Soul Blade/Soul Blade PSX "Secrets" FAQ v2.5 21 NOV 98
-------------------------------------------- Richard Uyeyama
http://www.best.com/~ruyeyama/psx/hiawa.shtmll ru e ama best.com*
* Instances of the letter "y" and the "at" symbol have been removed
(replaced with spaces) from the above e-mail address in order to
prevent unscrupulous UCE (unsolicited commercial e-mail) bot
processes from adding to the amount of e-mail I already get...
Document formatting, organization, and wording Copyright 1997, 1998
by Richard Uyeyama and Justin Pierce.
Permission granted by authors to duplicate (unaltered) this document in its
entirety for non-profit purposes only. All other rights reserved.
SoulBlade is trademarked and Copyright 1995, 1996 by Namco, Ltd. All
rights reserved.
A note from Richard:
Due to increasing time demands from other sources, Justin (Pierce) no
longer has the amount of free time he feels should properly be devoted to
this SE/SB Secrets FAQ. Thus, he has passed the upkeep duty to me. Given
his apparent confidence in me, I'll do my best not to let him down. Or any
of you. =)
In any case, since the FAQ has now officially changed hands, please do not
bother Justin with any further e-mail pertaining to the FAQ! He'll just
have to forward them over to me. Rather, all such e-mailings should go to
me (Richard Uyeyama) at the address listed at the top of this document.
Thanks. And now, a few words from Justin...
A few words from Justin:
The purpose of this document is simple: to clear up any and all of the
random questions being posted to Usenet about the "secrets" in Soul Blade
for the Sony PlayStation. Too many times have I seen incorrect postings
and the same questions asked over and over again. I figure this should
shut you all up for a while. :)
As a side note, please read the entire manual for the game. A lot of
general information that answers many of the questions posted to Usenet can
be found there. Actually, you should read the manual for every game you
buy. :)
0. Document History
I. Secret Characters
a) Siegfried!
b) Sophitia!
c) Sophitia!!
d) Soul Blade
e) Seung Han Myong
II. Edge Master Mode
a) The Eighth Weapon
b) Winning Requirements
1. Air Combos
2. Critical Edge
3. Disarm Your Opponent
4. Throw Technique
c) Book Commands
d) Weapon/Character Examination & Weapon Stats
III. Alternate Endings
IV. Moves and Techniques
a) Critical Edge Combo
b) Reversals
c) Move Cancelling
d) Voldo's Spinning Blades
e) Missing Attacks and Move Listing Clarifications
V. Miscellany
a) Character Outfits & Colors
b) Sophitia and Mina, ummm, Supplementary Color Codes
c) Winning Poses & Quotes
d) The Replay Camera and In-fight View
e) Vs. Mode / Team Battle Mode Stage Cycle
f) The "Namco" Opening Voice
g) The "Soul Blade" Title Screen Voice (Japanese Ver. Only)
h) Logging Time
i) Song Lyrics and CD Info
0. Document History
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
v2.5 (21 NOV 98)
- Moves and Techniques section created from Miscellany items
- CEC section added to Moves and Techniques
- SoulEdge Torpedo attack added to Missing Attacks, Move Cancelling
- SoulEdge move clarification added to Missing Attacks section
- Minor restructuring of Miscellany section
- Versus stage select codes (J version only) confirmed(!)/clarified
- Arcade soundtrack CD basic info added to Miscellany
- Minor editing to a few sections...
v2.4 (23 MAR 98)
- OP/ED lyrics and soundtrack CD basic info added to Miscellany
- Sophie/Rock move clarifications added to Missing Attacks section
- More minor editing to a couple sections...
v2.3 (11 AUG 97)
- Some CEC completion tips added in EMM section
- Page flippings added to Book Commands section (was: Text Zoom)
- Mina-K supplementary color codes added in Miscellany
- In-fight camera commands added to Camera section in Miscellany
- Stage select codes (J version only?) added to Stage Cycle section
- Sustained spinning blades info for Voldo added to Miscellany
- Minor editing to a couple sections
v2.2 (21 MAY 97)
- Weapon stats info added to weapon examination section
- Missing win quotes added
- Move cancels added to Miscellany section
- Descriptive clarifications on Sophie and Rock unlisted moves
- Further clarity/detail editing of entire document
v2.1 (07 MAY 97)
- Character examination commands added to EMM section
- Sophie codes added to Miscellany section
- Some quotes and rough translations added to Winning Poses section
- Vs./Team Battle Mode stage cycle info added to Miscellany section
- Less wear-intensive method for logging time added to Miscellany
- Reversals section added
- Taki unlisted move added (backflip)
- Minor editing to various sections
v2.0 (09 APR 97)
- FAQ changes hands from Justin Pierce to Richard Uyeyama
- Method for getting Han Myong clarified
- Sophitia alternate ending addition
- Mitsurugi ending command addition and clarifications
- Seung Mina ending command addition
- Li Long ending command quantified
- Voldo default ending addition
- Outfit color clarification (P1 vs P2)
- Winning pose clarification
v1.9 (14 MAR 97)
- "Soul Blade" Title Screen Voice added to Miscellany section
- Weapon Examination added to Edge Master section
- Undocumented attack for Taki found
- Clarifications on winning poses made
- Clarifications on the game timer made
- Rumored method to get Han Myong disproved
- Rumored method to get eighth weapon confirmed (!)
v1.8 - Clarifications on the Critical Edge made
- Rumored method to get Han Myong added
- Rumored method to get the eighth Edge Master weapon added
- Edge Master book zoom section added (II.c)
v1.7 - Spelling errors fixed
- Clarifications on "!" characters made
- Second method to get eighth weapon added
- Clarifications to air combos made
- Throwing added to Edge Master section
- Missing Attacks added to Miscellany section
v1.5 - How to get alternate endings
- How to choose winning poses
- Opening "Namco" voice
- Controlling the replay camera
- Section IV, "Miscellany", added to cover all this crud
- Information originally in section III moved to IV
- Credits added
- This update actually came out on the same day as v1.2 8P
v1.2 - Alternate method to obtain Soul Blade confirmed
v1.1 - New canned-combo added to Soul Blade's moves list
Siegfried! is an alternate version of the normal character, this one decked
out in the "Evil Bad Guy" (tm) armor of Siegfried's "bad" ending, lugging
the Soul Blade. The weapon performs no differently than his original,
though (it just looks different). Siegfried! cannot use the Edge Master
weapons.
