------------------------------------------------------------------------ Biohazard 3: Last Escape Version Changes Guide Dreamcast / PlayStation / GameCube A FAQ/Guide by CVXFREAK Copyright 2002-2006 by CVXFREAK August 23, 2006 Version 2.0 E-mail: fireemblempride[at]gmail[dot]com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================== Table of Contents ======================================================================== 01. Introduction 02. Version History 03. About Biohazard/Resident Evil 04. List of Versions 05. Biohazard 3: Last Escape (PlayStation) 06. Biohazard 3: Last Escape (Dreamcast) 07. Biohazard 3: Last Escape (GameCube) 08. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PlayStation) 09. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Dreamcast) 10. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (GameCube) 11. Frequently Asked Questions 12. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to this FAQ. It was originally written in March 2002, but has not been updated since then. Like a few other guides I've updated this year, I stumbled upon this guide one day, having forgotten that I had written it, and it really needed an update. This guide covers all the versions of Capcom's Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, known in Japan as Biohazard 3: Last Escape. As should be common knowledge by now, Biohazard is the name of the Resident Evil series in Japan; due to copyright reasons, the name is Resident Evil in the west (i.e. North America and Europe, also Australia). I should also write it that the series is also known as Biohazard in China and Korea, in addition to Japan. Herein, mentions of Biohazard will relate to the Japanese game; Resident Evil will relate to the western name. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 02. Version History ------------------------------------------------------------------------ August 23, 2006 Fresh off redoing my CODE: Veronica changes guide, I'm here to update this outdated FAQ on the various versions of Biohazard 3: Last Escape. It hasn't been updated since 2002, before the GameCube version was released, and certain details were lacking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 03. About Biohazard/Resident Evil ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Biohazard/Resident Evil is a survival horror videogame series by Capcom first launched ten years ago in 1996. It has sold over 30 million units worldwide across platform consoles like the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Dreamcast, Saturn, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Color, the PC, Tiger Game.com and even mobile phones. In the future, it'll be coming to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and also the Nintendo Wii. Seldom have the North American and Japanese versions of any Biohazard game been completely identical. In fact, the only one that comes to mind that were the same (disregarding language) is the remake of the original Biohazard/Resident Evil. Only a little more common in the series are identical versions on different platforms. Most ports contain something unique about them. Biohazard 3's various versions, SKUs and packages all have something unique about them, and in different regions. Compared to the other RE games, they're noticeable but still minor. Biohazard 3's history is as follows. It was announced for the original PlayStation exclusively in 1998, and was to feature Raccoon City again, this time from Jill's perspective rather than the isolated setting in Biohazard 2. It was released on September 22, 1999 in Japan and nearly two months later in North America, on November 11. A year later, a Dreamcast port was announced, to bring the series in line with Sega gamers, since Biohazard, Biohazard 2 and Biohazard CODE: Veronica were already on the Saturn and Dreamcast, respectively. The new version for Japan contained a network option, Arrange Mode, which comprised of the difficulty modes in the North American version of the PSone game, since the Japanese version was easier. The North American version of the Dreamcast port did not have Arrange Mode, the network feature or the easier Japanese difficulty modes. When the series' 5th anniversary came in Japan, Biohazard 3 was re- released for the PSone as part of the Biohazard 5th Anniversary Package FAQ. In September 2001, Capcom announced the series's move to Nintendo GameCube, and a port of Biohazard 3 was part of the announcement and finally released in January 2003, as a port from the original PlayStation version, the same day a budget CapKore version ("Kore" is a Japanese transliteration of "colle" from "collection") was released for the PSone. And in August 2003, the same day CODE: Veronica Kanzenban made it to the GameCube, the Biohazard Collector's Box was released, containing the 5 GameCube Biohazard games released to that point. Further down the FAQ are the variations of them, explained. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 04. List of Versions ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The list of all different versions of CODE: Veronica in North America and Japan as follows. I'm deliberately ignoring the PAL region for now, but I'll get to it *someday*. Japan ----- Biohazard 3: Last Escape (PlayStation) Biohazard 3: Last Escape (Dreamcast) Biohazard 3: Last Escape (GameCube) Biohazard 3: Last Escape CapKore (PlayStation) North America ------------- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Demo (PlayStation) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PlayStation) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis including Dino Crisis demo (PlayStation) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Dreamcast) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (GameCube) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Greatest Hits (PlayStation) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 05. Biohazard 3: Last Escape (PlayStation) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region: Japan Platform: PlayStation Release Date: September 22, 1999 Price: 6800 Yen (original) 4800 Yen (CapKore) This was the very original release of Biohazard 3. It differs from the North American version because the difficulty modes are named Light Mode and Heavy Mode, which do not correspond to Easy Mode and Hard Mode in Japan. In order to receive Mercenaries and extra costumes, you have to beat the game, and use the Boutique Key to retrieve costumes from the boutique. Epilogues are only unlocked after beating Heavy Mode. It was eventually re-released a year and a half later. On March 22, 2001, the Biohazard 5th Anniversary Nightmare Returns package was released in limited quantities of 10,000 units. That's not a lot considering that the series has sold tens of millions of units. The set included a briefcase modeled after CV's Duralumin Case, a CD binder containing special prints of Biohazard, Biohazard 2: Dual Shock Edition and Biohazard 3: Last Escape, as well as a key ring, finger ring, dogtag with case number, ball point pen, Wesker's Report and the ordinary release of Biohazard CODE: Veronica Kanzenban. On the same day the GameCube version came out in Japan, the CapKore (Capcom Collection) version was released, identical to the original at a discounted price of 4800 Yen (still expensive for a PSone game, though). