Soul Calibur III smackin' Japanese arcades

  • By Staff, GameSpot
  • Posted Jan 30, 2006 7:46 am PT

Namco's previously PlayStation 2-exclusive fighting game will hit up arcade-goers across the Pacific.

Namco's Soul Calibur fighting series has traditionally been released in arcades before hitting home consoles. However, its latest installment, Soul Calibur III, debuted as a PlayStation 2-exclusive title, and Namco had been unclear whether the game would appear in arcades.

Namco has now confirmed in the latest issue of Arcadia magazine that it will release an arcade version with the not-so-cryptic title Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition. The game is slated for release during the fall in Japan, and it will run on System 246 and System 256 arcade boards.

Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition will feature more types of multiplayer bouts than the home version. It will feature a standard mode that plays like the traditional arcade mode, and a legend mode, which allows for only a single fight but lets players customize their characters. Series producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama told Arcadia that Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition will feature balance adjustments and new moves. The game will include all 27 characters from the home console version, along with redesigned versions of the three bonus characters from that version: Amy, Li Long, and Hwang Seong-Gyeong.

Yotoriyama revealed that an arcade release of Soul Calibur III was being considered while the home console edition was being developed. According to Yotoriyama, it was online petitions by fans of the series that pushed the development team to create the arcade version.

When a player finishes a game of Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition, the screen will display a barcode symbol and a password. This will be used to join an online-mobile-phone-based Soul Calibur III game called Mobile Conquest Mode. By taking a snapshot of the barcode symbol with a mobile phone's camera and using the password, players can register their characters and challenge other players throughout the country via the Soul Calibur III mobile phone Web site. Namco will offer other mobile phone Web site services for Soul Calibur III: Arcade Edition as well, such as move lists and player rankings.

35 Comments

  • FuguNabe

    Posted Jan 31, 2006 12:20 am PT

    I'm so happy the the arcade scene is very alive still here where I am. Between this, Sega's Virtua Fighters 5 and the SNK stuff I'm still in heaven for competitive arcade fighters.

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 10:06 pm PT

    Awesome!

  • hush404

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 7:53 pm PT

    Sweet!

  • onigedaki

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 7:30 pm PT

    Don't be the least bit surprised when you see this titled re-ported for PS3 wayyyyyy before you see it on 360.

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 6:24 pm PT

    that really nice

  • Maquis_UK

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 5:26 pm PT

    gamecube SC3 -- its the way little baby jesus meant it.

  • dante_123456

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 4:58 pm PT

    who plays arcade games any more

  • Father_Time89

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 4:57 pm PT

    making your own fighter but only being able to fight once . . . sounds like a waste of a couple quarters or yen in this case.

  • vaejas

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 4:12 pm PT

    Looking forward to Arcade Metal Gear....

  • XlpranksterlX

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 12:44 pm PT

    passed on the console, and will probably pass on the arcade.

  • Mithosboucher

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 12:33 pm PT

    sounds like some people will have a good time with arcades with this once it comes out in America

  • IceHawk25

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 11:58 am PT

    So where's the U.S. arcade version?

  • Viquist

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 11:12 am PT

    Don't care about it coming out in Japan... Don't go to arcades here in America.... so it means nothing to me, I still enjoy renting SCII for GC and playing as Link every once in a while. OH well, good news for the Japanese arcade goers though

  • Heathcliff

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 11:11 am PT

    Now where's the GameCube version? Remember GameCube, Namco? You know, the platform where Soul Calibur 2 sold best?

  • Gunblade20

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 11:04 am PT

    360 version won't come out ever!

  • Jimbokundesu

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:56 am PT

    and this comes to america......when?

  • ZabuzaR

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:42 am PT

    Wow thats diffrent.

  • skitzocyko

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:42 am PT

    All good but what about 360?!?

  • Eribuster_basic

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:40 am PT

    > With all of the great competition in japanese arcades (VF5 and revamped Tekken 5) who would go play Soul Calibur 3?______________________________________ People who come into a game centre to find all the VF5 and Tekken 5 machines taken up.

  • JRossA

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:36 am PT

    What's an arcade? lol

  • GOLIATHtheGREAT

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:30 am PT

    And Then soon the XBOX 360 Version will come around.................

  • atrimus

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:23 am PT

    its funny how the title of the article was written to undermine the viability of the PS2. i mean, "Coming to arcades" translates into "No longer a PS2 exclusive?" who plays arcades now-a-days anyway? guess they do in Japan (which means that its meaningless to Americans). oh well, cool new features for the arcade rendition nevertheless.

  • firstfist

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:14 am PT

    What is this "arcade" that this article talkes about?

  • grantstewart

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:11 am PT

    With all of the great competition in japanese arcades (VF5 and revamped Tekken 5) who would go play Soul Calibur 3?

  • brothad

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:05 am PT

    wow, sc II was good, fun, almost beat in 2 hours though

  • deleteuser

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:05 am PT

    thats good news.

  • Manji_Massacre

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:03 am PT

    O RLY?

  • daveg1

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 9:00 am PT

    arcafe is dead now!

  • Donkeljohn Site moderator

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 8:58 am PT

    SCIII strikes again! That is some excellent mobile phone integration. Too bad mobile phones aren't capable of that integration in the US.

  • Pimplando5484

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 8:44 am PT

    That's why it's only in Japanese Arcades, The American Arcade is practically dead. Systems like The Revolution, The Xbox 360, and The Playstation 3, are the final nails in the Arcade Coffin.

  • redxwarriorxxx

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 8:38 am PT

    I can't even find a good arcade anymore.

  • hittin

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 8:25 am PT

    Good to hear.

  • R3last

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 8:12 am PT

    Or they could have just added online play to the PS2 Version...

  • StheF360

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 8:00 am PT

    S'all good and well. Now where's the 360 version.

  • chidim

    Posted Jan 30, 2006 7:51 am PT

    thats good

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