Intricate 3D combat and fanciful weaponries are what come to mind among old-timers such as myself when they stumble upon the nostalgic Soul Calibur. What makes this original masterpiece such a best-seller in the late 90’s is not the dramatic fighting sequence that it tries to exhibit, but the immersive storyline that follows the action. As the story goes, Soul Calibur is the name of the holy sword, created to battle the evil sword Soul Edge. To recap what Soul Edge is, Captain Cervantes was first to discover this cursed sword and learned about its potentials. When rumors spread about the resurfacing of the legendary Soul Edge, nine warriors from around the world began to search for it, each had a different agenda. Knowing its cruel abilities, some wanted it to rule the world, others for revenge; a few sought to destroy it because of its malevolent nature. Needless to say, nobody knows the full extent of Soul Edge’s true power is, but one thing is for sure: it brings misfortune to those who find it.

Now, more than a decade later, Namco re-introduces the classic Soul Calibur for Xbox Live. While the graphics have improved in this translation, the gameplay remains as exciting as if it were just released for Dreamcast several years ago. The controls are accessible and surprisingly responsive. Combos are easy to pull off and the difficulty of challange is right up in the casual gamer's alley. It’s nice to see all 19 characters of Soul Calibur’s roster survived the transition. And this fighting lineup has a very diverse cast – so no matter what martial arts archetype you’re in, you are bound to find at least one character that you’ll like. You can play as a ninja, a pirate, a samurai, a European knight, as well as unusual warriors like a golem and a lizardman. The controls may be the same for each character but the fighting styles are very different from one another because of the weapons used during combat.

The gameplay modes include Arcade, Versus Battle, Team Battle, Time Attack, Survival, and Extra Survival. I am sure you’re familiar with all of these modes already except for one: Extra Survival. This particular mode is similar to Survival mode in many ways except the first person to land a blow wins the bout. The fights here end really quickly and your key to survive is based on sharp reflexes. In terms of presentation, the original graphics have been tweaked a bit, just enough so that HDTV owners would be able to enjoy one of Namco’s most memorable past. The animation is still as smooth as ever! Both the announcer and the Japanese voice-overs bring back a lot of refreshing memories of the good old days. As for the sound effects, the game still packs a wallop for its age. In terms of replay value, the online multiplayer will keep this classic running for awhile, at least until Soul Calibur IV comes out. Overall, it’s still an enjoyable experience with plenty of sparks left for fans to reminisce.