One of the biggest events on a timeline showing the history of the developing powerhouse took place sometime in 1996, when Capcom director Shinji Mikami released the original Resident Evil and went on to become a household name to many gamers, along with the game he created. This ambitious new series (which was actually first conceived as a first-person shooter) was possible thanks to the technological advent of the PlayStation. While few games ever create an entirely new genre, the Resident Evil series put a label on a kind of gameplay called survival-horror and has been a tremendous success for the company in every way imaginable. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to put the importance of the RE series for Capcom in context is to note the addition of Resident Evil heroine Jill Valentine to Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 2, taking her place alongside Capcom's greatest gaming legends. There have also been Resident Evil comic books, action figures, a bizarre horror-comedy play, and even a live RE mansion attraction. With the release of Code: Veronica for the Dreamcast and the development of Resident Evil 0 for the GameCube and Resident Evil 4 for the PlayStation 2, it looks as if gamers could be happily blasting zombies and mixing herbs for the next few decades.

In the History of Resident Evil we will look at the evolution of the series. We'll try to get a clearer idea of the twisted and convoluted plotline that has spanned numerous games and systems, and we'll take a look at the characters and what roles they have played in the ongoing story. Welcome to the world of survival-horror.

Special thanks to Matt Atwood at Capcom PR, Ike Sato, Rob McGregor, Ben Stahl, and anyone else who has helped in the making of this feature.