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RE4 zombies will steal your wig-wearing girlfriend
Describing Capcom's latest trailer for its Resident Evil 4 Wii port as corny would be an understatement. It would be more appropriate to liken the video to Iowa, the biggest corn producer in the United States. You could even describe the advertisement as Centeot himself, the Mayan god of corn. The corniness of this RE4 promotional clip runs so deep, it should come on a cob. Playing the game with the Wii remote and nunchuck looks great, but we really can't get over the bad acting. We're not sure if this is the worst video we've seen all week, or the most wonderful! Jump past the post break to see the trailer in all its glory. [Via NeoGAF]
Resident Evil 4 Wii controls detailed, diagramed
IGN has done the heavy lifting, converting Capcom's Japanese Wii controller diagram for the recently announced Resident Evil 4 into the familiar runes of the English language. If you've been curious to see how Capcom's going to adapt their Gamecube classic for the Wii -- and hopeful they do so with as much success as Twilight Princess and The Godfather: Blackhand Edition -- then try studying up. Notable "enhancements" include: shake the Wiimote to reload (complete with auditory confirmation), Wiimote-enabled Quick Time Events (take that Shenmue!), and pointing to aim.[Via Wii Fanboy]
Wii Warm Up: Superfluous waggle
Some games, like the ubiquitous Wii Sports, use the Wiimote's space-age technology to closely map real motion into gameplay. This is generally regarded as "neat" and accepted by the masses, who run off to show their grandparents.Other games, like the upcoming port of Resident Evil 4, make no such attempt to represent physical motion as virtual motion (outside of the new knife controls). In fact, some of the motion controls seem to be simulating button presses. Case in point, reloading requires you to hold B and shake the Wiimote. That's hardly more representative of the action of reloading a gun than pushing a button, or even going into a menu.We sort of revealed how we felt there, but this isn't about us. It's about you. How does non-representative motion control affect you? Is it still fun to waggle, even when you're waggling abstractly?
Friday Video: Celebrating violence
Look, obviously today's video is going to feature a little violence. You did see the title. It's right there. So you've been warned. Since this is a special Friday and the Wii Fanboy staff is pretty amped about a certain film, we figured it might be a good day to seek out a fun and gory video for this week's spotlight -- and conveniently, this week featured some news about a game that fits the bill perfectly. If you guessed Resident Evil 4, you win the prize! And what is the prize?Uh.Well, you get to watch the video! Yeah! Congratulations! It's after the jump, as per usual. And yes, we know. You've seen it before, because you probably played Resident Evil 4 a few times. You may have even seen this version, which features a particularly giggle-worthy song. But, really, if you need to be convinced to revisit Resident Evil 4, you may be in the wrong place, because it is the epitome of awesome.
More RE4 scans induce drool
Forget those blurry, half-folded over scans -- we've got crisp, clear scans filled with heart-pounding Resident Evil 4 shots ... and lots of Japanese text. But an inability to read the text never deters us from bouncing around excitedly. After all, we don't have to be able to read to see that there's waggle in them there scans, and the idea of an all-new RE4 experience is nothing but awesome.
Famitsu reveals Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, confirms RE4 port [update 1]
[Update 1: fixed the name of the DS game. Thanks, SnesR0X, and no thanks to the many similar DS-game subtitles!]It's been a while since we had a directed blurry-Famitsu-picture staredown, and this one is, as usual, totally worth staring at. Famitsu printed a long-awaited look at Capcom's Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, the Wii-exclusive RE-series-spanning game.According to the article, it's a first-person gun shooting game with playable characters from past REs including Chris, Jill, Wesker, and others. Whether it's a true FPS or an on-rails affair like Resident Evil: Dead Aim remains to be seen.Also in Famitsu was confirmation that Resident Evil 4 is getting an enhanced Wii release. Rumor has it that all the PS2 extras will be included, but the only definite is an added Wiimote-controlled knife mode. Sounds like RE Deadly Silence on the DS.[Thanks, zshadow!]
