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Review : Soul Calibur 2 for Gamecube, PS2 and Xbox
Today is a freaking great day to be a videogame player.
Soul Calibur 2 was finally released in America.
I have been waiting for this game since first playing Soul Calibur on the Sega Dreamcast in September of 1999. BBQ and I have been making it a part of a balanced 2nd breakfast for over three years now.
You see it all started when Namco made the Tekken series on the PSOne. They were great 3d fighting games that rivaled Sega's Virtua Fighter games.
Then they made Soul Blade on the PSOne and it was very good. Rather than make another martial arts game set in the present the fighters of Soul Blade are armed with various sword and hand weapons. The gameplay was 3d based and there was one button for horizontal slashes, one for vertical slashes, one for blocking and one for kicks. The fighters moves were easy to learn but since there was a huge variety of masterfully animated available moves the combat was memorable and fun.
Then there was an arcade version of Soul Calibur that was good but not that much better graphically. But Namco was hard at work on developing a version for the Sega Dreamcast 128-bit game system. The were not just happy with porting over the older graphics but it was entirely redone using every damn bit of power that the Sega Dreamcast could muster. Then they also added lots of ways to play and quest mode that had hundreds of unlockable items. They took a damn good game and made the graphics to die for and increased the game play by a factor of ten. I will be indebted to Namco for making a game this good. Soul Calibur was so good that it was worth getting a Sega Dreamcast just to play that one game. I still recommend that people do that today.
Alas there was no sequel in 2000, 01 or 02. But now thank God we have Soul Calibur 2 in the USA. They sure took their sweet time getting this game to the states and they added extra playable characters from the months old Japanese version. I would not be surprised if they releases the updated game in Japan to rake more cash out of the Japanese market.
Namco went all out making this a true muliplatform game but they had the brilliant idea to put different extra characters in each of the three platforms. The Nintendo Gamecube version has a grown up Link from the Legend of Zelda games, The Playstation2 version had the old bastard Heihachi from Tekken, and the Xbox version was cursed with the dopeness of Spawn. If I were in charge of things I would have the Master chief from Halo in the Xbox version.
The SC2 arcade game was originally on the Nintendo/Namco/Sega Triforce arcade board so the Gamecube version is the closest to the original game. So that is why I picked the Gamecube version. That and I love Legend of Zelda. The three versions are all pretty damn close so get this game one the system that you love the most.
The Gamecube controller actually works really well with this game but I also had a good time using my Reflex Joystick and Madcatz Lynx plugged into my PS2 to Gamecube adapter. If you already have a good fighting joystick for the PS2 you owe it to yourself to play the Gamecube version using an adapter thingie.
The gameplay has not radically changed but the detail and love that the game developers imparted in this game takes it to a whole new level. The graphics and animation is the best damn eye candy ever made. The game can be easily learned but the combat does not get totally repetitive and tedious. The sound is great and there is an option to use the original Japanese voices.
I love this game. It is so good that it makes my eyes roll up back in my head and I start to drool after I forgot to eat and blink. It is because of games like these that I consider myself a console gamer. They are going to get this game after they pry it from my cold dead hands. Now get your hands off my you damn dirty ape. Mitsurugi has an appointment to deliver the pain to BBQ.
Jake at August 27, 2003 
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Comments
My friend got the X-box version a few months ago (he has one of those modded X-box). I wasn't too impressed with it. One reason are those retarded X-box controlers and the other is that I can't read Japaneese. There's nothing like trying to figure out how to beat a quest stage when you don't know what they've just said.
Anyway, I've always like the Link character, but that shouldn't be my only reason to buy a GameCube.
You seem to be the man of all things gaming. If you had to rate the best game system which would it be?
-Dave
Posted by: Dave at August 27, 2003 5:20 AM
My copy hasn't been delivered yet!!!!!!!!
Oh the agony.
Posted by: jason at August 27, 2003 8:06 AM
Did you win the tourney???
Posted by: Jeff at August 27, 2003 8:56 AM
guess that means this will have to move to the top of my gamefly list. Ultimate Muscle is heading back there today.
Posted by: Jason at August 27, 2003 9:08 AM
No I won a bunch of my fights but there were button mashing 12 year olds who would not shut up and I could have been a contender.
But the soul still burns...
Hey I need to rent Ultimate Muscle
Posted by: Jake at August 27, 2003 9:15 AM
"If it weren't for those meddling kids, you would have gotten away with it..."
Well, Brando, I guess you're just going to have to take it out on BBQ now, right?! ;)
Posted by: Jeff at August 27, 2003 9:20 AM
Hmmm. I'm going to have to find out who won that tournament. I am so glad I took yesterday off!
Posted by: Mici at August 27, 2003 9:37 AM
Bring it on bitch! I bring the whoopin' you bring the ass.
Posted by: BBQ at August 27, 2003 11:30 AM
Wow, Jake. That sounds like a challénge to me...
Posted by: Jeff at August 27, 2003 12:40 PM
Yup and there are lots of new fighters that I can use to kick BBQs ass. Raphael has been growing on me.
Posted by: Jake at August 27, 2003 12:42 PM
Wow...There's a lot of smack-talkin' going down here today. I hope you can back it up with a sword slash to the nads...
