New games this week: Soul Calibur IV edition

by Justin McElroy { Jul 28th 2008 at 11:00AM }

Try as we might to fully embrace the idea, the inclusion of Yoda and Darth Vader to the Soul Calibur series still feels like something we would have dreamed when we were 12, told our friends about and then been mercilessly teased for. In fact, we won't be entirely sure the whole thing's not an elaborate prank being pulled on us by Namco-Bandai until we get our hands on a retail disc, which, appropriately enough, will be this week.

Also this week, Sam and Max come to the Wii, as does the completely mystifying Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge. We hear you can train to be the top runner guy and get the platinum medallion for running challenges.

Xbox 360:

SoulCalibur IV
Spectral Force 3
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge

PS3:

SoulCalibur IV

Nintendo Wii:

MLB Power Pros 2008
SNK Arcade Classics V.1
King of Clubs Mini Golf
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge
Sam & Max: Season One
Ford Racing Off Road

PS2:

MLB Power Pros 2008
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge
Ford Racing Off Road

PSP:

Ford Racing Off Road
Suzuki Superbikes

PC Games:

Fate: Undiscovered Realms
Everlight
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
City Life 2008 Edition
Beijing Olympics 2008
Legend: Hand of God
Art of Murder: FBI Confidential

Tags: newgames, soul-calibur-iv, soulcaliburiv

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

McWeen @ Jul 28th 2008 11:04AM

Whoa Nintendo DS: is coming out for PSP!!!

The_Punisher @ Jul 28th 2008 11:13AM

Nintendo has given up :)

Kizzle @ Jul 28th 2008 11:29AM

Yeah, they release it now, but you just know that in like 6 months they are going to release Nintendo DS Lite for the PSP and you'll have to pay for it all over again.

Duke @ Jul 28th 2008 11:29AM

Oh yeah, that makes the decision on which handheld to get a lot easier for people.

Mr.ESC @ Jul 28th 2008 11:41AM

Finally a game that can be player without a second analog stick.

Mr.ESC @ Jul 28th 2008 11:41AM

*Played.

mr mobius @ Jul 28th 2008 12:21PM

But will I get Nintendo DS black or Nintendo DS white? It's like Pokemon all over again.

Michael @ Jul 28th 2008 12:27PM

... aaaannnnddd the joke is officially over. Hilarious, guys.

wat @ Jul 28th 2008 5:26PM

wat

Austin @ Jul 28th 2008 11:06AM

But the real gem of the week is Geometry Wars 2, and you know it.

Shagittarius @ Jul 28th 2008 11:10AM

Geometry Wars 2: When you just cant get enough Robotron.

DangerMouse @ Jul 28th 2008 11:07AM

So Star Wars characters is all this game has going for it? Putting them on the front cover is lame.

Shagittarius @ Jul 28th 2008 11:11AM

Holy crap I didnt even notice that Darth was actually on the cover.

I think they just made up my mind. Not buying.

Danny F. @ Jul 28th 2008 11:16AM

It was done for Sc2 and last I recall it sold enough on all 3 systems to be a huge hit....soooo um.. I say history will repeat itself again and I'm sure easily a few million will agree :)

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 11:18AM

Yeah I agree DM, they shouldn't be on the cover at all. Vader doesn't look so bad but Yoda Kills the 360 box. I'm gonna have to rent it since none of my friends will be picking this up unfortunatly.

MC Double Def DP @ Jul 28th 2008 11:19AM

Soul Calibur 2 had Link, Spawn, that Tekken dude, on the cover of their respectable versions. How else would the average buyer know which version has which character.

Plus after playing with Apprentice and Darth Vader, you'll wish the whole game was a 3d light saber fighting game

Danny F. @ Jul 28th 2008 11:24AM

Fenix man whhyyyy... this is a definite buy and keeper. Unless your not all that into fighters but even so still.. );

Besides there is always online matching.

marauder800 @ Jul 28th 2008 11:26AM

Well someone buy Soul Calibur 4! I've had it for a week and its getting boring as hell fighting the AI all the time.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 11:32AM

Danny F

No way dude I'm a HUGE fighting fan. I had the real first game (Soul Blade) on original PS b4 it was called SC. Then I had the Dreamcast SC and the Xbox SC2 with Spawn. Never played SC3. I'm just bummed that none of my buddies are getting it. :( Online is cool and all but I like to have my real friends to play with. We are all waiting for SFIV though.

Anticrawl @ Jul 28th 2008 12:08PM

Yeah I wish the 360 version didn't have a huge green muppet on the cover. They could have atleast put a good Jedi in the 360 version like Obi-wan. I've all all the Soul games except 3 because of it being overshadowed by the 360 launch. Ahh that brings back fond memories of Dreamcast fighters too, Power Stone 1 & 2, Marvel vs Capcom 1 & 2, Soul Calibur, etc.

DangerMouse @ Jul 28th 2008 1:51PM

"Soul Calibur 2 had Link, Spawn, that Tekken dude, on the cover of their respectable versions. "

hmm, i don't know, maybe art or a screenshot on the back, or a text blurb on the front or perhaps sticker on the outer plastic?

I understand WHY they did it, but it still says to me that there's not much to offer other than star wars. Maybe i still see guest appearances like this somewhat cheesy. I'd probably just try it once out of curiosity, but i couldn't see myself taking the game seriously playing as star wars characters.

FSK405K @ Jul 28th 2008 2:33PM

(worms voice) Stu-pid!

