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Namco's Soul series is a weapon based fighting game series of arcade games. Each installment has its own version on a home console. The series revolves around a sword that, after years of bloodshed and hatred, gained a soul of its own, the Soul Edge, and the sword forged to counter it, the Soulcalibur. The popular series has spawned four games so far, with two more underway and an animated film is currently in production as well.
Contents |
Installments
All games in the series before Soulcalibur III were originally arcade games, subsequently being ported to home consoles. The game has 4 main installments, with another sequel and a spin-off on the way:
- Soul Edge (1995): Arcade only.
- Soul Edge Version II (1996): Arcade and PlayStation (released as Soul Blade in USA and Europe).
- Soul Calibur (1999): Arcade and Dreamcast.
- Soul Calibur II (2003): Arcade, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube.
- Soul Calibur III (2005): PlayStation 2.
- Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition (2006): Arcade only.
- Soul Calibur Legends (2007): Wii.
- Soul Calibur IV[1] (2008): Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The ported versions are known for their extra features, including new characters, weapons, new costumes, art galleries, martial arts demonstrations and involved single player modes, when compared to the original arcade versions. For example, Seung Han Myong is not featured in the arcade version of Soul Edge, and in home versions there is an RPG single player type mode titled "Edge Master" where the player can unlock various items including weapons for the default characters.
Soul Calibur IV news
On IGN's Wii-k in Review podcast for June 8, 2007, it was mentioned that Electronic Gaming Monthly has the exclusive for Soulcalibur IV in the August issue #218. On June 12, 2007, a trailer was released that announced Soulcalibur IV for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[2] Nevertheless, despite Soulcalibur IV being unlikely for the Wii console, IGN states that Namco has not denied the game for it, and therefore has kept the game profile page up for the console.[3] As of June 13, 2007, gamesradar.com has posted an official trailer for Soulcalibur IV.[4]
Story
Soul Edge's origins
Soul Edge was, originally, a weapon that didn't show any form of power. The sword was found by a man, who believed that it could help the people in his village. This resulted in him being crowned king. However, there would always be those who would oppose great men, being that of the king's own son, who decided to take the sword into his own hands. And it was through all the hate and bloodshed that made Soul Edge what it is, a demonic blade that feasted on human souls, even that of the king's own son.
Soul Calibur's origins
It was following the death of his son that lead the King onto his new mission, to create a sword that would be strong enough to defeat Soul Edge, because he knew that the loathsome blade would strike again. After many failed attempts, he finally managed to forge the spirit sword named Soul Calibur, despite sacrificing himself in the process. Soul Calibur was then stored at Ling Sheng-Su temple under the guise of the Krita-Yuga, one of the temple's three sacred treasures.
Soul Edge/Blade prologue
It is now the late 16th Century, where, mysteriously, Soul Edge returned, as a heirloom that was up for grabs at an auction. This caught the attention of a pirate named Cervantes de Leon, who plundered the vessel that held the auction. This was the last anyone saw of him for 20 years. It was believed that he was manipulated by the sword before going on to kill his crew mates, inhabitants of the Spanish harbor town, and those suicidal enough to take on the demonic blade. At the same time, he rest up at a local inn, where he would prepare for the legacy of his new weapon. But if there was one person that defied the fate of death, it would be a Greek woman by the name of Sophitia Alexandra, who was sent by the God of Fire and Forge, Haephestus, to destroy Soul Edge. However, after destroying one half of the blade, she was severely wounded by the flying shards. But before Cervantes could take her soul, the Shadow Huntress of Demons, Taki came to her aid and defeated the Immortal Pirate. Sophitia survived, only by a mere thread. Eventually, the Innocent Darkside, Siegfried Schtauffen, came to the Spanish Harbor Town, in hopes of finding Soul Edge to resurrect his deceased father. But all he found was a corpse, believed to be that of Cervantes. Suddenly, it was brought back to life by the loathome blade, only to be defeated by Siegfried, who took the sword into his own hands. This lead to his transformation into the Azure knight, Nightmare, and the launch of the Evil Seed.
