Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, frequently abbrievated to Danganronpa, is a murder mystery visual novel developed by Spike. Its Japanese name is Dangan Ronpa: Academy of Hope and High School Students of Despair (ダンガンロンパ 希望の学園と絶望の高校生, Dangan Ronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei). The script and story of the game were written by Kodaka Kazutaka and the illustrations were done by Komatsuzaki Rui. The series' title, Danganronpa, is compounded from the words bullet (弾丸 dangan) and refutation (論破 ronpa).

A sequel to the game was released on July 26, 2012 named Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Farewell Despair Academy (スーパーダンガンロンパ2 さよなら絶望学園, Super Dangan Ronpa 2: Sayonara Zetsubō Gakuen). The localization for the sequel will be announced at Fall 2014 named Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (ダンガンロンパ2：さよなら絶望, Danganronpa 2: Sayonara Zetsubō)

The game was also adapted into an anime and light novel of the same name.

On 6 July 2013, NIS America announced at Anime Expo they would localize the game for North America and Europe. The localization was entitled Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and has been released in February 11, 2014 for North America and February 14 for Europe for the PlayStation Vita. A dub for the game was announced to be released on February 11, 2014.

Plot
The story is shown from the point of view of the protagonist, Makoto Naegi, who starts a new year at the elitist private school Hope's Peak Academy which is renowned for educating students that are top of their expertise. These students are given the title of “Ultimate”. However, every year the school hosts a raffle where every average student nation-wide is entered and a random student is picked and enters the school as “Ultimate Lucky Student” - Makoto Naegi is one of whom.

The story revolves around 15 students who are trapped in the school under the control of sadistic bear named Monokuma. To escape, the students must “graduate” the school. To do this, one must murder a classmate. After a body has been discovered, the rest of the students must work together to discover the culprit. If the culprit can fool the rest of their classmates, then they alone can graduate the school but the rest of the students will be punished. However, if the classmates uncover the true culprit, then they alone will be punished with a gruesome execution while everyone else remains unharmed.

While Monokuma releases motives to encourage students to commit a murder, the students also try to uncover the secrets of the school, including why they were trapped there in the first place.

Gameplay
In Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the player contols Makoto Naegi, and is seperated into two sections: Daily Life, and Deadly Life. Daily Life is seperated into two modes: In the first mode, Makoto spends his time talking with his fellow students. This activity is called 'Free Time'. By completing Free Times, player will either get 'Skill Point', AKA 'SP', or an actual skill, which is used in Class Trials. Makoto will also engage in scripted events, such as going to the cafeteria for breakfest, exploring the new school floor, etc. This events will either lead into a major plot point, or a murder.

Once a murder happens, game changes into Deadly Life. Deadly Life is also seperated in two modes: Investigation and Class Trial. In Investigation, Makoto and his fellow students will go and look for clues, accounts, anything they can use as an evidence in the Class Trial. Investigation has no time limit, and will end once Makoto has found all the accounts and clues. This clues and accounts are called 'Truth Bullet's, and it will be added into the 'Truth Bullet' section on your e-Handbook.

Once the Investigation is done, Monokuma will call all the remaining students into the courtroom, and they will start the trial. In Class Trial, Makoto and his fellow students will start a discussion on who is the 'blackened' of the case, and after numorous mini-games, Makoto and his fellow students will pick the blackened by popular vote. If they find the culprit successfully, only they will recieve punishment, and the rest of the students will continue their school life. If they fails in doing that, the culprit gets to leave Hope's Peak Academy, and the rest of the students will be punished, ending their school life.

For more info about the mini-games doing Class Trials, please check the Class Trial post.

Chapters
The game is divided into six main chapters, preceded by a prologue and followed an epilogue.

Prologue - Welcome to Despair
We meet our protagonist, Makoto Naegi. He is about to start his first day at Hope's Peak, but just as Makoto goes to the Entrance Hall, the room swirls and goes dark. He awakes in an unfamiliar classroom, and looks around a bit before heading back to the entrance hall.

Within it, he meets 14 other students, all of which found themselves in a similar situation. Before they can make any attempts to escape, a voice comes over the intercom, directing them to the gymnasium. When they arrive, they are greeted by Monokuma, a strange teddy bear who claims that they must kill one another to graduate.

While most of the students protest against it, Makoto is shocked by Monokuma's words. Little did they know that this was only the beginning of the Academic Coliseum...

Chapter 1 - To Survive
The next day, Makoto goes to the cafeteria to join the other students. One of them is Sayaka Maizono, Makoto's classmate from junior high. Sayaka recognized Makoto instantly, contrary to Makoto's belief that she had all but forgotten such a plain person like him.

Nevertheless, the two hang out for a bit before Monokuma calls the students back to the gym to give an “incentive”. He tells them that there are DVDs for each of them, and can be watched in a certain room. Makoto and Sayaka head to the A/V room, and the students observe their DVDs.

