Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, known as Biohazard: Mercenaries 3D (バイオハザード ザ・マーセナリーズ 3D Baiohazādo za Māsenarīzu 3D) in Japan, is a video game announced by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS at the 2010 Nintendo conference in Japan and first released on June 2, 2011. The game is essentially a blend of the The Mercenaries mini-games previously featured in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, in which players must defeat as many enemies as possible within a set time limit in order to achieve the highest score, while also adding new features.

The game includes a Co-op mode, which can be either played locally or via Wi-Fi.

A demo of Resident Evil Revelations is included within the game. If pre-ordered through Capcom's official site, one was offered a free 3DS case as a pre-order bonus.

Characters
The game features eight playable characters:

There is also one alternate costume for each character:
 * 1) Chris Redfield
 * 2) Jill Valentine
 * 3) Rebecca Chambers (Unlocked by completing Mission 2-3 with a "B" rank or higher)
 * 4) Claire Redfield (Unlocked by completing Mission 1-3 with a "B" rank or higher)
 * 5) HUNK
 * 6) Barry Burton (Unlocked by completing Mission 4-5 with a "B" rank or higher)
 * 7) Jack Krauser (Unlocked by completing Mission 3-5 with a "B" rank or higher)
 * 8) Albert Wesker (Unlocked by completing Mission 5-5 with a "B" rank or higher)
 * 1) Chris Redfield (Pilot) - Unlocked by getting an "SS" rank in Mission 1-3. Alternately, get 10 medals.
 * 2) Jill Valentine (Casual) - Unlocked by getting an "S" rank in Mission 3-5.
 * 3) Rebecca Chambers (Nurse) Unlocked by getting an "S" rank in all missions, except Level Ex.
 * 4) Claire Redfield (Suit) - Unlocked by getting 25 medals.
 * 5) Hunk (Mr. Death) - Unlocked by getting an "A" rank in all missions, except Level Ex.
 * 6) Barry Burton (Patriotic) - Unlocked by getting 20 medals.
 * 7) Jack Krauser (Exo-skeleton) - Unlocked by getting an "S" rank in Mission 5-5.
 * 8) Albert Wesker (Uroboros) - Unlocked by getting a "B" rank or higher in all missions.

Missions
The game contains 30 missions across 8 stages. The stages are:
 * 1) Public Assembly (Resident Evil 5)
 * 2) Village (Resident Evil 4)
 * 3) Castle (Resident Evil 4)
 * 4) The Mines (Resident Evil 5)
 * 5) Missile Area (Resident Evil 5)
 * 6) Ship Deck (Resident Evil 5)
 * 7) Prison (Resident Evil 5)
 * 8) Deserted Island (Resident Evil 4)

Mission modes vary from being the standard "kill as many enemies in the time limit" to a wave mode and missions where a boss has to be defeated. Some missions have varying Majini and Cultists, and mini bosses such as the Executioner, Chainsaw Majini, and Garrador etc. Stages can also be set during the day or night and the time bonuses can be placed in different positions in different missions.

Each mission has its own theme music, each an entirely new piece composed especially for the game. Once completing the main mission mode with any character, a new "EX" mission set is unlocked, which includes remixed versions of previous maps. Each map uses a Mercenaries theme from Resident Evil 4 and 5 ( The "Remixed" version of the Village in EX Missions has the Leon´s Mercenaries Theme from Resident Evil 4 and the "Remixed" Public Assembly has the "Assault Fire" OST from Resident Evil 5)

Customization
The game allows the player to switch weapon loadouts with other characters once certain requirements are met, these requirements usually being getting a certain rank on a set amount of missions. . There are 9 loadouts, with one being a bonus loadout that no character has as her/his default loadout. There is a skill / talent tree in the game which allows the player to choose skills or perks to enhance the player. There are 30 skills, and each can be upgraded three levels. An example of these skills is adding electricity to the character's melee moves. Up to three skills can be used at once. The skills featured in the game are the following:

