Capcom – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998)

March 11, 2026March 6, 2026carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, video game enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late-1990s to examine the launch issue of the magazine-sized comic book series titled Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine.

The launch issue of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine was surprisingly entertaining. That’s not to say it was excellent as it had some flaws here and there. It succeeded with creative stuff by WildStorm to give readers and RE fans a wider lore of Resident Evil by reconnecting them with the first video game and slowly connecting them to Resident Evil 2. The interview with RE creator and producer Shinji Mikami (still a prolific video games industry producer) was indeed a good bonus.

As many of us know, Resident Evil 2 was a huge critical and commercial hit in 1998. By the time WildStorm continued publishing another issue of the official comic book magazine, enthusiasm for Resident Evil was intensified and many new gamers who enjoy RE2 on PlayStation became fans.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermejo.

Early stories

A New Chapter of Evil (Resident Evil 2 adaptation) – Inside a police car moving along the street in the middle of a zombie-fested Raccoon City, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield tried to figure out what has been happening around them. Leon notices an over-speeding truck is about to hit them from behind. The two managed to get out of the car before it got hit by the truck. From a distance, Leon tells Claire to make her way to the Raccoon City police station where they can meet again.

Mutant Menagerie – After getting left behind by the armed men who shot him, chief researcher William Birkin clutches an overlooked vial of the G-virus and injects himself with it. He soon mutates into a large, deformed monster capable of killing anyone easily. Propelled by sheer willpower to save his life’s work, Birkin simply thinks about infecting many. The next day at the zoo of Raccoon City, a monstrous roar catches the attention of a security guard who rushes outside only to find his two colleagues dead and their bodies torn apart.

Lock Down – Barry Burton, who has been experiencing recurring nightmares since the disastrous mission at the Spencer mansion, visits a facility to seek the help of a psychiatrist. As he approaches the office of the psychiatrist, he noticed someone looking strange.

Quality

*Barry Burton suddenly encounters a Tyrant!*

In this 2^nd issue, the WildStorm team prepared three short stories with the first one serving as the illustrated adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story (specifically with Leon on Scenario A and Claire on Scenario B).

The RE2 adaptation titled A New Chapter of Evil is very sloppy and so poorly done. The assigned writer and artist forcibly crammed the entire Resident Evil 2 story into a limited number of pages. The result is a very rushed approach on storytelling and the noticeable lack of care on the presentation. Having played RE2 a number of times myself, I can easily say that the order of scenes from the game were sloppily chained together in illustrated format to unbelievably occur next to each other without any proper spacing. That also means leaving no space for the reader to slow down to be able to absorb the details and to understand what has been going on.

Since there were not enough pages allocated, the visual presentation also suffered. Each battle with a monster happened too fast and not enough panels could be made to emphasize clearly what happened. The same thing also happened in key scenes of the story.

In the scene in which Claire Redfield encountered the office of the corrupt chief of police (with the dead body of a blonde woman on his desk), the creative team showed the two having a really short talk quickly followed by Claire meeting Sherry for the first time (without even showing Claire moving out of the chief’s office) followed by showing them descending on a motorized lift and quickly encountering the chief (who somehow teleported ahead of them).

The cramming of scenes, dialogue and bad visualization happened all throughout this Resident Evil 2 adaptation. One has to wonder why WildStorm decided not to use the entire 2^nd issue for the adaptation. This literary adaptation of RE2 is absolutely bad and it is clearly an embarrassing piece of work of WildStorm’s publishing.

The short story Mutant Menagerie is an attempt to connect to the lord of RE2 by having the mutated William Birkin as the monster with the zoo as the environment. The protagonist is the zoo security guard Patrick Brady who is unsurprisingly in a major disadvantage. Creatively, this tale provides readers an interesting look at what would happen had the G-virus infected the animals in the zoo which added a new element of danger in the zombie crisis within the Resident Evil universe. The story has some Rambo-vibes when it came to the protagonist taking extreme measures to deal with the infected zoo animals.

While Mutant Menagerie is clearly non-canon as the presence of Birkin in the zoo made no sense at all in relation to what was shown in Resident Evil 2 (Birkin’s presence was limited to the NEST facility underneath Raccoon City), this short story became more relevant as the Raccoon City Zoo officially appeared in Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 (released SIX YEARS after this comic book). This short story is an intriguing and satisfying piece of fan fiction.

The third tale Lock Down is a serious attempt to give RE fans a look at what happened to Barry Burton after the events of the 1996 game. This one has some Die Hard vibes as you will see Burton as a desperate action hero who happens to be present during a very unfortunate series of events. You will also see how he strives hard to solve problems without Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers to assist him. Artist Lee Bermejo did not compromise with the graphic violence and gore, and his approach on visual dynamism was nicely executed. His visualization of Burton is pretty good too.

