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Original Soulcalibur coming to XBLA
With the release of the highly anticipated Soul Calibur IV now confirmed to be July 29, and another fourth iteration fighting game likely hitting near the end of the year or thereabouts, what could fuel the single combat genre until the fall? Well, if you're going to be picking up SCIV it might be worth your time to see how the series started off, and Namco Bandai looks to be making that even easier when they bring the original Soulcalibur to Live Arcade later this year. Regarded by some as a near-perfect weapon based fighter, this 1999 Dreamcast title will be upgraded to run in HD, though that's where the upgrades really stop. Leaderboards will be featured for the single player, but there are currently no plans to include online multiplayer, local only. We're not sure about this particular port, our purchase will likely depend on the amount of ambient nostalgia upon release (and of course upon the quality of Soul Calibur IV).
Namco Bandai to bring original Soul Calibur to XBLA
While July 29 will finally let us settle the age old question asking who would win in a fight, an undead pirate or a Sith lord, Namco Bandai's plans for fighting game enthusiasts do not end with Soul Calibur IV. The company confirmed plans this evening to re-release the original Dreamcast fighter over Xbox Live Arcade this summer as well. Namco Bandai has shed little light on what we can expect from the port, revealing only that it will include all of the original cast, with Arcade, Training, and Survival modes on top of the obligatory local Versus mode. Additionally, the company has only confirmed leaderboards, leaving us to wonder if the release will let us take the Dreamcast classic online as we party like it's 1999.
Soulcalibur IV dated for July 29
It's nice to know that the eternal telling of souls and swords will continue this Summer -- more accurately on July 29 for North America. While we're ecstatic that we now have a solid date for Soulcalibur IV, it isn't the only new information circulating the interwebs. Namco Bandai also revealed that the game will come in both regular and limited Premium Edition packaging.Included in the Premium Edition is an art book/comic that serves as a prequel leading up to the events in Soulcalibur IV. Also included is an ambiguously described "tournament kit" that "give fans the opportunity to document the battle amongst friends." It's not clear as to what exactly that involves. Premium Edition buyers will also have access to exclusive customization content. Following the pricing standards of other high-end low-end specs, the Premium Ed. and regular version will be priced at US$79.99 and US$59.99 respectively.
Soul Calibur IV coming July 29 in regular and 'premium' editions
A tale eternally retold (and resold), the Soul Calibur franchise will be making its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 debut on July 29th in North America. In case you haven't been staying abreast with the fighting franchise's ample development, Soul Calibur IV sees the character roster expanding in an inverse proportion to the size of Ivy's clothes. At last count, the cast included an undead demon pirate, a Sith lord, an asthmatic S&M fetishist and a little green friend. Oh well, at least Spawn's not in this one.As excited as we are, purchasing the game won't be as easy as simply walking to the store shelf and stuffing it into our trench coats, like we normally do. It seems Namco Bandai has constructed a chicane of decisions for us all: Want to play as Darth Vader right away? Get the PlayStation 3 version. Perhaps you'd prefer Yoda instead? That's the Xbox 360 version. Would you like a comic book, a "tournament kit" and "extra customization content?" Oh, you want the $79.99 Premium Edition ... don't you?
Soulcalibur IV video displays prowess of Vader, Yoda
You know, we haven't seen a new video for Soulcalibur IV in a long time, so even though this one isn't exactly "official", it does offer a first-time look at gameplay footage of both Darth Vader and Yoda -- the extra characters mysteriously added to the game. Let's not forget that Vader is exclusive to the PS3 version (while Yoda is exclusive to the Xbox 360).What can we say? They seem like they'll fit in nicely, and we hope to see more weapon-based fighter action in the near future. New images of the game can also be found at Jeux-France.
Eminence records Soulcalibur IV orchestral score
Eminence, a Sydney-based orchestra known mostly for their renditions of popular anime and videogame scores, has been tasked to record the orchestral set pieces for Soulcalibur IV. All in all, Eminence recorded seven music pieces at Trackdown Studios in Sydney, Australia. Eminence's director and concert master, Hiroaki Yura, told IGN that the music they recorded was "mostly the opening, the ending credit, player selection [screen] ... and a little bit of battle music."Junichi Nakatsuru, the composer for Soulcalibur IV, was also on hand to oversee the recording of his masterpieces. He stated that he was conscious about bringing out the game's story through music. Not just the new title's story but the series long tale: "This Soulcalibur IV project itself is basically the result of all the previous Soulcaliburs and I'm taking all the good bits [from those games]... and building on them."With a talented group of musicians working on a passionate composer's work, it's safe to assume we can expect to hear excellent music in the final game. To hear just how good Eminence sounds, have a listen to the clip after the break. The clip showcases music from a game unrelated to Soulcalibur; however, we think you'll be impressed from the mad skills nonetheless.
