Tracklist:
Disc One
Original BGM
01 - Theme "ATHENA"
02 - Ordinary
03 - Theme "Sie"
04 - Dino-Aquarium
05 - Theme "Astraeus"
06 - Dance with Dinosaur
07 - Crumbling World
08 - Theme "Asato"
09 - -STAFF ONLY-
10 - Encounter
11 - 1st Emergency -Invoke-
12 - Pressure
13 - Silent Subway
14 - Immobile Train
15 - Unstoppable Train
16 - 2nd Emergency -Separation-
17 - Countdown!
18 - a Vision
19 - The Truth
20 - Extraordinary
21 - 3rd Emergency -Conclusion-
22 - Escape
23 - 4th Emergency -WARM-
24 - WAD
25 - Theme "Takaoki"
26 - Level 5
27 - Final Emergency -Decisive Battle-
28 - Secret Emergency -One's True Colors-
29 - Epilogue
30 - The Power to Rescue
31 - Theme "Athena and Her Friends"
Bonus Track 1 Arrange Version
32 - Theme "ATHENA"
33 - -STAFF ONLY-
34 - Decisive Battle
Bonus Track 2
35 - wannabe
Total Time:
56'20"
Disc Two
Movie Section
01 - Takaoki, Among the Ruins and the Remains (Loop Demo)
02 - WAD Research Laboratory (Opening)
03 - "Awakening Confirmation"
04 - The Downpour's Origins
05 - Rika's Return Home
06 - It Didn't Happen As Planned... (Chapter 2 Opening)
07 - Rush
08 - Tereport (First Half)
09 - Tereport (Second Half)
10 - "How Did You Do That?"
11 - The Great Flood
12 - The Floodgate Opens
13 - Rika is in Danger!
14 - Dinosaur Repel
15 - Reunion With Rika (Chapter 3 Opening)
16 - Sudden Stop
17 - Sudden Takeoff
18 - Inside the Eerie Train
19 - Provoking Astraeus
20 - Separation
21 - Rika Becomes Scared
22 - Coupling Device Deactivated
23 - On-Scene Investigation
24 - Reception (Chapter 4 Opening)
25 - Athena Appears in the Darkness
26 - Masato Speaks the Truth
27 - Waking Up
28 - WARM (Chapter 5 Opening)
29 - Athena Stands Upon the Rooftop
30 - Suicide Bombing
31 - Assault Order
32 - Athena Tries to Escape
33 - Obstinate Pursuit
34 - Repeated Assault Order
35 - Athena is in Danger!
36 - Mourning
37 - Sannomiya's Monologue (Final Chapter Opening)
38 - Takaoki and Masato's Conversation
39 - Tantalos
40 - The Ones In Hiding
41 - Collapse, and then...
42 - Opening Ceremony (Ending 1)
43 - Middle-Aged Man (Ending 2)
44 - Game Over Chapter 2 (Failure to Teleport)
45 - Game Over Chapter 2 (Failure to Stop the Collapse)
46 - Game Over Chapter 2 (Failure to Rescue Rika)
47 - Game Over Chapter 3 (Failure to Drive Safely)
48 - Game Over Chapter 5 (Failure to Disarm Bomb)
49 - Game Over Final Chapter (Final Battle Defeat)
50 - Game Over Normal Use 1 (ESP Goes Out of Control)
Total Time:
73'17"
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A fold-out sheet includes the complete score for disc 1 track 9, "-STAFF ONLY-."
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Note: "tereport" on disc 2 tracks 8-9 are written as such on the CD's packaging and are clearly a case of poor romanization.
SNK's beloved character Athena Asamiya has spawned her own line of games (the "Psycho Soldier" series), and she's also a regular character in the King of Fighters series. In 1999, SNK released a graphic adventure game that told the story of how Athena went from being an "ordinary" girl to gaining (and learning to harness) her psychic powers. The PlayStation title featured tons of CG sequences and stills, and it was something completely unexpected from a company like SNK.
Like many King of Fighter albums released during this time, SNK was remiss in listing any particular composers. One might assume that some of the composers are those listed in the special thanks list, including Kazuhito Kohno, Takashi Kaga, Konny, Akio Nakamura, Kiyoshi Asai, and Akira Matsuoka. But it is difficult to know anything for sure. The only certain composer is the ending vocal theme, "wannabe," performed by the group "Misty Eyes." The female vocalist and industrial rock is typical of many wannabe J-rock stars of the time. The vocal track fits nicely with the rest of the album, however.
The industrial/techno/rock blend continues through most of the first disc, with a little bit of modern jazz thrown in the mix. One of the best songs on the album is a simple theme, "-STAFF ONLY-," found in both an original and arranged form. The arranged version is only slightly different, adding an electric guitar over the main melody.
Many of the songs are reminiscent of the sort of music found on the King of Fighter albums, suggesting that we're hearing from the same composers. Whoever actually did the music, they ought to be taking credit for it: it's mighty good.
The second disc takes dialogue, music, and sound effects straight from the game's many cutscenes and uses the audio to make a drama disc that essentially tell's the game's story. Unlike many drama albums, this second disc is much more suitable for your average Western listener. The sound effects tell the story almost as well as the dialogue, and splitting the disc into fifty tracks, each with their own title, helps to explain the action of the storyline very well.
I was skeptical of this album when I purchased it, but I had no need to fear. It was a refreshing change of pace to listen to music with a style unlike that from most RPGs, and it definitely piqued my interest Athena's story and the game "Awakening from the ordinary life." The album is old, but I would still recommend it to anyone who could find it for a fair price.
Reviewed by: Patrick Gann
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