The first Resident Evil video game was released on PlayStation in 1996.
Capcom launched the game in Japan on March 22, 1996, where it was titled Biohazard. The North American and European versions used the name Resident Evil because of trademark concerns and naming conflicts surrounding Biohazard.
The game follows members of the Raccoon Police Department’s S.T.A.R.S. unit as they investigate disappearances in the Arklay Mountains. Its fixed camera angles, limited ammunition, puzzle solving, and survival-focused design helped define the survival horror genre.
Resident Evil later appeared on other platforms, including Windows, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo DS. The original game was also remade for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, but that remake is a separate release from the 1996 original.