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Athena (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a platform
arcade game
, produced and published in 1986 by SNK
. It was later ported to the NES
, developed by Micronics
. The NES version was the only one released in North America
. Conversions were done also for the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
and Amstrad CPC
in 1987 by Ocean Software
under their Imagine
label. The game's protagonist, Princess Athena, has gone on to appear in later fighting game
s by SNK as a secret character
or assistant to her descendant Athena Asamiya
, a frequent main character in these games.
After Athena defeats Dante, it all begins anew in the sequel, Athena: Full Throttle
, in which the princess, again bored, opens the "Door Which Shouldn't Be Opened: B", disregarding her loyal maid Helene's advice, and they both fall to Elysium World to face a slew of new villains.
Many of the game's elements are inspired by Greek mythology
or ancient Roman culture
such as weapons, equipments, items and enemy designs; Princess Athena herself is named after the Greek goddess Athena
, while Dante is based on Cerberus
.
The game features certain RPG
elements to complement the platform action. Princess Athena has to defeat the boss of each world by using various mythological weapons, equipments and items. Without some items, she cannot make it through the adventure.
's 'Another Striker' in The King of Fighters 2000
.
Afterwards, she becomes a secret boss in the dream match game SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos as an angelic being guarding the entrance to the Heaven World, which is patterned after the stages from her arcade game. By contrast, the Capcom
character Red Arremer as another secret boss guards the entrance to the Hell World.
Due to her defeat (caused by the player's character) in SVC Chaos, she is sent to the human world (Earth) by Kami
sama for further training through the fighting tournament hosted by the organization WAREZ, in SNK's next dream match game NeoGeo Battle Coliseum as a playable hidden character. Although NGBC gives exhaustive background stories to every character, it is not a canonical continuation to any of their original games (neither is SVC Chaos).
Also, aside from the above titles, she appears in the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
trading card game series, as an SNK character card or as an Action/Counter card, and, in the final Days of Memories
game, she makes a cameo as a foreign cousin of Athena Asamiya.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, produced and published in 1986 by SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
. It was later ported to the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, developed by Micronics
Micronics
Micronics is a Japanese video game developing company which developed the NES versions of 1942, Athena, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Ikari Warriors, Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road, and Tiger Heli. Although uncredited in almost all their games, their work can often be identified by a distinct Pause sound...
. The NES version was the only one released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Conversions were done also for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
in 1987 by Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
under their Imagine
Imagine Software
Imagine Software was a British video games developer based in Liverpool which existed briefly in the early 1980s, initially producing software for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20...
label. The game's protagonist, Princess Athena, has gone on to appear in later fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
s by SNK as a secret character
Secret character
A secret character can be a player character or a non-player character in a video game that must be unlocked by completing a goal within the game...
or assistant to her descendant Athena Asamiya
Athena Asamiya
is a character originally from the former SNK's video game Psycho Soldier and a descendant of Princess Athena in its Athena. She later appears in The King of Fighters series of fighting games as a female fighter character and has appeared in each of its thirteen editions...
, a frequent main character in these games.
Story
Athena was the young, headstrong princess of the heavenly Kingdom of Victory. She was bored of the monotonous daily life in the palace and desired exciting adventures. One day, she opened the "Door Which Shouldn't Be Opened" in the basement of Castle Victory, said to lead to places of death and suffering. Daring to cross the doorway, she fell down to another realm called Fantasy World, which was dominated by the evil emperor Dante. After descending with the help of her flowing dress, which was in turn lost during the fall, the perilous adventures of Princess Athena began as she landed in a wilderness overrun by beast-like warriors and more dangers than she could ever wish for. With no other choice, she set out to face every obstacle on her way to Dante, in order to free this world and make it back alive to her own.After Athena defeats Dante, it all begins anew in the sequel, Athena: Full Throttle
Athena: Full Throttle
is a platform mobile game, produced and published in 2006 by SNK Playmore for the i-mode on FOMA90x platform, as a real sequel of the original Athena video game.-Plot:...
, in which the princess, again bored, opens the "Door Which Shouldn't Be Opened: B", disregarding her loyal maid Helene's advice, and they both fall to Elysium World to face a slew of new villains.
