Kotaku: soulcalibur iv

Vader, Yoda, Girls In Cat Suits Duke It Out Soulcalibur Style

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:40:04 MDT

Look, I'll admit to buying some Soulcalibur IV downloadable content. Almost by accident, really, as some bonus costumes were mistakenly added to my PlayStation Store shopping cart and I already had the money. Sorry for being part of the problem! Fortunately, I don't feel the urge to download Yoda for five bucks. You know, that thing that Namco Bandai said it had "no plans" for? Anyway... guess I am a little bit tempted by some of those saucier outfits. Wonder how much is in my virtual wallet?

First Official SCIV Yoda/Darth Vader Fighting Screens

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 MDT

You're surprised? Please, don't be. When Namco Bandai released the multi-platform Soulcalibur IV, the PS3 got Darth Vader and the Xbox 360 got Yoda. Now you can get both thanks to the magic of DLC and capitalism. Ah, bless capitalism. It's made it not only possible for Vader and Yoda to fight each other, but for them for battle women with ridiculously large swords.

Starting October 23rd in Japan, Yoda will be available as PS3 DLC for ¥600 (US$5.93), and Vader will go for 400 Microsoft Points. Check out the gallery below.

ベイダー対ヨーダがついに実現！『SC IV』のDLCは23日配信 [Dengeki Online]

SoulCalibur IV Goes Schoolgirl

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Dress up time! Japan is getting more discerning SoulCalibur IV DLC. Previously, the country got maid outfits, and now that Namco Bandai is releasing another ¥300 (US$2.77) DLC bundle called "Customize Parts", players can outfit their fighters in various types of schoolgirl outfits. There are a sailor type uniform, a nit-vest, a blazer, a plaid skirt and, yes, "loose socks". Something for everyone, really.

『ソウルキャリバー4』、新DLC『セーラー服パーツ』　配信開始！ [はちま起稿]

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:40:55 MDT

This weekend should be full of "Oh shit!" moments, as Kotaku Towers West and Kotaku Annex Atlanta prep for the Leipzig Games Convention. We're mostly caught up on our bookings, but I still need to score a train ticket from Frankfurt to Leipzig, as well as book my German vacation days. You won't have this editor to kick around post Games Convention, as I'm taking my first vacation days of the year after the con. Speaking of, any Munich-based Kotaku readers with some local recommendations?

In my downtime (ha!), I'll be relaxing with some Soulcalibur IV and pulling my hair out with some PixelJunk Eden. I'm surprised to find myself only halfway through my Spectra collection and completion. There's little doubt that Q Games gives you plenty of value for your dollar.

What about you? What are you playing this weekend?

Two Soulcalibur IV Things We Expected (One Shameful)

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:30:00 MDT

The inevitable Soulcalibur IV DLC is hitting! And the initial goods are maid outfits, joining the existing maid-like costumes. And joining that inevitable DLC is followed by the inevitable (and shameful!) photo gallery of SCIV underpants and apron action. That's after the jump — and yes, we guess it's totally NSFW. You've been warned.

「ソウルキャリバー4」、DLCでメイド服パーツ配信開始！しかし･･･" [はちま起稿]

Soulcalibur IV, Over 2 Million Copies Sold Worldwide

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:00:00 MDT

Either bigger boobs or Star Wars characters did the trick, because Namco Bandai Games has announced that Soulcalibur IV has already sold (not shipped, sold) over 2,000,000 copies of SCIV. The multi-platform game went on sale in the States on July 29th and in Japan and Europe on July 31st. Many people have purchased it.

バンダイナムコ、PS3/Xbox 360「ソウルキャリバーIV」
全世界での累計販売本数が200万本を突破 [Game Watch]

Obama vs. McCain in Soulcalibur IV

Owen Good — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:00:00 MDT

PC World's Darren Gladstone got an itching to make some custom characters in SCIV, and created U.S. presidential candidates John McCain (Vietnam vet headband, big ass mallet) and Barack Obama (shirtless and swingin' nunchaku.) And of course, the video ends with their series tied at 2-2, just so no one thinks this is an endorsement of or in-kind advertisement for either — because FEC paperwork is a bitch.

I'm trying to make allegories between their fighting traits and campaign positions but to be honest, haven't followed things that closely. I do think the choice of weapons is rather adroit. Do you want your president to be some dancing elitist who prefers foreign fightin' styles with sticks, or a guy with good-ole cornfed brute strength enough to pound his enemies with a massive phallic object?