While the series of unfortunate events here makes the tale believable, there is something weird as the narrative went on. The building itself has secrets of its own and scenes such as Barry Burton suddenly encountering a Tyrant felt like a nightmare from nowhere. It is implied that the laboratory, the postal center, the smelly sub-basement and the penthouse could have all been established by Umbrella within the city. This short story is actually entertaining and surprising.

Conclusion

*Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil 2 adaptation.*

The main feature story of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) – the official adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story – is clearly the failure and is an obvious waste of time. What prevented this comic book magazine from becoming a total disaster were the short stories Mutant Menagerie and Lock Down which were entertaining and surprising to read. That said, it is mind-boggling that WildStorm did not use this entire issue to properly tell the Resident Evil 2 story and give the creative team enough space to ensure a quality adaptation. I wonder how Capcom and the Resident Evil 2 developers reacted to this issue’s RE2 adaptation.

Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) is serviceable.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 127

March 9, 2026March 4, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 A Notable, Dark Scene In The Godfather – Early this year, the lost world the legendary actor Robert Duvall who passed away at age 95. He truly was one of the greatest actors ever not only in Hollywood but in global cinema. I best remember Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather and it just so happens that the film has a very notable deleted scene and if you read the novel focused on Jack Woltz, you will realize the darkness behind it. For your viewing, posted below is a video focused on Tom Hagen and Jack Woltz, and the deleted scene itself.

#2 The History Of Raccoon City And The Resident Evil Events –This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the best-selling Resident Evil game franchise. Having played the first three Resident Evil games on PlayStation, Raccoon City was the hot spot of misadventures, zombie outbreaks, and criminal science. As more RE games got released, Capcom expanded the lore with background tales, audio recordings, artworks and more. If you want to dive deeply into the fictional history of Raccoon City and why its legacy is tied with the Umbrella corporation, go watch the video below.

#3 The Wholesome Hotel In Las Vegas – The first time I ever visited Las Vegas was in 1989. I was only 13-years-old back then and our family stayed in Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Even though the hotel had gambling joints within, I still noticed how family-friendly the place was as it had an indoor circus venue, circus games, makeshift museums and a video arcade (where I played many classic arcade games). If there were any significant changes that happened through the decades, it would be the presence of an indoor amusement park with rides which reflects the hotel’s focus on attracting families and tourists who have limited budgets. Here’s another close look at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.

#4 Rushed And Incomplete RPGs – If there is any way to quickly describe a role-playing game (RPG) in video game format, it would be the fact that it was made to be lengthy and have a lot of content created for it. Like what happened in movies, productions of RPGs face similar problems with regards to lacking time and/or money which in turn would force the game makers to cut down their designs just to complete it. In the history of video games, the first PlayStation console was rich with RPGs in the late 1990s. Some of them turned out to be rushed and incomplete. To find out which ones, watch the retro gaming video below.

#5 Looking For “Luxury” Buffets In Japan? – With the Japanese Yen hovering about 150 per one American Dollar, a lot of foreigners find Japan a more affordable place to explore and experience. In certain places, tourists can find buffets that they consider “luxurious”. But what exactly makes a food joint luxurious and what would a traveler hope or want to eat there? Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#6 Eraser Revisited – Almost 30 years ago, the action movie Eraser (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was released in cinemas and I had a fun time watching it. When it comes to action film roles of Schwarzenegger, the US Marshal John Kruger was very unique to watch. It should be noted that James Cromwell had another schemer-type of role in the film. To discover more about the 1996 movie, watch the videos below.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 126

March 4, 2026February 26, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Dead Rising Revisited – I can hardly believe that it will be twenty years since I first play Dead Rising on a rented Xbox 360 console. Released by Capcom in August 2006, Dead Rising is a zombie apocalypse adventure game developed by a Japanese team with Keiji Inafune (Mega Man) as producer. As its story was mainly set in a shopping mall, the game was easily compared with the Dawn of the Dead movies. When I first played it, I was hooked as the gameplay was pretty playable and the in-game action was entertainingly exaggerated. That said, now is a good time to revisit Dead Rising with the video below.

#2 The Binions In Las Vegas –I have toured Las Vegas twice in my life. Still, I never actually visited Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel which is located in Downtown Las Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience. Historically, it is know as the place where the World Series of Poker started and it had a unique gambling atmosphere with classic table games and low-limit slots. However, if you look even deeper into the history of the Binions place and the family that originally owned, there is something darker and intriguing to discover. Watch and learn from the video below.

#3 Night Of The Living Dead (1968) Revisited – What is there to say about the original Night of the Living Dead movie from 1968? The George Romero-directed zombie apocalypse movie has long been declared as the most definitive zombie horror movie and was considered as the turning point in horror film-making. As such, it is not surprising to see the movie (in public domain since the beginning) featured in multiple movie reaction videos and retrospective videos on YouTube. For your curiosity and enjoyment, watch the videos below.

