The N64 version has to somehow contain all of this data within one 64MB cartridge - less than 10 per cent of the storage available on one of Resident Evil 2's CDs.
That's plenty for the game's 2D backgrounds, its 15 minutes of full-motion video plus its 200 minutes of sample-driven soundtrack - on top of other in-game audio, including character voices. It's true that there's commonality is some of the data between the two discs, but the bottom line is that just one CD offers Capcom the luxury of 700MB of storage. Resident Evil 2 for PlayStation shipped on two CDs. An invisible mesh creates the boundaries of the 3D space, ensuring that the characters sit correctly within the environments, while moving through the levels is achieved simply by flipping from one screen to the next once you hit the boundary - there's no scrolling here.īut what sounds simple in theory becomes massively more complex when you look at the implementation.
After all, at the nuts and bolts level, the action consists of fairly simple 3D characters and objects overlaid on a series of pre-rendered 2D backdrops. On the face of it, an N64 conversion of Resident Evil 2 shouldn't be a problem.
It aimed to overcome the N64's most profound limitations, delivering an uncannily accurate port of the original PlayStation release. But when it came to the N64 port of Resident Evil 2, Angel Studios - now Rockstar San Diego - went for a different approach. Direct ports to other systems rarely worked owing to massive hardware differences, with some developers opting to create entirely new games instead. Titles used to launch on bespoke arcade platforms before being ported to home consoles, and when hardware like the original PlayStation arrived, titles were specifically built around its strengths. Also, you are given two difficulty levels to choose from (easy or normal) and three levels of graphic violence: low, middle or high.With game-makers and publishers building almost all of their games with multiple console platforms in mind, it's worth remembering that things used to be very, very different. Prior to starting the game, you'll need to decide what color of blood you prefer: green, blue or red. There are special hidden modes as well, in which you can play the 4th survivor or as the hidden character, Tofu.
Situations that you encountered the first time through have a bearing on what will happen the next time you play. A mapping system is provided so you can keep track of where you have been and where you need to go.Īfter you complete your mission with one character, you can play the game again as the other character, this time with different gamepaths and alternate endings. You'll push items, inspect objects, talk to characters, unlock doorways, decipher notes and messages and perform various other feats of mental daring do. In addition to all the mutant mayhem, Resident Evil 2 is replete with puzzles you must solve. Corpses, drawers, lockers and other areas are searchable for ammo and other useful items. You will find grenade launchers, shotguns, pistols, high-powered Uzis, crossbows and other weapons for use in battling the various zombies and bosses. From there you'll enter a massive police station, maneuver through a vast network of dark and dangerous (not to mention smelly) sewers, finally ending up at zombie central, the Umbrella Laboratory on the outskirts of town. You'll begin your exploratory zombie-killing adventure on the city streets. Resident Evil 2 is divided into several segments. Both characters are unleashed into the heart of Raccoon City, a formerly peaceful mid-western town that is now surrounded on all sides by evil mutants and zombies. wild, self-confident and intelligent) woman of adventure, who is in search of her brother, Chris. Kennedy, an idealistic rookie cop, or Claire Redfield, a modern (i.e.