[Updated- the video should play correctly now]
Who can forget their first time with Resident Evil? Most gamers have at least one early moment they recall with the series—whether it was when Jill, the master of unlocking, received the lock pick, or perhaps it was when you crossed your own path in Resident Evil 2. Regardless, the franchise has been a staple of gamers for 15 years. To put that in perspective and make long time gamers feel old, Justin Bieber was just two years old when the first game was released.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the series, Capcom has decided to make a bunch of money off the franchise, and re-release several older titles HD-ified for the new generation of consoles. It also has a full slate of original games coming soon, including two titles for the Nintendo 3DS, and one for the next-gen consoles.
The titles receiving a makeover are Resident Evil: Code Veronica, and Resident Evil 4. Code Veronica originally debuted in 2000 as a Dreamcast exclusive before being ported over to the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Resident Evil 4 began its life as a GameCube exclusive, then went to several other systems, including the PlayStation 2. Both will be re-mastered with HD graphics and released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 together under the title, Resident Evil Revival Selection.
Also shown in the trailer are two new clips from the pair of Nintendo 3DS titles in the works. Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is due out on June 2, and will be a combination of the “Mercenaries” games included with Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. More mini-game than full entry to the series (at least in terms of story), the game features co-op gameplay and at least six characters from the franchise.
Resident Evil: Revelations, also for the Nintendo 3DS, will feature an original story featuring Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, and it will be set between the events of RE4 and RE5. No word yet on a release window.
And then to top it all off, the clip below shows off a few seconds of the recently announced Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. The game features a new story line set during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (a pattern for upcoming RE titles is beginning to emerge here…). Check out the clip below, and look for it on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in Q4 of this year.
[Warning: The following trailer may not be suitable for all ages]