SP ITEM ANALYSIS FAQ
James Clinton Howell

I: Introduction
II: Scenario Items
A: Wild Things
B: Underbelly
C: Flashback
D: Desperate Times
E: End of the Road
III: Character Items
       A: Kevin Ryman
       B: Mark Wilkins
       C: Jim Chapman
       D: George Hamilton
       E: David King
       F: Alyssa Ashcroft
       G: Yoko Suzuki
       H: Cindy Lennox
IV: Conclusions
V: Legal Disclaimer

I: Introduction.

The purpose of this FAQ is to document, cite, and describe the SP Items
(Special Items) found in Capcom's 2005 release _Resident Evil:
Outbreak, File 2_.  In the first _Outbreak_, we found that the eight
main characters' backstories were alluded to by their SP Items'
descriptions.  In this FAQ, along with the purposes stated above, I
intend to comment when it seems relevant on the connections that a
given SP Item has to the environment, the characters, and to the
_Resident Evil_ mythos.

While this FAQ contains obscenities, it only does so within the bounds
established by the video game, _Resident Evil Outbreak, File 2_.  Such
obscenities occur within the documented portions of the game, and, when
appropriate for the content of the concluding analyses, these same
obscenities are cited.

II: Scenario Items

Following are lists of the SP Items that are particular to a given
scenario.  Usually, these items and their descriptions give a more
detailed description of the locations and the Outbreak characters
associated with those locations.

A: Wild Things

1: SILVER SPOON (Elephant Restaurant)

"A spoon with an elaborate design.  There is an elephant pattern carved
on it."

2: RESTAURANT COUPON (Back Alley)

"A coupon for the Elephant Restaurant.  It appears to be expired,
though."

3: ADMISSION TICKET (South Concourse)

"A special zoo ticket allowing for a family discount.  It's already
been torn in two."

4: "RACCOON SNACKS" (South Concourse)

"'Brand new!  Funky banana flavor.'  Looks like some sort of animal
food."

5: PLUSH LION (East Concourse)

"A stuffed animal in the shape of the zoo's famous lion, Max."

6: PLUSH ELEPHANT (Office)

"A stuffed animal in the shape of the zoo's most popular attraction,
Oscar the elephant."

7: BIRD TIE TACK (Inner Office)

"A tie tack in the shape of an Indian Hornbill.  This has got to be one
of the tackiest things I've ever seen."

8: SNAKE ASHTRAY (Supply Room)

"An ashtray in the shape of a coiled snake.  Quite a twisted little
item."

9: PAY STUB (Supply Room)

"A pay stub for a part-time job.  At $12 an hour, the pay is clearly
above average."

10: FEATHER PEN (Terrarium Dome)

"A nice fountain pen fitted with a Hornbill feather.  This wouldn't be
a good pen to use at work."

11: HIGH TECH PLANTER (Terrarium Dome)

"'Just push the GROW button on the front and watch your plants react!'
This can't really work . . . can it?"

12: WETSUIT (Lakeside Area)

"There are tiny holes opened up around the abdomen.  It almost looks
like a bite mark . . . ."

13: GATOR WASHBOARD (Lakeside Area)

"A washboard in the shape of an alligator's back.  Does anyone still
use these?"

14: "EXPAND YOUR MIND" (Observation Deck)

"'Become a true man through the teachings of the Han Dynasty!'  Looks
like a book of Austin's . . . ."

COMMENTS: While Austin isn't given a lot of time on screen, his
character (from the in-game file describing his excellence at game
hunting) seems aggressive and masculine.

15: "POWER MANURE" (Stage)

"'Now with 16 times the fertilizing power of ordinary home-use
manures!'"

16: SUN VISOR (Front Gate Plaza)

"A cheap-looking zoo souvenir for kids and people with bad fashion
sense."

17: GREEN UMBRELLA (Front Gate)

"An olive-colored umbrella emblazoned with a large Umbrella Corporation
logo."

18: ALLIGATOR HANDBAG (Service Road)

"A very expensive looking alligator skin handbag.  Someone dropped this
here in the zoo?"

19: SNAKESKIN TIE (Path In Front Of Observation Deck)

"A slim necktie made of shiny snakeskin.  I bet it'd be a hassle
finding a shirt to match this."

20: TUSK KNIFE (Elephant Stage)

"A letter opener-type knife with an imitation ivory handle.  Must be a
zoo souvenir."

B: Underbelly

1: MANNERS POSTER (East Entrance)

"A poster hung in subway cars reminding patrons to mind their manners."

2: "99 QUESTIONS" (West Entrance)

"A trivia quiz book for kids sold at station kiosks."

COMMENTS: I transcribed the item description exactly as it is found in
the game, punctuation (or lack thereof) and all.  Raccoon City sells
kids at station kiosks?!

3: SILVER UMBRELLA (West Ticket Gate)

"A silver umbrella emblazoned with a large Umbrella Corporation logo."

COMMENTS: Further evidence that Umbrella had Raccoon City completely in
its pocket.

4: "THE INQUISITOR" (West Ticket Gate)

"A monthly gossip magazine.  There's a story about the mayor on the
cover of this issue."

5: TICKET BOOK (East Ticket Gate)

"A booklet of 12 subway tickets featuring a drawing of 'Mr. Raccoon' on
the cover."

6: COMMUTER PASS (East Concourse)

"A 6-month subway commuter pass.  The name 'Ben Burtolucci' is written
on it."

COMMENTS: At the top of the stairs to one of the Ticket Gate areas, you
will find a briefcase whose contents are scattered across the stairs.
The initials on the case read "B.B."  Some have speculated that the
initials indicate Barry Burton as the suitcase's owner.  I expect,
however, that the suitcase belonged to our favorite fated journalist,
Ben Burtolucci.  He seems to have been attacked in the subway before
heading to RPD Headquarters.

7: EVACUATION GUIDE (West Concourse)

"A pamphlet on emergency evacuation.  The writing is faded and
illegible."

COMMENTS: This pamphlet might have been useful, if it hadn't been
neglected.

8: TEST BOOK (West Concourse)

"A book of questions for prospective subway employees.  It's really
thick."

COMMENTS: My bet is that Jim aced this test.

9: ROAD MAP (West Concourse)

"A comprehensive map of all the highways and byways in Raccoon City and
the surrounding area."

10: WET MATCHES (Subway Car)

"An emergency box of matches.  It's wet, though, so the matches won't
ignite."

COMMENTS: Likely, the owner of these matches became caught in the
deluge following the breach in the pipes in the Pump Room.

11: BUTTON (Subway Car)

"A souvenir button with subway maps drawn on it.  I hear there are
collectors into these."

12: AD POSTER (Subway Car)

"An advertisement for hanging in trains for 'Umbrella Noodles.'  'A
full stomach at only 110 cal'!"

COMMENTS: Umbrella seems to have a vested interest in full stomachs.

13: SUBWAY CAP (Break Room)

"The cap that subway workers wear as part of their uniform.  It's brand
new and the nametag is still blank."

14: EMPLOYEE ID CARD (Break Room)

"Looks like an ID card for subway employees.  It's dirty, but the name
'Ricky' is still readable."

COMMENTS: The card's owner is most probably Jim's friend, Ricky, who
can be found dead on a toilet in one of the men's rooms.

15: EMERGENCY RATIONS (Storage Room)

"'Ready to eat in only 3 minutes!'  I bet it tastes like crap, though."

16: RULEBOOK (East Tunnel)

"A book of rules and regulations for subway employees.  Looks pretty
dull."

17: "FEAR OF THE DARK" (Pump Room)

"A book designed to counsel people who are afraid of the dark."

COMMENTS: This SP Item, too, probably belonged to Ricky.  The journal
found in his corpse's breast pocket is clear about his fear of
darkness.

18: RED ORB (Refuse Dump)

"A glowing red crystal orb.  When you look closely, a face is vaguely
visible in it.  Creepy."

19: "MOLEMEN ATTACK!" (Platform)

"A cheesy horror novel about a race of 'Molemen' attacking the 'surface
world'."

20: EMPLOYEE LIST (Control Room)

"A list of employees of the city transit system.  Jim Chapman's name is
listed."

C: Flashback

1: "TALK TO PLANTS" (Cabin)

"'Plants have feelings, too!'  This book is full of touchy feely
nonsense like that."

COMMENTS: Since it's found right beside Al's desk (along with his other
paperwork), I expect that he identifies with the book as a way of
strengthening his insane belief that the plant in Flashback is Dorothy.

2: RUSTY RING (Cabin)

"A rusty and dirty ring.  The inscription reads 'Eternal love'."

COMMENTS: This is most likely Al or Dorothy's wedding band.  This whole
scenario has a very "Little Shop of Horrors" feel to it.

3: SKETCHBOOK (Cabin)

"A patient must have left this behind.  The drawings are very strange.
Hard to describe . . . ."

COMMENTS: Is this Dorothy's last attempt to express and communicate, as
Umbrella's drugs incapacitated her?

4: GUIDE SIGN (In Front of Cabin)

"A sign taken from a post in the forest.  It's been rendered illegible
by the vines covering it."

COMMENTS: Apparently, Al has plotted the disorientation of hikers for a
while, going so far as to sabotage trail signs, so the lost hikers
would be at his mercy as a guide.

5: BAIT WORM (River Bank)

"A worm used for fishing bait.  It's alive, but it's barely moving."

COMMENTS: Perhaps this SP Item suggests how Al keeps himself alive, in
between slaughters.

6: FLOWER BOOKMARK (Suspension Bridge)

"A bookmark made of pressed flowers.  It smells sweet."

7: CRIMSON UMBRELLA (Hospital Back Gate)

"A blood-colored umbrella emblazoned with a large Umbrella Corporation
logo."

8: RUSTY NIGHTSTICK (Hospital Back Gate)

"A metal nightstick used by night watchmen.  It's so rusty, it looks
like it could crumble."

COMMENTS: This seems like an appropriate item to find near the derelict
security post at the hospital's back gates.

9: PROTEST HANDBILL (Hospital Back Gate)

"A flyer seeking participants for a protest by families of victims of
malpractice."

COMMENTS: Those who drew up this flyer probably reacted to the hospital
deaths resulting from the use of patients as Umbrella test subjects.

10: PATIENT LIST (Reception Office)

"The ink is smudged, so most of the names aren't legible, but I can
make out the name 'Kurt'."

COMMENTS: Apparently, Kurt was "admitted" to the hospital following his
investigation.

11: "LAST MOMENTS" (Examination Room)

"A book about making a patient's last moments before death comfortable.
I'd rather not think about this now."

COMMENTS: This SP Item is found in the exact same place where the FINE
STETHOSCOPE item (below) is found.  Apparently, whoever was being
treated in this bed was important.  It's also interesting that the
patient room is boarded up, perhaps to protect from defilement.  I
expect that this is the room where Dorothy died, though I don't think
it's common practice to treat a terminal patient in an examination
room.

