this. A bit different than going from Call of Duty Black Ops to Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. Right then and there...I knew. I HAD to have a Playstation.
As I'm sitting there with my jaw on the ground telling them this is the best thing I've ever seen....my brother's friend laughs and says "Have you seen Resident Evil? It might even be better than this". I looked at him questioningly, and said you must be joking right? There's no way any other game can be this badass. He says dude you like horror stuff right? Well its like playing a horror movie set in a huge mansion. So I said shit...if that's the case that's two games I need to get.
Now, by the time I got a PS for myself it was a few months later. Got Tomb Raider right away and at that time, RE was actually hard to find. Everywhere I looked, no go. Finally one day in a local 2nd hand music and collectibles shop, I just happen to notice they have a games section and HOLY SHIT...there is Resident Evil! Big box and all. I still have the exact copy too, which is awesome. It was mint with the manual and all. I remember the dude at the store thought I was nuts because I was grinning from ear to ear like I just won the lottery.
Went home...waited for nighttime, and popped it in the PS.The opening FMV scared me...I was like man I hope the whole game isn't like this SEGA CD shit...lmao. But as soon as the gameplay kicked in and that opening scene inside the mansion hall, I knew I was in for magic. I was really blown away by the camera angles and how they set the mood and made it seem like it really was a movie being shot. I played that game until like 4am...could not stop. The thrill of every new door, every new key, wondering what you'd find around the next corner. Between this and Tomb Raider I couldn't believe the level of immersion I was feeling....these games made me feel like I was THERE. Its a feeling I hadn't had since the days of A Link To The Past.
I think I beat it in two days and my mother was pissed because she bought it for me...said it was a waste of money. I said no...not a waste of money at all.....it was two of the best days in my gaming life.
Fucking awesome. Thanks for sharing. That game was the holy shit I can't believe this is what gaming can do moment for so many people.
The dogs through the windows, man! My sister had a PS1, conned by her then boyfriend to buy one. I was a huge Nintendo fanboy and couldn't be bothered by other crap. Though RE looked amazing. I never finished the original until the Remake. The controls were to difficult on d pad, but I remember that first true scare, the fucking dogs through the window.
I've always loved Resident Evil, and probably always will. I remember being really pumped to get the game the very first day that it came out. Went down to a local game store and picked up a copy in that nice big black case, I was so disappointed when the PSOne games switched over to those jewel cases. I practically played the game for several days straight, finished it and immediately started playing again.
I want to believe that I bought Resident Evil based on the absurdity of the title when I saw it in a catalogue of pirated games, but I'd probably heard of it before then. What I can recall without question is how perfect the cover was printed and cut out on A4, attached to a blank CD case; the quality as if it were a Paint mock-up made by the pirate himself. Kinda like how he probably recorded all the dialogue himself. 
Resident Evil was sort of the "safe" way for me to play Silent Hill. Tense, not intense and terrifying. Hard, not impossible (too easy to get lost in Silent Hill). Still didn't finish a Resident Evil until 4, because they all became a bit too maze-like to keep my attention: the advantage/disadvantage of extremely cheap pirated games as a child is the great variety of games one can be exposed to, and therefore the challenge of sticking to any single game until the end. So many of my favourite games up until the PS2 I haven't even finished...
RE4 was my point d'etree. On the Wii! Loved 5 as well, particularly playing co-op with Foolz.
Can't say I've gone back to play others. I tried RE1 on Saturn. Yeeouch...
Ex-Mrs. Aspro started with Code: Veronica, which is where I first watched through a RE game.
I speed run RE1 last night, havent played it in years. I was rusty. Took me 2 hours 20 minutes, no deaths, unlocked the infinite rocket. I still got it.
Dvader said:I speed run RE1 last night, havent played it in years. I was rusty. Took me 2 hours 20 minutes, no deaths, unlocked the infinite rocket. I still got it.
I don't know how you can beat it that fast after so long. I forget where to go for what items and revert back to an 8 hour playthrough.
20 years ago today Resident Evil (technically Biohazard) was released starting off what would become a legendary franchise. The first Resident Evil was a landmark title, not only did it create a new style of game that had tons of imitators but also it was one of the first truly cinematic games on consoles. This was before MGS, before games had movie like presentations, Resident Evil hit and changed the way action adventure games would be presented forever.
Throughout the years we have seen the series take some drastic turns, some for the worst but for the most part the RE franchise has maintained a high level of excellence. RE1, RE2, REmake and RE4 are all consistently mentioned as masterpieces and others are fan favorites. The consistent quality of this series is what has helped it endure. It also helped that it had a total makeover, another groundbreaking title in RE4 which despite some grumblings of fans did save the franchise.
I have been there from the start, I have played every major entry and the grand majority of the crap side ones too. I have followed the ongoing saga of Chris, Jill, Leon and Claire as they battled Umbrella and my favorite villain in gaming Albert Wesker. The mythology is something that really helped make this a saga rather than just a series of loosely connected games, it maybe a b-movie saga but it has characters far more memorable than most game franchises. Two of my favorite gaming moments of my life are from this franchise, the first time I played RE1 and the first time I played RE4. For 20 years I have loved this series , sometimes been not to thrilled with the quality but for the most part it's been a great ride.
Resident Evil is the greatest, most influential, horror themed franchise of all time. It's had a rough time the last few years as both capcom and this franchise look for their identity but we got to hold the faith that it will continue to be the great franchise it is. It's been 20 amazing years, I cannot wait for the next 20.