This product is like new. At NexWave Games, like new means:
Additionally, all discs at NexWave Games are carefully inspected and assessed for quality. When discs arrive, we do not accept any that are so badly damaged that they are unlikely to work. We only accept discs with light scratches at most. Discs with scratches are then treated in our professional disc repair machine. By warming the disc and polishing it with soft brushes, these machines can remove a very thin layer from the disc. This removes the layer containing surface scratches and improves the disc’s readability. This ensures the disc works properly, even on consoles with ageing lasers that have difficulty reading games! Great news for the player.
Cardinal Syn for PlayStation 1
Cardinal Syn for PlayStation 1 is a three-dimensional fighting game in which armed warriors battle for control of Bloodland. You choose a fighter with a distinct weapon, reach and set of attacks. The arena is more than a backdrop: you move through the space, avoid dangerous spots and seek a position from which your opponent has few answers. Heavy sword swings require a different distance from short attacks, while a misplaced step brings you closer to a dangerous edge or obstacle.
During combat you can break open crates and treasure chests. Inside you find health and magic potions, among other things, but also items that pose a danger. This creates a second contest: do you keep your opponent under pressure, or make room to collect an item yourself? You can disable environmental hazards and items in the settings. This turns the same arena from an unpredictable battleground into a fight focused mainly on attacking, defending and distance.
Play through a tournament alone, practise moves or try to survive several fights in Survival. Locally, two people compete using two controllers. Team Battle lets both sides choose several fighters who enter one after another; it is not a battle with all those characters on screen at once. A PlayStation memory card stores settings and unlocked characters. Switching between a straightforward duel and battles involving arena elements is particularly important to Cardinal Syn's distinctive rhythm.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 1 games are PAL editions, unless stated otherwise. This product contains a loose disc for the European market. A box is only included if explicitly stated in the product details. We note any different region in the product details. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
With Cardinal Syn for PlayStation 1, you receive a loose disc. A box and manual are not included unless we explicitly state otherwise in the product details. This is the standard way we supply this copy.
The history of Cardinal Syn
Cardinal Syn appeared on PlayStation in 1998 and was developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment. Sony Computer Entertainment published the game. Kronos had already gained experience with three-dimensional fighting games, including Criticom and Dark Rift. Cardinal Syn built on that work with its own fantasy world and arenas in which the environment actively participates in combat. The game came directly to the home console; this is not a conversion of an established arcade series.
The background concerns rival clans and the Book of Knowledge. The mysterious Syn exploits their desire for power to organise a violent tournament. That premise gave Kronos room for widely different warriors, weapons and battlegrounds. A duel between two characters remains central, but the shape of the terrain and the surrounding items become part of your decisions. The distinctly grim visual style fits this story of power and conflict between the clans.
In a 2001 interview, Kronos founder Stan Liu explained that the company had grown out of animation and computer graphics work. He described the fighting games as projects that allowed the studio to build experience and technology before making Fear Effect. Cardinal Syn therefore shows a different phase of the same developer. Its extensive character presentation, fantasy story and freedom of movement are recognisable elements of this PlayStation release, alongside its attention to short local duels.
Similar games for PlayStation 1
Soul Blade for PlayStation 1 also centres on weapon-based duels. The reach of a sword or staff determines when you can attack safely in both games. Soul Blade places greater emphasis on established fighting techniques and finding an opening within clearly defined rings. Cardinal Syn makes you consider items and dangerous parts of the arena more explicitly. You therefore have to read the location of the fight as well as the fighter.
Bushido Blade for PlayStation 1 also gives you room to move during armed duels. The main difference lies in the consequences of a hit: Bushido Blade does not use a conventional health bar and allows a decisive blow to end a fight quickly. Cardinal Syn uses health, rounds and additional magic. There you try to build an advantage over a longer duel, while Bushido Blade makes you consider the risk of every individual attack.
Tekken 3 for PlayStation 1 asks you to learn attack patterns and monitor your distance from your opponent, just as Cardinal Syn does. Tekken focuses on unarmed techniques, throws and linking moves together. Cardinal Syn makes weapons, magic and arena objects visible parts of the duel. If you are used to reading an opponent purely through their stance, here you must also watch the route towards a potion or a dangerous spot.
Battle Arena Toshinden for PlayStation 1 likewise combines polygonal fighters with weapons and special attacks. Both games give duels a fantastical appearance and require you to follow movement outside a strictly straight line. Toshinden builds much of its tension around distance, evasion and the edge of the ring. Cardinal Syn adds collectible items and environmental hazards, so a good position can also depend on what is lying in the arena at that moment.
Mortal Kombat Trilogy for PlayStation 1 shares the violent tone and selection of striking fighters. It instead uses two-dimensional characters and battles on a fixed plane, with recognisable input combinations for projectiles and special attacks. Cardinal Syn lets you move through a three-dimensional arena and involves the environment in the duel. Trilogy mainly demands knowledge of your opponent's attacking game; Cardinal Syn adds the need to watch space and items.
