Tekken and Soul Calibur In The Puddle!

If you’re a Tekken or Soul Calibur fan, then drop whatever you’re doing- Yes, including that set of antique China- and head on over to Avoiding The Puddle.com and listen to their Episode 14 Podcast. Why? Well, ’cause they’ve got several very special guests on board instead of the usual gamer chatting… none other than Katsuhiro Harada, Michael Murray and Daishi Odashima of Namco-Bandai.

The podcast is about an hour long and basically has ATP’s Aris grilling his guests on stuff about the Tekken series, post-mortems about past console ports and other hardcore game stuff. They only get to the newer games- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Soul Calibur– in the last 20 minutes or so, and it’s mostly TTT2 and very little Calibur.

• The podcast confirms ALL characters from Tekken 6 WILL be back in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

• Also, fans of Baek and Wang (who were in dire straits at the end of Tekken 6) can rest easy- they will apparently return (not just in Tekken Tag 2, but in future canon Tekkens).

• Another tidbit, as of right now Tekken Tag 2 may retain the original system of the first Tekken Tag that requires you to keep both of your characters alive in a round (rather than the elimination-type of team play in KOF or the Capcom VS games).

• As for Soul Calibur, this was mostly just new SC producer Daishi Odashima getting introduced, and some talk about his background… really nothing about the game itself, which is probably still in planning stages at this point. But we may expect Hilde to get nerfed… maybe.

Overall, it’s a pretty good hour of listening if you fancy yourself a fan of these fighting titles. So head on over here now to listen to the whole show.

Musing About The Next Soul Calibur

Will Ivy return in the next Calibur?

With the recent announcement by Katsuhiro Harada of the confirmation of a new Soul Calibur game in development, fans are surely at this very moment mulling over the future of their beloved fighting game series. While I’m really more of a Tekken fan, I love the Soul Calibur franchise a lot, certainly for it’s more dynamic storylines, colorful characters, gorgeous cutting-edge visuals and robust console features. New SC head honcho Daishi Odashima certainly has his work CUT (got it? Cut? Blades? Eeeh…) out for him. There will be lots of demands to keep things from past games as well as the challenge and expectation to come up with all-new elements and features. It won’t be an easy job to keep the Tales of Souls and Swords going, but we’re going to do our part by speculating it to hell.

The Storyline. One can always do the usual schtick, and position the current game storyline just shortly after the last game. But that’s really a bit of a cop-out, and from the endings of the last game you’d expect some time- well, a lot of time- to have passed… perhaps even decades. However, once again evil, in the form of shards from the evil sword, or even just shadows of their power, are beginning to make their presence felt. Heroes both old and new are being called back into action, some to battle the menace, some to serve it. Who will answer the call?

The Roster. The available fighters this time around may be a mix of both old and new; some will be supercharged, younger versions of classic fighters who have since become old and retired. Several though return seemingly unchanged even after all these years. These seeming-immortals include the un-aging Zasalamel, the ever-young Ivy, the vampiric Raphael and his equally immortal ward, Amy, and the golem, Astoroth.

Of the new blood, perhaps a grown-up daughter of Sophitia will take up her mother’s sword, as will a student of Seung Mina. A young pirate of indeterminate gender bearing Maxi’s style will also appear alongside two young twins- a staff-wielding girl and a sword-swinging boy. A young knight from the great kingdom of Wolfkrone will also join the battle, with a style that switches between one or dual-blades.

On the side of evil, a disturbingly more human, more evolved Lizard Man, a more mad, frenzied Voldo, and a new incarnation of Soul Edge’s spawn, Knightmare.

Character Creation. It’s the best feature of the last couple of SC games, so Character Creation is definitely something I’ll be looking forward to in the next game. Improved graphics, a lot more customization options, more layers and costume pieces plus hopefully the return of additional fighting styles will characterize this next-gen Create-a-Soul feature. A play mode that specifically lets us use the CAS styles would be welcome- something like a CAS Soul Calibur Gaiden mode that lets you run through various challenges with your created fighter. Battle Theater, Team Battle, Survival, Challenge, Time Attack and full-featured Practice Modes and more should round out the features.

