DF Retro: Soul Calibur - Beyond Arcade Perfect

[@WarAndPosting]

THE DREAMCAST WAS GRAVELY WOUNDED *BUT THE SOUL STILL BURNS*

[@winlover37]

Ed Comment It's still thinking.

[@moralesjourneyman]

The dream will never die !!

[@FlagshipFighter]

you win sir!

[@BeatmasterAC]

still today games are released for the Dreamcast. Proud to have one.

[@Comkill117]

That’s probably the best comment I’ve ever read.

[@KingfishWatch]

Holy shit first SoulCalibur STILL looks really good in Dreamcast version

[@alexoelkers2292]

It was also 60 frames per second, something that is just now becoming standard on consoles. Yeah I emulate it on my phone all the time at 2.5 X internal resolution, 60 Frames per second, wide screen and it still looks awesome.

[@kasasensei]

One of the greatest game of all time. :)

[@jacobynoctis4825]

The Dreamcast version of Soul Calibur is defiantly the most definitive version. And if I am honest, it is still my favorite in the series. There is just something very addictive about this version compared to the others

[@MrInuhanyou123]

it was so good, they literally just copied it with SC2, and it became the standard for all the games going forward even if the quality dropped as the numbers went on

[@turrican4d599]

@@MrInuhanyou123 I find SC1's graphics cleaner than SC2's. My favourite singple player SC is Soul Calibur 4 on the Xbox 360, though.

[@MrInuhanyou123]

@@turrican4d599 its pretty good no lie

[@ericko777]

@@mjskillz23 That's pretty cool. My gamecube setup is a wii, component,, 480p 2x OSSC, mclassic upscaled to 1080p. Wavebird

[@tiwitiwi6202]

no meters, no supers, just pure weapon fighting

[@MrInuhanyou123]

SC1 on DC is full stop one of my favorite fighting games of all time. It impact on me as a fighting gamer cannot be understated. Both it and TTT on PS2 went beyond arcade perfect ports and just did everything so much better than their arcade counterparts.

[@FlagshipFighter]

There was nothing quite like the fighting game boom of the past. Capcom vs. SNK 2 was also a magnificent game, fighting games just keep on giving. I've been a bit out of touch with fighting games this gen though... :-(

[@MrInuhanyou123]

I would try T7 when it comes out, GGXRD, DOA5LR and a few others..UnderNight Unbirth EXE Late comes out soon for current gen as well..there have been some pretty cool fighting games out, but not anywhere near as many as there used to be

[@FlagshipFighter]

Yeah good point, I still sometimes boot-up Tekken Tag 2, SoulCal 2 since they're backwards compatible and sometimes killer instinct too. I've been playing the Phantom Dust rerelease recently and even though it isn't technically a fighter, it's definitely scratching that itch. I quite liked For Honor as well despite how disappointing it is that it has no local splitscreen. Definitely looking forward to MarvelvsCapcomInfinite and Tekken 7. Injustice 2 i'll wait for the ultimate edition (didn't like MKX very much).

[@MrInuhanyou123]

I think the modern MK's and Injustice are kinda finicky as fighters, but they damn sure look pretty and have good production values

[@danon.kucheza]

Original arcade TTT was better imo than PS2's TTT for some reason. I think it was faster and smoother on arcades.

[@andrewbryce2707]

honestly first seeing soul Calibur running on my Japanese Dreamcast I was simply amazed. the leap in graphics from PS1 and N64 was out of this world. there hasn't been a leap in graphics that big ever since. what a game! what a console!

[@gabrieleriva651]

16:55 I'm pretty sure the initial (2005-2006) size requirements for XBLA was 50MB, later (after Castlevania SOTN) it grew to 150MB, but when Soul Calibur was released the limit was upped to 350MB.

[@DennisMangual]

I loved this game so much on the dreamcast. I use to just let leave the game on for hours and just watch the individual fighter exhibitions that would play and show off the graphics.

