Star Wars Characters Coming To Soulcalibur

Namco Bandai and LucasArts have teamed up to include Star Wars characters in the upcoming fighting game Soulcalibur IV.

Two famous Star Wars characters will be added to the franchise as part of the “monumental collaboration,” with the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader appearing as a “guest character” in the PlayStation 3 version of the game, while Jedi Master Yoda will turn up in the Xbox 360 edition.

“It is quite rare that two publishers of this caliber are able to collaborate on this level to create a top notch entertainment experience for next-generation platforms,” said Namco Bandai Executive Vice President Makoto Iwai. “In the entertainment industry, LucasArts possesses some of the most recognizable characters and franchises in the world. We’re thrilled to integrate their historic characters into one of our most treasured brands.”

Kevin Kurtz, LucasArts director of marketing, added, “We’re very excited to work with Namco Bandai and be a part of their efforts to take Soulcalibur to the next level. Adding our iconic Star Wars characters to Namco Bandai’s great game franchise is a match made in heaven, and we think Darth Vader and Yoda will be formidable opponents in the game.”

Soulcalibur IV will feature high-definition graphics, an all-new battle system, increased customization options that will allow players to personalize their character’s appearance and performance and for the first time ever will allow customized characters to take part in online combat. Soulcalibur IV is set for release in summer 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.