Gaming Target - Game Boy: Resident Evil Gaiden

Written by Kyle Williams on May 10, 2002

First Impressions: Now you can put those zombies in your pocket.

The type of success that Capcom has seen with this series pretty much guarantees that every thing with the RE moniker will sell including movies, toys, and countless sequels. I really don't think that there has ever been the question, "Will the Resident Evil franchise ever go portable?" The questions have always been, "How will it play?" and, "Will it suck?" Next month we get to find out as Resident Evil Gaiden makes its way to the Game Boy Color.

This latest incarnation of the Resident Evil series is taking a little bit of a departure from the typical RE fare. Sure, there are still going to be endless hordes of zombies to kill, but this time you will be taken out of Raccoon City and placed on a luxury cruise-liner infested with the undead. On June fourth you will be able to step into the role of S.T.A.R.S. operative Barry Burton as he tries to take out a deadly Bio-Organic Weapon. Along the way there will be scores of traps, puzzles, and zombies to navigate your way through. However, this time around the third person perspective is no where to be seen. Exploration is from above while combat comes by way of a first-person perspective.

Capcom sure is working to cram a lot into this little title. Expect to see at least 100 rooms spread across the four decks of the ocean-liner and a submarine. Of course, getting from room to room will be hampered by enemies that will be able to "see" you. I imagine that this will be much like the original Metal Gear. In fact most of this project is sparking memories of that classic. There will also be dozens (if not a hundred) weapons, items, and armor types for you to find and use against the zombie hordes. Also, there are going to be additional playable characters for you to locate and work with.

I have to admit that I have been wondering why Capcom decided to bring this title to the GBC and not the GBA. The hardware has been out almost a year and seems to offer developers a lot more freedom in their game making endeavor. This may be an evolution of the canceled port of the original RE that was slated for the GBC. The results of this choice sure are looking positive though. As it stands, the game is looking how the game might have on the 8-bit Nintendo. The graphics aren't impressive and I doubt the audio will stun anybody, but I have a feeling that the gameplay is going to have a certain "nostalgic" feeling to it.