Posted by: Jeff at August 27, 2003 2:22 PM
::sniff:: ::sniff:: pfew! too much testosterone up in heah...;)
Posted by: lilly at August 27, 2003 5:45 PM
The X-box version really delivers! I didn't get my copy until today, but man it is AWESOME! You really need to try it, I know the game will be the same, but the controller S is closest to the Dreamcast pad and that beats having to get an adapter for the Cube version (wretched first-party pad!) Still might have to get it just for the coolness factor of Link though...
Posted by: boyd at August 28, 2003 5:06 PM
I just got the Cube version and it is great. the only complaint I have is the controller, but that will be taken care of as soon as I get an adapter for my PS2 contoller. It's even more fun than I remember on the Dreamcast (and still the best fighting game I've played to date).
Posted by: pellinore at August 29, 2003 8:32 AM
Does the Xbox version have the ability to unlock Tupac? I think you get him by playing one of the bonus games "Soul Hoopz."
Posted by: BBQ at August 29, 2003 1:08 PM
50 Cent is a wiggedy-wack hidden character in the Xbox version, and he represents to the fullest the dopeness of the Bling bling box...
Posted by: boyd at August 29, 2003 6:07 PM
the controller on the gamecube is the only negative. What I think I dislike most is that they didn't make the in game instructions a match for the specific gamecube controller. There's no recognition of the fact that the z button and the second analog stick can both be used to "power up."
I also would love for link to have a little dialogue but I would guess that soul caliber won't be the first game in which he receives voice acting.
Posted by: Jason at September 2, 2003 11:18 AM
I actually like the Gamecube controller best out of all the versions of the game. The button layout works well and I like having B as block. Pressing both swords slashes at the same time is easy on the Gamecube. And if you are really hating the Gamecube pad there is allways an adaptor to use PS2 controllers and joysticks on it.
Posted by: Jake at September 2, 2003 11:27 AM
MAn I can't wait for this game, I got a ps2 but so the graphics won't be as good, o well I heard the ps2 version is the same quality as arcade version so i'm happy..I think the xboxs versions graphics are BETTER than arcadelike more textures yet the controllers a little unbalanced and unco and I never like spawnd really I would have prefered if they put someone like conan the barbarian in it but o well I'll get heidarchi or whatevert the fuck his name is...i don't own any tekkans so i guess its okay, also link has a sword and spawn an axe, weapons that other characters have whilst heidarchi uses his mace like fists (must be pretty brave blocking a huge axe with arm braces lol)
Posted by: GAMER at September 4, 2003 9:08 AM
The PS2 version looks very good and is close to the arcade but the graphics of the Xbox and Gamecube version are perfect. I think the gamecube version looks better than the Xbox but they are very close. There is Rock in the US version that is as close to Conan as you can get. I would get a version of it for what system you like best. That is Gamecube for me.
Posted by: Jake at September 4, 2003 9:24 AM
i really really really cant wait to get this game.
i cant get until october cos im skint. link is definetly the coolest character, i really think the gc version comes out oon top.
i love the legend of zelda series and i loved soul calibur and this is both!!!
pure gaming heaven. ive played a demo of the ps2 version at my mates house and the ps2 controller works very well but i have high hopes that the gc controller will work just as well. october really couldnt come sooner!link....rules!
Posted by: jay at September 14, 2003 6:47 AM
Link is actually one of the better fighters in the game. My friend BBQ has gotten quite good with him and he has some good combos. If the other fighter is across the screen Link can shoot arrows at them and they hurt.
Posted by: Jake at September 14, 2003 1:24 PM
I've gotta say, I dont have any systems yet bt I've already decided on gamecube, Link looks the best. No one heard of Spawn, except a few comic geeks which are kinda rare these days, until this, and now McFarlene or something is getting all this notification becuz of namco, but hey, its business. The only thing I dont like about the tekken guy, ok there are three reasons. One: No weapon, it totally takes away from the soul calibur sword-play theme,2: NAMCO DEVELOPED HIM: 3: THe frame rates of the game.
I like Link the best mostly because he's the most unique of the three, but spawn is certaininly in the league of Nightmare.
P.S. wow you guys know your just giving these companys free publicity, I didnt realize it until now.
Posted by: Alec at September 24, 2003 5:19 PM
Well this is a free website that is run by me and owned by me. I just like to talk about videogames and stuff and run this as a hobby.
Well Yoshimitsu is from Tekken and he was in Soul Calibur first.
Posted by: Jake at September 24, 2003 5:22 PM
This is a really good game. I like playing handball as well. Almost as much as this game. Even though i've never played this game i think it would be really fun.
P.S. Diablo 2 is the best game ever created ^^, but diablo 2 exp is better
Posted by: Sam at December 2, 2003 9:19 PM
I actually like heihachi the best of the three. Even thoguh he has no range it's not a real disadvantage as he is RIDICULOUSLY strong and decently fast. I used toi love kazuya from tekken so the transition was easy.
Posted by: Swordmaster at February 24, 2004 8:16 AM
were do i find a weapon list for soul caliber three
Posted by: leo at January 9, 2007 11:48 AM
Try Gamefaqs.com
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/927089.html
Posted by: Jake of 8bitjoystick.com at January 9, 2007 11:53 AM