12: FINE STETHOSCOPE (Examination Room)

"A stethoscope made of the finest materials.  The head is made of
titanium-infused gold."

13: NITROGLYCERINE (Pharmacy)

"There are only a few pills left in this bottle of claustrophobia
treating capsules."

14: MEDICINE BOTTLE (Pharmacy)

"An empty prescription medicine bottle that's so old, it's label has
been faded beyond legibility."

15: TORN NURSE UNIFORM (Locker Room)

"A nurse's uniform that's been violently torn at the seams.  Looks like
it's been sitting here a while."

16: RUSTY STETHOSCOPE (Storage Room)

"An old stethoscope that's gotten rusty from being left outside in bad
weather.  It's useless now."

17: EXAM POSTER (Main Building 2F Hall)

"A poster promoting regular medical checkups."

18: NAMETAG (Room 201)

"A nametag worn by hospital staff.  The surface is covered in scratches
that render the name unreadable."

19: OLD PILLS (Room 202)

"This worn and dirty envelope contains prescription medicine for
someone named Dorothy."

COMMENTS: Apparently, Room 202 was one of Dorothy's dying haunts.

20: FLOWER BLOCKS (Room 202)

"A set of children's building blocks with illustrations of flowers in
place of traditional letters."

D: Desperate Times

1: DONUTS (East Office)

"A half-eaten box of donuts.  The only ones left are low-fat sugarless
ones."

COMMENTS: OMFG T3H P1GG3H CAWPS!

2: RPD MASCOT (East Office)

"This is a tiny keychain type toy of the RPD mascot.  It's cute."

3: COMPLAINT LIST (East Office)

"A dissatisfied cop has written all his complaints down in a numbered
list.  He seems really pissed."

COMMENTS: Could this be a final word from Chris Redfield, angered at
RPD's inactivity toward Umbrella?

4: KEVIN'S BOTTLE (East Office)

"A small bottle of cheap gin.  There's a note taped to it that says,
'HANDS OFF'!"

COMMENTS: Kevin's poverty becomes more pronounced.  This item is found
in the employee refrigerator.  Apparently, Kevin is quite protective of
what little he can call his property.

5: IRON'S LIQUOR (East Office)

"The Chief's secret stash of booze.  Has he been drinking this at
work?"

6: INDIGESTION PILLS (East Office)

"Marvin takes these pills almost every day.  Apparently, he suffers
from gastrointestinal distress."

COMMENTS: A few things are troublesome, here.  First, Marvin's
indigestion pills are found in the trash can.  Second, Irons' liquor
stash is hidden beside the PC on the East Office's private office's
desk.  Marvin's indigestion pills also share the trash can with the
next SP Item, the New Recruit List.  If the madness and the obsession
with dark artwork weren't enough, I'd expect irritation with Irons'
unprofessional approach to his officers' medical conditions and the new
recruits would have gotten at least a few eyes raised.

7: NEW RECRUIT LIST (East Office)

"A list of newly recruited police officers reporting for duty.  At the
top of the list is Leon S. Kennedy."

8: SKY BLUE UMBRELLA (Main Hall)

"A light blue umbrella emblazoned with a large Umbrella Corporation
logo."

9: MARVIN'S CARD (Police Station Front Entrance)

"An ID card that all Raccoon City Police Officers carry.  The magnetic
strip on the back is worn down."

10: SEARCH LIST (Reception Desk)

"A list of suspects who have warrants issued.  Thankfully, there's no
one I know listed."

11: MEMENTO PHOTO (Night-Duty Room)

"A photo from a police shooting competition.  Kevin stands in the
foreground holding a trophy."

COMMENTS: A police shooting competition?  "Shoot five or more cops, and
win five consecutive life sentences!"

12: "PLEASANT GARDEN" (Emergency Stairwell)

"A book on home gardening.  The name 'Aaron' is written on the inside
cover."

13: EXPENSE REPORT (Witness Interrogation Room)

"It says 'undercover supplies' and lists an expensive boutique."

COMMENTS: Does Brian Irons have something in common with J. Edgar
Hoover?

14: COLLAPSING BATON (Underground Parking Garage)

"A button-operated nightstick that collapses for portability.  When
extended, it doesn't seem sturdy."

15: "SIT, STAY, BEG" (Kennel)

"An instructional book dealing with dog training.  Someone named Tony
has written his name on the cover."

COMMENTS: Tony is the RPD cop waiting in the Reception Office, just off
the main room with the statue.  (I wonder if he dog ears his pages.)

16: RPD BADGE (Autopsy Room)

"A brand new Raccoon City Police Department badge."

COMMENTS: When the badges of new RPD cops show up fresh and unstained
in the morgue, you might want to reconsider your training procedures.

17: "RACCOON WEEKLY" (Holding Cells)

"A weekly news magazine.  The cover says, 'Fred, In His Own Words'."

COMMENTS: This item is found right outside Ben's cell.  Since he's one
of the few reporters who are "in the know" regarding Umbrella's
relationship with Raccoon City, the fact that he's reading a local
magazine that gives voice to Raccoon City's political elite suggests
that he's becoming restless.

18: AUTOBIOGRAPHY (Holding Cells)

"The autobiography of Brian Irons.  On the back cover is written 'The
Power of Justice'."

COMMENTS: This item is found outside the cell that holds the two
prisoners.  I guess they like keeping up with the higher up criminals.

19: PAPERWORK (Main Hall)

"A bundle of old forms bound with twine.  The one on top is titled
'Standards and Procedures'."

COMMENTS: Notice that Irons' liquor is found where the paperwork should
be.

20: CREDIT CARD (Underground Parking Garage)

"It's cut in half and unusable.  Must belong to a Police Officer."

COMMENTS: Given Kevin's obsessions with gambling, drinking, smoking,
and racking up bills, I think it's safe to assume that the credit card
is in the name "Kevin Ryman."

E: END OF THE ROAD

1: VIOLET UMBRELLA (Waiting Room)

"A plum-colored umbrella emblazoned with a large Umbrella Corporation
logo."

COMMENTS: It may be in poor taste, but: since Umbrella evidently
specialized in marketing umbrellas with their logos, would it be fair
to say that the Umbrella corporation literally went over the citizens
of Raccoon City's heads?

2: ATTENDANCE SHEET (Reference Room)

"A table listing all the officers at the station along with photos.
Half of it has been torn off."

COMMENTS: I'm curious to know what sort of officers and station this
item description refers to.  Does it refer to RPD officers?  Would the
absent photos and names suggest that those officers have been
eliminated, as per the STARS Bravo and Alpha teams?

3: LAUGHING GAS SPRAY

"A spray canister of dinitrogen monoxide used by special forces to calm
their nerves."

COMMENTS: I wonder if this was left by one of the UCBS soldiers, or if
it's a sedative for the individuals who undergo Tyrant transformation.

4: TORN ID CARD (Experimentation Lab)

"Some sort of ID card.  It's been partially shredded by some sort of
claws."

5: MOVIE TICKET STUB (Observation Mezzanine)

"A ticket stub to an action/horror movie.  I think this one starred
that actor from Raccoon City."

COMMENTS: An Umbrella researcher attending a horror film reminds me of
Hamlet's attempt to rouse Claudius into admitting treason by "play-
acting" his father's murder in front of him.  (Not for one second do I
believe that this sort of parallel is intended on Capcom's behalf.)

6: HYPNO GLASSES (Observation Mezzanine)

"Glasses whose lenses are covered with a swirl pattern like in
cartoons."

COMMENTS: It seems like that Movie Ticket Stub, the Hypno Glasses, and
the Hurried Note all belong to Carter, the Umbrella Scientist who
operated the Mr. X in "End of the Road."  I guess Capcom is trying to
convey his nerdiness.

7: HURRIED NOTE (Observation Mezzanine)

"Looks like someone wrote this on the run.  The handwriting is a total
mess.  I can't make out a word."

COMMENTS: I expect that this is Carter's note.  This item is found at
the workstation in the Observation Mezzanine where you USE the MO DISC,
after releasing the Tyrant.

8: DETECTIVE MANUAL (Nursery)

"This booklet deals with the analysis of fingerprints.  It's hard to
grasp and not particularly well-written."

COMMENTS: This book may have belonged to Linda, whose cooperation with
Rodriguez suggests that she was not working in accordance with
Umbrella's goals.  Possibly, she was researching how fingerprints are
traced, to avoid leaving any of hers behind on Umbrella's equipment.

9: SEALED EYE MASK (Drainage Area)

"A mask used for blocking out light when sleeping.  It's brand new and
still in the package."

10: CAPSULE RING (Drainage Area)

"The jewel mounted on this ring is actually a tiny compartment used to
store medicinal capsules."

11: UNIVERSAL REMOTE (Underground Waterworks)

"This handy remote control activates everything from home computers to
automatic garage doors."

12: TEMP REGULATOR (Underground Waterworks)

"This device is used to regulate and maintain body temperature in
extreme cold.  It's broken, though."

13: UCBS Vest (Behind the Residential Area)

"A bulletproof vest used by Umbrella's special forces unit.  It's
covered in blood and bullet holes."

COMMENTS: The bulletproof vest may have belonged to a UCBS soldier who
turned into a zombie, and was then fired upon.  However, the item's
description may also allude to a gunfight between the UCBS units and
the US Army units called in to handle Raccoon City's outbreak.

14: TOY SHOVEL (Behind the Residential Area)

"This must have been dropped by a fleeing child.  It's got blood on it
. . ."

15: DRIED FOOD (Break Room)

"Dried rations designed to be eaten with no preparation.  From the way
it looks, I don't want to try it."

COMMENTS: First: at this point, why would anyone consider eating
anything found in an Umbrella research laboratory?  Second: Umbrella
seems to treat their employees badly.  Considering the low budget they
assigned to their employees' morale, the fact that an outbreak occurred
in Raccoon City becomes less and less surprising.

16: DANGER LIST (Main Street North)

"'All who oppose the organization must be dealt with . . . .'  The list
of names beneath is written in code."

COMMENTS: I'm guessing that the names "Jill Valentine" and "Chris
Redfield" (along with Greg's from File 1) were included in this list.

17: "LANDMINE TACTICS" (Main Street North)

"A book about how to spot and deal with landmines.  I'm glad that I
don't have to deal with that, too."

COMMENTS: This SP Item is meant to be found after the player enters the
Main Street North area from the ladder.  (Obviously, the "I'm glad that
I don't have to deal with that, too" remark doesn't make sense if the
character has just run through the minefield that bridges Main Street
North with the sewers.)  Given the presence of a large military chopper
and automatic weapons around, though, wouldn't it seem logical to
assume that, if the soldiers are worrying about landmines, they should
worry about landmines, too?

18: BLOODY DOLL (In Front of Apple Inn)

"Covered in blood and tears, this doll tells the tale of its owner's
last miserable moments."

