With the release of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D in Japan, Capcom once again shows how serious they are with supporting not only Nintendo's new 3D handheld, but also the various features that the system comes packed with. Not only this, but Mercenaries 3D features some of the best visuals to be found on the system to date. The game has quite a bit of content, and in my brief playtime with the game, I can confirm that The Mercenaries 3D is a pretty solid experience.

For those familiar with The Mercenaries segments from Resident Evil 4 and 5, you pretty much know what to expect with this game. The game puts you in control of familiar faces in the Resident Evil franchise such as Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Hunk initially, with five other unlockable characters available later on. Playing through a series of missions, it is your objective to stay alive, kill crazy enemies, and rack up as many points as possible before time runs out. It's a fun concept that is a perfect fit for the 3DS.

Chriiiiiiiiiis!

The controls in The Mercenaries are well executed and very easy to get the hang of. As Neal Ronaghan reported in his impressions, you control your character with the Circle Pad and activate an aiming mode by pressing and holding the R button. To shoot, you press the Y button. You are also able to move while aiming by holding down L and R simultaneously. The lower screen also features a few touch sensitive actions. For example, you can change your weapons by touching the item, or reload if you touch the equipped firearm. If you press down or up on the d-pad, you are able to cycle through your weapons as well, which comes in handy when you are neck deep in a swarm of crazy villagers.

Capcom has included some RPG-like elements in the game as well. Each character can be assigned different skills.. Initially, you have no skills, however, the more you play the game, the more skills become unlocked. This along with medals, which are kind of like in-game achievements, will keep completionists coming back to the game for awhile.

Tearin' in up co-op style!

Capcom included both local and online multilayer in the package. You and one other friend can team up to take on the various missions offered in the game. Online multiplayer is fast and easy to get connected to. By choosing the DUO mode in the game, you can host a game or join one that another player has already set up. I played a few matches online via connecting to another host and also by setting one up myself. The wait times are minimal (a little over ten seconds) and the experience is wonderful and lag-free. I have not had a chance to try out local multilayer, but it requires two 3DSes and two copies of the game. While it is great that online multiplayer is available, it is notable that players will not be able to play every level in the game with a partner. At this point, I've made it to the third level of missions, and currently there are only three levels available to play online, one for each level.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries is an excellent offering that is another great showcase of what the 3DS is capable of in terms of visuals and functionality. The inclusion of the Resident Evil: Revelations demo (the one from Nintendo World 2011 and from other recent press events) is also a welcome addition to the package, as it gives gamers a glimpse at what else Capcom and the Resident Evil series has in store for 3DS owners. The game does appear to be a bit on the short side, however, the multiplayer aspects, skills, and other unlockables will keep gamers busy for in the meantime.