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Well, Karaoke
Studio made by Bandai is pretty much what you'd
expect. There are about 25 songs programmed into the
Studio
from which you can choose (only one is known to
us -- "Jingle Bells" -- but even it's got Japanese lyrics).
You sing along with the lyrics and a cheesy video
that's shown on the screen. The video is up to par with the
videos you see on real Asian karaoke machines.
Basically, the video is random images that try to
follow the storyline or imagery of the song.
You
have four options to choose from for the studio, but
they all utilize the same songs. They are: 1) Lesson
-- just singing your favorite songs and practicing
for the big meet; 2) Competition -- where there is a
panel of three judges, American Idol style,
listening along and giving you a score at the end.
[I managed to get a passing score singing Jingle
Bells in English, so I assume you could sing
anything as long as it is in time with the melody.];
3) Super Star -- another competition; and 4)
Game
Show -- where you are supposed to
recognize a song within a few seconds, buzz in, and
pick which song it was.
What the Karaoke Studio looks like complete.
If
you like Karaoke, you'll like this since, well, it's
karaoke and it's fun to try out. But unless you know
Japanese songs, you'll have to humor yourself
singing "Jingle Bells" over and over again, which will
seriously affect the game's replay value, though to
later games released added songs to the system:
Karaoke Studio: Top Hits 20, Vol. 1
and Karaoke Studio:
Top Hits 20, Vol. 2.
The microphone and adaptor in the styrofoam.
The microphone and adaptor.
This
is a
good way to practice your Hiragana reading skills,
trying to keep up with the song, all while
trying to keep the melody you don't really yet grasp.
Overall, it's more of a cultural and collector's
item, showcasing Japanese culture and how they tried
to tie in the great karaoke pastime with the new
technology and popularity of the Famicom. And,
you've gotta love that girl on the box!
Look at how much fun the young Japanese girl is
having!
The songs included with the Karaoke Studio are, of
course, in Japanese.
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