Resident Evil (2002): “Fast, Red, and Sometimes with Beards”

We’re very excited to debut our first of two episodes on Resident Evil (2002) AKA REmake—arguably the best RE ever released.After discussing the development of the game, diving into Capcom’s controversial deal to make the Resident Evil franchise exclusive to the Nintendo GameCube, we highlight major changes from PS1’s original Resident Evil: Director’s Cut. In particular, we spend some time talking about the Trevors: George, Jessica, and Lisa, as well as why Crimson Heads are so terrifying.While we don’t play through REmake beat by beat in our 95-minute runtime, we make it through the Spencer Mansion in this episode before leaving off en route to Lisa’s Shack and the Residence.Other topics and questions include:Whether or not XBOX is the console of choice for ICE agents;Why everyone likely remembers where they were when Capcom’s Resident Evil, Gamecube-exclusive deal was announced;The origins of the phrase “Hoisted by one’s own petard”;What it’d be like if the first episode of House Hunters featured Lisa Trevor’s cabin;Is vaping postmodern?; andHow Tommy Wiseau managed to finance The Room (hint: it involves Umbrella)**Time Stamps:0:00-20:44 – Intro, sixth-generation console politics, and the development of REMake for the Gamecube. 20:45-53:22 – Changes from the Resident Evil (1996): Narrative, dialogue, characters, gameplay, and controls53:23-1:25:15 – Title screen, opening cinematic, and revisiting the Spencer Mansion—new areas, tasks, and all (graveyard, death masks, dog whistle and fishing lure puzzles)1:25:15-End – Post-episode banter: Nosferatu and Dracula, Nicholas Hoult, Yorgos Lanthimos, and debating One Battle After Another**Shoutout to Alex Aniel, whose book Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil, we consulted during this podcast. Another shoutout to Michael Everette Hensley, the composer of our podcast theme music.Our look back at Resident Evil (2002) is a two-parter; new episodes will be released Wednesdays—every two weeks—so tune in soon for our wrap-up on REmake.Thanks for listening!