Soul (series)

Soul (series)

Infobox VG
title = Soul


caption =
developer = Namco, Namco Bandai Games
publisher = Namco, NBHD
designer = Hiroaki Yotoriyama
engine =
released = ("Soul Edge") 19961997,
("Soulcalibur") 19981999,
("Soulcalibur II") 20022003,
("Soulcalibur III") 2005,
("Soulcalibur Legends") 2007,
("Soulcalibur IV") 2008
genre = Fighting
modes = Single player, multiplayer
ratings =
platforms = Arcade, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Dreamcast
media =
requirements =
input =

"Soul" is a weapon-based fighting game series by Namco. 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, Soul Calibur. The series is special in that each character is created to have his or her own unique weapon and style creating a varied fighting experience.

General information

All games in the series before "Soulcalibur III" were originally arcade games, subsequently being ported to home consoles. The game has five main installments and one spin-off:

* "Soul Edge" (1996): Arcade and PlayStation (PlayStation port released as "Soul Blade" in USA, Europe and Australia).
* "Soulcalibur" (1998): Arcade, Dreamcast, and (2008) Xbox Live Arcade [Faylor, Chris (2008-06-30). [http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53379 Soul Calibur Hits XBLA Wednesday] . Shacknews. Retrieved on 2008-09-05] on the Xbox 360.
* "Soulcalibur II" (2002): Arcade, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.
* "Soulcalibur III" (2005): PlayStation 2 and Arcade.
* "Soulcalibur Legends" (2007): Wii. – Spin-off title
* "Soulcalibur IV" (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-type mode titled "Edge Master" where the player can unlock various items including weapons for the default characters.

Project Soul is the internal Namco development group responsible for the "Soul" franchise. Although the games are most often simply credited to Namco itself, the team established its name to draw attention to the group's combined accomplishments. [cite web | title = Project Soul | url = http://uk.games.ign.com/objects/943/943662.html | accessdate=2008-01-27] The designed logo for Project Soul, like the first game it was applied to, contains an outlining of the in-game character Nightmare, using his "Soulcalibur II" design.

As of May, 2007, the "Soul" series has sold approximately 9 million units worldwide. [cite news | title = Soul Calibur coming to Nintendo Wii | publisher = IGN | date=2007-05-11 | url = http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/788/788049p1.html | accessdate=2008-01-27]

History

Soul Edge/Blade

The first installment was named "Soul Edge" in Japan, which was updated to "Soul Edge Ver. II" and transported overseas as "Soul Blade". Set in the late sixteenth century, the game follows nine warriors in a quest, each of whom has his or her own reasons but share a common goal: to obtain the legendary sword, Soul Edge. After appearing in arcades, it was made available for the PlayStation. Along with its soundtrack, this weapon-based title has been widely praised for being innovative yet traditional to the fighting genre of games. [cite news | title = Soul Blade for PlayStation Review | publisher = GameSpot | date=1997-04-03 | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/action/soulblade/review.html | accessdate=2008-01-26] [cite news | title = Soul Blade review | publisher = IGN | date=1997-03-03 | url = http://uk.psx.ign.com/articles/152/152117p1.html | accessdate=2008-01-26] With Versus (one-on-one battle mode), [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/survivor Survival] (take on a gauntlet of opponents until the player is unable to continue), Time Attack, Team Battle (a selection of combatants will take on an opposing group, a victor is announced when the last remaining member of a team is defeated) and Training modes, the console port also saw the addition of "Edge Master", a single-player mode in which the player would guide one of the ten main characters in a story-like manner whilst obtaining a variety of weapons for use.

Soulcalibur

The sequel to "Soul Edge" arrived in video arcades a year later, the plot being 2-3 years later than the first game's, as was its exclusive porting to the Dreamcast console. The title is derived from Soul Calibur, a legendary weapon which opposes the evil of Soul Edge. This title would also retcon the "Soul" series as a whole, establishing its popularity in video gaming history as it garnered positive reviews from gaming fans and critics alike. Though retaining elements of its predecessor, "Soulcalibur" incorporated an extensive amount of new features, including the "8-Way Run".

On July 2, 2008, Namco Bandai released "Soulcalibur" on the Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360. Although online leaderboards and achievements are supported in this version, there is no online mode or mission mode, which was in the Dreamcast version [cite web | title = Soul Calibur XBLA Stripped of Mission Mode, Contradicts Namco Promise of No Major Subtractions | url = http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53443 | accessdate=2008-07-03] . Therefore, all content normally unlocked by playing Mission Mode in the Dreamcast version is already unlocked from the beginning in the XBLA version.

Soulcalibur II

"Soulcalibur II" further improved and expanded from "Soulcalibur", in both graphics and gameplay. "Soulcalibur II" was released in arcade format 3 years after the previous outing of the series, subsequently being ported to all three active sixth-generation consoles. This is the first game in the "Soul" series to feature characters in other media, such as Link from Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda", playable on GameCube's roster. Specially featured on PlayStation 2's roster is Heihachi Mishima of "Tekken" fame, while Image Comic's character Spawn was an exclusive addition for the Xbox version.

