Lately, Sega has been printing limited releases of their soundtracks for certain titles, especially those within the "Shining" mega-series. The Shining Tears OST was printed through "SegaDirect," and is thus a difficult item to acquire. Before that was printed, however, King Records released the opening and ending theme, performed by Soichiro Hoshi.

I like the opening theme. When Hoshi-san shouts "Shining Teeaaaaaaahs!", I get happy chills. This song is a real "pick-you-up" kind of song, without becoming cheesy. The ending theme, however, is sort of cheesy. The vocal performance is the real drawback here. I like the piano accompaniment. You should too. Check the sample to find out if you like it.

One thing can be said for sure: these songs are very catchy. Though many people hated the game, that doesn't mean we need to disdain the vocal themes for the game! Check CD Japan and other online import stores for this single.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann