Resident Evil (2002), Part 2: “The Ultimate Escape Room is Life”

Resident Evil Ø: “Oops! All T-Virus”

“This game actively pissed me off"—Logan "I would have quit the game if not for this podcast"—Keith Hot Zombie Summer faces its biggest challenge yet in Resident Evil Ø, the last of the Classic REs. In this first of three episodes on Capcom’s prequel title, the co-hosts narrate Zero’s complicated development cycle (shoutout to the Nintendo 64DD) and express their frustration with new gameplay mechanics: character zapping and leaving your shit all over the floor (AKA the removal of item boxes). After going deep into the bench of REØ’s cast of characters—did you know rear security S.T.A.R.S. member Edward Dewey’s favorite hobby was dancing?—we navigate the Ecliptic Express, the iconic and inexplicably old-timey train section of the game. After our protagonists Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen escape the train, our recording ends with the first cliffhanger in HZS history. The co-hosts also talk about number sickos, why having wings would ruin your life, and possibly going into business together by launching a brewery called #hops. Later in the episode, Logan claims he’ll get an “Emerald Fennell = Resident Evil” tattoo if this episode hits 100 downloads. And Keith not only calls James Marcus “Lindsey Graham-coded” but also suggests Billy is “Nick Cave-coded.” ** Time Stamps: 0:00-4:06 – Introduction 4:07-14:31 – The nearly four-year development cycle of Resident Evil Ø 14:32-46:05 – The gang’s all here: Rebecca Chambers, Billy Coen, and the rest of REØ’s cast of characters 46:06-58:06 – The New Mechanics (not The New Pornographers) of Zero 58:07-1:11:11 – Waxing nostalgic about the Nintendo GameCube’s start-up sound, REØ’s opening cinematics and narrative, and the nü metal aesthetics of the game 1:11:12-1:45:00 – The Train: Meeting Billy, Leech Queen Marcus singing in the rain, giant scorpion boss fight, train puzzles (and dreams), and doing drunk math to pull the e-brake 1:45:01-End – Wrap-up, reflecting on what we’ve played so far, and outro ** 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. We'll be back in two weeks with our next Resident Evil Ø podcast episode. Thanks for listening!

Resident Evil (2002), Part 2: “The Ultimate Escape Room is Life”

Episode two on Resident Evil (2002) is here. We complete the second half of REmake by traversing the residence, revisiting the Spencer mansion, and making our way through much-improved tunnels and laboratory. In our conclusion, we send the game off by chatting about its commercial reception, legacy, and whether or not the original should (will?) be remade for current consoles. As you listen, don’t miss Keith asking if Henry Winkler is relevant enough to have a pre-prepared obituary in the New York Times—or Logan’s introduction of a new potential Halloween costume idea in Jesse “The Gymnast” Ventura. More relevant to RE, the co-hosts spend nearly five whole minutes talking about whether or not the head of the blown-up Tyrant from the original Resident Evil: Director’s Cut was bouncing around and still talking after you rocket launcher him to smithereens in the finale (this is not in the REmake). The co-hosts additionally pose the question, “Do sharks conduct electricity better than humans?“ ** Time Stamps: 0:00-4:05 – Cold open + intro 4:06-28:02 – The Residence: Lisa Trevor’s shack, the Guardhouse, and the Aqua Ring. 28:03-40:12 – Return to the Spencer Mansion, “Should The Predator fight his dad?” 40:13-1:24:38 – Endgame: Tunnels, laboratory, and retcons / revisions in the ending (ft. Wesker exclaiming “Premature!”) 1:24:39-1:45:47 – Reviews, sales, and reflecting on the legacy of the REmake 1:45:48-End – Outro and post-episode banter ** 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. To see the video commercial for the REmake audio we played, go to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af7QJU2g14I [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af7QJU2g14I]. In two weeks, we'll be back with our first episode on Resident Evil Zero. It's going to be....something. Thanks for listening!

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?; and * How 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 controls 53:23-1:25:15 – 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!

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, Part 4: "The Ol' M.H."

We are back for the final of four episodes discussing the good, the bad, and the Wesker of Resident Evil Code: Veronica X. In this episode we mostly play as Chris and complete the story portion of Code: Veronica. We finish up by discussing the reception and legacy of the game, and if we think we've seen the last of one Steve Burnside. We also talk about Chris-Hangers, The Walking Dead, Cool Water Busting Moments, and Dessert Anxiety. Time Stamps Intro 0:00-7:06 Chris at Rockfort 7:06-29:46 Chris in Antarctica 29:46-56:58 Antarctica Mansion and Finding Claire 56:58-1:02:10 Playing as Claire 1:02:10-1:09:46 Endgame 1:09:46-1:30:27 Legacy 1:30:27-1:40:47 Best/Worst 1:40:47-1:49:02 Remake Speculation and wrap-up 1:49:02-End 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. This is our final episode on Code Veronica. New episodes will be released Wednesdays—every two weeks. Thanks for listening!

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, Part 3: "The Rude Tailor"

We are back for the third of four episodes discussing the good, the bad, and the dissociative of Resident Evil Code: Veronica X. In this episode we finish up the Claire Redfield portion of the campaign by going through the Private Residence, the Airport, and the Umbrella Antarctica Base. We also debut (and retire) a new segment: Antarctic Fun Facts. We also discuss puppets, Phantom Thread, crime, and compliment the Tyrant's flight etiquette. Time Stamps Intro 0:00-4:15 Private Residence 4:15-26:03 The Airport 26:03-33:00 The Plane Ride 33:00-47:45 Antarctic Fun Facts 47:45-1:00:25 Antarctica Base 1:00:25-1:21:39 The Final Escape? 1:21:39-End 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. This is our third of four (!) episodes on Code Veronica. New episodes will be released Wednesdays—every two weeks. Thanks for listening!