Soul Edge is a 1996 3D arcade fighting game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco. It is the first installment in the Soul series of fighting games, while its title refers to the demonic sword around which the plot revolves.
Soul Edge is the second 3D fighting game to feature characters that fight with weapons (the first being Battle Arena Toshinden), although putting weapons in fighters was not a new concept (Samurai Shodown is a notable example of a 2D fighter with weapons). Apart from the aesthetic benefits, giving the characters weapons allows for a greater diversity between them, meaning there is someone for every play style.
It was initially released in the arcades in 1996. A couple of months later, Namco released a fixed version labeled Soul Edge Ver. II, upon the complaints of players who found the difficulty quite high and the last boss "unbeatable". Hwang (initially a palette swap of Mitsurugi for the Korean version of the game) was introduced to Japanese players with a new movelist, Cervantes became playable, Guard Impacts and Air Combos were implemented, and all the characters received upgraded movelists.
The game was then ported to the Sony PlayStation and Namco chose to use the name Soul Blade in Europe, North America and Australia to avoid potential complications due to EDGE Games's earlier "EDGE" trademark.The Soul Edge is a sword of sheer power, one that has ended many lives. Many believe it is cursed -- when an attempt is made to wield the sword, that person usually dies or ultimately fails. The fearsome pirate Cervantes de Leon found this out first hand; he disappeared with the sword and hasn't been seen since. Now, you and ten other warriors lust for the sword and engage in a fierce tournament -- the winner will be given a chance to possess the powerful blade.
PLAYSTATION FEATURES:
- The original ten selectable characters received a new PlayStation-specific costume, chosen from various works sent by fans, giving each one a total of three different costumes, plus two color variations for the 1P and 2P costumes.
- The inclusion, besides the standard "Arcade" mode, of: "VS" mode, "Survival", "Team Battle", "Time Attack" and "Training" modes.
- A new RPG-styled mode called "Edge Master Mode", which works as a sort of "Story Mode" for the ten initial characters. The mode presents the selected character's story as a book, while the player moves in a map to various locations and fights in battles, sometimes with handicap rules. Generally, each "Chapter" of the book rewards the player with a weapon.
- Individual endings done using the game's renderer, rather than still images (as in its sequels, Soulcalibur and Soulcalibur II) or CGI. Each of the ten normally selectable characters have two endings, usually one ending which ends well and another tragic ending. These endings are accessible by pressing a special button/button sequence during certain times, indicated by black bars moving away, while others involve a short minigame, such as Mitsurugi avoiding gunshots. This type of ending was finally brought back in Soulcalibur III.
- The inclusion of seven extra weapons per character, which have different designs and statistics, composed of Power (inflicts more damage), Defense (receives less damage), Strength (damage dealt to enemy's weapon gauge), Durability (resistance of player's weapon gauge) and Weight (changes character's speed). Some weapons also have a special ability, like the ability to damage through defense or restore the player's health.
- The inclusion of three different in-game soundtracks to choose from: the Arcade Soundtrack, a studio-recorded version of the arcade soundtrack called Arrange Soundtrack and the Khan Super Session, made expressly for the home version.
This is the premise behind Soul Blade -- an Arcade conversion of Soul Edge. It is arena based (complete with ring outs) 3D fighter that features eleven diverse characters with one goal in mind -- retrieve the deadly sword. Each character has their own unique collection of weapons that range from swords, axes, spears, katana blades and more. In addition to weaponry, they have been given a wide variety of special maneuvers, combinations, air juggles, reversals, and throws.
Like many fighting games, there is an assortment of different gameplay modes -- Arcade, Vs. Battle, Team Battle, Survival, Time Attack and Edge-Master. The Arcade mode is the actual game in which you compete against computer-controlled opponents on your quest for the sword. On the other hand, the Edge-Master aspect is a unique one. It gives each character a personal storyline complete with battles and a map screen. This option allows you to obtain multiple weapons for each character that can be used in the Arcade or other modes. Though it awards weapons for progression of the story, it also serves as good practice for new players -- it tests you in the areas of throwing and more.
The Survival option tests your stamina and endurance by putting you up against an endless barrage of computer opponents. Each battle is one round in length and as you defeat the various characters, you are rewarded with a little health. When your health meter has been depleted 100 percent, the game is over. Team battle allows you to play against the computer or an actual real-life opponent. Each person (or the computer) chooses a side of characters that will face each other. When a character is defeated, they are eliminated from the battle.
Soul Blade supports the standard PlayStation controller as well as Namco's joystick (the latter is not included in the package). You can also save your weapons and story progress (from the Edge-Master mode) to a memory card.
CHARACTERS:
- Cervantes: (Cervantes de Leon) His father, Phillip, was a privateer sent on a special mission from Spanish King Philip II to loot ships, but was killed and his ship destroyed by an English warship. As a result Cervantes forsook his allegiance to Spain and became a pirate. Receiving a request from Voldo's master to find Soul Edge, he pursued and found the sword only to be possessed by it. He killed his crew and led a reign of terror for twenty years until defeated by Taki, who pursued the sword for her own reasons. However he was resurrected accidentally by Nightmare due to the fragments of the sword lodged in his body, initially with amnesia. As his memories slowly returned he desired the sword again, which had been by now shattered. Recovering fragments of the blade, they melded together to form a new weapon for him, and he pursued more pieces to strengthen it, attacking any ships that came close to his at sea. When Soul Edge summoned all pieces of itself back to it, Cervantes followed the trail, devouring the soul of his illegitimate daughter, Ivy along the way.
- Hwang: (Hwang Seong-gyeong) A man with a strong sense of justice, joined Korea's coast guard and was sent to find the "Sword of Salvation", really the cursed sword Soul Edge, in order to protect his country. However he returned after learning of an impending Japanese invasion of his homeland, bringing his friend's daughter, Seong Mi-na, back with him. After he set out after her again, he discovered the true nature of the sword, and informed his superiors of it. They dismissed him as a result, but upon learning that the Japanese were also after the sword he was instead sent to stop them. Heading westward, he plans to join forces with Mi-na to destroy the blade.
- Inferno: Is the physical manifestation of the cursed sword Soul Edge's own soul. It fights using the attack style of other fighters from its memories of past battles, and will switch to a random one at the start of each round. Though it exists in its own dimension, Chaos (a realm where time and space never exist), it has used duplicity such as in the case of tricking Siegfried into expanding its will, and in more extreme cases utilized Cervantes' flaming corpse and later the remnants of Nightmare's armor to create an avatar for itself. Its will and power has directly and indirectly affected several other characters in the series, such as the Evil Seed event that caused many to turn somewhat evil or insane. It has also caused the creation of several life forms or modification of them, such as Ivy's sword, Charade, Necrid and Abyss.
- Li Long: Is an assassin sent by the Emperor of China to kill a pirate lord, but failed. Badly injured, he was rescued by a woman named Chie and eventually fell in love with her. While out one day, a fight broke out at the inn and Chie was believed to be dead. Told falsely the swordsman Heishiro Mitsurugi was responsible, he set out after Soul Edge knowing Mitsurugi was also after the blade. Along the way he takes the weapons of other fighters he defeats, repurposing some for his own use.Upon finding and defeating him, he realized Mitsurugi had no part in the attack upon Chie, and continued his goal of searching for Soul Edge. He located its wielder, Cervantes, but was beaten severely. Revealed to have survived in Soulcalibur III but having lost an eye, he found himself on the run from assassins sent by his former employer. Traveling by night under a false name, he was taken in by a girl that reminded him of Chie. When the assassins eventually found him, Li Long stood his ground and defeated them. Remembering the feel of fighting for something other than revenge, he set out to find himself, not knowing that Chie was actually alive and, after giving birth to their son, had set out to find him
- Mitsurugi: (Heishiro Mitsurugi) Is the son of a farmer, who after suffering years of witnessing his homeland being ravaged by bandits and war decided to take up swordsmanship, becoming a samurai and eventually hired mercenary. Learning of a new weapon, the rifle, and its ability to devastate the current Japanese armies, sought Soul Edge to counter it and encountered Taki during this time. Unable to find the sword, he challenged a man armed with a rifle in frustration, and was shot in his right shoulder. He gradually improved his fighting style to the point riflemen were no longer a threat, and after learning of Nightmare set out after him in order to find what he considered a worthy challenge.
- Rock: (Rock Adams) Rock first appeared in Soul Edge as a playable character and returned for Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur III, and again in Soulcalibur IV.
- Seong Mi-na: Is a Korean woman, excelling at weapon usage but regarded as simply a girl by her peers. Barred from joining the coast guard due to her gender, she sought out the rumored "Sword of Salvation", which in actuality was Soul Edge, to prove herself. Hwang eventually caught up with her and dragged her back home, but she set out again after her father's efforts to marry her to him became unbearable. Encountering another female warrior named Ivy, she challenged her but was quickly defeated, and learned from Ivy that not only was she still inexperienced but that the sword she sought was inherently evil. She later challenged an alcoholic armed with a bo staff who also quickly defeated her. She requested training from him, and he taught her all his skills, revealing in a farewell letter his name as "Kong Xiuqiang", the long-lost father of Xianghua. However, before she set out she was dragged home once more by Hwang.
- Siegfried: (Siegfried Schtauffen) the protagonist of the series, was born to Sir Frederick Schtauffen, a brave knight who was considered a champion among the oppressed peasants of his German home, and a woman named Margaret who met Frederick while he was on campaign, during the late 16th century. He was given the name 'Siegfried' after the famous hero and was taught swordsmanship by his father.
Frederick embarked on a foreign crusade and, due to lack of guidance in life, Siegfried unintentionally killed his returning father while rampaging as the leader of a teenage band of thieves calling themselves "Schwarzwind" (German translation for "black wind"). Siegfried grew in despair and eventually convinced himself that anyone but he was to blame for his father's death. Siegfried had heard rumours of the invincible Soul Edge, and came to believe his father's killer could only be killed with that weapon.
- Sophitia: (Sophitia Alexandra) is life as a warrior began when she met the Olympian god of fire and forge, Hephaestus. Hephaestus told her of the evil blade Soul Edge: that the existence of such a powerful blade would put shame to his name, as he had not created it, and that if anyone were to discover it, it would bring much pain to the world. Hephaestus ordered her to come to the Eurydice Shrine and receive a holy weapon, the Omega Sword, so that she could destroy the Soul Edge. After the battle had finished, Taki carried Sophitia back to Athens, where her sister, Cassandra, had been waiting for her. Cassandra was the only member of her family or group of friends to believe her story at the time.
- Taki: Is a ninja, who after a battle with a demon in a haunted temple felt her magical ninjato Rekkimaru begin to weaken, and believing Soul Edge to be the cause sought the blade to destroy it. Along the way she recovers a second weapon, Mekkimaru, from an innkeeper and her daughter she had been sent to kill, and in order to protect them informs her masters that the daughter's lover Li Long had instead taken the blade, though is found out and becomes a fugitive herself. Eventually finding and defeating Soul Edge's host, Cervantes de Leon, she merges a fragment with Mekkimaru, but finds the resultant sword gives off an evil aura. Unable to destroy it, she instead decides to try and tame its evil herself, and eventually comes into direct conflict with her former master, Toki. Realizing that Soul Edge had reformed itself, she chased after the blade to destroy it for good.
- Voldo: Was the right-hand man of Italian weapons merchant Vercci, also known as the Merchant of Death. Vercci desired Soul Edge to form part of his collection of rare weapons, and Voldo stood as the head of the expeditions in his search, even contracting the services of the feared Spanish Captain Cervantes de Leon, and later accompanied Vercci when he decided to take the search personally. When word came that the Italian Wars broke on Italy and that Vercci's possessions were the first targets, Vercci became angry and moved his fleet, his only remaining possession, to an uninhabited island off the coast of Sicily. After construction of Vercci's vault was completed Voldo was instructed to slay the sailors that helped in the construction to avoid the location of Vercci's Money Pit being revealed. Voldo would remain sealed underground eventually causing him to go blind and insane, turning himself into the guardian of the tomb and slaying those who ventured to steal, making rumours of the island, its treasures and its "ghost guardian" spread around the globe. Years later, Voldo would hear his master's voice commanding him to search for Soul Edge once again, making him leave the tomb.
Features:
Choose from ten powerful characters each with their own devastating attacks
Use combo attacks, throws, and a multitude of weapons
A unique ending for each character
Manufacturer's description:
IF YOU THOUGHT TEKKEN 2 WAS TOUGH, TAKE A STAB AT THIS.
What's next in fighting? How about a game that melds 3D movement, polygon characters, razor sharp graphics, awe-inspiring moves and a one-of-a-kind combat system? Or, in short, Soul Blade - arguably the most innovative fighting game on the planet. It's the 15th century and ten warriors from around the world, each wielding their weapon of choice, are in bloody pursuit of Soul Edge - the ultimate weapon. Sure, only one will find it. But it looks like the critics have already found it. Game Players Magazine voted Sould Blade "Best Game of Show" at AMMO, and NEXT Generation calls Soul Blade "the most complete fighting game to date." Obviously, a cut above.
* First polygon fighter to feature an authentic weapon-to-weapon combat system - incredibly realistic feedback when weapons collide
* Ten amazing characters - the most detailed characters yet to be seen on a PlayStation polygon fighter
* Characters with their own distinct 3D ending crafted from ancient lore
* An arsenal of combo attacks, secret techniques and special throws for each warrior
* Real 3D backgrounds for each character, providing the player with an unsurpassed sense of realism
* All backgrounds feature light sourcing
* From electrified swords to glowing "motion blurs", stunnin special effects highlight each characters' fighting technique
* Original, orchestral music score set
* Multiple weapons
Features:
- Third person perspective.
- 3D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- Medieval Fantasy theme.
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