When Resident Evil was released on the original PlayStation back in 1996, the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis was already coming to the end of its life cycle. A version for the 32-bit Sega Saturn was released later in 1997, but we must admit we've always been a little curious to know what a 16-bit version of the game might have looked like.
It seems we're not alone in this either, as a developer named PSCD Games has been busy over the last six years putting together their own 16-bit demake of the classic survival horror title for the Mega Drive/Genesis. The project was started in 2017 and has had a couple of demos gain attention over the last few years, but news and updates on its progress have typically been few and far between.
PSCD Games, however, has recently shown some signs of activity, making another one of its old tech demos (from 2018) public and confirming that the project hasn't been cancelled. The developer claims that the company's work on other platforms and the lack of a good artist have slowed production down somewhat, though it has promised to share more demos in "the next few days".
From what we've played, the 2018 demo of the game is a promising sign of what's to come, keeping the oppressive nature of the original alive, even with the switch to an isometric perspective.
The team has managed to translate some of the Spencer Mansion's most iconic locations into 16-bit, like the exhibition room, the ceiling trap, and the east staircase, and have redrawn and scaled the sprite for Jill when necessary to emulate the polygonal modelling of the original. The only downside is that it is still WIP, so if you get caught by a zombie your only option at the moment is to reset. If you want to give the demo a try you can download it from PSCD Games website. We'll also keep an eye out for any updated demos that may be released in the near future.