19: USS ARMBAND (Under the Highway Overpass)

"A military armband with division and rank written on it.  Maybe I
could sell it to a collector."

COMMENTS: I'm still impressed that Umbrella had an army.  I mean,
doesn't the fact that the company has been building up a private
militia suggest that it's doing something that other people might not
like?

20: "TRAPS" (Rooftop-Elevated Roadway)

"A book detailing the setting of various traps.  This could be
dangerous in the wrong hands."

III: Character Items

Here, you will read names and descriptions of the character-specific SP
Items.  As before, comments suggesting connections between the SP Items
and anything else in the Resident Evil mythos will be appended to the
descriptions.

Since the SP Items are organized first by character, then by scenario,
I have put the character's name in parentheses after the name of the
scenario, to make this document easier to browse.

One note on the text of the character-specific SP Items' descriptions:
the narrative perspective of the scenario-specific SP Items'
descriptions is the same regardless of who examines them.  The
character-specific SP Items' descriptions have the narrative
perspective of the given character.  Each of the item descriptions that
follow reflect the individual characters' biases, memories, and
personal reactions.

A: Kevin Ryman

WILD THINGS (Kevin)

1: FLANNEL SHIRT (Supply Room)

"A fantastic flannel shirt made of really soft fabric.  This is part of
a very limited run.  Nice find."

COMMENTS: Who knew that Kevin was a connoisseur of flannel?

2: SPARKPLUG LIGHTER (North Concourse)

"For a guy like me who digs cars, this is a pretty cool item.  Doesn't
seem to work, though."

3: "MAKE UP FOR LOSS" (Inner Office)

"'Improve your judgment, knowledge, work ethic, and more!'  I certainly
don't need this!"

COMMENTS: Again, highlighting Kevin's non-introspective recklessness.

4: BALL CAP (Connecting Passage)

"This is my favorite team.  I sure hope we win the pennant this year .
. ."

UNDERBELLY (Kevin)

1: BASKETBALL SHOES (Break Room)

"The commercial for these shoes starred that big shot player.  They're
really expensive."

COMMENTS: Since these shoes were found in the employee break room, and
since Jim has a fascination in shoes, I wonder if these belonged to
Jim.

2: CIGARETTE WARNING (West Entrance)

"'WARNING: Smoking is hazardous to your health.'  Yeah?  I've got
bigger fish to fry right now . . . ."

COMMENTS: Seriously, the Marlboro Man's got NOTHING on a Tyrant.

3: BEER COUPON (West Ticket Gate)

"From a famous brewery.  This coupon offers all you can drink!  Better
use it before it expires."

4: PORTABLE ASHTRAY (Men's Staff Restroom)

"A tiny, circular metallic ashtray so small, you'd forget you're
carrying it.  Too small to even hold a butt."

COMMENTS: Remember, folks, Kevin is a cop who smokes and drinks, not as
wholesome as S.T.A.R.S.'s very own Chris Redfield who, after some
censorship of the original Resident Evil's opening footage, became a
non-smoker.

FLASHBACK (Kevin)

1: HAIRSPRAY (Storage Room)

"It bleaches the hair as it styles.  Maybe it's time to show the world
my new look . . . ."

COMMENTS: This is part of Kevin's set of SP Items that unlocks his new
costume, "Lone Wolf '87."  Quite clearly, Kevin wants to have been
named "Corey" and wants to have starred in an angsty, teen-oriented
movie about finding friendship among diversity.

2: DUSTCLOTH (Reception Office)

"A dustcloth with soap built in.  Even without water, it's perfect for
washing cars and windows."

3: OLD BASEBALL (Room 201)

"A filthy old ball coming apart at the seams.  Reminds me of my
childhood."

COMMENTS: I wonder why the baseball is in Room 201.  It may be an
artifact of a former patient, or it may be a relic from one of Al's
former victims.

4: KEY CASE (Room 202)

"A stylish old leather key case.  It's uniqueness and casual design
suits me perfectly."

COMMENTS: I wonder if this item is part of the remains of a police
officer sent to investigate the murders in the hospital.  After all,
Alyssa has recollection of the place; why would Kevin, whose coworkers
investigated the murders officially, not also have memories of the
place?

DESPERATE TIMES (Kevin)

1: VINTAGE JACKET (Night-Duty Room)

"A really rare vintage leather jacket.  It's in great shape, too.  I'm
feelin' lucky."

COMMENTS: Kevin works with anyone whose belongings would be in the
Night Duty Room of RPD Headquarters.  I assume he knows the former
owner of the jacket, and is pleased on some level that circumstances
have arisen to divest the former owner of his jacket.

2: "HEDONISM" (East Office)

"'Forget about always thinking of consequences and responsibility.  Do
what you want.  Now!'"

COMMENTS: What if what I want is to think of consequences and
responsibility?

3: RACE POSTER (Reception Desk)

"A poster advertising a car race.  This is a big event.  I can't wait
to check it out!"

4: S.T.A.R.S. Badge (2F East Hall)

"A badge from the legendary S.T.A.R.S. team.  There's blood spattered
on it."

COMMENTS: Since Brad Vickers is the only S.T.A.R.S. member left who's
been near the RPD Headquarters building since the Outbreak by the time
that the "Desperate Times" scenario occurs, I presume that this
S.T.A.R.S. badge belonged to him.  Possibly, it was lost while he was
being pursued by Nemesis.

END OF THE ROAD (Kevin)

1: USED JEANS (Floodgate Control Room)

"A pair of used stone-washed jeans.  They'll make a nice addition to my
wardrobe.  What a find!"

COMMENTS: Apparently, Kevin has been crossing his fingers waiting for a
riot so he finally can afford to update his wardrobe to the fashions of
1987.

2: CAR AIR FRESHENER (Examination Room)

"This smells really fresh and invigorating.  It's got a big Umbrella
logo on it, though."

COMMENTS: Does it cost extra to order my custom Hunters scented pine?

3: STRONG GLOVE (Footbridge)

"A heavy-duty glove designed to withstand the rigors of hard work,
martial arts, and even fire."

COMMENTS: This sounds like a power-up from a vaguely Engrish game for
the NES.

4: "ULTIMATE CLEAN" (Special Research Room)

"A book that details how to organize your belongings.  I think I bought
this.  Can't remember where I put it."

COMMENTS: "Ultimate Clean" as a title for a house-cleaning self-help
book is so deliciously Engrish, I want to rip Japan right off the map
and have it surgically bound to my vitals.

B: Mark Wilkins

WILD THINGS (Mark)

1: ARMY SHIRT (East Concourse)

"This shirt is justice and patriotism woven into cloth.  I used to feel
that way when I was younger . . . ."

COMMENTS: Mark's last comment in the SP Item's description suggests
that he is disillusioned with America.

2: EZ COOKING 4 MEN (East Concourse)

"'Your family will love you if you cook for them!'  I'd like to try it,
but could it really be that easy?"

3: SPECIAL DETERGENT (Show Animals' Boarding House)

"This is the industrial use stuff that dry cleaners use.  'Makes your
soul as clean as your sheets.'"

COMMENTS: I guess if Umbrella can raise the dead, literally, they can
market a chemical that will redeem the soul as well.

4: CLUB TICKETS (South Concourse)

"I thought I'd taken my son along to get to know him better.  There
must be some way to connect with him . . . ."

COMMENTS: Mark seems typical of many military fathers whose sons have
not also joined the service.  His manner of thinking is out of sync
with a son who has a different understanding of authority, though he
loves his son very much.

UNDERBELLY (Mark)

1: ARMY PANTS (Platform)

"A pair of well made military slacks.  The fabric is breathable.  Hmm .
. they look like they may fit."

2: SALE FLYER (West Entrance)

"A flyer from a nearby butcher shop.  Damn.  I've never seen steak this
cheap!  What kind of meat is this?"

COMMENTS: How can Mark still want to eat meat in the middle of Raccoon
City's cannibalism?

3: FORBIDDEN RECIPE (East Concourse)

"The super secret recipe of a famous chef.  No outsider has seen this.
I bet my wife would want this."

COMMENTS: As may be seen in his physique, Mark loves eating.

4: AFRO WIG (Storage Room)

"With this, even the most straight-laced person can feel a little soul.
Dunno if it'd look good on me."

FLASHBACK (Mark)

1: MEDAL (Suspension Bridge)

"An Army medal to be pinned to the breast of a uniform.  Actually, it's
a convincing replica.  How nostalgic."

2: LIQUOR AD (Hospital Back Gate)

"An ad for a liquor store.  What!?  A 99 cent case of beer!?  No . . .
I can't give in to temptation!"

COMMENTS: A few things are weird about this.  First, Mark's line "I
can't give in to temptation" suggests a past experience with
alcoholism.  So why would he have been in a bar during the "Outbreak"
scenario of File 1?  Second, he's getting excited about a 99 cent case
of beer, on an advertisement found at a hospital that's been abandoned
for five years.  Temptation aside, I doubt that an advertisement that
old would still be valid.

3: OPERA TICKETS (Administrator's Office)

"A pair of tickets to a famous opera.  Good seats, too.  If I make it
out of this, I'll invite the wife."

4: COOKING SET (Main Building 2F Hall)

"A cutting board, knife, and a small crock pot.  Cooking, huh?  Maybe I
should give it a shot."

COMMENTS: Given what Mark's family's fate seems to be, he'd better
start learning to cook if he wants to survive after surviving Raccoon
City.

DESPERATE TIMES (Mark)

1: ARMY CAP (East Office)

"Made of a breathable fabric, this impressive hat looks pretty good on
me.  Dunno if that's good or bad."

COMMENTS: As seen in Mark's "Mark: C" costume, the Army hat he acquires
is an officer's hat.  Who would have kept an Army officer's hat in the
East Office of RPD Headquarters?

2: HAIR PAMPHLET (Night-Duty Room)

"'We protect your privacy!'  They all say that.  As if you can't see my
head already . . . ."

3: "CRIMINAL MIND" (1F Witness Interrogation Room)

"A book on criminal psychology.  This book makes you think about the
motivations and meaning of crime."

COMMENTS: This SP Item is appropriate to Mark's character.  He seems
preoccupied with issues of justice and law.

4: "JUSTICE" (Underground Parking Garage)

"With a book this thick, you could understand everything and anything
about justice.  I guess."

COMMENTS: The aloofness with which Mark comments on the contents of the
book suggests that Mark finds experience a better instructor on justice
than books.

END OF THE ROAD (Mark)

1: LEATHER SHOES (Construction Site)

"Brand-name Italian leather shoes.  Shoes are important enough to spend
big bucks on."

COMMENTS: Or to steal during a biohazardous outbreak.  Whichever.

2: ARMY GUIDE (North Waterway)

"A booklet for those who've just entered the Army.  Entry paperwork is
attached.  I don't need this."

3: Town Info Magazine (In Front of Apple Inn)

"A magazine that introduces various restaurants and trends around town.
Maybe I'll give this to my son . . . ."