Soul Calibur IV's Amy, Cervantes and Zasalamel revealed in screenshots
While Soul Calibur IV's trio of Amy, Cervantes and Zasalamel were first revealed this week in the pages of Famitsu, we find that we're often far too busy to be bothered with flipping through a magazine looking at pictures, let alone one we can't even read. That's why we're thrilled that Namco Bandai has sent out some screens showing off the characters as they make the high-def leap from the PS2-exclusive Soul Calibur III to this summer's sequel. Still, as fearsome as Cervantes is (just look at that pirate scowl, you know he means business), we still wonder how even he will handle dealing with Jedi. %Gallery-6043%
Latest Soulcalibur IV scan reveals new character, returning cast
A new Famitsu scan, a new Soulcalibur IV character revealed. This time, one more fresh female face joins the roster; her name is Angol Fear. She sounds frightening, doesn't she? Angol Fear is said to be a character from the Keroro Gunsou anime. It's an odd choice for a guest character if you ask us. Seems a little too niche. It begs the question: is this character even going to make it in the North American version? A second question comes to mind: why are there no Namco guest characters? We'd love to see more Tekken cameos, or even Kos-Mos from Xenosaga -- that is, if there are no business complications on that end.Anyway, Soulcalibur fanatics will love this info: Cervantes and Zasalamel are returning. Amy from Soulcalibur III will also be returning. With the news of this latest revelation, the majority of Soulcalibur alumni have now been confirmed. We're still missing the likes of Setsuka, Talim, Yoshimitsu, and Rock. Talim, deary, where are you?
New Soulcalibur IV character revealed
In the latest issue of Famitsu, a new character for Soulcalibur IV has been unveiled. Her name is Scheherazade, and she joins the cast of fighters using a rapier for a weapon. A Raphael clone perhaps? One odd noticeable trait of Scheherazade is that she has pointy ears, almost looking elf-like. Her character portrait is also drawn in a different style from the other mainstay characters. We're not sure what that could mean, but we won't read too far into it. The name Scheherazade sounds familiar, especially to this blogger. One Thousand and One Nights anyone?
Soulcalibur IV box art: PS3 = dark side
Ooh, our comrades at XBF found these two uber-cool box arts for Soulcalibur IV. The cover art, minus the lightsabers, showed up on Gamestop's website. It appears that these pack shots play heavily on the Star Wars guest characters, Yoda and Darth Vader, creating a strong light-vs-dark theme. The box arts seen here could very well be just placeholder until the actual ones come out; however, they do look quite similar to Soulcalibur II's artwork that also featured guest characters.While we've definitely got the cooler guest character in Darth Vader, the 360 version has series heartthrob, Siegfried on the cover. They've also got the Soul Calibur sword and the new female character Hilde, while we've got Soul Edge and everybody's favorite buxom babe Ivy. Now XBF asked their readers which one do they think has the better design, and we're doing the same! So which one do you like better?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Off the Grid reviews Universal Fighting System
Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column about card games, board games, and everything else non-digital.Chun Li versus Seung Mina; Nightmare versus Morrigan; Akuma versus Tycho Brahe: Ultimate showdowns we're likely never to see outside of crudely-written fan-fiction and our own fevered dreamings. Luckily for us, Sabertooth Games has devised the Universal Fighting System, a collectible card game that allows players to mix and match licensed decks to create legendary one-on-one battles.There's one problem, or maybe I should call it a caveat: UFS isn't going to be for everybody. Beyond the gorgeous illustrations, and clear appeal to video game fans, this is most definitely a gamer's game; cards are littered with special icons, point values, and ancillary functions that dwarf the relative simplicity of CCGs like Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon. Of course, the reward for this technical complexity is depth, with an incredibly strategic experience waiting to be unlocked by the hardiest of players. Not to deter you, but let this be a warning: A casual card game this is not.
Brand new Soulcalibur IV screenshots
Click for high resolution image. Nineteen new screenshots from the upcoming Namco Bandai fighter, Soulcalibur IV, have been unearthed. In them, you can see some familiar characters. Maxi, Yunseong, Cassandra and Raphael can all be spotted in these new shots. Also, see Hidel and Mina in these dramatic, cleavage-filled screenshots.%Gallery-4984%
Sasaki: Ring outs evolve in SoulCalibur IV
We were all in for quite a shock when it was revealed that Darth Vader would be entering the tournament in SoulCalibur IV exclusively on the PS3. Now that the shock has worn away a little and we've had a chance to catch our breath, here comes a nice interview with the game's director Katsutoshi Sasaki, who talks about a myriad of topics ranging from the evolution of the game's ring outs to why the team included Star Wars' most popular character. To be perfectly honest, we were sold on the game after Ivy was *ahem* revealed, but with the newest addition and everything Sasaki said, we think we're starting to feel like those Star Wars guys who wait in line weeks to watch a new episode.