Resident Evil 4 on Wii official, Umbrella Chronicles an on-rails shooter
Pity the Resident Evil fanatic. Not only has the poor guy had to buy two chainsaw controllers and brave two Resident Evil movies (and now suffers cold sweats anticipating the third), but according to Famitsu, he'll now have to buy a third version of Resident Evil 4, this time for Wii.An intrepid NeoGAF member translated the info from the most recent issue of the Japanese magazine. The new version (presumably the unannounced game that Capcom hinted at last month) uses the Wiimote for aiming, naturally, but also uses it for stabbing zombies, as God intended. There's no word yet on whether or not it will reach North America, but a listing for the game briefly appeared on Gamestop's site, and the thing's already been localized once, so it would seem like a lock.The scans say that the game will also include a trailer for Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles which we know is due out before the end of 2007. Also, the Gamestop listing had the game set for June 25, so maybe you'll be whiling the summer days away holed up, slashing zombies -- suntan be damned!
Wii Warm Up: Revamping games for the Wii
We talked about reusing assets already, but this kind of falls under a different topic. We're talking about GameCube games and even games on other systems being revamped for use on the Wii. The recent rumors regarding a new port of Resident Evil 4 showing up on the Wii, with revamped controls natch, is what got the metaphorical hamster running on the wheel in our head. Trust us, don't look in there, you won't find a single hamster (lots of other rodents in there, though).So, we were wondering if there is a market for these types of games on the Wii? Certainly, a game such as Resident Evil 4 is going to sell in just about any incarnation it is presented (seriously, that game was amazing), but is there a market for other games like this? Would you be on board with other GameCube games being redone on the Wii? What third-party titles, that have graced other systems, would you like retooled with the Wiimote in mind?
Dream Games: Resident Evil 4
Dream Games is a new weekly column where we explore a game we'd love to see on the PSP. Feel free to check in, and comment, every Tuesday.Resident Evil 4To kick-start this feature, I decided to shoot for the stars. Resident Evil 4 is without a doubt one of the finest games created in the last generation. The game completely reinvented the Resident Evil formula, placing the camera behind the game's protagonist, Leon, freeing the player from the notorious tank-like controls the series was infamous for. With its chilling enemies and brilliant gameplay, the game earned an impressive 96 average on Metacritic.Why PSP?Resident Evil 4's behind-the-back perspective removes one of the greatest frustrations of most PSP action games: the lack of camera control. The Gamecube original rarely utilized the second analog stick, simply because it was unnecessary. The game's intuitive controls come from its simplicity: a single button controls much of the action that you'll need. Resident Evil 4 was one of the few games that ran in widescreen only last generation, making the PSP's 16:9 display even more ideal.Is it possible?Although the controls may be well suited for the PSP, the game's technological requirements may mean this game will never see the light on our system. Capcom did an incredible job squeezing this game onto a PlayStation 2, and I doubt that their technical mojo would fail on the PSP. If a port of this fine game isn't being made, hopefully the PSP will see an original Resident Evil of its own: one that uses the same, elegant control scheme used by Resident Evil 4. And if we don't get Resident Evil, at least we can look forward to Silent Hill.
Playing Dirty: The queer hero
This week, Scott Jon Siegel contributes Playing Dirty, Bonnie Ruberg's column on sex and gender in video games:In her last several columns, Bonnie has talked about the role of effeminate men as protagonists in video games. In her examples, she's discussed threats to the heterosexual male archetype, and, I believe, has hinted at the possibility for an even more potent figure: the queer hero.In my mind, the queer hero is almost a challenge to the industry, which so often writes archetypal characters for the sake of easy identification by their audience. Homosexuality has been present in video games for years, but often as a farce -- at best, a flamboyant frog in Rare's Banjo-Tooie but, at worst, figures to be ridiculed, as amusing as a minstrel show.The queer hero is not merely "gay for gay's sake." Rather, I define the queer hero as a protagonist whose orientation is arguably less-than-normative, but which ultimately plays no part in the telling of his or her story. This automatically discredits the lipstick lesbians of Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, whose "taboo" romance played an overt role in the game's marketing to a young male audience. No, the queer hero is, to put it simply, "cool," and seen as "cool" neither because of his/her sexuality, nor in spite of it. Assuming this character couldn't possibly already exist, I've fantasized for years about the making of a truly great game, with a protagonist who just happens to be gay. But one random, crude webcomic made me double back on my assumption, and take a closer look at one of gaming's most popular franchises. In Resident Evil 4, Leon S. Kennedy, the once-rookie cop from RE2, returns to the series wearing blue-jeans and a bomber jacket -- dressed for success. I played through the entire game without giving it a thought, but looking back, I think I found my queer hero.
