Xbox 360
There was a time when this was considered by many to be the best fighting game ever made and the critics were definitely not far off the mark. However, when it was originally released on Sega's ill-fated Dreamcast console, it lacked one thing - online play. This was forgiven due to online console play being virtually unheard of at the time.
And you know what? It still lacks it! Why, on a console centered around competitive online multiplayer does this, perhaps one of the best games to enjoy with a second person, not include net play? Truly baffling and infuriating.
However, this is a small gripe compared to how awesome this game remains after so many years. Set many centuries ago, fighters proficient in weapons combat from all over the globe lock steel and skill for the ultimate prize, the notorious demon sword known as Soul Edge.
Some want to destroy it, others want it for their own selfish means and this was all told wonderfully in the original version's story mode, also missing from this release. Scratch another point off the score please.
What you get here instead is the arcade version with the same crackling pace and wealth of attacks and combos found in the original. From the mid range and speed ronin Mitsirugi to the slow and lumbering shaman Rock, you will find your favourite character over time and hone your skills to perfection.
Set across 12 stages, acrade mode sees you waging war in water filled shrines in Rome, haunted Japanese forests and underground tombs. Each level bleeds colour and looks fantastic, especially in this new HD version.
You'll also notice that each stage is shaped differently. This makes battles more tense as you can win easily by kicking or punching your opponent out of the ring. Smart players will know when to use this skill and makes the difference between an awesome fighter and a crap one. There's just something so satisfying about planting a boot in someones face to see them falling off the stage to their doom, mwaha!
What makes this so special is not the grandiose soundtrack or unbelivably hammy voice acting, which, oddly, sits perfectly here. Instead, it is the subtle moves you pick up and memorise as you get inside your fighter of choice.
Nothing is weak and nothing is irrelevant. From a simple one-two swipe combo that breaks your enemy's flurry of attacks to that perfectly timed low sweep that sends them tumbling out of the arena as you cling onto that last bit of health. Every button press counts.
So it's here, it looks nicer and the 360 pad is a good fit for the control system. It's just odd that Namco wouldn't include the brilliant quest mode or online play, which really is a crying shame.
Soul Caliber is available on Xbox Live Arcade Now