As one commenter on GamePolitics aptly pointed out: Thank God Hillary did not get the nomination. I'll let you think on it for a second.

McCain vs Obama — FIGHT! [PC World, via Gamepolitics]

SoulCalibur IV Review: Polishing The Stage Of History

Mike Fahey — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:30:00 MDT

I can't write about any version of SoulCalibur without saying how amazing the Dreamcast version of the first installment was, so we'll get that out of the way up front. The original SoulCalibur for the Dreamcast is the game that got me hooked on 3D fighters, and no other game before or since quite compares to the thrill of the first time I spun up the disc in my imported Sega console. Nevertheless, Namco Bandai continues to try, and now the fourth installment (fifth counting Soul Edge) is upon us, marking the series' first appearance on current generation hardware. SoulCalibur IV brings us new fighters, new modes, a robust character creator, and the addition of online play - a franchise first. On top of all that, they've added a healthy dose of midi-chlorians to the mix in the form of cameos from Yoda, Darth Vader, and the Secret Apprentice from The Force Unleashed. Do all of these new additions lift the franchise to new heights, or throw it off balance so it falls right out of the ring?

Love it or hate it, here's your SoulCalibur IV review.

Loved
Gameplay: Still the same great SoulCalibur gameplay we all know and love, with a few nifty additions to keep things fresh. Opportunities to pull off the new Critical Finisher moves are few and far between, but they definitely add to the humiliation of your opponents, and that's what fighting games are all about.

So Many Characters: I love a fighting game with tons of variety, and SoulCalibur IV features a very impressive roster indeed, with old favorites (Ivy!) joined by all-new favorites (Kamikirimusi!). The characters also seem a bit more realistic to me, as opposed to the slightly more exaggerated characters of the past two games.

Character Customization: So many characters, and then you create more! Sure, they're all just clones of existing characters, but the ability to make your mark on online play as Kotaku, the pink and yellow Talim kitty girl is priceless.

Skill System: Being able to power up and customize your favorite characters is a definite plus. The mechanic of leveling up fighting styles to allow for bigger and better skills rewards players who pick a character and stick with it.

Online: An amazing first for the series, so far online battles in SoulCalibur IV have been relatively lag-free and painless, at least from a game performance standpoint. Just wish I didn't have to fight so many damn Yodas.

Story Mode: Some people hate story mode for it's brevity, but I appreciate the developers mixing things up a bit. It's relatively fast and ridiculously easy, but still a pleasant change from just fighting a series of battles leading to a drawn cutscene.

Unlockables: Always a staple of the SC series, the game features unlockable characters, unlockable items for character customization, and unlockable artwork. Just wish there was a bit more of the latter.

Hated
Balance: SoulCalibur has never exactly been gameplay balance central, and the addition of the Star Wars characters – particularly the tiny, unthrowable Yoda – sets the game askew even further. Adding in a character that is immune to some of the most powerful attacks in the game is never a good idea.

The Tower Of Souls: The extra modes in the SC series have been on the decline since they traded up the mission mode in SCI for SCII's room-to-room dungeon crawl. SCIII brought us a strategy game, and now we have The Tower of Souls. Going up is Mission Mode with no story and no way to know the special conditions you need to unlock items the first time through. Going down is tag-team survival mode. Bleh.

The Voices: Yes, yes - the cheesy announcer is part of what makes a SoulCalibur game. It doesn't make it any less painful to listen to. The character voices can be grating at times as well, especially Tira. I'd suggest switching to Japanese voices immediately.

I've found that the key to enjoying each new entry in the SoulCalibur series is not to expect a revolution. The first SoulCalibur was the launch of the revolution. Each successive title has added new troops, new tactics, and new battlefields, but for the most part they are just the evolution of the revolution SoulCalibur started.

SoulCalibur IV might not have the impressive impact of the original, but it's still a hit gamers will be feeling for a long time coming.

