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Barry Burton

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Barry Burton
Resident Evil character
Barry Burton in Resident Evil (1996)
First gameResident Evil (1996)
Created by
Designed by
Voiced by
  • Barry Gjerde (Resident Evil)[1]
    Ed Smaron (Resident Evil 2002 remake)[1]
    Jamieson Pric (Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D)[1]
    Michael McConnohie (Resident Evil: Revelations 2)[1]
  • Yusaku Yara (Resident Evil 2002 remake, Resident Evil: Revelations 2)[1]
Portrayed byGreg Smith (Resident Evil live-action cutscenes)[2]
Kevin Durand (Resident Evil: Retribution)[3]
In-universe information
NationalityAmerican

Barry Burton (バリー・バートン, Barī Bāton) is a character in Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan), a survival horror video game series created by the Japanese company Capcom. He was first introduced as a supporting character in the original Resident Evil (1996) and became a player character in Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015).

Created by director Shinji Mikami and designer Isao Ohishi, Billy Burton was added to the first Resident Evil game later in development. They originally designed a muscular cyborg named Gelzer, before deciding that the game should emphasize horror instead of science fiction. Burton re-used some of Gelzer's design and story elements, such as his massive stature, military background, and status as a member of Special Tactics and Rescue Service.

Video game publications have described Barry as among the best and most likable characters in the Resident Evil franchise. Several publications also praised the character's writing, and he has gained popularity due to his awkward dialogue in the original Resident Evil game.

Concept and design

Barry Burton was introduced in Capcom's 1996 survival horror video game Resident Evil.[2] The character was originally created by director Shinji Mikami and designer Isao Ohishi.[4] Unlike mainstay characters Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, Burton was not included in the original game design.[5] According to writer Kenichi Iwao, he had designed a cyborg character named Gelzer, before deciding that his science fiction elements were inappropriate for the game's horror aesthetic.[5][6] Some of Gelzer's design elements were recycled into Burton, including his large stature and military experience.[5] Burton also took on some of the story elements previously intended for Gelzer, such as supporting the ceiling in the shotgun trap area to save the player from being crushed.[5]

Iwao wanted a name that was easy to remember, so he chose the alliterative name Barry Burton. Initially, Iwao wanted Burton to be a black character, but his final design became white after opposition from designer Hideki Kamiya.[6] For the first Resident Evil, designer Jun Takeuchi helped create Burton's in-game character model. He suggested giving Barry a red vest to help differentiate him from the other characters.[7] Mikami thought Burton's model data was too slim, so he made him a little fatter, but not so much that the character became unrealistic. Then they "made him look tough outside, and motion is "old man" to make balance."[8] While making Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Michiteru Okabe responded to Burton's popularity by adding his daughter, Moira, as a playable character.[9]

Voice-over and live-action actors

Barry Gjerde voiced Barry Burton in his initial appearance in the American release of the original Resident Evil.[1] In the original Resident Evil, which uses live-action cinematics, Barry is played by a retired principal, Greg Smith.[2] Smith recalls earning the role due to his resemblance to the character design, as well as his ability to act as a "rudimentary character that stifles around, stiff-legged. [...] It was close to 2000 dollars American a day or something. It was good money back in 1995."[10]

The character was later voiced by Ed Smaron in the remake of Resident Evil,[1] Michael McConnohie in Resident Evil: Revelations 2,[1] and Jamieson Pric in both Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D.[1] In Japan, he was voiced by Yusaku Yara for both the original Resident Evil and its remake, as well as Resident Evil: Revelations 2.[1] For the animated film Resident Evil: Retribution, Burton was voiced by Kevin Durand.[3]

Appearances

In the Resident Evil series

In the Resident Evil series of games, Barry Burton appears as a member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) alpha team.[8] He makes his first appearance in the first Resident Evil game,[11][12] which is set in a mansion near the fictional town of Raccoon City in 1998.[13] Burton and his team search the mansion for their colleagues,[11][12] working more closely with the player character if they select Jill Valentine.[14] Burton helps discover that the property is a façade for a biological warfare laboratory operated by the Umbrella Corporation, and its undead occupants are the scientists who developed the T-virus mutagen. Their commander, Albert Wesker, is revealed to be a double agent for Umbrella.[14] Burton, Valentine, and Chris Redfield are among the five survivors of the incident,[14] who form a strong relationship around their shared opposition to bioterrorism.[13] Burton returns in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999), where he helps Valentine and Carlos Oliveira escape from Raccoon City as it is destroyed.[15]