4: NICE FLASK (Inside the Chopper)

"A six ounce flask of polished silver.  Bob would have loved this.
I'll leave it at his grave."

COMMENTS: Surprising that Mark would desire to honor Bob, still, after
zombified Bob took a hunk of flesh out of Mark's shoulder in File 1.

C: Jim Chapman

WILD THINGS (Jim)

1: FANNY PACK (Elephant Stage)

"I used to think only dumbasses wore these, but this one looks cool."

2: BASKETBALL TICKETS (Stage)

"Oh, snap!  This is for my team, yo!  Damn!  This is my lucky day!  . .
Shit . . . .  It's over a year old . . . ."

COMMENTS: "Snap," "Yo," and "Damn" all connote hip blackness.  Raccoon
City may have died in the late 1990's, but it lived in the mid 1980's.

3: CHICKEN SNEAKERS (Path in Front of Observation Deck)

"The name sounds stupid, but these are actually some good shoes--white
with red and yellow stripes."

COMMENTS: Go here for an image of chicken sneakers:

http://www.geocities.com/logos_awakening/MiscImages/Chikken_Runnin.jpg

4: DEODORIZINE SPRAY (Front Gate Plaza)

"'A 5 second spray lasts 5 hours!  No odor too strong!'  I guess I have
been smellin' a little funky lately."

COMMENTS: "A little funky?"  The man's survival skill is his ability to
pass himself off as a corpse.  That sounds like more than "a little
funky."

UNDERBELLY (Jim)

1: BIKING SHOES (Warehouse 2)

"The soles are flat so you can pedal faster.  They look pretty tight."

2: CUSTOM SHOES (Warehouse 2)

"A pair of shoes specially made for whoever ordered 'em.  They ain't
really mine but, whatever . . . ."

COMMENTS: Every character in the Resident Evil Outbreak games is an
unrepentant kleptomaniac.

3: MEMORIAL SNEAKERS (Breaker Room)

"These were made when that famous basketballer retired.  Only 34 pair
were ever made.  Nice find."

COMMENTS: I love "basketballer."  I know it comes from a Japanese
mistranslation, but its compactness is Germanic.

4: WOODEN CLOGS (Refuse Dump)

"Shoes carved from oak.  I seen these on TV, but I ain't never seen
nobody crazy enough to wear 'em outside."

COMMENTS: Given that everyone who enters the woods in Raccoon City
either turns up dead or reanimated, I'm surprised that the very
presence of oak didn't make Jim scream like a girl.

FLASHBACK (Jim)

1: WATERPROOF PARKA (Locker Room)

"Damn!  That's a nice parka!  Thin and waterproof, with style to
spare."

2:  LIGHT-UP SHOES (Room 203)

"Shoes that light up when you step.  Maybe I'm just nuts, but even
though they're for kids, I kinda like 'em."

3: CROSSWORD CARDS (Room 201)

"A set of 128 crossword puzzle trading cards.  A full set is pretty
damn rare!"

COMMENTS: Do these things exist in America, or is this SP Item Capcom's
way of expressing Jim's skill with puzzles though Japanese card-
collecting fads?

4: STOPWATCH (Examination Room)

"A digital stopwatch.  It says it's accurate to 1/1000th of a second.
I could use it at work."

DESPERATE TIMES (Jim)

1: RACING HELMET (1F Lobby)

"A helmet molded from space-age plastic.  I've been meanin' to pick one
of these up anyhow."

COMMENTS: "Space-age plastic?"

2: CYBER SHOES (Autopsy Room)

"Disco-lookin' shoes that are a mix between futuristic design and 70's
flair."

COMMENTS: The fact that none of the zombies are wearing these shoes
attests to the fact that no sane person even would be caught dead
wearing them.

3: PERFECT DICTIONARY (Reception Desk)

"'Everything from slang to dead languages!  Includes blank pages to add
new words!'  What a rip off . . . ."

COMMENTS: I had no idea that Jim, of all characters, had such high
linguistic standards.

4: WRISTBAND (Kennel)

"My favorite basketball player wears one just like this.  Same color
and everything."

END OF THE ROAD (Jim)

1: RACING PANTS (Main Frame)

"Pants for racin' bikes.  The tag says 'No more sweat!  No more
fatigue!'  Maybe I'll try 'em on . . . ."

COMMENTS: "No more fatigue" sounds like a Japanese advertisement
promising what can never be promised.

2: LUXURIOUS SHOEHORN (Waiting Room)

"This is one classy item!  Perfect for a gentleman like me!"

COMMENTS: What quality classifies a shoehorn as "luxurious"?

3: "PUZZLE 100" (Main Street North)

"'Ancient puzzles that take 100 years or more to solve.'  Shit.  Ain't
nothin' I can't handle."

COMMENTS: Apparently, Jim can solve the mystic dilemma of the Tao.

4: "SHOES MONTHLY" (Construction Site)

"A magazine for crazy peeps like me who dig shoes."

D: George Hamilton

WILD THINGS (George)

1: EXAM SET (South Concourse)

"A set of medical tools including a mask, gloves, and a cap.  This
isn't enough for proper surgery."

2: "WORLD MEDICINE" (Stage)

"Doctors from Asia and the West collaborated to compile this book of
medicine's pros and cons."

COMMENTS: Some of George's character-specific SP Items raise questions
of medical ethicality, and the various philosophies behind medical
research.  Even if the games don't comment on Umbrella's research
practices, it's nice to see that they recognize that deeper themes are
working in the games.

3: MR. RACCOON WATCH (Front Gate Plaza)

"A children's watch of surprising quality featuring that sniveling brat
of a zoo mascot."

COMMENTS: If I remember correctly, Cindy thought that Mr. Raccoon was a
cutie.  Whatever their chemistry may be, this is one issue that George
and Cindy clearly disagree on.

4: INSTANT PHOTOGRAPH (Front Gate Plaza)

"A photo taken of a smiling young couple.  Nostalgic . . . ."

COMMENTS: I wonder if the "smiling young couple" in the photo is George
and his ex-wife.  I can't imagine why else it would make him feel
nostalgic, unless the sight of a smiling young couple reminded him of
happiness in his own marriage.

UNDERBELLY (George)

1: SUPER STETHOSCOPE (Storage Room)

"This is sensitive enough to hear the heartbeat of a flea. . . .  Who
the hell would want to hear that!?"

COMMENTS: Especially when their hearts are each the size of a grown
man's liver!

2: IMPERIAL WATCH (Control Room)

"This watch was engineered in Switzerland by the famous watchmaker
known as 'The Emperor'."

3: "LOST LOVE" (Platform)

"'There are no second chances in love.  Tell her now before it's too
late.'  Hm.  What a biased book."

COMMENTS: I don't think either George or the book's authors could have
guessed that "too late" might include, of all things, ballistic
missiles.

4: OLD MAGAZINE (Break Room)

"A magazine sold at the subway station.  It's been read so much that
it's practically falling apart."

FLASHBACK (George)

1: O. R. SCRUBS (Auxiliary Building 3F Hall)

"A surgical gown used in the operating theater.  On some level, it's
almost like a battle uniform."

COMMENTS: An "operating theater" is the recessed operating area where
surgeons treat a patient, while students and other witnesses observe
the procedure from a mezzanine.  George's association of the scrub with
a "battle uniform" both foreshadows the scrub's part in his "George: C"
costume, and further suggests his fascination with heroism and valour.

2: RABBIT POCKET WATCH (Hospital Back Gate)

"A pocket watch in a classic design.  A rabbit wearing a tuxedo is
carved on the lid."

COMMENTS: The "rabbit wearing a tuxedo" is a fairly clear reference to
the Playboy Bunny—one of whose coterie Cindy dresses as in her "Cindy:
C" costume.  I'm guessing there's some loose connection between her
"role playing" a Playboy Bunny (a mascot who George seems to have no
problem with at all) and George's taste in Playboy Bunnies as a
gentleman's fetish.

3: CHIPPED SCALPEL (Administrator's Office)

"It's still sharp, but the tip of the blade has been broken off.  It's
not a good idea to use a found scalpel."

4: NURSE'S WATCH (Reception Office)

"A watch with alarms to remind one of shift changes, medicine
distribution times, and the like.  Convenient."

DESPERATE TIMES (George)

1: LOAFERS (Witness Interrogation Room)

"Though they look rather plain, this brand is famous for making easy to
polish loafers.  Function over form."

2: CLIMBING SPIKES (Underground Parking Garage)

"A mountain climbing tool that attaches to the soles of your boots.  I
already have a pair."

COMMENTS: George's physical endurance becomes somewhat more reasonable,
the more we learn about his hobbies.

3: "OUTDOOR GUIDE" (1F Lobby)

"A book for beginners that outlines the basics of camping and the like.
Pretty dull for an expert like me."

COMMENTS: Taken in combination with George's File 1 alternate costume
(a Raccoon Forest Service jacket), George's roundedness as a man
becomes more apparent.  He's not only a doctor, he's a man of the
woods.

4: EMERGENCY PENLIGHT (Substation Room)

"A powerful Xenon bulb with a range of nearly 2 miles rounds out this
handsome penlight."

COMMENTS: The penlight fits with George's outdoorsman hobby.  Such a
light would be useful in the event that he were lost in the forest at
night.

END OF THE ROAD (George)

1: SPACE-AGE T-SHIRT (Experimentation Chamber)

"This new fabric absorbs sweat as fast as your body can produce it.
Too bad the design is so ugly."

2: "MODERN MEDICINE"

"A nonfiction book dealing with the dark side of medicine.  Intriguing,
but how could it hold my interest?"

COMMENTS: Capcom is really undermining its effort to pass off George as
an educated man, here.

3: PILL CASE WATCH (Apple Inn Front Lobby)

"Part of the face of this watch flips open to reveal a tiny storage
space ideal for pills.  Quite convenient."

4: LARGE WATCH (Nursery)

"This burly and rugged watch bears an inscription of the name 'Enrico.'
Perhaps it was a gift from someone."

COMMENTS: This SP Item description raises not a few questions.  To make
the leap of narrative logic, we're being led to believe that (somehow)
Bravo Team leader Enrico's wristwatch was found in an Umbrella lab.
Was Enrico there?  Was he alive when he was there?  Was his body
experimented on?

E: David King

WILD THINGS (David)

1: WILD COLOGNE (Service Road)

"'This product combines musk with the proven power of tiger hormones.'
I'll have to try this out . . . ."

COMMENTS: Why would someone wear cologne tinged with tiger hormones
around lions?

2: "SCHOOL SPIRT" (In Front of Elephant Restaurant)

"An English translation of one of those Japanese comic books.  Is this
what Japan's really like?"

COMMENTS: Much like Alyssa, David has a strange, fated relationship
with the Orient.  (By the way, the item is actually spelled "School
Spirt."  I presume that it's supposed to be "Spirit," and that the
manga title is a play off the seeming millions of high school fighting
manga in popular circulation.)