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Jul 28th 2008 7:22PM

Okay, it REALLY has to be said because, apparently, video games are making people dumber than they were 20 years ago. Soul Calibur is a series which faces a pirate against a barbarian against a greek warrior against a victorian vampire against a bondage freak. This is roughly the equivelant of spanning 5,000+ years of human history just to have a brawl. And the sad part? Nobody questions this. But place a character from outer space without a definitive time period (long, long time ago seems kinda vague there, chief) into the game and the timeline suddenly doesn't make ANY sense.

Soul Edge, as it started, made no chronological sense in the slightest. Vader and Yoda's appearance doesn't break any form of theme since the them itself was about as historically accurate as Eternal Champions or Time Killers to begin with. Next thing you know, gamers will be bitching about chi flows NOT being able to form energy balls in real life. Everyone who complained about these characters outside of a balance standpoint (Yoda) is a moron, pure and simple.

And Fenix, I'm getting it... just not for the system you like.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 28th 2008 11:13AM

Definitely Sam & Max Season One this week, and maybe Soul Calibur IV... not a big fan of 3D fighters.

The_Punisher @ Jul 28th 2008 11:16AM

You don't haqve to tell us. You'd buy a Wii game if itwas called "The Wost Game Ever".

Still, Sam and Max is pretty decent series. It'll prob. bombg though: ig you guys iddn't tell me, i wouldn't have known it was even going to be released. Hype and marketing = fail.

Zertoss @ Jul 28th 2008 11:24AM

I'm definitely picking up Sam & Max. I can't play the series on Gametap since they still don't support 64-bit OSes.

Mr.ESC @ Jul 28th 2008 11:53AM

Fernando was down voted for no apparent reason, new and exciting.

Sam & Mx bomb no waii.

I'm still buying it I have no access to gametap yet but hopefully maybe it will follow BLizzard example (Wow is now avalible for Latin America ZOMG I'm a night elf Mohawk and I can cast Chocolate Rain)

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 12:15PM

I think he got downvoted for saying that maybe he'll be getting SC4 but hes not a big fan of 3D fighters. I vote you up Fernando dont worry. I myself enjoy all kinds of fighters 2D or 3D. A perfect example of a GREAT 3D fighter would be Tekken 3/Tekken Tag. The series hasn't been the same since. Tekken DR has gotten me back into the series though. The problem comes when a classic 2D fighter tries to go 3D. It rarely works. MK is the only exception to me. I loved MK: Deception and MK: Armageddon on Xbox.

Co @ Jul 28th 2008 2:09PM

I can always tell what threads are swamped with Nintendo haters by the amount of hearts Fernando's posts have.

The_Punisher @ Jul 28th 2008 11:16AM

I'll be getting SC4 for PS3, maybe the Amazon joystick too

3cubed @ Jul 28th 2008 11:32AM

What about Strong Bad's cool game for attractive people. Its still coming out right?

samfish @ Jul 28th 2008 11:54AM

Bubbles is awesome.

3cubed @ Jul 28th 2008 12:05PM

And so is naked Peach. :)

RabanastreRat @ Jul 28th 2008 12:26PM

I want my snake boxing!

samfish @ Jul 28th 2008 12:28PM

We should start the Awesome Avatar Alliance.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 12:33PM

We should! :P

samfish @ Jul 28th 2008 12:37PM

Not with that gaudy old thing you can't!
You use this and you can join!
http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/04/God-Hand-screen-cap-prog.jpg

Go on. Take it. You know you wanna join...

3cubed @ Jul 28th 2008 12:41PM

LMAO. Yeah we should. But yeah Fenix has to change his; make it unique.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 12:41PM

Hardy har har.

No, but seriosly you guys can be my bitches.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 12:42PM

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Jul 28th 2008 9:13PM

Fenix, channeling John Romero is not exactly a good thing.

Duke @ Jul 28th 2008 11:34AM

This will be an easy week for me, as none of these games make my must have list. I have no interest in SC whatsoever.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 11:44AM

Yeah I have nothing on my Radar until September 16 when The Force Unleashed and Pure gets released. I'm on the fence about Madden 09 next month since I haven't bought a Madden game sice Madden06 and the game really looks kickass this time. Hoping at least 2 of my friends pick it up.

Duke @ Jul 28th 2008 12:07PM

I don't buy Madden games until they cost about $15 used. I see no need to be the first kid on the block to play what is pretty much the same game as the year before with added polish. I also suck at those games.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 28th 2008 12:20PM

I agree, thats why I usually only buy Madden every 3 years. This one looks to be waaaaaaaay superior to Madden06 so I might plunk down.

Madden06, 07, 08 are all basically the same engine so I've stayed away.Thats the way I see it.

Danny F. @ Jul 28th 2008 12:26PM

Hopefully with the next gen system being more online oriented Madden/EA will release updates on a regular basis with updated stats and new player info on as they come basis. Would be nice not having to buy a new madden every yr to include updated stats, new players, features, and etc..

Then again thats just my wish.. :-\

Duke @ Jul 28th 2008 2:17PM

"...Would be nice not having to buy a new madden every yr to include updated stats, new players, features, and etc."

And thats exactly why they won't do what we think they should. Its so easy for them to keep getting the suckers to buy the same thing year after year just for rosters.

Mr.ESC @ Jul 28th 2008 11:45AM

Well I'm bad at fighting games and I really don't like star wars but for some reason I would like to play SC4.Maybe is for all the hypetorade.

I just bought Condemned Bloodshot and so far is great so I'll stick with that but the only must have for me there is Sam & Max for the Wii.