SoulCalibur IV was developed by Project Soul, published by Namco Bandai. Released on July 29th on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Played Xbox 360 version. Completed story mode for all characters including custom, unlocked all hidden characters and artwork. Played multiple rounds online with both custom and normal characters. Got to floor 11 of the Tower before pausing for breath.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Soulcalibur IV Magazine Promo Swaps Girls for Girls

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Once upon a time, when you mentioned Soulcalibur, people thought of swords. Now, they think of jubblies. So no wonder UK men's magazine FRONT returned for another round of Photoshop-cheesecake-models-into-videogames. This time, Page Three girls Danni Wells and Amii Grove bust out the "i"s and the sporting equipment for an in-mag SoulCalibur IV. Look at that picture! It's like they're thus destroying and pillaging Soulcalibur IV. (But can cricket bats defeat lightsabers? Gah....)

Hit the jump for a good old fashioned butt-off.

Why is that woman wearing no pants at the dock? That doesn't make sense. Like, if we went to the dock, we'd sure as shit wear pants. Shoes, too.

Know this: FRONT claims to be "Britain's Funniest Magazine." That in itself is pretty funny.

Killer Soul Kalibur Fighter Brawl-gasm

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:40:20 MDT

One of the first Soulcalibur IV user created creations we were sent, Solid Snake and Raiden from Metal Gear Solid 2 felt like the first drop in the bucket of recreated classic characters. Here's a torrent of them: Mario and Link; Sub Zero, Shao Kahn, Scorpion, and Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat; B. Orchid and TJ Combo from Killer Instinct; Blanka and Chun-Li from Street Fighter. They're all in here. There's even a few guest appearances from folks like Dr. Doom and Thor from the pages of Marvel Comics.

Don't ask us to explain the Skee-Lo soundtrack, though. We just work here. Thanks to Jeremy for the clip tip via Arcade Junkies.

Frankenreview: SoulCalibur IV (Xbox 360)

Mike Fahey — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:30:00 MDT

When Namco first introduced SoulCalibur - the sequel to Soul Edge - to arcades in 1998, fighting game fans took notice. They then took that arcade gameplay, tightened things up, polished up the graphics, and released it on the Dreamcast, creating what many consider to be the best 3D fighter of all time. Even the next two sequels couldn't stand up to the DC version of SoulCalibur, despite the addition of gimmicky guest characters and an in-depth create-a-fighter mode respectively. Now Namco Bandai has released SoulCalibur IV on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, perhaps hoping that the extra polish of next-gen graphics, the new create-a-fighter, and the addition of online play will launch it out of the shadow of the original. Failing that, hey look - Star Wars characters!

The question here is, are any of the new challengers enough to take on the toughest opponents of all? Game reviewers ready? Fight!

Eurogamer
To get the bad news out of the way first, Namco has done little to refresh or redefine a genre enduring a terminal decline in popularity. Undoubtedly, Soulcalibur IV is very good and has at least one genuinely brilliant new feature. But in terms of the basic fighting gameplay barely anything has changed since the series' last- gen console outings. The formula that has stood Namco in such good stead has been tweaked yet again, but there has been only gradual evolution since the arcade debut of Soul Edge more than 12 years ago.

Team Xbox
The best feature of Soulcalibur IV’s online play– the ability to use user-created characters in versus battles– also happens to be at the heart of the most prominent portion of this entire Xbox 360 SKU. Namco put together a very robust Character Creation mode for Soulcalibur IV, and did the necessary follow-up to ensure these created characters were a part of as much of the battle action as possible (even in the cut-scene bits). You can either take one of the famous Soulcalibur IP’s or some of the newer blood and modify a multitude of items to create a one-off fighter to your specifications.

GameSpy
It isn't the first online fighter (and Virtua Fighter 5 is by no means a slouch), but by my estimation it's the one with the most juice, perhaps ironically because of the elements I like least about it. I scoff at the inclusion of the balance-compromising "Star Wars" characters — they're basically like cereal box prizes amidst, um, high-end, limited edition action figures? — but for every Mitsurugi I've fought online today, there have been six Apprentices and eight Yodas. I can only imagine this trend will continue once people start to unlock the characters designed by the anime artists. I give it 12 hours.

UGO
It is without question the best title in the series. The core game modes are solid, the rule changes and moveset tweaks give die-hards some fresh material to learn, the guest fighters - particularly Yoda - prove to be more than a gimmick and the graphics are unrivalled in comparison to other fighters. Best of all, for any changes or new additions, fans and newcomers alike can rest easy in the knowledge that SoulCalibur IV is still the same highly accessible, weapon-based fighting game that it's always been.

Sounds like they added polish to a good thing to create an even better thing. Who'd have thought?

