Soulcalibur IV release date is July 29th, 2008. Soul Calibur 1 HD coming to Xbox Live Arcade

Pre-order Soulcalibur IV for PS3 (includes Darth Vader)Pre-order Soulcalibur IV for PS3 (includes Yoda)Namco Bandai has announced today that Soulcalibur IV (priced $59.99) will be simultaneously available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in America & Canada on July 29th and in Europe & Australia on July 31st, 2008.

Soulcalibur 1 for DreamcastNamco Bandai has also revealed that the original Soul Calibur be remade as a downloadable game with HD graphics on Xbox Live Arcade later in 2008! Every character and mode from the Dreamcast game will be made available, and leaderboards will be added, although it wasn’t confirmed to 1UP whether or not online multiplayer would be added, although that’s pretty common with Xbox Live Arcade games.

Back to Soulcalibur IV, a limited Premium Edition package (priced $79.99), which includes exclusive content not available anywhere else in North America, will also be available at launch while supplies last. The Soulcalibur IV Premium Edition will be jam-packed with exclusive content that is a must for any Soulcalibur aficionado. Packaged within a collector’s metal case, the Premium Edition will include the standard version of Soulcalibur IV, an exclusive comic/art book that is a prequel to this latest iteration, a tournament kit, as well as a bonus redemption card which unlocks extra customization content not available anywhere else in the US. The inclusion of the tournament kit will give fans the opportunity to document the battle amongst friends, revealing the true weapon master and giving the victor ultimate bragging rights.

The highly anticipated Soulcalibur IV provides a true next generation fighting experience with new finishing moves and an innovative battle system that promises to revolutionize the genre. Set to finally reveal the origins of the Soulcalibur saga, the game features both new and familiar faces from across the galaxy who seeks the rival swords for their own goals. Continuing the tradition of breaking new boundaries, legendary Star Wars icons Darth Vader and Yoda invade the Soulcalibur universe to add a new layer of depth, challenge, and mystery. Also for the first time in the franchise, customized characters or original favorites can be taken online to challenge others for the top spot of this timeless series.

Soulcalibur IV boasts the following features:

Ever expanding line-up of weapon wielding characters:
* Hilde – A striking armor-clad fighter who wields a short sword and spear making her adept at both long range strikes and short range combos
* Scheherazade and Angol Fear – Two alluring bonus characters created specifically for the game by renowned manga artists and character designers
* Take the Fight Online – For the first time ever, fight opponents around the world online in multiple versus modes

New fighting system elements:
* Active Matching Battle: New to the Soulcalibur franchise, experience non-stop matches where opponents will try to defeat players one right after another. How enemies are strategically defeated is the key to longevity.
* Critical Finish: Slowly fill the Soul gauge to unleash a devastating finishing move to defeat enemies once and for all with spectacular effects!
* Equipment Destruction: Now the wages of battle are shown as protective armor can be broken off and visible lacerations of clothing can be seen.
* Multiple Gameplay Modes – Experience Soulcalibur in Story, Arcade, Tower of Lost Souls, Training, Character Creation, and Museum modes.