Soulcalibur 4 is coming out this week, so to commemorate the return of our favorite weapon-based fighting series, we’re gonna take a look at one of the franchise’s earlier entries. Soulcalibur 2 is actually the 3rd game in Namco’s soul series, as the first game went by the name Soul Edge. The Soulcalibur games are known for adding in a boatload of special features, hidden characters, and unlockables that go beyond the standard arcade/versus modes. Soul Edge featured the ‘Edge Master’ mode, which took players on a series of character-specific quests while gaining special weapons. Soulcalibur featured a mission mode, in which players earned points to unlock hidden features. Soulcalibur 3 featured the Create-a-Soul, which gave fans the ability to craft new characters and use them in the game’s various playing modes. Soulcalibur II featured the ‘Weapon Master Mode’, which took players around the world while earning new weapons, similar to the Edge Master mode in Soul Edge. It also included an extra special touch, in which the home versions of the game received console-exclusive characters. The Xbox version got Spawn, the PS2 version of the game got Heihachi Mishima, and Gamecube owners got none other than Nintendo’s Link. The home versions of SCII also gained Necrid, who was a new character designed by Todd McFarlane. Of course most of the cast from Soulcalibur returned, along with a few new additions. Along with fan favorites such as Taki, Kilik, Nightmare, and Ivy, new characters such as Raphael, Cassandra, and Talim join the cast. Each of these characters bought their own unique styles to the game and make worthy additions to the Soulcalibur series.

By now hardcore Soulcalibur fans have played both this game and its sequel to death, and are ready to take on Yoda and Darth Vader in SCIV. However, new and longtime fans alike will want to brush up on their skills before stepping back into the ring, and there are fewer better places to do it than here. Anyone who plays this game will have very good cause to be excited over the forthcoming entry in the series.

Button Mashing is old and busted. Drumming is the new hotness!
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The latest in my series for TheDailyPage/Isthmus Newspapers profiling Madison, WI’s gaming scene.
This entry focuses on Jimmy Choi’s efforts to keep Soul Calibur and the spirit of the arcade alive.

Read on: Reclaiming Madison gaming camaraderie with Soul Calibur tournaments

See also: CaliburForum and Madison SC Community

It was revealed earlier today by Namco Bandai that a third Star Wars character will be making an appearance in the upcoming Soul Calibur IV game, due out in July, in the form of Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice from the game Star Wars: Force Unleashed.

“The Secret Apprentice is a great fit for Soulcalibur, a franchise known for its over-the-top characters and frenzied fighting action,” said Haden Blackman, project lead for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed at LucasArts. “We’re extremely proud to give fighting fans a sneak peek at one of the most intriguing new Star Wars videogame characters in a long time.”

Along with Darth Vader himself, exclusive to the Playstation 3 version of the game, and Yoda, exclusive to the 360 version, the “Starkiller” will be available for both versions. For those of you who are out of the loop, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a next-gen Star Wars video game that takes place between the films Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books due out in September of 2008.

OK, it still has some talking and obvious cut scene stuff, but its mostly slashing.
New character Hilde is shown to some extent in this trailer, but with 30 total playable characters confirmed, this isn’t nearly enough to satisfy all. Soul Calibur IV will be available July 29 in North America.

Ready? It’s the second of our three-part coverage of TGS 2007!

In this installment, we cover:

Soul Calibur Legends
Oneechanbara R
Final Fantasy IV DS
Sony Presser

YouTube

Video Netcast
 Subscribe to iTunes POWETcast
Famicom Dojo – TGS 2007 Special – Part 2

Show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
TGS 2007 Special, Part 1

Episode links after the jump!

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Fighting games have a grand tradition of crossovers. Battletoads and Double Dragon, Marvel and Capcom, DoA and Halo, and now Star Wars characters will fill in the guest character slot in Soul Calibur IV according to 1UP.

Soul Calibur II had some very memorable guest characters, including Link from The Legend of Zelda. Obviously trying to tap into a phenomenom much bigger than just games, Namco has announce Yoda and Darth Vader will be playable characters. Even more interesting is the idea that MORE Star Wars characters and other guests may be announced and/or available via PS3 and Xbox 360 Download services.

UPDATE: Apparently Vader is exclusive to PS3, and Yoda is exclusive to Xbox 360. Video has also been added above

Look! Soul Calibur!

OK so thats Ivy and Mitsurugi slicing their way through various ninjas, dragons, and cement walls. When can I play?