Soul Calibur 2

At Space World 2001, Namco unveiled Soul Calibur 2 for Nintendo GameCube. The title, a 3D fighter, looked to the evolution of the Dreamcast original, a game widely considered to be one of the best brawlers in existence. Naturally, followers everywhere were excited.

Now, Namco has released new high-resolution images of its fighter in action. The screenshots and artwork feature several return characters from the first and second games, including Sophitia, Ivy, Kilik, Mitsurugi, Asteroth, and Taki, all of whom display new, exotic costumes.

The title, according to Namco, will first be released in the arcades later this year, with a GameCube version -- likely the first of any next-generation console -- toward the end of 2002.

The screenshots posted below are evidently of the arcade version, which many believe to be running on System 246 hardware -- an extension of the PS2 architecture. Rumors abound, however, suggest that Namco has switched hardware and is running the arcade version of Soul Calibur 2 on GameCube-based hardware. Unfortunately, the hearsay cannot be substantiated at this time.

We will have more details on Soul Calibur 2 soon. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the new screenshots with the knowing that it will look just as spectacular when it hits Nintendo's next-generation console late next year.