Paper cuts used to scare me

Ready for a ‘slice’ of some seriously competitive action on Xbox 360? Ever wished you could be Yoda, the tiny but ‘Just-You-Try-It!’ Jedi Master from Star Wars? Look no further than Soulcalibur IV; the most entertaining fighting game we’ve laid hands on in years, and among the most impressive Xbox 360 games in many months.

So, our football tournaments have been put on hold for a while here at Xbox, as each one of us takes to mastering a handful of the mesmerizing characters in Soulcalibur IV. A couple of the guys have been cheating (as I see it), choosing from old favourites that include Ivy, Siegfried, and that old thorn in my side Maxi – curse his crazy nunchucks, can never get past them! I, however, have decided to do the honourable thing and work with newcomers Hildegard and, of course, Yoda!

Now, one of the greatest aspects of the entire Soulcalibur series is how each character’s martial form is so very different to their rivals. Which is why I was so looking forward to learning Force moves with Yoda, and I have been rewarded beyond my wildest dreams. The little guy is so quick, once you get into his flow you’ll find that his feet rarely touch the ground. Even Maxi struggles to get near him – yay!

Must admit to not having much time to create my own character yet, but it’ll be fun balancing physical stature with suitable attire to settle on a classic customised hero. Wonder if I can choose their Critical Finish move too? Hmm… Although, I have so much trouble pulling-off these screen-melting combos it probably wouldn’t make any difference! Must. Practice. More.

Don’t forget that the original, and classic, Soulcalibur is available to download from Xbox LIVE Arcade. It’s still superb – surprisingly so – after all these years.

Happy hackin’!

Out This Week

Soulcalibur IV

Graeme Boyd, Xbox.com Community Manager, Gamertag: AceyBongos