[@Kwotzi]

Fuuuck, I absolutely LOVE DF Retro.

[@rekunta]

CaptainKlotz no joke man, by far the best part of DF.

[@ndsempai3335]

Those animations.. wow.. just wow. We went from this back in 1999 to Mass Effect Andromeda in 2017. Where did we go wrong?

[@melficexd]

2 words: "Gaming industry". Games were profitable so companies started to milk them and began to care more about benefits than value, and now consider it is more worthy to saturate the market with tons of content to charge for than content that actually has any real quality, but that might require some more money to create.

[@emanatingf]

@@melficexd Exactly they took the Soul out of the games.

[@nico5179]

I remember buying this game almost at launch along with my beloved Dreamcast! I was totally blown away, and I remember perfecly it was one of the few fighting games to receive a perfect 10 score from IGN. How I miss the good old Dreamcast. I guess its time to fire it up once more and enjoy the awesomeness!

[@EposVox]

Fantastic episode. Sounds like I need to grab a Dreamcast.

[@vivaansoren7904]

i dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I somehow lost my login password. I appreciate any help you can give me.

[@cashcolby8299]

@Vivaan Soren instablaster ;)

[@Shackkobe]

I remember when this came out and being blown away by the graphics and gameplay. Excellent game.

[@rjgthuro]

I still think this was the best 3D fighter ever made. It is consistently mind blowing technically and visually. The characters are so varied that mirror matches are intense. I could go on forever. Good work!

[@GORO911]

Soul Calbur 2 was the best fighter ever made.

[@SinkingSage]

GORO911 pales in comparison to SoulCalibur 1

[@GORO911]

Gameplay wise SCII wins. Graphics wise SCII wins. other aspects like stages or soundtrack are subjective.

[@gc3k]

I'm not sure why SC1 gets crapped on, SC2 is definitely not bad or inferior, but it's more popular because it was multiplatform

[@Jack_80]

i only played 1 on dreamcast and then on ps3 or 4 i played 5 i think. don't really remember because it felt so slow and boring compared to what i remember the original feeling like that i traded it in a few days after buying it.

[@georgesfredericgubert3236]

1996 : 60fps is a real thing fam 2017 : 30fps is more cinematic

[@ElMovimientodeunCampeonF1]

1996: Telefim 2017: film

[@Irochi]

1996: We care about playing good games 2017: We shitpost on youtube about fps

[@emanatingf]

@@Irochi that's the difference in mentalities in the mainstream among basic, surface-level gamers atleast.

[@LukeMM95]

@Moist Gnome Most pre-3D games ran at 60fps. 30fps became more common during the early days of 3D gaming, particularly on the PS1 and N64.

[@OrtadragoonX]

LukeMM95 hell most PS1 and N64 barely hit 30 most of the time. Especially N64 games. 20fps was more common.

[@Shendowx]

Still have the Dreamcast copy and a working Dreamcast.

[@Jerrel28]

Shendowx Same and this game still looks amazing.

[@wales2k4747]

Same here!

[@Jack_80]

i regret getting rid of mine so much. i played the hell out of soul calibur and sword of the berserk and i get a strong urge to play them both again sometimes. i played a later soul calibur game, 5 i think, and it didn't feel nearly as fast and fluid as i remember the original feeling on dreamcast.

[@mattlandry]

Man this series is by far the best on the channel!

[@MrSEA-ok2ll]

I set this up intermittently for students to play on the Dreamcast and kids still find it a visual treat. I rented a Dreamcast back in the day with this game and my friend and I at the time could not believe the graphical quality that was available at the time...with only the PS1 version to compare, there was an astounding difference; simply night and day.

[@mulderscully3707]

Great video man! I remember buying my Dreamcast on 99 with soul calibur!!!! all my friends were going nutz with the graphic.

[@gammaphonic]

Not just one of the best arcade conversions of all time, but one of the greatest games ever made. I couldn't guess how many hours I sunk into this game.

