Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil Review for Nintendo Wii

Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil box art

System: Wii	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Capcom Production Studio 4	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Capcom	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Jun. 23, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Mature	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

While it would have been nice if the control and camera issues had been addressed in REA, this is just a straight port of the GameCube remake and most of us are used to these old school RE conventions by now. However, there are a few minor improvements in this version worth noting.

Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil screenshot

Players are given several control options now including using the Wii-mote and Nunchuk, Wii-mote only, a classic controller, or if you are really going for the nostalgic feel, a GameCube controller. All of these options work perfectly fine, with the only real issue coming from how hard the B trigger is to hit when using only the Wii-mote. There is also no need to fear shoddy motion controls, as they haven’t been shoehorned in, no matter which control option you ultimately decide to go with.

The two other noteworthy improvements actually come as a direct result of the change in media formats from the GameCube to the Wii. Sure, the tiny GameCube discs were cute and usually made for speedy load times, but they didn’t hold very much data. As a result, RE came on two discs for the system whereas REA fits entirely on a single Wii disc. Even with the extra disc space, some compromises were still made when it came to the game’s audio, which is now noticeably clearer and crisper.

Having multiple control options, not having to change out tiny discs midway through the game, and having better audio are definitely pluses, but I don’t think they are big enough improvements to merit picking up this title if you already own the GameCube version. However, if you for some reason didn’t get around to checking it out before, at thirty dollars REA is a great deal and will provide you with countless hours of RE goodness. Of course, you do still need to be willing to put up with the not so great side of classic RE games including tank controls, fixed camera angles, and an unforgiving save system. Though, if those don’t sound like major problems to you and you don’t already have the RE remake on the GameCube, then this would definitely be a worthwhile purchase.

By Adam Brown
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.7

Graphics
The game may be seven years old but it still looks good from the prerendered backgrounds to the characters and animations.

3.0

Control
The tank controls still feel pretty dated but once you get used to them they’re at least manageable.

4.2

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music, sound effects, and often cheesy dialogue all help to set the mood and sound better now that they’re not being compressed to squeeze onto tiny GameCube discs.

3.5

Play Value
If you’ve played the GameCube version of this remake, there is really nothing new for you. However, if not, you can expect to find many hours of gameplay, assuming you wish to see all of the game’s ten endings and unlock all of the alternate costumes.

3.5

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

The Original, Reborn: This is a Wii version of the classic Resident Evil remake, originally released on GameCube in 2002 which featured new rooms, areas, items and creatures that were not included in the PlayStation original released in 1996.

Survival of the Fittest: Battle against putrid zombies, infected dogs and horrific gigantic bosses as you struggle to survive.

Defense Weapons: Defensive weapons protect characters when being attacked.

Your Favorite Resident Evil Characters on the Wii: Play as Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, who each uncover two completely different paths as they explore deep within the horrific mansion.

In-depth Puzzles: Solve dangerous, intricate puzzles and uncover terrifying secrets.

More than 10 Different Game Endings: Unique endings dependent upon play decisions and successes.