02/09/2006>> Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (Nintendo DS)

Genre: Survival Horror

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capcom has exhausted everything from the original Resident Evil, from Resident Evil: Dual Shock, to the most recent remake of Resident Evil, Resident Evil Remake on the Nintendo Game Cube. Capcom has once again used the classical game in yet another release! Resident Evil Deadly silence is a straight direct port of Resident Evil that was released way back in 1996 plus a few new exclusive bonuses thanks to the Nintendo DS.

 

Graphical presentation isn’t everything, this is a Nintendo DS, not a Sony PSP, and the graphics look identical to that of its Playstation counterpart however, so parts do look a bit grainy and washed out, which is bad. Now don’t get me wrong, the graphics DO look good on the Nintendo DS with its pre-rendered backgrounds however you would expect a little more from your games this day in age. The Nintendo DS isn’t that powerful graphically, so generally speaking, it looks good and since it’s pocket sized, you will barely notice the graphics.

 

The “tank” controls have returned, please not this is not Resident Evil 4… the gameplay is rather awkward and chunky at first, but once you get accustomed it, it will be a breeze for you. Pressing up will always move your character forward, despite your location on screen, holding left or right, will rotate your character. The action in the game is rather good. You will look forward to blowing off zombie heads and looking at the pixilated blood gush out.

 

This is a survival horror game, so don’t go blasting everything that moves. Health and ammo are scarce and must be used only when you absolute need too. If you are careless, you will run out of supplies and you have to restart your game. You also carry limited items however boxes are located all over the game so you can deposit your extra stuff and retrieve them when needed. You have limited saves in this game also, just like all other Resident Evil games (except Resident Evil 4). You locate ink ribbons and use them at typewriters. While some people may not like this, it is the nature of most survival horror games however it is a portable game and it should have had a quick save ability at least. You play as two characters in the story mode.

 

 

The gameplay and storyline is somewhat similar, however you will want to try out both characters because the game will be addictive and you may want to know each of their scenarios. Plus there are several endings for a single player and lots of unlockables (including more players for multiplayer mode, mentioned later on)

You play in the bottom screen. The top screen is a very legible and needed map so you will always know where you are, where you are going and keep track of your location. This is a great advantage of having two screens. Because as we all may know, some games will have us going continuously into the game’s menu, to check the map for your location. Another function of the top screen is, when you are injured, it will flash, signaling to you that you need to heal yourself. This is another great and creative advantage of having two screens.

 

Resident Evil DS features a classic mode which is identical to the 1996 classical Resident Evil game and the new exclusive “rebirth mode” which add some new experiences to the player, and a Wi-Fi mode where up to four players can play together and either compete against one another or play co-operatively through several different areas. The audio in the game is fully intact and is the exact same as the Playstation game. Everything, from the sound of footsteps from you and enemies, to the eerie music and moans of zombies, to the horrible voice acting…

 

The gameplay is pretty simple once you are accustomed to it, you will blast zombies and various mutations and solve the in game puzzles and complete this game in around 5 hours. Capcom has prostituted this game and if you’ve never played it before, this is your chance to get it on a next generation console. If you own a Playstation or Playstation 2, go and but the classical 1996 Resident Evil & if you have a Game Cube go and buy the really superb Remake of Resident Evil for that console because this game isn’t really worth it for someone who have mastered the 1996 Resident Evil and the Resident Evil Remake

 

 

Game Score

 

6.7

 

 

Reviewed By: Contributed