Burton becomes a playable character in the spinoff game Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015). Set in 2013, Burton travels to an island after receiving a distress call from his estranged daughter, Moira, who is trapped with Redfield's sister, Claire.[16] Soon after arriving, Barry meets a young girl called Natalia Korda, who search for Moira and Claire among many monsters. Natalia had met the two women, but was separated from them by antagonist Alex Wesker. Burton arrives in time to interrupt Wesker's efforts to transfer her soul into Natalie, and leading to the game's main conflict. As Burton begins to believe that Wesker killed Moira, he eventually kills Alex with the help of Moira and Claire. It is revealed in the "good ending" that Alex succeeded in transferring her soul into Natalia so she may live on.[17][18][19]

Burton appears as a playable character in the mobile game Resident Evil: Genesis (2001),[20] the Game Boy Color game Resident Evil Gaiden (2001),[21] and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (2011).[22] There is also a Mercenaries Reunion minigame in Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (2015), where Burton is also a playable character.[23]

Other media

Barry appears in the non-canon live-action Resident Evil film Resident Evil: Retribution (2012).[3] Several comic books based on the games were released,[24] and he is a character in Bandai's Resident Evil Deck Building Card Game (2011).[25] Capcom's themed restaurant Biohazard Cafe & Grill S.T.A.R.S., which opened in Shibuya, Tokyo, in 2012, sold a noodle dish named after him.[26]

Reception

Barry has received mostly positive reviews. Barry has been called as one of the greatest Resident Evil characters by Zac Thompsons of Bloody Disgusting. He claimed to have taken on the role of Jill in his first Resident Evil game; a decision that gave his encounter a majestic aspect that he would not have otherwise had. The majesty manifested in Barry Burton's "flowing red beard, flawed logic, compulsive confusion, tactical prowess, and eloquence encapsulated." No other character in the series, according to Zac, arouses as much anticipation with just their appearance. Zac also referred him to be the Adam West of the Resident Evil universe, and claimed that "his memory still burns in the minds of his many fans".[27] Barry is among the most loved characters in the history of the franchise, according to Aoife Wilson of Eurogamer. In the end, Wilson referred to him as a "big confused cult-wielding teddy bear" and said that he is incredibly quotable, has always been there for Jill when she needs him, and frequently shows up at the right times.[28] According to Melissa Sarnowski of Screen Rant, Barry Burton's debut in the first Resident Evil made him the best non-player character. She went on to say that Barry's clever one-liners and well-rounded biography helped him establish himself as Resident Evil's greatest non-player character very fast.[29] Maxwell McGee of GamesRadar+ called Barry a "comedy goldmine." He added that Barry "has always been a fan-favorite among Resident Evil fans, most notably for his voice actor's amazing work in the original Resident Evil.[30] IGN staffs described Barry as one of the best playable Resident Evil characters, saying that "he’s a charismatic buffoon with a heart of gold, and out of all the characters you’ll meet playing Resident Evil, he’s the most likeable."[31]

