Line #4 VideoGame/PsychoSoldier


1	[[quoteright:222:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/psycho_soldier_8156.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:222:[[TitleThemeTune Fire! Fire! Psycho Soldier!]]]]
3
4	->''Athena's name is magic\
5	Mystery... is what you see\
6	Her crystal is the answer\
7	fighting fair, to keep us free\
8	She's just a little girl with power inside\
9	burning bright\
10	You'd better hide if you are bad...\
11	she'll get you\
12	She'll read your mind and find if\
13	you believe in right or wrong!''
14	-->-- '''Psycho Soldier''', the theme of the eponymous game.
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16	An action arcade game developed by Creator/{{SNK}} that was originally released in 1986 and internationally in 1987. ''Psycho Soldier'' stars Athena Asamiya, a descendant of Princess Athena from SNK's previous game ''VideoGame/{{Athena}}''.
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18	Psycho Soldier is noteworthy for being the first video game to utilize a vocal track during in-game play, with vocals provided by Japanese pop idol Kaori Shimizu (not to be confused with the Japanese voice actress Creator/KaoriShimizu; they're two completely different people). This was achieved by creating a JAMMA board that was much larger than usual, and consists of three PCB boards hardwired together and sandwiched on top of each other inside the game cabinet. Her song made Athena one of the earliest video game idols in Japan. Both the Japanese and English-language versions of the game have different vocals for the main song.
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20	The Japanese version of the song was released as a single in 1987 on a special cassette that was available only to those who purchased the Nintendo Famicom version of ''Athena'' in Japanese retail stores. The cassette also included a special vocal version of the ending theme.
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22	Athena and Kensou would go on to be far better known as standards in ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters''. The two would also appear in the DarkerAndEdgier spin-off, ''VideoGame/AthenaAwakeningFromTheOrdinaryLife'', released for the Platform/PlayStation in March of 1999 by developer Yumekobo.
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24	Not to be confused with SociopathicSoldier.
25	----
26	!!''Psycho Soldier'' has examples of:
27	* ActionGirl: Athena Asamiya, one of the first video game heroines in SNK's history.
28	* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: The European and American covers and flyers fit this trope to a T. Here's the [[http://www.psychosoldier.com/images/psychosoldierspectrum.jpg art]]. For extra hardcore points, the model for this art is [[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tracing/lisalyon2.jpg Lisa Lyon]], a female UsefulNotes/{{bodybuilding}} pioneer.
29	* AnimalMotifs: Athena's motif is the phoenix and Kensou's motif is the dragon.
30	* AutoscrollingLevel: The whole game, which pauses at each boss wall.
31	* AwardBaitSong: "Psycho Soldier", which is used as a stage music and appears again in ending credits. The fact that this game included the first known example of a full song recording was the biggest selling point, and SNK went a great length to hire the idol singer Kaori Shimizu as both the song's vocal and Athena's in-game voice actor.
32	* BigBad: "Shigu Do Dabide" (however the Hell you wanna translate that -- the last word is exactly like the Japanese rendition of "[[TomTheDarkLord David]]"), the FinalBoss and apparent leader of the Shiguma.
33	* BigCreepyCrawlies: The Zeel species, massive blue bugs that wander around. The first boss is a swarm of their strongest form infesting a building, the [[PunnyName Zeel]] [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Zebub]].
34	* ButtMonkey: Downplayed with Kensou, who after any long drop will inevitably land flat on his face.
35	* CuteClumsyGirl: You can {{invoke\|d}} this on Athena if you make her walk over the bamboo shoots lying on the ground without destroying them. She'll have trouble not tripping over them, and she comments on how hard they are in the English version.
36	* DirectContinuousLevels: After defeating each boss, you go through a very short area at the back filled with breakable walls and power-ups before a drop down that seamlessly segues into the beginning of the next level.
37	* EnergyBall: The signature PowerUp of the game, where Athena and Kensou can collect up to four Psycho Balls to create an OrbitingParticleShield, all of which change color and size according to their personal energy level. (They'd both go on to use these Psycho Balls in The King of Fighters tournaments).
38	* EvolutionPowerUp: There's an item that allows you to boost all the enemies on-screen to their next level, with new attacks and attack patterns. There's another one that allows you to level them down as well.
39	* {{Expy}}: Athena greatly resembles Saori Kido / Athena from ''Manga/SaintSeiya''.
40	* GracefulLandingClumsyLanding: The transition in-between levels have Athena Asamiya and Sie Kensou jump down to their next destination. Athena lands on her feet while Kensou lands on his face.
41	* GratuitousEnglish: The Japanese version of ''Psycho Soldier''.
42	* IdolSinger: Athena. Kensou appears to be her lead guitarist.
43	* ImageSong: "Psycho Soldier", one of two available stage music and the one with vocal track. It received multiple remixes in SNK's crossover ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' fighting games, usually as theme song for in-game Psycho Soldier Team, and it was also covered in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''[='s=] Terry DLC with both Japanese and English vocals.
44	* {{Joshikousei}}: Athena fights bad guys in a SailorFuku.
45	* PowerUp: A dozen of 'em, which was one of the distinguishing factors of the game.
46	* PsychicPowers: The basis of their gameplay.
47	* SealedEvilInACan: The "Shiguma" (literal translation "Corpse Fool Demons"), who were sealed away in the bowels of the earth until somebody accidentally let them out.
48	* SuddenMusicalEnding: The credits have Athena and Kensou putting on a concert atop a pile of rubble, with Athena singing the game's main theme, while Kensou rocks out on guitar. There is also one of the game's enemies dancing along, [[RuleOfFunny for some reason]].
49	* SuperDrowningSkills: Falling in the water in Stages 2 and 4 equals instant death.
50	* TheyLookLikeUsNow: Downplayed with the Duff''[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics -kun]]'', trenchcoat-bedecked zombies with glowing eyes that wander around. Upon being defeated they may reveal themselves to be a disguise for another type of monster.

Context VideoGame / PsychoSoldier