ULTIMATE GUIDE: RESIDENT EVIL 2

PROJECT DIRECTOR CHRIS FODOR REVEALS HOW SMALL US DEVELOPER ANGEL STUDIOS DEFIED THE ODDS – AND CAPCOM’S OWN DOUBTS – BY SQUEEZING RESIDENT EVIL 2 ONTO THE NINTENDO 64

» [Nintendo 64] The combination of smooth 3D models and low-res backgrounds gives the characters a slightly floaty appearance.

» [Nintendo 64] This version certainly isn’t shy when it comes to filling the screen with enemies.

» [Nintendo 64] It’s possible to change the colour of the blood – yet it doesn’t affect the enemy’s pre-existing appearance.

» Chris Fodor, who headed up a team of nine full-time developers tasked with making Resident Evil 2 work on the N64.

“CAPCOM CLEARLY DIDN’T EXPECT AS MUCH FROM THE PROJECT AS WE DELIVERED”

CHRIS FODOR

How did Angel Studios land the job of converting Resident Evil 2 to the Nintendo 64?

We had previously done Ken Griffey Jr for the N64, which was the first game that Angel Studios ever released, so we had the technical skills and had learned a lot working on that project. The team was given the option of making a play for porting Resident Evil 2 or working on Spider-Man 64. We looked at both options but felt our small studio wasn’t ready to take on Spider-Man because it required a lot of gameplay and might suffer the same fate as Superman 64 – draw distance! A port felt right as that played to our technical skills with a proven game design. We actually went to Japan to talk to Capcom, who clearly didn’t expect as much from the project as we delivered.