Soulcalibur is still fun, but missing modes and lack of the online play prevent it from being a complete package.
All the modes except story and mission mode are in this version of Soul Calibur from arcade, versus, time attack, and survival modes. It is unfortunate that those two modes is not in because it provided more replay value to the Dreamcast version than a normal fighter would back in the day. The overall fighting mechanics still hold up today with the assortment of characters from Mitsturugi, Kilik, Ivy, Nightmare, and more along with the signature guard impacts and ring outs. The action is fast-paced with rounds only lasting 40 seconds at default allowing characters to have more damaging attacks at their disposal. This was toned down in later games to make fights a little longer. Leaderboards and achievements does this XBLA version have some replay value from beating time attack records and survival wins. The major disappointment of this release other than missing modes is the absence of online play. Even though Namco are saving that feature for Soul Calibur IV, it would have been cool if this game is online if people still prefer this game over the later entries in the franchise.
The graphics of this Live Arcade version of Soul Calibur did receive an upgrade, but a marginal one at best. The game does look a little more cleaner than the Dreamcast version catering to the HDTVs. All the backgrounds still look as good as they were in 1999 even though every level is an open ring for more opportunity for ring outs compared to later games. The only major disappointment graphically is the lack of widescreen, which means there is a border surrounding the game screen even applying the stretched option. For the sound, it is mostly unchanged from the Dreamcast version, which is good since Soul Calibur games provide great soundtracks. The music still holds up along with the character voices and the announcer. Other than that, the overall presentation of Soul Calibur XBLA is good, but not great.
Soul Calibur for Xbox Live Arcade is still a good game despite its missing features. The gameplay is still as fun as it was in 1999 with fast-paced fights and deep mehanics that kept the franchise different from other fighters. The lack of online play does hurt this game's value and any chance of great multiplayer other than local matches hopefully against someone with similar skills. Graphically, the improvements are great, but the lack of widesceen does affect the game's presentation. With Soul Calibur IV around the corner, it is hard to recommend the first game, but if you are nostalgic for it and never played any of the games, this is a good start to get used to the game's fighting mechanics. Soul Calibur is indeed worth the ten bucks for fans of the series and fighting games in general to experience one of the greatest games of all-time.
Score = 7.5/10