Do BLANK With Me?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:00:00 MDT

Above we have two backcover magazine ads. One is for Soulcalibur IV, and the other one is for Moe Sta. You remember Moe Sta, it's that English training game that features cutesy girls and features 5,000 English questions that cover the spectrum from junior high school school tests to the Tokyo University entrance examination to help players "level up" their English.

While SCIV is rated CERO C (15 and up) for violence most likely, Moe Sta is CERO B (12 and up). Just check out that Moe Sta ad! It reads: "Do BLANK with me?" Hit the jump for a bigger version.

NDS「もえスタ〜萌える東大英語塾〜」の広告がエロ過ぎ、ホントにCERO『B』？ [裏はちま起稿]

Buy Soulcalibur IV, Get A Break On Fried Chicken

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:40:04 MDT

In an extremely classy move, Namco Bandai Games has included a pair of coupons in the Soulcalibur IV instruction manual, giving gamers a break on their mall shoe shopping and fried chicken fix. Yes, gamers, your sixty dollar purchase of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 fighting game will get you a cool $1 off any value combo at Church's Chicken and a $10 price break on bigger Journeys purchases.

And, hey, it's a full color manual! Sadly, it looks like those who purchased the Special Edition of Soulcalibur IV will have to pay regular prices on their chicken and Vans. Thanks to macmanus for the money saving tip!

Metal Gear Solid? In My Soulcalibur IV?

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:00:09 MDT

With character creation tools in our current-gen games comes some serious character creation; most of it character re-creation. To wit, Kotaku reader CB has gone ahead and created both Raiden and Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2 style, to tell a tale of souls and swords eternally retold. Or something. Read this post with Soulcalibur announcer guy voice and it might make more sense.

More pics of the sneaking souls in our gallery below. We await the flood of user creations when the game officially streets in North America this week.

Looking at SCIV Customization and Gameplay

Owen Good — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:00:00 MDT

Here's an official trailer for Soulcalibur IV touting all the new stuff it has to offer. It's worth it just to see the customized character they made — because a guy with a purple afro carrying a cricket bat is definitely some next-level shit for a fighter.

They also discuss Hilda, the armored-up female knight, and some new gameplay elements, such as the "Soul gauge" that controls when a character will have his or her block broken, leading to hits that destroy their equipment, and enabling their opponent's finishing move. Online play and the aformentioned deep customization options are also mentioned.

The Character Creation Undergarments of SoulCalibur IV

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:20:00 MDT

SoulCalibur IV is going on sale soon, and here's your first look at the underoos in the game's "Character Creation". SCIV is bringing back the "Character Creation" from SoulCalibur III, and previously, we posted how it was possible to do things like created an Afro Ninja. Really, this right here is the reason for you to buy this game. And, no! It's so not because of the trite girls in bikini fighting. (Yawn.) It's for "Nightmare" and "Lizardman". Forget Darth Vader, forget Yoda, Nightmare and Lizardman deserve to be on the box way more than those Lucas characters. Way more.

Click through the gallery to see what I'm rambling on about.

「ソウルキャリバー4」、各キャラの下着画像集(全裸もあるよ) [はちま起稿]

Soulcalibur IV Breaks Street Part II: Gameplay Video

Owen Good — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:00:00 MDT

Yesterday we posted pictures of guys who got their hands on Soulcalibur IV, 10 days before its release date of July 29. Today, we have video. I guess you can just walk into any store and ask them to break the street date and get your game. Here's Yoda vs. Ivy, Yoda taking it 4-1 with a lot of button mashing and bad camera work. If the game looks repetitive, I think these guys' admittedly bad technique (" I hadn't played a Soul Calibur title since Soul Calibur 2 a couple years ago, so our match is pretty bad.") might be to blame, not the game. If any of you manage to snag this, we'd appreciate a more informed breakdown of gameplay in the comments.

Soul Calibur [sic] IV Gameplay [Youtube]

SoulCalibur IV Character Creator, Menus And Other Thingies

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:40:00 MDT

A bunch (and we mean a bunch) of new Soulcalibur IV screens have popped up. These are screens that show things like the game's Single Player Mode menu, Arcade Mode, Training Mode, VS Mode, Museum, Character Creation and a comic as well. There's lots of nitty-gritty to click through, but it's interesting stuff.