To get Siegfried!, simply obtain all of his weapons in the Edge Master
mode. He will be selectable in all modes other than Edge Master by moving
the cursor past the edge of the character list.
Sophitia! is an alternate version of the normal character, taken from the
beginning of her arcade mode ending. She wears no armor over her clothing.
Sophitia! performs no differently than Sophitia, although she cannot use
the Edge Master weapons.
To get Sophitia!, simply obtain all of her weapons in the Edge Master mode.
She will be selectable in all modes other than Edge Master by moving the
cursor past the edge of the character list.
Sophitia!! is another alternate version of Sophitia. She is wearing the
white swimsuit from her alternate Arcade mode ending (as well as the US
Soul Blade intro CG animation). Sophitia!! performs no differently than
Sophitia, although she cannot use the Edge Master weapons.
To get Sophitia!!, simply obtain all 70 of the weapons in the Edge Master
mode. She will be selectable in all modes other than Edge Master by moving
the cursor past the edge of the character list.
Soul Blade, the "Demon Sparkplug" (and the last character in the game), will
become accessible after finishing the game at least once with each of the
10 standard characters. His icon will appear between Mitsurugi and
Siegfried on the character list.
Also, for those who are too lazy to finish the game with every character,
Soul Blade will become playable after 20 hours of game time have been
logged. You can check your logged time in the upper left-hand corner when
viewing the records section (via the Options screen from the main menu).
Soul Blade has the same moves as Cervantes with the following additions:
Command Level Damage WDamage Rec
f+B,B,d+A MML 15,15,40 7,7,7 SSC
A+B,B,B MMM 28+28(56),19,54 3+3(6),6,7 SSS
A+B,B,d+A MML 28+28(56),19,30 3+3(6),6,7 SSC
b+A+B M 44 8 8
b,f - -- - S
b,f,K L 33 0 S
A+B+K M 25+15+15+15(70) 20 S
d,d/f,f+A+B+K - 10+24+30+30(164) - S
I.e) Seung Han Myong
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
There has been much speculation over the true method to release Seung Han
Myong as a playable character. I believe I've found an accurate assessment
of the conditions necessary. Here it is:
If at any time after SoulEdge becomes available as a playable
character, the game is completed (Arcade Mode) with Seung Mina,
immediately after having been completed with Hwang, Han Myong will
become available as a playable character.
So from a clean slate, you can actually release Han Myong by playing
through the game a mere 11 times (I've done this), so long as your 10th
time through (which releases SoulEdge) is with Hwang. (And then, as
stipulated above, follow that immediately with Seung Mina...)
Of course, if you release SoulEdge by logging 20 hours on your game (see
the SoulEdge section, above), then you only have to play through the game
twice to release Han Myong (I've verified this). Once with Hwang, then
once with Mina (immediately after Hwang). Of course, I personally think
playing through the game 9 or 10 times is more time-efficient than waiting
20 hours, but...
Okay, things which (as far as I can tell) are *not* conditions: Release or
use of Special Weapons (one does not need to release any Special Weapons;
though one can probably use any weapon(s) one pleases, if any Special
Weapons are available for use). Use of alternate endings (standard endings
can be used; the endings can even be cut off with the START button, and
that's still okay). Use of Continues. Game settings (set the game as easy
(or hard) as you want!).
At one point, a rumor was going around Usenet that Han Myong would become
playable after logging 30 hours on the game. This rumor is NOT true.
Sorry, but you'll just have to fight it out. :)
Han Myong has the same moves as Hwang with the following additions:
Command Level Damage WDamage Rec
d/b+B M 15 0 S
b,f+B M 35 0 S
K,K,K HMH 26,35,35 0,0,0 SSS
K,K,d+K HML 26,35,16 0,0,0 SSC
f+K,A HH 26,56 0,9 SS
f+K,B HM 26,46 0,9 SS
b+K,d+K HL 40,24 0,0 SC
f,F+A+B,B MM 75,49 9,3 SS
u/f+B+K MH 30+20(50) 2+2(4) S
b+B+K U 60+55(115) - S
A+B+K M 28+20+15+14(77) 20 S
HCF+B+K 18+15+10+18(138) - S
II. Edge Master Mode
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
II.a) The Eighth Weapons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a concrete method to earning the eighth weapon for each character.
I (Justin) have posted this to Usenet several times, though for some reason
it seems to get ignored.
To get the eighth weapon:
After you finish off Cervantes and Soul Blade, the eighth weapon can be
found at one of the stages adjacent to Spain (Italy is almost always one of
them). Go there and fight. Win. If you win and you did NOT get the
weapon, or if you lose and your character just stands there (on the map),
it is at a different country adjacent to Spain. If you lose and your
character does his/her "time over" animation (on the map), the weapon was
there, but because you lost there, it moved. It will always move to an
adjacent country (from where you "lost" it), but never back to Spain. The
weapon will not move unless you lose at the location it is currently at
(i.e. if you lose in another location, the weapon will not move from
wherever it is).