Soul Calibur prologue
The Evil Seed spread worldwide, and Ling Sheng-Su Temple (the place that previously housed Soul Calibur before it was stolen) was no exception. Nearly all of the inhabitants were driven insane, causing them to kill each other. Xianglian, one of the temple members, sacrificed her life in saving another student, Kilik by placing her heirloom, the Dvapara-Yuga (another of the three sacred treasures) onto him. Following the massacre, he passed out through his own anguish. Two days later, Kilik woke up in the hermitage of his mentor, the Edgemaster, who knew that Soul Edge was behind the Evil Seed. Kilik trained with him for three years before setting off on his quest, taking his heirloom, the Kali-Yuga, with him. Meanwhile, whilst following the evil blade's orders in taking innocent souls, Nightmare formed an unholy alliance known only as the Swartzstrom (German for Black Storm). This team included Astaroth, Ivy, and the man once known as Aeon Calcos, Lizardman. As for Kilik, he joined forces with a pirate from the Ryukyu Kingdom named Maxi, whose crew were slaughtered at the hands of the golem, Astaroth. They also met up with a girl named Chai Xianghua, who chose to aid them on their journey. The trio eventually arrived at Nightmare's stronghold, Ostrheinsburg Castle, where Maxi stayed behind to take down the one responsible for killing his clan, Astaroth. Kilik was successful at defeating the Azure Knight, but was too exhausted to take on the being inside Soul Edge, Inferno. So, Xianghua filled in for him, where her sword, the Krita-Yuga, became the spirit sword itself, Soul Calibur. After an epic battle, she managed to defeat Soul Edge, which fell into a collapsing void, alongside Nightmare.
Soul Calibur II prologue
Surprisingly enough, Nightmare survived, but whilst trying to live his life as Siegfried Schtauffen, he learned that he was actually the one responsible for the death of his father. And over course of four years, Soul Edge controlled his body in his sleep, killing off more innocent victims in the process. This led to him becoming Nightmare once again. After many more people died at his hands, he then had an encounter with a left-handed swordsman named Raphael. Despite his victory, he then faced off with himself, as Siegfried's pure will broke out, as both battled each other. It was an act of desperation from a wounded Raphael as well as the formation of the Soul Embrace that lead to the Nightmare's defeat. During this time, the being inside of Soul Edge, Inferno, silently moved into the Azure armour.
Soul Calibur III prologue
Eventually, after the battle, a scythe wielder named Zasalamel noticed the immobile armour, and through a wordless conversation, agreed to bring it back to life. This was all part of his plan to achieve a final death, because of his heavy burden of reincarnation. Meanwhile, the newly resurrected Nightmare needed to find another host for the Soul Edge, because his body was too unstable for it. However, he has help in the form of his new loyal servant, Tira. As for Siegfried, he sets out on his quest to repent for his sins, as well as to seal away the cursed sword for good.
Film
Soulcalibur[5] (or Soulcalibur: Endgame) is a movie adaptation of Namco's Soulcalibur video game series. During spring 2001, Sammo Hung committed to do a movie adaptation of Soulcalibur and had Jackie Chan in mind to star. At first everything seem to be going well, Sammo was given a $50 million budget and backed up by Namco. Sammo's official website announced their plans regarding Soulcalibur, but after a year later nothing developed. Eventually Sammo's official website removed their announcement and Soulcalibur was presumed cancelled. Unofficial sources suggests that Sammo had lost interest in creating the movie after Jackie Chan couldn't commit a schedule to create the movie. Sammo had forfeited his rights to produce the movie and was taken by an American producer. Warren Zide's Anthem Pictures has since acquired the rights to adapt the game to film. It has been stated that the game's story "revolves around two warriors who are chosen by Shaolin monks to recover and destroy a powerful sword that has fallen into the hands of an evil prince who plans to use it to open the gates of hell and destroy the world." However, other than the copyrights, it provides no further information. The teaser website from 2nd Degree Media (affiliated with Anthem Pictures) haven't since released any new information in almost two years since its appearance. The only change is the year release date has been updated to 2007, otherwise there's no mention of any real developments. A few websites have published a possible 2008 Soul Calibur poster of Nightmare, but it's unclear is it legitimate or done by a fan. It's speculated by many that the Soulcalibur movie has been "put on the shelf" once again and that the official website is merely an abandoned web page. To further support the speculation, Namco has yet to make any official announcements of Soulcalibur's movie status. Many forums have been created and most opinions believe it's a matter of feasibility and lack of confidence that stalls the movie from coming to life and (not fully representing the opinions of everyone) fans dread it will become another poorly adapted movie from a video game (ex Dead or Alive, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation-like movies) and rather see it not done at all. As of since 2007 Soul Calibur has been considered for a movie for nearly seven (and possibly more) years and has yet to take fruition.
