Soul-Calibur
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Blades of Fury brings high-'calibur' fighting to iPhone
Sure, new iPods and iTunes and whatever are great, but the best Apple platform news for us this week is the release of Gameloft's Blades of Fury. Between the voice acting, the idea of playing a 3D fighter on iPhone, and, well, Gameloft's willingness to openly and unashamedly rip off Soul Calibur, this is one of the most entertaining iPhone releases yet, and we haven't even played the thing (which Touch Arcade says is actually pretty good). You're going to enjoy the trailer after the break.In fact, the only way to approach Blades of Fury as anything other than just a Soul Calibur clone is to believe that Gameloft released it this week as an homage to Soul Calibur, ten years after the Dreamcast release. [Via Touch Arcade]
Namco Bandai's new iTunes sounds will eat up your money
Do you like the sound of Pac-Man eating a ghost? Do you like it enough to pay a dollar for it? Namco Bandai announced a new iTunes music label called Namco Sounds, which will add remastered game soundtracks on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.The inaugural offerings include a Soul Calibur sampler, called SoulCalibur Suite: The Resonance of Souls and Swords, and sound effect collections from Pac-Man and Xevious. A $3 charge for each "album" isn't terrible -- it's equal to the cost of buying each of the Calibur tracks individually, and it's a fairly small price to pay for the full set of in-game sounds for the other games.Due to the nature of iTunes, however, individual tracks from the sound collections are spectacular ripoffs. Each sound effect, purchased separately, is 99 cents. We don't need "Special Flag: Get" or the incredibly irritating Xevious theme that badly. Do we?
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny character creation is for the detail-obsessed
When Soul Calibur III released on the PS2, its character creation mode added unprecedented depth to the series -- and subtracted most of our free time. It's fitting, then, that in keeping with its concept of being totally awesome, the series' first outing on PSP, Broken Destiny, would up the ante.Its create-a-character goes beyond anything we've seen in a fighter on any platform. New options allow for precision-tuning of every aspect of a created combatant's appearance, including the size, position and angle of their various accessories. In one of the example screens released by Namco, a character's glasses go from resting on the tip of his nose to propped up on his brow (and presumably could be placed anywhere in-between). That clown in the above image? It's totally adjustable, in addition to being really effing freaky. Perhaps the coolest option is the ability to create character portrait thumbnails that'll appear on the fighter selection screen. No more generic silhouettes or question marks. (Which makes us wonder: Will we be able to create a character that looks like a silhouette, or even a question mark?)[Via Adriasang]
Portable Soulcalibur keeps things big
Click Ivy to see more pictures. As you can see in these new screenshots, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny isn't giving up the graphical detail found in the console games. No, Ivy is well-endowed with ... polygons. It reminds us that although PSP may be a handheld device, it can pump out truly spectacular graphics so long as developers do the breast they can.%Gallery-51401%
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny trailer transcends PSP graphical abilities
Whoa, what kind of demon magic did Namco Bandai use to pull off the graphics of Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny? We know developers are squeezing more and more power out of the aging PSP, but we can't help but be amazed at the fidelity of this handheld game. Could this best Soulcalibur Legends? Oh, we think so.%Gallery-51401%
One more thing: Soulcalibur Broken Destiny heading to PSP
Wait, Namco Bandai wasn't done announcing PSP games. Just an hour after their Tekken 6 announcement, the company also revealed a brand new Soulcalibur game for the handheld. Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny is a PSP-exclusive version of Soulcalibur IV. Gone are the Star Wars bonus characters, but in their stead will be at least one new character: Dampiere.Broken Destiny will feature all the dressings of a console fighter, with arcade, versus and survival modes. New to the PSP version will be a new single-player mode meant for beginners struggling to learn the intricacies of the battle system. It will function, essentially, as an enhanced tutorial mode.The PSP version will also feature new lighting effects that allow players to fight in stages at different times of day. Other gameplay components, such as the critical finish and armor destruction are also supposedly improved. Finally, Broken Destiny will offer Ad-Hoc wireless play, although according to Gamespot, Infrastructure might be a possibility. Expect Soulcalibur to hit your no-longer-defunct PSP this summer.