『ソウルキャリバーIV』のモード＆システム [Dengeki Online]

Soulcalibur IV Adds One More Female Fighter

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:00:48 MDT

With this, the seventh new character to join the Soulcalibur IV line up, we're starting to notice a trend. Kamikirimusi, like her predecessors Shura, Scheherezade, Algol Fear, and Ashlotte, is a female fighter designed by a well known Japanese artist, this time by guest artist Hirokazu Hisayuki. Kamikirimusi will fight with a very large metal club/mace and satisfy fans of exposed upper thigh flesh.

Her facial expression seen in the scan above — click through for the full-sized version if you're just visiting the front page — accurately sums up our thoughts on her design.

Namco Bandai Says Soulcalibur IV Install Size "Significantly Overblown"

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:00:01 MDT

Namco Bandai's Soulcalibur IV may be known for massive volumes in some aspects of its design, but a rumored 6.5GB hard drive installation for the PlayStation 3 version is not the sort of bloat that sits well with gamers. Add to that an alleged 2GB save file and PS3 owners with a measly 20GB would have had to do some serious housecleaning in between grumbling sessions. The rumors of its disk space requirements have been greatly exaggerated, says the publisher.

"Those numbers are not accurate and are significantly overblown," a Namco Bandai rep told Kotaku. "The actual amount of space for the Soulcalibur IV install and save data file are inline with other games requiring this feature."

Reps did not respond to requests for more accurate (read: exact) installation sizes, nor did they comment on the hard drive requirements for the Xbox 360 version. We have an open request with Namco Bandai and Sony Computer Entertainment America to find out more.

Rumor: Soulcalibur IV Requires Xbox 360 HDD, Needs 8.5GB Of Disk Space On PS3

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:40:09 MDT

According to importer YesAsia, the PlayStation 3 version of Soulcalibur IV will join the ranks of games requiring a substantial installation to the console's hard drive. How substantial? Substantial. About 6.5 GB worth of your HDD, with 2 GB of space on top of that allocated to save data. The latter disk space requirement makes some sense, as the game looks to have a fairly robust character creation tool, which we hope allows for a larger number of custom fighters than its predecessor. Regardless, 2 GB, if true, is still rather hefty.

Xbox 360 fans may also be in hard drive requirement heaven, as the official Xbox site indicates that Soulcalibur IV requires a hard drive to play. This could have huge implications if... wait, who doesn't have an Xbox 360 with a hard drive by now?

We've contacted Namco Bandai Games to verify this information, but have yet to hear back.

Update: We received an update from NBG on the PlayStation 3 version. It should be noted that Xbox.com has removed the "Hard drive required" specification following the publication of this post.

Soulcalibur IV (Japan Version) [YesAsia via NeoGAF]

Soulcalibur IV [Xbox.com]

The Soulcalibur IV Ladies In Action

Mike Fahey — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:20:00 MDT

Ah, the ladies of Soulcalibur IV, as lovely as they are deadly. Namco Bandai has released a series of videos that highlights the various charms of the female side of their roster, from the annoyingly childish voice of Mina to Amy's gothic lolita goodness; Ivy's lack of adequate chest protection to Hilde's full-body steel casing. Hit the jump for four more videos featuring the best female-fighting the SC universe has to offer.

Wonder why they didn't include that Raphael chick? She was hot!

PlayStation 3 Owners Getting Another Soulcalibur IV Exclusive Fighter?

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:40:24 MDT

If Darth Vader wasn't enough to sway you toward the PS3 version of Soulcalibur IV, perhaps the God of War will. According to the latest issue of EGM magazine, by way of 1UP, Kratos may be joining the line-up of souls in Namco Bandai's newest weapons-based fighter. Considering that Yoda versus Voldo fights will be commonplace, we're nonplussed at the concept. It's a surprisingly good fit.

Sure, it's a rumor, but that "expect confirmation soon" and a hint about Xbox 360 owners getting their own platform-specific fighter — Joanna Dark? Marcus Fenix? Banjo?! — makes us wonder if this is less of a rumor than it is a tease.

Quartermann: God of War Meets Soul Calibur? [1UP]

Soulcalibur IV Character Customization Makes Afro Ninja Possible

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:30:10 MDT

While Soulcalibur III was largely forgettable for some of us at Kotaku, some of our best memories were forged in the game's custom character creation tool. The "dancer" style fighter armed with a pair of tambourines made for some rather amusing matches. Soulcalibur IV doesn't appear to be a slouch in the custom fighter department, with all manner of ridiculous weapons and fetish focused accessories at your disposal.