Gameplay. I’m no Soul Calibur expert, so I’ll leave it to the hardcore to twiddle about frame counts and attack values. I just want the fighting action to retain the smoothness, the exciting pace and flow of the best Calibur has to offer. Augment the animation with new reactions, KO animations, stuns, and cooler throws which always pleases the crowd. Guard counters and parries should be easy to do, but require correct or skill in timing. The Critical Finishers may be retained, but perhaps the execution can be changed or tweaked to make it more tactical and useful, rather than just a one-shot cinematic fatality you see once and just tire of afterwards.

It’s not going to be easy developing the next Soul Calibur- some people may be pleased, some horrified at what the new Project Soul team will be doing. I just hope they keep the best things, try out enough reasonably new stuff and have a surprise or two ready in the mix just to show what they’re made of. Oh, and most important, I hope while they don’t rush their job, I hope they don’t take their merry time either. I want my new Calibur yesterday.

New Soul Calibur news and updates may be found over at Daishi Odashima’s Twitter.

New Soul Calibur Game Confirmed!

The new champion of Soul Calibur, Daishi Odashima!

Namco-Bandai’s Katsuhiro Harada promised another surprise today, and he delivered with the official announcement that a Soul Calibur game is now in development! After months and months of fans voicing and signifying their support on online groups such as Facebook, a go-signal has been given. We can never really know what exactly went behind the scenes but fact remains- fans were clamoring for a new SC, and they got it. Well, we’ll get it someday- no release date yet, and who knows how long it will take to be done. Anyways, if you’re interested in keeping up to date to whatever SC updates happen, best to follow the game’s head of development, Daishi Odashima, on Twitter (Daishi_CALIBUR).

Odashima-san started as a fan of Soul Calibur, then later joined the development team of Soul Calibur III, SoulCalibur IV and SC Broken Destiny. Now he’s at the helm of the current SC project, with the hopes of countless sword-slashing fans pinned to him. Good luck, Odashima-san!

More Namco-Bandai Twitter Teasing to Come…

It seems that while the past month or so has been pretty thin when it comes to any updates to upcoming fighters from Namco-Bandai, that may change in the very near future. SD-Tekken just dropped some hints that fans should keep their eyes peeled on Twitter (on new Namco-Bandai community manager FilthieRich and of course, Tekken main man Katsuhiro Harada) for some updates. No word yet exactly on what games, but heck- there are only two games to wait for updates for- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and a possible new Soul Calibur (Tekken X SF is slated to come much later, so I don’t think they want much focus on that right now).

Latest word I’ve gathered from Twitterati is that development on TTT2 is going along well, and that character models are looking a lot improved from before. Well, hopefully we’ll see a lot more info, screens or perhaps even a video or so as a holiday gift from NB. I’ll keep my eyes peeled then.

Want Soulcalibur V? Then Join the Petition!

Whether Ivy will jiggle back into battle may rely on YOU, the gamer.

UPDATE: Harada-san recently posted a tweet saying, “Ok everyone I’ll share your opinion with TK & SC project Team. Thank You!!” Perhaps this means that he’s seen the numbers and is now convinced a lot of fans want a new SoulCalibur? We’ll just have to wait and see.

All this time I’ve been operating on the assumption that Soulcalibur V is already in development. Perhaps it is, or perhaps it isn’t… but apparently we the gaming public may have a say if we’re going to see the Tales of Souls and Swords continue. Katsuhiro Harada, Namco-Bandai’s main man for the Tekken and Soul Calibur games, is apparently looking to see signatures from souls wanting to see more of the Calibur Crew in action. Once he sees enough people giving their vote for, he’ll supposedly relay the message to the dev teams to get to work. If you are a fighting fan like me, then it’s a no-brainer. We. Want. Soulcalibur V. Now.

To aid in this quest, click here to go to the Petition to Namco for Soulcalibur 5 Facebook Page and add your name to the many who have already professed their desire for more blade-wielding carnage on consoles.

That said, I scarcely think that this means that there isn’t any SCIV sequel in the works at the very least- surely they haven’t shut down Project Soul in the meantime. But I think that a large enough number of gamers who voice their desire for a new SC game will hasten the coming of the next sword-wielding sequel. In any case, click on the link, go to the Facebook Petition Page and LIKE it. The world needs another Soulcalibur game in the near future!