The soul still burns? Namco Bandai registers EXCALIBUR trademark
Companies like to keep secrets, hiding their upcoming projects from the general public until the marketing and PR stars align. However, leaks can come from a variety of sources: ESRB database listings, early achievement reveals, and trademark registrations. NeoGAF's Stormbringer has compiled a list of new Japanese trademarks and one entry in particular caught our attention: Namco Bandai's EXCALIBUR.While the trademark in question could be a reference to the classic story of King Arthur, we can't help but remember another popular Namco Bandai franchise: Soulcalibur (yes, it's one word). Could Namco Bandai be looking into creating a spin-off series of the popular fighting game? An even more dramatic possibility: the franchise will be donning an entirely new name. Let's not forget, the first game in the franchise was called Soul Edge, not Soulcalibur.
Vader to invade Soulcalibur IV for a price
It's no longer a rumor, Darth Vader will in fact be coming to a SoulCalibur IV near you. Though, for a price. On Thursday, October 23rd, the once Playstation 3 exclusive SoulCalibur IV Vader character will be available for purchase off the Xbox Live Marketplace. Purchasable for 400 Microsoft points. Yes, we'll admit, $5 for Vader is a bit expensive, but when you look at what you're getting in terms of getting the chance to pit Yoda against Vader in an epic SoulCalibur IV battle of awesomeness. Well, then it doesn't seem too bad. But we must ask, where's our unlockable Jar Jar Binks?
Yoda appearing as Soulcalibur IV DLC, will cost $5
SHOCK! Namco Bandai has just announced that Xbox 360's exclusive Soulcalibur IV character, Yoda, will be available as DLC on the PS3. We totally didn't see this coming.The DLC pack will be available next Thursday, October 23rd, and will cost $4.99. Xbox 360 owners will be able to access the PS3-exclusive character, Darth Vader, for 400 Microsoft Points.
Street Fighter IV producer: Console-specific characters 'not very fair'
Street Fighter IV is unlikely to have exclusive console-specific characters (like Soul Calibur IV) when it releases next year, the game's producer tells Videogamer. Yoshinori Ono believes the idea of exclusive characters is unfair -- and that extends to "downloadable characters" as well.Yoshinori expresses that this is only his "policy," however, so we won't rule out the influence of the Capcom overlords. SF IV is expected on consoles around the time the Street Fighter movie releases in early 2009.%Gallery-21918%
SoulCalibur IV demo bloodies up the XBLM
Weighing in at a reasonable 695MB and available for download off the Xbox Live Marketplace is a brand new SoulCalibur IV demo that has been specifically crafted for your SoulCalibur fighting enjoyment. And before you ask, we'll admit that we don't know all that much about the demo, what's included or which characters are featured in it (fingers crossed for Yoda), so don't ask us. Just download it and quit being so darn lazy. But, we do know what our favorite thing about the SoulCalibur IV demo is, and it's the NAMCO-BANDAI supplied demo description which reads: "Especially suitable for the players out there who are still undecided in purchasing the final product!" Now that's called being honest.
Soul Calibur IV ships 2 million
It looks like Yoda and Darth Vader are finally working together. You see, the two Jedi masters have managed to help push 2 million copies of Soul Calibur IV onto the gaming populace. The number accounts for both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 version of the game. We're curious to see which version sold more copies. No, not because we want the Xbox 360 version to succeed, but because we want some new nerd ammunition for the next time we get into the Darth Vader vs Yoda conversation. [Via Joystiq]
Soul Calibur IV burns two million souls worldwide
Namco Bandai's ridiculously cross-branded Soul Calibur IV has cut a deep swath into retail shelves worldwide, shipping not one million units but two since its July 29 debut. Still, and not to make an example out of you, Namco, but really all of this chest puffery over units shipped is a bit overblown. It's like bragging about how many pencils you threw at the ceiling, rather than what's really important, namely how many stuck. Then again, we imagine it's difficult to look up and count while you're ducking under the desk from falling profits.
'No plans' for Yoda on PS3 Soulcalibur IV
If Katsutoshi Sasaki, the director of Soulcalibur IV, is to be believed, there will be no Yoda in the form of DLC in the PS3 version. There won't be a Vader DLC for the 360 version, for that matter. The interview in MSXBox World contains mostly questions about the Xbox 360 version, but when asked "will there ever be a time when we can have Darth Vader and Yoda on the same console?" Sasaki gave a clear reply of "we don't have any plans for that." The interview is dated August 31st, 2008, but we are going to assume it is from July 31st.This is contrary to earlier reports on the official Korean PlayStation site claiming Yoda will be available for download from the PSN. And videos like this certainly won't help douse those rumors.