Medic (Complete Mission 1-3 with a B rank or higher) Toughness (Unlock the "Like a Phoenix" Medal) Luck (Complete Mission 5-3 with a B rank or higher) Handgun Technique (Complete Mission 4-1 with a B rank or higher) Handgun Custom (Complete Mission EX-1 with a B rank or higher) Shotgun Technique (Complete Mission 5-1 with an S rank or higher) Shotgun Custom (Complete Mission EX-5 with a B rank or higher) Machine Gun Technique (Complete Mission 4-3 with a B rank or higher) Machine Gun Custom (Complete Mission EX-2 with a B rank or higher) Rifle Technique (Complete Mission 5-1 with a B rank or higher) Magnum Technique (Complete Mission 5-2 with an S rank or higher) Bomber (Complete Mission 5-2 with a B rank or higher) Combat (Complete Mission 4-2 with an S rank or higher) Smart Reload (Complete Mission EX-4 with a B rank or higher) Technician (Complete Mission 5-3 with an S rank or higher) Full Burst (Complete Mission EX-6 with a B rank or higher) Weapon Master (Complete Mission EX-8 with a B rank or higher) Reversal (Complete Mission 5-4 with an S rank or higher) Revenge (Complete Mission 4-2 with a B rank or higher) Giant Killing (Complete Mission 4-5 with an S rank or higher) Adrenaline (Complete Mission 5-4 with a B rank or higher) Extension (Complete Mission 4-1 with an S rank or higher) Lucky 7 (Complete Mission 5-3 with a B rank or higher) Close Range (Complete Mission level 4-3 with an S rank or higher) Old School (Complete Mission EX-3 with a B rank or higher) Landing (Complete Mission 4-4 with a B rank or higher) Maximizer (Complete Mission 4-4 with a B rank or higher) Friendship (Unlock the "Social Butterfly" medal) Thunderbolt (Complete Mission EX-7 with a B rank or higher) Infinity 7 (Unlock 30 medals)
 * Easier to regain health
 * Gain a little health with a critical
 * Reduces damage taken
 * Increases combo time when you defeat an enemy.
 * More difficult to be one-shot killed.
 * Extends effect to partner.
 * Improves the use of Hand-guns.
 * Makes it easier to land a critical hit.
 * Increases performance of handguns.
 * Increases power of all weapons.
 * Use of shotguns improves.
 * Reduces damage taken.
 * Increases performance of shotguns.
 * Makes it easier to regain health.
 * Use of machine guns improves.
 * Strengthens melee.
 * Increases performance of machine guns.
 * Increases range of explosions.
 * Use of rifles improves
 * Strengthens melee.
 * Use of magnums improves.
 * More difficult to be one-shot killed.
 * Use of explosives improves.
 * Reduces damage taken.
 * Strengthens melee.
 * Faster reloading for all weapons.
 * Faster reloading for all weapons.
 * Can reload while in other animations.
 * Use of all weapons improves.
 * Easier to regain health.
 * Strengthens all weapons.
 * Extends effect to partner.
 * Strengthens all skills that affect weapons, but makes it hard to heal.
 * More difficult to be one-shot killed.
 * Can do a strong melee when health is low.
 * Increases ammo capacity for all weapons.
 * Increase critical percentage when health is low.
 * Can reload while in other animations.
 * Increased damage on powerful enemies.
 * Faster reload for all weapons.
 * When you are taking damage, timer expires slowly.
 * Taunting increases strength for limited time.
 * Extends the time it takes for the combo to expire when the timer is close to zero.
 * When remaining time is low health auto-regenerates.
 * Defeating enemies when a 7 in the timer gives you a time bonus.
 * Faster repeat fire for all weapons.
 * Defeating an enemy in close quarter slows down the combo timer.
 * Increases after taunting.
 * Invincibility frames when picking up items.
 * Can reload during other animations.
 * Easier to stomp on enemies when you jump off something.
 * Increased ammo capacity for all weapons.
 * Easier to develop skills.
 * Strengthens skills that affect weapons.
 * Health auto-regenerates when partner is close by.
 * Increase power for all weapons.
 * Adds lightning property to melee.
 * Effects a wider area.
 * Use an infinite rocket launcher. Score will be 0.
 * Invulnerability to all damage (does not apply to Instant Kill attacks). This effect is not listed in the skill menu.

Gameplay details


Like Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the camera system for Mercenaries 3D is set behind the player and seen through real time, fully 3D environments. While using the same time-limit-score system as its previous incarnations, additional features are present, such as the ability to customize character loadouts beforehand, as opposed to being limited with fixed character weapon selections. Additionally, the game has international drop-in-drop-out co-op, allowing partner cooperation similar to in Resident Evil 5 albeit on a much larger scale.

Unlike most other games in the series, players have the option of aiming from a first-person viewpoint, although the over-the-shoulder aiming popularized by Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 is also available. Another non-traditional feature is the ability to move while firing weapons (as well as reloading them), but you are unable to aim unless you bought the circle pad pro along with your Nintendo 3DS. This feature was previously only seen in Resident Evil Outbreak File 2, Resident Evil: Revelations and the previously unreleased game Resident Evil 6. Gameplay is shown on the 3DS' top screen, while inventory management is handled by the touch screen. An optional setting to modify the aiming speed of any weapon is also available. Another new feature is the ability to customize the playing character's abilities and weapons, and allowing them to gain new abilities over time; the characters also have their own strengths and weaknesses. You can get more skills (more ammo, fast reload, melee moves).

Reception
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D received mixed reviews from critics. IGN said the game seriously lacked content, while Game Informer praised the game for its graphics. Capcom said the game sold around the amount of units it was projected to sell.

Further Notes

 * Chris, Jill, Rebecca and Barry all return from the Mercenaries of the fifth game. Krauser and Hunk also return from the fourth game while Wesker was featured in "The Mercenaries" of both Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, though is taken from Resident Evil 5 in terms of his play style. Claire is the only character who had never appeared in the previous Mercenaries mini-game.
 * It features a demo of Resident Evil: Revelations.
 * Was announced after Resident Evil: Revelations, but released before it.
 * Claire's alternate outfit, suit, is the same alternate outfit Sheva can wear in Resident Evil 5 (albeit Claire's features pants, whereas Sheva's has a skirt.)  and looks similar to Ingrid Hannigan's appearance.
 * Also, Krauser's Exoskeleton and Barry's patriotic suits are recolored versions of Chris's heavy metal and warrior costumes while Rebecca's nurse outfit is a heavily altered version of Sheva's Fairy Tale costume.
 * In the character trailer for the game it shows characters in parts of maps that are not accessible in the final product. (For example, Claire does her neck kick move on a Cultist in a part of the castle map that the player can't access.
 * While Resident Evil: Revelations was ported to other platforms and consoles, this game remained exclusive and was not ported.