Overview

The main appeal of SNK's fighting games, and their soundtracks, are their strong characters and the themes that accompany them. In the late 90s, the company produced an eleven part series of character sounds collections — each dedicated to a popular character from the Fatal Fury, King of Fighters, and Samurai Shodown series. Containing a mixture of originals, arrangements, and voiceovers, they provided an expansive tribute to each character. The fourth entry in this series is dedicated to Terry Bogard, the all American main character of Fatal Fury and its sequels, who has also crossed several times to the King of Fighters franchise.

Body

Emerging from Fatal Fury 2, Terry Bogard's first theme "Kurikinton" matches his personality with bold jazzy leads and driving rhythm lines; it's obvious that SNK were directly inspired by Peter Gunn's theme while writing it and this somewhat lessens its value. The album is jam-packed with arrangements of the track, most of them superior to the originals. They span a vibrant big band performance, a softer lounge jazz rendition, and even a sweeping cinematic orchestration. In all but name, "Kurito Forever" from Real Bout Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters '97 are also enhanced arrangements of this popular theme.

While "Kurikinton" is Terry Bogard's classic theme, "Big Shot!" from Fatal Fury 3 is far more satisfying. Masahiko Hataya avoids a copycat approach in favour of offering a fantastic hybrid of the company's jazz and rock styles. The exuberant horn melodies capture his free spirit, while the thrashing rock riffs bring energy to his fights. The version from the game's arranged album stays faithful to the original, while offering a much bolder sound; the trumpet leads are excellently done, while the extended guitar solo from the 1:41 mark is a delight. By contrast, Terry's stages in the all-stars title The King of Fighters '96 were accompanied by a much softer bossa-nova sound.

Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of repetition on this album. For instance, the two original versions of "Kurikinton" are practically identical, as are the arrangements sourced from the two Fatal Fury Special image albums. Even putting aside the direct repetition, it is tedious to hear multiple versions of the same theme — five for "Big Shot!", eight for "Kurikinton". It's also a pity that the album was released before "11th Street" from Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition was written. Between the various renditions of his themes, there are also four brief interviews with the characters, all voiced in Japanese. The release concludes with a five minute voice collection.

Summary

This album is an interesting way to commemorate Terry Bogard's character and track his musical evolution through time. But by focusing on just two themes, SNK ensured that most listeners would be tired by the time this album is over. It's best to purchase the better original scores and arranged albums featuring Terry's themes than this overpriced compilation.