Don't think of the PSP version as having fewer polygons, but bigger polygons.

Tekken also strikes a balance among fighting games between rewarding button mashing and encouraging players to learn character-specific combos. In other words, I could play through all the Tekken games by myself and get to watch the elaborate endings which fostered a sense of accomplishment – but my brother could still kick my ass and thereby maintain self-esteem. Everybody wins!

What Is It?
Tekken 6 is a one-on-one fighting game that will make the jump from PlayStation exclusive to multiplatform release by including the Xbox 360 along with its PS3 and PSP releases. Series developer veteran Katsuhiro Harada said radical changes have been made to the graphics engine so that the game can better focus on portraying movement. Harada also added that each console release would have unique content. Dare we hope for Soulcalibur-style homage characters?

What We Saw
I played four versus matches against Joystiq's Randy Nelson as Law, Kuma, Kazuya and new character Zafina. Randy tried out Panda, Feng and new character Bob — the fat guy who plays like a skinny guy and potentially provides a glimpse into what Japanese people think of American people. Technically, we weren't supposed to play with Kuma, Panda or Law, but the game's time-sensitive character selection screen kept dumping us into matches before the PR rep could point out where the permissible characters were on the screen.

How Far Along Is It?
The game looked pretty final, but the PR rep explained that some characters and levels weren't finished yet. Tekken 6 ships this fall.

What Needs Improvement?
Fine Tune Grabbing: Unbalanced grabbing systems are the bane of strategy-minded fighting game fans (think Soulcalibur IV). So it's important for any any fighting game to balance out the strength of and character sensitivity to grab attacks. Four matches isn't much time to get a complete feel for how well Tekken 6 stacked up against other fighting games, but I did feel like it was easy to break grabs and easy to make them, but even if you pulled one off, it didn't do the kind of catastrophic damage that makes you want to break grabs as soon as possible.

Insert Smack Talking: One my favorite things about fighting games is the smack talking that goes on before and after versus matches – especially if by they don't sync up in context or hostility. I'm not sure anything will top Kasumi's whiny dialog matched against Ein's death threats in Dead or Alive 3 for me, but I remember Tekken had some pretty good lines before and after battles. Sadly, I neither saw nor heard any smack talking in any of the matches I played.

What Should Stay The Same?
Zafina: There are a total of 42 characters – seven of them new to the series. The only one I got to spend quality time with was Zafina, who reminds me of Voldo from Soulcalibur, only hot and not male. Her moves were fluid and spider-like, and a lot of them come out of a low combat stance that allows her to perform over-her-back attacks reminiscent of Voldo. According to the January 2009 issues of PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Zafina is from the Middle East and uses "ancient assassinations arts." Guess those ancient assassins were double jointed.

Flying Pigs: There are a total of 16 stages in the game, but so far my favorite is the pig farm level that may or may not be Bob's stage in the story mode. About half a dozen pigs are onscreen throughout the fight and if you happen to hit one, kick one or get thrown into one or more, they go flying and land a few feet away, unharmed. It's less tragic than the frog that goes to heaven in the Secret Garden level from Tekken 5, but no less hilarious.

Final Thoughts
I liked Tekken 5 and saw no reason why I wouldn't like Tekken 6. There were some "new" things I didn't get to experience in only four matches that may have an impact on my feelings. For example, I didn't see the new multi-floored levels where you can crash through a floor or a wall into another area; I didn't see the rage system that increases a character's strength when they're near death. More subtle matters I couldn't get a feel for were the Bound system that extends juggles and the tweaks to death animations and fighting combo mechanics. Also, Law has gone through a major character overhaul; but since I wasn't supposed to play as him, I only got in a single match. It looked cool, but I can't say if I like it or not based on only one go.

And now for some screens:

Siliconera is reporting that the costumes are free downloads for the second Tales title to grace the PSP. You can download them from the PlayStation Store; and they must mean the Japanese Store as the game hasn't been given a US release yet.

Radiant Mythology 2 debuted at the top of the Japanese sales charts last week. Here's hoping that popularity propels it to the West so I can dress Estelle as Taki.

Soulcalibur Mythology Part Of Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 [Siliconera]

Evo 2009 is scheduled to throw down at the Rio hotel and casino July 17th through the 19th, featuring some of the best 2D and 3D battles you're likely to ever see. On tap for this year's Evo are brawls in Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Soulcalibur IV, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core and Street Fighter III: Third Strike.

Additional details on the Evo 2009 tourney are at the official site, but I will note that if you're going to be anywhere mid-July, make sure it's Las Vegas. It's just lovely during that time of year.

Announcing the Evo 2009 Lineup! [Evo Championship Series]

Fansite Soul Singapore sends us this video of not one but two Voldos decked out in their finest Michael Jackson attire as they ask that eternal question, "Annie are you okay?" It's apparently part of a tradition of Voldo dance clips dating back to the original Soulcalibur release, which both frightens and delights me, all at once. Hit the link for the history of Voldo dances.

You’ve been hit by.. been struck by.. VOLDO! [Soul Singapore]

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?

Santa Clara, Calif., (October 17, 2008) – Due to overwhelming fan response, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today revealed that Sith Lord Darth Vader and Jedi Master Yoda will be downloadable characters for Soulcalibur® IV on Thursday, October 23 from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®Network for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Once console exclusive characters, players will soon be able to pit these adversaries against each other for the true epic battle between dark and light. Soulcalibur® IV has shipped millions of units worldwide since its July 29 launch and continues to win audiences over with its rich gaming experience and robust feature set.

Set to reveal the origins of this ongoing story, Soulcalibur IV features new and familiar faces from across the galaxy who seeks the rival swords for their own ambitions. The line-up of weapon-wielding fighters grows as new characters add to the mythos including Hilde, a striking armor-clad warrior who wields a short sword and spear. In addition to the iconic Star Wars characters, the Secret Apprentice from LucasArts’ STAR WARS®: The Force Unleashed™ also makes an appearance as a guest character for both Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system.

Retooled from the ground up, Soulcalibur IV perfects its highly celebrated weapons-based fighting system with stunning high definition graphics and new gameplay mechanics. Adding to the depth of combat, players can now destroy protective armor; weakening their enemy’s resolve and unleash Critical Finish moves to defeat opponents in one spectacular blow. Also new to the series is the ability to battle online against players from around the world using customized characters or fan favorites to challenges others for global domination.

Soulcalibur IV is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and is currently available in stores for a suggested MSRP of $59.99. The downloadable characters will be available for 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and $4.99 on the PLAYSTATION Network. For more information please

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]

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?

「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]

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]

XCN Soul Calibur IV Q&A with Katsutoshi Sasaki, Director [MSXBOX World]

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]

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.

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.

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.

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?

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]