Soulcalibur III

Breaking tradition, "Soulcalibur III" was released only for PlayStation 2 in 2005, before an "" was seen. It is also possible to identify the use of a different graphics engine used to develop the game. "Soulcalibur III" contained a new single-player mode called "Tales of Souls", the true story mode in which the player could make course-altering decisions along the way. Arenas were made more interactive, such as the breaking of rocks if one of the 42 selectable characters were to impact against them. "Soulcalibur III" is the first game in the series to feature a character creation system, and features a story mode called "Chronicles of the Sword" which is a mode with some strategic aspects purely for created characters.

Soulcalibur IV

Arriving in 2008 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the fifth installment of the series is the second game not to see an arcade release prior to the home game. "Soulcalibur IV" instates new gameplay mechanics into the series in the form of damage-absorbing armor (that can be shattered) and Critical Finishes (both tied to the new Soul Gauge).

Like "Soulcalibur II", the fourth game also included cameos from different media. The PlayStation 3 version received the "Star Wars" Sith Lord, Darth Vader, while the Xbox 360 version received the "Star Wars" Jedi Master, Yoda. Both versions of the game also include the Vader's Apprentice ("Starkiller") character from the "" multimedia project.

Like "Soulcalibur III", "Soulcalibur IV" also includes a character creation system with various customizable parts, some unlockable. These characters can also be taken into online bouts, which in itself is a new addition to the series.

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 [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stalemate 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. For the fifth game, Guard Impacts were slightly altered by giving the Parry maneuver a new property of slamming opponents to the ground rather than just easing their weapon off its course. Repels still work the same way as they have in previous Soul series games.

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". A combatant cannot be knocked out of the ring without being eliminated by some effort from themself or by their opponent. Later games introduced new ring designs that modified the way Ring Outs were handled ("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 it is 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 three-dimesional 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.

In the fifth installment, Namco introduced a new spin on the Critical Edge combo called the "Critical Finish". Rather than being a combo, a Critical Finish is more in the vein of a finishing move which involves an elaborate move that defeats opponents in a single attack. This new attack is tied to the "Soul Gauge" that works similarly to the Guard Break meter in "Street Fighter Alpha 3" (the meter decreases whenever the player blocks an attack and is replenished by landing attacks on the opponent, it also refills slowly over time). Also tied to the Soul Gauge is the concept of destructible character armor (akin to "Fighting Vipers") that can be smashed off characters to weaken their resistance to attacks. The Critical Finish itself replaces the "Soul Charge" from the other 3 "Soulcalibur" games (a supercharge-like move that can give your character counter properties for the duration of its charge).

Featured characters

This table contains all the playable characters in the series, with the guest characters listed below it. Note that shaded cells denote unlockable characters in each game.

Guest Characters/crossovers

The following are guest characters from other franchises who have appeared in the Soul Series:
* Heihachi Mishima from the "Tekken" series ("Soulcalibur II"; PS2 version)
* Link from "The Legend of Zelda" series ("Soulcalibur II"; GameCube version)
* Spawn from the Todd McFarlane comic of the same name ("Soulcalibur II"; Xbox version only)

* Gilgamesh from the "Tower of Druaga" game (can be created as a Custom Character in "Soulcalibur III" by wearing certain items including the Hyper Helm, and using the "Sword & Shield" discipline while equipping Excalibur)
* KOS-MOS from the "Xenosaga" series (can be created as a Custom Character in "Soulcalibur III" after unlocking and purchasing all the Type X items from the Armor Shop)

* Lloyd Irving from "Tales of Symphonia" ("Soulcalibur Legends")

* Darth Vader from "Star Wars" ("Soulcalibur IV"; represents the PS3 version)
* Yoda from "Star Wars" ("Soulcalibur IV"; represents the Xbox 360 version)
* The Apprentice from "" ("Soulcalibur IV") [ [http://kotaku.com/5013743/darth-vaders-apprentice-joins-soulcalibur-iv-cast Namco Bandai: Darth Vader's Apprentice Joins Soulcalibur IV Cast ] ]

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~

Film

"Soulcalibur" [ [http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149724 Soul Calibur Movie In 2007? news from 1UP.com ] ] (or "Soulcalibur: Endgame") is a movie adaptation of Namco's "Soul" video game series.

During spring 2001, Chinese director Sammo Hung committed to do a movie adaptation of Soulcalibur and had actor Jackie Chan in mind to star. At first everything seemed to be going well, Sammo was given a $50 million budget and backed up by Namco. Sammo's official website announced its plans regarding Soulcalibur, but after a year later nothing developed. Eventually Sammo's official website removed its announcement and the Soulcalibur movie was presumed cancelled. Unofficial sources suggest that Sammo had lost interest in creating the movie after Chan could not commit a schedule to create the movie. Sammo had forfeited his rights to produce the movie and they were 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 film's story, unlike the games', "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."

Nevertheless, other than the copyrights, it provides no further information. The [http://www.soulcaliburthemovie.com/ teaser website] from 2nd Degree Media (affiliated with Anthem Pictures) have not 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 is no mention of any real developments. It is speculated by many that the Soulcalibur movie has been scrapped 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.soulcalibur.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.soulcaliburthemovie.com/ Official site for the film]
* [http://www.soularchive.jp/ Project Soul Official Website] (Japanese)
*
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