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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.
Namco Bandai reaches high 'calibur' profits of $99.7m
Swords and boobs helped propel Namco Bandai to $99.7 million in profit during the third quarter of its financial year. GameDaily reports that Soul Calibur IV has been the publisher's most successful title, selling 2.2m units this fiscal year, followed by Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit's 730k. Overall, the PS2 is the publisher's most successful platform for its software, followed by the Wii. Also, the PSP has been slightly kinder to the publisher than the DS.Namco Bandai's finances combine the company's video games, arcade machines and toy businesses. Despite a significant drop in revenue, it still plans to walk away with $143m in profit, when it closes the books for the year on March 31.
Deals: iTunes music with Fable 2, $45 games and more
It's Sunday and that means we've already sifted through retailers' ads and found the best Xbox 360 gaming deals. Why? Because we want to save you cash and because it counts towards our government mandated community service hours. Let's get to it ... This week, Best Buy is giving away a free drum shade with purchase of Rock Band 2 bundle and Target is selling NBA Live 09 and SoulCalibur IV for $55. Over at Circuit City, they're giving out free $15 iTunes gift cards with purchase of Fable 2 (LE), a free strategy guide with Far Cry 2, a free t-shirt with the Rock Band 2 bundle and a $10 gift card with Midnight Club: LA. Circuit City is also selling GTAIV, Mercenaries 2, The Force Unleashed and Madden 09 for $45. Have fun shopping.
Soulcalibur IV getting Vader and Yoda DLC
It seems when Namco Bandai told us Darth Vader and Yoda would remain trapped in their respective console domains, it was only true ... from a certain point of view. The company has shockingly confirmed that, due to "overwhelming fan response," those suspiciously blank character portraits in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Soulcalibur IV will soon be filled in by a downloadable Darth Vader or Yoda. Good job, fans, we're sure Namco would never have figured out how to make money like this on its own.The proper Star Wars showdown will begin on October 23rd, provided you're willing to pay 400 and $5 for a hyperventilating throat crusher and his little green friend, respectively. And just so we can work in another tedious reference, we'll add: We pray Namco doesn't alter the deal any further. Good one, us![Via press release]
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.
European PSN releases for September 18th
That's more like it. Have you noticed that we haven't been moaning about European PSN releases for a little while? That's because SCEE has clearly stepped up their game. Big releases are nigh-on simultaneous and demos and add-ons are rarely late, either. Being a European is pretty good this week, with three demos, two song packs for Rock Band and some decent videos and themes. Here's the full release list:Playable content Fracture demo SoulCalibur IV demo NBA Live 09 demo Add-on content Rock Band DLC (listed after the break) Rock Band Song Export Key (£2.49/€3.49) Having said that, the Rock Band DLC is lagging slightly, but we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt for a few weeks, until they get everything synced up properly. The most confusing thing about this update is the Rock Band Son Export Key. Why would Europe need that now, if Rock Band 2 is nowhere in sight? Unless EA is going to surprise the region with a sooner-than-expected (ie, within the next 6 months) release? Who knows. What it does mean is that the song export patch (which includes GHIII controller compatability) should be available soon. Right?
Soulcalibur IV demo on Japan PS Store
If you've been meaning to pick up Soulcalibur IV -- which was released about a month ago -- but have yet to, then perhaps you've been waiting for that demo that was promised. If you find yourself in with that crowd, perhaps getting some playtime with the newly released demo off the Japanese PS Store will tickle your fancy.The demo, which is completely in English, weighs-in at about 879MB. It'll allow players to fight a few rounds as either Cassandra (pictured getting whacked in the head) or Nightmare (not pictured). For those of you who want to check out the weapon-clashing blades of SC IV, log into your Japanese accounts and download it. For those of you who don't have a Japanese account and are not in a rush, there's a pretty big chance of seeing the demo on your local PS Store update tomorrow.
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%
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.
