Ready for a blast of late 90’s fighting game nostalgia? Well, get those thumbs ready, because Namco’s arcade/Dreamcast classic Soul Calibur has just been released for iOS.
I enjoyed a long-standing fling with Soul Calibur in my younger days, mostly because it was the only fighting game I was ever good at. My skills seem to have dulled considerably over the intervening years, though the touch controls probably don’t help much.
Make no mistake, experienced Soul Calibur players shouldn’t have too much trouble getting back into the swing of things, but it can be difficult to pull off certain moves with consistency. Still, after playing for a few minutes, even new players should be able to get a solid feel for things.
Thankfully, Bandai Namco hasn’t skimped on the content. The full 19 character roster remains intact, as well as a spate of classic game modes like time attack, survival, and extra survival. The only omissions of note are the lack of the mission and multiplayer modes, which is a real disappointment for game like this. Bandai Namco notes that they will deliver new game modes to Soul Calibur down the line though, so it’s very possible that players will be able to nab that those missing before too long.
This trip down fighting game memory lane doesn’t come cheap though. Soul Calibur is live in the App Store now with an $11.99 price tag, and that’s including a 20% launch day discount. It’s bound to be something of a tough sell in a market where the excellent (and equally classic) Grand Theft Auto 3 goes for $4.99, but who knows — fighting game fans can be a particularly devoted bunch.