25 Things You DIDN'T Know About Resident Evil 3

25 Things You Didn’t Know About Resident Evil 3

Welcome to MojoPlays and before the city is almost completely leveled, we’re going to fight through the hordes of zombies and other mutations to find all the hidden secrets, easter eggs and making of details we can find in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.

Biohazard 1.9

Early on in development, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis wasn’t originally planned to be part of the mainline Resident Evil timeline and was instead planned to be an artsy independent film style spin-off called “The Last Escape”. However, despite much protest from series producer Shinji Mikami, Capcom believed sequels had better financial possibilities and wanted to have a complete trilogy of games on the PS1. Shinji Mikami was extremely against this decision, believing the in-development sequel Resident Evil: Code Veronica was the true third mainline entry in the series as it did more to push the overall narrative of the series forward. However, after much pushback from the higher ups, Mikami relinquished and Code Veronica was given a subtitle instead of a number to differentiate it, although it canonically remains tied to the main storyline of the series.

Before and After

With only a year between the release of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, the developers had to release a brand-new numbered entry in the series in an incredibly short amount of time. To accomplish this, they decided to revisit Raccoon City and give Jill her own solo adventure, further documenting the fallout of the Spencer Mansion incident as well as the downfall of Raccoon City. Because of this, many environments were reused with slight alterations and Jill would cross paths with characters and events in RE2. To accomplish this and tell a self-contained story, the devs made RE3 both a prequel and a sequel with the first half of the game taking place before the events of RE2 and the second half continuing after the ending of RE2. This allowed newcomers to still get a complete experience, while fans who had played through RE2 got to see new details and elements from another perspective.

Repurposed Design

Nemesis is arguably one of the most recognizable mutations in the entire Resident Evil series, but he originally wasn’t designed to be the star of his own game. The design for Nemesis that has become synonymous with the series was originally a rejected design for Mr. X in Resident Evil 2. Mr. X went through numerous design possibilities including more exposed muscles, tendrils and grotesque features before finally settling on the trench coated menace that stalked players through the RPD. When it came time for the sequel, designers went back to one of those rejected ideas and fleshed out the design, literally, and created a much more dangerous and advanced version of Mr. X whose sole purpose was to hunt and kill the remaining STARS members.

SNL Cameo

Video games in the 90s weren’t known for getting big name actors to do voice over work on their games, and oftentimes even when someone semi-famous DID do VO work on a game, you likely didn’t even realize it and it wasn’t heavily advertised. Tony Rosata, most well-known for working on SNL around the same time as Eddie Murphy among others, provided the voice for the unfortunate and terrified survivor Dario that Jill meets early on in RE3. However, this isn’t the only character Tony brought to life. Tony also lent his voice to Nemesis and the iconic “STAAARRRSSS” line heard throughout the game.

A New Level of Interactivity

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis doesn’t really get the credit it deserves for pushing the classic RE formula forward. Not only did it give players the option to choose their path forward, more on that in a bit, but it also introduced environmental hazards that could be used against enemies. Scattered around the many environments would be shootable items which could be targeted separately from regular enemies and either deal damage or kill them immediately. Examples include the staple red barrels, but also electrical boxes, wall charges, steam valves and even lanterns that can cover enemies in flames. These basic shootables would lay the groundwork for even more interactivity in future entries.

Intro Screens

Along with various other cut content, early prototypes of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis included intro screens detailing the events leading up to the opening of the game. These include the remaining STARS members returning to Raccoon City, arguing with Chief Irons about the events at Spencer Mansion, and finally Jill becoming disillusioned walking the streets of Raccoon City as the town slowly succumbs to chaos around her. However, the strangest element of these cut intro screens is the inclusion of the iconic scene from Shawshank Redemption of Andy Dufresne and Ellis Redding talking on the bleachers. These static intro scenes were cut from the final game but can still be found in the game’s code, implying they were cut late into development.

Iconic Colors

In the Japanese version of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, players will notice star markings next to their save file. These stars indicate what players have unlocked so far in their playthrough such as the first star being tied to unlocking Mercenaries Mode, the next four stars which special weapons have been acquired, and the final five stars indicating the number of secret costumes the player has. These stars also serve another purpose as if players check their save data icon on the PS2, the icon will change colors depending on how many stars the player has unlocked. For all ten stars, the Nemesis icon will turn a gold color. This was how we showed off our gaming skills before achievements and trophies.

Developer Credit

Whereas Resident Evil 2 hid nods to other Capcom titles, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis makes these easter eggs a bit more personal. One developer hid references to his name in numerous places throughout the game. The television that plays ads for Umbrella is a Kurahashi brand and players can also find numerous boxes and crates with Kurahashi printed on them as well which are all nods to Kurahashi Yuki, a background programmer. Other devs got a bit more creative hiding their names in the environments. Players have likely seen the number “510” scattered throughout the game which in Japanese is pronounced “Go to” which is referring to Goto Junko, another background artist. Finally, another background artist gave herself a number of credits under the adverts for “HM” Hamano Miho, the background creator chief. The background artists of this game were determined to be immortalized in the game this time around.