Mario and more re-created in Soul Calibur IV
The creativity and ingenuity of gamers is not to be questioned. Case in point: the avalanche of (mostly) excellent classic characters re-created in Soul Calibur IV. We've already covered a few 24 of them, but this latest batch warrants a look as well. After all, it will at least give you a kicking-off point for making your own versions of Mario and Lugi, along with Cammy (Street Fighter), The Bride (Kill Bill), Gundam (er, Gundam), and more. While you're at it, we're sure our podcast crew would love to see themselves in SCIV form. (hint-hint) [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Dante, The Bride, Mario Bros. in SCIV's Creation mode
After seeing Snake, Raiden and Kratos in Soul Calibur IV's Character Creation mode, we knew it was inevitable other fan favorites would soon arrive as well. As you can see above, two very famous plumbers were painstakingly recreated for your viewing pleasure. This site managed to collect even more craziness, with everyone ranging from Dante of Devil May Cry, The Bride of Kill Bill, Nappa & General Tao of Dragon Ball, Golbez of Final Fantasy IV, Cammy of Street Fighter and last but certainly not least, Gundam. Admittedly, we are a little scared by that last one. See who else you can recognize here.[Via Kotaku]
No Star Wars DLC for Soul Calibur IV, says game's director
What's wrong with this picture? It directly contradicts what Soul Calibur IV director Katsutoshi Sasaki said in a recent interview, that's what. Specifically, Sasaki responded "we don't have any plans for that" when asked by XCN if we'd ever see both characters from a galaxy far, far away battling each other on the same console. You can't get much more official than the game's director, but his comments don't explain screenshots (such as the one above) and video that have appeared on the net clearly (and seemingly authentically) showing both Yoda and Vader in the same version of SCIV. We can't help but think Sasaki is practicing his Jedi mind tricks on us with this one.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Video: 24 custom Soul Calibur IV characters
What if an army of large-breasted female warriors, Darth Vader, and Yoda still weren't enough to satisfy your most illicit fanboy fantasies? Mathematically speaking, that puts you in a very small percentile but, never one to back down from a challenge, Namco has included a character creation tool in Soul Calibur IV to fill in whatever gaps you may feel are inexcusable.For inspiration, we've got this video from CanoodleStrudel, showing off 24 different handmade fighters. There's a heavy focus on characters from Japanese games – Onimusha, Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid, and Final Fantasy VII – but there's also some Western treats, like Arthas from the Warcraft universe and the Prince (of Persia), light and dark versions. But it's not all video game characters, we've also got Leonidas from 300 and Bruce Lee from ... real life.So are there technically 24 characters? Sure, but only if you consider armor changes to be unique characters ... and yes, we're including Dante and Nero in the "armor change" category. We wonder how long internet memesters can resist from crafting a Pirate versus Ninja battle ... or a Chuck Norris versus Jack Bauer showdown ... [Thanks, Tim]
Want Kratos in SCIV? Then make him, here's how
A lot of you thought the other day's post for Snake and Raiden in Soulcalibur IV was newsworthy, so we're going to bring you another one of these character creation posts. This time, it's that Greek dude with a temper problem -- Kratos. We know a lot of you got excited over the rumor, and after it got shot down, your excitement died with it. So, we propose that if you really want the gruff voiced warrior battling it out with the guys and (well-endowed) ladies of Namco's Soulcalibur IV, then make him yourself. We've posted instruction on how to make him (and some more pics, too) after the break.
Rumor: Yoda could come to PS3 Soul Calibur IV through DLC
It makes perfect sense that even though Darth Vader and Yoda were appearing in two separate versions of Soul Calibur IV, they would eventually have to do battle with each other. We're sure they're drawn together by the Force, midi-chlorians, and, most importantly, the Scrooge McDuck-style vat of money derived from charging for both of them as downloadable content.First we caught wind that Vader might be making his way to 360. Now, our friends at Siliconera have discovered a blurb from Sony Computer Entertainment Korea, which wrote, "you can make a dream come true with Darth Vader vs. Yoda and My Character vs. Apprentice fights through available downloads." Possible typo? Maybe. But after Friday's story that's looking less and less likely.
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]
Soulcalibur IV hands-on: The first few hours
So, it's finally here. The definitive weapons-based fighter is back and we've been lucky enough to get an early taste of all the steel-clashing action. We've been practicing our combat skills over the weekend and have sunk a good amount of time into the PS3 version. So, want to know what our first few hours were like? Want to know answers to those questions burning in the back of your mind, like: Is the install worth it? What's up with rumble? If you're planning to pick up Soulcalibur IV tomorrow, you'll want to read on.%Gallery-4984%
New games this week: Soul Calibur IV edition
Try as we might to fully embrace the idea, the inclusion of Yoda and Darth Vader to the Soul Calibur series still feels like something we would have dreamed when we were 12, told our friends about and then been mercilessly teased for. In fact, we won't be entirely sure the whole thing's not an elaborate prank being pulled on us by Namco-Bandai until we get our hands on a retail disc, which, appropriately enough, will be this week.Also this week, Sam and Max come to the Wii, as does the completely mystifying Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge. We hear you can train to be the top runner guy and get the platinum medallion for running challenges.