If chasing the ultimate weapon all over the map doesn't appeal to you
(personally, I (Justin) prefer it), it is possible to just save your game,
and if you lose, press Start + Select to reset the game, then reload and
try again. This way, the weapon won't go more than one space away from
Spain (the weapon is randomly placed each time you load, however, so it
won't always be at the *same* country adjacent to Spain...). The reason I
do not advocate this is that generally (though not always), the further you
get from Spain, the easier your opponents are to defeat.
Finally, here's a third method, which takes advantage of how the save/load
game process interacts with the ultimate weapon placement data (i.e. it's
probably a minor programming bug, but that's no reason not to take
advantage of it, right? =) ). If you travel back to one of the first
episodes, save your game there, and then exit, when you come back to the
Edge Master mode, the eighth weapon will be one space away from where you
saved. In most cases, this is the second episode. This method has been
confirmed to work, making it the easiest of the three.
This section serves simply to clarify some Edge Master concepts some people
seem to have difficulty understanding.
1. Air Combos:
This does NOT mean that you have to hit your opponent when they
jump. Find an attack that lifts your opponent off of the ground
(d/f+B works for most) and THEN hit them as many times as you
can (A,A,A works for most). The more hits, the more damage.
Note that some weapons are heavier than others, and thus may
make you too slow to connect with certain air combos... so when
in doubt, use a lighter weapon. =)
NOTE: You are not limited to df+B for air combos. Some
characters have other attacks which can accomplish the same.
Some examples: Misurugi's d+K,B will give air combo credit for
the second hit, as will Han Myong/Hwang/Seung Mina's f,F+K,K,K.
You may want to check Dave Connoy's combo list (which should be
available at http://absolut.sites.uiuc.edu/~japierce/ (The Stage
of History), FAQs section) for some more "creative" air combos
for each character (even Voldo, even tho he hates Voldo; two of
the simpler air combos you can use for him are d+B,B and
d/b+K,A,A).
2. Critical Edge:
Many people wonder why their critical edge doesn't kill. The
answer is that you have to EXTEND your critical edge (i.e.
Critical Edge Combo). The extension for each character must be
done between the 3rd and 4th hits (the *entire* extension, not
just its completion) of the A+B+K attack. Consult a moves list
(you can call one up during the battle by pressing the START
button and selecting from the menu) for specific motions. You
can practice the exact timing in Practice Mode...
CEC tips: Unlike most of the moves in the game, the CEC is
dependent upon *timing*, as opposed to *sequence*. Thus, the
game won't care if you feed it extra input, so long as it gets
the proper extension during the proper time. So if you're
having serious trouble with the exact timing of the CE
extension, you can, after having initiated (and hit with) the
A+B+K move, simply continuously repeat the extension move as
quickly as you can... and if you repeat the extension move
quickly enough (which is obviously easier for one of the shorter
extension moves (like Taki's) than for one of the longer ones
(like Mitsurugi's)), *one* of your repetitions will be decently
likely to fall within the proper scope of time, and the CEC will
be completed. Of course, depending upon one's speed (and the
length of the extension move) and accuracy, this may not work
all of the time, so it is still recommended that one simply
master the exact timing for the CE extension move, which in the
long run (i.e. with some practice) is probably a slightly more
dependable method of completing the CEC...
NOTE: The critical edge saps about one third of your weapon's
energy meter. This means you have three or fewer chances
(unless of course you're using a weapon that regenerates the
weapon energy meter...) to hit your opponent with a CEC. If
done successfully (in an EMM CE battle), your opponent should
lose all his/her health and you'll win.
3. Disarm Your Opponent:
All this means is to knock your opponent's weapon away. This
means he/she must block your weapon attacks. Using a weapon
with a high Strength stat should also help. When your
opponent's weapon flies away (his/her weapon meter is expended),
your opponent will lose all of his/her life and you will win.
4. Throw Technique:
This should be fairly obvious, but certain characters have other
attacks that you may not normally consider a throw. These
include:
Rock's ground throw (d/f+G+A)
Siegfried's d/b+B,b+B (second hit only)
Li Long's Slide Tackle (run+K)
Any reversal attacks (see Reversals section, below)
You can also check moves in Practice Mode. If Practice Mode
considers it a throw, odds are that EMM will, too...
Other winning requirements have been omitted until they prove that
clarification is required.
II.c) Book Commands
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flipping pages - There are actually two speeds at which one can flip the
pages of the EMM book(s). Here are the relevant commands:
R - slow forward
L - slow backwards
D - fast forward
U - fast backwards
Text zoom - This is a very convenient undocumented feature. It is possible
to zoom in on the text in the Edge Master book using the shoulder buttons
on the PSX pad. The following key tells what each button does:
L1 - Zoom to the upper left-hand corner
L2 - Zoom to the lower left-hand corner
R1 - Zoom to the upper right-hand corner
R2 - Zoom to the lower right-hand corner
Also, while holding down any zoom button, you can scroll the book in any
direction using the directional pad.
When in the Weapon Room (selectable from the main menu) and when selecting
your weapon in Edge Master Mode, it is possible to examine your weapons by
zooming in, rotating, etc. The following are the commands to manipulate
the weapons in each mode:
Weapons Room:
R1 - rotates clockwise around X-axis
L1 - rotates counter-clockwise around X-axis
R2 - rotates clockwise around Y-axis
L2 - rotates counter-clockwise around Y-axis
A, B, or K - Zoom in/Zoom out on current weapon
Edge Master Mode:
R1 - rotates clockwise around X-axis
L1 - rotates counter-clockwise around X-axis
R2 - rotates clockwise around Y-axis
L2 - rotates counter-clockwise around Y-axis
Left, Right - Zoom in/Zoom out on current weapon
A or B - Test weapon
Character Rotation (EMM only):
When testing a weapon, if you press left or right on the d-pad, you
can rotate your character around the vertical axis. I assume this is so
that you can examine your weapon being used from different angles, but it
can also be useful if you want to examine the characters' different outfits
outside of the constraints of combat or replay...