Basic Gameplay
All the games in the Soul series retain some specific features while introducing or removing others from game to game. The basic button layout for the Soul series is two weapon attacks (horizontally and vertically aligned strikes), a kick button and a guard button for blocking. Two features that have been kept in the series since its inception are the Guard Impact defense system and the Ring Out condition of victory. In the first game (Soul Edge/Blade), the Guard Impact system is a repelling technique that allows the player to "check" an incoming strike and push it back and allowing for a free hit. A Guard Impact requires precise timing (having the player pressing forward plus guard at the instant an opponent strikes) but results in tactical advantage for the defender. The opposing player is also able to counter a Guard Impact with their own and can stalemate their opponent until someone misses the timing on the subsequent Guard Impact. As the series moved forward; the Guard Impact system was made deeper. In Soulcalibur, Namco introduced multiple Guard Impact techniques (the original repelling technique was named "Repelling" while two new techniques, "Parrying" and "Weapon Stripping" were introduced). These different Guard Impact types have been kept for the subsequent installments. Ring Outs occur when one of the fighters is forcibly removed from the arena (or "ring"), instantly ending the round and resulting in a round point for their opponent. The idea of Ring Outs in 3D fighting games was originally conceived by the Virtua Fighter series of fighting games and adopted by Namco for Soul Edge. Unlike Virtua Fighter, a fighter cannot be knocked out of the ring by their own hand and must be pushed out of the ring by some effort by their opponent (Virtua Fighter allows fighters to simply fall out of the ring voluntarily). Later games introduced new ring designs (Soulcalibur allowed rings to take different shapes instead of a basic square, its sequel introduced stages with walls that blocked off parts of the ring and made Ring Outs possible only in certain parts of the stage or removing that condition altogether and Soulcalibur III introduced low walls that can be destroyed and create a Ring Out opportunity once its gone). Soul Edge is unique in the series as it is the only game to feature the "Weapon Meter"; a sword-shaped meter under the characters' vitality bars that determined how much damage a weapon could sustain. As a character blocked attacks; the meter would deplete until it emptied which resulted in a weapon break (the player would also have to pay half the Weapon Meter to perform a "Critical Edge" combo). Once the character's weapon was broken, they were forced to fight bare-handed until the end of the round. The Weapon Meter was designed to promote consistent offense and not constant defense (other fighters have adopted similar means to deter over-defending; Street Fighter Alpha 3's Guard Meter is an example of such a device). The Weapon Meter was abandoned following Soul Edge and instead replaced with Soulcalibur's trademark "8-Way Run" system. The 8-Way Run allowed players to walk in any direction at any time instead of using a specific command to sidestep. This kept the fights truly 3D and made it easier to maneuver around attacks or away from ring edges (as well as launch specific 8-Way Run attacks). Each of the sequels to Soulcalibur have used the 8-Way Run movement system.
Featured Characters
| Character | Soul Edge/Blade | Soul Calibur | Soul Calibur II | Soul Calibur III | Soul Calibur Legends | Soul Calibur IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy | 
|
| (Appeared briefly in the Opening movie)
|  (Bonus on console version; regular on arcade)
|
| ? |
| Arthur |
| (Only in countries that forbade samurai references)
|
| (Bonus character)
|
| ? |
| Astaroth |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Cassandra | (Was mentioned in Sophitia's profile)
| (Was mentioned in Sophitia's profile)
|
|
|
|
|
| Cervantes |
|
|
|
| (Unplayable)
| ? |
| Charade |
|
|
| (Unplayable)
|
| ? |
| Edgemaster |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Han-Myeong | (Console version only)
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Hilde |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hwang |
|
|
| (Bonus on console version; regular on arcade)
|
| ? |
| Inferno/Soul Edge | (Playable on console version only)
|
| (Unplayable)
| (Arcade Edition only; unplayable)
|
| ? |
| Ivy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Kilik |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Li Long |
|
|
| (Bonus on console version; regular on arcade)
|
| ? |
| Lizardman (Aeon Calcos) |
|
