When Capcom released the first Resident Evil on Sony's PlayStation in 1996, it was nothing short of a revolutionary game. It took B-grade movie ideals with gameplay and atmosphere similar to the underground PC game Alone in the Dark (minus Alone in the Dark's influences from H.P. Lovecraft).The result was a success in most areas, resulting in the creation of survival horror. However, it had flaws: terrible dialogue, even worse voice acting (at least in the U.S. version), and mediocre graphics. These flaws even affected the game's atmosphere and horror in a bad way, with some otherwise great scares being ruined.

That was one of the main reasons why the 2002 remake for the GameCube was brilliant. Capcom took everything wrong with the original, improved it, added a few new features, and released it. Ideas planned for the original game in terms of gameplay and story, details players wouldn't know otherwise, were put in. Even some of the scares were changed around. These elements combined to create a fantastic remake. However, 12 years later, does this remake hold up?

The updated graphics in the remake were nothing short of gorgeous on the GameCube. Various environmental effects, the best lighting this side of id Tech, and excellent character and level design were the highlights of the game's engine. Saying the graphics have simply "aged well" is a huge understatement. Even 12 years after the original release, Resident Evil still looks as gorgeous as it did in 2002. Gorgeous, yet creepy. In fact, the updated graphics enhanced the scare factor of the original. Sure, the fixed camera angles still help. But the graphical update makes the environment, zombies, Crimson Heads, Hunters, and every creature more terrifying than ever. However, load times can be pretty long and some camera transitions are shaky.

The sound design is also much better than the original, especially with voice acting and dialogue. Gone is the cheesy dialogue of the original translation and terrible voice acting. Both are now much better. At worst, it's bearable. At best, it's actually pretty good. The other parts of the sound are good as well. Sound effects like the crack of thunder, moans of zombies, and growls of zombie dogs add to the overall terrifying atmosphere.

The story felt like a B-grade movie plot in the best way possible. Similar in way to the original Evil Dead, the story is occasionally campy and/or cheesy, but it somehow works. Resident Evil is set in 1996, in the outskirts of the fictional Raccoon City. Due to reports of murders with some cannibalistic qualities in the Arklay Mountain region, the Raccoon City Police Department sends in the Bravo Team of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.). However, contact is soon lost, and the Alpha Team (consisting of Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, Joseph Frost, and Albert Wesker) is sent in. However, after an encounter with deadly dogs that results in Joseph's death, the remainder of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team is chased into a near-by mansion.

From here, the story shifts slightly depending on the character you chose to play as. If you selected Chris, Barry will be missing upon entering the mansion. If you selected Jill, then Chris will be missing. These slight changes in the story depending on what character you chose give of immediate replay value. But no matter the character, the player will encounter a zombie eating the corpse of Bravo Team member Kenneth, and the survival horror begins.

The gameplay is mostly unchanged from the original Resident Evil. Playing as either Chris or Jill, players will explore the seemingly abandoned mansion, collecting all sorts of keys, ammo, weapons, and other items. Controls are similar to most survival horror games, using the "tank" controls. They are weird at first, but become second nature quick. Then there's the item boxes. These boxes, found in various save rooms, can hold items the player wishes to leave for now. The player can pick up the items from any item box. Another interesting idea is in the save system. The way it works is in ink ribbons. Found in sets of three, these are used at typewriters in save rooms to save. One save uses one ribbon. Once you're out of ribbons, you cannot save until you find more.

After the encounter with the zombie eating Kenneth, the deadly creatures will be scattered around the many halls and rooms of the mansion. Using many weapons, but little ammo, the player must fight these creatures or avoid them entirely. However, the zombies are now even bigger threats than before. This is due to one of the changes.

Playing as the two different characters also yields challenges and advantages. Playing as Chris, players will get immediate access to a lighter, which is useful for burning bodies and revealing some secrets. He also has surviving Bravo Team member Rebecca Chambers helping him, who is needed for some objectives. However, Chris only has six inventory spaces, meaning he can carry the least inventory space of the two characters. Jill, on the other hand, gets access to a lockpick and two additional inventory spaces. However, she is on her own for most, if not all, the game. She does encounter other members of S.T.A.R.S, though. These encounters are usually in cutscene form, however. So these other characters don't do much for support.

Resident Evil also introduces many changes to the game. The changes range from all new, to being in later titles like Resident Evil 2, to even being in pre-release versions of the PlayStation original. Movement introduces a 180 degree turn, and returns the use of body language from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. Another gameplay element is in how the zombies are killed. If a headshot is performed, a zombie is down. They are no longer any kind of threat. If that is not the case, then a zombie must be burned using kerosene (a refillable item) and the lighter. If they are not burned, the zombie will, at a certain point in the story, come back as the vicious Crimson Head. These zombies are fast and dangerous. Considering the limited healing items and the damage done by Crimson Heads, dealing with zombies with a headshot or burning is recommended. There are also story additions. First is the returning George Trevor subplot from pre-release versions of the PlayStation original. Going with that is the addition of his daughter, Lisa Trevor, who comes in halfway into the game. There are also ties to characters mentioned in later games.

Resident Evil is not a short game. It's actually a surprisingly long game. Not only that, but it never becomes repetitious. Both of which are rare qualities in games. The game lasts at least 12 hours, unless you know puzzle solutions, strategies, and item locations by heart. Even then, Resident Evil offers a lot of replay value. Along with the two protagonists, there's the harder "Mountain Climbing" difficulty, easier "Hiking" difficulty, and unlockable Real Survival mode. This mode disables the ability to pick up items from any item box. There are also unlockable weapons and costumes based on the completion times.

In 2007, Capcom released the game on the Nintendo Wii under the title "Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil". Released alongside other Wii ports of Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil 4, the ports were meant as an apology for Resident Evil 5 not coming to Nintendo software. The port thankfully didn't change much. But what is changed is welcome. Firstly are the new control options. Along with the GameCube controller, you can also use the Wii remote and Nunchuck, Wii remote (held sideways), and the Classic Controller. I've only tried the Wii remote and Nunchuck combo, which feels surprisingly good. The second change is in the performance issues I mentioned earlier. The camera transitions are now a lot more smooth, and load times are pretty much nothing. The Wii port also has the advantage of coming on one Wii disc rather than two GameCube discs. While this may not sound big, those familiar with the size of GameCube discs (roughly the size of a PlayStation Portable's UMD) will definitely appreciate this. These changes make the Wii port the definitive version of Resident Evil.

When Resident Evil released in 2002, it was called the best video game remake at the time. This statement still proves true 12 years later. Removing what didn't work from the original and enhancing it alongside what did work proved to be a success for Capcom. The trip into Spencer Mansion that this game supplies is still one of the most terrifying experiences in video games. It's a tense, terrifying, and even claustrophobic game that should not be missed. Even with the series taking a turn for the worse (see Resident Evil 6), titles like this, Resident Evil Zero, and Resident Evil 4 stand the test of time as true horror games. Enter the survival horror.