Lost Classics: Soul Blade (Playstation 1)

Even though this game has been overshadowed by its sequels three times over, Soul Edge was and still is a revolutionary title in the fighting genre. A 3-d fighter with weapons based gameplay, Namco’s classic took the genre to new heights. Although this certainly wasn’t the first fighting game to feature weapons, (SNK’s Samurai Showdown and Sony’s Battle Arena Toshinden having been released prior) it made the weapon deeper and more fluid rather than simply having sword slashes as a substitute for punches and kicks. The game also had a deep storyline taking place in the 16th century featuring a diverse cast of warriors. Later games in the series would expand on the plot even further, adding new characters and plot twists. The home version of the game wasn’t bad either. As a matter of fact, the Playstation version of the game, renamed Soul Blade, featured new playable characters, new game modes, and other cool extras. Along with Namco’s Tekken 2, Soul Blade was one of the few arcade-to-home conversions at the time that managed to surpass the original arcade game it was based on.

One of the most notable features added to the home version, and my personal favorite, was the Edge Master mode. Acting as an alternative to the arcade mode, you take each character around a storybook map, completing various challenges, such as defeating your opponent under a certain time limit, winning the match using only throws, or fighting while poisoned. For completing these challenges, you’re rewarded with new weapons, each having their own special powers. These weapons can even be used in the other game modes. Variations of this mode have appeared throughout the various sequels. The arcade mode itself features multiple endings for each characters done using the game engine. By pressing certain buttons during the ending, you can influence how it turns out (something we wouldn’t see again until Soulcalibur 3). The game also features three selectable soundtracks: the original arcade score, an arranged version, and an all new soundtrack called the Khan Super Session. There characters featured new selectable costumes, and some characters even feature unlockable alternate versions. One in particular, an alternate version of Siegfried, is a precursor to the Soulcalibur character Nightmare. All of this has been topped off with a brand new CGI intro that’s pretty good for a second generation PS1 game.

With Soulcalibur 4 coming next year, now is a good time to check out the origin of this franchise. You may have to do a bit of hunting for the original disc, but there is always hope that Sony will release it through the Playstation online store. Fans of the franchise owe it to themselves to check out the original eternally told tale of soul and sword.