Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA

Release

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA was released in Japan on July 2nd 2009. The game is yet to be released overseas, but due to the Vocaloid software being a Japanese voice synth tool, popularity outside of Japan is little in comparison.

Those that ordered the special edition of the game received a petit nendoroid figurine of Hatsune Miku.

Gameplay

As with typical rhythm games, points are earned by hitting notes to the beat of the music. Notes in Project DIVA come in two halves:

Static Notes: These will be the first to appear on the screen. They come in four different shapes, matching the PSP buttons. The notes also come with a ticker hand, starting at a 12 o’clock position and turning clockwise until again reaching a 12 o’clock position. It is at this point that the correct shape should be pressed.

Moving Notes: These will fly from off-screen and land on their respective static note counterpart. They are timed so that they will overlap perfectly when the ticker on the static notes reaches a 12 o’clock position. Pressing the correct button completes the note and you are awarded points accordingly.

The more accurate you are, the more points you will receive. This ranges from 0 (for a miss) to 500 points. The combo metre will also increase your score. Missing a note or pressing the wrong button will reset your combo.

In the bottom left of the screen is a sphere with a music note. This acts as a life meter of sorts, rising and emptying depending on how well you play. The song will end should the sphere deplete.

Songs

The game ships with 39 songs split by different colour tags. The following songs are listed by their tag colour and their Japanese, Rōmaji and English names.  Songs that seemingly only have an English name are called the same for all three.

Pink Tag Songs

• ワールドイズマイン - Warudo Izu Main - World is Mine
• ひねくれ者 – Hinekuremono - The Rebel
• 恋は戦争 - Koi wa Sensou - Love is War
• その一秒スローモーション - Sono Ichibyuo Suroumoushon - That One Second Slow Motion
• メルト – Meruto – Melt

Blue Tag Songs

• Far Away
• ストロボナイツ – Sutorobonaitsu - Strobo Nights
• Star Story
• Last Night, Good Night
• Packaged

Orange Tag Songs

• 雨のち Sweet*Drops - Ame Nochi Sweet*Drops - Sweet*Drops After the Rain
• ミラクルペイント - Mirakuru Peinto - Miracle Paint
• フキゲンワルツ - Fukigen Warutsu - Bad Mood Waltz
• マージナル – Maajinaru - Marginal
• Dreaming Leaf - ユメミルコトノハ - - Dreaming Leaf - Yumemiru Kotonoha - - Dreaming Leaf -Dreaming Words-

Yellow Tag Songs

• 荒野と森と魔法の歌 - Kouya to Mori to Mahou no Uta - Song of Wastelands, Forests, and Magic
• 荒野と森と魔法の歌 ( レン ver.) - Kouya to Mori to Mahou no Uta (Ren ver.) - Song of Wastelands, Forests, and Magic (Len ver.)
• 荒野と森と魔法の歌 ( リン ver.) - Kouya to Mori to Mahou no Uta (Rin ver.) - Song of Wastelands, Forests, and Magic (Rin ver.)
• ハト – Hato - Pigeon
• moon
• みくみく菌にご注意 ♪ - Mikumiku-kin ni Gochuui ♪ - Beware of Miku Miku Bacteria ♪
• いのちの歌 - Inochi no Uta - Song of Life
• いのちの歌 ( レン ver.) - Inochi no Uta (Ren ver.) - Song of Life (Len ver.)
• いのちの歌 ( リン ver.) - Inochi no Uta (Rin ver.) - Song of Life (Rin ver.)

Sky Blue Tag Songs

• The secret garden
• Dear cocoa girls
• 天鵞絨アラベスク - Birodo Arabesuku - Velvet Arabesque
• ラブリスト更新中 ？ - Rabu Risuto Koushinchuu? - Updating Your Love List?
• 桜ノ雨 - standard edit - - Sakura no Ame - standard edit - - Rain of Cherry Blossoms - standard edit –

White Tag Songs

• 恋スルＶＯＣ ＠ ＬＯＩＤ - Koi Suru VOC@LOID - VOC@LOID in Love
• Ievan Polkka
• あなたの歌姫 - Anata no Utahime - Your Diva
• えれくとりっく・えんじぇぅ - Erekutorikku Enjyeu - Electric Angel
• 初音ミクの消失 - Hatsune Miku no Shoushitsu - The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku
• 金の聖夜霜雪に朽ちて - Kogane no Seiya Sousetsu ni Kuchite - Golden Holy Night Rotting into the Frost and Snow
• みくみくにしてあげる ♪ 【してやんよ】 - Miku Miku ni Shite Ageru ♪ (Shite Yanyo) - I'll Make You Do the Miku Miku ♪ (You'll Do It)

Collectables

As a reward for completing songs, players are often given items to decorate Miku's room with. These include furniture, instruments and wallpapers. It is also possible to unlock new costumes (or modules) when certain conditions are met. While there are regular clothes included, changing costume can in some cases change your character to another Vocaloid. There are also special costumes from other Sega games, notably Valkyria Chronicles and Space Channel 5.

Downloadable Content

On the Japanese Playstation Network, you can purchase a content pack that adds nine new songs, PV’s, a mini-game and more. The new songs are accessed through the song creation menu rather than the regular game, so you will not see them in the same list as the original 39 songs.

Sequels

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA 2 is scheduled to be released in Japan on the 29th of July 2010. This will also be for the PSP console, and promises to add new features such as eight notes instead of four, new music and new game modes. An arcade version has also been announced.