[@Akechi_The_Phantom_Detective]

Oh god damn Soul Blade/Soul Edge was an amazing game. I can't put into words the soft spot I have for that game because while so many games at the time where all about button mashing Soul Edge always had this weight behind it that made landing a hit so damn satisfying against it's adaptive CPU opponents. The fact every character had an inter connecting backstory (which you could read in the manual) and motivation for finding the Soul Blades just made the story that much more captivating. And say it with me chaps... that damn Intro... so epic.

[@AgentHeX_0007]

Great revisit. I remember buying this on its release day in the UK. I can remember trying to explain to my PS1 owning friend that the intro was all rendered by the Dreamcast in realtime, and everything on screen at 60fps, in the UK!!! haha. What an amazing conversion, quite obviously a lot of love was put into it in every aspect of its development, so polished it shines like a wet otter :D

[@gh0sthouse]

A DF Retro on Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay would be cool. I wanna know how they pulled that game off on the original Xbox

[@rjgthuro]

GhostHouse Great suggestion I still play it wondering the same thing.

[@charizardoreo]

That could be good, along with an analysis of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

[@kevboard]

GhostHouse long story short, the Xbox was a freaking beast of a console... way ahead of its time when it released

[@krono5el]

and Splinter Cell

[@nicklong27]

I'll tell you how... it was the DOOM engine but instead of made for high spec PC's then ported to Xbox it was made with Xbox in mind. Simple.

[@KGRAMR]

The Legend Will Never Die...Long life to one of my personal favorite fighting games and one of the best Dreamcast games ever made. Live on SoulCalibur...

[@walawave]

please never stop doing this series. I cant imagine finding any kind of in depht analysis of older games from any other channel.

[@wales2k4747]

I had a Christmas party last weekend. We were getting bored because we’d ran outta things to do. That was until I turned on my Dreamcast and started up Soul Calibur. Everyone at the party was taking turns to play on it and we all had a great time. It was hella fun. I even recorded a video of it (it’s on my channel if ya wanna see). Just thought I’d share this with y’all.

[@hezekiahrivas5188]

How did you get it by the way? You play in archade or connect it in PS or something i wanna try it so bad

[@RetroDeathReviews666]

@@hezekiahrivas5188 He said in the comment that he played it on his dreamcast :P You could probably get a copy of it on ebay.

[@BRIANSTECHTHERAPY]

Finally !! This is the one I've been waiting for. The moment that a home console version had surpassed the arcade.

[@Jarrych83]

I had two of the dreamcast arcade sticks and having friends over to play Soul Calibur on this setup was just amazing. The game itself had consistent, universal fight mechanics that worked well enough to see true improvement over time in play, but that improvement in buffering allowed for accessible gameplay from the beginning. That crazy mission mode was delightful for training and the actual training mode had features for labbing skills that just weren't common at the time. I mastered the bizarre inputs necessary for Ivy's command grab and you'd just watch your friend's morale drop when they got hit by THAT level of brutal damage. And that 360 port just makes it clear that a remaster of the game would still sell for those of looking for that simple, classic 3d weapons fighter that wasn't as messy as later SC games!

[@timothylewis2527]

There was only a select few times a game has totally blown me away, graphically. Castlevania III (NES), F-Zero (SNES), Star Fox (SNES), Super Mario 64 (N64), Wave Race (N64), Final Fantasy VII (PS1), Soul Calibur (Dreamcast), Shenmue (Dreamcast), Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2), Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube), Gears of War (Xbox 360), and Uncharted 2 (Playstation 4). Aside from those, I've been impressed but not totally blown away.

[@Silvergun_Raven]

I've had my copy since it launched. I love the Sega Dreamcast so much! I'm missing a few more games to finish my personal collection; I think I have nearly 90 games.

[@Jack_80]

do you have sword of the berserk? that was one of my favorite dreamcast games.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Great episode! Soul Calibur on the DC was such an amazing game.

