Soul Edge is a 1995 fighting game developed and published by Namco for arcades. Introduced at the JAMMA trade show in November 1995, the full arcade game was released on February 20, 1996 and May 16, 1996 on System 11 hardware, the same board used by Tekken and Tekken 2.

The Story Behind Soul Blade

Others, knowing of its evil nature, seek its destruction. The arcade game was more successful in the United States, where it was one of the top five highest-grossing arcade conversion kits of 1996. Presently, nine warriors from around the world (Hwang, Li Long, Mitsurugi, Rock, Seong Mi-na, Siegfried, Sophitia, Taki, and Voldo) search for the sword for different reasons.

Next Generation praised it for "filling in all the blanks with great gameplay, superb characters, unique graphics, and combines them into one solid package." They later commended the PlayStation port for retaining all the characters, levels, graphics, and gameplay from the arcade version. The game tells the tale of warriors searching for the ultimate sword, "Soul Edge". Due to its popularity, the game has been re-released as part of the PlayStation Greatest Hits, the PlayStation Platinum range, and the PlayStation The Best series.

How Soul Blade Plays

Soul Edge uses an optional offensive block maneuver called the "Guard Impact" that allows players to intercept incoming attacks and push them back, resulting in a momentary opportunity for a free counterattack. The Weapon Gauge is a life bar for the character's equipped weapon. The game uses the ring out system, which is a forcible maneuver that ejects the opponent from the arena and gains an automatic victory for the round.

This attack depletes one-third of the Weapon Gauge when used. Another feature that was removed from Soulcaliburs engine is a rock paper scissors situation when two characters strike at the same time, locking their weapons; those who press the correct button have the advantage. Soul Edge was created prior to the introduction of the so-called 8-Way Run.

Why Players Still Load It Up

The sword, currently in the form of a twin pair of long swords, appeared mysteriously in an auction. Soul Edge is a 3D fighting game and was the second such game to be based on weapons, following Battle Arena Toshinden (itself preceded by the 2D Samurai Shodown series). Two soundtrack CDs were released for the game: Soul Edge Original Soundtrack - Khan Super Session and Super Battle Sound Attack Soul Edge.

GameFan called it "without a doubt the most stunning graphical fighting feast ever to grace any console." The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly particularly applauded the full motion video intro and the new story mode. Introduced at the JAMMA trade show in November 1995, the full arcade game was released on February 20, 1996 (Soul Edge) and May 16, 1996 (Soul Edge Ver. Many strong warriors searched for years, but very few actually found it.

Soul Blade — Frequently Asked Questions