Resident Evil 0

When Capcom Entertainment announced in September 2001 that it would be transferring the popular Resident Evil series to the Nintendo Gamecube, many gamers were surprised, and some were upset. Nevertheless, with the upcoming release of Resident Evil Ø on November 12, Nintendo is set to prove their worth in developing an outstanding prequel to the Resident Evil series (hence the zero in the title). Capcom has claimed that Resident Evil Ø will have the best ever graphics in a video game. While this is a tall order, the game just may fill it. The graphics are truly impressive -- they are highly detailed and use advanced lighting techniques, including realistic display of shadows.

Resident Evil Ø follows the story of a special police task force that is stranded in the forest after a helicopter crash. They stumble upon a train wreck, and soon after entering it, they are attacked by bloodthirsty zombies. The main character, Rebecca, who is a member of the police force, meets Billy, an escaped convict, on the train. She reluctantly partners with him due to the dire circumstances. In the game, you have control over both characters and can switch between them anytime you want.

The Resident Evil series has been known to sometimes have issues with design bugs. While I was playing Resident Evil Ø in the Nintendo game van, I ran into an interesting situation on the first level. I was fighting a monster who was supposed to trigger a plot event after a short period of time. I kept shooting him and he wouldn't die; eventually I ran out of bullets. Now I discovered that I had no knife, and Rebecca was not capable of fighting with her hands. I had already used all the extra ammo in the level, so that was no help either - I was defenseless. I resigned myself to certain death and let the monster attack me. But he couldn't kill me - his attack moves did nothing!

So here I was with no way to win and no way to die - completely deadlocked. I decided to try exiting the room; and suddenly that triggered the plot sequence that should have occurred a while before.

But these bugs are not likely to seriously disrupt your game, and the game is otherwise an excellent addition to your library. One thing worth mentioning is that it can actually be a scary game - something to give you nightmares. The ambient sounds and music contribute to the overall spookiness of the game. Because of the confined nature of a train, you will not necessarily see the zombies coming from a mile away - they may surprise you by popping up right behind you when you least expect it. Resident Evil Ø is an excellent choice for a stormy, rainy night.