3: BEAST CLAW (Terrarium Dome)

"A hand-to-hand fighting weapon that you wear on your wrist.  Shouldn't
use this without proper training."

COMMENTS: Since many of David's SP Items have possibly violent uses,
the SP Item descriptions offer an in-character explanation for why
those SP Items aren't being used as weapons.  It's curious that David
has reservations against using the Beast Claw without proper training,
yet he has no problem whatsoever firing rocket and grenade launchers.

4: BLOODY GOGGLES (Lakeside Area)

"Looks like something a biker would wear.  They're covered in blood.  I
doubt the owner's still alive . . . ."

UNDERBELLY (David)

1: WILD BRIEFS (Break Room)

"Tight around the waist with plenty of room down below, these are some
nice briefs.  I think I'll take 'em."

COMMENTS: This SP Item validates the desire on behalf of male and
female fans that David have big cajones.

2: 3 MINUTE CEMENT (Employee Passage)

"Cement for emergency repairs.  When mixed with water, it hardens in 3
minutes.  Can't be strong, though."

3: SMALL FILE (Emergency Power Room)

"A small metal file with a sharp edge.  Might make a good weapon, but
I've got too much class for that."

COMMENTS: "Too much class?"  Is this really an acceptable reason to
abstain from using a weapon against zombies?  Do zombies have a code of
honor?  When swearing by it, do they put their hand over their heart?
"Place your hand over your heart and swear the zombie oath," a zombie
might say to another.  "Could you pass it to me?  It's on the end
table," the swearing zombie might reply.

4: LONG WRENCH (Platform)

"At almost 2 feet long, this wrench gives good leverage.  Pretty
flimsy, though.  Wouldn't make a good weapon."

COMMENTS: One may question David's reasoning.  If the material of a
wrench is flimsy, its length won't improve its leverage, because
leverage depends upon the lever's turgidity.

FLASHBACK (David)

1: "BAREFOOT HEALING" (Room 202)

"'Health begins in the feet.  Shoes and socks are the cause of
disease!'  Gimme a break . . . ."

COMMENTS: This is one of David's SP Items required to unlock his
"David: C" costume.  Most of the other characters' costume SP Items are
the actual articles of clothing worn in the costume.  Here, we see that
David must acquire the literature that will convince him to run amok,
barefoot.

2: LION WRENCH (Cabin)

"A wrench with a roaring lion carved into the head.  Nuts fit in the
open mouth.  Doesn't look very practical."

COMMENTS: This follows the lion motif seen in David's File 1 SP Items.

3: NANOMEASURE (Storage Room)

"A tool that measures distance in nanometers.  The writing's far too
small to make out, though."

4: MERMAID CLAW (Auxiliary Building 3F Hall)

"A nail-removing claw with the image of a mermaid carved into it and
inlaid jewels.  What a waste."

DESPERATE TIMES (David)

1: "THE BODY'S LIMIT" (Substation Room)

"'The secret to maximizing physical strength is knowing your body's
limits.' . . . Well, duh."

COMMENTS: From the scars and marks on David's upper torso, visible in
his "David: C" costume, it's safe to assume that David has given
himself physical tests of endurance in the past.

2: LION WOODEN SWORD (Main Hall)

"A Japanese souvenir of some kind with a lion crest carved into it.  It
feels good in my hand."

COMMENTS: Possibly, this wooden sword is a "bokken," or wooden sword
used in kendo training.  (Kendo is a variation of martial arts.)  The
association of this SP Item with David suggests that his savagery
somehow lends itself to the creation of a warrior in the Japanese
tradition.

3: TOOL CLEANER (Autopsy Room)

"'Revolutionary polymer technology makes your tools gleam like new!'
This should be useful."

COMMENTS: For all the illogical placement of many SP Items, others are
placed in very plausible environments.  A tool cleaner would be greatly
useful in an autopsy room.

4: "SUPER PLIERS" (Holding Cells)

"Pliers specially made to double the strength put into them.  This is a
nice little item."

COMMENTS: This SP Item is found just outside the holding cell with two
prisoners.  It might have been intended to bend the bars or manipulate
the lock.

END OF THE ROAD (David)

1: SUEDE PANTS (Main Street North)

"Whoa!  These babies are nice.  They fit loose enough to allow some
hard core zombie ass kicking, too!"

2: CAMERA WRENCH (Special Research Room)

"Who's stupid idea was this?  How pointless.  Why did I even bother
picking this up?"  [sic]

COMMENTS: Someone on Capcom's development staff suffered strong doubts
regarding the meaning of his job.

3: "SURVIVE!" (Under the Highway Overpass)

"This book details ways of surviving fires and other disasters.  You
can only rely on yourself.  Not a book."

COMMENTS: David's reaction to "Survive!" is similar to Mark's reaction
to the book SP Item "Justice."  Both of them are skeptical toward the
value of book-learned knowledge, and instead prefer to trust
experiential knowledge.

4: JAPANESE JACKET (Tunnel)

"It has Japanese writing on the back.  I guess these are pretty popular
these days."

COMMENTS: I am curious about why Alyssa and David's SP Items try to
link them to Japan.  Both of them are the most individualistic, head-
strong characters, and both of them have a magnetic affection toward
Japanese culture.

F: Alyssa Ashcroft

WILD THINGS (Alyssa)

1: THERMAL UNDERWEAR (Show Animals' Boarding House)

"A thermal top made of 100% cashmere.  It's good for your skin and
perfect for an active woman."

COMMENTS: I think that the "thermal underwear" is a high-end sport's
bra.

2: FANCY MEAL COUPON (Back Alley)

"A special coupon good for two meals at a $1000 a plate restaurant.
I'd rather have a burger myself . . . ."

COMMENTS: Alyssa is trendily low-brow.

3: TREASURE MAP (Office)

"An old treasure map written on what looks like sheepskin.  It's gotta
be a fake, but still . . . ."

COMMENTS: Given Austin's penchant for hyper-masculine hobbies, I would
guess that the map belongs to him.

4: HERBAL MEDICINE (North Concourse)

"You mix this ancient Chinese secret in your hot tea, to revive the
youth of your skin.  Smells bitter."

COMMENTS: I'm curious to know where Alyssa's association with the
Orient comes from in her SP Items.  To infer from her editorial
comments, she doesn't understand the relationship either, though the
game seems to insist that a relationship exists.

UNDERBELLY (Alyssa)

1: FORGOTTEN GI (Storage Room)

"Maybe a passenger forgot this.  The name 'Arisa' is written on it in
Japanese.  Why can I read it?"

COMMENTS: For those who don't know, a 'gi' is a traditional martial
arts garb.  'Arisa,' besides being a fun Engrish version of 'Alyssa,'
is also the Japanese romanji spelling of 'Alice.'  This lends greater
strength to the theory that Alyssa is a way of inserting an Alice-type
character into the Resident Evil games.

2: CHIN PATCH (Women's Staff Restroom)

"Available only through a special TV offer, this product sticks to your
jaw and gets rid of double chins."

COMMENTS: You may be able to get rid of those double chins, but how do
you deal with the fact that now you have a patch on your jaw?

3: AUTO CARD CASE (East Concourse)

"This business card case has a button on it that launches cards.  What
if it hit someone in the face?"

COMMENTS: On the one hand, I didn't figure Alyssa to be the type to
say, "You'll put your eye out with that!"  On the other hand, she could
be speaking from the perspective of a woman who sees a potential news
story: "LOCAL MAN BLINDED BY BUSINESS CARD SHOOTER."

4: ANTI-FART PATCH (Women's Room-East)

"This is supposed to combat gas if you stick it to your stomach.  Isn't
it easier just to blame the dog?"

COMMENTS: Also, the rotting corpses?

FLASHBACK (Alyssa)

1: JAPANESE CLOTH (Examination Room)

"A bleached cloth that Japanese wrap around their body to increase
moral.  Whatever . . . ."

COMMENTS: The grammar in the Japanese Cloth SP Item's description is
transcribed exactly as it appeared in the game.  I want to know if the
translators were trying deliberately to make that sentence sound like
Engrish, for irony's sake.

2: TEARS OF AGLAIA (Storage Room)

"A beauty product that rejuvenates skin.  I don't need this.  My skin
already feels like a baby's butt."

3: ROSE OIL (Room 203)

"Lotion is made from rose extract that's supposed to tighten your skin.
It sure smells good . . . ."

COMMENTS: Contrasted with Cindy, Alyssa is deliciously flamboyant with
her femininity.

4: ANTIQUE PEN (Auxiliary Building 3F Hall)

"An old fountain pen that's stained with blood and sweat.  The name
'Kurt' is written on the cap."

COMMENTS: The ANTIQUE PEN SP Item, of course, was property of Kurt,
Alyssa's former coworker.  Its presence and its condition further
attests to Kurt's diligence even in the face of imprisonment and
suffering.

DESPERATE TIMES (Alyssa)

1: BLACK BELT (Substation Room)

"A cloth belt made to be tied around the waist and worn with a karate
gi.  It gives me a tense feeling."

COMMENTS: Perhaps Alyssa's association with the Orient foreshadows her
speech if you get her Good Epilogue after beating the "End of the Road"
scenario.  She says that physical strength is the only thing that
matters, and on screen she is lifting weights, training.  Perhaps,
through her encounter with her SP Items, she comes to some awakening.

2: DIET PATCH (East Office)

"A weight loss product that claims to make you thinner just by sticking
a patch on your trouble spots."

COMMENTS: Alyssa tends to react disapprovingly toward marketed, image-
oriented products, and she tends to react with intrigue to found,
ancient objects of self-improvement.

3: SUSPICIOUS FILM (Witness Interrogation Room)

"It's labeled 'TOP SECRET,' but the case is broken and the film's been
exposed.  What was on it?"

COMMENTS: By the way, she's a reporter.

4: SLIMMING NECKLACE (Emergency Stairwell)

"A necklace that supposedly makes the wearer lose weight.  I swear,
people believe anything these days."

END OF THE ROAD (Alyssa)

1: OLYMPIC BOOK (Maintenance Passage 2)

"'How the secret strategies of the ancient samurai can break Olympic
records.' . . . Huh?"

2: PAIN PATCH (Examination Room)

"Some kind of medicinal patch that you apply directly to knees or other
painful areas.  A nap works for me . . . ."

3: BULLET LIPSTICK (Rooftop-Elevated Roadway)

"Lipstick shaped like a bullet.  Looks just like the real thing.  I
suppose it'll be a while before I can use it."

COMMENTS: This SP Item is found in the truck that you hop into after
the Nyx fight.  I'm curious to know who in the UCBS was carrying
lipstick incognito.  (Carlos always did look a little too pretty.)

4: DIGITAL CAMERA (Footbridge)

"A camera that saves pictures as data instead of using film.  I'd
prefer a higher resolution, but this is OK."

