The crew discusses the development, gameplay, and story of Hideki Kamiya’s brilliant follow-up to 1996’s Resident Evil. Chris and Spencer take a deep dive into Resident Evil 1.5 while Hamilton explores how zombies turns into lickers. The origins of “Mr. X” are explained at last.

Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, check out our official website for more video game history resources, and be sure to email us at [email protected] to let us know what you think.

Selected Sources:

• Alex Aniel – Itchy Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil
• Digital Foundry – DF Retro: Resident Evil 2 – Classic Survival Horror – Every Version Analysed!
• Biohazard España – Resident Evil 1.5 [Leon] – NEW 2019 Patch / FULL Playthrough
• Biohazard España – Resident Evil 1.5 [ELZA] – NEW 25 – 12 – 2020 PATCH / FULL Playthrough

In a rare bit of zeitgeist-capturing, up-to-the-minute coverage, the Franchise Festival crew offers their impressions of Netflix’s Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (2021). Spoilers abound, so be sure to watch the show before you listen if you want to remain surprised.

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore the development, gameplay, monsters, and story of Capcom’s Resident Evil (1996). The Franchise Festival crew also surveys a selection of earlier genre titles and later console ports, confirming the historical significance of Shinji Mikami’s survival horror debut. Tank controls and an idiosyncratic save system provoke strong reactions from your hosts.

Selected Sources

• Alex Aniel – Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil
• Scott Butterworth (GameSpot) – Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Reflects on the Series’ Roots
• Lina Emerald – YouTube Playlist – Resident Evil 1 OST

Chris, Jasmine, Hamilton, and Spencer survey nearly thirty years of The Legend of Zelda spiritual successors, including Crusader of Centy, Blossom Tales, Okami, Genshin Impact and more. Then they each share their ‘Top 3’ titles in Nintendo’s long-running action-adventure franchise before bidding a fond farewell to Season 1 and looking ahead to Season 2: Resident Evil.

Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, check out our official website for more video game history resources, and be sure to email us at [email protected] to let us know what you think.

Selected Sources:

• Gaming Historian – Crusader of Centy: Sega’s Zelda Clone on Genesis
• BBC America – The Curious Case of Dennis the Menace

The Franchise Festival crew explores the development, gameplay, and plot of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020). Chris, Jasmine, and Spencer discuss their favorite characters and speculate on why this game falls short of its 2014 predecessor.

Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, check out our official website for more video game history resources, and be sure to email us at [email protected] to let us know what you think.

Selected Sources:

• Famitsu via Nintendo Everything – Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity devs on how the game came to be, Nintendo wanting it to be a new experience, more