Capcom takes zombies portable

In commemoration of the Resident Evil series' 10th anniversary, Capcom is developing a remake of the original PlayStation version of Resident Evil for the Nintendo DS, reports the latest issue of Famitsu. The game will be titled BioHazard: Deadly Silence in Japan. No release date has been announced, but the series' 10th anniversary occurs in 2006.

BioHazard: Deadly Silence features a number of major changes and additions from the original PlayStation version to accommodate the hardware capabilities of the DS. The survival horror game uses the top screen for displaying the map and equipped weapon. Players will be able to figure out their character's remaining energy by glancing at the top screen, as its background color indicates the character's health status. The bottom screen is used to show in-game action.

One of the biggest additions in the game is a feature called "knife battle," in which the screen suddenly changes to a first-person view when the player walks through a door with enemies waiting on the other side. When knife battle is engaged, gamers will have to wield their blade and immediately take on zombies, hunters, or whatever else waits for them.

In addition to the various traps from the original PS version, there are also a number of additional new puzzles and events that take advantage of the DS's hardware. For example, one screenshot shows Chris giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to his colleague, a feat that's expected to make use of the DS's microphone.

Aside from puzzles and events, the DS's touch screen will be used in miscellaneous situations that weren't present in the PS's Resident Evil. One screenshot shows Chris fighting against zombies, except that parts of the screen are masked with blood and are not viewable. The player can apparently wipe the blood off the screen by stroking on the touch screen.

BioHazard: Deadly Silence reportedly uses the DS's Wi-Fi capabilities as well, although no details have been disclosed at this time. GameSpot will bring additional information on BioHazard: Deadly Silence as it becomes available.