After Sayaka watches her DVD, she rushes off. Makoto tries to reassure her, but she's only furthering her despair. Later that night, Sayaka asks if she and Makoto can switch rooms, due to her fears of the DVD. Makoto agrees. During that night, Sayaka is killed.

The following morning, the students are heralded to the gym. Monokuma tells them that due to Sayaka's death, the remaining students must participate in a Class Trial to determine the culprit. However, Junko Enoshima (a fellow student), refuses to partake in the trial.

She steps on Monokuma, and is immediately punished by getting impaled. With that, 13 students remain. Will the students be able to find Sayaka's murderer?

Chapter 2 - Boy's Life of Despair
Following Sayaka's trial, 12 students are left. The students successfully chose Sayaka's murderer, and the culprit was executed. The next morning, the students meet in the cafeteria to discuss what they will do for the day. When the students disperse, most head up to the second floor, which was recently opened.

The students explore, and discover a library, indoor pool, and another flight of stairs, currently closed off. The next day, Monokuma invites the students to the gym to receive his next incentive: the students' deepest secrets.

After everyone reads their secret, fellow student Chihiro Fujisaki begins to cry. Afterwards, she only tells them that she will become stronger, and when the time comes, she will reveal her “secret”.

Unfortunately, Chihiro is found dead within the changing rooms inside the pool. At the same time, Toko Fukawa begins to exhibit strange behavior- almost as if she's another person. Byakuya also tells Makoto that a certain serial killer, “Genocide Jack” the names are hiding among their numbers. Could Chihiro's murder be connected with Toko and Genocide Jack? It is up to Makoto and the remaining students to bring Chihiro's culprit to light.

Chapter 3 - A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero!
After the Chihiro's murderer executed, 10 students are alive. Following the end of the second Class Trial, Aoi Asahina lies in her bed, crying and stating she can't participate in the Academic Coliseum anymore. She decides to have some donuts, as they usually cheer her up.

However, on her way she encounters an eerie blue glow, and runs away screaming. The morning after, it is revealed that it is Alter Ego, an AI created by Chihiro before dying. The students treat Alter Ego like a regular classmate, relying on it for information.

Hifumi Yamada sees Alter Ego as a way to communicate with women, while Kiyotaka Ishimaru sees him as a way to communicate with his former Bro, whose death left him in severe shock and depression. Monokuma has also opened up the third floor, which includes an Art Room, Rec Room, and Chemistry Lab. He later calls the students for his latest incentive. He will give ten million dollars to the graduating students.

No one seems as willing to kill as opposed to the previous chapters, until the students find Celestia Ludenberg scratched up in the Rec Room. The students begin to suspect a murderer is on the rise, and their fears only heighten when they find Hifumi unconscious in the Library. He dubbed his attacker “Justice Robo”, an allusion to his outfit.

Panicked, the students wonder where the madman is hiding, only to have Celeste scream at the sight of him. It is only then, do they find Hifumi's corpse. The students quickly look around for the madman, only to discover that Taka's corpse is in the Chem Lab. To confuse the students even more, both bodies are transported to the Art Room! At the same time, Kyoko Kirigiri found Yasuhiro Hagakure who trapped in Justice Robo suit in the locker room inside the pool. Only eight students remain, could the culprit really be among them?

Chapter 4 - All•Star•Apologies
As the story enters its second half, seven students have survived the despair-inducing murders and class trials. With the next incentive rolling up, Monokuma reveals a major twist: there was a mole! An air of suspicion lurks within the halls of Hope's Peak, and the mole name are Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist.

As the other students begin to ostracize them, Hina aggressively defends Sakura, even going as far to slap Byakuya Togami when he irks her. Unfortunately, Hina's defending is in vain, as Sakura is killed in a seemingly locked-room murder.

It is only up to the last six students to find out the true culprit of this murder. During the trial Hina accuses Byakuya, Toko, and Hiro of murdering Sakura due to the fact they both got a letter to meet in the rec room.

Only 6 students remain, can they voted the real blackened behind Sakura's murder?

Reception
It was released to PSP on November 25, 2010, and in August 25, 2012 it was later made available for iOS and Android OS. It sold 25,564 copies in Japan in its first week, debuting in 8th place in the weekly game sales charts, and in three months of sales sold over 85,000 copies .

Monokuma

 * Voiced by: Nobuyo Ōyama (Japanese) Brian Beacock (English)
 * Monokuma (モノクマ Monokuma) is the main antagonist of the story and the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Controlled by the mastermind, he started and controlled the Killing Game.

Makoto Naegi

 * Voiced by: Megumi Ogata (Japanese) Bryce Papenbrook (English)
 * Makoto Naegi (苗木 誠 Naegi Makoto) is the protagonist of the the first game. An ordinary high school student who was accepted to the academy by raffle. Because of this, he was given the title Ultimate Good Luck (超高校級の「幸運」), however it is frequently been speculated to be Bad Luck. Later in the game, he was also given the title Ultimate Hope (超高校級「希望」) due to his talent in constantly staying optimistic.