[@jacobynoctis4825]

Al82: Retrogaming & Computing not to burst your bubble, but Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast still is an amazing video game

[@Steadysphere]

You know a video will be excellent when the worlds "Soul Calibur" and "DF Retro" are together, what a mix!

[@RedLampLightsGreen]

I remember playin this with my dad at age 6. Not gonna lie, a tear might dropped during this episode :D You and your excellent work show the passion behind gaming and im gratefull for it. thank you for all your hard work ! :D

[@woosel1]

DF Retro videos are hands down my favorite on this channel.

[@1980kjetil]

These DF-episodes are PURE GOLD!

[@kttiger666]

best game fight of all times

[@johnathanblade1]

Seeing/playing DC Soul Calibur for the first time, was the most amazing generational graphics leap that I can remember experiencing. It was so sharp and vibrant with lovely character design and beautiful music.

[@spartan239]

Every time a new DF Retro shows up in my feed, it feels like Christmas morning

[@Cafeman_2D]

I just rewatched this - hard to believe it is nearly 4 years old now. This was a fantastic DC game.

[@bambou1991]

Man, this really take me back. I've sunk so much time in Soul Caliber 2 on Gamecube.

[@Disciple_82]

This and Shenmue defined my experience of the Dreamcast.

[@Jack_80]

for me it was this, code veronica, and sword of the berserk.

[@zeroamericanhero]

Both defined the rest of my life.

[@spacechannelfiver]

My Shenmue disk got scratched early on, but it never really did much for me as a game. Soul Calibur, Crazy Taxi, Rez and a certain rhythm action game were my standouts

[@strykah92]

@@spacechannelfiver a certain rhythm action game on Dreamcast? Well there’s no need to be so vague... ...obviously you’re a big fan of Samba de Amigo.

[@geoffprince2258]

When I saw this game running at the game shop on a massive 42 inch rear projection screen tv, my jaw hit the floor. This game looked stunning at the time and still holds up today.

[@andyscarlett1789]

I love these videos, they go into enough depth and they explain things really clearly, so that even the not as technically minded like myself can follow what's happening. Easily the best bit of DF.

[@CustomJohn]

This is the game that made 9/9/99 so memorable to me. 640 x 480 seems so quaint today, but back then these visuals were razor sharp compared to everything else out there. I remember being blown away by that real time opening scene, and just watching it over and over. This game has withstood the test of time; such an accomplishment too considering that insane dev time!

[@ShinuRealArts]

I played this game so much that I started to notice some incredible details, like weapon collision, in which you can touch your opponents' weapon with yours and they react to it, or on the cherry blossom stage, I noticed that there's a collision between the leafs on the ground and the characters' feet, when a leaf's path is blocked by the characters' foot, it tuns around and finds another path. That was mind blowing at the time.

[@trevormills3339]

I gotta say, this is an awesome series. Super interesting, totally researched and really informative. And you guys are cranking them out. Some games I would like to see: GTAIII, Resident Evil 4, Halo 3, Doom 3, GTA IV, Ocarina of TIme, Final Fantasy VII, Uncharted, Twilight Princess/WindWaker, God of War, Splinter Cell, Gran Turismo, Forza...

[@Namynnuz]

Dreamcast was just perfect console, much ahead of its time. So many nice features and exclusives. Soul Calibur one of them. The best fighting game.

[@mattlandry]

I love the video editing for these ones. Takes a lot of work and talent and it is appreciated greatly!

[@jaffaman99]

Perfect for a lazy Sunday viewing!

[@cacomeat7385]

jaffaman99 indeed

[@HueyTheDoctor]

Yet another awesome DF Retro video. These just keep getting better. Thanks John, keep up the fantastic work!

[@domen8666]

This series is AMAZING! Please keep making them, It's a treasure trove.

[@deathm0100]

Wow, absolutely great video! As a hardcore fan of the Soul series (and fighting games in general), I greatly miss a new entry on the current gen. The team responsible for this series have always been incredibly talented, and it has always looked gorgeous in every version. Hopefully we will still see a new Soulcalibur come soon.