Cowgirls? Check. Pirate wenches? Check. Cat-eared cuties wielding deadly feather dusters? Don't ask stupid questions.

Soulcalibur's Secret Apprentice In Action

Mike Fahey — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:40:00 MDT

Yesterday it was revealed that Darth Vader's secret apprentice from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed would be appearing as a character in Namco Bandai's Soulcalibur IV, and now we've got pictures of the Mr. Secret himself in action, taking on the Soulcalibur regulars as well as the lean, green lightsaber machine Yoda himself. If this were a Star Wars game the screenshot up top would be immediately followed by a rolling Sith apprentice head, but who knows how things will go in the Soulcalibverse?

Check out the full gallery below, and hit the jump for the full video reveal, that promises, "New Powers Will Be Unleashed By A Secret Apprentice." Ooooo.

Darth Vader's Apprentice Joins Soulcalibur IV Cast

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:00:23 MDT

A brand new character is joining the cast of Soulcalibur IV and, surprisingly enough, this one isn't sporting Jabba the Hutt sized breasts. Darth Vader's "secret apprentice" Starkiller, star of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, will join Yoda and Vader in pitting lightsaber against blade when the game hits the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next month. Yes, Starkiller is coming to both versions of Soulcalibur IV, making your decision that much easier.

Soulcalibur IV Unleashed [GameSpot]

Soulcalibur IV Ups Its T&A Quotient Again

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:40:05 MDT

The newest issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine reveals another soul in the Soulcalibur IV character roster. Like new ladies Angol Fear and Scheherazade, both designed by well known Japanese guest artists, the newest addition to the Soul universe comes courtesy of Gantz creator Hiroya Oku. As you can see, the fighter known as Shura sports four swords, two on each hip, plus ample and prominent cleavage, in front and back. They certainly have a "type."

We expect that much higher clarity in-game shots of Shura will become available, officially, at Famitsu.com in the coming days. Until then, squint to your hearts content.

Soulcalibur IV New Character [CNG4U]

Soulcalibur IV Screens: Talim, Rock & Yoshimitsu In Action

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:20:16 MDT

You may already be aware that three more souls have been confirmed to appear in Soulcalibur IV—Yoshimitsu, Talim and Rock—but have you seen these three in action at 720p yet? No? Then to the gallery with you, where you'll see even more shots of my personal go-to soul Yoshimitsu and plenty of beefy Rock pics. Yes, that is a rhinoceros head!

A Better Look At Soulcalibur IV's Scheherezade

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:20:03 MDT

Our first look at the latest soul to join Namco Bandai's weapons-based fighter was far from ideal. Magazine scans suck, but digicam pics of mags are even worse. Thankfully, Impress Game Watch has new photos of Soulcalibur IV's elfin rapier expert, Scheherezade, giving us a better in-game look at the newcomer. I'd say she looks a bit out of place—not to mention Zelda-esque—but she's not the only character sporting pointy ears this go round.

Soulcalibur IV Character Profiles [Impress Game Watch]

Soulcalibur IV Screens - Now With More Kilik!

Mike Fahey — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:20:59 MST

This new batch of Soulcalibur IV screens features the next-generation look of three fan-favorite fighters! The quick and formal Xianghua, the brutish Lizardman, and the man with the giant stick, Kilik! Kilik's name is generally either greeted with a whooping cheer or a pained sigh, as for every fan of his powerful Ling-Sheng Su Style there is another player sick and tired of having a giant rod slammed down on his skull. Kilik is certainly looking formal this time around, isn't he? Xianghua still dresses as skimpy as ever, and Lizardman is still part lizard, part man, but Kilik seems to have gone and gotten himself a real job in-between games. Good for him!

The Soulcalibur IV Roster Expands

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:40:00 MST

No surprises on par with Darth Vader and Yoda joining the cast of Soulcalibur IV, but three familiar faces have been confirmed to return to the roster of Namco Bandai's weapons fighter. Maxi, Seung Mina and Yun-seong will all return, as proven by a new batch of exclusive screens from Gamespy. The new shots look, as expected, sexy as hell, even if the particular characters rate pretty low on my personal Soul Calibur totem. Two new stages also make their debut, a pirate ship and ice cave. Understatement has never been the Soul series specialty, so expect plenty of detail.