Weapon Stats:
The following descriptions list what a higher ranking in each
particular stat will do:
Power Weapon inflicts more damage to opponent
Defense Wielder takes less damage from opponent
Strength Weapon blocking this one takes more weapon gauge damage
Durability Less weapon gauge damage from blocking other weapons
Weight Heavier, more unwieldy, and thus slower weapon
So ideally, you'd want the first four stats to be high, and the
fifth to be low... hmmm, kinda like Taki's Spirit Blade... =)
And then the text below the stats will mention any other properties
the weapon may have. Oh, I have found one mistake, as far as the weapon
text is concerned (U/C version). For Rock's Stone Club, the text reads
"Strong weapon, but consumes energy.", which is not precisely right, as
using the Stone Club doesn't sap your health, but rather, it's when you
block an opponent's weapon strike that you will actually take significant
*health* damage in addition to taking weapon gauge damage (ick)...
III. Alternate Endings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you may (or may not) have heard, each character has two endings (in
Arcade Mode; the EMM endings (same as Arcade version SE endings) could be
counted as a third for each character...). For most characters, the first
ending, this being the one which requires no user intervention, is not a
happy one. The second is almost always more "pleasant".
To get these endings, you must press a certain button sequence at a certain
time during each character's normal ending. To know when to input the
command, pay attention to the top and bottom of the screen. There, you
will see a small black letterbox. When this letterbox recedes, letting the
action take up the full screen, input the command. Letterbox mode will
return when you enter a successful command (exception: Li Long (see
below)). This should reveal the second ending.
The only exception to the above process is for Mitsurugi's alternate
ending, which will be explained later...
Note: If your television's screen dimensions make it difficult (or
impossible) to see the letterbox strips of black along the top and bottom
of the screen, you can try adjusting your game screen a bit in the Adjust
Screen section of the Options menu...
What to press for each character:
---------------------------------
Hwang - A
Rock - B
Taki - G
Sophitia - Right
Mitsurugi - Defeat Tanegashima (see below)
Siegfried - B
Seung Mina - Down, Up or Right+G
Li Long - 20 (minimum) attack commands (see below)
Voldo - Up, Down (repeatedly, quickly)
Cervantes - B
Exceptions, explanations, and extras (SPOILERS):
-----------------------------------------------
Mitsurugi - To get Mitsurugi's second ending, you must defeat a character
named Tanegashima in battle. This is not like a normal battle.
The battle is first person view from Mitsurugi's perspective,
and there are only four actions you can take:
Left - dodge left
Right - dodge right
Up - step towards Tanegashima (6 steps to reach him)
A, B, or K - vertical slash (also steps forward)
If you're having trouble defeating Tanegashima, here's a method
that seems to work a good amount of the time: As soon as you
are able, dodge right twice (your second dodge should avoid
Tanegashima's first shot). Then, tap up rapidly to close in
fast. When close enough (Mitsurugi must take 6 steps towards
Tanegashima), press A, B, or K to finish him off. If you are
not fast enough, you may have to dodge two or more shots.
Li Long - To get Li Long's alternate ending, you have to hit, at minimum,
20 attack commands during the non-letterbox sequence. Unlike
for the other characters' alternate endings, Li Long's non-
letterbox sequence will not go away upon successful completion
of the alternate ending command, but will always run its full
course in time. Also, as it turns out, the programmable two-
and three-button commands only count as a single attack
(instead of 2 or 3) for the 20 tally; be aware that doing any
of these commands manually might also count only as a single
attack here... Anyway, here's a list of the commands I've
found that will work:
A, B, K, A+B, A+K, B+K, A+B+K, A+G, B+G
Hitting any of those will count as 1 attack for the 20 tally...
So you can hit the same command 20 times, or a combination of
different ones adding up to 20 (or more)... Whatever works for
you. =)
Sophitia - In Sophitia's secondary ending, there is a second place where
the letterbox recedes. There is no third ending, but rather,
as a (still more fan service, alas) "extra", by repeatedly
hitting any buttons at this point, one can temporarily (if you
stop, the mist comes back) clear the mist which otherwise
obscures our view of Sophitia...
Voldo - In Voldo's primary ending, there is a second place where the
letterbox recedes. There is no third ending, but rather, as a
little "extra", one can switch the camera view from Voldo to
Vercci (his master), and back and forth, by hitting the B
button.
The manual isn't entirely clear on reversals, so I'm including this section
in the FAQ. Certain of the characters (only four of them (unless you count
Sophie! and Sophie!!, that is...)), in addition to normal throw moves, also
have reversals, which are throw moves which take advantage of your
opponent's attack. In other words, when your opponent executes an attack,
you stop (or catch or redirect) that attack and immediately execute a
counterattack. To do a reversal (reversals are listed in the game-internal
moves list, btw), simply press Back+A+G. The timing is about the same as
for a Guard Impact (Forward+G). However, not all moves can be reversed.
Here's a list of what each character can reverse:
Taki K attacks
Sophitia B, K, and CE (Critial Edge) attacks
Mitsurugi B and CE attacks
Li Long K attacks
Reversals will not, as far as I know, work for low attacks.
