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Ivy Valentine

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Isabella "Ivy" Valentine
'Soul series character
Ivy in Soulcalibur IV
First gameSoulcalibur

Isabella Valentine (イザベラ・バレンタイン, Izabera Barentain), commonly called Ivy (アイヴィー, Aivī), is a fictional character and protagonist of the Soul series universe created by Namco, and a player character in the tetralogy of Soulcalibur versus fighting video games and series spin-off title Soulcalibur Legends.

Conception and history

As a character introduced in Soulcalibur, Ivy's weapon, a "snake sword" designed to be unique amongst the other weapons in the game, was selected before other elements of the character. Her design and concept were then built to revolve around it, starting with gender, then physical measurements, and lastly background details. After her appearance and movement were fleshed out by a concept artist, her character was rendered as a 3D model by a design team that worked solely on her,[1] and then animated by a motion designer using motion capture to create her in-game movements.[2] During this phase the team additionally worked with the Soulcalibur story creators, refining the character's own role in the plot as needed throughout development.[3]

With Soulcalibur II, the development team chose her as their favorite character from the previous title.[4] Producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama felt that her fighting style wasn't perfectly expressed in Soulcalibur, and focused on Ivy from the start of the project to make her more "uniquely lethal."[5]

Design

Ivy's secondary outfits in the games are contrast to her primary outfits.

As Ivy is an English character, her armoured shoulder pauldron incorporates the Tudor Rose symbol in Soul Calibur IV, a traditional heraldic symbol of England.

In video games

Soulcalibur plot

According to the official Soulcalibur background story, Ivy was raised in the home of the Valentines, prominent nobles in London, England. Ivy's biological father was the notorious privateer Cervantes de Leon, who had appeared in earlier installments of the series. Ivy's adoptive father was driven to insanity amidst his obsessive pursuit of power, and her adoptive mother died soon thereafter. Ivy became an alchemist and attempted to create an animated, segmented sword inspired by ancient Chinese weaponry, but could only bring her new invention to life with the assistance of Soul Edge's current host, Nightmare. Ivy was convinced to become part of Nightmare's entourage of servants, unaware of what he had planned.

Ivy eventually learned of Nightmare's true intentions, and discovered her biological lineage thanks to the ninja Taki. Ivy entered a self-imposed isolation and emerged with a renewed drive to destroy Soul Edge and anything connected to it. Over the course of her journey, Ivy's "snake sword" began to change. Seeing it becoming more unstable than it had ever been, she returned to her family's mansion to investigate. While there, she was confronted by Zasalamel, who destroyed her research and set her mansion on fire. These events led to her participation in Soulcalibur III.

Prior to the release of Soulcalibur IV, the official website of the game confirmed that Ivy was attacked and killed by Cervantes at the end of Soulcalibur III. However, Ivy was able to keep herself from dying by using an artificial soul she had constructed. Replacing her corrupted soul with this untainted specimen completely purified Ivy's soul and allowed her to wield Soul Calibur for the first time in the series.[6]

Gameplay

Censorship

Some versions of the original Soulcalibur arcade game censored Ivy's default costume by covering her bare skin with a lavender catsuit. With Soulcalibur IV, Ivy's look on the promotional artwork was modified on the English website to hide her undercleavage,[7] leading to suspicion of censorship in the American release of the game.[8] When asked about the censoring, director Katsutoshi Sasaki stated he'd heard of nothing of the sort having taken place.[9] When released in North America it was shown that no actual censorship had occurred within the game.[10]

Cultural impact

Promotion and Merchandising

Ivy was featured amongst other characters for Soulcalibur II's arcade flyer,[11] and has been featured in other printed advertisements for games in the series.[12] She has also appeared on the cover on every Sony-based console game in the series[13][14][15] as well as Soulcalibur Legends for the Nintendo Wii.[16] She is also visible on the white Xbox 360 Soul Calibur IV arcade joystick alongside Hilde and Siegfried.[17]

Several action figures and figurines have been made bearing Ivy's likeness. Following the release of Soulcalibur, a resin kit by Kurushima was released,[18] alongside a figurine by Kyosho.[19] Epoch C-Works released a 1/12th scale Ivy action figure of in a set of three for the title as well, featuring equipable weapons.[20] In August 2003, Todd McFarlane Productions released an Ivy sculpture amongst a set of five based off of Soulcalibur II. The immobile figure was modeled after her primary outfit and stood six inches tall with a base and retracted sword.[21] Yujin released a four inch tall figurine based upon her Soulcalibur II artwork as part of their "Namco Girls Series #5" line of gashapon figurines.[22] A twelve inch tall immobile PVC figurine modeled after her Soulcalibur III appearance was released by Enterbrain in September 2008, using a white version of her outfit and extended sword;[23] a dark blue outfit for an "international color" version of the sculpture will also be available.[24]

