The Tiger Game.com was an awful little handheld. The thing somehow seemed less advanced than the original Game Boy, and with a far worse library. It had some big name software on it, but nothing was any good. This is because Tiger licensed games from developers like Sega and created their own versions for the hardware. The problem is these were rushed, and the specs just weren’t up to the task. This is why it’s surprising that one of the games Tiger chose to release for the platform is Resident Evil 2. It’s an ambitious project no doubt, but were they able to finally deliver the goods? While Resident Evil 2 is one of the better games for the platform it has its share of problems.
This portable edition of the Raccoon City story tells pretty much the same tale. Well, sort of. You play as Leon S. Kennedy (Claire Redfield is not an option in this version) after the aforementioned town has become a haven of the undead. The T-virus has been unleashed upon the citizens and now you have to escape the town via the Police Station, but of course you have zombies chomping at the bit for you. This Game.com version of the game is the most different from any other release. Outside of the opening text scroll there’s no real story to speak of. You just travel from place to place fighting off enemies (there’s plenty of ammunition in this version), collecting items, and going through doors. There’s nothing to push you along, and it’s actually a little confusing to be honest. You’re completing tasks with no direction.
For being scaled down to 8-bit hardware this version of Resident Evil 2 is surprisingly faithful. I’m genuinely surprised with just how much effort was put into this port. You’ll explore most of the same places as in the console version. All of the backgrounds have been redrawn to accommodate the hardware. Half the fun here is recognizing these areas in the game and comparing them to the full blown console versions. Gameplay is also very familiar here. You guide Leon through a series of single screen areas and when you reach the edge of the screen (or go through a door) you move to a new scene. Controls are strictly tank based. This means you hold up to move Leon forward, and the left/right change his direction. You can equip a few different types guns which are managed from the typical inventory screen.
Besides putting down zombies and other undead baddies a big part of the Resident Evil series is solving puzzles. That aspect returns here, but aside from the graphics (and music for that matter) it’s probably the aspect which has been altered most in this version. You see, not all of the puzzles have made the cut here. Some are just plain missing. This actually makes things more difficult in some cases. The long time fans of the console version of Resident Evil 2 know what they need to do, but when playing this Game.com version you aren’t sure what has been included versus what was skipped. You basically have to experiment and try everything to make sure you don’t miss an important item or clue to go forward.
It’s impressive and all that Tiger got Resident Evil 2 to run in any form on their limited hardware, but it’s not a flawless experience. The gameplay engine is slow to say the least. Leon runs like a snail moving through molasses, and has about as many different frames as a flip book. The same thing goes for the zombies and other baddies you face down. This is a game that would have benefitted from the framerate being doubled because it’s hard to tolerate just how slow this one moves. Resident Evil 2 is a deliberate and slow paced game, but this is just a little too much so for me. You really have to have some patience going in to this one or you’ll be over it fast.
As I mentioned earlier the game has almost no story exposition. You run from scene to scene killing a few zombies along the way, and then move forward. This version of Resident Evil 2 feels very lifeless, pun intended. It seems that a few simple scrolls of text would have added a lot to the experience. There are, after all, story developments and dialogue in the console version. The fact that Tiger couldn’t be bothered to even put some static text in the game shows that they clearly rushed this port to market. As the longest and most polished piece of software for the platform it’s pretty telling that they couldn’t even be bothered to go this far with it.
Clearly Resident Evil 2 isn’t going to look anywhere nearly as polished as the console version. This is 8-bit hardware, after all. What’s incredible however is that Tiger managed to make a game that’s recognizable as Resident Evil 2 with this port. Even with the black and white rudimentary sprite based engine it’s clear from start to finish that you’re playing the second installment in Capcom’s survival horror series. The characters and backgrounds feature a striking amount of detail to them. I’m surprised they were able to push the Game.com so hard, and this is clearly the biggest technical feat on the entire system. I just wish that the animations weren’t so terrible. Resident Evil 2 on the Game.com just isn’t much fun to play because of how choppy the engine is.
Now we get to the soundtrack. You’ll be surprised to hear this, but there isn’t actually any music in this game. Yeah, I know. It’s kind of a stark contrast from the console versions which feature ambient sounds and amazing soundtracks. This is the silent Resident Evil 2. Well, actually, not exactly. You see, Tiger did incorporate a bunch of sound effects directly from the main release into this edition. You’ll hear the iconic ‘Resident Evil 2’ sound byte upon starting the game, and also the zombie moans and grunts. Even the gunshots are there. It’s actually really impressive for the hardware. I just wish there was actual music in this game. I would trade in the fancy sound effects for it in a heartbeat.
This is probably the best game for the Tiger Game.com. Unfortunately, that isn’t saying much. Resident Evil 2 can’t hold a candle to it’s big brother versions, but this downport is actually mildly enjoyable in some cases. It’s amazing to see everything from the survival horror adventure we all love shrunk down for 8-bit hardware. It might be the best game for the Tiger Game.com, but it’s pretty average overall.