Certain moves can actually be cancelled (computer opponents do this
sometimes, especially Cervantes and SoulEdge...) before their completion by
pressing the G button right after the move has begun (practice in Practice
Mode to get a better idea of the precise time specifications). Here are
the moves which may be cancelled:
Standard standing B attack
Critical Edge move
Unblockable move
I think that's all, but if anybody finds anything else that can be
cancelled, e-mail me.
(Note: the first part of SoulEdge's Torpedo move (the d,db,b+B/K part) can
also be cancelled, but the game probably considers it a "Critical Edge"
sort of move, so...)
Cancels can be used if you suddenly change your mind about doing a move, or
want to try faking out your opponent (sometimes works against computer
opponents too). Or if you want to make your weapon glow for a bit (by
cancelling a CE or Unblockable). Or if you want to do a pointless flashy
wastage of time by doing a cancel of one of the more athletic Unblockables
(like Mina's)...
For certain of Voldo's attacks, he will spin his blades around his hands.
By pressing and holding the G button immediately after, you can actually
get the weapon spin to continue for as long as you want. Here are the
moves I've found to work:
Both blades spin:
D+B (i.e. B attack while crouching)
b+A+B
A+B+K; u,d+A+B (Critical Edge Combo)
Right blade only:
d,df,f+A,G (Cancelled Unblockable (see Move Cancelling section, above)
So after one of the above, immediately hit and hold the G button, and the
blades will continue to spin for as long as you keep the button held down.
Also, if you end your replay segment with one of the above (interrupt and
end the replay (Start button) while the blades are still spinning quickly),
Voldo's blades will continue to spin during certain of his win poses (G, A,
and B win poses, but not the K pose, it seems).
IV.e) Missing Attacks and Move Listing Clarifications
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently, there are five known moves that do not appear in the internal
move lists for the game (U/C version). These are:
Sophitia:
High stab: While holding G, press B (high version of f+B stab)
Rock:
Ground throw: When opponent is face up, with legs towards you,
press d/f+A+G
Taki:
Spinning axe kick: When back is turned to opponent, press B+K
Backflip (like the one she does in the OP sequence): u/b,b
SoulEdge:
Torpedo attack: during (d,db,b+B/K) move, hit B
(note: like a Critical Edge move, this move will use up a third
of your weapon meter...)
Hmmm, might as well mention this Voldo move here, since I did mention it in
the Voldo Spinning Blades section, above... It's not really a special move
or anything (it's just a crouching attack), but I guess it is technically
unlisted, so... (shrug)
Voldo:
"We're not worthy!": While crouching, press B
In the game-internal moves listings, I've found a couple moves which I
thought could be slightly clarified. Basically, just hold the first
command on the d-pad a little longer to start things off:
V. Miscellany
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
V.a) Character Colors & Outfits
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I (Justin) have only included this because I am sick of seeing posts that
reference the PlayStation buttons instead of the arcade buttons. This
totally ignores anyone with a custom joypad/joystick setup. The following
reference the combinations according to the arcade button names:
G - Guard A - Horizontal Attack
B - Vertical Attack K - Kick
Player 1: Player 2:
Original Outfit, Color 1 A Secondary Outfit, Color 1
Original Outfit, Color 2 B Secondary Outfit, Color 2
Secondary Outfit, Color 1 G+A Original Outfit, Color 1
Secondary Outfit, Color 2 G+B Original Outfit, Color 2
PSX-Specific Outfit K or G+K PSX-Specific Outfit
(only 1 color) (only 1 color)
Do note that the Player 2 costume defaults are the *secondary* versions,
and it is to get the *original* versions that one will have to hold down
the Guard button...
Oh, the above difference also applies when choosing characters in Practice
Mode... so if you're using the Player 2 controller, when choosing your own
character, the player 2 rules apply; but when choosing your practice
opponent (who would be on the player 1 side), the player 1 rules will
apply... which could be kind of confusing if you didn't know that's what
was going on...
V.b) Sophitia and Mina, ummm, Supplementary Color Codes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As it turns out, after choosing Sophitia's outfit (or Seung Mina's PSX
outfit), you may also select the color of the panties she wears with it.
Alas, yet more fan service... Anyway, here are the codes and colors:
After you've selected your character (Sophitia or Mina-K), press and
hold one of the following while the next (i.e. first) level is loading:
(Sophie)
Original outfit: Secondary outfit: PSX outfit:
A - purplish-pink A - white A - pink
B - grey B - light blue B - purplish-blue
K - brown K - brown K - green
A+B - green A+B - purplish-pink A+B - grey
B+K - light blue B+K - yellow B+K - yellow
A+K - yellow A+K - green A+K - light blue
A+B+K - purplish-blue A+B+K - grey A+B+K - brown
(default = white/pink) (default = brown/blue) (default = white)
(Mina)
PSX outfit:
A - yellow
B - light blue
K - white
A+B - purplish-blue
B+K - green
A+K - brown
A+B+K - pink
(default = purplish-pink)
The above codes work for all modes of the game, though when you have to
input them may be slightly different (for Team Battle, for example, input
code before *Sophie/Mina's* first battle, which may or may not be the first
battle... and I think for EMM (I haven't checked this exactly), the input
time is while the map screen is loading for the first time). The G button
doesn't seem to do anything for any of the codes. Anyway, if anybody finds
anything further, please send me e-mail. Oh, btw, these codes do *not*
work for either Sophitia! or Sophitia!!, or any of Mina's other outfits...
Note that (as far as I've been able to tell) in Vs. Mode, the above codes
will only work the *first* consecutive time you select the Sophie/Mina
costume you've chosen. So if you select Sophie/Mina-K for the second (or
third...) time in a row, the above codes won't work (you're stuck with what
you selected the first time)... unless you also change her costume.