Back in Time

Given players can once again explore the RPD, naturally the set photo from Back to the Future 3 returns on the wall of the STARS office, but this isn’t the only major callback to the iconic time traveling trilogy. Just outside the gas station, players can spot what is very clearly the Deloreon, which was made famous in the Back to the Future franchise as Doc Brown specifically designed his time machine around the vehicle. It’s almost hard to spot with the large American flag draped over it, but upon closer inspection, the car is immediately recognizable.

A Dirty Joke

Cheeky references, nods and easter eggs aren’t the only things the developers of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis snuck into the game. When players replace the Future Compass in Downtown Raccoon City, they’ll notice an engraving that is barely legible just beneath the section for the compass. The engraving is unreadable until you flip the text over and rather than some kind of insightful clue or new mystery to uncover within the game, will find that it reads: “Owners Must Remove Dog Excrement.” Although sound advice, its inclusion is just weird, as is the fact the text was even translated for the western release.

The Passage of Time

One detail that is often overlooked when simply trying to escape the city is the clever inclusion of time passing during the game. Considering RE3 takes place both before and after the events of RE2, this clever usage of day/night cycles alludes to the passage of time during the events of the game. For example, when Jill first enters the RPD, it’s the afternoon and when she leaves, it’s clearly later in the day. Another interesting detail is the clock on the wall when you reach the cable car, which reads 10:30pm, and a short time later when you arrive at the clock tower, it reads 11pm with Jill’s battle with Nemesis taking place an hour later at midnight. And finally, after Jill wakes up, the rest of the game takes place after the events of Resident Evil 2. It’s a shame so much work went into details most players didn’t even notice.

Canonical Questions

Although the developers did an admirable job fitting Resident Evil 3: Nemesis into the timeline of Resident Evil 2 despite not initially being planned that way, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t without issue. These include how could Brad Vickers be roaming the grounds as a zombie after being impaled by Nemesis at the start of the game? The simplest explanation is that being killed by Nemesis resurrected him as a zombie, but no concrete answer is ever given in either game. The RPD itself adds another wrinkle. When Jill arrives, most of the doorways and halls are boarded up but are open when Leon and Clair arrive. Jill can also find a mortally wounded Marvin lying motionless, but he later returns still on the brink of death to welcome Leon. Obviously mortally wounded doesn’t mean dead, but it is curious how he was able to get up and move around with his wounds.

Costume Crossover

A mere couple of months before the release of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Capcom unleashed a new breed of survival horror for its fans with Dino Crisis. Both games ended up being massive hits for Capcom and since Dino Crisis was released first, the devs included a nod to their prehistoric survival horror in RE3. Along with each game releasing with a demo of each other included in each game, there are numerous Dino Crisis posters in different locations like the hospital in RE3. However, the most direct reference to Dino Crisis in RE3 is the unlockable costume for Jill, which is Regina’s black jumpsuit, along with a red wig to complete the ensemble.

Tyrant Terror

There are so many easter eggs tying RE2 and RE3 that were likely overlooked during your first playthrough with some hidden so well you didn’t even notice them at all. One such instance is from a cutscene in RE2 in which Mr. X is dropped into Raccoon City. On board the helicopter Mr. X is dropped from, there are five more containers containing more Tyrants from Umbrella. Many players likely didn’t give this a second thought but the devs at Capcom certainly didn’t forget. Just before the final encounter with Nemesis, players can find the remains of the other five Tyrants in various stages of mutation, having been killed during different encounters with the mercenaries.

Stealthy

While almost everything within Raccoon City is out to kill you, not every encounter needs to end with spent magazines and empty bullet casings. Specific enemies like the dogs won’t attack you unless they hear your footsteps coming. Therefore, if you rapidly tap the X button or the direction button rather than holding it, Jill will scoot along the floor without taking any steps, allowing you to freely pass the dogs without actually having to fight them. It can take some practice to get the movements just right and make sure not to bump into them or else nothing will save you.

Puzzle Redesign

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis introduced several new game mechanics, but the most surprising one was item and puzzle randomization. From one playthrough to the next, items and puzzle solutions would be altered or items and even enemies would be placed in different locations. This was particularly evident when players opened the weapons locker in the STARS office and could either receive the grenade launcher or the magnum. However, this randomization had a major drawback when it came to specific sound related puzzle later in the game. However, due to the randomization, players with hearing loss were unable to solve the puzzle. This was later updated in re-releases of the game to have only one solution and is also revealed in the subtitles.

Enhanced Ammo

Item randomization wasn’t the only new mechanic that would have an impact on future entries in the series. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis also introduced ammo crafting into the series, allowing players to decide which ammo they needed during their playthrough depending on which combination of gunpowder they used. However, there is an added effect that many players never realized. By creating the same ammo eight times, the ninth batch will be “enhanced ammo”. This ammo is far more powerful and can even bring Nemesis to his knees after only a couple of shots. It can be tricky creating the same ammo type multiple times, but the reward is worth the effort.

