Table of Contents:
I. Recent Updates (Where the newest info on Soulcalibur IV is noted).
II. Soulcalibur IV Reviews (Get the latest on what the press thinks of the game).
III. Thread Introduction (A brief overview of the thread by me).
IV. What is Soul Calibur? (A look at what you can expect from Soulcaliber).
V. The History of Soulcalibur (How the series has com about).
VI. Product Information (Release dates, pricing, editions, etc.).
VII. Soulcailbur IV Information (New features, modes, and characters).
VIII. Soulcalibur IV Media Section (Where screenshots and videos are posted).
Recent Updates:
(7/28 ): Reviews are being posted! Check the "Soulcalibur IV Reviews"section!
(6/21): The Soulcalibur IV Hype/Discussion Thread is up! Blab about all things Soulcalibur and celebrate the coming of what is to be a great fighting experience! (There will be more updates to come).
Soulcalibur Reviews:
1UP.com: 9.5 (A)
"I think it'd be hard to top what Namco's accomplished with what is unquestionably their best fighting game to date."
GameSpot: ??
IGN: ??
GameTrailers: ??
Thread Introduction:
I have been at GameSpot since 2004, and have been playing games since I was a wee tyke. Needless to say, I have been around the block when it comes to software. It's funny looking at my 'posts' to 'posts read' ratio - it's terribly off balance. Naturally I do a lot more looking then posting.
Something I have noticed about 'hype-threads' and other posts that promote the knowledge of a certain title: It's always focused on a big name title. That is totally fine, big-shot games need big-shot publicity. However, I hope that with this thread I can shout the name of a smaller game: Soulcalibur IV.
Soulcalibur has been a part of my gaming life for a shockingly long time. I can remember seeing the first Soulcaliber in the arcades - daring me to stick some quarters in. Eventually I did, and I was shocked by how much the game impressed me. The visuals, the sound, the way the combos flowed into one another - it was awesome. I had never really been interested in fighting games until I played Soulcalibur.
I eventually got extremely good at the game just by playing it in the arcades. Seeing my name at the top of scoreboard filled me with a sense of nerdy accomplishment, but it made me happy nonetheless. Soulcalibur was one of the first games I was truly good at, and it's one of the reasons I still play games today. The success I found playing that game drove me deeper into games, and into my hobby.
For all of those reasons, this thread is just at much for me as it is for you. Soulcalibur IV is just around the corner, and fans like myself couldn't be more excited. I made this thread to celebrate the newest entry into the series, and one of gamings very best. So go ahed! Post, discuss, and indulge in what could be one of the greatest fighters ever made.
- NAPK1NS
Soulcalibur History:
Soulcalibur is ranked right up next to the other big fighters of gaming (Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter, etc.) but the series has taken tiny dips in terms of quality. One thing we can be happy about is that it has never fallen below the bar of 'great' and so any mistakes the series make are forgivable. Below I have listed the three previous entries in the Soul series, and how they have been received by the press and people.
Publisher: Namco.
Developer: Project Soul.
US Release: September 7th, 1999.
Japan Release: August 5th, 1999.
Europe Release: Novemer 30th, 1999.
The original Soulcalibur was first introduced into the arcades. The release dates above are only for the home console version on Sega's Dreamcast. People were shocked by Soulcalibur's quality when they first played it in the arcades. Machines were stuffed full of quarters by dozens and dozens of gamers waiting to get in on the next round. There were many tournaments held and bets placed on the intense dojos and people loved it.
Soulcalibur was the main reason a lot of people bought the Dreamcast - to take the experience out of the mall and into your house. Soulcalibur moved many systems when it finally launched, and the quality reviews started rolling in. GameSpot gave the game a 10/10, saying it was one of the greatest games ever made. The game holds one of the most impressive spots on Game Rankings, and is still played today.
It was the first fighting game that stopped the crowd from focusing on Tekken - which was a very impressive feat in the time of arcades. Soulcalibur is set to be released on Xbox Live Arcade sometime in mid-July before the fourth one ships - get your Microsoft Points ready!
Publisher: Namco.
Developer: Project Soul.
US Release: August 26th, 2003.
When Soulcalibur II was announced, people had split feelings. They were excited for the title, but worried that it could never come close to it's near-perfect counterpart. Many were shocked when Namco announced that the game would be shipping on three different platforms (Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2).
What was even stranger was that each version of the game would be getting a different character exclusive to it's platform. This made choosing which copy of the game to purchase (and in a few cases, people would buy all three). Despite the tough choice, the PlayStation version managed to sell the most - but the others sold well, too.
Players fears were lifted when they finally got the game into their own hands and started clocking hours into the game. They combat was viciously fast, and they roster of characters was expanded, as was the arena selection. The graphics were the cutting edge of the time - you just hadn't seen a game like this. Sparks would spew as swords collided, and lights reflected on the surface of battle worn plate. It was a thing of beauty.
Critics' scores wavered between great and superb. While it didn't quite live up to the name of the original title - it was still one of the best fighters ever made. There was a lot of content to unlock, and tons to see and do.
Publisher: Namco.
Developer: Project Soul.
US Release: October 25th, 2005.
Japan Release: November 23rd, 2005.
Soulcalibur III - for one reason or another - was barely a bleep on people's radar. It sold rather poorly, and is decidedly to 'low-point' of the series. That seems okay, though, when your low-point is an excellent fighter packed full of content. Xbox and GameCube owners felt betrayed and ultimately annoyed about Soulcalibur III's exclusivity. Fans of II would be missing out on the 3rd installment. This actually drove some to pick up a PlayStation 2 solely for this title.
The amount of AAA scores dropped significantly when Soulcalibur III came to the time of judgement. The game added a lot of strange little features and modes, but missed things fans really wanted (a full-fledged online mode). The RTS game mode was an interesting extra, but felt out of place and was quickly forgotten.
Not all was lost, though. The furious duals of past games were just as strong here, and had never been better. The graphics were absolutely stunning, with particles and effects going off every which way. The backrounds to the arenas were a brilliant display of awe-inspiring vistas, and the fans stayed happy.
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