Musing About Fighting Games: Tekken VS Soulcalibur

Iron Fists versus Steel Blades!

It’s almost the middle of the year. All the big guns in fighting games have fired their salvoes. Now it’s all about waiting for the next wave. Tekken 7? Soulcalibur V? Super-Duper Streetfighter IV? Done that. How about something like… Tekken VS Soulcalibur? It’s a topic suggested by one of our longtime readers, so why not? What would I expect from a Mash-up Fighter starring Namco-Bandai’s two fighting franchises?

A Crazy Storyline to Tie It All In. I guess this should be required for any Crossover. How the heck can the fighters from the present meet up with those of the lost chapters of antiquity? Perhaps a shard of Soul Edge is discovered in the Tekken world, which, once handled and unleashed by some poor fool, opens a doorway or portal through the dimensions and time, linking both worlds together in a potentially disastrous bond. The good fighters from both realms must fight to sever the bond, while those seeking chaos will try to maintain it and perhaps destroy both worlds, or create a ruined new one from the ashes of both realities. OOOH…
Hopefully this story will be told through cutscenes (I prefer in realtime) where the fighters interact and converse (though hopefully in scenes more gripping and interesting than the talking-heads expos from Tekken 6’s Scenario Campaign). It will indeed be interesting to see how Mitsurugi and Kazuya react to each other…

Mitsurugi: Hey, you! You’re strong. Let’s fight!

Kazuya: Insect. (Puts up fists)

… or not. Oh well. Anyway, a Tekken VS Soulcalibur game will most probably have a nifty subtitle, as Crossover games are wont to do… how ’bout Tekken Vs Soulcalibur: Strongest Souls Clash! or Worlds Shattered by Fate! Ouch.

A Battle System that Does Justice to Both Games. Hopefully TvsS will find a way to let both fighters from either side be strong and bad-ass without being too powerful. How strong will unarmed fighters be against warriors with enchanted weapons? Maybe the Tekken Fighters can arm themselves with enchanted bracers or gauntlets (like Hei did in SC2)? Or maybe their mastery of Chi is enough to empower them against the blades of the Caliburverse? Anyway, it will be a trick to meld two games with very different fighting styles, but it surely can be done.
Perhaps the new battle system will meld elements from each side, like the Guard Impacts of Soulcalibur plus the Bound! System of Tekken. Maybe we can have Tag Team modes for some awesome pair-up pummeling. Let’s see Lightning Screw Uppercut combos into Angel Step-Triple Thrusts for a 20-hit combination. Awesome.

Big Bad Bosses. Who is pulling the strings in this Crossover-Contest? Soul Edge? The Mishimas? Devil? Yet another Gigantic Tekken Boss? Perhaps each side can have its own end-villain to take on, perhaps empowered by Soul Edge’s evil power, and perhaps using mind-controlled fighters (from either world) as it’s unwilling pawns. Friend may be pitted against friend, or good guys (and girls) against other good guys (or girls). Oh the drama!

Character Creation and Customization. Let’s see the Soulcalibur manner of Customization to rule here, meaning more control over how we dress up the fighters. Maybe we can ‘modernize’ the Calibur fighters’ look with present day fashion, or gear up the Tekken crew in fantasy armor. Or just strip everyone down to their trunks or bikinis and be done with it.

Crazy Modes. I give up… we’ll probably never see Tekken Xtreme Beach Volleyball, not in one of the canon Tekken titles. But perhaps a just-for-fun crossover fighter may be the venue to put in out-there modes like that, plus you have two stables’ worth of babes to compete in it. How ’bout the return of Tekken Bowl, but this time with the Soulcalibur cast on board as well. Tekken Tennis? Mixed pairs to the death? Hey, why not?

In any case, Tekken characters can indeed stand toe-to-toe with the sword-wielding warriors of Soulcalibur, as we’ve seen in the past. Namco-Bandai has two awesome fighting games in their stable… why not bring them together for an awesome two and a half? Who knows, it may happen. Or not. The possiblities are endless!

Finally Got to Play Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny…

No, my damn PSP’s still on the fritz… but a friend of mine let me play around with his portable and copy of the game for a bit. I played it for about an hour, messing around with CAS, playing some Gauntlet and Quick Match… okay… quick impressions.

