Soulcalibur II

Soul Calibur 2 is probably the second best fighting game ever made. Soul Calibur happens to be the first. The graphics are much cleaner, the music very dramatic, and overall, it plays almost exactly like the first game. I know that doesn't sound great, but with a smaller controller (unless you have an X-Box or Gamecube) it makes life a lot easier. Though I've only had this game since yesterday, I feel that it is worthy of a 10. Great sequel, and a must-have for any fighting game enthusiast.

It is relief to finally play a classic fighter for the Gamecube (besides "Godzilla: Destroy all Monster"). This is a well deserved sequel to the wonderful first Dreamcast/Arcade game. Soul Caliber II is a fighter with just about everything:

Pretty girls, Lizardmen, neat diverse weapons, shapeshifters, and special guest stars for each system (I prefer Link the most ^_~).

The only flaw was is that some of the character endings did not make that much sense. Makes you think more though, huh.

However, SCII is a classic like it's first game!

RATINGS: 9.9 out of 10!

Soul Calibur 2 was a much better game than people said it was. The graphics are beautiful, the combos and techniques are great, and there's a huge variety of characters to choose from. Including the 3 exclusive characters available depending on the system you have. I, personally, was lucky because I own a GC which means I got Link form LOZ as a playable character!

The game has many modes and un-lockables to choose from and gain which will keep you busy plenty. The new Weapon Master mode has some significance, but not much. I would recommend renting this game because its a very unique fighter game with cool characters and weapons. I would only recommend this game for buying if you don't mind some corny stuff and play games that have lots to do. 7/10.

Does any other game have a better tutorial than this if you want to learn how to be good at fighting games? Going through the Weapon Master mode you learn every possible type of move stage by stage, so many other modes things to unlock as well its pretty amazing.

If you find yourself hating the SoulCalibur series from the get-go, you just simply need to be more patient. Underneath the simple exterior lies a game that is so strategically deep and rewarding that I cannot stop playing it for more than a few days at the most.

At its core, it's a 3-Dimensional fighting game. Easy as that.

Scratch the surface and you find cool moves. Dig deeper and you find ways to get around those moves (Hands down, 8-Way Run is the best innovation in fighting games since the addition of a 3rd dimension, period). Then you learn how to properly evade and defend against these moves, and launch appropriate counterattacks. This may seem very daunting at first, but trust me on this, this game is far more satisfying than the Tekken or Dead Or Alive series.

Once you familiarize yourself, you'll begin to see the small nuances of each character. Their speed, their attacks, their range...it all adds up eventually, and I found myself playing less of a fighting game and more like playing virtual chess moving at dozens of maneuvers at once. Feints, fakes, deception: these all play a part in the vast mechanics of SoulCalibur 2. It helps to have a friend (or friends, preferably) to learn with however, seeing as the computer opponents have no real gray-area - it's either easy as pie or tough as nails.

Once you discover the exquisite, artful fighting game that lies underneath, you'll be thanking yourself for the best $20 you ever spent. I guarantee it.