History VideoGame / Athena

''Athena'' was released as an UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame in 1986, and ports to the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]], UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}}, and UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum subsequently appeared. The former is the most well-known version outside of Japan ([[PortingDisaster but that doesn't mean it's a good one]]). The original arcade game wouldn't be officially ported to modern platforms until ''[[CompilationRerelease SNK Arcade Classics 0]]'', a 2011 compilation for UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable with all of SNK's pre-UsefulNotes/NeoGeo games.

* BreakableWeapons: A rather strange inclusion for a platformer, weapons break once they lose all their hitpoints.

* BodyArmorasHitPoints: Any armor and headdresses the player picks up will have seperate hitpoints and will break after they take enough damage.

* Clothing Damage: When Athena's armor breaks, the player gets greeted with her {{Stripperific}} red bikini.

Wiki/TheOtherWiki has an article about this game [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_(video_game) here]] as well [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena:_Full_Throttle its sequel]]. To see more about Athena Asamiya, the descendant of this Athena, take a look at ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' and ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters''.

* FlungClothing: The opening of the arcade game shows Athena losing her dress while falling into the Fantasy World. Whether this is because of the wind during the fall or if Athena actively took off her dress.

''[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see the North American artwork]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bvbmjao.jpg]][[/labelnote]]''

* PowerCreepPowerSeep: Princess Athena's appearances in SNK's {{Mascot Fighter}}s notably recast her as "''Goddess'' Athena", who wears a fancier version of the bikini and summons various weapons at will.

In the wake of ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario Bros|1}},'' side-scrolling platformers with bright colorful graphics proliferated, and such mascots as VideoGame/WonderBoy and VideoGame/{{Kid Niki|RadicalNinja}} were born to the arcades. So Creator/{{SNK}} made their contribution to this genre with their take on [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Athena, the goddess of wisdom]]. After she grows [[RebelliousPrincess bored with living in her castle]], she opens the "Door Which Shouldn't be Opened" and takes a plunge into the Fantasy World, [[FlungClothing losing her dress]] and leaving her in little more than [[WalkingSwimsuitScene a red bikini]]. Since [[EverythingTryingToKillYou everything is trying to kill her]], the many possible different weapons and armors lying hidden in the worlds are key to victory.

While Athena's future descendant, Athena Asamiya, appeared in ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' and ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters,'' the original Athena would not appear in another game until the 2000s, when she appeared as a Gueguest fighter ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos'' and ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum'' as well in various other games for handheld consoles, included a {{Sequel}} for mobile (''Athena: Full Throttle'') which include a new character and a lot of BonusMaterial, using similar sprites and gameplay while introducing a second character in Athena's maid, Helene.