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When Capcom announced that it would sign an exclusive deal with Nintendo back in 2001 the Resident Evil crowds went wild, and to add fuel to the fire, Capcom showed pictures of what seemed to be a remake of the very first, and by far the most popular, Resident Evil. Featuring unprecedented, completely overhauled graphics, new gameplay elements and an added storyline, Resident Evil "Rebirth" seemed very promising. Much to the joy of the fanbase Resident Evil Remake didn't only deliver the expectations of the fans but in many cases surpassed them greatly.

GFX

The most striking feature of the Remake is of course it's mind-boggling looks. The pre-rendered backgrounds are simply indescribeably beatiful. They are littered with both small and large details like flickering candles, swinging lamps or huge waterfalls, all of which are animated flawlessly. Remake also makes great use of lighting to set up the atmosphere, each character now casts a realistic shadow dependent on the light source that bends and blends realistically to the background. Though there is some slight roughness noticeable in the shadows it hardly is a thing to complain about. Also from time to time the lightning strikes outside the mansion illuminating everything and casting shadows realistically. All of the above effects coupled with the most lifelike character models ever make up for a game that simply makes love with your eyes. The characters and monsters sport a huge amount of polygons, which shows. With a much darker, grimier and worn out feel, the Gamecube version of Resident Evil delivers graphical feast that is sure to set the mood for a spectacular survival horror game.

Sound

Sounds play in important factor in Resident Evil games and Remake is no exception. With the power of the current generation consoles it's possible to use multichannel audio to even deepen the gaming experience. Resident Evil Remake supports Dolby Digital Pro Logic 2 that coupled with a decent home-theater system makes one unforgettable survival-horror gaming experience. The musics are pretty ambient for the most part but take a whole different approach when needed, suddenly turning into a panicky quick tempo tunes or into a relaxating save-room music. The voice acting is pretty decent and leaps and bounds from that of the original's. The dialogue has been revamped for a less cheesy one and one that flows pretty well. The monsters also make pretty creepy noises, from the basic moans and groans of the zombies to the howl- like sounds of the Crimson Heads and the spine-chilling moaning of Lisa Trevor. Memorable stuff. The sound effects make good use of the DPL2 and will make your sub boom if necessary. It's also possible to locate your enemies by listening which can save your skin many times.

Story

Remake's story is identical the original's. Some cutscenes are re-directed and the dialogue is modified to some extent but as a whole the story is pretty much the same. What Remake does though is it adds a new side-story involving an unlucky guinea pig of Umbrella called Lisa Trevor, whose tragic story will be revealed to you and in which you will be involved in.

Conclusion

Capcom didn't only revamp the graphics for this one, they also added whole new areas, a new side-story, new gameplay elements in the form of defense-items. They really went all the way with this one. For a Resident Evil fan, Remake is something unmissable, something you simply have to experience for yourself. Some people may have gripes of the control system or inventory management but those things have grown to be a trademark for the Resident Evil- series, something that has grown on people, both fans and casual gamers alike. If you don't own a Gamecube yet, this is THE reason to get one. In short, this is Resident Evil at it's best.

John Temp is a newswriter at Resident Evil Horror.

AP - Authorities in Arizona say a jogger attacked by a rabid fox ran a mile with the animal's jaws clamped on her arm and then drove herself to a hospital. The Yavapai County sheriff's office said the woman told deputies she was on a trail near Prescott on Monday when the fox attacked and bit her foot.

Is it possible that computer and video games have something positive and constructive to offer, and that rather than being a social menace which parents should be afraid of, they are in fact contributing a good deal to the development of the next generation?

Certainly there is no doubt whatever that the children of today will be living in a technological society, with computers and technical equipment part of everyday lifestyle. Although we're pretty much at that stage now, many of us have either witnessed the introduction and steady development and integration of computer technology into our lives, or have experienced a world before computers came along, and have seen the world and our lives slowly taken over by electronic gadgets that seem to be far cleverer than we are. Children of today will grow up never knowing a world without mobile phones, satellite technology, worldwide file and information sharing and exchange, instant video communications with anyone, anywhere anytime, and although this idea might seem surreal to us, almost as though something from a science fiction novel, for our children it will be their reality.

In which case it is important for us to accept this change, and try to see a way in which our children can be adjusted to, and deal effectively with not only the technology around them, but also each other. Social skills, people skills and personal characteristics are always going to be important, and no one can live on an island with oinly a computer to keep them company. At the end of the day, it is not the computers which run society, but a combination of the people who design and program them, and the people who use them in their lives. Computers are, always have been, and will continue to be machines, tools, used by real people doing real jobs.

So what do computer and video games have to do with this brave new world? If you examine carefully the range of games available, you may simple assume that the games industry is owned by the US military or some other armed force, since so many games seem to involve military tactics, and the conquering or annihilation of the opposing force. Whilst this is an unfair generalisation, there certainly are many games which take the idea of battles and wars as their basis. One could argue that old games such as Battleships, even Chess, are about battles and armed forces - just a little simpler and easier to grasp.

But the point is that many of the games available necessarily require players to understand, learn and develop skills which have a great deal of value in the real world. Skill such as teamwork, coordination, planning, devising and implementing strategies, logistics, problem solving and even budgeting all come in to play - life skills which, whilst they can be taught in other ways, are not the main focus of any educational curriculum. Yet no one would deny the value of those skills. Perhaps gaming can become part of the curriculum at school in the future, allowing children to develop life skills through video games?

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for kids toys, video, dolls.

AP - Two difficult wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A simmering nuclear crisis with Iran. Renewed rivalries with Russia and China. A global financial meltdown spawned on Wall Street. Terrorists almost certainly looking for ways to mount a fresh attack in the U.S.