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History
Following the release of the Prologue 21 in 1994, Sega faced a lot of competition by companies such as Daiichi Kosho and XING which were releasing new models one after another. To keep their edge, Sega had to quickly released an updated version of the Prologue 21. There is many conflicting information on the release date of the Super Prologue 21. The earliest dated mentioned is 1995 was some other information point toward an October 1996 release.
Release
The Super Prologue 21 was essentially connectivity update, introducing connectivity to the Internet to the Prologue 21 families. The connectivity allowed to access the Sega Connection (SMN) which gave access to an online song delivery systems and nationwide scoring functionalities. The Super Prologue 21 also introduced games that could be played against other participants. These games included:
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セガカラ歌合戦 Segakara song battle |
The match is divided into a red group and a white group. Each time you sing, 10 unique character judges will appear on the screen and score, and the winning team will be decided based on the accumulated points for each red and white. Of course, it’s OK to play with them. |
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採点やろう Let’s score |
A segré thing that scores after singing. A word of comment, the highest score of the song that has been issued so far, the score of the previous 3 songs, etc. are also displayed. Sing the melody and rhythm as accurately as possible to get a high score. |
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占いさん Fortune-telling |
It is a play function that tells the fortune from the person’s singing voice. A fortune teller is chosen before singing, and after singing, the result of fortune telling the next day or future will appear on the screen and give perfect advice. This is a particularly popular feature for women. |
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音知くん Otochi-kun |
A unique function that sings according to the keys that change one after another. During the performance, the facial expression of the character in the upper right corner of the screen changes depending on the pitch difference between the song and the singing voice. At the end of the performance, the rank and comment will be displayed depending on the goodness. |
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スロットマン Slotman |
At the end of the performance, a colorful slot screen will appear, spinning for a few seconds and then stopping. The previous roll is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. |
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セガカラ歌合戦２ Segakara Song Battle 2 |
Multi-team battle type of “Segakara Uta Gassen”. You can play against 3 to 5 teams. During the performance, the adopted character (depending on the team) is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen, and the action is performed according to the pitch difference between the song and the singing voice. Each song is scored, and a mark such as “Good job” is displayed depending on the score. |
The other major difference between the Super Prologue 21 and its predecessor was the addition of the Harmonizer function which would adjust in real time the frequency of the voice of the user to make it match more closely to the sound. One strange decision by Sega was to use the same part number (SKC-1000) for both the Super Prologue 21 and the Prologue 21 Commander. A third version of the Super Prologue 21 Commander also exist and uses the part number SKC-1000C. The only difference between the two versions of the Super Prologue 21 Commander is a different layout of the output in the back. The newest revision doesn’t add any additional features.
The Super Prologue 21 system consists of many separate parts which are the same as its Prologue 21 counterparts. In fact, aside the updated Commander (SKC-1000 / SKC-1000C) module, all other parts were exactly the same. The branding on these parts where not even updated and still bear the Prologue 21 logo.
- Amplifier (SKA-3000)
- Changer (SKA-2000A) which could be expanded to hold up to 100 CD-ROMs. The Changer also support VCDs.
- Wireless Microphone Receiver for Sega-branded SKN-5000 microphones.
- Song Navigators (SKH-4000A)
- Remote (SKY-4100)
As the Super Prologue 21 was based on the Sega Saturn, it was built so it could also play Saturn’s game by connecting a Saturn controller into the Super Prologue 21. Although any Saturn controller worked, it was possible to buy Saturn controllers made for the Super Prologue 21 (SKP-1800). The Commander is the main unit. This is also where the Sega Saturn is hidden. The unit can work in stand-alone if songs are saved on its internal hard-drive. It’s to be noted than the Changer (SKA-2000A) cannot be used to play Saturn games.
Saturn Mode: Although the Commander is based on the Sega Saturn hardware, it uses a different BIOS for the karaoke function. Aside the Audio/Video outputs that are shared with the rest of the karaoke function, all other inputs are hidden in two comportment on the front of the Commander. Both of them can be open using a hex key. The first compartment hold the Sega Saturn disk drive while the second hold the controller ports and various other audio adjustments. To launch the Saturn, once the Commander is fully loaded, you need to switch to “Saturn Mode” by pressing a button in the hidden comportment where the controller ports are located. The system will then reboot and you will be able to see the Sega Saturn splash screen. Most unit seems to come with the BIOS 1.00 but some later released may use the 1.01 version (to be confirmed). One of the weird design choices is the lack of a battery in the Commander. This means that the date/time must be entered manually at each boot sequence. It also means that, although you can save your games, they will be deleted once the Commander is shut down.
The Super Prologue also seen the release of one physical game specifically conceived for this system. Called Super Prologue 21 GAMES Vol.1 (SKT-3500), the CD-ROM included 4 mini games:
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野球拳クラブ Baseball fist club (C) SEGA MUSIC NETWORKS 1995 |
Live-action movie software to enjoy the banquet play “Yakyuken” with cosplay girls. Of course if you lose … |
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ビンビンＢＩＮＧＯ Bing Bingo (C) SEGA MUSIC NETWORKS 1995 |
Bingo, which is indispensable for parties, can be easily operated with a simple pad. Sexy production is also good! |
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女王様ゲーム Queen game (C) SEGA MUSIC NETWORKS 1995 |
The two who were chosen as the extremely cute queen have a thankful command … Please look forward to what kind of command it is. |
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エジホン探偵事務所 Ejihon Detective Agency (C) Asukashinsha 1995 (C) SEGA 1995 |
Look for one mistake in the picture with the same letters. The popular Ejihon has become a game! |
Demise
In July 2005, Sega would finally discontinued the Super Prologue 21 with the release of their newest Karaoke hardware called the CANDOONE.