Many of the game's elements are inspired by Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
or ancient Roman culture
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
such as weapons, equipments, items and enemy designs; Princess Athena herself is named after the Greek goddess Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, while Dante is based on Cerberus
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
.
Gameplay
Upon landing, unarmed and mostly undressed, the princess only has her kicks to fight the monsters, but she can collect the dead enemies's various weapons, and also has the chance to find shields, headgear and armor to cover her body (although these will be lost after withstanding some attacks). Her journey requires leaping and climbing as well as fighting through the land's eight hazardous worlds, each leading up to an oversized enemy that must be dealt with before proceeding to the next area. The use of certain weapons such as a hammer allows Athena to break through stone blocks, sometimes revealing not only armor but magic items such as sandals that, when worn, allow her to make great leaps.The game features certain RPG
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
elements to complement the platform action. Princess Athena has to defeat the boss of each world by using various mythological weapons, equipments and items. Without some items, she cannot make it through the adventure.
Princess Athena in other games
After her first appearance, Princess Athena faded out of SNK's spotlight until fourteen years later; she appears as her descendant Athena AsamiyaAthena Asamiya
is a character originally from the former SNK's video game Psycho Soldier and a descendant of Princess Athena in its Athena. She later appears in The King of Fighters series of fighting games as a female fighter character and has appeared in each of its thirteen editions...
's 'Another Striker' in The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the seventh installment in The King of Fighters series for the Neo Geo, as well as the final one produced by SNK before the bankruptcy. The game was ported to the Sega...
.
Afterwards, she becomes a secret boss in the dream match game SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos as an angelic being guarding the entrance to the Heaven World, which is patterned after the stages from her arcade game. By contrast, the Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
character Red Arremer as another secret boss guards the entrance to the Hell World.
Due to her defeat (caused by the player's character) in SVC Chaos, she is sent to the human world (Earth) by Kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
sama for further training through the fighting tournament hosted by the organization WAREZ, in SNK's next dream match game NeoGeo Battle Coliseum as a playable hidden character. Although NGBC gives exhaustive background stories to every character, it is not a canonical continuation to any of their original games (neither is SVC Chaos).
Also, aside from the above titles, she appears in the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash is a series of SNK Playmore games between 1999 and 2006 for hand-held consoles.This game has a CCG theme, spun off from the popular series of fighting games by SNK and Capcom, and also including references to many other kinds of games from both companies. The...
trading card game series, as an SNK character card or as an Action/Counter card, and, in the final Days of Memories
Days of Memories
Days of Memories is a series of dating sims that SNK Playmore has been making for cell phones since 2005. They have recently released a compilation of the first three games for the Nintendo DS, with new graphics and an extra viewing mode.-Summary:The games are dating sims starring SNK, ADK, and...
game, she makes a cameo as a foreign cousin of Athena Asamiya.
See also
- Athena: Full ThrottleAthena: Full Throttleis a platform mobile game, produced and published in 2006 by SNK Playmore for the i-mode on FOMA90x platform, as a real sequel of the original Athena video game.-Plot:...
- Psycho SoldierPsycho Soldieris an action arcade game developed by Japanese software company SNK that was originally released in 1986 and internationally in 1987. It is somewhat of a sequel to Athena released a year earlier, Psycho Soldier continues the adventures of Athena, and is noteworthy for being the first video game...
- Athena AsamiyaAthena Asamiyais a character originally from the former SNK's video game Psycho Soldier and a descendant of Princess Athena in its Athena. She later appears in The King of Fighters series of fighting games as a female fighter character and has appeared in each of its thirteen editions...
- List of Family Computer games
- List of Nintendo Entertainment System games
- SNK vs. Capcom (series)
External links
- Athena at NBC Museum of SNK PlaymoreSNK PlaymoreSNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
- Athena at Arcade History Athena video game in Neo Geo Battle ColiseumNeo Geo Battle ColiseumNeoGeo Battle Coliseum is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave arcade board. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. The PlayStation 2 version of the game has been released in Japan, North America and Europe...
Official Website Athena's profile and story in Neo Geo Battle ColiseumNeo Geo Battle ColiseumNeoGeo Battle Coliseum is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave arcade board. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. The PlayStation 2 version of the game has been released in Japan, North America and Europe...
Official Website