Ubisoft® To Distribute Soulcalibur IV® And Soulcalibur LegendsTM Across PAL Territories

Soulcalibur® IV and Soulcalibur LegendsTM to Hit the Stores in Summer 08

London, UK - 10th January, 2008 - Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced that it entered into an agreement with NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe SAS to distribute Soulcalibur® IV on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Soulcalibur Legends™ exclusively on Wii™. Both games will hit stores across Europe and other PAL territories in summer 2008.

Soulcalibur ® IV is the latest iteration of the world renowned melee-based fighting series. Delivering new gameplay modes, characters and enhanced features with groundbreaking 3D modeling and animation, Soulcalibur ® IV will be the definitive fighting game experience. Soulcalibur ® IV also provides unprecedented character customization possibilities and the eagerly expected online battle mode.

As part of a monumental collaboration between NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. and LucasArts, the Sith Lord Darth Vader will appear as a guest character in the PLAYSTATION 3 system version of the title, and Jedi Master Yoda will be available for the Xbox 360.

Soulcalibur Legends™ thrusts the players into a third person action adventure and takes a unique approach to the series by truly utilizing the Nintendo Wii™ Remote and Nunchuk.

"So are there any new characters?"
"Well there's a guest character from the Tales series, but other than that not really."
"And can we fight against each other in two player?"
"Well, not in the classic 1-on-1 sense."
"It isn't a fighting game?"
"Well no."
"Why would they even release it then?"

Then again, maybe he did get it.

As we waited for my brother and his son to arrive for a little holiday Rock Band (new name: Tubgirl), my nephew Xavier grabbed the Wiimote, stole some batteries out of the Xbox 360 controller (the roommate had stolen the batteries from the Wiimote to power her...um. Nevermind.), and sat himself down on the couch for some Soulcalibur Legends as I hopped online to check my emails. Soon pizza, my brother, and my other nephew (in order of importance) arrived, and I headed out into the living room to see how Xav was doing.

He actually seemed to be enjoying it, but he was playing off of my saved game, so he hadn't realized that the level he was playing was the exact same level I had already been through twice on two different missions. He just sat there on the couch, nunchuk in one hand, Wiimote in the other, shaking it back and forth rapidly as he took out enemies with a blissful look on his face.

"Um," I muttered, nodding to the odd positioning of the Wiimote in my nephew's lap. My other nephew took notice and burst out laughing.
"You seem rather good at that," I observe, desperately trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh yeah, this is pretty easy," he replies, stroking the Wiimote back and forth in his lap.
"You're a natural. You must practice a lot."

It was then it dawned on my innocent little nephew exactly what it looked like he was doing, and despite having the strap firmly secured about his wrist he manged to toss the controller across the room.

"Can we play Rock Band now?"

So now I have Soulcalibur Legends sitting in my Wii, but I cannot play it anymore. Not without immediately launching into pantomimed masturbation, which while entertaining in a large group kind of loses something when you are sitting alone in your living room.

Incidentally, my brother asked me in the middle of our Rock Band session what Tubgirl meant, and I told him to Google it when he got home. The phone message I received the next morning is absolutely priceless.

Mass Effect (X360)
Space, ho!

Rock Band (PS3, X360)
Rock out with more than just a guitar.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Relive every great 80's adventure movie you ever saw.

Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)
Get real with Unreal..3!

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PC)
It's like a buddy movie with killing.

Ghost Squad (WII)
Fight the war on terror at home on your Wii

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS)
More Final Fantasy... more!!

College Hoops 2K8 (X360, PS3, PS2)
Next-gen college basketball.

Soul Calibur Legends (WII)
The Soul Calibur franchise tries a new style.

Time Crisis 4 (PS3)
Shoot those bad guys up. Now with scrolling.

Link's Crossbow Training (WII)
Test out the Wii Zapper Zelda style!

Let's all cross our fingers that Soulcalibur Legends will continue the proud tradition of Namco Bandai fighters spinning off to third person adventures as established by the flawless Death By Degrees. There's a press release that treats this more seriously down there.

Namco Bandai's Soulcalibur LegendsTM Slashes its way to Gold

World Renowned Franchise Set to Make Exclusive Debut on the Nintendo WiiTM

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (November 1, 2007) - Souls are burning with anticipation as NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that Soulcalibur Legends™ has gone gold for the Nintendo Wii™. Exclusive to the innovative console, Soulcalibur Legends reinvents the unparalleled weapon-based fighting franchise and immerses players into a third person action adventure game. Making evolutionary strides in the series, the Wii's intuitive controls will be the weapon of choice that provides an unmatched gameplay experience complete with various modes of play, a unique combat system and classic roster of Soulcalibur characters.

Set between the events of Soul Blade and Soulcalibur, Legends follows the exploits of Siegfried and other familiar characters from the series as they find themselves on a quest for the ultimate power. Weapons and warriors will clash as they endure to unify the pieces of the Soul Edge sword, the very element which leads to Siegfried's inevitable possession by the cursed blade.

In Soulcalibur Legends, use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to master orchestrated attacks to crush scores of enemies or large bosses. Battle through more than 10 diverse stages and environments in the single player Quest Mode; rising through the ranking system to earn the honored titles of Knight or Soldier. Players can deliver a one-two punch by switching between their character and an ally for more versatility in any given situation. Gamers can also put their skills to the test in a split-screen Co-op Mode, compete against a friend to defeat the most fearsome enemies in Competitive Mode, or spar in Versus Mode to determine the true Wii weapon master.

Soulcalibur Legends is rated "T" for teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and will be released on November 20. For more information on Soulcalibur Legends, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com