Retro Corner: 'Soul Blade'

First released:1996 (Arcade, PlayStation)
Now available for: N/A

Soul Calibur V's release on Xbox 360 and PS3 is just a few weeks away, and it's hard to believe that the acclaimed fighting series is already in its fifth instalment following a critically-acclaimed debut as a Dreamcast launch title 13 years ago. But its origins date back further than Sega's final throw of the dice in the console race, starting life as Arcade and PlayStation title Soul Blade.

In an age of new 32-bit fighters such as Virtua Fighter and Namco's own Tekken, Soul Blade took a slightly different approach to the genre with the simple addition of weapons. Although the idea was far from a new one - Battle Arena Toshinden beat it to the punch as a PlayStation launch-window title - the enjoyable, balanced fighting systems in place and memorable characters made it a hit.

While it shares similarities with Tekken, such as the same slower-paced, close-quarters approach to combat and suite of slow but powerful unblockable moves, the addition of weapons gave fighting a different feel, relying less on kicks and throws and more on mid-range special attacks. Breakable weapons and defeat by falling out of the ring also added a dimension of risk to blocking and evasion.

It also shared Tekken's flair for memorable characters. Set in a fantasy take on the Renaissance era, highlights included the broadsword-wielding warriors such as Siegfried and fast-paced ninja Taki, not to mention the bizarre, gimp-like Voldo and dastardly evil pirate Cervantes, with each character offering their own variety of playstyles.

Alongside the standard Arcade mode and local multiplayer options, the PlayStation version added a campaign mode named Edge Master Mode. Played on a map, it had players explore the globe and fighting matches with specific objectives in mind, all backed up with basic story elements, such as dispatching the enemy as fast as possible because of a health-diminishing poision, or defeating indestrutable foes by an out-of-ring knock-out.

Each character had their own campaign tailored around them, with objectives that target their weaknesses for added challenge, or seeing reoccurring encounters against arch rivals. It was a basic but very well-done campaign, something which fighting games before or since have achieved with the same success, especially in offering meaty content for solo players.

Soul Blade's weapon-based combat may have set it apart from its 3D fighting peers, but its rich and diverse range of characters and superb single-player content made it a critical and sales success over time. And of course, it led to follow-up Soul Calibur, a game still regarded as one of the strongest fighters ever made, as well as a series with legions of fans to this day.





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