Project DIVA MEGA39's

[nocturnal YL]

Just as many fans suspected, something was going to happen on the 10th anniversary of the original Project DIVA (on PSP).

There's a new Project DIVA coming!

Project DIVA MEGA39's (pronounced "Megamix") is coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2020! Songs from this game are also going to be available as Future Tone DLC!

The Switch version is going to feature 101 songs, and an anime-like, cel-shaded style. This visual style is for MEGA39's only, and not Future Tone.

And yeah, instead of flying PlayStation icons, the Switch version will have flying ABXY icons. The game itself plays like Future Tone, if the screenshots are any indication.

I'm likely going to buy both versions.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SEGA AM2!

[nocturnal YL]

Trailer, since I didn't include it before:


I'm still being pretty excited about this news. It's not even coming in half a year.

More info incoming, thanks to the Famitsu feature.

ryokutya2089.com/archives/21597

• We already know this, but there will be 101 songs total (91 old and 10 newly introduced to the series), and one of the new songs will be the game's yet-announced theme song
• All songs use NPR (non-photorealistic rendering), leading to the anime-like look
• There will be new features to make character customization more fun
• There will be a new mode that makes use of the Switch's Joy-Cons, but the defails are unknown (this will be demonstrated in Magical Mirai)
• There will be 300+ modules, including one for the theme song
• A paid DLC set will be available for PS4 Future Tone / FT DX including the new songs, also in early 2020

The followings are from the interview:

• They've been asked to make a Switch version since a long time ago, but solidifying plans to make a new game took time
• PS4 Future Tone was more well-received than expected, so they thought they'd return the fans' thanks with a new game
• Switch is a suitable platform in the sense that the series originated on a handheld
• The songs are chosen on the criteria of being representative of the various eras of Hatsune Miku, and being fun to play with Joy-Cons
• They did want to include all songs, but the limited ROM size and the development time needed made it a difficult goal
• The theme song itself is a secret; its themes are "the past 10 years" and "the future 10 years"
• Joy-Con/EASY is adjusted to be easily playable even by kindergarteners, but HARD should satisfy rhythm game fans

Comments:

I've seen quite a lot of speculations on what the Switch-exclusive mode would be, from touch mode to mirai-style charts to a dance mode. It turns out to be a Joy-Con mode… interesting.

Future Tone currently has 399 modules! It should break the 400 barrier after the DLC. And I wonder if they're finally going to include Hatsune Miku V4X in both versions. Come on! Crypton's own polls show that people like the V4X design better than V3, Append and original!

I thought of a lot of reasons both for and against a Switch version of Project DIVA. The main reasons for it are the versatility of the system, the disjointed directional buttons, and there's a sizable fanbase on the Nintendo side. Reasons against are also the versatility (which makes testing difficult), the less durable and asymmetrical controller, and that the gameplay itself screams PlayStation. Kudos to the team for making the move anyway.

And just as I thought, game size was one reason we only get 101 songs. I never expected a full Future Tone port anyway. But I also didn't expect to see Future Tone's game system used without changes, multi-press and all.

The comment on the difficulty worries me a bit. I hope they aren't going to stop at HARD. That would lead to the same problem the mirai series had: being too easy for rhythm game veterans. I hope all the original difficulties get carried over, even if most players can't handle it. The existing screenshots are already suggesting that the Switch/PS4 charts will be identical, so this shouldn't be so unreasonable to hope for.

And one last thing, I hope the icons can be changed. I use arrows in both mirai DX and Future Tone DX, eliminating the whole X/× button issue. The team does realise that Project DIVA has quite a lot of cross-platform players, right?

[Nester the Lark]

It's officially coming West. Japanese release date is February 13, 2020.



Not sure if this game is for me, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

[nocturnal YL]

We also finally see what the Mix Mode is like. It reminds me of the Slide Mode in Band Brothers P, which I don't really remember fondly, but that's because that game uses the music sequence directly as the rhythm game charts instead of letting the music creators hand-craft them.

Just as I thought, the songs picked are the ones that are the more "safe" choices, with no trace of songs submitted via contests or otherwise songs without general appeal to non-Project DIVA Miku fans.

A while ago there was a source (real-sounding, but unverified) that "leaked" (he said it was okay to with no risk to his job) on a video sharing site, saying that there will be DLC and they wanted to eventually cover all songs (among other things, like what they said about the Switch version being limited as a result of both time and game card size being an honest truth, and how outdated the Project DIVA Arcade engine is and don't be surprised if this is the last game in this style). Well, there is a DLC pack that comes with the special edition of the game, but I doubt if it really will cover all songs. Time will tell.