Soulcalibur IV revival music, customization DLC hits Live
For players looking to expand their musical experience in a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold, Namco Bandai has released all 17 tracks from the original Soulcalibur soundtrack on the Xbox Live Marketplace for play within Soulcalibur IV. At 80MS points a piece or 1,200MS points for the entire pack, the content is truly for the hardcore SoCal fans -- or those with an affinity for nonsense DLC. Also available on the XBLM is actual content for the game! The Customization Equipment 1 pack clocks in at 100MS points and includes a number of new items to use for character customization. The content pack is also revival themed in that it includes equipment Soulcalibur fans will recognize from previous games in the series -- including armor sets and headgear for a number of characters. [Thanks, CCC]
Snake versus Raiden: the SCIV user generated match
The character creation tools of Soulcalibur IV look to be rather robust. Kotaku's CB has created facsimiles of our favorite Metal Gear Solid characters, Snake and Raiden, using the in-game system. While not 100% spot-on, these renders do add a distinct Metal Gear flair to the classic fighter. Seeing these two fighting on the Death Star with Soulcalibur weapons ... well, that's the kind of stuff fanfics are made of.[Thanks, Gambit07!]
Yoda as DLC for Soulcalibur IV, says Korean PlayStation site
Over the weekend, a video of Darth Vader and Yoda fighting each other in Soulcalibur IV was leaked onto the internet (and then it was subsequently pulled). Currently, Darth Vader lives only on the PS3 version, while Yoda lives only on the Xbox 360 version. Could Namco Bandai be planning DLC which unlocks the famed Star Wars characters in both versions? It would make a lot of sense, wouldn't it?According to the Korean PlayStation site, Yoda will be available for download from the PSN. That sounds like DLC to us. While Namco Bandai hasn't confirmed anything yet, we wouldn't be surprised if Yoda (and who knows what other characters) ended up appearing in Soulcalibur IV.[Via Siliconera; Image via GamersReports]
Shipping this week: Now with more Yoda edition
This is it folks, this week officially marks the release of Soul Calibur IV. You may recall SCIV as the weapons based fighter that features not only ridiculously proportioned female fighters but also Yoda. The Playstation 3 version gets Darth Vader himself, though he may be Force choking his way to the 360 if rumors are to be believed. Also on the release this week are Spectral Force 3 and Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge. Spectral Force 3 is a Japanese strategy RPG and Summer Athletics The Ultmate Challenge is ... well, honestly, we have no idea. Looking at the title, we'd say someone is looking to cash in on the Olympic Games.[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Vader DLC to darken SoulCalibur IV
Once thought to be the only good, pure and white edition of SoulCalibur IV may eventually be tainted with DLC from the dark side. Rumor on the internets is that NAMCO's Xbox 360 edition of SoulCalibur IV, which exclusively includes Yoda and a white color scheme, may eventually get the PS3 exclusive Darth Vader fighter as a content download. Proof is in the in-game video pudding and, as you can see above, we have proof that both Yoda AND Darth Vader can battle it out in on the same Xbox 360. If true, are you willing to pay for a DLC Darth Vadar or do you demand your Vadar to be free content? [Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Vader DLC bringing dark side to Xbox 360 Soul Calibur IV
Never mind that we totally caught Yoda and Vader face to face in a Soul Calibur IV trailer months ago, Namco Bandai's official line has remained: Yoda is in the Xbox 360 version, Darth Vader in the PlayStation 3 one. While some of us assumed both characters could be unlocked in either version (except Ludwig, he pre-ordered both editions just to be safe), Namco Bandai has apparently come up with a better idea. Why not sell Darth Vader as DLC to Xbox 360 owners? (And presumably, why not pimp out Yoda to PS3 players?)GamersReports has allegedly obtained another "quality exclusive" in three screenshots that depict Vader as a selectable character in the Xbox 360 version of Soul Calibur IV. To be fair, the report only suggests that Vader would be offered as an "add-on download" and does not specify whether or not that would be paid content or a fan service freebie. The site adds, "No word on when, or even if ever it will be released." Oh the suspense![Thanks, alvin]
