One of the Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai games is finally getting released outside of Japan! Hurray! Even better, it’s going to be an enhanced version of Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2 , called Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Remix . Truly, this is a fantastic day for 3DS owners. Which is why, to celebrate, I’m going to go over everything you should expect from the game. After all, I’m a bit of an expert. I imported Project Mirai 2 from Japan this past January, and have logged more hours playing than I care to share.
First, don’t expect the willowy and realistic Vocaloid models from the Hatsune Miku: Project Diva series. The Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai line has always featured characters that resemble the Nendroid versions of Miku, Luka, Rin, Len, Meiko, Kaito and even GUMI as a guest star. For those unfamiliar with those figures, imagine super-deformed characters with huge heads, exaggerated features, and teeny bodies. Frankly, they’re adorable, and one of the features of Project Mirai 2 even let you take pictures of them in the room in their various outfits.
Second, you’ll be getting gameplay that accomodates your rhythm game preferences. Did you love tapping and swiping to the beat on the touch screen in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy ? You can do that in Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai . Except here, you’ll be tapping between one and three on-screen buttons in time with the music. Prefer the manual, button input of the Project Diva series? Abandon Touch Mode and you’ll be able to press the A, B, X, Y, directional, and Circle Pad to keep with the beat.
You should also expect a track list with hopefully at least 50 songs in Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Remix . Project Mirai 2 had 47 songs to play, with many of them being tracks that haven’t appeared in the Project Diva series. (“Animal Divination,” better known as “Doubutsu Urunai,” is my favorite.) Even better, quite a few of the tracks have multiple vocal options. Which means, for example, you could hear Rin singing “Doubutsu Urunai” instead of Miku. It’s refreshing, since the Project Diva series has a tendency to reuse the same tracks. Since the game coming out in 2015 will be an updated and enhanced version of Project Mirai 2 , hopefully that means Sega will throw in a few more songs as well.
Sadly, you shouldn’t count on the ability to create your own songs and music videos in Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Remix . It doesn’t offer the same kinds of customization options as the Project Diva series. You can, however, create your own little dance routines to go along with songs that are in the game, but I know that doesn’t compare to the games where you import your own MP3 and put together an entire video.
There is one thing, though, that I hope we can expect from Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Remix– more Puyo Puyo ! Project Mirai 2 has a Puyo Puyo mini-game, where players pick a Vocaloid character, and then get to play in matches against the other Vocaloids. If you win as either Miku or Kaito, you even unlock a Puyo Puyo -themed costume for each of them in the in-game shop. It’s an admittedly rudimentary version of Puyo Puyo , since it only offers Versus matches, but still a fun extra that I hope remains in the international version of the game.
Clearly, Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Remix is a game with plenty of potential. I’ve loved the hell out of Project Mirai 2 , and even though this installment will probably be only slightly different, I can’t wait to grab it. Hopefully, I’ve helped to get you all just as excited, and now we can all anxiously and impatiently wait for its 2015 release together.