Soulcalibur IV (X360) [Gamespy]

Ubisoft Brings SoulCalibur To Europe This Summer

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:40:06 MST

Ubisoft is readying some hot and cold SoulCalibur for those of you lurking over in the PAL territories. The company announced yesterday that it has entered into an agreement with Namco Bandai Games Europe to distribute both the Star Wars-injected SoulCalibur IV for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as well as the abysmally horrible SoulCalibur Legends for the Nintendo Wii, which you might remember as having a truly unique control scheme. Both games are slated for release this summer. Just make sure you pick up the right one off the store shelf, or your tears will know no end.

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.

Soulcalibur IV Director's Choice For A Cameo Fighter? Pac-Man

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:20:06 MST

After playing Soulcalibur IV for a few hours last night, suffering many beatings at the hands of Siliconera's Spencer Yip and his Cassandra skills, Soul series director Katsutoshi Sasaki asked us what we thought of the game. We told him we were pleased, if a bit disappointed in the limited character selection in the early build. When we were done chatting about our own opinions, Yip inquired what Namco Bandai character Sasaki would like to have seen in the game, if he had his druthers.

I braced for something from Gundam lore, but Sasaki surprised us both with his choice: Pac-Man. The thing holding him back from a SC IV guest appearance, he said, was that Pac-Man doesn't have a weapon. Now, I could have sworn I'd seen Pac-Man sporting a helmet and lance at some point...

Soulcalibur IV Hands-On Impressions

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:20:04 MST

Namco Bandai had the first press playable build of Soulcalibur IV on hand at their CES event tonight, giving us a hands-on look at the next game in the now thirteen year old franchise. While the build looked extremely early, featuring only three playable fighters and barebones in content, it provided us with a good look at how Soulcalibur IV looks and plays in person. While increases in the Soul series have generally met with graphical upgrades, the fourth in the series may have seen the biggest jump in graphical fidelity, bringing with it self-casting shadows, subtle bloom lighting, beautiful environments and gorgeous models, all running at a reliable 60 frames per second.

Graphics aside, how does it play? Like a Soul Calibur should. The developer has decided, wisely, not to fix a game that's not broken.

As with many fighting game sequels, Soulcalibur IV is not only prettier, it's faster than its predecessor. Moves are lightning quick in the build we played, but the game's speed, not obscenely fast, may still be in the tweaking stages. The game's director asked us, after a lengthy gameplay session, how we felt about Soulcalibur IV's speed implying that it was up for discussion.

The demo we played featured only three playable characters, Mitsurugi, Taki and Cassandra. The trio were in their trademark outfits, with no option to play with a secondary (or tertiary) costume, so we didn't get eyes on with any unreleased looks for the returning fighters. In person though, everyone we did get a look at though was quite easy on the eyes. Sure, Taki's boobs flopped about ridiculously with the slightest breeze it seemed, but that's not necessarily a complaint.

Graphically, Soulcalibur IV does a few new things. The team has added a respectable amount of bloom lighting, rendering nice bright sunlight to Cassandra's oversaturated stage and bringing a nice glint to Mitsurugi's blade. Characters cast realistic shadows on stage floors, with foliage on the two levels we got a look at dropping believable, organic shade on the combatants.

Outside of the Greek stage, which may be Cassandra's or Sophitia's, the only other arena was more tropical in nature, a lush oasis with hippos and flamingos bathing in the background. Some elements of the background looked to be 2D textures, but this was only noticeable when one wasn't playing the game and many graphical nitpickers may not notice.

Some of the movesets have changed from Soul Calibur III, most noticeably Cassandra's. She played faster and with a more aggressive set of attacks than before, with a couple of new kicks we certainly didn't recognize. Honestly, though, I'm more of an Ivy and Yoshimitsu player, so don't consider me the authority on movesets for the available souls.

Unfortunately, there were many game improvements we would have liked to play but couldn't. Online play wasn't available, nor was the new gauge that allows for "finishing moves" that can end a fight without a ring out, expired time limit or win by health gauge. We also didn't get to preview the custom character creation tool. We were especially intrigued in it by the Soulcalibur IV team's decision to allow costume choices to affect how your character fights (read: heavy armor choices can make for a slower character).

