Soul Edge Summary
Welcome to the stage of history!
©Project Soul/Namco – License
The very first, in fact. Soul Edge was first released in 1995 for the arcade (as in arcade cabinets), and then for the PlayStation 1 in 1996. It is the first video game to use motion capture for player movements and animations. Developed by Namco to see how players would react to weapon-based fighting games, Soul Edge laid out the groundwork for many 3D fighting games to follow, such as Virtua Fighter, and Tekken.
The gameplay, for those not in the know, has two players face off against each other in an arena. The objective is simple, use your character’s unique style to defeat the other. But, unlike fighting games at the time, the players had the option of using full 3D movement to maneuver around an opponent, and many fighters (such as Taki), took full advantage of this. When it was released onto the arcade cabinets, it got successful, though not peerless, reviews. While it earned great acclaim both in the U.S. and Japan, it wasn’t until Soul Edge was released onto the Playstation did it received the praise it deserved. In turn, this game managed to start an entire franchise, which includes no shortage of guest fighters, such as Link from Legend of Zelda, Spawn from Spawn, and even Geralt of Rivia from Witcher.
Soul Edge Premise.
Taking place in the year 1583, which, for reference, is around the time the British Empire began to form. There have been tales of a “Hero’s Sword,” a blade that has been known by many names throughout history. But, there is one name it is known by above all else: Soul Edge. Many have sought out this legendary blade to use its power for their own ends or to serve their country. But, this blade is no savior. Even the smallest scratch from the blade can turn a person into a monster, to say nothing of what it does to those with the strongest bodies, as the warrior Siegfried discovers. The warrior Sophita, alongside the ninja Taki, has set out to destroy this vile blade before it can destroy any more lives.
Will they succeed, or will another claim this monstrous blade?
<H2> [VIDEO GAME TITLE] Main Characters <H2>
Each character you see here has their backstory and their own in-game story. Depending upon your actions in the game, and performing, or failing, button prompts, you may find their story changing.
- Heishiro Mitsurugi. Video Game’s most combative samurai and that’s saying something. He’s on a mission to perfect his skills and to beat the dreaded Tanegashima rifle. He wields a katana, a single-edged blade.
- Taki. Not quite as…distracting as her later entries. But Taki is on a mission to stop Soul Edge. The character, not the game. She wields two small daggers or tanto.
- Siegfried Schtauffen. Before he became the wielder of the not-so-holy sword, Siegfried was a greatsword-wielding man who wanted to please his father.
- Sophitia Alexandra. A warrior from Greece blessed by the God, Hepeathes. She’s the main ‘heroine’ of the saga. She wields a short sword and shield.
- Voldo. A strange man with katars on his hands. There’s not much known about him, save that he lives underground, and is a guardian of treasures.
- Seong Mi-na. A pretty girl who’s better with weapons than most people in her town. Wishing to prove herself, she sets out to find Soul Edge. She wields a guando, a bladed staff.
- Hwang Seong-gyeong. A duty-bound man who wishes to find Soul Edge to better serve his country. He uses the Chinese style Dao.
- Nathaniel William “Rock” Adams. He’s from Briitian, and has a Rhino on his head, walks around shirtless, and carries a giant mace.
- Li Long. The Nunchuck wielder before Maxi.
- Cervantes de Leon. A pirate, and the father of a certain woman. He wields two swords, the shorter of which has a pistol built into the handle. Which actually has some historical precedence.
- Inferno. The spirit inside the sword itself. It acts as a “defense mechanism” should the current Nightmare be defeated.
- Soul Edge. The sword itself. It can corrupt good men into bad and lust for nothing but destruction. Remember, a sword is, above all else, a tool for killing.
Soul Edge Titles of Video Games in the Series
Does your soul still burn? To cover the bases, this will include both the main games, and the spin offs.
Main.
- Soul Edge / Soul Blade (1995/1996)
- Soulcalibur (1998)
- Soulcalibur II (2002)
- Soulcalibur III (2005)
- Soulcalibur IV (2008)
- Soulcalibur V (2012)
- Soulcalibur VI (2018)
Spin Offs.
- Soulcalibur Legends (2007)
- Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (2009)
- Soulcalibur: Lost Swords (2014)
- Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul (2014)
- Soulcalibur Pachislot (2017 )
Soul Edge Cheat Codes
Alright, let’s cover some cheats! Also, just so you know, this will be covering Soul Blade cheats. It’s still the same game, mind you, but the difference is that Soul Edge came out on the Arcade, and Soul Blade is the Playstation Verison.
Select the Alternate Costume
To select a character’s alternate outfit. Just hold guard and an attack button while your desired character is highlighted.
| Effect | |
|---|---|
| Press and hold guard then any button while selecting your character | Select Alternate Costume |
Ending Camera Control
Just for fun, during an ending do the following for the corresponding effect:
A = A attack
B = B attack
Hold A – Zoom in
Hold B – Zoom out
Up – Top view
Down – Horizontal view
Left – Spin counter-clockwise
Right – Spin clockwise
Namco Voice Trick
At the beginning of the game you will hear a voice say “Namco”. Hold L1 + L2 and then press Up for Sueng Mina’s voice, Down for a quick voice, or Back for a normal voice.
Alternate Endings
To view an alternate ending, do the following for each character when the black lines disappear from the top and bottom of the ending cinema:
| Unlockable | Unlockable |
|---|---|
| B Attack | Cervantes de Leon |
| A Attack | Hwang Sung Kyung |
| Press A Attack then B Attack repeatedly | Li Long |
| Beat Tanegashima by pressing Left or Right to avoid the bullet, then run forward and attack with B before he reloads | Mitsurugi Heijiroh |
| B Attack | Rock Adams |
| Quickly press down then up to make her dodge | Seung Mina |
| B Attack | Siegfried |
| Move Right | Sophitia Alexander |
| Press Guard to block Soul Edge’s attack | Taki |
| Quickly press up then down until Soul Edge breaks | Voldo |
Alternate Costumes
At the character select screen, press the following buttons for the corresponding costume:
| Unlockable | Unlockable |
|---|---|
| At the character select screen press B Attack | Alternate default color costume |
| At the character select screen press B Attack + Guard | Alternate guard color costume |
| Beat the game with all ten characters | Alternate title screen |
| At the character select screen press A Attack | Default costume |
| At the character select screen press A Attack + Guard | Guard costume |
| Unlock Soul Edge, then complete the game with Hwang, then again with Seung Mina | Han Myong |
| At the character select screen press Kick | New Soul Blade |
| Obtain Siegfried’s 8th weapon. | Siegfried! |
| Obtain Sophitia’s 8th weapon | Sophitia! |
| Get every weapon for every character | Sophitia!! |
| Play the game for 20 hours without pausing, resetting or turning off the power | Soul Edge |
| Finish arcade mode with all ten standard characters. | Soul Edge |
Soul Edge Cheat Code FAQs
Alright, let’s cover some FAQs!
- How do you unlock Soul Edge in Soul blade? Though the game is on the PS1, let’s cover it. To play as Soul Edge, beat Arcade Mode with each character, OR leave the game running for 12 hours. If you pause mid-game, this ‘timer’ will continue to run. So, you know, go get some dinner or something.
- When did Soul Edge come out? December 1995, specifically on the arcade. Soul Blade came out in June 1996.
- Where can I play Soul Blade? The arcade version, Soul Edge, can only be found in Arcades that specialize in old games, or if you’re lucky, you can find it in an arcade cabinet. But, if you want to play Soul Blade, the PS1 version, you can find it on Steam.
And that’s all for now folks, stay safe!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Project Soul/Namco.