Oddly enough, in Arcade Mode (and in Time Attack Mode), the game reloads
Sophie/Mina-K's panties at the beginning of the SoulEdge stage... so you
can simply do nothing and let them return to their default color, or use
one of the above codes as the stage is loading.
Each character has four different win poses (this does not include special
poses for "Time Over" or a win without your weapon). You can control which
one you see by holding the following after you win:
Win Pose 1 - G
Win Pose 2 - A
Win Pose 3 - B
Win Pose 4 - K
Since I've seen some curiosity on the Net about the Japanese win quotes in
the U/C version of the game, I've included them here, along with some rough
translations. Once again, note that these are *rough* translations, and
should not be looked at as canon, dogma, or any other such thing...
Anyway, here they are... Long vowels are denoted by a : following the
vowel... Oh, and the "SE" quote is the quote used by the character when
he/she defeats SoulEdge in Arcade Mode...
Hwang
G - Yuruse, taigi no tame da.
Forgive me. I do this for the greater good.
A - Sono inochi, ore ga azukaro:.
It looks like this victory is mine.
B - (no dialogue)
K - Kono sho:ri o, sokoku no tame ni.
I fight for the sake of my country.
SE - (same as K)
Taki
G - Tayasui aite da.
What a simple opponent.
A - (no dialogue)
B - Yo: wa sunda ka?
Have you finished your business with me?
K - Kiena!
Begone!
SE - Fu:ma kanryo:! (B pose)
"The deed is done!"
Mitsurugi
G - Denaoshitekoi!
Come back when you're ready!
A - Mijukumono ga!
Unskilled lout!
B - Sho:shi senban!
How truly pathetic!
K - (no dialogue)
SE - (same as A)
Seung Mina
G - (no dialogue)
A - Kodomo atsukai shinade ne!
Don't treat me like a child, okay?
B - Kantan ni wa katage agenai wa!
You won't defeat me that easily!
K - Namenaide yo ne!
Don't underestimate me!
SE - Yatta wa, oto:sama! (B pose)
I did it, Father!
Li Long
G - Akkenai yatsu!
You're too easy!
A - Ore o uramuna yo!
Don't hate me for beating you!
B - (no dialogue)
K - Nakanaka yaru na!
You're pretty good.
SE - Ore o uramuna--ungh! (starts like A pose)
Don't hate me for--ungh!
Han Myong
G - Motto shugyo: ga hitsuyo: da!
You require more training!
A - Sore de owari ka?
Is that all?
B - Waga ryu:gi, omoishitta, ka?
Now do you see the strength of my technique?
K - Wakai mono ni wa makenu.
I don't lose to younglings.
SE - (same as K)
Well, hope that helps!
V.d) The Replay Camera and In-fight View
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As an interesting novelty, you have complete control over the replay camera
after a fight ends. The controls are as follows:
Up/Down - Rotate the camera vertically up or down
Left/Right - Rotate the camera horizontally left or right
Button A - Zoom in
Button B - Zoom out
In addition to this, if you have a Multi-tap hooked up to your system, you
can actually change the camera views *during* a battle. The A branch of
the Multi-tap will be your P1 controller; the P2 controller will be the
right controller slot on your system, as normal. Now plug a controller
into the B branch of the Multi-tap, and you're all set to go. During any
battle (yes, this works in any Mode of the game...), use the B-branch
controller to control the camera view as follows:
R1 - change camera option (cycle through following list downwards)
R2 - change camera option (cycle through following list upwards)
Standard (centers between opponents)
Centers between opponents (movable view)
P2 view (1st person view)
P1 view (1st person view)
Centers around P2 (movable view)
Centers around P1 (movable view)
For the above options marked with "movable view", you can use the following
commands. Do note that the "zoom out" command is different than during the
replay...
Up/Down - Rotate the camera vertically up or down
Left/Right - Rotate the camera horizontally left or right
Button A - Zoom in (Square button)
Button G - Zoom out (X button)
First person view from SoulEdge is kinda creepy. For some reason, you get
to see his lower jaw floating there, seemingly in mid-air... The secondary
outfit for Siegfried (P2 default costume) also has a similar effect, where
you get to see part of his face plate (?) or something floating in your
view...
V.e) Vs. Mode / Team Battle Mode Stage Cycle
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The stages that Vs. Mode (and Team Battle Mode -- the stage marker seems to
be shared by both) battles occur in are not determined by either of the
participants, like in Arcade Mode. Rather, the stages will cycle in a
predictable pattern, which is as follows:
Mitsurugi Stage
Seung Mina Stage
Taki Stage
Li Long Stage
Voldo Stage
Sophitia Stage
Siegfried Stage
Rock Stage
Hwang Stage
Cervantes Stage
Asia Stage (Han Myong Stage)
* Collosseum Stage (Ring Size 20m only; see below)
If you look in the playable music tracks (BGM Test, via the Options Menu),
you'll see that the above order is also the order the stage BGM is listed
in, with SoulEdge and Collosseum Stage missing. As it turns out, one can
actually "insert" the Collosseum Stage into the stage order lineup simply
by setting the Ring Size to 20m in the Game Settings. The Collosseum Stage
will appear, just like in the playable music tracks, right after the Asia
Stage. No similar trick has been found yet to "insert" SoulEdge's stage
into the lineup (which would, as suggested by the music tracks, probably
occur right after Cervantes' stage), but if anybody finds anything, do let
me know...
Oh, there are actually two specific exceptions to the above stage order.
The first is that any vs. battle between Hwang and Mina (i.e. Hwang vs.
