In 2002, a remade version of the game, known as Resident Evil in Western regions and as Biohazard in Japan, was released for the Nintendo GameCube. This was part of an exclusivity agreement between Capcom and Nintendo that spanned three new games. The title includes a variety of new gameplay elements, environments, and story details as well as state of the art visuals. Shinji Mikami has stated that the remake is "70% different from the original."[14]
The room with the puzzle shown above, as it appears in the remake with enhanced environment and character graphics. In this scene, Chris attacks a zombie with a dagger, one of several new defense items.
The game is notable for its nearly photo-realistic environments, all of which are pre-rendered. The remake features all-new graphics and sound, and also incorporates gameplay elements from the later installments such as the use of body language to indicate the main character's health and the 180-degree turn. In addition, it introduced a new running style that was also used in Resident Evil Zero, and several new areas were added to the game. The overall plot remains largely unchanged. The original live-action FMV segments were redone in CG, with the voice acting done by a new cast. The script was rewritten to have a more serious tone and improved translation, as opposed to the unprofessional dialogue and roughly-translated script of the original. Gameplay mechanics are largely the same although most of the puzzles have been changed and the player can equip a defensive weapon that can be used when seized by an enemy.
Additionally, the remake features many unlockable game modes, secrets, and various endings not found in the original. It also restores the George Trevor subplot, and splices other main characters of the Resident Evil games, such as William Birkin and Alexia Ashford into the game's backstory.
The GameCube version of Resident Evil sold over 1.35 million copies