[@ThomasCravenCravenation]

I have to say DF retro is my favourite gaming history show, incredible attention to detail and performance options. I loved the dreamcast and it's a shame that it was Sega's console end.

[@squidgyknows4389]

Got this with my DC for xmas 1999, after loving SB for years. My 14yo self played the shit out it! Good times.

[@Kyur.]

"Welcome back to the Stage of History!"

[@perfectshave85]

The Tobal implemented 8-way true 3d movement in a fighter prior to Soul Calibur. Excellent video though. Looking forward to Virtua Fighter 3 DF Retro.

[@gc3k]

Wargods (1995) had 3d movement. Yes I know it's a horrible game

[@dogbadger]

i;ve never realy been into fighting games, but my god I was just in total and utter awe Soul Calibur for DS. It was exactly like having an arcade machine at home and was vertainly one of the greatest programming achievements ever.

[@absolutefitnessIE]

DF Retro, best show on (not) TV. Absolutely love your work.

[@PrivasGuitar]

I played SO much Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast. What a magnificent game. Thanks for the video.

[@MrSEA-ok2ll]

I rented a Dreamcast back in the day with Virtua Fighter 3 and Soul Calibre and I could not believe how amazing Soul Calibre looked...I still have kids playing this at lunch in my school.

[@Sinn0100]

I remember buying Soul Blade on a whim for my PlayStation. By then I was a huge Namco fighting fan and when I saw it in my local EB...I thought why not. I played and loved every minute of it but moved on to something else...likely an FPS of some kind as they took most of my attention in the 1990's. Enter the Sega Dreamcast and Soul Caliber in 1999. I was floored by its graphics and presentation. It was such a technical leap beyond the Sony PlayStation that when I first saw it demoed in the store...I pawned it off as FMV. I was wrong and between Soul Caliber and NFL2K, I was hooked.

[@Magneira]

another great video, it's awesome to see that those songs are kinda fresh in my memory, even after more than a decade since I last played theses games

[@jonathonsherriff5890]

Ahhh the wonderful dream cast😘this game and sega bass fishing with the arcade rod were two truly great arcade games..the memories x😀

[@HCTarik]

These videos are amazing! I have so much nostalgic feelings watching them. Thanks a bunch!

[@BADC0FFEE]

I love how you used old E3 footage when you talked about E3, that's true commitment to... stay retro! :D

[@melficexd]

I got me this game before I had the Dreamcast! Played in a friend's house, It was a console seller, indeed, my eyes healed when I ran this on vga for the first time. Crisp, silky smooth graphics, so clean that looked like a miracle

[@PsimanUK]

Thanks for making this video and educating me on this title. I never knew that it was actually superior to the arcade machine. All I knew at the time was that I loved to play it. A great game and one I'm glad that I've still got, along with my original Dreamcast,

[@TheSciFiCat]

When this game released it took over my life, I couldn't believe just how good it was. I originally played Soul Blade on PS1 and the jump in quality going to Dreamcast simply blew me away. It was indeed the very definition of a perfect game and it alone justified owning a Dreamcast.

[@ElricSowrd]

I was just playing Soul Calibur on DreamCast in the winter after I finally got my hands on a VGA Cable made for DreamCast. The XBox version doesn't have the intro!? Would like to see the Tekken, Virtua Fighter and Dead Or Alive fighting Series on DF Retro someday.

[@happybuggy1582]

I played the shit out of it back then

[@alantaylorfc]

HappyBuggy still do

[@Kafei2006]

I had Soulcalibur on my JXD s5800 when it was still in working order, and it ran butter smooth on the qHD screen of the system and supported the built in controls right out of the box without any tweaking needed. It was my favourite way of playing it at the time.

[@rkeith7766]

The first game after Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter 3 and Scud Race to blow me away due to it's visuals.

[@DebugMenu]

I'm a simple man. I see DF retro. I click. I remove pants.

