Namco's Tekken series has been one of the best selling 3D fighting series for the Sony Playstation. So why can't they do it for the Sega Dreamcast? Well they have started something. Soul Calibur was the second fighting game to be released when the Sega Dreamcast was introduced to the United States back on September 9, 1999 (the first fighter being Power Stone from Capcom)

Soul Calibur is the sequel to Soul Edge for the Playstation.

Story

Fighters have gathered from all parts of the world, to fight for the legendary sword, Soul Edge. Some are fighting to destroy it so that it can never be used, and others are there to conquer the world with it. In the wrong hand the sword can unleash an evil power so great, that all will suffer.

Graphics

Soul Calibur is one of the best looking 3D fighters for the Dreamcast to date. The characters are very realistic looking. From head to toe, they look like real people, their hair moves approriately, their clothes move the way that they should, and they cast realistic shadows & reflections on the ground (not just black spots on the ground)

The backgrounds are great looking too. The lighting effects have been done well. Water actually looks like water! The scenery is breathtaking, and it feels like you are actually fighting in the country side with a castle in the background! Well done Namco!

Sound

The sound effects are just right. You can hear the weapons clank together, and other noises yo might hear while you are fighting.

The music is pretty good, but the commentator can get on your nerves. The only thing he says at the end of each mach is "This fight strengthens the soul of....." And that can get real old after a while.

Controls

The controls are fairly easy to learn, whether you are a button masher or some one who is a combination fighter, both types of players will enjoy this game. Some of the moves and combos are
hard the first few times you play it, but to beat the game, you really do not need to know the hundreds of combos in the game.

The arenas are fairly good size and you can run all around (and you can fall off and lose) in any direction. This is one figther that works pretty good with the Standard Controller's Analog Stick.

There are all kinds of different throws and combos to use. There are even power up moves that can not be blocked by your opponent, but timing is a must.

Game Play

Soul Calibur is not a typical fighter (Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc.) you use weapons instead of your body. Sure you can kick, sometimes you can punch, but each character has a weapon that they are the master at using. Some use axes, swords, and spears, while others use poles, staffs, whips, and nunchucks.

Game Modes

Soul Calibur has many different game modes. Each will keep you playing for hours, weeks, and months!

Arcade Mode

This is the original game found in the arcade. You start out with a certain amount of characters. The more you play the more fighters you can choose from. You can also unlock new characters, weapons, and more in the Story Mode.

VS Mode

This is the mode where two players can fight it out. You can also set handicaps (but why would your opponents want to do that.....just don't tell your friends how good you are!)

Team Battle Mode

This is a mode for one or two players. Each player chooses a team of 1 to 8 fighters. You play until you win, and you rotate who you fight with.

Time Attack Mode

This mode is for one player only. You choose a fighter and you try to defeat an opponent in a set amount of time, and you must try and beat your time each time you play. The bad thing about this mode is that you can not pause the game, so if you get tired and your fingers cramp up...too bad buddy...you should of thought of that before you started
playing! Anyway, this is an endurance mode to see what you can really do.

Survival Mode

This is another one player only mode. In this mode you pick a fighter and you try and beat as many opponents as you can. Each round you keep your same HP (Hit or Health Points) so the idea is, not to get hurt so you can continue to play each round. Each round gets a little harder than the last.

Mission Mode

This is like Story Mode in other games. You choose a fighter, and you compete in certain events across the world. Each time you complete an event, a new one opens up on the map (the map is where you choose what you want to do, like World Tour Mode in Virtua Tennis) Each time you play an event and win, you get points to buy new Art Gallery Cards. Each card opens up something new, like new characters, weapons, arenas, character outfits, and new game modes. And when you finish the Mission Mode, you can play it again, but it gets harder as you go.

Art Gallery

This is where you can view the cards that you buy in the Mission Mode. Each card features different art work from the game, pre-production sketches, and there is even a Slide Show that features some of the art from the game with music in the background. It is kind of nice to sit back and watch them all. There are over 100+ images to collect.

Museum Mode

Everytime you play the game new options open up in this mode.

**Battle Theater**
This is where you can watch two CPU characters fight it out. This is a nice option to see how well certain fighters do against others.

....there are other modes you can unlock, one being Opening Movie Editor.

Practice Mode

This is where you can learn all of the moves and throws there are to offer in the game. You can experiment and come up with your own combos too. There is no time limit, so you can spend all hours of the day training.

Options Mode

This is where you se
t the games options...what else!?! You can change the difficulty level, number of rounds, time, and more.

VMU Features

You can of course save, load, and trade data with others. You can see your character in the small LCD Screen on the VMU. It isn't much, but it is amusing to watch a smaller, cartoon looking version of your character on your controller.

Overall

This is probably the best 3D fighter for the Dreamcast to date. The only other game that comes close is Dead or Alive. Power Stone and Power Stone 2 are in a totally different league.

This is another must have. It is a very high quality game that you can spend a long time playing. It's almost endless.

Big brother Tekken has a lot to live up to.

so buy buy buy