![[The Master Sword]](http://www.toase.net/gfx/soulcalibur2-01.jpg)
According to industry analysts, console sales have peaked and it will all be downhill from here. I’m sure we will see many attempts by Sony, MSFT and Nintendo to get our Holiday dollar, so now is definitely a good time to buy. With announcements for the next generation of consoles to be flying around in 2004 you’ll probably have at least a year’s worth of play in it. In my opinion it was a very smart move for Nintendo to lower their prices in the Fall as kind of a “last gasp” attempt to move units before heading into the holiday season. I’m also willing to bet that the people that bought a ‘cube on the sole basis of it being accessibly priced are quite happy with their purchase, myself included. Nintendo sent out a very glowing press release regarding their successes with the lowered Gamecube price: they managed to sell 254,000 units in October. That’s quite a hefty number, but looking at it realistically these are most likely purchases made by people who already own a PS2, Xbox or PC and are just getting a second console. Still, it’s good for Nintendo and any developers that were shying away from the platform. Some other figures were released this week regarding console software sales, adding support to my arguments about the success of the GBA. The #1 and 2 spots for the GBA were held by Super Mario Bros. 3 – a remake of a thirteen year old game! – and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I should also note that Soul Calibur II continues to be a big seller for the Gamecube, which I plan on discussing today.
A friend of mine has a Dreamcast, and told me tales of its wonders on more than one occasion. When the hype machine for Soul Calibur II started up, he recounted how great the original game was and how it brought a fresh perspective to arcade fighting games. Myself, I’m not new to weapons-based fighters – hell, I used to play Samurai Shodown II after school while trying to fend off the Bust-A-Move freaks from the sole Neo-Geo cabinet in my local arcade. But this Soul Calibur
why was everyone so excited? The graphics looked really good – they were groundbreaking even on the Dreamcast version – but other than that it looked like just another fighting game. Even Soul Blade, Soul Calibur’s predecessor on the Playstation just looked like Tekken with swords. So my initial reaction to the SCII hype machine was simply “so what?”
But I hadn’t actually played at this point, and I’m infamous for ignoring things that are pumped full of advertising dollars and industry buzz. Virtually infamous, even. I rented it during my Call of Duty weekend expecting to play it whenever I needed a break from the intense WWII FPS action. Because some friends were over (one of them being a Tekken fan, no less) I decided it would be the perfect time to try out this game with the uninitiated.
Soul Calibur II is a button masher’s dream come true – but it also rewards those who learn the special moves and combos, creating a perfect balance. As I’ve said before, I didn’t think the Gamecube’s controller would be that good for a fighting game, but it actually works out pretty well. By just picking up the controller and playing, it was very easy to learn everyone’s moves and special attacks. For someone new to fighting games though it may be a little counter-intuitive due to the controller’s unconventional placement of buttons.
Since I have no history with the game it was slightly overwhelming when I was introduced to the cast of characters when I started “Arcade” mode in Single Player. Except for Link, the bonus character for the Gamecube version. I chose Mitsurugi as my first character to try since he looked the most familiar (let’s just say he reminded me of Haohmaru). His Half moon death move was even reminiscent of Genjuro’s Cherry Blossom Slice from SSII. Soul Calibur II is hardly a replacement, but I must admit I felt at home very quickly.
I made sure I fought a few battles with every character. Having done this I can easily say that Talim is the character to use if you want to win all the time, followed by Taki. It’s kind of like choosing Chun Li or Nakoruru. Talim’s weapons and fighting style are unique, and she easily hops around the arena doing a quick slash here or a trip there; basically you can overcome most foes with little effort. Guys like Nightmare or Toddy’s Necrid are pretty useless because they’re either big or have giant, slow weapons. Incidentally, Necrid looks pretty out of place and McFarlane needs to calm his fucking ego. Out of the giant characters I found Astaroth the most playable because at least his massive battle-axe has great range. Then of course there’s the mysterious Voldo, who has been driven mad and is decked out like a mummy stuck in the Renaissance Age. The way he moves and fights is extremely creepy, right down to the perpetual “moonwalk” he does between bouts of fighting. There are also unlockable characters like Yoshimitsu and Cervantes de Leon from the previous game. But what about Link? Playing with the Nintendo mascot in this game was incredibly cool. I wouldn’t say that his addition was completely seamless, but his fighting style and special attacks matched the feel of the game. Every character has their share of eye-popping moves and special attacks that contributes to the whole.