Bloody beautiful Silent Hill trailer [Update 3]
A few hours ago, we revealed the very first footage of the game in motion. Now, Konami has revealed an official trailer from the Games Convention in Germany Konami's Gamer Day, and it is absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful. Comparing the game to Resident Evil 4 seems apt, not only because of the gameplay, but because of the insane quality of the graphics. Watch and be amazed.[Update 1: Footage actually from Konami's Gamer Day, not Games Convention. Also, Gamespot has added two excellent gameplay videos to their site. They seem to feature some awkward hit detection and camera, but hopefully that'll be worked out soon. Check out video 1 here and video 2 here.][Update 2: A video interview with the producer reveals that the playable build is very early, with most everything being placeholders. So, yes... the graphics and the animations are going to be much better. Players of the original Silent Hill be able to experience how the town became the way it did, but the main character of the game is not responsible for it. The town will be a mix of old and new, with two thirds of it being new. The game will be large: "a good size PSP game." The game features 4 vocal tracks, one of them being featured in the trailer.][Update 3: Another video of the game in motion, now featured after the cut.]
Some Resident Evil hacking goodness
Now this is how you get the most out of your top-selling, award-winning game! After one has blown through each level of Resident Evil 4 and seen all there is to see, what else is there to do? How bout hack the crap out of it for your *ahem* viewing pleasure.Check out this fun video that shows some of the goodness that is left to be squeezed out of RE4.
Resident Evil 4, Mega64-style
Those craaazy kids from Mega64 are at it again: walking around their neighborhood, acting like creeps, and putting it on the internet so we can all laugh ... good times. This time they've done gone and impersonated Resident Evil 4's omnipresent merchant (yeah, that one)."Greetings stranger! What are you buying?"Hijinks are embedded after the break.[Via Kotaku]
RE4 hacked, hidden features unlocked
A pair of hackers is claiming to have unlocked Resident Evil 4's debug mode. While the duo is unwilling to disclose their method at this time — for fear it would have "possible negative effects" — they've posted a pretty convincing video showing off some of the hidden features, including thermal mission, stealth camouflage and bullet time. It's worth noting that the hackers are using a version of RE4 they're calling, "Resident Evil 4 Trial Edition (GCN)."
DICE: AIAS awards to be televised in '07
Some of us, including DICE presenter David Jaffe, are afraid changes in the Ninth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will compromise the integrity of the award (well, that and not considering Resident Evil 4 for anything). This year's awards show includes: "a red carpet, celebrity host [Jay Mohr], celebrity presenters from film, television and sports, along with musical acts directly from video games." Unlike SpikeTV's godawful VGAs, this show won't be televised... this year. The DICE Summit has enlisted Dick Clark Productions--who are responsible for awards show like the Golden Globes and the Daytime Emmys--to bring their awards show to a major network. No word of who's going to televise the show, but there is some consolation that they aren't planning on running it on G4, or Spike, or MTV. Not yet at least. [Thanks, James]
Early video of Resident Evil 4; we barely knew ye
Check out this incredible video of early footage from Resident Evil 4, before they reinvented the series! What is on display here confirms the incredible change the series undertook with the latest version. While the environments are fully 3-dimensional, the puzzle look the same, and the camera is still (mostly) static.Watching the player run from "shot" to "shot" hoping for a decent angle to shoot from not only re-awoke the frustrations of playing earlier games, but highlighted the elegance of the over-the-shoulder approach. In the screen above, you can see they experimented with this approach early, and rightfully reimagined their entire game around it. Resident Evil 4's button-based minigames are here, as well as the title's gorgeous graphics, but the environment and enemies are all different. Good job, Capcom! Instead of releasing the same old game with a fresh coat of paint, you trashed most of what you had, thereby reinventing a stale franchise and reinvigorating a stagnant genre, and you were rewarded for it![Thanks, Timpac]Keep reading for the video.
