Tracklist:
01 - Main Theme
02 - Odyssey (Game Edit)
03 - Living Life at Dengeki Academy
04 - Departure to the Novel World
05 - The World of "Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu" School at Night
06 - Encounter with an Enemy
07 - Main Menu
08 - The World of "To Aru Majutsu no Index" Academy City - Morning
09 - The World of "Kino no Tabi" Colosseum
10 - Encounter with a Powerful Enemy
11 - Battle with a Powerful Enemy
12 - Victory over a Powerful Enemy
13 - The World of "Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu" Girls Living in a House
14 - The World of "Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan" Rurunerugu
15 - The World of "Toradora!" High-Class Mansion
16 - The World of "Asura Cryin'" Meioutei
17 - The World of "Shakugan no Shana" Misaki City
18 - The World of "To Aru Majutsu no Index" Academy City - Evening
19 - The World's Demise
20 - The World of "Shakugan no Shana" Broken Department
21 - The World of "Kino no Tabi" Land of the Adults
22 - The World of "Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu" Place of Memories
23 - Another World
24 - Detection
25 - True Character
26 - Determination
27 - End of an Adventure
28 - Last Battle
29 - Last Battle 2
30 - Main Theme (reprise)
31 - Ending Theme
Total Time:
50'30"
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Crossover games seem to be all the rage in Japan. Whether it's Smash Bros, Kingdom Hearts, or Marvel vs. Capcom, people can't seem to get enough of seeing their favorite fantasy character cooperate or compete in a unique setting. ASCII put together their own crossover, using heroines from eight different popular manga series (including my personal favorite, "Kino's Journey"), and throwing them all together in one Nintendo DS game.
Because the source of inspiration was technically the manga, and not anime, there are no music themes borrowed from the TV anime that some of this manga would later spawn. All of the music is composed by Yuji Toriyama, and he gets to put his own musical touch on the eight different worlds merged in this one game. Some of his musical ideas are stronger than others.
I think the soundtrack's biggest weakness is the DS sound source. The DS has been notorious for producing a strange amalgam of tinny, GBA-quality synth and smooth, MIDI-quality synth. There is also a lack of dynamic variation. Everything is ultra-normalized; I had to search to find crescendos and decrescendos on this soundtrack.
Toriyama saves the best of his talent for the last track. The "ending theme" is a beautiful piece that uses everyone's favorite chord progression (IV V vi) and includes some Latin choir vocals. It was a surprising and unexpected end to an otherwise forgettable OST.
Reviewed by: Patrick Gann
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