• Posted June 2nd, 2012 at 15:35 EDT by Mike Harradence
• 0 Comments

Feet up? Good. Welcome back to another entry in PSU’s retrospective on unforgettable gaming moments, where we scrutinize some of the industry’s most defining moments that remain forever imprinted on the consciousness of gamers of all tastes and ages. Last time around we exhumed Tomb Raider’s Lost Valley from the muddy pits of the mid-90s, as Lara battled against Raptors and a lumbering T-Rex.

This time around we’re have a gander at one of survival horror’s most celebrated sequels, namely Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Here, we recall the moment heroine Jill Valentine came face-to-face with the game’s titular monster for the first time.

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With Nemesis ,Capcom crafted one of gaming’s most iconic villains, netting the hulking S.T.A.R.S stalker a place in the history books next to giants such as Pyramid Head, Bowser and Sephiroth. After surviving an encounter with the leather-clad monstrosity in Raccoon City’s infested streets, it’s not hard to see why. Nemesis’s role is teased briefly by a panic-stricken Brad Vickers after Valentine saves him from becoming zombie chow, who cryptically warns of an unknown adversary hunting down surviving S.T.A.R.S members before making a quick exit. After capping more zombies and making her way to the R.P.D., Valentine finds Vickers once again at the station’s entrance, before the pair are separated by a hulking black form that seemingly drops out of nowhere in between the startled pair. Say hello to the hulking monstrosity that’ll be stalking you throughout the rest of the game.

Emitting an inhuman roar, Nemesis doesn’t waste any time in letting players know what they’re in for, grabbing poor ‘ol "Chicken Heart" Vickers with one oversized fist and shoving a tentacle through his face before tossing him aside like a rag doll. Still in a state of shock, Valentine looks on at her comrade’s corpse in horror before Nemesis utters his immortal, guttural “STARS!” and fixes his soulless gaze on our heroine. You’ve just enough time to fetch a fresh pair of underwear before the game gives you two options: Fight with the Monster or Enter the Police Station. Most sane people would book it into the R.P.D. as fast as Jill’s scantily clad legs could carry her, though if you’re feeling particularly gung-ho you can opt to take on the inexorably adversary with your crummy pistol and trusty Shotgun.

Plump for the latter and you’re in for a hell of a ruck. Woefully unequipped, Jill must employ some nimble footwork to avoid Nemesis’s attacks while popping off shots at every opportunity. It quickly becomes apparent that Umbrella’s rocket-launcher wielding Tyrant is a force to be reckoned with. Boasting super-human strength, agility and endurance, Nemesis will attempt to pound you with its meaty fists or choke the life out of you; the latter is particularly nasty, as it’ll snuff the life out of you if Valentine is at critical health levels. He can soak up bullets like a sponge too, and seeing as how you only start out with the barebones of weaponry, it’s only until later in the game you can confidently take him on without feeling grossly underpowered.

If you do decide to escape and find temporary sanctuary inside of the cop shop, Nemesis will smash furiously against the door before quietly departing…for now. Either way, Jill’s introduction to this hulking bio-weapon certainly leaves an impression on your mind. After our first encounter, we found ourselves plagued by a perennial paranoia seemingly at every street corner, not knowing when our relentless adversary would turn up for another chance to squash our skulls.