#4 Notable Places Beneath Tokyo Tower – The last time I toured Japan was way back in 1997. During that same trip, I visited Tokyo Tower and enjoyed a fine view of the city several feet above ground. As our city tour moved on a somewhat tight schedule, I was not able to fully explore Tokyo Tower. That said, Nippon TV posted recently a video about the places to shop, visit and dine beneath the famous tower. Watch and learn from the video below.

#5 Street Fighter Alpha 2 SNES Version Examined – Back in 1996, I was an avid arcade gamer and Street Fighter Alpha 2 was my favorite among the many 2D fighting games available in local arcades. In late-1996, copies of Street Fighter Alpha 2 running on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) were displayed in game stores which caught my attention because I never expected the console to be capable of processing the game and making it playable (note: Street Fighter Alpha games of the time were prominently released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn). To examine closely the quality of the SNES port of Street Fighter Alpha 2, watch the video below.

#6 Democrats’ Chuck Schumer Proved Himself Pathetic – Do you have a high-ranking representative or leader in government who does NOT care about you and the nation at all? The Democrats of America today are a bunch of unhinged, twisted, wicked and unpatriotic people who do not really care about the American people. One of them is the Democrats’ leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer who prioritized the rainbow pride flag over America. Watch the video below.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 40 (RPG Special)

March 2, 2026February 25, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s focused mainly on role-playing games (RPGs) from the East and the West. This is the RPG Special!

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Dragon Warrior II Print Ad

*The art style used made this one looked similar with Dungeons & Dragons.*

When Dragon Quest was released in America titled as Dragon Warrior, its sales there came nowhere close to what it sold in Japan. The game, however, sold enough copies to convince Enix to bring the sequel Dragon Warrior II (Japanese title: Dragon Quest II) to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in America and they came up with an ad that had obvious Western-style artwork to emphasize the fantasy elements. By comparison, the Japanese version of the game used the distinct art of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z). Back in those days, there was this belief that Toriyama’s art style would not be effective in promoting the game in America.

2. Breath Of Fire Japanese Print Ad

*This is how Breath of Fire looked like in Japanese print media.*

In 1993, Capcom officially broke into the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) genre with Breath of Fire on the Super Family Computer (Super Famicom). The print ad they came up with for the Japanese market showed several characters – including Ryu and Nina who would later become recurring characters as sequels were released – with designs that had elements of anime and manga styles blended which contrasted the gritty and realistic approach of Western fantasy art. The ad made it clear to readers that new adventures in a fantastic world await them. The game achieved enough commercial success in Japan which convinced Capcom to make a sequel (plus more in the years that followed).

3. Phantasy Star II North American Print Ad

*The 3-page ad showcasing Phantasy Star II and many other games.*

After selling a good amount of copies of the original Phantasy Star worldwide on the Sega Master System, Sega knew they were on to something. They confidently produced the sequel Phantasy Star II for their brand-new Sega Genesis console in 1989 and aggressively promoted it in America with a daring 3-page print ad. If you look closely, majority of two of the pages were used to promote Phantasy Star II with screenshots (including a big one with a TV), the text description and the console. The spaces below allowed Sega to promote their many other games in convenient fashion. The result is huge success for Sega as more than 1.6 million copies of Phantasy Star II were sold worldwide. Sega would go on to make even more Phantasy Star games.

4. Estopolis Denki II Japanese Print Ad

When Estopolis Denki was released on the Super Famicom in Japan, sold enough copies to justify not only bringing the game to Western markets as Lufia & The Fortress of Doom but also the production of a follow-up titled Estopolis Denki II. To promote it, Taito made a Japanese print ad that had a captivating art style (with the characters looking more realistic and a floating land that had a gritty touch), some screenshots and the promise of fantastic adventures. While the game’s title sounded like a sequel, its story was actually set in the past. Estopolis Denki II would be released in the West as Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals.

5. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals North American Print Ad

*Clearly Natsume did not have any game critics quotes to use to promote Lufia II.*

When the first Lufia RPG was released in America on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), it became a commercial hit finishing as the top SNES game in the February 1994 sales chart. The sequel Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals was published by Natsume in America in 1996 and they daringly called it “The Ultimate Role Playing Game!” in its print ad utilizing the official artwork of a major character, two screenshots and descriptive text giving readers an idea on what to expect. This ad strongly relied on the visual elements while the first game’s American print ad (made by Taito) emphasized the critical acclaim received.

