Japan can be a little bit strange at times - there's robot caberet, rabbit islands and maid cafes, as well as special shoes for toilet trips, green tea ice cream and Fanta with jelly cubes in. And then, there's the perhaps slightly strange obsession with vocaloids - virtual voice synthesisers with, in traditional Japanese style, cutesy female personas, which somehow become celebrities in their own right, complete with conventions and concerts for them to perform at. One immensely popular vocaloid, the green-haired songstress Hatsune Miku has legions of fans, an anime series and has even appeared in Playboy (albeit in a serialised cartoon strip). Of course, we wouldn't be writing about her here were it not for her series of rather successful rhythmic button mashing music games - games which have generally been Playstation exclusives, until now.
The star of the show.
Hitting the 3DS later this year, Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX brings you 48 fan favourite songs by Miku and friends, who are all redone in a cutesy style, inspired by the Nendoroid collectable figures you can buy. Essentially a rhythm action game, each song is played by matching the button prompts that appear on screen to the music, earning more points the better your timing is. For Project Mirai DX, there's two different styles of play on offer, which both do exactly what they say on the tin - 'Tap Mode' has you tapping in time on the Touch Screen, whilst 'Button Mode' is perhaps the more familiar button-mashing variation. With multiple difficulties, and most likely a whole load of outfits, accessories and furniture to unlock, there's sure to be plenty for the OCD completionists too. Customisation is the name of the game here, as you can use your unlocked outfits and characters to add a bit of variety to songs you replay - it's always a blast switching out the girls for the guys during a rather girly duet, as you laugh at poor Kaito and Len leaping around a swimming pool singing in rather high pitched voices. Although maybe you had to be there.
The little arrows help with timing - hit them when it's in the 12 o'clock position for a perfect score.
As with its predecessors, the rhythm action portion of the game is only part of the fun, with players able to customise a virtual apartment for their favourite character from the franchise, with a whole range of decorations, furniture and seasonal items. The Dance Studio meanwhile lets you choreograph new dance routines, and with My Tune you can write your own song phrases - both of which can be shared with other players via StreetPass.
You'll be able to pick up the game in one of two different editions - a regular, bog-standard one and a special edition. Coming with a copy of the game, packaged in a premium cardboard box (don't go too crazy there Sega!), you'll also get a three foot wallet chain, reminiscent of Hatsune Miku's belt and 19 double-sided AR cards decorated with additional dance moves and costumes. Unfortunately, SEGA's official blog post seems to suggest the special edition is an American only thing, which is more than a little disappointing.
Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX dances onto the 3DS on the 8th September in America and the 11th September in Europe. In the meantime, why not have a look at the Japanese trailer below:
