Received an HD remaster, Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster (2016), for the PlayStation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC on January 19th, 2016. This version features 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio support, high resolution visuals, redone textures and character models, new alternate costumes options for both Rebecca and Billy, improved lighting, and updated controller options. Prior to the release, Capcom put a video on their YouTube channel that showed exclusive footage from the canceled Nintendo 64 version of the game, comparing it with footage from the 2002 GameCube version and the 2016 HD version. The HD remaster was ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2019 as well.
The development of Resident Evil 0 inspired the new direction that the franchise went with Resident Evil 4 (2005). Series creator Shinji Mikami saw how bored and unenthusiastic the development team for Resident Evil 0 was with creating yet another traditional Resident Evil entry like clockwork. Because of this, Mikami was determined to make Resident Evil 4 a departure from the series' norms.
Edward Dewey (Bravo Team's co-pilot) is the only supporting human character in the game who appears in a real-time cutscene. All the other side-characters (Wesker, Birkin and Enrico) are only shown during FMV sequences. It was originally planned for Dewey to loose a hand to a Cerberus, which would be the hand found by Frost in the prologue of the original Resident Evil (1996). However, this was no longer necessary when it was decided to release a remake of the original first (Resident Evil (2002)), in which the discovery of the hand was replaced with finding the corpse of Bravo Team's pilot Kevin Dooley.
This is the first main entry in the Resident Evil/Biohazard game series not to have the item boxes for storing items away, and where the player can drop items on the ground without discarding (destroying) them.
Resident Evil Zero originally started development for the Nintendo 64 console, and was going to be released in the Fall/Winter of 2000, featuring Resident Evil 2 (1998) and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)-like graphics. The developers had hoped to make use of the 64DD system (a floppy disc drive add-on for the N64), but due to its poor sales, they were forced to resort to cartridges. This would have allowed the 'zapping' system (switching between playable characters) that was impossible on disc-based systems such as the PlayStation. However, storage problems and the prohibitive costs of larger chips caused the production to be shelved, and resumed for the Nintendo GameCube in early 2001 with a new script and voice acting, aiming at a 2002 release. Because of delays in upgrading this game's graphics to the GameCube's 128-bit system and the development of Resident Evil 4 (2005), the remake Resident Evil (2002) was produced and released first.