Also, unrelated to this, SEGA is going to make a mobile gacha game called Project Sekai. Details to come later. (Maybe they're finally going to realise their original vision of Project DIVA being a galge before deciding to make a traditional music game instead?)

[nocturnal YL]

They released a video on the game's controls:



(Also, while it's not mentioned in promotional materials, but an earlier interview confirmed that the melody icons can be customised to arrows or shapes).

They also announced the lost of returning songs:
miku.sega.jp/mega39s/song/

It's mostly just like what I expected. Everything is from Future Tone, with no intention to port any of the X songs, and only one of each pair of similar songs return (so only Colorful×Melody and no Colorful×Sexy, only Cendrillon and no Adolescence, and only Senbonzakura -F edition- and no original PV-based Senbonzakura). Also like I thought, the new Mix Mode only goes up to HARD while EXTRA EXTREME Arcade Mode is back in full force.

Including this:



Good luck trying to play this with any of the official Nintendo Switch controllers.

[Evie ❤✿]

I like the series. Sad to hear about the control for Switch being not the best.

[nocturnal YL]

I'm travelling to Hokkaido for very obvious reasons. And I finally get to try the game. Actually, why did I bother, since it's coming out in a few days anyway?

I can't say I like the new Mix Mode. It's difficult to aim the cursors, and it's a much bigger struggle than following the rhythm. Hopefully this will get better when I get the actual game. Maybe it's just interference or I'm just not used to the control?

[Evie ❤✿]

Feb 9, 2020 9:57:01 GMT -5 nocturnal YL said:

I'm travelling to Hokkaido for very obvious reasons. And I finally get to try the game. Actually, why did I bother, since it's coming out in a few days anyway?

I can't say I like the new Mix Mode. It's difficult to aim the cursors, and it's a much bigger struggle than following the rhythm. Hopefully this will get better when I get the actual game. Maybe it's just interference or I'm just not used to the control?

Have fun in Hokkaido ^_^

[nocturnal YL]

I've since returned.

Well, now that I've actually played the game, here's some early impression:

Long story short, well, this is a much worse version of Future Tone. To elaborate:

• The graphics. The 3D models look visibly compromised now that I've seen it on the actual system. It's good to see the game remains at 60 fps, but the models look somewhat low-poly and rendered in a low (about 720p? 900p? Just doesn't look like 1080p to me) resolution. I'm actually surprised to see this, since while the Switch is worse than the PS4, it should have better specs than the Nu arcade system, which Arcade FT runs on. EDIT — Oh right, the arcade game has a 720p screen.
• Songs and modules. This game has 300+ modules compared to about 400 in FT, and 101 songs (should be about 140 after all DLC), compared to 248 (after DLC) in FT.
• Extra stuff. In the PV viewing mode, you can't pause the animation and press △ to take screenshots for the loading screen (MEGA39's uses fixed loading screens). You can't hold L2+R2 in the song selection screen to unlock the hidden SURVIVAL COURSE mode. You can't even press and hold × in the main menu to return to the title screen. Nor can you use the right stick to navigate the menu.
• Hardware. Namely, the Joy-Cons are very poor controllers for this game. The asymmetric layout of Nintendo controllers is difficult to get used to, and the Joy-Cons are way too small for the chaotic action in this game. The right stick also gets in the way quite often. And the Joy-Cons only Mix Mode makes things worse, since you can't even fall back to other controllers in this mode. That said, there is one thing Joy-Cons do that the DualShock 4 doesn't: you can press all 4 directional buttons and it will register properly.
• You also can't take video captures, but I expected as much. In the PS4 games, taking video captures will save the video without the songs (so that you can't say you redistribute songs without a license with the help of SEGA), but the Switch can't do this. Not that it's useful anyway, since the Switch can only take 30 seconds of footage.

It also doesn't feel at home on a Nintendo system. Just like the mirai games, MEGA39's still screams PlayStation, with parts here and there (like the trail visual effects of the melody icons) not updated to match the system it's on.

Bottom line, I'm still glad I bought a PS4 for Future Tone, which remains the definitive game. Project DIVA is just one of those series that belong to PlayStation.

It's still good to see MEGA39's being made though. Just seeing a new game being made (in a series that hasn't seen much major activity lately) and with a whole new mode makes it worth it. Mix Mode is starting to grow on me. It's not that bad once you start trying different ways to hold the Joy-Cons until you find a way that feels comfortable. And of course, we're finally getting Arcade-style Project DIVA on the go, although its demanding play style isn't really a good fit with being portable.

