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Ten Years and Still an Incredible Game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: February 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When Resident Evil first debuted in 1996, it was an instant classic. This is THE game that is responsible for the genre, "Survival Horror" and ten years later, you can play it on the go with your Nintendo DS.

The story is almost known to everyone in the gaming world nowadays, but let's take a recap. The STARS Bravo Team has disappeared while investigating nasty murders in the mountains near an old mansion. The Alpha team has been sent into these mountains to find their comrades, and are immediately chased into this mansion full of horror. As Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, you'll have to survive the mansion and its terrors and unravel a conspiracy beyond belief.

Almost everyone knows the story, and on the Nintendo DS you'll find you can play through it in classic mode, rebirth mode or Wi-Fi mode. Capcom has been known for giving you different scenarios, and Resident Evil shows that perfectly. At the beginning you can choose to either be Chris or Jill. Chris can take more damage, although Jill has an easier time navigating the mansion, and gets some fairly more powerful weapons early on.

Classic Mode is basically the exact same game that was presented to us in 1996. Most--if not all--the regular enemies are still where they once were, all the secrets are unchanged and everything. If you still remember the game from ten years ago, it hasn't changed. Not at all.

Rebirth Mode is worthwhile, though. Upon playing it, there are more enemies in place, and from time to time when you enter a room you'll be in the first person perspective, fighting against an enemy that is creeping toward you. It is your job to use the stylus to slash at your enemy until he dies. At first this seems stupid, but it's actually really fun and intense.

The map is displayed on screen at all times, so unlike before, you don't constantly have to bring up the map. When you take damage the top screen also flashes, which is actually more of a distraction than anything.

Wi-fi mode, while great to have, really isn't as worthwhile as you might think. Everyone needs the game card. You can have up to four players going through a portion of the mansion. Whether you are cooperating or competing the objective is the same, to get to the goal as fast as you can. In cooperating, you both have the same life gauge and you both go at it on your own. In competative, you're both against one another trying to see who can get there the fastest.

However, the problem is that you don't ever get to actually see your partner. You're both going through these portions of the mansion but you won't run into one another, and that takes the joy out of it, really. So wi-fi really isn't worth it.

I must say, though, it's fun to play through classic and rebirth mode to check out the differences. While it is just a port, the differences aren't just small things you won't notice at all.

The controls are still a bit clunky. Yes, up is still going to be the button to move forward at all times. And if you're used to Resident Evil 4, it may be hard to go back to those fixed camera angles. So even veterans of the series may have to readjust.

The graphics aren't bad, but they are, for the most part, dated. They don't quite live up to the DS's potential, but they do look a little neater than they did on the PSX. The music is hair-raising, and is still your only warning sign of danger. Especially the sound effects of shuffling zombies, dogs clicking on the ground. This stuff sounds even better with the DS's stereo sound. The voice acting is still laughable, and I suppose that's actually amusing. The dialogue is so bad that it's classic. You'll be saying to yourself, "Wow, we've come a long way as far as voice acting and scripts are concerned." Again, if you just got off Resident Evil 4, this could be something that takes a moment to get used to. Still, the fact that you can laugh at the voices shows that the game really is a classic, as voice acting really has come a long way.

The major problems with this game are simple. It's a game that's already been redone. The Director's Cut and Gamecube versions. Also, it's a game where its age really does show. Can Resident Evil survive the test of time? The answer is, yes, it can. But unfortunately, a port might not hold true. In fact, if you've still got the original one (or the Director's Cut) it's hard to actually recommend this title to you. Rebirth Mode is great, and it's also fun to have it on the go, but there just isn't enough new content to it. It's a great game, and after ten years it's still a blast to play. But for Resident Evil's ten year anniversary, I was expecting more extras and secrets. Still, I'd say it is worth it. Pick it up, enjoy it, and relive the classic game that invented a genre.

The Good
+Classic Game
+Classic Story
+Interesting Puzzles
+The map is now displayed on the top screen
+New Touch Screen antics are really nice
+Graphics are smoother
+The Music is still really good
+You just have to admit that after ten years, the game is still pretty damn good!