6. Chrono Trigger North American Print Ad

*A lot of Dragon Ball Z fans recognized the art style of Akira Toriyama here.*

Chrono Trigger, the JRPG that had the dream team creators of Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest creator) and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z creator) behind the production, was easily the most ambitious game SquareSoft released in 1995. As part of the marketing strategy for the North American market, Square came up with a 2-page ad that had Toriyama’s art as the dominant image while using the remaining space for screenshots, the description and the SNES box cover placed strategically. Such a creative visual design was eye-catching and even memorable. Chrono Trigger became a huge commercial and critical hit in the West and it has long been regarded as a classic JRPG.

7. Secret of Evermore North American Print Ad

*The creepy red images overshadowed the promotion of Secret of Evermore in America. Some readers might have been scared away by this ad.*

Still in 1995, Square released Secret of Evermore for the SNES. Unlike most of Square’s RPGs, Secret of Evermore was developed by an American team in Washington state which explains why the game has a very distinct tone and strongly Western art style (note: the gameplay was patterned after that of Secret of Mana). To promote the game, Square came up with a very odd-looking 2-page print ad that had two dominating red images – eyes of a man on top and the front of a dog below) that felt like a forced approach to emphasize the game’s concept of the hero (a teenager boy) and his loyal dog (a very capable fighter). They used the remaining space for screenshots (which made gamers believe it was a sequel to Secret of Mana), the game box cover and a not so helpful text description. In my view, this print ad was a marketing misfire and Square could have produced hand-drawn art of the hero and his dog instead of the creepy red pictures.

8. Star Ocean: The Second Story North American Print Ad

The Star Ocean JRPG franchise of Enix had its first game released in Japan only. That first game on Super Famicom sold a lot of copies which led to the production of the sequel Star Ocean: The Second Story. By the late 1990s, Enix itself had a partnership with developer tri-Ace on the Star Ocean games. Somewhere along the way, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) secured the publishing rights of Star Ocean: The Second Story for not only America but also in other parts of the world. For the American market, Sony came up with a very odd-looking 2-page print ad that had a mail service form on the left. The form emphasized the concept of being away for a long time (reflecting the science fiction and extensive fantasy adventuring of the game itself) which incidentally was the eye-catcher of the ad. The other half of the page showing the game’s title, screenshots and detailed text description got overshadowed. This is another marketing misfire.

9. The Legend of Dragoon North American Print Ad

*The movie poster-inspired print ad is memorable to look at.*

Given how success Sony was with selling PlayStation consoles worldwide and how massively successful the Final Fantasy RPG franchise of SquareSoft was, it was not surprising that they decided to make their very own big-budget and exclusive JRPG with the intention to succeed and possibly establish a franchise. The result was the PlayStation-exclusive game The Legend of Dragoon which was made with a budget of $16 million and lasted three years in development. The game was released in Japan in late-1999 and sold at least 280,000 copies (note: majority of that in its first week of sales). In preparation for the June 2000 launch in America, Sony produced a print ad that had a very strong movie poster vibe showing what looked like painted art of the characters with vivid colors in the background and the title on the lower part. If you look closely, the credits were deliberately stylized over the way movie posters showed credits. While the game was not the massive hit Sony hoped for, it went on to become a million-seller and a great majority of its sales were from America. By today’s standards, the movie poster-like ad used to promote The Legend of Dragoon is memorable and an inspired piece of marketing work.

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A Look Back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #1 (1998)

February 27, 2026March 6, 2026carlocarrasco

To put things in perspective, this year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Resident Evil video games and multimedia entertainment franchise . The original Resident Evil (Japanese title: Biohazard) video game released in 1996 was arguably a major turning point in console gaming as it was an adulterated game that blended horror, action, monsters and the cinematic experience. Initially released on PlayStation, the game got released on Windows PC and the Sega Saturn, and eventually sold millions of copies worldwide while establishing a solid fanbase. Arguably, RE sparked the revival of the zombie genre in pop culture during the 1990s and contributed to new zombie-related multimedia productions in the 2000s.

Even before the release of Resident Evil 2, the number of Resident Evil fans grew and so did demand for more related stuff. Marvel Comics published a free one-shot Resident Evil comic book while Resident Evil: The Book was released in Japan.

When Resident Evil 2 was released in 1998, it became an even bigger blockbuster and resulted in even more new RE fans as gamers enjoyed playing it so much. The massive commercial success of RE2 led Capcom to approving several new Resident Evil game projects for development. Still within 1998, the licensed RE multimedia projects were released in the form of two novels and a new comic book series with a magazine format.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #1, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Ryan Odagawa, Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermejo.

Early stories

S.T.A.R.S. Files – Inside an office, Albert Wesker gets briefed about his next assignment in Raccoon City which has been experiencing a series of mysterious murders. The superior tells Wesker to field a S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) team to find out what is going on.

