Note: This is a special post originally created for Capcom-Unity for "Jill Valentine's Day."
Back in the 1990s, there were a lot of things you just didn't see in
video games. Story development was still limited outside of RPGs, most
games were either action based, puzzle based, or turn based, and females
were normally seen as the damsel in distress. Now sure, there was the
occasional exception to this, but for the most part the video game
market was sill quite limited. I mean, heck, everyone had gotten used to
the way things were, and not many people were really willing to try
something new; however in 1996 Capcom did just that. Not only did they
bring us a game that would jump start an entire video game genre, but
they also brought us one with an amazing female protagonist.
Resident Evil was released in 1996 across most of the world for the
original PlayStation, and it was a hit! Back then no one had really seen
anything quite like Resident Evil, and it was one of the few games that
could truly bring terror to those who played it. Now sure, there were
other horror games on the market (including Capcom's "Sweet Home"), but
none of them were really able to do what Resident Evil brought to the
table. In the game players would explore a house filled with flesh
eating zombies, solve puzzles, and slowly work their way to uncover the
mystery of the mansion as well as the secret of the Umbrella company.
Mixed in with the fact that healing items were limited, weapons were
limited, and save points were limited, Resident Evil was able to provide
a unique gaming experience which truly horrified gamers. Even so, this
wasn't the only thing Resident Evil brought to the table!
In the original Resident Evil there were actually two characters you
could play as; one was a standard "male hero" named Chris, and the other
was the female protagonist Jill. Maybe it was due to the fact that Jill
was a woman, but among fans she was the character who seemingly stood
out the most! Not only was she a strong female character (in a 90s video
game), but she also had some of her own abilities that really just
overshadowed Chris! (She was the master of unlocking after all!) Back
then having a character such as Jill in a video game, was actually quite
rare, and soon she would quickly become one of the most well known
characters in gaming history.
Since Resident Evil Jill has actually been in many different games.
She was the main character of Resident Evil 3, she plays a major role in
Resident Evil 5, she's appeared in games such as Marvel vs Capcom 2,
and she is also a main character in the newer Resident Evil: Revelations
on the Nintendo 3DS (and soon to be on the 360, PS3, and Wii U). In
today's games Jill has become a very strong character, she's a specially
trained member of an anti bio terrorism group, and she is a character
who can just hold her own. Just like every other game series out there,
Resident Evil also has one of them "cool" characters who stands out
above the rest, and in many fan's eyes, that character is Jill!
Still, Jill's popularity actually doesn't stop there! In 2002 the
Resident Evil films (based on Capcom's Resident Evil/Biohazard) hit the
theaters, and an entire new audience was introduced to the Resident Evil
cast. Soon not only was Jill a well known and popular character in the
video game world, but she had became a fan favorite of movie goers as
well! As time went on, Jill's fan base grew, and it wasn't long before
the entire world knew her name.
Although it's been quite some time since the original game was
released, Jill is still the awesome female heroin we all know and love,
and I would just like to thank Capcom for bringing us this great
character! So anyway, thank you, and happy birthday Jill! It isn't
everyday we get to see great female protagonists such as her, even in
2013...
- From all of us at Netto's Game Room