Let me speak now about the graphics, because if you play this game for no other reason except to see the Gamecube’s solid architecture at work then you will not be disappointed. Every Arena has its own personality, perfectly crafted to immerse you in each battle without being too distracting. They are themed of course, and it’s obvious what everyone’s home turf is. Each character moves smoothly and life-like. Namco definitely paid attention to detail in this area – and in Taki’s case, a little too much detail. I don’t think I’ve ever seen breasts jiggle like that since Mai Shiranui in Fatal Fury 2. I consider myself spoiled by my GeForce 4, and as a result I’m not really a fan of seeing the long hair on some of the characters move around in one piece – it looks dumb. But I guess that’s a lot to ask for a console that came out in 2001. And if individually moving hairs is all I’m complaining about, I’d say Namco has done a fantastic job.
I also give this game full marks for style, atmosphere and the ability for it to be fun for all skill levels. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous and the multitude of play options beyond standard Arcade mode will keep you busy. Weapon Master Mode, a carry-over from the Dreamcast version, is a great concept. In a weapons-based fighting game, allowing you to fight for your opponents’ weapons just adds that special touch.
Fighting games aren’t usually something I go out of my way to play. I mean honestly, Street Fighter II laid the groundwork for this genre and there isn’t much in today’s titles beyond the formula set out by Capcom’s classic other than three dimensions. However after renting SCII I’m pretty much decided that it will be part of our Gamecube library and I’ve asked the Wife to put this on my Xmas list. There’s nothing like spreading the holiday cheer with your katana, is there?
eyes transfixed with a piercing gaze
Although I typically loathe fighting games, the original Soul Calibur on Dreamcast radically changed my attitude of the genre. I’m a hardcore button masher – a terrible one at that – but managed to successfully navigate through the first arcade mode level. The game’s beauty was that it allowed button mashers to progress just enough to get them hooked to the game, but only rewarded them with secret unlocks if they could finally hone their skills.
My enjoyment of Soul Calibur led me to Dreamcast’s Dead or Alive 2. If you can get past the top heavy Japanese school girl versus equally top heavy Japanese school girl action (this may not be a bad thing), the combat is really good. 3D arenas, with the ability to throw your opponent out of the arena and then follow them into a new arena, plus combat moves where you could counter your opponents moves and use them against them – all excellent. If it’s out for the Gamecube, I highly recommend renting it.
I actually got to play Dead or Alive 3 on my friend’s XBox, which I found pretty amazing. The scenery is breathtaking, and the multiple “arenas” make for great level design. We fought this one battle in a waterfall environment where a hard kick would knock you off of one mountain peak and you’d fall into another area. It was a really fun game, but the lack of originality in character design and fairly one-dimensional fighting styles does not give this game very much lasting appeal.
Plus, how can I forgive Tecmo for creating Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball? Probably the most gratuitous example of fan service in a video game to date.
I’m probably beating a dead horse. But Maybe not since you are new to consoles. Either get yourself a playstation(1 or 2), or download a rom of thed game I’m getting ready to name. The game is Bushido Blade. This is possibly one of the best fighting games ever. And it DOES offer something completely different than the Street Fighter basis. My brother-in-law and I have wasted many a Friday night or Sunday afternoon Hacking away at each other. The graphics can be somewhat polygonal, but fuck it came out in 1997. Where it diverges from the tradtional fighter, is that 1 hit to your damn head and you drop dead. Or your character will progress in wounds. Such as if you were to take a nasty hit to the ankle, then your character would be unable to stand for the rest of the match. The weapons are in abundance and variety with each character having their own best weapon. And to wrap this up, the environments can be annoying sometimes, but are simply gorgeous and well thought out. My only gripe os the sad exclusion of Chinese Fighting Death Pandas.