Overall, I pretty much agree with Famitsu's assessment with a 32/40 score. I'd give it an 8/10 too. Not really a bad game, but Future Tone is a thing and MEGA39's is almost a strictly inferior game, save for Mix Mode, the NPR filter and a different menu UI.

I'm now going to look into getting a PS4-to-Switch adaptor. I want to play this game with a DualShock 4.

[nocturnal YL]

I've reached player rank 39, the highest in the game. Attaining this is generally easier than in Future Tone.

There are no PlaySation trophies or Project mirai-style stamps this time. I consider unlocking all songs at higher difficulties and reaching rank 39 as completing the game.

I had to sit through all those songs at HARD difficulty, which can get boring since I've already perfected quite a few at EXTREME or EXTRA EXTREME in FT. Mix Mode takes some getting used to, but I still wish they'd just have all difficulties unlocked from the get-go.

I ended up enjoying Mix Mode more than I thought I would, once I figured out how to hold the Joy-Cons confortably.

Using Joy-Cons in Arcade Mode also isn't that bad; DualShock 4 is still the better option, but Joy-Cons have their own advantage with individual, precise-feeling buttons that can all be covered with a thumb. (Aside: when attached to the system, I can't press ←+→ or ↑+↓ on my Joy-Con(L). Why, Nintendo?)

Overall, I'd say it's worth getting just for Mix Mode and portability, even though there are far fewer songs (141 vs 248, both figures include all DLC). For now, I may pass trying to perfect as many songs as I can, due to having other games to play.

[nocturnal YL]

The SEGA feat. HATSUNE MIKU Project team announced that Project DIVA MEGA39's has sold more than 150k units across all regions (Japan and rest of Asia; the western version isn't out yet), counting both packaged and download versions.

They also said Project DIVA Future Tone sold a combined 450k units across all regions and versions, but with a caveat: the original version (the download-only non-DX Future Tone) is a free download with two major song packs (Future Sound and Colorful Tone), which are counted separately. This means that an early adopter buying the full game before DX would be counted twice.

Also, the 2nd and 3rd DLC packs are coming out next week. Not exactly my most anticipated songs, but I'll welcome any song being playable in Mix Mode.

And still no words on the new songs DLC for Future Tone. I hope it comes out soon so that I can capture my gameplay without external tools.

[nocturnal YL]

This game now has a western release date. And apparently this was announced a day ago but I missed it.

It will come out on 15th May as a download-only title (Future Tone was also download-only overseas), priced at US$39.39 following the series' tradition of using this number whenever possible. For reference, the Japanese version costs ¥5990 standard / ¥9990 limited.

An eShop demo is out now, where you can play two of the songs.

[Nester the Lark]

I gave the demo a once-over. It has two songs, multiple difficulty levels, Arcade and MegaMix modes, and a couple of extra costumes for Miku, so there's a little bit of content to play with.

I had fun with it. I think I would've actually preferred the motion controls, except that holding the Joy-cons that way really hurt my hands. Also, it seems easy to accidentally hit the Home button, which obviously throws off my rhythm.

[nocturnal YL]

First off, I'm glad you actually tried it and had fun!

I think the recommended way to hold the Joy-Cons isn't very comfortable, and it's also confusing as the cursors correspond to the Joy-Cons' tilt angles rather than position. This is how I play Mix Mode:

• Sit and have a large, thick pillow resting on the laps. Resting arms on armchairs also work.
• Have the straps attached to the Joy-Cons, since strapless Joy-Cons are too small.
• Rest the Joy-Cons on the pillow, vertically and pointing upwards like suggested, but lean slightly forward to make the game detect motion more easily.
• Using the bottom of the Joy-Cons as the pivot, move them like they're classic joysticks. Use the L and R buttons if they feel more comfortable than ZL and ZR.

There's also an option to make it possible to score just by holding down the buttons instead of havoing to time the hits. But notes hit this way will all count as FINE (GOOD in English), which are worth 300 points as opposed to COOL's 500, and you still can't start pressing too close to the notes (but not close enough to actually hit FINE or COOL) or you'll get a SAFE (which, despite the name, breaks combo).

I'm still not very good at Mix Mode, though. Timing is very lenient, comparable to Tap Mode in mirai 2/DX, but you have to fight against the control (and your wrists and thumbs' limitations) all the time in NORMAL and HARD.

[nocturnal YL]

There will be an update that adds touch screen control to Arcade Mode! Not an actually viable alternative to the arcade controller, but with this, you can have a little taste of the arcade-style button layout.