Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue is a Metroidvania platformer fangame produced by Team Ladybug, but was given official support by Atlus to help promote the updated version of Strange Journey. You have somehow acquired a "Synchronicity" program and activate it. After a nasty glitch, you take control of a Jack Frost near a research station in Antarctica.
Unfortunately, the game was made available only in Japan, from October 2017 to December of the same year. However, fans are still distributing the game around, together with an English translation patch.
Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue provides examples of:
- Beast Man: J, the mysterious, overweight, animal man wearing a suit. He turns out to be a world-renowned programmer by the name of Mr. Jones, who was mentioned in the newsfeed from the game's start.
- Boss Rush: Occurs in Area 5, before the Final Boss.
- Bittersweet Ending: In the Normal Ending, you destroy the rampaging Black Frost, but J ends up perishing despite his calculations.
- Bullet Hell: Black Frost, Alilat, and the Card Soldiers summoned by Alice will unleash waves of fire and ice bullets.
- Call-Forward: A minor one happens during the Carina shopping area, where you can find a second Jack Frost in hiding, saddened that Black Frost killed his family and friends, and looking for a Frost Vest to protect himself and seek revenge. This is the same Jack Frost who the protagonist of Strange Journey can find in the same sector, still searching for the same piece of armor. Fans remember him best for being the source of a Disc-One Nuke by finding that vest for him.
- Foreshadowing: Being a prequel to Strange Journey, it's to be expected, but the game tries its best to be as vague as possible regarding these. For example, the broken terminal screen at the starting point confirms that the wreckage at the background is from one of the Advance Research Teams mentioned in the main game that was sent to Antarctica to study the appearance and expansion of the Schwarzwelt.
- While the Synchronicity program uses a different mechanic, all messages regarding it, mainly the final one, confirm that it is a prototype software to the Demon Summoning Program, made to stress-test how much can human souls interact with demons.
- The fact that you are referred to as "Subject no.2" implies that there was someone before you going through the same paces. It turns out to be J himself.
- Invincible Minor Minion: Alilats can heal faster than any damage you can inflict at them. Fortunately, they're mostly a stationary obstacle than a proper enemy.
- Make My Monster Grow: The final boss, Black/Jaaku Frost, grows giant upon the defeat of its initial form. Somewhat subverted in the sense that, according to other Megaten games, this is the natural size for Black Frosts in general.
- Multiple Endings: Hinges on whether you got all the collectibles before fighting the Final Boss.
- If you didn't get all the collectibles, the Normal Ending happens. Despite J's calculations, his death is announced on your newsfeed.
- If you did get all the collectibles, the Good Ending happens. J's miraculous recovery from his coma is announced on your newsfeed.
- No-Sell: Just like in other games of the franchise, demons can Null attacks with attributes that they have an affinity for. Jack Frost and Jack O’Lantern null ice and fire, respectively, although instead of healing from these sources per the norm, it's their MP that gets refilled.
- Not Quite Flight: Pyro Jack/Jack O'Lantern can hover above the ground, so long as there is ground underneath him.
- While not explained outright, lava also counts as a surface for his hovering, which is both a big help at the final area and a necessary ability to reach some secrets.
- Powered Armor: You acquire a beta prototype of the Demonica Armor halfway through the game, letting Jack Frost become Demonee-Ho. Doing so gives him immunity to Poison, which you'll need to access Sector Bootes, and changes his regular attack to Gun type, making your life much easier against enemies that are immune or resistant to the duo's elements. Including Black Frost himself, who just like other Megaten games, can No-Sell Ice and take Scratch Damage from Fire.
- Prequel: The story takes place before Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. During the ending, the Schwarzwelt expedition operation is announced on your computer's news feed.
- Reverse Polarity: Midway through the game, it introduces a mechanic of switching between Jack Frost and Pyro Jack to avoid taking damage from bullet attacks that match their own element.
- Shout-Out:
- The above-mentioned Reverse Polarity mechanic is a blatant nod to Ikaruga.
- As if Alice's moveset being inspired by her roots this time wasn't enough, she can also attack by throwing two volleys of Kinetic Cards downwards.
- An individual who goes by the nickname of "J" because that's all he can remember about his identity... Sounds familiar?
- The Gnome that you can find at the second sector is pretty much an echo to the Librarian from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Even the bookshelves in the background, from where his shop is set, are similar in design!
- Unwitting Pawn: You and J's use of the Synchronicity Program gave data to the Three Wise Men, who would later create the Demon Summoning Program.
- Yin-Yang Bomb: Bifrons uses fire magic and ice stalactites as his attacks.
- Quite a few enemies do this, really. Black Frost takes it up to eleven.