Who Are These Guys? – A scientist writes a letter to Ada Wong and reveals key details about the research of the T-Virus, including what his team has been doing and what he observed.

Dangerous Secrets – Inside the high-tech debriefing room of the S.T.A.R.S. headquarters, Chris Redfield begins a review of what happened during their mission at the mansion and what took place before they even got involved. Present are Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers and Barry Burton.

Raccoon City – R.I.P. – A very sick and physically deteriorating man watches the news on TV at home. As the moments passed by, he begins to lose control of himself as his deteriorates. He suddenly goes out of his house and walks down the street aimlessly.

Quality

*Ada Wong, the scientist and the journalist who secretly spied in a scene that happened before Resident Evil 2 started.*

As already revealed on the cover of this magazine-style comic book, this is a collection of four short stories designed to provide readers insight on the lore of Resident Evil, additional portrayals of the established RE characters of the time – Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers, Albert Wesker, Leon Kennedy and a few supporting characters seen in the games – and, more notably, illustrated development of events that connect the first two games with each other in ways that the games themselves could not. To be clear, Resident Evil took place in July 1998 while its sequel took place in September 1998.

Without spoiling the stories, I can say that S.T.A.R.S. Files was a warm-up in the form of introducing the characters of the first RE game. Who Are These Guys? was a creepy telling of what happened behind the scenes with regards to the unethical scientific experiments that caused zombies and monsters at the mansion to happen. It has a violent ending which made one of the most popular Resident Evil characters look like a murderer (note: I’m surprised it was not controversial). Dangerous Secrets was a creative recap of what happened at the mansion (which follows the game ending involving the rescue of Jill Valentine) and S.T.A.R.S. had such futuristic office equipment to work with (it has a strong sci-fi flavor). Raccoon City – R.I.P. was the build-up of developments leading to the start of Resident Evil 2.

Clearly, the quality of the writing and artworks varied from one story to another. The writing of Who Are These Guys? really stood out nicely due to its creepy vibe and the fine way of telling the story of the scientist who wrote to Ada Wong. Dangerous Secrets also stood out with its dramatization of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers and Barry Burton who have to move on knowing that a lot of lives were lost and lots of dirty secrets were uncovered. When it comes to the art style used on established RE characters, the zombies and monsters, fans looking for a more realistic take will end up disappointed (example: a few shots of Jill Valentine had a cartoony aesthetic). At the same time, Jim Lee’s only art of Resident Evil was the cover.

Readers looking for spectacle and moments of zombie horror will find something to enjoy here. I can confirm that the creative teams did not hold back on the violence and gore.

WildStorm did not just settle with doing their own literary take on the Resident Evil lore. They even went further by publishing an interview with Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami knowing that the fans will enjoy discovering details and revelations through the production side of the video games.

Going back to the first RE game of 1996, be aware that certain details in this comic book could end up lacking or feel irrelevant given the fact that this was published years before the Resident Evil remake on Nintendo GameCube was released.

Conclusion

*Chris Redfield leads the post-mission review.*

Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #1 (1998) succeeded in what it was meant to do. It gave readers added insight to the characters and the events – including those that happened off-screen – of the 1996 video game while literally warming them up for Resident Evil 2’s illustrated events. To really enjoy this comic book magazine, it is clear that one has to play BOTH video games to gain at least a basic understanding of what happened and who is who. As it was released at a time when Resident Evil 2 was available and selling a lot of copies, this comic book adaptation turned out to be a helpful read that fans and newcomers can enjoy. It is also a reminder that the late 1990s was an exciting time to be a Resident Evil fan.

Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #1 (1998) is recommended.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 125

February 25, 2026February 22, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Revisited – Looking back in the years 1998 and 1999, the Resident Evil franchise of games became wildly popular and was even considered by some as Capcom’s most important franchise. The huge success of Resident Evil 2 convinced Capcom to approve a line of several Resident Evil-related projects for release on different platforms. One of those projects was Resident Evil 3: Nemesis which was actually a side-story game released in late-1999 and eventually sold in the millions for the company. The reception from the fans was mixed…some fans felt it was a worthy follow-up to RE2 while others felt it was unsatisfying. To understand how RE3 came to be, which content got cut and what exactly happened behind the scenes, watch the retrospective video below.

#2 The Many Scams And Rip-offs In Las Vegas –Las Vegas can be a fun place to visit if only you have enough money, you know where to go and if you have the knowledge to prevent yourself from getting scammed or paying for the wrong things. Every day, a lot of people got fooled into paying questionable products/fees/services and getting cheated by different types of people in Las Vegas. To protect yourself and do the right things before visiting Las Vegas, watch and learn from the video below.