It’s Soulcalibur IV on PSP. Big surprise. It controls the same, moves the same, feels the same. Freakin’ awesome.

Not too many things to do. Really, would it have killed Project Soul to include a simple Arcade or Story mode? Even with silly anime illustration endings instead of the usual cutscene finale. Something to that effect would have helped this game a LOT in terms of the single-player experience. Quick Match is fine to just play against an opponent but it’s just not the same. Gauntlet is interesting but too focused on the various missions and fiddly. Actually, the most fun I had was in CAS, where I spent a bit too much time trying to compose my fighter’s photo… heheh…. that was neat.

Character Creation is pretty cool. In a way it’s better than the console versions due to having more items and some new options. However, the inability to customize the regular roster of characters HURTS. Still, I guess that makes the PSP CAS a complement to the console CAS, and not a full replacement.

A.I. is exceptionally good. Quick Match opponents are nasty, and I do see the CPU opponents aren’t pushovers like before. They spam moves, use combos, sidestep and so on… almost seemingly like a real player. Almost. I like.

Graphics are amazing. The characters are detailed and awesome, even if the screen just too small to appreciate it all properly. Well, it IS a PSP after all, so still, it’s an incredible achievement for the PSP. The animation quality seems very close, if not exact to the movements of the console versions, which is awesome.

I’m definitely getting this game on my own PSP, and it seems a great time-waster. I just wish the devs went a bit more into making the Single Player Experience more… conventional. As it is, it’s still a cool tool for honing your Calibur skills, but unless you regularly play with friends or online, would you need that? Oh well.

Soulcalibur on the iPhone! Well, kind of…

Another Tale of Souls and Swords..?

Man, Gameloft is on a roll lately. They brought the iPhone an RTS (Rise of Lost Empires), a pretty kick-ass FPS shooter (Modern Warfare: Sandstorm) and now, they’ve released a 3-D weapons fighter in the vein of Soul Calibur. It’s called Blades of Fury, just out today. Wait… did I say, ‘in the vein’? It’s more like this title got a transfusion from Namco’s classic blade-brawler. You’ve got a fantasy setting, and characters who resemble familiar fighters- there’s a dominatrix with a chain ala Ivy, a winged dragon guy kinda like Lizardman, a knight like Siegfried and even a Wolverine/Voldo knock-off. The game lets you play the usual Story Mode single player, or multiplayer in some capacity. 10 fighters are on offer, each with 20 attacks each… not bad.

The latest title from Gameloft is a cut above the rest.

The gameplay looks okay, for a mobile game, though perhaps it would be better to get this if you owned the more 3-D capable iPhone 3GS. In that case this may be worth plunking the $6.99. I may check it out later.

It makes me yearn for a martial arts brawler on the iPhone- maybe Namco-Bandai can push through with their supposed plans to bring Tekken to the appstore? Man, that would be cool.

Weekend Warrior

Whew! Another week in and out. But for some reason, there’s still four freakin’ weeks left to September… what the heck? Oh well. What can we do to make the wait lesser aside from just doing other stuff?

My agenda for the weekend will be to have my darn PSP fixed, so I can eventually get to play Soulcalibur Broken Destiny. All the reviews have been quite good, and I’m raring to get my mitts on it. Also gonna try and play some of my new acquisitions, including Batman: Arkham Asylum. Aside from all that, I should catch up on sleep and just chill out.

Enjoy the weekend, dudes. Next week’s another week, another step forward.

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny 1Up Review

The folks over at 1Up.com have given the down-sized Calibur their verdict. Quite a nice score, that. Check it out here.

Anyway, SCBD’s out already on sites like Play-Asia, at least in Japan and Asia, although I won’t be getting it right away thanks to my PSP being on the fritz at present. I’ll try to have it up and going over the weekend. The pocket slasher looks really slick though I have to say I am disappointed that you can’t customize the Regular Characters anymore (you can only edit colors), which I guess is the swap for the availability of P1 costume pieces into the Character Creation pieces… in this regard the console SCIV is still tops, though I really want to try out Dampierre’s crazy moves. Heheh… and what’s this about Zasalamel rambling about divorce and panty shots..?