Soul Edge

Soul Edge was created prior to the introduction of the so-called 8-Way Run. The characters can sidestep to either side by double-tapping down to move to the foreground or tapping down then up to the background. The jump maneuver (which in Soulcalibur is more like a hop) moves the player higher into the air, even allowing it to pass above the opponent (much like in Tekken). The game uses an active block system performed by pressing the block button, and a combat system based on the three attack buttons: horizontal attack, vertical attack, and kick.

Character moves retain a feel of Namco's Tekken series. Each character has one or two slow but unblockable attacks. Each character is also capable of performing one or two "Critical Edge" attacks, consisting of a long series of linked hits, usually ending in a strong high attack. These moves require the input of a special combination of two parts: they are activated by pressing all three attack buttons together, and if it connects, the player has the chance of extending the combo with a character-specific sequence, which must be input during the attack. This attack depletes one-third of the Weapon Gauge when used.

Soul Edge's events take place in the year 1583. The game tells the tale of warriors searching for the ultimate sword, "Soul Edge". It has been given many names throughout history, such as "The Sword of Salvation", "The Sword of Heroes", and "The Ultimate Sword", among others. Many strong warriors searched for years, but very few actually found it.

The sword, currently in the form of a twin pair of long swords, appeared mysteriously in an auction. It was taken by the dreaded pirate Cervantes de Leon and nothing is known of his fate thereafter. Presently, nine warriors from around the world (Hwang, Li Long, Mitsurugi, Rock, Seong Mi-na, Siegfried, Sophitia, Taki, and Voldo) search for the sword for different reasons. Some desire its power, others want revenge.

Soul Edge was developed as an experiment by Namco to explore the possibilities of a weapon-based fighting game; Samurai Shodown was one of the first of this type, while Battle Arena Toshinden was the first in 3D. Soul Edge was the first motion capture based video game created by using passive optical system markers.

Soul Edge was initially released in arcades in 1996. A Gamest Mook series guide book (GMC-30) was published by Shinseisha on April 30, 1996.

In Japan, Game Machine listed Soul Edge as the second most successful arcade game of March 1996. On the annual 1996 Gamest chart, Soul Edge was the 20th highest-grossing arcade game in Japan that year. The arcade game was more successful in the United States, where it was one of the top five highest-grossing arcade conversion kits of 1996. Despite this, it was not able to achieve the same level of arcade success as Namco's popular Tekken series. According to Next Generation magazine, Soul Edge "enjoyed less success than it deserved" in arcades.

Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of Soul Edge Version II, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "there is still the slight control delay, but character movement is still fluid and seamless, and the trailing slashes of light in the wake of weapon movement is as gorgeous as ever." The PlayStation conversion, Soul Blade, was a bestseller in the UK. Due to its popularity, the game has been re-released as part of the PlayStation Greatest Hits, the PlayStation Platinum range, and the PlayStation The Best series.