Mina, or Mina vs. Hwang) will, as far as I can tell, *always* be in Asia
Stage, regardless of where in the vs. stage cycle you are. Similarly, any
vs. battle between Mitsurugi and Li Long will *always* be in Hwang Stage.
These fixed stages will *replace* the normal stage in the stage cycle.
Interestingly enough, these fixed stages also apply in Practice Mode, in
which the stage is usually determined by one's practice opponent...
Also, you can deviate from the cycle to a random stage by holding the
SELECT button (either player... or both) as the stage loads (i.e. just
before the matchup screen). A random stage will be *inserted*
(temporarily) before the next stage in the stage cycle. And while you
cannot change the stage for a fixed stage battle, inputting the random
stage code will change it from a replacement to an insertion...
And lastly, here are some stage select codes for the Japanese version of
Soul Blade. I haven't gotten any of them to work on the U/C version of the
game, so they might have been changed (or removed =p). If anybody finds
out anything further about the U/C stage select codes, please send me some
e-mail. Anyway, here they are:
Press/hold the following before the stage loads (before the vs. screen):
R1 Rock Stage
R2 Seung Mina Stage
L1 Li Long Stage
L2 Mitsurugi Stage
R1+R2 Cervantes Stage
R1+L1 * Collosseum Stage (Ring Size 20m only; see above)
R1+L2 Hwang Stage
R2+L1 Sophitia Stage
R2+L2 Taki Stage
L1+L2 Voldo Stage
R1+R2+L1 (random)
R1+R2+L2 Asia Stage (Han Myong Stage)
R1+L1+L2 (random)
R2+L1+L2 Siegfried Stage
R1+R2+L1+L2 (random)
The Collosseum Stage is only selectable if the ring size has been set to
20m; otherwise, R1+L1 will yield a random stage.
Selected stages will be *inserted* (temporarily) before the next stage in
the stage cycle. Fixed stages (see above) will override selected stages
(though they will be changed by the codes from replacements to insertions),
but selected stages will override the random stage code (SELECT button).
Finally, if both players input stage select codes, their codes will be
combined to determine the final result (for example, if P1 held down R2,
and P2 held down L1, the code would be interpreted as R2+L1 (Sophie
Stage)).
No method has yet been found to select SoulEdge Stage, but if anybody finds
anything (maybe something to do with one of the three remaining "random"
codes, above?), do let me know. =)
V.f) The "Namco" Opening Voice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
You may have noticed that occasionally the opening "Namco" voice, which is
usually the voice of the in-fight announcer, changes to that of Seung Mina
(the odds are supposed to be about one in seven, iirc). There was a rumor
on Usenet that there is a method to control this. All of my experience
points to the opposite: there is no way to choose which voice speaks.
However, if anyone can prove me wrong, please mail me.
V.g) The "Soul Blade" Title Screen Voice (Japanese Version Only)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is possible in the Japanese version of the PSX Soul Blade to change the
way "Soul Blade" is said at the title screen. While doing a game-internal
reset (START+SELECT), or at any other time the title screen appears, hold
down the following:
(nothing) Standard announcer
u+(L1/L2/R1/R2) Seung Mina (Yu:ko Miyamura?)
d+(L1/L2/R1/R2) Cervantes (Takashi Nagasako?)
V.h) Logging Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's actually a method for logging time on the game without putting all
that much wear on the CD unit's motor. Load up the game as normal, then
from the main menu enter the Options Menu. Once you're in the Options
Menu, if you hit the Eject button (opening the lid of your PSX), the motor
will come to a halt and the CD will stop spinning... but since the game
doesn't need to read from the CD for anything, the game will not crash. At
this point, you can safely remove your CD from the system and reclose the
lid (to prevent dust or any other foreign objects from entering while
you're logging time).
And that's pretty much it. You can wander about anywhere in the Options
area you want, and as long as you don't try to play any BGM tracks or exit
to the Main Menu, the game will not need to read from the CD, and time will
continue to build up (as you can watch in the Records section). Of course,
since wandering about the Options area doesn't trigger any of the Auto-Save
points, you'll have to manually save at some point in order to preserve
your time spent...
Do be aware that although this method won't put much wear on the CD motor,
the PSX unit itself will be no less succeptible to potential overheating
through extended periods of use. In other words, it's recommended that you
not use this method for longer periods of time than you would normally use
your game system. So leaving your system on for 20 hours straight in order
to release SoulEdge as a playable character (or whatever) may not be a good
idea...
Oh, also be aware that since in using the above method, you'll be doing
something Not In The Normal Scheme Of Things, you do so completely at your
own risk, and any damage (to the system, the game, or anything/anybody
else) that may result will, because of the presence of this warning, be
completely your own responsibility.
Ahem. Okay, now that we got that legal stuff outta the way... =) Not that
I think the above will cause any serious damage, of course. I personally
think it to be pretty much safe (i.e. no more dangerous than popping the
lid while the CD's still spinning would normally be), having used it
successfully myself. I've even successfully tested releasing SoulEdge as a
playable character in this manner (the game doesn't need to read from the
CD in order to mark SoulEdge as being playable).
Do note, however, that if there's some future time-released event that
*does* need to read from the CD when it's triggered, not having the CD
present may have an undesirable effect (perhaps skipping over the event, or
even crashing the game). But then again, it may not. Of course, I'm
fairly dubious as to whether there are any more time-released events,
but... (shrug) And anyway, one can always put the CD back in just before a
likely period of logged time...