The Bad
-The voice acting is terrible. Although, I like that you can see just how far games have come, you'll find yourself laughing in spite of the games overall serious tone.
-There just weren't enough new extras for this port. Yes, it's nice to have a rebirth mode, and it's nice to carry it around, but there could've been more extras thrown in here.

Portable Evil

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

If you were a fan of the resident evil series on the PS one and you miss it, well here it is in minature form. Its all there down to the really cheesie movie at the begining and awful voice acting. This is an exact port from the PS one version with some tweeks which add to its appeal even more.
If you are as much of a resident evil fan as i was then you must get this game, the dual screen is used to perfection, no more hunting for the map, its on the top screen the action in the bottom. One slight gripe is that it might be a bit too small to see everything but this is only minor and you adjust your eyes to compensate for it! The ending in classic mode also was not as the original but hell its evil in your pocket!!!

Buy this game, i cant wait until they port RE 2 and 3!!!

if you own a ds, you have to own deadly silence

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

after ten years, the game still holds up well. if you've played the gamecube version, you'll still be pleased with the gameplay of this one. only complaint is that knife mode isn't very interesting. there's too long of a delay behind the actul slash that it's hard to get the precise timing down.

Wowza! Holy Crap! Resident Evil DS Rocks the Most!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 5
Date: February 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I Picked this game up thinking it was going to be great and BOY IT WAS!!! This game has great graphics and sound. Its a real honor to the Original. It starts with two different modes, Rebirh and Original. All the caracters have been updated with better Graphics. The Rebirth Mode is the Original with Touch Screen and Microphone Abilities, plus a few more surprises. A hidden Easter Egg is when Chris or Jill are in the "Waiting" stance, touch their chest or Butt and watch the reaction. The character animations of Chris and Jill are awesome for those artists out there. If your a RE Fan, Buy this game or your a retard. Its the Best DS Game in my collection, 10 out of 10. Buy it Today!!!

RE DS is so awsome finally a good hand held game besides castlevania ,mario kart ds,animal crossing ds, and metroid prime hunter

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: February 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is awsome two different modes rebirth mode ds version and the classic mode ps1 version both versions are very fun the intro isn't that great considering that its not the version of the Game Cube oh well its still a really great hand held game. I hope they decide to make RE2 and RE3 Nemesis that'll be very cool. Any RE fan and has the ds should get this game. A must buy for any fan that enjoys shooter games or is a big fan of the RE series.

The cheese is back!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 18
Date: February 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Anyone questioning how powerful the DS is has a relatively good answer now. The original Resident Evil on the DS holds its own pretty well on the handheld with clean graphics, slightly improved over the original. Basically, on the small screen, the game resembles the N64 RE2. But those of you who are not interested in retro gamming may not exactly be excited about yet another port/remake of the original RE. It's not the masterpiece that the GCN version is, and what was scary a decade ago about this game is laughable now. To be truthful, aside from a couple of DS exclusive puzzles, and the knife fights, and a couple of much needed tweaks to the interface Deadly Silence really doesn't offer anything new or innovative so the motivation for picking this title up has got to be entirely about reliving the cheese-fest that was the original PS Resident Evil.
The game is fun, as it always was, but doesn't light a candle to its GameCube counterpart. In fact, the original live action fmvs are included, intact, as is the original horrible voice acting (the only element of the game that really is scary). Ever wonder what all the hoopla about the "master of unlocking" is? Well now's your chance to wince in pain as the dialogue passes through the DS speakers into your unsuspecting ear. But that's where the fun lies. We can use this game to remember how far the survival horror genre really has come over the years, and more importantly, we finally have a Resident Evil handheld game that isn't completely unplayable (Unlike RE: Gaiden).
My only gripe really is that this game is the original RE... Again. I picked this up only because I want RE games on handhelds that are good, and also because you can't resist an old favorite on a handheld. It means there's actually time to play it. It's also the reason that I've picked up the re-releases of Final Fantasy for the DS/GBA despite having their PS1 counterparts. I have more time for handhelds.
Even though there are nearly as many ports of RE2, I think that one would have been a better choice to port to the DS. Mainly, it's voice acting (while still bad) isn't nearly as horrid as RE1, and it didn't have the glory of being remade into a masterpiece of gaming for a newer console like RE1 did, basically playing RE2 would feel more natural, since I don't have memories of significantly better graphics and dialogue to contend with.
In all REDS is a fun addition for the DS library for a handful of reasons. It is the first M rated title for the DS, making it a milestone of sorts. It's a classic, it's so bad it's funny, but still retains enjoyable game play and even has a few new surprises up its sleeves. I just hope Konami sees how good this turned out and brings Silent Hill to the handheld as well.