COMMENTS: Not only is Alyssa destined for Oriental genius, but she's a
technophile as well.

G: Yoko Suzuki

WILD THINGS (Yoko)

1: KUNG FU SHOES (Elephant Stage)

"Comfortable, lightweight shoes used in Kung Fu.  I'm not really
interested in martial arts, but . . . ."

2: HEADACHE MEDICINE (Observation Deck)

"The bestselling Umbrella-made pain reliever.  I feel like . . . I'm
about to remember something . . . But what?

3: TATTERED NOTEBOOK (Elephant Restaurant)

"A notebook with the Umbrella logo on the cover.  Was someone saving
this?  It brings back memories . . . ."

4: PRESCRIPTION SLIP (Terrarium Dome)

"It's for animal tranquilizers.  The ingredients are listed on the
back.  I have a bad feeling about this."

UNDERBELLY (Yoko)

1: CHINESE CAP (Storage Room)

"A small cap of woven cotton.  It looks Chinese.  I wonder how I'd look
in it . . . ."

2: SALON PAMPHLET (West Concourse)

"A pamphlet for a new beauty salon.  'Grand Opening Sale!  20% OFF!'
Maybe I should change my hairstyle."

3: "GET OVER IT" (Break Room)

"This book tells you to 'get back on the horse' when you fail.  Should
I read this?"

4: AD PAMPHLET (Subway Car)

"A PR pamphlet for Umbrella.  It talks about their contributions to
nature.  I don't know why, but I feel sick . . . ."

FLASHBACK (Yoko)

1: KUNG FU PANTS (Cabin)

"These comfortable pants are part of a Kung Fu gi.  I wonder if they
make me look strong.  Probably not . . . ."

COMMENTS: I hate Yoko for her low self-esteem.

2: MAKE-UP SET (Locker Room)

"A make-up set for preteen girls.  It's enough for me.  I should use a
cheap set like this to practice."

COMMENTS: Yoko-loving pedophiles scream, "KAWAII!"

3: FLOPPY DISK (Room 203)

"It says 'TOP SECRET' on the label.  I wonder what's on it . . . .
Probably just a virus . . . ."

4: YOUNG GIRLS' COMIC (Room 202)

"A Japanese comic book about true love.  I like novels well enough.
Why not try this for a change of pace?"

COMMENTS: It's significant, I think, that one of David's SP Items is
the "School Spirt" [sic] manga (most likely an angst-fest, boy's
fighting manga) and Yoko's is a girl's romance manga.  The characters
seem identified with both American stereotypes and figures within those
stock manga genres.

DESPERATE TIMES (Yoko)

1: KUNG FU TOP (Underground Parking Garage)

"A plain martial arts top.  Looks Chinese.  I wonder if it'd make me
look strong.  I guess not . . . ."

COMMENTS: I *really* hate Yoko for her low self-esteem.

2: FLOWERY YUKATA (Night-Duty Room)

"A Japanese summer garment with a hydrangea pattern.  It's a little big
on me, but it's so nice . . . ."

3: "MAKING FRIENDS" (Main Hall)

"'Read this book, and you'll be friends after only 3 minutes!'  What if
there's no one around?"

4: "BEING OPEN" (B1F West Hall)

"'Don't believe only what you can see with your eyes!  Love is
invisible!'  What a pointless book . . . ."

END OF THE ROAD (Yoko)

1: "SIMPLE CHINESE" (Nursery)

"A book of simple phrases for travel.  'Are you a martial arts master?'
What a weird example sentence . . . ."

COMMENTS: Come on.  This is priceless.

2: OLD PHOTO (Observation Mezzanine)

"Looks like it was taken in a lab.  Is that Monica?  And . . . me?  I
don't remember this being taken."

3: LAB UNIFORM (Reference Room)

"Looks a company uniform.  They're designed for quick changing.  Why is
this so nostalgic to me?" [sic]

4: GOLD GLASSES (Mainframe)

"A pair of shiny gold-rimmed glasses.  The name 'Greg' is engraved on
the frame.  Greg?  Could it be . . . !?"

H: Cindy Lennox

WILD THINGS (Cindy)

1: ZOO COASTER (In Front of the Elephant Restaurant)

"A coaster with that adorable rascal 'Mr. Raccoon' on it.  He's so
cute!  I just love him to bits!"

COMMENTS: I expect that if George and Cindy had met each other in a
non-traumatic situation, they would have warred over Mr. Raccoon.  On
the other hand, perhaps George's curmudgeon ways are refreshed by
Cindy's simple pleasures.

2: "SLEEPY RACCOON" (Office)

"A storybook starring the zoo mascot 'Mr. Raccoon.'  He always has the
cutest little adventures."

COMMENTS: Between Yoko's reticence and Alyssa's aggression, Cindy's
enthusiasm is refreshing.

3: SHORT BOOTS (Office)

"A pair of slim brown boots.  The sound of the heals [sic] echoes.
They don't look comfy, but I like them."

4: RACCOON COOKIES (Elephant Restaurant)

"Cookies with that darling zoo mascot 'Mr. Raccoon' drawn on them.
They're too cute to eat!"

UNDERBELLY (Cindy)

1: LEATHER BELT (Women's Restroom-West)

"A label says it makes you look thinner, but I don't buy it.  Still,
it's a nice belt."

COMMENTS: Unlike Yoko who is unaware of her feminine looks (owing to
the bliss of androgyny) and Alyssa who bullies people with them, Cindy
is nervously aware of her feminine looks.  Apparently, she thinks
herself fat.

2: APHRODITE COSMETIC (Storage Room)

"Silver and purple eyeshadow.  Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to try
out a wild color like this occasionally."

COMMENTS: Is this honestly what a person thinks about while being
pursued by the walking dead?

3: DELUXE SUNBLOCK (Women's Bathroom-East)

"'Blocks out 99.9% of harmful UV rays!'  I've been looking for a way to
protect my skin."

COMMENTS: Cindy is so inappropriately cute.

4: CUTE APRON (East Ticket Gate)

"A frilly apron with tiny roses embroidered on it.  It's so darling!  I
want to rub it against my face."

COMMENTS: . . . Does anyone know if it's a Japanese term of
appreciation to want to rub something against one's face?  This comment
sounds a little out of place, here.

FLASHBACK (Cindy)

1: TIGHT JACKET (Room 202)

"A tight-fitting, designer leather jacket.  And it fits perfectly, too!
Must be my lucky day!"

COMMENTS: God, this woman is optimistic.

2: PLANT FOUNDATION (In Front of Cabin)

"Moisturizing foundation made with plant extracts.  The label doesn't
say what kind of plants are used."

3: ENERGY DRINK (Locker Room)

"'Night Nurse's Best Friend!'  Some kind of caffeine drink.  Smells
rotten, though."

COMMENTS: For those who don't know, a "night nurse" is a barmaid.

4: BEAUTY CREAM (Main Building 2F Hall)

"A brand new skin whitening product.  'Brand New Formula!'  This just
came out, and already a new formula?"

DESPERATE TIMES (Cindy)

1: "BIKER GALS" (Main Hall)

"A magazine for girls who ride motorcycles.  I'll admit that I've been
interested in this lately."

COMMENTS: I think that this is less a comment on Cindy's wildness, and
more a comment on the fact that her figure is pear-shaped.

2: CHANGING DOLL (Night-Duty Room)

"A re-issue of a doll that I had when I was a little girl.  She has a
whole wardrobe of cute little dresses."

COMMENTS: Since this doll was found in the Night-Duty Room, and since
most of the police at RPD are men, I would suggest that the doll
belongs to Rita.  Cindy, if nothing else, is certainly girly.

3: "ACQUAINTANCES" (Witness Interrogation Room)

"This book tells how to choose who will be your friend and who will be
just an acquaintance.  How cold . . . ."

COMMENTS: Of course, Cindy's happy demeanor wouldn't allow the idea of
favoritism to creep into her interactions with people.  However, this
book seems to foreshadow the lesson she learns with George.  Whether
the book recommends keeping, as friends, those who are within arm's
reach as the nukes are falling is another issue entirely.

4: HERB TEA (East Office)

"An instant tea bag made with a blend of many herbs.  This would be
great for relaxation."

COMMENTS: Cindy is not only G-rated for her comrades, but she's G-rated
alone, too.  Her knowledge of herbal remedies even teaches her how to
relax with something almost chamomile.

END OF THE ROAD (Cindy)

1: LEATHER PANTS (Rooftop-Elevated Railway)

"Shiny, tight-fitting leather pants.  The waist looks awfully slim.  I
wonder if I they fit? [sic]"

2: BEAUTY JELLY (Experimentation Chamber)

"Jelly that makes you lose weight.  I don't recognize any of the
ingredients on the label."

COMMENTS: That, Cindy, is because "lies" are not food.

3: MOISTURIZER (Apple Inn Front Lobby)

"It's made from camellia oil.  Should I really be worried about my skin
at a time like this?"

COMMENTS: Atta girl.  Focus on the faceless sniper outside.

4: HERB CREAM (Floodgate Control Room)

"'Harness the power of the Blue Herb with this antibacterial cream.'
Do those herbs kill bacteria?"

COMMENTS: Cindy's identity as a well-intentioned airhead becomes more
and more pronounced in this SP Item description.  She's been using the
blue herbs as an antitoxin, and now is curious about their
antibacterial qualities?

IV: Conclusions

The block of information of the SP Items and their descriptions is
interesting as trivia, certainly, but what does it mean as a whole?
The Resident Evil series is a fine addition to popular culture, and it
would be a mistaken use of intellect to view it in a deeper perspective
than the games would support.  Still, the locations and characters
described by the SP Items are valuable, somewhat, as reflections of how
Japan sees America.

One of the more interesting aspects of the Resident Evil series is that
the games depict American settings and characters, and that non-
Americans create the games.  In the same way that an American writer
would need to effect the environment and culture of a regional setting
that he has little to no direct experience with, the Japanese creators
of the Resident Evil series must effect an American environment.  Not
all of the games are entirely alike, but many of them are variations
upon the core setting of Raccoon City: urban and small town America.
The most looming and consistent presence in the games is the Umbrella
Corporation (though this is changed somewhat in Resident Evil 4).  The
marriage between the Umbrella Corporation and Raccoon City is a
reflection of an aspect of America that causes stress, internationally.
America's dependence upon and acceptance of mega-corporations (which we
take for granted, living in a political culture that grants
corporations the status of citizens, with all the rights of
individuals) has allowed the circumstances to culminate in the viral
outbreak that we, as players, have experienced in most of the Resident
Evil games to date.  (It is no coincidence, I think, that the Umbrella
Corporation's main headquarters are located in both America and Paris,
France; France is America's competitor for cultural arrogance, and was
also America's cohort in revolution, historically.)

