REVIEW: Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix


Title	Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix
Developer	SEGA
Publisher	SEGA
Release Date	May 15th, 2020
Genre	Music
Platform	Nintendo Switch
Age Rating	T for Teen
Official Website

Hatsune Miku has finally made her way to the Switch console. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix contains just over 100 tracks from the Project Diva franchise with the rhythm game we all know and love. There are a couple new goodies added to this release as well – the T-Shirt maker and an all new Mix Mode. Let’s dive in and see how our favorite virtual Diva and her friends fared in their jump to the Switch.

The game uses the same arcade graphical style as the PlayStation 4 release of Hatsune Miku: Project Diva – Future Tone. The resolution has taken a hit and is not at 720p, but the music videos still look great. Being on a smaller screen in handheld mode makes the fact the game is running at a lower resolution not really that noticeable. Everything runs at a smooth 60 fps that never dips. The load times in portable mode are a bit longer as well, but the 60 fps holds strong, so the gameplay is just as great handheld. I was a bit worried about having the button prompts show up as the Switch face buttons: A,B,X,Y. This would’ve been very hard for me to get used to since I’ve been playing this franchise since its days on the PSP. Thankfully SEGA included an option to change these to the PlayStation prompts I was used to. I was able to pick this up and play it very seamlessly thanks to this.

Gameplay-wise the rhythm game hasn’t changed from the Future Tone release. The notes still fly across the screen in many directions as you hit them in time with the music. You can customize your button layout to make hitting notes that require more than one button a breeze. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix does add a new gameplay mode to spice up things up a bit, Mix Mode.

In this mode you will hold the Joy-Con upright in your hands, then lean them left and right to move two paddles at the bottom of the screen. Notes in the shape of these paddles will fall from the top of the screen and players need to hit the top trigger when the note lines up with paddle at the bottom. This certainly is a different twist on the Project Diva formula, and while I still prefer the old school rhythm game, Mix Mode is a great addition.

The game features 101 tracks from all across the series. I have mixed feelings about the track selection here. There are ten new tracks, and I really enjoyed each of these. “Roki” was my favorite, but I am huge Rin fan, so this was a gimmie. The tracklist here is really solid, with well known songs such as “The World is Mine”, “Decorator”, “Tengaku” and many more. It’s just missing some of my personal favorites such as “Kokoro” and “Roshin Yuukai” which have been favorites of mine since the PSP days. These songs are in DLC packs for the Japanese release, so I’m sure we will get them down the line. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great tracklist and well worth the $39.39 price tag. This is just an old man complaining cause it’s missing some of his personal picks.

As with other entries in the series, there are plenty of Modules (costumes) to choose for your favorite Diva. These can be purchased from the in-game shop with points you earn for simply completing songs in either Mix Mode or Arcade mode. You can also change out hairstyles and add accessories to add a bit of flair to their look. The new T-Shirt creator lets you design your very own shirt for the Divas to wear. You can draw out your favorite design and color it any way to fit your fancy. My skills are severely lacking, but you can see the shirt I made for Rin below. You can save up to five different custom designs. It would be nice if SEGA added some way for folks to share their designs with others, but this is a neat feature nonetheless.

Despite nitpicks with tracklist choice, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is a great way to kick off the franchise on the Switch. The game runs smooth in handheld mode, which has always been my preferred way to play, and looks fantastic. There are plenty of Modules to unlock and lots of tracks to master on the various difficulties. If you’re a fan of the franchise and have been looking for a solid handheld offering, jump on this right away. If this is your first foray into the Project Diva franchise I can think of no better place to start than here. Just don’t blame me when you when you seek out Vocaloid music for the next 100 years!