Hatsune Miku is one of the most prolific rhythm games series, possibly ever.  There are, however, a couple key reasons that most people don’t know about it.  The first, and most understandable is that most of them have never left their home country of Japan.  The second strongest, is that almost every single one of them have something akin to an impossibly difficult learning curve for everyone who hasn’t kept up with the series since its inception.  Thankfully this rendition of the game seems to be the perfect amount of challenge, oddly Japanese-ness, and catchy songs that will never leave your head to be the Miku game that might finally be the best starting point in the West.

Graphically the game is entirely passable as a PS4 entry, which is wonderful as it isn’t always the case when things are released at the same time on the Vita.   While the emphasis of the series has never been placed on the way anything looked, but instead what they do with those crazy images, it isn’t really surprising that more time seems to have been invested elsewhere.  Those other areas are odd emotional attachments to fellow vocaloids, the music (of course), and the complete insanity of anything that could be happening at any given time.

Watch our stream of Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X here:

Probably the only real complaint about the series of games is that everything is amazingly active on the screen at the same moment.  It isn’t uncommon to become distracted during the first several play-throughs of a stage due to the onstage antics of the titular character.  While the entire concept of the game is that she is supposed to be a virtual Japanese Pop Idol, and the entire purpose of stated stage show is to have crazy things going on during it, gameplay can become hard to focus on when it is half as interesting as Miku dancing with crazy vegetable creatures behind the button prompts.

This iteration of the game is the most polished of any that has seen the kindness of localization, and while that might not sound like the highest of praises it should.  Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is finally able to stand on her own and compete with every other rhyme game on an even field, and win in many aspects.  If the fact that some of the concepts seem like they are overly Japanese, don’t let that scare you away.  Through and through there is enjoyment to be had here for anyone willing to pick up a controller and try. There is also a ton of optional DLC to enjoy as well.