Video Game Review: Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix

SEGA

Genre: Rhythm

Nintendo Switch

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA is a prolific rhythm game franchise with catchy tunes, bright colors, and of course, the iconic mascot herself, Hatsune Miku. The games generally appear on PlayStation consoles, only occasionally gracing Nintendo consoles. For the franchise’s tenth anniversary though, all of that is changing with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix. The celebratory entry is not only the first game in the series to appear on the Nintendo Switch, but it’s also an exclusive on the console.

For those who aren’t familiar with the series, Hatsune Miku is a Japanese rhythm game that focuses on Vocaloids. Vocaloid is a software that uses computers to sing the song’s lyrics, giving the music a unique sound. The most popular Vocaloid “singer’ is Hatsune Miku, a fictional pop idol. The singing ends up sounding a lot like autotune, yet it is both more natural and robotic at the same time. It’s an acquired taste, but once you get used to it, the music in Hatsune Miku will be stuck in your head all the time.

Like most rhythm games on the Nintendo Switch, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA features gameplay that is simple and easy to learn. The layout is unique, with button prompts appearing in different locations across the entire screen rather than sitting on a track like Dance Dance Revolution or MUSYNX. Players will need to follow prompts accurately, tapping and holding the correct buttons at the right moment to score points. The more accurate the player is, the more points they will get.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix doesn’t have tons of modes, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic music game. The controls are precise and tight, ensuring that the player won’t deal with the frustrations of the game missing an input. Players will essentially be doing the same gameplay loop for the many hours that they will spend with the game. They will choose a song, play the song, see the score, then repeat. This might sound monotonous, but going for high scores is addicting, especially at higher difficulties.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix allows for motion controls to be utilized, and they are some of the best rhythm motion controls on the Nintendo Switch. Swinging and pressing buttons feel highly intuitive and the readings are accurate. Players will rarely get a note wrong because the game simply didn’t read the movement. Still, the Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix just feels more natural with button inputs. Regardless, having more control options is nice, giving players a few extra ways to enjoy the game.

Solid gameplay doesn’t matter if the player doesn’t like the game’s music. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is my first game in the series, and I’ll admit that it took me a second to get used to the sound of the Vocaloids. I didn’t enjoy the first couple of songs, and this is coming from someone who loves Japanese music. It took an hour or two for me to finally get into the songs, but once I did I was humming the melodies regularly. Someone who doesn’t like the sound of things like autotune will likely struggle to enjoy Hatsune Miku‘s music. Those who don’t like Japanese music probably won’t have any reason to even give this game a try. For those who enjoy this type of music, there are over 100 songs and even more available as DLC, giving the player potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay.

When players aren’t tapping buttons to a song, they can customize their Vocaloids. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix features a few Vocaloids outside of Hatsune Miku, and each one can be given a variety of outfits and hairstyles to suit the desires of the players. These looks can either be used on all of the songs or be song-specific.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix features overhauled graphics, giving the game a new anime style. While the player plays a song, the music video featuring a Vocaloid plays in the background. Every song feels different and flashy, making Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix a visual spectacle. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix easily has the best visuals out of all of the Switch’s rhythm games. The production values are just insane. The game admittedly looks much better when docked. The graphics in handheld mode are a little fuzzy, but this didn’t stop me from playing the game almost exclusively on the go. Rhythm games just feel right when they are portable, and this one is no different.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is a stellar rhythm game with catchy tunes and tons of accessibility. Those who are new to the series will find plenty to love, while veterans will be treated to the same gameplay they love with the added perk of portability.