American gamers often forget that, when America is depicted in video
games, we are described by people to whom we are foreigners.  The SP
Items in Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 attest to our foreignness in
the eyes of the developers.

First, let's look at how the environments are described.

In "Wild Things," the Raccoon City Zoo is described in terms both
American and Japanese.  The zoo markets its main attractions: Oscar,
the elephant; Max, the lion; and the Indian Hornbill birds.  Most zoos
that I have visited operate similarly.  The souvenir items are all
themed according to the animals whose hides and plumes provide the
items' materials.  The wages of part-time employees are noteworthy at
$12 an hour; I expect that this reflects the stereotype that all
Americans (even poor Americans) are wealthy.  Most of the souvenirs are
described as tacky and awkward, suggesting that the average Raccoon
City Zoo patron is like the stereotypical American at Disneyland:
plastered in gaudy merchandise.  Above all, the zoo and its patrons
lack dignified taste; this lack of taste is a firm stereotype against
Americans.

Other aspects of the Raccoon City Zoo described in the SP Items seem
more Japanese than American.  The "Raccoon Snacks" SP Item, in
particular, strikes me as very Japanese.  Granted, American businesses
market animal food according to the pleasure provided to animals by the
food's taste, but the celebration of a "funky new banana flavor" for
zoo visitors to enjoy throwing to animals seems ridiculously
sensational.  The characteristics of the mechanical side of the zoo,
too, reflect contemporary Japanese culture more than they reflect
contemporary American culture.  Austin, the zoo manager, is described
as a veritable man's man.  He keeps his hunting rifle on the
observation deck, and he is so engaged in asserting his virility that
his performance as a zoo employee suffers.  To advance his manhood,
Austin reads a book on the Han Dynasty.  The Han Dynasty was a period
of Chinese history, during which China officially became a state whose
government practiced and endorsed Confucian ideals.  Austin enlarges
his power by investigating the Orient, rather than looking to Western
resources of masculinity and philosophy.

Finally, the technology employed by the Raccoon City Zoo is described
by its advertising in sensationalistic ways.  I have worked on a
grounds crew maintenance crew for one year, at a summer camp in
southern Florida, and I am familiar with the advertising claims made by
the manufacturers of maintenance technology.  Advertising claims such
as "just push the button" and "16 times the power of home manure" would
fall dead upon the wallets of maintenance crew heads, who are practical
men.

In "Underbelly," the subway is described with some accuracy to American
subways.  I write from a limited perspective, though, not having ridden
many American subways.  The SP Items describe the peripheral trash one
might find in any public transit station: gossip tabloids, cheap
entertainment books for children, and bad literature.  Even the
presence of a souvenir of the subway (the souvenir button) is in
character.  However, I wonder if the tests for subway employees are as
thick and difficult as described in the Test Book SP Item.

The SP Items of "Flashback" reflect the scenario's backstory (involving
Alyssa) moreso than they reflect the environment.  Evidence of Kurt's
investigation and fate turn up (his name is read on the Patient List SP
Item).  Evidence of Al and Dorothy's drama is found (Dorothy's
sketchbook, Al's wedding band, and Dorothy's medicine are all found).
Evidence of the police investigation at the Hospital Back Gate (the
night watchman's rusty baton) and the beginning of public protest (the
protest handbill) is found.  Other SP Items suggest a preoccupation
with dealing with terminal patients; most of the rest simply indicate
that much time has passed since the events alluded to in the scenario's
notes, Alyssa's flashbacks, and some of the SP Items' descriptions.
Some SP Items (the Bait Worm and the Guide Sign, in particular) further
illustrate Al's life as he's become a mad axe murderer.  The main SP
Item that suggests allegiance to a Japanese perspective is the Flower
Blocks item.  The description of the letters as "traditional" suggests
that the letters themselves are traditional (as the Japanese kanji
characters are differentiated from kana characters).  Letter blocks are
traditional tools used in both Japan and America to educate children on
language.

The SP Items in "Desperate Times" reflect some stereotypes about
American police officers (such as the accepted presence of alcohol in
the station and a preoccupation with doughnuts).  Marvin's Indigestion
Pills suggest that he is the station's work horse, between his
officers' loose work ethic and his boss's insanity.  I am uncertain why
the magnetic strip on the back of Marvin's Card would be worn down;
perhaps this detail suggests the level of authority he carries in the
station.  In Resident Evil 2, Marvin gave Leon his card and forced him
out of the room at gunpoint; Leon proceeded to use this card to access
the Main Hall computer and unlock some doors.  Presumably, this SP Item
is the same card Marvin gave to Leon.  Kevin's loose character is
described further, from the destroyed credit card to the Memento Photo,
to the bottle of coveted cheap gin in the refrigerator.

The description of the RPD Mascot item seems suspiciously Japanese.  An
American police station's mascot would be more likely described by
qualities of toughness, aggressiveness, and security.  These are
character traits associated with masculine presence, in the Western
mind; a fine example may be McGruff the Crime Dog, mascot for the
National Crime Prevention Council.  American and Japanese masculine
expectations differ sharply, and a cute police mascot (rather than a
strong police mascot) seems less in tow with Western expectations than
Japanese.

The remainder of the SP Items either describes the two officers
surviving at the station (Aaron and Tony), or illustrates Brian Irons'
poor management of the police department.  The Expense Report SP Item
provides and expensive boutique as the provider of "undercover
supplies;" possibly, this suggests how Irons paid for the make-up and
other materials needed to "preserve" his female victims.  The weakness
of the Collapsing Baton SP Item suggests that certain expenditures have
been neglected in favor of Irons' "undercover supplies."  Clearly, the
city has not investigated the characters of its leaders, given Irons'
glorifying autobiography.

The "End of the Road" scenario completes a formula that Resident Evil
games follow, by bringing the playable characters out of an interior
setting into an open-air setting.  In prior games, though, even the
open-air setting has been somewhat enclosed.  The first Resident Evil
brings Chris and Jill into an enclosed helipad.  The second Resident
Evil brings Claire and Leon into the open platform of a train station,
which is conjunct to the outside world at the end of the tunnel.
Claire's story in Resident Evil: Code Veronica ends with the Nosferatu
fight, which takes place atop a large, isolated platform.  Even while
the characters are in an open-air environment (even sometimes being out
of doors), the environment always presents some sort of enclosure.
File 2 plays upon this formula, but tries to diminish the sense of
enclosure by showing Raccoon City from the perspective of some of File
1's locales, as well as adjacent urban areas.

The latter SP Items clearly emphasize the presence of Umbrella's
special forces, as well as the death resulting from the Outbreak.  The
"Toy Shovel" and "Bloody Doll" SP Items present one of the few
instances in which children are implied as victims of the Outbreak.
(With the exceptions of Sherry and Mark's son, there are few clear
instances wherein children even exist in Raccoon City.)  These SP Items
are placed alongside the UCBS Vest and the USS Armband, showing the
simultaneity of events: Raccoon City's destruction and the Umbrella
mercenaries' missions.

Previously, though, we see some more "indoor" items.  The SP Items
found in the sewer part of the scenario seem random, only joined
together by the fact that they have all wound up in the drainage canal
as trash.  Individually, they seem to refer to aspects of both the
scenario and Resident Evil's conventions in a broader sense.  The
"Universal Remote" suggests Carter's remote control.  The "Temp
Regulator" suggests the cryogenic freezing that almost all of
Umbrella's creations undergo.  The "Sealed Eye Mask" suggests the
tyrants, and the means contrived to deprive their senses to reduce the
chance that they will attack.  The "Capsule Ring" suggests a miniature
version of Sherry's pendant from Resident Evil 2.  Yet, these are all
references, and the SP Items do not seem to carry significance in
themselves.

The SP Items from the beginning of "End of the Road" suggest more about
the subplot of Linda and Rodriguez's betrayal.  The "Laughing Gas
Spray" SP Item seems out of place (it is described as belonging to
"special forces"), until it is remembered that Rodriguez and Linda are
in cahoots, and that he most likely has just left the laboratory.  The
"Detective Manual" suggests that one or both of them were researching
how to cover their tracks.  (Presumably, neither knew about the bombs
that would cover all tracks.)  The three SP Items found in the
Observation Mezzanine all seem to relate to Carter, who is hammed up as
a real nerd.  To the extent that Wesker was the "cool guy" and a genius
with a BOW masterpiece, Carter is his opposite.

The relationship between the SP Items and the scenarios is useful to
get a better sense of the places of the scenarios.  The character SP
Items, though, are intended to convey the playable characters through
their reactions to objects around them.  When one looks at the
characters through both their descriptions and their reactions to the
SP Items, they more apparently become stereotypes.  The curious aspect
to these stereotypes is that they are Japanese stereotypes of
Americans, given to the Japanese by both Japanese biases and American
cinema.  The qualities of the stereotypes may suggest, in part, the
ethnic assumptions that the Japanese have toward the ethnic varieties
of Americans.

Please bear in mind, I am not arguing that the analyses I offer in this
FAQ pin-point deliberate attempts at caricature, on behalf of the
game's creators.  I am arguing that the caricatures within the game
reflect, to some extent, the stock ways in which American ethnic
diversity is regarded by contemporary Japanese culture.

Kevin Ryman is a stereotypical white boy, the stock optimist, and the
expected carefree spirit.  He likes cars.  He likes sports.  He is an
unreliable spender, and his inability to take things seriously mars his
potential, given his obvious physical talents.  He almost carries a
"frat boy" atmosphere to him, especially with his "Hedonism" SP Item,
found in the "Desperate Times" scenario.

Kevin seems to embody white American masculinity.  His Kevin: B costume
(titled "Six Shooter") puts him in cowboy fashion.  As a globetrotter,
I will attest to the fact that the "wild west" and the cowboy motif is
one of the predominant images of white American masculinity, from non-
American perspectives.  (Once, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, I ate at a
restaurant called "The Cowboy Pistol" that inside featured wall
decorations depicting gaudy "wild west" Americana.  In America, such a
restaurant would be themed "western;" in Saint Petersburg, Russia, it
was themed "American.")  The image of the cowboy as an emblem of white
American masculinity has spread internationally through popular
American films.

The Kevin: C costume (titled "Lone Wolf '87) reflects another aspect of
white American masculinity, given cinematic depiction during the
1980's.  Actors such as Corey Feldman and Michael J. Fox helped
establish the "Lone Wolf '87" costume's appearance as identifying the
white American male.  The following links lead to images of 1980's male
actors, dressed in fashions similar to Kevin's in his Kevin: C costume.

Corey Feldman:
http://www.westword.com/Issues/2000-11-02/music/music3.1.gif

Another photo of Corey Feldman, whose face looks similar to Kevin's:
http://www.westword.com/Issues/2000-11-02/music/music3.2.gif

Michael J. Fox from (I think) Back to the Future:
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/MMPH/12309.jpg

Matthew Broderick in a poster from Ferris Beuller's Day Off:
http://www.eazymerchant.com/bdposters/images/itemthumbnails/01-0467.jpg

Kevin is a stereotypical White Male Protagonist.  He is most naturally
paired with David, who represents the Native American stereotype, again
from American cinema and literature.