The Illusion of Choice

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis also introduced “Choose Your Own Adventure” style choices during specific cutscenes that would lead to different outcomes depending on what the player chose to do. With little to no indication of which choice did what, the only way to see the outcome of every choice was to replay the game. However, most of these choices don’t have any major impact on the story whatsoever. No matter your choice, you’ll still meet Carlos, and no matter what you choose Tyrell will still be killed. Other instances have only minor or completely negligible alterations that have no impact on the overall story. While an interesting gimmick, Capcom would only really use this mechanic one more time in Resident Evil: Code Veronica.

Alternate Ending

While the choices you make during your playthrough largely have no effect on the narrative of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, there is one that can directly affect which ending you get, and the game gives no indication it will have any effect. The final optional cutscene near the end of the game gives the player the option to either jump off the bridge or push the Nemesis off the bridge. If you push Nemesis off the bridge, Carlos will pilot the helicopter out of Raccoon City before the missile hits. However, if you choose Jill to jump off the bridge, when you enter the control room, a familiar voice will call through the radio, and after defeating the final boss, Barry will be piloting the helicopter that rescues Carlos and Jill. No Jill flambé on Barry’s watch!

Epilogues

Another interesting reward for completing Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is the epilogues for the series’ main characters. By beating the game a whopping eight times on the same save file, you can unlock epilogues chronicling what every mainline member of the series up to that point is doing after the destruction of Raccoon City. These include obviously Jill, but also Chris, Leon, Claire, Barry, and even Ada and Sherry Birkin. However, the most surprising one is the inclusion of an epilogue for Hunk. These are not only interesting bits of lore but also helps set up future entries in the Resident Evil universe for its many survivors.

Mercenaries Mode

Whereas in previous Resident Evil games, you could unlock rewards such as weapons or infinite ammo by simply completing the campaign, in RE3, you need to play and beat the Mercenaries Mode to unlock the best rewards. While there are still some basic rewards for completing RE3, special weapons such as the gatling gun, the rocket launcher and the all-weapon infinite ammo can only be unlocked by playing this mode. And not just a couple times either. To unlock the best rewards, you’ll need to play Mercenaries Mode 20-30 times. There’s also an optional objective to rescue hostages, which if you manage to save them all will unlock a special hidden cutscene.

Standing Your Ground

Every encounter with Nemesis is understandably an intense ordeal. However, given the size of Nemesis, there are ways to make each encounter easier as Nemesis will routinely get stuck on the geometry of the area or and even can even run out of ammo in his deadly arsenal if you’re able to last long enough. Most players will likely turn tail and run at the first sight of Nemesis, and understandably so, but there are advantages to standing your ground and taking Nemesis on. Throughout the seven encounters with Nemesis, if you manage to incapacitate the brute, Nemesis will drop specialized equipment such as handgun or shotgun parts and even an assault rifle or infinite ammo if you’re on your second playthrough in your final encounter. These can be some of the most challenging battles in the game, but the rewards are more than worth the effort.

The Celebrity Wall

We already covered the strange inclusion of the set photo of Back to the Future 3 in the STARS office in Resident Evil 2, and not only is it back in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, it brought even more odd inclusions along with it. In the gas station is a wall of photos. These can be difficult to make out as given this is a PS1 game, they are all heavily pixelated, but many fans have managed to uncover the truth behind the pixels. On the wall are photos of Mel Gibson from “Maverick”, Hugh Grant in “Four Weddings & A Funeral”, Wynonna Ryder in “The Age of Innocence”, Johnny Depp from “Benny & Joon”, and in the next room, a poster from “California Dreams”. Their presence could be nothing more than a background artist fan or placeholders that were never swapped out, but the inclusion of the Back to the Future 3 photo makes this feel deliberate.

Poor Curry Quality

The signage in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis has proven to be a gold mine for easter eggs and hidden credits or nods to other Capcom properties, but one of these signs includes a desperate plea from a disgruntled developer. In one of the alleyways, a sign remains untranslated from Japanese and reads “Please do something about Capcom’s awful curry and rice”. While this poor suffering employee has never been identified, we at least hope that Capcom has raised their standards on the meals for their employees in the years since RE3’s release back in 1999. You have to wonder just how bad it really was for this signage in the game to be necessary.

Jill’s Diary

Apparently keeping a diary was part of STARS standard training as Jill also kept a log detailing the events of Spencer Mansion, Jill’s plan to leave Raccoon City and essentially sets up the events of Chris’ story in Resident Evil: Code Veronica. What makes getting Jill’s Diary so difficult is the means to unlock it. Not only do you need to collect every file within the game during your playthrough, but you also need to do it in the correct order. An order the game doesn’t tell you and due to this specific order, leads to quite a lot of backtracking through the game just to pick these files up in sequential order. It’s arguably the most challenging task for the least reward in the game but is still a fun easter egg teasing the future of the series.

What was your favorite moment in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and do you prefer the original or the remake? Share your thoughts in the comments.