Critical Reception

Though commonly cited as one of the most difficult characters to play as in the Soul series,[25] Ivy has received a great deal of positive reception and has been described as one of the series's "staple" and "stalwart" characters,[26] as well as one of the most popular.[27] From her Soulcalibur II appearance, Ivy was nominated in G4's 2004 G-Phoria awards show under "Hottest Character", alongside Vanessa Z. Schneider and Rikku;[28] she was also a character in their 2005 "Video Game Vixens" awards show, winning in the category of "Kinkiest Accessory".[29] She also appeared three times in GameDaily's "Babe of the Week" series of articles, first as a stand alone article,[30] then as part of their "Babes of the Week: Soul Calibur Hotties" article[31] and lastly at eleventh place in their "Top 50 Hottest Game Babes" article.[32] Other websites have also included her in top ten character lists, such as Team Xbox[33] and Virgin Media.[34]

Ivy was cited in the book "Disconnected America" as an example of Soulcalibur II's contrast to titles like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter in terms of a comparable real-world experience.[35] She placed second in IGN's "Soulcalibur: The Top Ten Fighters" article, which stated "Few, if any, Soul fighters so aptly sum up what the series is about as Ivy Valentine."[36] IGN also included her in their list of guest characters they'd have liked to have seen for Super Smash Bros. Brawl,[37] and in their "Top 50 Chicks Behaving Badly" list which featured female fictional characters from multiple genres.[38] She was also listed by Tom's Games as one of the fifty greatest female characters in video game history.[39]

As a sex symbol

File:Ivy-swimsuit.jpg
Third-party depictions of Ivy utilize her sexual appeal

Ivy's appearance and demeanor have been a focus of discussions, with her commonly compared to or described as a dominatrix,[40][25] and noted as the series's sexiest female.[41] The mass media and fans alike have regarded her as a sex object, using her likeness in material ranging from magazine swimsuit issue pin-ups[42] and periodicals such as Play's annual "Girls of Gaming" issues,[43] to hardcore pornographic dōjinshi.[44] Advertisements have focused on her visual appeal as well, such as Sega's television commercial for Soulcalibur's Dreamcast port.[45] Other media facets have made comparisons between her and Lara Croft in terms of attractiveness,[46] or as rivals alongside similarly discussed female characters.[47][48] Articles have noted Ivy in the subject of video games "growing up", discussing the increasing popularity of "video game babes" and the reactions from men and women to them.[49]

By Soulcalibur IV the degree of exposed skin, notably her breasts, became a popular subject of discussion amongst the media.[50] Leigh Alexander in an article on Kotaku used Ivy as a primary example of video game representations of the ideal male and female versus the real world and the concept that "sex sells", notably regarding her increased bust size from the original Soulcalibur compared to the most recent game and the subject's appeal.[51] Joystiq bemoaned the change in IV, stating "Ivy's battling Rachel in a quest for the most ridiculous cleavage in a video game. At least Extreme Beach Volleyball keeps its breasts in context."[52] The sentiment was repeated in a follow up article on the game.[53]

British magazine CVG however cited her appearance in IV as appealing, stating "Ivy...we like because she barely wears anything. Yes, we like videogame girls."[54] IGN in their "Babes of Soulcalibur" stated her outfit pushed the line even by game standards, though then added "Not that we're complaining, of course."[55] The Escapist added "Ivy's oversexed dominatrix demeanor perfectly compliments her confident, punishing move set."[56] And in contrast to her in game appearance, Namco's artists themselves have presented Ivy in casual or cute styles as well, such as her secondary in-game outfits and chibi artwork produced for the original Soulcalibur website.[57]