| (A generic Lizardman footsoldier replaces him on North American and European console versions)
|
|
| ? |
| Maxi |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Mitsurugi |
| (Replaced by Arthur in countries that forbade samurai references)
|
|
|
|
|
| Necrid |
|
| (Console versions only)
|
|
| ? |
| Nightmare | (As Siegfried!/Evil Siegfried)
|
| (With Siegfried as the second & third costume)
|
| (Unplayable)
|
|
| Olcadan |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Raphael |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rock |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Seong Mi-na |
|
| (Console versions only)
|
|
| ? |
| Setsuka |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Siegfried | (A variant of Siegfried (named 'Siegfried!') was available, portraying him as Nightmare)
|
| (As an alternate & hidden costume for Nightmare)
|
|
|
|
| Sophitia | (Two other variants of her were playable: Sophitia! (No armour) and Sophitia!! (Bathing Suit)
|
| (Console versions only)
|
|
|
|
| Taki |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Talim |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Tira |
|
| (Alluded to with Ravens in Intro)
|
|
|
|
| Voldo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Xianghua |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Yoshimitsu |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Yun-seong |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
| Zasalamel |
|
|
|
|
| ? |
Cameos
The following were cameos that have featured in the Soul Series, which are as follows:
- Heihachi Mishima from the Tekken series (Soul Calibur II; PS2 version)
- KOS-MOS from the Xenosaga series (Can be created as a Custom Character in Soul Calibur III after unlocking and purchasing all the Type X items from the Armor Shop)
- Link from The Legend of Zelda series (Soul Calibur II; GameCube version)
- Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia (Soul Calibur Legends)
- Necrid, a character created exclusively for the game by Todd McFarlane (Soul Calibur II; all console versions)
- Spawn from the Todd McFarlane comic of the same name (Soul Calibur II; Xbox version only)
Chronicles of the Sword
In Soul Calibur III, There was a story mode called Chronicles of the Sword Mode, which was a mode purely for created characters. However, in modes such as Vs. Mode, Practice and Soul Arena, you could play as one of seven CotS characters (found under bonus characters on the character select screen), which were:
Other Characters
Other playable characters in the Soul series have included:
- Abyss, Zasalamel's alternate form (Soul Calibur III)
- Assassin (North American and European console verions of Soul Calibur II; Soul Calibur Legends)
- Berserker (North American and European console versions of Soul Calibur II)
- Greed, a thief (Soul Calibur III)
- Hualin, one of three shop workers (Soul Calibur III)
- Generic Lizardman (North American and European console versions of Soul Calibur II; Soul Calibur III)
- Lynette, one of three shop workers (Soul Calibur III)
- Miser, a thief (Soul Calibur III)
- Revenant, Zasalamel's servant (Soul Calibur III)
- Valeria, one of three shop workers (Soul Calibur III)
Original soundtracks
Every game has its own original soundtrack CD. The installments are:
- Super Battle Sound Attack Soul Edge
- Soul Edge Original Soundtrack - Khan Super Session
- Soulcalibur Original Soundtrack
- Soulcalibur II Original Soundtrack
- Soulcalibur III Original Soundtrack ~Legend of Sounds~
Other
References
- ^ "Exclusive First Look at Soulcalibur IV", IGN, 2007-02-23. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12170
- ^ http://wii.ign.com/objects/739/739575.html
- ^ http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/movies/index.jsp?releaseId=20070613112848312054
- ^ http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149724
External links
Soul video games | |
|---|---|
| Main series | Soul EdgeBlade · Calibur · Calibur II · Calibur III · Calibur IV |
| Spin-off | Soul Calibur Legends |
| Soundtracks | Super Battle Sound Attack Soul Edge · Soul Edge · Soul Calibur · Soul Calibur II · Soul Calibur III |
Soul series' characters | |
|---|---|
| Main | Abyss · Amy · Astaroth · Cassandra · Cervantes · Charade · Edge Master · Hilde · Hwang · Inferno · Ivy · Kilik · Li Long · Lizardman · Maxi · Mitsurugi · Necrid · Nightmare · Night Terror · Olcadan · Raphael · Rock · Seong Han Myeong · Seong Mi-na · Setsuka · Siegfried · Sophitia · Taki · Talim · Tira · Voldo · Xianghua · Yoshimitsu · Yun-seong · Zasalamel |
| Bonus | Arthur · Revenant · Greed · Miser · Valeria · Hualin · Lynette · Abelia · Girardot · Luna · Aurelia · Demuth · Chester · Strife |
| Other | Chronicles of the Sword characters · Minor characters |
