Still a Classic, but a little outdated.
Both the graphics and controls are virtually identical to the PS1 version of the game. Neither of these aspects have ever been seen as a strong point of the title. The control system will frustrate and anger gamers whose first experience with the series was RE4. Players who never experienced an early Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, or Onimusha title may have a very difficult time adjusting to the control system.
Resident Evil was never a very graphically detailed game, and may actually look worse on the DS. The sound is possibly a little better than the original, but the voice acting is just as bad.
The touch screen is used for short bursts of close-quarter knife combat and puzzle solving. These segments of the game are fairly well designed, but players can tell that they were not originally intended to be part of the game.
What the title keeps is the original cheese. The voice acting is downright horrible, and the wardrobes are laughable. This is actually a good thing. Gamers who were initially awed by the dark atmosphere and shocked by the plot twists can look back and appreciate how far games have come. It’s like a 30 year old watching a cartoon/anime that was state of the art when he was 6 or 7. The person would still like the show, but would have to admit that it is now kind of campy and just can’t technically hold up to current competition.
Fans of the series would do well to experience the game that started it all. However, I’m not sure the experience is worth $39.99. I loved this game when it was released in the 90’s, and really wanted to love it this time around. This is without a doubt a legendary title, but it feels out of place in my current game library.