#3 Escape From New York Revisited – What can there be said about the 1981 movie Escape From New York? On face value, it looks like an action movie with a terrifying portrayal of New York City but it was something else. Director John Carpenter wrote the film as his reaction to the Watergate scandal, and their team hired Kurt Russell to play Snake Plissken. Even though it was never a massive blockbuster film, Escape From New York has some socially relevant themes and entertained people in different ways which explains why it has become the subject of many YouTube videos. Posted below for you are selected reaction videos plus one trivia video of the movie.

#4 The Hidden Villages Of Japan – When it comes to exploring Japan, there are a lot of places to visit way outside of the metropolitan areas. Nippon TV recently posted a video about Japanese villages that have been hidden in the mountains of the central part of the country. These places have been well preserved and the same can be said about their culture and traditions. There is also the famous “Samurai Road” that is scenic and should interest people who enjoy traveling along mountain trails. Watch and enjoy the video below.

#5 A Look Back At Stardust Of Las Vegas – The first time I visited Las Vegas was in 1989, and I saw the Stardust Resort and Casino while riding the car. I never had the chance visit Stardust but I noticed its appearances on TV and movies. Opened in 1958 and closed in 2006, Stardust was indeed a lively establishment of the Las Vegas trip having attracted lots of tourists and gamblers. Its legacy, however, is not very pretty as there were lots of criminal elements and scandals that happened behind the scenes. To learn about the history of Stardust, watch the video below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 124

February 18, 2026February 15, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Tremors Revisited And Explained – By today’s standards, Tremors is a classic among monster movies (AKA creature features) Hollywood released. With the way it was written and presented, Tremors is always fun to watch again. I have seen it many times and yet it is worth repeating from start to finish. Behind the scenes, there were a lot of stuff, adjustments and unexpected developments that happened during production. If you wish to see such stuff, watch and learn from the Tremors videos of Represent This below.

#2 A Look At Excalibur In Las Vegas –I never had the opportunity to visit Excalibur in Las Vegas. During its first several years of operation, Excalibur welcomed countless tourists with its fantasy-themed atmosphere, designs, facilities and entertainment. Imagine having a meal while watching two knights riding horses and performing a joust in front of you. Imagine seeing members of the hotel staff wearing fantasy costumes. Like Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, Excalibur was a fine hotel that catered to families while still having casinos for gamblers. To learn more about what Excalibur was and what made it stand out among the hotels of Las Vegas, watch the video below.

#3 Meals At The Expressway In Japan – How often do you stop for a meal when traveling along a major highway? In many parts of the world, highways or expressways have clusters of gas stations, convenience stores, groceries and restaurants for travelers who need some relief from the stress of long travel. For many travelers, traveling far while being hungry can be a problem. In recent times, Nippon TV posted a video about meals and food items that travelers can find along expressways and the variety is interesting to see. Watch and learn from the video below.

#4 Cleopatra Movie Revisited – Way back in 1963, the movie Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was released. The historical epic was made at a staggering cost of $44 million which was almost three times more expensive than 1959’s Ben-Hur. Behind the scenes, 20^th Century Fox was in very deep financial trouble and many hard business risks were taken to make Cleopatra. Elizabeth Taylor, who signed a record-setting $1 million contract for the film, had health problems that added to the delay of the production. The film even lost its original movie director. To learn more about the history and the behind-the-scenes intrigue of Cleopatra, watch the video below.

#5 Innerspace Revisited – Innerspace (stylized as InnerSpace) from 1987 is a fun movie to watch and it has fine performances from Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short. That said, it is not surprising to see Innerspace featured in reaction videos and retrospective videos by YouTubers. For your enjoyment, watch the videos below.

#6 Breath Of Fire Retrospective – When Breath of Fire was first released in 1993, it was a surprising Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) as it had a somewhat fresh concept and it was released by Capcom (already famous for fighting games). The first game was successful enough to convince Capcom to make sequels (released on other game consoles as technology evolved) achieving varying degrees of critical and commercial success. Going back to the original game, some wondered what made it notable and how the game came to be. To find out the history of Breath of Fire and what its story was about, watch the video below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 114

December 15, 2025December 16, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Demolition Man Revisited – Way back in 1993, I completely missed out on Demolition Man in the local cinemas. The first time I saw it was on a rented laserdisc in 1995 and the film (starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes) turned out to be entertaining in a unique way. By today’s standards, Demolition Man is considered by many as a film ahead of its time as it accidentally predicted self-driving cars, video conferencing, heavy dependence on computers for solutions and more. As such, it is not surprising that a lot of retrospective and reaction videos of Demolition Man have filled YouTube. Posted below are the more entertaining videos to watch about the 1993 movie.

#2 Soy Milk Becomes More Popular In Japan – Soy milk is a dairy-free, plant-based drink made from water and ground soybeans. In recent times, soy milk has gotten tremendously more popular in Japan. Not only is it being consumed by the Japanese in its beverage form, soy milk also made its way into food items and snacks. There is a lot to learn about soy milk’s popularity in Japan in the video below.