Speaking of ring outs, they did feel a bit more challenging to pull off. In one match against Siliconera's Spencer Yip, a pair of what seemed like assured ring outs turned into a loss for me and a win my still in-bounds rival.

The build we played was nowhere near finished, as it was missing voiceovers, plenty of characters and the odd animation, but it seems that everyone came away pleased. We're definitely looking forward to playing a more complete Soulcalibur IV, as it appears from a few hours of gameplay that the Project Soul team has built a purchase-worthy set of new features on top of a solid foundation.

PS3, Xbox 360 Get Exclusive Star Wars Soulcalibur IV Characters

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:20:00 MST

The recently announced guest appearances of Darth Vader and Yoda in Soulcalibur IV come with a catch—each release will feature a console exclusive Star Wars character, with Darth Vader playable only in the PlayStation 3 version, Yoda playable only in the Xbox 360 version. Yes, you'll be able to enjoy pitting light saber against sword, but you may not be able to actually have a Yoda versus Darth battle unless Namco Bandai and LucasArts decide to make them available via downloadable content.

Now, it's time to play.

Soulcalibur IV Hands-On Coming Soon

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:30:03 MST

Namco Bandai is holding a press event in Las Vegas tonight, featuring a "special presentation" and offering hands-on time with Soulcalibur IV. We're still just maxin' and relaxin' at the Wynn's Blush bar, waiting for the event to kick off proper, but will have new details and impressions of the first build of the weapons-based fighter. We've just been promised new trailers and undisclosed developments—which could be that Star Wars news that 1UP broke earlier today. The action is about to kick off, so stay tuned for breaking news.

Darth Vader, Yoda Join The Cast of Soulcalibur IV

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:20:14 MST

If you thought guess appearances from characters like Spawn, Link from The Legend of Zelda or Heihachi from Tekken were slightly out of place, you may want to brace yourself for this one. Darth Vader and Yoda will be playable in Soulcalibur IV. 1UP brings exclusive word today, along with almost a dozen screens of the two jedi fighting well known souls, that at least two members of the Star Wars cast will make their way into Namco Bandai's upcoming fighter. Yes, we're stunned and confused, too.

The site drops hints that there's a possibility even more characters from the Star Wars universe could appear—there are no shortage of Jedi and Sith out there—but doesn't provide much beyond a fantasy roster. Hey, it can't be worse than Masters of Teras Kasi and it's definitely better than some godawful Todd McFarlane custom creation.

We're heading over to Namco Bandai's Soulcalibur IV CES event in just a bit, so expect impressions and more news to come as soon as possible.

Star Wars in Soul Calibur IV [1UP]

Soulcalibur IV Obscene Breast Watch Update

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:40:56 MST

Namco-Bandai has released a batch of nearly twenty screens of its next Soul Calibur fighter, one that will test the breast physics calculation capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. What you might not know about Soulcalibur IV is that it renders a hell of a nice pair of shiny lips. Check out mostly new shots of Sophitia, Raphael, Astaroth and pouty newcomer Hilde battling it out in our gallery below.

Soulcalibur IV Wants To Remind You It Has Giant Breasts

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:40:41 MST

The official Soulcalibur IV website (of the Japanese persuasion) has updated with a half-batch of new and semi-old screen shots. Yes, I said "old", so you don't have to. However, more than a handful are new. Actually, that's not true. I just wanted to write "more than a handful" as it seemed appropriate. For anyone who has forgotten that Namco-Bandai is aggressively targeting the D-cup fans, a gallery is below.

Soulcalibur IV Features Tasteful Greek Cleavage

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:20:32 MDT

The fourth edition of Ivy's breasts may be bordering on obscene, only further accentuated by her new, increasingly whorish outfit. Taki's no better in Soulcalibur IV, her tighter than skin tight ninja outfit leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination, making her high kicks the stuff of Hustler magazine spreads. Thankfully—or regrettably, depending on your point of view—the character designers at Namco Bandai exercised a tad more restraint when outfitting Cassandra for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 fighter. She looks to be the female fighter you'll be picking when Mom comes over.

Games Radar has a new batch of screens of Soulcalibur IV, which I don't remember looking quite this good before. They feature a fantastic look at both Cassandra and Mitsurugi, the latter of whom Cassandra's modest rack doesn't seem to be lost on.

Soul Calibur IV [Games Radar]