VGCulture - Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F Controller

Play-Asia Site: Hatsune Miku -Project Diva- F Controller for PS3 Source: Youtube Channel shinstc

Holy mother of rhythm game controllers, I want this so bad!  So I managed to nab myself a physical copy of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F in fear that they all get sold out, but I had nothing to worry about (which might be bad in terms of sales and for future plans of porting the 2nd game).  I had come across a controller created by Hori that was made for the game specifically and thought it was an interesting design.  When I looked it up online to see if there were any video demonstrations for it, I realized I was looking at a "mini" version and that this was the original version (shown in the video above).  The Original is larger, the buttons light up, and has a swipe pad rather than an analog stick.  It's so shiny and has that arcade feel to it!  It's also really expensive.  It was $499 when I checked it up online last night at Play-Asia, but due to the release of Project DIVA F yesterday, it seems they have lowered the price down to $399.  Not to mention shipping costs $50+ depending on where you live in the world.

Image from Amazon.com

This is a picture of the Mini version that has no light up buttons, no swipe pad, but it lighter and smaller for easier transportation and usage on your lap.  Still, the cheapest ones I've found that isn't used is around $145 at eBay or $168 at Amazon.  As much as I want the controller, I can't justify the purchase of it.  It's more expensive than the fightstick I bought and will be mainly used for one game as opposed to my fightstick where I play over 20+ games on it (Fighting, platformers, shoot-em-ups).  After seeing the controller, playing on controller doesn't seem as much fun anymore.  The controller design reminds me of an old music rhythm game called Pop 'n Music.
Source: Youtube Channel bootsee

For those who are a bit more dedicated and want an authentic arcade experience with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F, you can grab the original controller at Play-Asia on the link on top or the Mini version from your select online store such as Amazon.  Maybe I'll get a mini if it drops down in price.