References

  1. ^ De Marco, Flynn (2007-09-20). Tgs07: Soul Calibur Director Katsutoshi Sasaki on Weapons, Characters and Storyline. Kotaku. Retrieved on 2008-07-30
  2. ^ OPM staff. Behind the Game: Soul Calibur III. 1Up.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-30
  3. ^ CVG staff (2005-10-10). Soul Calibur III Interview. CVG. Retrieved on 2008-09-05
  4. ^ XBN staff (April/May 2003). "Warriors of Darkness". Xbox Nation
  5. ^ EGM staff (Nov 2003). "Afterthoughts: Soul Calibur II". Electronic Gaming Monthly.
  6. ^ Soulcalibur IV. SoulArchive.jp. Retrieved on 2008-10-24.
  7. ^ SoulCaliburIV American Website (JPG screenshot). Namco Bandai. Retrieved on 2008-07-29
  8. ^ Plunkett, Luke (2008-05-16). Namco Bandai In SHOCK Soul Calibur Breast Cover-Up. Kotaku. Retrieved on 2008-07-25
  9. ^ XCN Soul Calibur IV QA with Katsutoshi Sasaki, Director (transcription). MSXBox World. Retrieved on 2008-08-06
  10. ^ Soul Calibur IV Screenshots, Wallpapers and Pics. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-16
  11. ^ Soul Calibur II arcade flyer. The Arcade Flyer Archive. Retrieved on 2008-08-12
  12. ^ Soulcalibur IV release date advertisement (JPEG). Namco Bandai. Retrieved on 2008-08-16
  13. ^ Soul Calibur II Playstation 2 Cover Art. MobyGames. Retrieved on 2008-08-01
  14. ^ Soul Calibur III Playstation 2 Cover Art. MobyGames. Retrieved on 2008-08-01
  15. ^ Soulcalibur IV (Soulcalibur 4). IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-01
  16. ^ Soulcalibur Legends Wii Cover Art. MobyGames. Retrieved on 2008-08-01
  17. ^ Hori brings Soulcalibur IV arcade sticks to North America. Siliconera. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
  18. ^ Ivy (Resin Kit) Kurushima Soul Calibur. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07
  19. ^ Ivy (Completed) Kyosho Soul Calibur. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07
  20. ^ Nightmare (Completed) Package 1. Hobby Search. Retrieved on 2008-09-07
  21. ^ Ivy Soul Calibur II. Spawn.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
  22. ^ Namco Girls Series 5 Mini Figures Set tisinc99.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-07
  23. ^ Soul Calibur III 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ivy. Play-Asia. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
  24. ^ Soul Calibur III 1/6 Scale Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Ivy (International Colour Version). Play-Asia. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
  25. ^ a b Finding The Middle Ground Between Porn and Sexist Games. Tom's Games. Retrieved on 2008-08-16
  26. ^ Soul Calibur Legends review. GameTrailers.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-21
  27. ^ Wesley, Kenneth (2008-10-10). Halloween cosplay!. examiner.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-02
  28. ^ Jose, Liz (2004-06-08). G4techTV Announces Next G-Phoria. PGNx Media. Retrieved on 2008-07-25
  29. ^ 2005 Video Game Vixen of the Year Recap. TV.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-25
  30. ^ Babe of the Week: Soul Calibur's Ivy. GameDaily. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
  31. ^ Babes of the Week: Soul Calibur Hotties. GameDaily. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
  32. ^ Top 50 Hottest Game Babes. GameDaily. Retrieved on 2008-08-25
  33. ^ Top Ten Xbox Babes. Team Xbox. Retrieved on 2008-08-25
  34. ^ Top 10 Game Babes. Virgin Media. Retrieved on 2008-08-25
  35. ^ Shane, Ed; Keith, Michael (2000), Disconnected America: The Consequences of Mass Media in a Narcissistic World. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 0-765-60526-0
  36. ^ Schedeen, Jesse. Soulcalibur: The Top Ten Fighters. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-01
  37. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-06-12). Smash It Up! -- Volume 1. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-12
  38. ^ Burrows, Laura. Top 50 Chicks Behaving Badly: Round 2. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-12
  39. ^ Wright, Rob (2007-02-20). The 50 Greatest Female Characters in Video Game History. Tom's Games. Retrieved on 2008-08-02
  40. ^ S&M in Video Games - Ivy. GameDaily. Retrieved on 2008-08-24
  41. ^ Rogers, Tim (2003-04-07) Soul Calibur II Review. Insert Credit. Retrieved on 2008-08-04
  42. ^ PSM Staff (June 2003). "Girls of Summer". PSM
  43. ^ Play Staff. "Girls of Gaming 5". Play: p. 30
  44. ^ Ivy to Tsunade wo Yarudake no Hon. Comiket. Retrieved on 2008-08-28
  45. ^ "Drive-In" ad for Soul Calibur (MOV). IGN. Retrieved on 2008-09-05
  46. ^ Girls of Gaming voting results. AskMen.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-24
  47. ^ Coburn, Chris (April 2005). "Pool Party". (JPEG scan), (Original image by artist). PSM
  48. ^ Spiess, Kevin (2008-10-28). Carmilla, Golem and Trevor get sharp weapons in Castlevania Judgement. neoseeker. Retrieved on 2008-11-02
  49. ^ Stokes, Trevor (2006-02-28). The good news: She's sexy. The bad news: She's pixelated. Columbia News Service. Retrieved on 2008-08-25
  50. ^ Edge staff (2007-06-15). This Week in Japan. Edge Online. Retrieved on 2008-07-27
  51. ^ Alexander, Leigh (2008-07-11). Body Types: Why Ivy's Boobs Are Such a Big, Big Deal. Kotaku. Retrieved on 2008-07-25
  52. ^ Sliwinski, Alexander (2007-06-18). Soul Calibur IV's bountiful bouncing breasts bulge bigger. Joystiq. Retrieved on 2008-07-25
  53. ^ Bardinelli, John (2007-06-28). Soul Calibur's new bountiful bouncing breasts, now in screenshot form (in EGM). Joystiq. Retrieved on 2008-07-25
  54. ^ E3: Soul Calibur IV videos (of beauties). CVG. Retrieved on 2008-08-12
  55. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2008-08-18). The Babes of Soulcalibur. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-20
  56. ^ LaMosca, Adam (2008-08-19) Waypoints: The Soul Just Started Burning. The Escapist. Retrieved on 2008-08-23
  57. ^ Chibi Ivy from SC website, as stored by Web Archive (GIF). Namco Bandai. Retrieved on 2008-08-24
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