#3 Resident Evil Illustrated Tales – Believe it or not, there was a time when comic books and illustrated tales about the Resident Evil games were published from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Back then, WildStorm (WildCATs, StormWatch, Wetworks) was licensed to make comic adaptations of Resident Evil starting with the Resident Evil: The Official Comic Magazine (published through Image Comics, 1998-1999) which featured varied short stories that expanded the lore but not necessarily counted as canon with the games. YouTube ScorePN posted a video showcasing the Resident Evil illustrated tales so you don’t have to go to all the trouble of finding the comic books and magazines. Watch and enjoy the video below.

#4 Zaxxon Revisited – In the early 1980s, Sega made a huge splash in the arcades and game consoles with Zaxxon which is now considered a classic by many gamers. I only played it on the personal computer back in the 1980s. While my enjoyment of the game was very limited because of the not-so-friendly keyboard controls, I found Zaxxon an intriguing experience due to its isometric visual design and the illusion of 3D space that came with it. Sometimes I wished that Zaxxon would get remastered for the current console generation. That said, it’s now a good time to look back at the game in the two retrospective videos below.

#5 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Lethal Weapon – Among all the Lethal Weapon movies released by Hollywood, the first film from 1987 is still the best in my view. Apart from having a strong script, the directing by Richard Donner got fine performances from Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, and the spectacle was executed with a lot of power while never feeling outlandish. That said, it is fun to replay the movie from time to time. To see how it impacts YouTuber Ashleigh Burton, watch her reaction video below.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 37

December 1, 2025December 29, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1970s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1970s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Cabal Japanese arcade flyer/poster

*Can you feel the action and intensity here?*

When it was first released in video arcades in Japan in late 1988, Cabal was another game inspired by military action movies of Hollywood which explains the art work done for the arcade flyer and poster shown above. The Vietnam War was still fresh in people’s minds and the concept of having one or two players firing their weapons against enemy soldiers resonated with gamers who saw Hollywood’s military action flicks. That said, it is not surprising that Cabal became a huge hit in Japan before getting released in arcades around the world.

2. Willows Japanese arcade flyer

Remember the 1988 high fantasy adventure film Willow? That film was produced by George Lucas and was a bold new production of Lucasfilm shifting away from Star Wars. Believe it or not, an official arcade game adaptation of Willow was made by Capcom and they promoted it by having images of Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis on the front of the arcade flyer (opposite the illustrated versions of their characters). The game, which was a side-scrolling platform game with run-and-gun elements, went on to be an arcade hit in Japan and eventually pleased gamers worldwide.

3. Super Punch-Out!! North American print ad

Historically, Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! series started in the arcade in 1984 and the first game was the result of the company’s effort to make a new game using arcade cabinets with two screens. The 2^nd game – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! – became a huge critical and commercial hit (over 2 million copies sold in 1988) on console and it made great business sense for Nintendo for release another Punch-Out!! for its console gamers to enjoy in the comfort of home. In 1994, Super Punch-Out!! was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America and to promote it, the company came up with a hilarious 2-page ad that showed fictional high school graduates with boxing-related injuries. The imagery creatively connected with the words “biggest Punch-Out ever” and “Graduating Class of ‘94”.

4. EA Sports 3-in-1 SNES games print ad

In 1994, Electronic Arts (EA) released their sports games NBA Live 95, NHL 95 and Madden NFL 95 for consoles at the time. Even though the Sega Genesis sold better than Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America at the time, EA went on to aggressively market their 3 sports video games on Nintendo’s console using a 3-in-1 games print ad. In retrospect, the SNES for the most part had better graphics and sounds than the Genesis which is reflected clearly on EA Sports games of the time. This print ad still looks fun and exciting.

5. Atari Jaguar CD print ad

*Were you able to play any game on the Atari Jaguar with the CD add-on included?*

Apart from the obvious advances of technology that impacted video games, the 1990s is also known for the rise of CD-ROM as a medium for gaming. In an effort to boost sales of the Atari Jaguar console (launched in America in 1993 for around $250) and capitalize on the trust of the fans and console owners, Atari launched a CD-ROM add-on device for about $150 in 1995. To promote it, the company went aggressive with the 2-page ad showing the add-on fully connected on top of the main console, showing off some games and posting a text description emphasizing hardware power and the advantages that come with the CD technology. Even in the captured image, the Atari Jaguar CD still resembled a toilet. This is an aggressive ad campaign that failed as less than 20,000 Atari Jaguar CD units were sold by the time it was discontinued in 1996.

