SOULCALIBUR
Original Release: Namco, 1998, Arcade
Other Releases: Dreamcast (1999), Xbox 360 (2008), iOS (2012)
The second of the "Soul" series of weapons-based fighters was the first to cement the series name (after the prior game waffled between "Edge" and "Blade") and implemented longstanding characters and gameplay features that made it a large jump forward
Soulcalibur (Arcade, Namco, 1998)
Where to Buy: eBay
How to Emulate: Arcade Emulation Guide
Review by: C. M0use
The Soulcalibur series really begins with 1996's Soul Edge / Soul Blade, but if you're looking for a place to start it's probably better just to skip to 1998 sequel Soulcalibur. In addition to settling the series nomenclature and doubling the roster to 20 characters, it substantially improved gameplay by adding "free movement" around the arenas (no longer locking you to an axis like Virtua Fighter), making combo entry inputs much more forgiving and adding depth to the guard system with the ability to shove foes backward or pull them off-balance.
It also made the jump to full 3D environments, but only in the home console ports (Dreamcast and Xbox 360). The ports also got more single-player modes. There's an emulation trade-off here though, as the arcade original is only about 32 MB compressed to a MAME file and will run on pretty much any modern device.
This is one of those cases where the series sequels just developed everything further, so you might as well just skip to them ... but if you were somehow forced to play this one, there's still a lot to appreciate. The graphics are definitely "PS1-era polygons" and look manky by today's standards, but this is bolstered by impressive detailed mo-cap work for each character (showcased by extended "kata" move displays for each that are woven into the attract mode). There's a huge body of moves and character animations really hold up even if the polygons don't. The "feel" and aesthetic overall are just both very solid.
Comments
Post a Comment