[@andyscarlett1789]

PORN PORN PORN

[@RazorEdge2006]

Graphics porn.

[@Macho_Fantastico]

Reminds me how much I adored Soul Blade. That intro still gets me pumped.

[@GreenChillZone]

My oldest memory was playing this game on my father's Dreamcast as a toddler. I say playing, but I guess it was more just smashing buttons with my little child hands. To this day, it's my favorite game for my favorite console, and probably my favorite game of all time. The second one is also amazing and has Link, but I prefer the first one because of it's late nineties charm. I just love this game so much.

[@djscorpion1]

Thank you for the video. This pushed me to buy Soul Calibur on the One X/360. While it's still available...

[@Dirk1Steele]

Another great video. One of my all time favourite games. My girlfriend at the time bought it for me for Christmas, having picked up my DC just the week before.

[@BuzzaB77]

Great feature John, got me so pumped to revisit it, I'm booting up lauchbox as i type this!

[@jdgonzo1982]

i loved this game...stole many hours of my teenage life...one of the few times I've really experienced that "next gen" look. the graphics were soooo good back in the day...looked great with a scart lead and a 60Hz TV!!

[@jenesuispasbavard]

Still remember the feeling when I played Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast for the first time. So smooth and still looked great.

[@GameplayandTalk]

I played the Dreamcast version of Soul Calibur recently and was quite surprised to see just how well it holds up. It's really something.

[@DigitalDesires87]

Here comes another DF Retro to save the day. Thank you!

[@lukejohnson3818]

Great stuff dude! I loved the 4D Boxing reference. That game was awesome!

[@rexthesheep]

I had no idea this episode was coming but I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I SAW IT ON MY FEED AAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@huzi990]

That random Victor Lucas at the end of the video =D Love the DF Retro Series!

[@TheGlowHD]

This has to be the most insightful and detailed analysis' I've ever seen of a video game. Fantastic video! Subbed!

[@paccacio2935]

oh my god soul blade and soul calibur 1 marked me ane my brothers,we used to play none stop,i still remember some of the tracks from soul blade,the dragons call,lee long stage awesome

[@skyMcWeeds]

Never regretted getting a DreamCast and this was my first game on that lovely console!!

[@simbin.]

Ah, the memories of 9/9/99, standing in line on my lunch break to buy the Dreamcast, extra controller, RF adapter and... SOUL CALIBURRR. It was so amazing, I took the rest of the day off.

[@drunkensailor112]

simbin rf adapter. Oh no.

[@DSDMovies]

Soul Calibur on Dreamcast was the best looking game ever at the time. The texture and model detail was astounding, I'd never seen anything remotely close to it. And it still looks amazing.

[@projectikaruga]

DF Retro is so good! never stop, guys, never stop!

[@spiderjerusalem100]

For a console game from 1999 this looks incredible. The Dreamcast was so ahead of it's time, it's a crime that it was discontinued so soon.

[@ТагирСулейманов-ш9р]

Quite surprised that there is no System Shock 1-2 episodes. SS series deserves more than mentioning here and there, it deservers it`s own episodes. Anyway, thank you for stayin` Retro :D

[@didioskywalker]

Oh man. Thank you for mor 22 minutes of pure entertainment!!

[@jamiadixon331]

We need a new Soul Calibur.

[@Nekrosmas]

Only DF retro we have a more "civil" comment section. Amen.

[@beebji]

Thems fighting words!

[@rezuka96]

Alvin1020 May the cancerous comments be gone here.

[@blackwidow7804]

The animations look more fluid than on Tekken 7 lol.

[@tomdebz7337]

Fantastic work as usual in this series.

[@matthewclark7952]

Fond memories of playing Soul Calibur on my Dreamcast. A very good and well made game indeed! Good video, thanks.

[@RooboliusBrandybuck]

Man. The DoA2 name drop really made me wish for a DoA2 video. Between checking out the original DoA1, DoA2, DoA2: Hardcore and DoA2 Ultimate, it'd be great to see how each version stacks up!