Anyone will agree that Dreamcast needs Soul Calibur to do well this Christmas. No other game single-handedly defines the new consoleis power; proves that DC delivers 10X more punch than PlayStation. This much is obvious.Whatis less certain, if only because of the gameis relative lifespan, is whether Soul Calibur is the best fighter ever. Though we love every aspect of this game, we think that last claim oversteps the mark. If Soul Calibur is the greatest fighter of all time we would have said so while the game was hot in the arcades. We didnit. Nobody did.
Think about it: Dreamcast needs every reason to impress right now. The new PlayStation is imminent, and DC owners are feeling kind of paranoid. Soul Calibur deserves better, but it is being treated like some holy cow come to save the DC from certain doom. Soul Calibur in the arcade is a beautifully designed, technically competent fighter n good enough homework for any maniac player. Soul Calibur on Dreamcast plays exactly the same, but looks far better, and has some funky bonus features to stick at.
In the same way that Tekken Tag will not be the greatest fighter of all time when it hits with PS2 next year, Soul Calibur is not the greatest fighter of all time on Dreamcast. Or should we say ejust becausei it is on Dreamcast. Tekken 3 is a masterpiece. Tekken Tag doesnit hang together quite so well, as most Tekken fans will tell you. And Soul Calibur in the arcade is less popular than even Tekken Tag. This is where we expect all DC die-hards to click off the page, if you havenit done so already. Which is a shame, because hereis where we become your friend on this.
For a long time there was a united front of Virtua Fighter 3 fans that swore VF3 was the purest fighter that ever was, or would be. Laughed in the face of Tekken 3. Wouldnit be seen dead practicing combos with anything else. Now check the reviews for Virtua Fighter 3tb on Dreamcast. What happened? VF3tb is suddenly less than perfect. Opinions change, given time.
Tekken 3 is currently the undisputed champ of the 3D fighting arena. We have been able to devote time to discover how worthy it is. The same could be true with Soul Calibur. So you can get through the game on HARDEST with all characters by hammering on the Y button, big deal. If friends keep going head-to-head every technique may well be explored. Then again, these same friends might be tempted back to cheapness, and keep hammering that Y button, having given up on guard reverse moves after the first few failed attempts.
Soul Calibur could eventually live up to the hype. Then again, people could just as easily go back to Tekken 3. Of course, DC owners would rather die.
