While in Playstion, Visit the Lush SoulBlade

Years ago, while working at a major retail store, a couple of co-workers and I would sneak over to the Playstation Interactive Kiosk and have little mini-tournaments with SoulBlade. Sure productivity barreled to the basement, but there was something that drew us to the game day after day...after day.

Soulblade is a second generation Playstation game and raised the bar for all games, especially fighting games. Richly detailed characters battle each other using a variety of weapons and multitudes of moves. Add to that a great deal to do to actually "beat" the game and you have a marriage til death do you part.

GOT GRAPHICS?
All ten fighters sport unique costumes that are colorful and decorative. Tassles bob and weave, pony-tails bounce, sword hilts dash back and forth, and skirts rise. But if you're paying attention to all that, then you're missing the backgrounds.

Each of the fighters also have a homeworld. Li Long fights on a wooden raft speeding down an Asian river. Seigfried fights in front of his father's lavish castle. Taki fights in the ancient haunted woods in Japan. Etc., and Etc. There seemed to be nothing missing from these scenes. If you really pay attention you would see the Namco went to town with the details.

SMOOTH MOVES
Button mashers go home. Sure at first, you might find success, but why live like that? Learn some strategy, find the moves that make you comfortable and pummel you button mashing opponent. Don't be intimidated by the hundreds of moves that you could learn because you'll slowly weed out the ones that don't work. Learn throws, string combos together, and discover secret techniques.

HAND TO HAND? FORGET IT, GRAB A WEAPON
Weapons-based fighter means just that...it has weapons. Ranging from swords to halberds to nunchuckus, you'll find many, many ways to destroy your opponent. Throughout the game, though mainly through Edgemaster mode (see below) you can acquire additional weapons...up to 8. The latter weapons you gain are the most useful. For instance, Rock's last weapon, the Great Axe, is so strong that two nicely placed hits takes away 80% of your enemies life! Also, this weapon quickly replenishes your life, but if you use it against a human opponent, don't tell him/her.

THINGS TO DO WHILE VISITING SOULBLADE
You definitely won't be board quickly, unless you think you're good...then you're probably not.

Arcade Mode: It's mana y mana as you sweat it out against the computer in 8 battles to try to get SoulEdge back.

Vs. Battle: It's mana y mana as you sweat it out against a friend. Take no mercy.

Time Attack: Speed through the 8 battles as fast as you can in order to get your initials on the top 10 list (no, not David Letterman's).

Team Battle: Pick your favorite fighters and fight either the computer or a human in a team take all match.

Survival: basically fight forever, or until you lose you life. Remember Rock's Great Axe I mentioned earlier? That's a hint.

Edge Master: The bulk of SoulBlade. Each character travels the world defeating mini-games and quests in order to gain extra weapons and costumes.

MORE FUN THAN EPINIONS
Well, I don't know about that, but with great graphics, an engaging fighting engine, and superb storylines and endings, SoulBlade will have you searching for the elusive SoulEdge until you can't search no more.

Pardon me, but I think I hear Rock calling my name...