In-game dialogue
A eleven second excerpt of in-game dialogue from the original Resident Evil game, which achieved popularity.[32][33]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The first Resident Evil game, according to digital media scholar Esther MacCallum-Stewart, gained notoriety for its "very clunky dialogue and voice acting, an element which lent the otherwise suspenseful game an element of charm that endeared it to players."[34] Although she explains that the weak dialogue might be attributed to poor translation of the original Japanese text, she said this inadvertently helped differentiate the series from its rivals.[34] Several lines from the game achieved enduring popularity: "You were almost a Jill sandwich",[32] a remark made by Barry in an unnatural voiceover after a falling ceiling trap nearly crushes Jill, was brought back to life as an Internet meme ten years after the game's debut.[33] Multiple sources have also noted that line.[27][35][29][30] Capcom referenced the line in several of their later games, including Dead Rising (2006),[36][37] Resident Evil: Uprising (2009),[33] and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015).[38] Another piece of dialogue spoken by Barry – "Jill, here's a lock pick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you" – also gained notoriety.[39][40] The quote has been also parodied for containing an excessive amount of silence between words.[41] It was removed from later editions.[42]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Barry Burton Voices (Resident Evil)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Smith, Ed (September 22, 2022). "Resident Evil 1's Wesker, Chris and Barry are rubbish at Resident Evil". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Cotter, Padraig (October 30, 2021). "Is Barry Burton In The Resident Evil Movie Reboot?". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Capcom (March 22, 1996). Resident Evil (PlayStation). Scene: Closing credits.
  5. ^ a b c d Faulkner, Jason (January 18, 2017). "What Resident Evil Could Have Been". Shacknews. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Exclusive interview with Kenichi Iwao". crimson-head.com. 2018. Archived from the original on 2023-05-07. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  7. ^ Kelly, Andy (2022-10-12). "Dawn of the Dead: The making of Resident Evil". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  8. ^ a b ゲームキューブ版 バイオハザード オフィシヤルナビゲーションブック [Biohazard Official Navigation Book] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2002. Cited in Morbid Creations, survivhor.biohazardfrance.net.
  9. ^ Kimberley Wallace (September 19, 2014). "Resident Evil Revelations 2". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  10. ^ Yarwood, Jack (March 30, 2022). "The Story, and Enduring Legacy, of Resident Evil's Original Live-Action Opening". IGN. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  11. ^ a b MacCallum-Stewart, Esther (2019). The Playful Undead and Video Games: Critical Analyses of Zombies and Gameplay. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1138895461. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Crowley, Adam M. (2014). "Why They Keep Coming Back: The Allure of Incongruity". In Farghaly, Nadine (ed.). Unraveling Resident Evil: Essays on the Complex Universe of the Games and Films. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. pp. 34–44. ISBN 978-1476614403. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Denick, Thom (2013). Resident Evil Revelations. London: BradyGames. ISBN 978-0744014921. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Miller, Zachary (January 29, 2012). "Resident Evil: The Story So Far". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  15. ^ Patricio Kobek (April 5, 2020). "Resident Evil 3 Cut The Best Character". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "Barry Burton Is In Resident Evil: Revelations 2". Siliconera. December 1, 2014. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Wesley Yin-Poole (2 December 2014). "Resident Evil Revelations 2 trailer confirms Barry Burton's return". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2014-12-12. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  18. ^ Brown, Peter (March 19, 2015). "Resident Evil Revelations 2 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  19. ^ O'Brien, Lucy (March 17, 2015). "Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode Four Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Vasconcellos, Eduardo (January 18, 2008). "Resident Evil: Genesis Review: Return to the outskirts of Raccoon City on your mobile phone". IGN. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  21. ^ Vasconcellos, Eduardo (September 30, 2019). "Every Resident Evil Console Spinoff, Ranked". IGN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Drake, Audrey (June 2, 2011). "Alternate Costumes in Resident Evil: The Mercenaries". IGN. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  23. ^ Chester, Nick (June 12, 2021). "Barry and Rebbca get lost in Resident Evil 5 DLC nightmare". Destructoid. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  24. ^ Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko (w), Carlos D'Anda, Ryan Odagawa and Lee Bermejo (a). Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine, no. 1 (March 1998). WildStorm, ISBN 1887279954.
  25. ^ "Resident Evil [Deck Building Game]". Bandai Card Games. Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  26. ^ Reeves, Ben (September 28, 2012). "We Survived A Visit To Japan's Resident Evil Restaurant". Game Informer. Archived from the original on December 1, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  27. ^ a b Thompson, Zac (September 10, 2014). "Why Barry Burton is the Best 'Resident Evil' Character". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  28. ^ Wilson, Aoife (February 9, 2015). Video: Oh my Cod - An ode to Resident Evil's Barry Burton. Eurogamer (Video). Event occurs at 2:26-2:29. Jill Sandwich
  29. ^ a b Sarnowski, Melissa (April 28, 2023). "The Best Resident Evil NPC Of All Time Is Not In RE4 Remake". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  30. ^ a b McGee, Maxwell (January 26, 2015). "Barry and Natalia are comedy gold in Resident Evil: Revelations 2". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  31. ^ Krupa, Daniel; Judge, Alysia (January 17, 2017). "Top 10 Playable Resident Evil Characters". IGN. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  32. ^ a b Perron, Bernard (2018). The World of Scary Video Games: A Study in Videoludic Horror. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1501316197. Archived from the original on 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  33. ^ a b c McDonell, Jess (January 28, 2013). "Gaming Meme History: Jill Sandwich". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  34. ^ a b MacCallum-Stewart, Esther (2019). The Playful Undead and Video Games: Critical Analyses of Zombies and Gameplay. London: Routledge. p. 262. ISBN 978-1138895461. Archived from the original on 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  35. ^ Cite error: The named reference eurogamer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  36. ^ Woo, Ryan, Ryan (January 18, 2012). "The 50 Best Video Game Easter Eggs". Complex. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  37. ^ Schott, Gareth (July 2010). "Dawn of the Digital Dead: The Zombie as Interactive Social Satire in American Popular Culture". Australasian Journal of American Studies. 29 (1): 61–75. ISSN 1838-9554. JSTOR 41054186. For example, the mall shop 'Jill's Sandwiches' in Dead Rising might be considered a reference to the line, 'you were almost a Jill sandwich' in Resident Evil.
  38. ^ Baez, Dominic (June 9, 2017). "She was almost a Claire sandwich". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  39. ^ Clements, Ryan; Drake, Audrey (August 29, 2012). "The Most Absurd Resident Evil Quotes". IGN. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  40. ^ Famularo, Jessica (January 19, 2017). "The Silliest 'Resident Evil' Moments". Inverse. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  41. ^ de Rochefort, Simone (September 6, 2017). "Revisiting Resident Evil's most powerful scene". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  42. ^ Cowan, Danny (October 21, 2015). "Resident Evil HD Mod Masterfully Unlocks 1996 Dialog Recordings". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
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