David King's ethnicity is not explicitly stated in the game.  However,
he is connected with stereotypical Native American partner figures,
such as Leatherstocking (from James Fennimore Cooper's stories) and the
mythic presence of Sacagawea (from the Lewis and Clark journals).  He
bears character qualities similar to Native American stock characters,
such as abundant savagery, reticence in speech, and resourcefulness.

David's SP Items connect him with both resourcefulness and savagery.
The items that connect him with resourcefulness are practical, involved
somehow with tools or construction and repair materials.  The items
that connect him with savagery often do so through Oriental means.  The
"School Spirt" [sic] item associates him with violent boys' comic
books, specifically within the "high school fighting" genre popular in
contemporary manga.  The "Beast Claw" item is a weapon used within
Oriental martial arts.  The "Lion Wooden Sword" item may be a bokken,
or wooden sword used in kendo training.  Other items (most specifically
his costume SP Items) connect him with stereotypical Native American
ideas of savagery.  The "Barefoot Healing" item isolates David's bare
feet, which were remarked upon by Caucasian Americans as being
characteristic if Native Americans.  David's loosened hair suggests the
animal freedom attributed to Native Americans in American art.

Mark Wilkins is a stereotype of an African American, who has lived
through the Civil Rights movement, and who has experienced the
successful side of racial integration.  While some players on message
boards have complained that his voice doesn't "sound black enough,"
this criticism is itself somewhat racist, implying that African
Americans must speak with specific dialect and accents to be "black
enough."  The allusion to Mark's age is implied by his history as a
Vietnam War veteran.  In addition to filling the stereotype of the
post-1960's Baby Boomer African American, he fills the stereotype of
the war-haunted suburbanite.

Both of Mark's roles create his character.  His Vietnam War experience
is referred to often through his ad libs.  Also, his reactions to white
characters in the presence of Jim and David are different, suggesting
more hesitation to trust them.  His relationship to patriotic and
domestic objects (in his SP Items) suggests that he holds a
conservative set of values.  He doesn't cook, and leaves those tasks to
his wife.  He desires to share traditionally masculine activities with
his son (as seen in the "Club Tickets" and "Town Info Pamphlet" SP
Items).  His reaction to the U. S. Army uniform reflects his loyalty;
he describes it as "justice and patriotism woven into cloth."  (It is
interesting that Mark's reaction to the U. S. Army uniform reflects a
primary loyalty to the American military.  Most Americans raised within
American political culture would reserve such idealistic praise for the
American flag, as it is the symbol for American political ideals.  The
misappropriation of national loyalty to military symbols suggests a
misunderstanding of American culture.)

Jim Chapman contrasts Mark's character; possibly, he is the most
striking stereotype in the game.  The game creators obviously have
tried to convince their audience that Jim is a black man "of the
street."  His language is strewn with slang interjections, such as
"yo," "shit," "peeps," and "oh, snap!"  His recreational interests
(seen in the SP Items) are stereotyped: he is fanatical about shoes,
basketball, and street fashion.  The sole divergence from these
stereotypes is his propensity for puzzle solving.

Jim's character appears to be an updated, internationally made version
of the stock Jim Crow character in minstrel shows during the early 20th
century.  The name "Jim Crow" has become part of American cultural
memory through the segregation laws now known as the "Jim Crow Laws,"
and the laws derived their name from the stock character in racist
minstrel performances.  In such performances, the Jim Crow character
was a happy-go-lucky character, farcically simple, whose happiness
entirely resided in his comfort against primitive superstitions and the
lucky circumstances that tended to surround his character in the
stories.  In short, the Jim Crow stock character was cowardly (to
comedic effect) and relied upon luck, which tended to underline his
carefree attitude.  The actor Stepin Fetchit, a black actor of the
early 20th century, took movie roles in the tradition of a Jim Crow
stereotype.  A comparison between his face and Jim Chapman's suggests
that Jim Chapman's facial design may have been inspired by Stepin
Fetchit's.

George Hamilton's character attempts to create the presence of an
athletic, educated, upper class white American.  His name, also the
name of a famous American film star, suggests an all-American
sophistication.  A genuinely educated member of the game's audience
will recognize the superficial efforts to pass off George's character
as sophisticated: incorrect attempts at perfect grammar, the preferred
use of Latinate words, and an emphasis on rationality in the presence
of chaos.  His SP Items, also, attempt to give him an educated
atmosphere.  He is interested in watches; he has an erudite distaste
for "Mr. Raccoon," the city's commercialized mascot; his association
with the Playboy bunny, a symbol of "a gentleman's sexuality."  As
well, his familiarity with tools of outdoorsmanship implies his post-
collegiate hobbies.

George appears to have history in Raccoon City.  In addition to the
long-standing relationship he has with Raccoon University (shown in
File 1), the "Instant Photograph" SP Item suggests that he spent time
with his ex-wife at the Raccoon Zoo.  His professional relationship
with Raccoon City seems to have involved the Umbrella Corporation, but
only peripherally.  His costume SP Items allude to his profession as a
surgeon.  The two book SP Items ("World Medicine" and "Modern
Medicine") suggest that he is unreflecting, philosophically, on his
profession.  He wonders what relevance meditation upon "the dark side
of modern medicine" could have for him ("Modern Medicine," End of the
Road) and seems passé toward a globally collaborative perspective on
medicine ("World Medicine," Wild Things).  George, as a doctor, seems
to hold a stereotyped, Western attitude toward medicine: that all
scientific advances in medicine cannot be anything but good, almost
holy, and that the innate goodness of scientific progress absolves
researchers from the need to reflect upon the uses to which their
research will be directed.

As I mentioned in the comment for George's "Rabbit Watch" SP Item, the
association between the Playboy bunny and George connects him with
Cindy, through her "Funny Bunny" alternative costume.  Cindy, the
barmaid with an irresistible smile, is an appropriate pairing for
George.  She is a stereotypical "single girl," relatively useless
except for her marriageability and her domestic service.  Her personal
SP Items illustrate her as a "girly girl."  She practically squeals
over Mr. Raccoon's cuteness; she adores frilly domestic clothing (such
as the "Cute Apron" SP Item); she reminisces about her girlhood, during
which she played with dolls.  She is maternal and subservient.  She
fusses over her appearance, and grows through the course of events in
Files 1 and 2 to become more expressive, sexually.  Her character is
directed toward appealing to a man for marriage, since she has little
to no hope of economic advancement, as a barmaid.  Given this, her
pairing with George lights upon an old sexist joke about women looking
for doctors to marry, for their material security.  She is a God-
fearing Catholic girl, whose main relevant skills are that she is (1) a
woman and (2) maternal.

Alyssa Ashcroft is Cindy's opposite.  She is an aggressive, masculine,
sexually liberated woman.  Her stereotype, from the perspective of
traditional expectations of female behavior, is that of the "bitch-
slut."  In File 1, her SP Item "Small Massager" is the euphemistic
presentation of a vibrator.  If a player ad libs while sending Alyssa
crawling through a duct, she may say, "I've spent a lot of time on all
fours."  Often, she will describe herself in terms of "having big
enough balls" to handle her dire circumstances.  Her SP Items elaborate
upon these qualities.  She reacts negatively to many superficial
products that claim to result in lost weight and less gas.  She is
pleased to find the "Bullet Lipstick" SP Item, which seems symbolic of
her combined aggressiveness and sexuality.

Curiously, her character is expressed via mystical attraction to
Japanese martial arts.  Her character does not seem to find strength in
femininity; rather, the emulation of masculinity (to the point of
becoming a martial arts master, a traditionally male figure) is her
primary means of self-expression.

Yoko Suzuki is the most difficult character to describe.  Many players
view her as a foil to Alyssa, since Yoko is passive while Alyssa is
aggressive.  (On these grounds, many players also seem to have
developed an unusual obsession with Yoko.)  She is an amnesiac, and the
game developers attempt to convey her amnesia by making her indecisive.

Her amnesia is breached slightly in some of her SP Item descriptions,
though the knowledge that awaits in memory is given only partially.
The "Old Photo" SP Item alludes to Yoko's unknown prior relationship to
Monaca, and her recognition of Greg's glasses in the "Gold Glasses" SP
Item alludes to the revelation that occurs during her ad libs, in the
"End of the Road" scenario.  She is narrated as having "bad feelings"
about Umbrella products, and she is portrayed as being in a state of
constant anxiety.  The anxiety, though, is conveyed through mere
indecision.

Insofar as the other characters are stereotyped, Yoko, too, is a
stereotype.  She is the only character, though, who may be slightly
more than a stereotype.  She is reserved, sexually uninterested, and
depressed.  Frankly, she is hideous; a more disinterested player may
describe her as "merely plain."  Her appearance is so androgynous, she
appears almost as a boy.  The SP Items seem to try to enforce the fact
that she is, in fact, female; specifically, the items "Flowery Yukata"
and "Young Girls' Comic" appear to no other purpose than to confirm
that Yoko is, despite appearances, a teenage girl.

The way in which Yoko may be slightly more than a stereotype involves
her secret, revealed through ad libs in the "End of the Road" scenario.
Apparently, her cells were used as incubators or test subjects for the
T-Virus.  She was so horrified by how her body had been used, Greg (the
scientist working at Raccoon University, from File 1) surgically
altered her brain so she would forget what had happened.  It's
interesting that the weakest character is Japanese, and that the
weakest character has been exploited by Americans (and the Umbrella
Corporation, AKA "Western Evil") to her and others' detriment.

What conclusions can be drawn from these conclusions?  From my
perspective, Capcom of Japan has derived certain stereotypes of
America, collected them in eight characters, and made "Resident Evil:
Outbreak."  Certain stereotypes (such as Jim Chapman) are so offensive,
since they ask to be taken seriously, that one wonders if such a
character would survive, legally, if created by an American company.
We, as players, seem willing to accept racist stereotypes when given
them by non-American sources.  Some players even see the characters as
plausible, realistic figures.  The SP Items moreso concretize the
stereotypes out of which Kevin, Mark, Jim, George, David, Alyssa, Yoko,
and Cindy are derived.  These cannot be anything but deliberate, yet
the outrage against blatant typecasting is absent.

V: Legal Disclaimer

All of the stuff that's Capcom's is Capcom's.  I didn't make the game
"Resident Evil: Outbreak, File 2."  Capcom made it, and all of it is
legally theirs.

The opinions and analyses found within this document are the work of
James Clinton Howell, and they are not the opinions and analyses of
either GameFAQs or Capcom.  Portions of this document may appear
published in a scholarly journal within the year, and it is forbidden
to plagiarize this document's contents in any way, shape, or form.
Such plagiarism may result in a civil lawsuit over publication rights.

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