6. 3DO print ad

*While it lacks intensity, this 3DO ad emphasized the games.*

Without showing any hardware, the 3DO Company came up with this 2-page print ad that had a slightly adulterated tone (look at the left page) and aggressively marketed the 3DO console games available at the time. Games like Demolition Man, Shock Wave, Road Rash and Super Street Fighter II Turbo were the standout titles which clearly showed the company made the effort to emphasize gaming more than multimedia features. This 1990s ad tackled the generations with a touch of humor.

7. Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters Sega Genesis print ad

When Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters was released in the arcades in 1994, it became a commercial success for Konami which went on to announce it would port the game to consoles of Nintendo and Sega at the time. While the port for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was never released, Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters made its way to the Sega Genesis and Sega CD. The print ad of the Sega Genesis version (Sega CD mentioned in small text) had an inspired design emphasizing the Old West, shooting and the conflict between cowboys and Indians. The screenshots gave people the clear idea that Old West was the setting (versus modern day in the previous game). This is still fun to look at.

8. Syphon Filter

*Syphon Filter went on to become a surprise hit game in 1999.*

In 1999, Sony’s 989 Studios released Syphon Filter exclusively on the PlayStation console. This single-page print ad showed a few screenshots on the bottom and several action snippets with a night vision touch ultimately emphasizing the stealth aspect within the gameplay. The marketing proved to be effective as the game sold a lot at retail and went on to establish a new game franchise exclusive to PlayStation consoles.

9. Parasite Eve II Japanese print ad

*Were you a big fan of Aya Brea and the Parasite Eve franchise in the late 1990s?*

Following the critical and commercial success of Parasite Eve in 1998, SquareSoft proceeded with Parasite Eve II and the production (note: initially for a spin-off game before becoming a sequel) did not even involve the main creators of the first game. Instead the company had a different team of developers – including those who previously worked on Resident Evil games for Capcom – in Osaka to make the sequel. This explains why Parasite Eve II had stronger survival horror gameplay resembling a Resident Evil game. As major changes were made during the production, it was decided that Aya Brea would become the main protagonist and already the character was already popular with gamers. That being said, the marketing of Parasite Eve II for the Japanese market heavily featured Aya Brea with subtle sexiness, beauty and action in mind. The marketing intensified leading to its eventual December 16, 1999 release in Japan.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 72

April 25, 2025April 19, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Christine Grace Smith discusses gender differences and major UK Supreme Court decision – I like watching Christine Grace Smith’s commentary about society as well as her ways on pointing out the wrong and the twisted. Recently the United Kingdom’s (UK) Supreme Court delivered its major decision on the legal definition of the term woman in relation to human biology. Christine Grace Smith not only calls the UK Supreme Court decision a win for women (read: men who believe they are women are clearly NOT women at all), she also explains a lot of relevant stuff and details as well. It’s a win for women and a defeat for the transgender mob. Watch and learn from her video below.

#2 Predator reaction videos by Ashleigh Burton, VKunia, Popcorn in Bed and You, Me and the Movies – The 1980s was a memorable decade of R-rated action movies from Hollywood. Among them was the action-packed science fiction film Predator that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and the movie itself had a careful blend of elements from specific genres under the direction of John McTiernan. By today’s standards, Predator is a classic and now is a good time to see how it impacts YouTubers like Ashleigh Burton, VKunia, Popcorn in Bed and You, Me and the Movies through their respective reaction videos.

#3 PatmanQC examines the Alien vs. Predator arcade game – In 1994, Capcom released Alien vs. Predator in video arcades around the world. In addition to being well received by game critics, the game became a big hit commercially and added to Capcom’s credibility as an arcade industry player. If you are wondering how the arcade game first started, who the developers were and why the game was never ported to any console, watch and learn from PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.

#4 Decker Shado’s review of The Fifth Element – Back in 1997, The Fifth Element was released in cinemas and it attracted the attention of a lot of people mainly because of Bruce Willis’ fame. With its style of presentation, the movie impressed local moviegoers and there were some who found it a zany film experience. Some time ago, Decker Shado posted his video review of The Fifth Element and it is entertaining to watch.

#5 Slope’s Game Room examines the history of Pac-Man – Do you still remember playing Pac-Man long ago? As a little boy, I only played the Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man and managed to play the original arcade game on different platforms much later. There is a lot of history behind Pac-Man and it involves the growth of its game franchise and reach towards cartoons and merchandise. To have an in-depth look at Pac-Man’s history, watch the extensive video by Slope’s Game Room below.

#6 Tron revisited – You must have heard the news about the newly announced Tron sequel called Tron: Ares. Honestly, I am not too confident about it and 2010’s Tron: Legacy left me unsatisfied. That being said, the original Tron movie from 1982 remains special and memorable, and now is a good time to take a look back at it through the selected videos below. Watch, learn and enjoy!

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