SoulCalibur II (GameCube) Reader Review

Sooner or later, I'll make it back to the Wii titles in these reviews, but until then, it's retro Nintendo all the way!
This game I have quite a soft spot for, aside from the whole 'part of my favourite fighting franchise' bit, it's also damned good fun with others and a reminder that the good old 'cube had the best multiformat version of at least one game.
So then, I'll churn this Review out now, so I can go back to doing British things, like drinking Tea, and eating Scones.
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Looking back now, not many would believe that the best-selling Soul Calibur series has its roots as an experimental title under a different name.
Released in the Arcades in 1996, and shortly released on the original Playstation, Soul Blade began the tale of a Cursed Sword and Humanity's fight, for good or bad, to obtain it. Although the game was well-received and struck up a fanbase, it was largely overshadowed by Namco's other Fighting series, Tekken.
Namco decided on a sequel not long after, but after seeing that the current generation of consoles would soon be at an end, and with the higher spec machines approaching, they aimed the new game at a different choice for the console market; the Dreamcast. This would also have the benefit of allowing the game to shine without Tekken so near, as that series would stay Playstation exclusive.
And so, the renamed Soul Calibur hit the markets not long after, with many publications deeming it the best Fighting game ever, and the series gained ever-more popularity.
A couple of years later, only three consoles were left battling for supremacy, the Playstation 2, X-Box, and Gamecube. Namco chose to create the next game as a mutiformat title to spread across all platforms, all with their own distinct features.
Okay, that's the history lesson over, you want to know more about this game, right?

One of the more important facts to note about this game, is the 'distinct features' mentioned above. For Soul Calibur II, this takes the form of additional characters. The PS2 had Heihachi, of Tekken fame. X-Box got Spawn, a famous Comic Book Character. And most importantly , the Gamecube received a playable Link, from the Legend of Zelda series. Link fits in with the rest of the cast quite well, as both a character and a fighter.

Story-wise, it's pretty simple. An evil Sword is wreaking havoc across the Lands, slaughtering many and leaving destruction in its wake, and the greatest Weapons Fighters in the world seek to obtain or destroy this blade.
The fighter genre of Videogames is never one for a strong plot, but it's good to see when one does come along and holds up strong, like here.

Soul Calibur II builds on the foundations of its predecessors, in regards to the fighting mechanics, and offers one of the best in the genre today.
As the name would suggest, the fighting is done with weapons, and the main controls are mapped to four buttons for action, and the D-Pad/ Analog Stick for movement. There is the Overhead-Slash (Y), the Side-Slash (A), Kick (X), and the Blocking technique (B). There are more advanced moves with other button combos, but these are the primary choices.
In all, the system works superbly, providing enough room for the dedicated players to learn and the novice to get to grips with.
Some criticisms have to be leveled at the slight awkwardness of the controls though, largely due to the Gamecube Pad's layout. Not a fault of the game itself, but positioning of the buttons makes quick-fire Fighting games that much more fiddly. Thankfully the control scheme is customizable, so that lifts some of the problem.
As for gameplay modes, there is the traditional Arcade mode; a number of regular fighters to face before the boss, Vs mode, Team Battle, Survival, Time Attack and Training modes. There is also Weapon Master Mode; with a sort of Mission and story-based structure to go through, and a Gallery to show off the spoils of victory in that mode.
For the most part, Weapon Master Mode is a worthwhile addition to the series. The narrative is shown through static cut-scene images, and because of this, seems a little limited on that front, although it is forgivable when you consider that any character is usable in this mode, so that would limit things. Also, money is earned through victories to purchase new weapons, a good motivation to keep going through the mode.

Soul Calibur 2 possesses great graphics, all quite lush and clear, with some neat particle effects and explosions dished out. No slouch in the looks department, that's for sure.

The tunes in this game are also of good quality, fitting in well with the game's environments, settings and characters.

Definitely one of the best games on the Gamecube, and any Zelda fan should have this in their collection, purely for the cameo, as it has rarely been done better.

The intro to what you would expect from the game;