Back in 1999, Soulcalibur was released on the Dreamcast to great acclaim. Even today it's recognized as one of the Dreamcast's highlights and one of the best fighting games ever made. While fighters have progressed over the years, with various new game modes and features becoming commonplace, don't think that makes the Xbox Live Arcade release of Soulcalibur irrelevant; there are some missing pieces here and there but Soulcalibur still holds its own.

Probably the most significant aspect of the Soulcalibur series is its weapon-based fighting system. Each character comes equipped with their own weapon, whether it be Mitsurugi with his katana or Voldo with his sharp daggers. This gives each of the nineteen playable characters their own unique playing style, making it fun to see which fighter suits you best. In addition to the wide selection of characters, there are quite a few locales on offer, such as shrines, mansions, and castles.

Characters and levels are important, but how the game actually plays is the key aspect of any fighting game. Soulcalibur is well balanced, staying simple yet providing depth at the same time. The controls are easy enough to grasp and the more complex manoeuvres aren't too challenging to pull off. It's an accessible game that many will be able to pick up and play, but those willing to devote their time with the game can certainly become accomplished players who can pull off some awesome moves.

There's a decent number of game modes available, too, including Vs. Mode, Time Attack, Team Battle, Survival, Training Mode, and Arcade Mode, which is your standard main mode that sees you fighting eight opponents on your quest to obtain the Soul Edge, a powerful sword. That's just the backdrop though; the action isn't really story driven and isn't epic by any means, but it can be a challenge to win those eight fights on a harder difficulty level. The rest of the modes are fairly basic, but each is enjoyable and serves its purpose well, plus there are leaderboards, so Time Attack and Survival Mode will certainly appeal to those obsessed with climbing the ranks.

All these game modes are good, but notably absent is the Missions Mode, which had you moving from level to level, fighting opponents under special conditions. For example, you'd have to finish off your foe in a timely fashion as your health slowly decreases due to being poisoned. Working through the wide array of matches resulted in points, which could then be used to buy artwork, costumes and various other unlockables. Well, at least that stuff can be unlocked with the other game modes, right? Wrong. Everything's already unlocked in the game! There's no need to put a bunch of time in to see all that Soulcalibur has to offer, and its replay value takes a major hit as a result.

Also missing from Soulcalibur is online play; sadly, multiplayer is restricted to simple one-on-one battles with someone else in the room. This isn't to say that playing with a friend can't be competitive and fun, but the inclusion of online play would have been huge. There are many Soulcalibur fans out there who'd love playing their beloved classic against people across the world. Those who strive to reach the top of the leaderboards will be occupied and there are achievements (good luck beating the game on the ultra hard difficulty without losing a round though!), but Soulcalibur doesn't really keep you coming back for more.

The port to the Xbox Live Arcade does add to Soulcalibur's visuals. The animations, characters, and backgrounds all still look great and the game runs perfectly. On the downside, it is in 4:3, so you'll get some black borders on the sides, but this isn't too much of a problem. You can play the game in HD though, so that's a nice touch. On the other side of the coin is the audio component. There are quite a few tracks, but the music sounds so outdated, while the very basic Japanese voiceovers don't really add anything to the game. But there is grunting... a lot of grunting! I'll let you enjoy that yourself. All in all, nothing about the sound is terrible, but it doesn't stand out in any way either.

Those who never got to play the original Soulcalibur will have good reason to download this port from the Xbox Live Arcade. Everyone who harbors fond memories of it will surely snap it up too, unless you want to get out your Dreamcast that's been collecting dust. The absence of the Missions Mode is disappointing and online play would have been a blast, but the weapon-based fighting system is still a lot of fun. The characters and levels are all there, the game looks great in HD and let's not forget this is a Live Arcade release; it sure isn't a bad way to spend $10.

Reviewed by Anthony LaBella for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).