V.i) Song Lyrics and CD Info
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since I've seen a lot of people wondering about what the lyrics to the OP
and ED songs actually are (indeed, the singer sings with a fairly thick
accent, so it's difficult, if not impossible in places to tell...), I'm
including them here in the FAQ for informational purposes. These are the
full versions of the songs, btw, so there are some differences (extra
stanzas, basically) when compared to the versions used in the game (which
are pretty short; I'm including full lyrics for purposes of context). The
punctuation, formatting, and editing (for example, where the printed lyrics
didn't match what was sung) in the lyrics below were done by me. btw, the
two songs can be found in the game via the BGM Test (tracks 25 and 16,
Khan Super Session) in the Options menu, btw... Oh, and in case anybody's
interested, I'll also be listing the KSS and arcade soundtrack CD basic
info below, after the lyrics...
------
"The Edge of Soul"
Lyrics by Suzi Kim
Transcription, formatting, and editing by Richard Uyeyama
[Transcending history and the world,
a tale of soul and swords... eternally told.]
(instrumental intro)
(To) love! To shine!
We all need to shine on, to see
how far we've come on our journey.
How... far yet to go, searching for our... star!
Deep in the night, I pray in my heart
for that special light
to shower me with love,
to shower me with power,
to shine from above!
I gotta get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on...
what I believed in from the very start.
I gotta get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on,
deep in my heart!
(To) love! To shine!
To love! To shine!
Come strip down and face it, your all.
'Bout time you broke down your wall.
Free... your mind. A brand new world waits for you, you'll find!
Nobody can just do it for you.
It's time that you knew.
It's up to you to love,
it's up to you to shine
the light true an' blue!
* You gotta get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on...
what you believed in from the very start. *
@ You gotta get to the Edge of Soul, to carry on,
deep in your heart! @
(instrumental interlude)
Repeat * 3 times
Repeat @
To love! To shine!
To love! To shine!
To love!
(instrumental fade)
------
"Our Way Home"
Lyrics by Suzi Kim
Transcription, formatting, and editing by Richard Uyeyama
I'm standing here, after all is said and done...
wondering what... I've undone...
A new moon rises on the hori...zon,
lighting the fields, smiling my way.
She knows I'll soon be gone...
Finding my way back home...
I'm given life in strange lands.
Finding my way back home...
Travelling souls... changing, changing hands...
We take... so long, shedding all the shells and stones,
coming down off our thrones...
If only we, from the moment we are born,
could let it be, just let it free.
Free roses from her thorns...
* Finding our way back home...
Can't be too hard, only if we knew.
Trying to make it home...
Got to be there, inside of you.
Finding our way back home...
We're given life in strange lands.
Trying to make it home...
Travelling souls... changing, changing hands! *
If only you knew... for sure...
how beautiful you could be, how pure...
like I do...
Repeat *
[Finding our way... finding our way...
Finding our way... back home...
Travelling souls...
Our way home.....]
------
I hope the above has helped clear things up! Anyway, here's the basic KSS
soundtrack CD info, for those of you who are interested:
Title: Namco Playstation 3D Fighting Game
Soul Blade Original Soundtrack
Khan Super Session
Company: BMG Victor
CD #: BVCH-732
Price: 3000 (y)en
Date: 96.12.18 - 98.12.17
With the above information, your local (or not-so-local) CD import shop
should be able to help you obtain your own copy. This CD has only the Khan
Super Session BGM, btw (if you're looking for the standard BGM, you
probably want the SE arcade soundtrack CD (see below)). It's a pretty nice
sountrack, imho... but then, I kinda liked the Khan Super Session BGM,
so... =)
The CD has 16 tracks (12 stage BGM (10 characters, SoulEdge, and P.N.K.N.),
character select BGM, name entry BGM, OP, and ED... though not in that
order...), and runs 58:17. It has slightly longer versions ("B-section"
material has been added to the stage BGMs, and the endings slightly redone
so they stand alone better) of most of the songs (including the two vocals,
of course), compared to the game-internal ones. Interestingly, P.N.K.N. #1
and #2 got mixed onto the same track (simply called "P.N.K.N.")... with #2
preceding #1!
And finally, for those of you interested in the arcade version music,
here's the arcade soundtrack CD info:
Title: Super Battle Sound Attack
Soul Blade
Arcade original soundtrack
Company: Pony Canyon
CD #: PCCG-00365
Price: 2500 (y)en
Date: 96.10.21 - 98.10.20
Credits
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
All uncredited info from V1.9 and previous may be attributed to Justin
Pierce; similarly, all uncredited info from V2.0 and onward may be
attributed to Richard Uyeyama.
Big thanks to the following people for helping make this FAQ so huge:
jockej@kuai.se, for some some info on the alternate ending commands.
Donny Chan, for the helpful suggestions, Taki's undocumented attack
(spinning axe kick), and forwarding several secrets to me (Justin).
Marc Rousere, for reminding me (Justin) to put the Edge Master book zoom in
the FAQ.
Peter Albanese, for confirming the third method for getting the eighth Edge
Master weapon.
Dragonmaster X, for disproving that goofy Han Myong rumor.
Mark Magdamit, for providing the commands to examine your weapons.
Dave Connoy, for some helpful comments.
Gregorio Diaz, for the EMM character rotation info.
Hiroshi Nishimura, for help on two of the Japanese win quotes.
Tomokazu Ninomiya and the Japanese PSX Soul Blade secrets file, for pointing
out the Mina-K codes, the in-fight camera changeability, the vs. stage
select codes (J version only) and the Voldo blades G-sustain trick.
and of course...
Justin Pierce, for starting the whole thing.
E-mail questions, comments, corrections, or additions to Richard Uyeyama
at the address listed at the top of this document.
Updates to this FAQ can be found at Heroes in a Warlike Age:
http://www.best.com/~ruyeyama/psx/hiawa.shtmll