Today's crossover video: Soul Calibur Star Wars
We hoped it was a joke, but trailers don't lie, do they? Sure, the best part of that one Star Wars was when Yoda flipped out and killed people. (Actually, it was probably the best part of all three.) But a Yoda-and-Darth cross-over to Soul Calibur IV? We're not sure if we should feel bad for Star Wars or Soul Calibur.But here's the trailer. Watch it with your splayed fingers covering your eyes after the break. Or drink from the HD faucet at GameTrailers.
Soul Calibur IV's secret characters: Darth Vader and Yoda
Is it April already? A quick glance at our calendars confirms that it's still January, and an extended glance at 1UP's reveal of Soul Calibur IV's secret characters does nothing to evaporate the reigning feeling of utter confusion. The lineup of saucer-eyed assassins, scantily clad combatants and bizarre pain fetishists in Namco's anticipated fighter is set to be joined by the Sith's darkest lord and the Force's most diminutive master. Our little green friend can almost manage to fit in to Soul Calibur's ye olde fantasy trappings, but poor ol' Vader appears to have gotten lost and disoriented after leaping over some sharks on his space jet ski.Even better news can be found in 1UP's suspicion that even more Star Wars characters will waltz into Calibur's cantina, possibly via downloadable content. An interesting idea, but we reckon you'd save money by simply buying a copy of Masters of Teräs Käsi off eBay.Update: Gamespot reports that Darth Vader is reserved for the PlayStation 3, while Yoda will be included in the Xbox 360 version.[Thanks, Antonio]
Darth Vader and Yoda join Soulcalibur IV [Update]
Yes, this is quite possibly the strangest gaming news we've heard of in a while. Star Wars characters Darth Vader and Yoda have joined Namco Bandai's PS3 fighter, Soulcalibur IV. We could possibly write something funny to describe this situation, but we're confident that you guys will do much better than us.The franchise has been home to other non-canon characters, such as Link from The Legend of Zelda. What do you think about this Lucas-flavored addition to this fighter?Check out all the images at 1UP. [Update: Movie is now embedded.][Thanks, David C.!]
The breast video game boobs to haunt our mammories
It's been a while since we noticed a gaming site go straight for the Maxim demographic full force, but boy did GameDaily ever do it with its "Boobs through the Years" pictorial. Twelve pictures of boobs (eleven women and one man) from the last 30 years of gaming litter this feature. The Soul Calibur IV breasts, which are certainly the most gratuitous in recent memory, get the feature bouncing along. Once again, the piece is so base, but the site sure did get creative with some of the descriptions. For example, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (pictured) is described as having mammary glands where each have their own "mother brain." And don't forget about Rachel from Ninja Gaiden's "heaving mounds of fury." Oh mercy, time to go make a donation to the Girl Scouts on GameDaily's behalf.
Questionable Soulcalibur Legends for Wii goes gold
When we first took remote in hand to try out Soulcalibur Legends for the Wii at E3, the whole incident compelled us to throw away our clothes and take a shower while trying to wash ourselves clean of the experience altogether. But the filth would not come off. Granted, this was of an early build, but given the state of things, our hopes for the fighter-made-action game were left irrecoverably gutted.Now, however, Namco Bandai sends word that the game has gone gold, and while we have trouble caring, Wii owners on the lookout for something original (regardless of quality) can look forward to getting dirty themselves November 20. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
TGS07 leftovers: Soulcalibur IV screenshots
Click for high-res image. We still have a few leftover goodies from Tokyo Game Show. Like these screenshots of Soulcalibur IV. As a wise roommate once said, "these are pretty." Indeed, they are pretty.There should be more to say about the game, aside from gawking at its pretty looks (what game these days doesn't look good?). But, we've already focused on the outlandish character designs -- and the ridiculous story. It looks like we have no choice but to drool just a little bit longer.%Gallery-4984%
TGS07: The story of Soulcalibur IV
Click to see high-res image. Namco Bandai has managed to sneak a little bit of story into all of its Soulcalibur fighting games. Ultimately, they provide little reason as to why these characters seem to enjoy beating the c**p out of each other -- but it's good fun for us, nonetheless. The story of the upcoming Soulcalibur IV ties in the fate of the Soul Edge and the Soul Calibur and is presented in its now-trademark melodramatic style.A fun drinking game to play while reading the Prologue is to take a shot every time the word "soul" is used. Let's see if you can survive!%Gallery-7829%