Zombie-tastic or simply a moan?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: February 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Americans are so lucky. You guys tend to get all the movies, games and DVD's before us Brits do. Take Animal Crossing DS for example, you get it in December 2005, we get it in March 2006. Luckily I managed to get hold of a copy of Resident Evil DS as soon as it was released in the states but the question is... am I glad I did?

The answer is that Im not sure. This game could have been so much better than the almost straight port of the PS1 game that it is and im left wondering if Capcom are getting just plain lazy or they are running out of original ideas.

Would it be so hard to come up with an original plot with up to date graphics and control system? Seemingly so. This is the fourth version of Resident Evil 1 that Capcom have produced (The others being the original, the directors cut and the remake on the Gamecube)the best by far being the Gamecube remake which updated the graphics system and added better voice acting and FMV footage.

I can't help buy wonder why none of this improved FMV and Audio was used in RE-DS, Capcom instead opting for the original cheesy footage. I also wonder why the graphics were not improved for the DS, which is capable of so much more.

Don't get me wrong, this game is still very good and still managed to get a jump out of me. The DS stereo speakers add an extra dimension to the sound effects and the gameplay is still what made the game such a great hit in 1996 but if you own any other version of Resident Evil I would not bother buying this game, there is nothing new to blow you away. If you don't own it, or haven't played in in ages then buy it. Its the grandaddy of survival horror and the sheer novelty of playing it in handheld form is a joy.

Not worth buying

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 29
Date: February 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I have recently bought the game and I am very dissapointed with it. I have noticed that sometimes the zombies are invincible and I can't hurt them at all............. waste of money I wouldn't buy it. Also im not used to having to press a button to get ur weapon to come out. ( which you have to do)

Believe me this is one game your better off without.

Same Game New System

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Resident Evil has been a hallmark in the horror survial genre and I have been wishing for a handheld Resident Evil and thats what I got. First of all the graphics are pixel to pixel accurate which is nice to know. One thing that they had in this game that I didn't like was the camera angles which are terrible and thats probably why someone could've thought the zombies were sometimes invincible because it was hard to shoot at because of the camera angles. The voiceovers are still the same cheesy voiceovers from the original which is awesome since I'm an old fan of the series and I said that they had to have the voiceovers which they did.

The controls are one the things that made this game not get 5 stars because of the camera angles and the controls put together are sometimes hard to master but once you do which for the average gamer would probably take 20-30 minutes but the camera is probably impossible to master. This game is very smooth and sets a prime example on how to transfer a older-gen system to a current-gen handheld.

excelent game, with minor flaws

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

For those who haven't had a chance to experience the original Resident Evil game from the 90's this is pretty much a dirrect port over, featuring a couple of play modes; classical, rebirth, and multiplayer. Classical speaks for itself, it's bassically the original game with nothing added or removed. Rebirth lets you play the original game with a few extra features added, such as being able to use the touchscreen to solve puzzles and slash at enemies with the knife when in firstperson view, it also lets you blow into the mic to perform CPR on fallen members, or blow back the vomit zombies my spew your way. Also being able to switch instantly from using a gun to your combat knife without having to access your inventory is a nice change. Multiplayer mode, which I have yet to try, sounds interesting, however I'm dissapointed that other players in the game are shown to you as big stars moving around, rather than actually seing the other characters 3d model.

Another thing they could of done to improve the game, would of been to remove the original cinemas and voice acting, and replace them with CG cinemas and real voice actors like they had done for Resident Evil 0 on Game Cube. But some weirdos might like the cheesy voice acting, it adds to the horror.

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