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 06. Biohazard 3: Last Escape (Dreamcast) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region: Japan Platform: Dreamcast Release Date: November 17, 2000 Price: 5800 Yen This was a PlayStation/PC port with a few differences. Unique to it is Arrange Game, which allows Japanese gamers to play the difficulty modes from the North American version. Also unique is online connectivity, using Netfront JV-Lite service. Using a Dreamcast modem, gamers could access the Biohazard 3: Last Escape homepage from Capcom. Mercenaries mode was unlocked from the beginning, and there were two extra costumes to choose from when starting a new game. The differences between the North American and Japanese versions of the PSone version remained with the Dreamcast incarnation, including the difficulty mode differences. The network option was removed, as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 07. Biohazard 3: Last Escape (GameCube) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region: Japan Platform: GameCube Release Date: January 23, 2003 Price: 4800 Yen This is an almost exact port of the very original release of Biohazard 3 on the PlayStation, making it a major step back for Japanese gamers in comparison to the Dreamcast version. Like the other releases, it differs from the North American version because the difficulty modes are named Light Mode and Heavy Mode, which do not correspond to Easy Mode and Hard Mode in Japan. In order to receive Mercenaries and extra costumes, you have to beat the game, and use the Boutique Key to retrieve costumes from the boutique. Epilogues are only unlocked after beating Heavy Mode. The GameCube version featured a new "Biohazard" voice at the title screen, which actually says "Biohazard 3" rather than just "Biohazard". Several months later, the game was re-released. Released on August 7, 2003 for 19,800 Yen in Japan only, the Collector's Box was a set containing a few Biohazard titles and a few extras. It came in quite literally a greenish-blue box that held the GameCube editions of biohazard 0, biohazard, Biohazard 2, Biohazard 3: Last Escape and Biohazard CODE: Veronica Kanzenban. It also contained a simple book with a black cover and plain white paper that had the Japanese transcripts of Wesker's Report and Wesker's Report II. Like the 5th Anniversary Package, this was limited to 10,000 units, but there was nothing special about the games contained in it, nor was there a number you could use to see which of the 10,000 you got. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 08. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PlayStation) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region: North America Bundled with: Dino Crisis demo (some units) Platform: PlayStation Release Date: November 11, 1999 Price: $49.99 (w/ Dino Crisis demo) $49.99 (standalone) $19.99 (Greatest Hits) This was the very original release of Resident Evil 3. It differs from the Japanese version because the difficulty modes are named Easy Mode and Hard Mode, which do not correspond to Light Mode and Easy Mode in Japan. In order to receive Mercenaries and extra costumes, you have to beat the game, and use the Boutique Key to retrieve costumes from the boutique. Epilogues are only unlocked after beating Heavy Mode. Oddly, some batches came with a Dino Crisis demo, though Dino Crisis had been released in North America already. At some point in 2001, the game became available on the Greatest Hits lineup for $19.99. It did not include the Dino Crisis demo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 09. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Dreamcast) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region: North America Platform: Dreamcast Release Date: November 16, 2000 Price: $19.99 This was a PlayStation/PC port with a few differences. Mercenaries mode was unlocked from the beginning, and there were two extra costumes to choose from when starting a new game. The North American version removed Arrange Mode (well, technically, it removes the Original Mode since Arrange Mode was actually the North American difficulty mode) and the useless network feature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (GameCube) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region: North America Platform: GameCube Release Date: January 12, 2003 Price: $39.99 This is an almost exact port of the very original release of Resident Evil 3 on the PlayStation, making it a major step back in comparison to the Dreamcast version. Like the other releases, it differs from the Japanese version because the difficulty modes are named Easy Mode and Hard Mode, which do not correspond to Light Mode and Heavy Mode in Japan. In order to receive Mercenaries and extra costumes, you have to beat the game, and use the Boutique Key to retrieve costumes from the boutique. Epilogues are only unlocked after beating Heavy Mode. The GameCube version featured a new "Resident Evil" voice at the title screen, which actually says "Resident Evil 3" instead of just "Resident Evil". ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Frequently Asked Questions ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: So, which version of Biohazard 3 is right for me? A: It doesn't matter, really, since the differences are pretty insignificant in 2006 compared to a few years ago (if you want differences, then examine RE4). Get the cheapest version, the one on the system you play the most, or one that you'll be able to conveniently play on a next-generation system like the PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii. Q: Is there a PC version? Why isn't it covered? A: I can't adequately cover the PC version, considering that I'm on a MacBook that has a graphics card that might choke trying to run the game. But there is, and there was one re-released in Japan, called Biohazard 3: Last Escape PC, which is optimized to run on Windows XP. Q: How does each version compare to one another? A: They're all pretty close, but the Japanese Dreamcast version comes out on top due to features alone. The PSone version sometimes takes a long time to load when playing on certain PlayStation 2 models. The Dreamcast version does have oddly compressed CG, despite coming on a larger format. Graphically, the Dreamcast version comes at the highest resolution, while the GameCube version is stuck at PSone levels with a bit of a cleaner look. Q: Will a Japanese version suit me well? A: Sure, since there are various FAQs to help you through the game's various versions, and there are File Transcripts as well. If you like playing games in easier difficulties, then you'll need the Japanese versions. Q: Why was the GameCube version ported from PSone instead of Dreamcast? A: Beats me. I guess it's because the Dreamcast version was based off of the PC version thanks to Windows CE, and it would have been a little harder to port the PC game to the GameCube, so they took the easy route with the PSone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12. Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------ And that concludes this FAQ. Please note that you can e-mail me, but I check my e-mail ONCE A MONTH. So it's unlikely I will be able to answer back, sorry. Thanks to the usual family, friends, CJayC of GameFAQs, Capcom and anyone else I neglect to mention. CVXFREAK FireEmblemPride@gmail.com