Sayaka Maizono

 * Voiced by: Makiko Ohmoto (Japanese) Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)
 * Sayaka Maizono (舞園 さやか Maizono Sayaka) is a cheerful girl who is the leader of an idol group which is nationally popular. When accepted to Hope's Peak Academy, she was given the title Ultimate Pop Sensation (超高校級の「アイドル」).

Kyoko Kirigiri

 * Voiced by: Youko Hikasa (Japanese) Erika Harlacher (English)
 * Kyoko Kirigiri (霧切 響子 Kirigiri Kyouko) is a female that appears to be very mysterious, however in discussion she has been shown to have a cool head and reasoning skills. Due to her amnesia, she was not able to inform the player about her title in conversation, and so it was Ultimate ??? (超高校級の「???」), however later she revealed herself as the person who has been given the title Ultimate Detective (超高校級の探偵).

Byakuya Togami

 * Voiced by:   Akira Ishida (Japanese) Jason Wishnov (English) 
 * Byakuya Togami (十神 白夜 Togami Byakuya) is known for being the successor of a highly successful family corporation. As a result of this, he appears to be very arrogant and considers himself superior to the other students of the Hope's Peak Academy. He has been given the title Ultimate Affluent Progeny (超高校級の「御曹司」).

Chihiro Fujisaki

 * Voiced by: Kōki Miyata (Japanese) Dorothy Eilas-Fahn (English)
 * Chihiro Fujisaki  (不二咲 千尋  Fujisaki Chihiro ) is a very shy character that frequently appears to be quite weak. He takes skill in programming and one of his most notable works would considered to be  Alter Ego, which helped the other students of Hope's Peak Academy to such a point that they even considered the AI a “friend”. His title is  Ultimate Programmer  (超高校級の「プログラマー」).

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

 * Voiced by: Kōsuke Toriumi (Japanese) Sean Chiplock (English)
 * Kiyotaka Ishimaru (石丸清多夏 Ishimaru Kiyotaka) is an enthusiastically straight laced student who is a stickler for rules and order. As a result of this, he was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy under the title Ultimate Moral Compass (超高校級の「風紀委員」).

Celestia Ludenberg

 * Voiced by: Hekiru Shiina (Japanese) Marieve Herington (English)
 * Celestia Ludenberg (セレスティア・ルーデンベルク Seresutia Rūdenberu), real name Taeko Yasuhiro, known as the Queen of Liars, is a famous gambler that dresses in Gothic Lolita fashion. She is noted in the game for having defeated many high skill gamblers in the past. (She has even collected more than 10 billion yen at one point.) Because of her skill in gambling, she was given the title Ultimate Gambler (超高校級の「ギャンブラー」).

Toko Fukawa

 * Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese) Amanda C. Miller (Toko) / Erin Fitzgerald (Jill) (English)
 * Toko Fukawa (腐川 冬子 Fukawa Touko) is a gloomy novelist with a persecution complex. One of her romance novels, “So Lingers The Ocean”, is a huge hit that even managed to make fishermen to be popular with teenage girls for a few months. Despite her young age, she has already won several awards and is constantly on top of selling list. She was given the title Ultimate Writing Prodigy (超高校級の「文学少女」). She also has an alternate personality named Genocide Jill which is known under the title Ultimate Murderous Fiend (超高校級の「殺人鬼」).

Aoi Asahina

 * Voiced by:Chiwa Saitō (Japanese) Cassandra Morris (English)
 * Aoi Asahina (朝日奈 葵 Asahina Aoi) is a well meaning student who may appear to be quite air-headed at times. She excels in athletic sports, most notably swimming, thereby giving her the title of Ultimate Swimming Pro (超高校級の「スイマー」).

Sakura Ogami

 * Voiced by: Kujira (Japanese) Jessica Gee-George (English)
 * Sakura Ogami (大神 さくら Oogami Sakura), nicknamed The Ogre is a fearsome student who is a world class fighter. She has muscular appearance and a deep voice, resulting in that she is often mistaken as a man. She bears the title Ultimate Martial Artist (超高校級の「格闘家」).

Hifumi Yamada

 * Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese) Lucien Dodge (English)
 * Hifumi Yamada (山田 一二三 Yamada Hifumi) is an otaku student who is popular as a doujin manga artist, proclaiming that his interests are based solely on the “2D World” and “2D Girls”. He goes by the title Ultimate Fanfic Creator (超高校級の「同人作家」).

Yasuhiro Hagakure

 * Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze (Japanese) Kaiji Tang (English)
 * Yasuhiro Hagakure (葉隠 康比呂 Hagakure Yasuhiro) is a very laid back student, taking pride in his skill of fortune telling. When attending the academy, he was given the title Ultimate Clairvoyant (超高校級の「占い師」).

Mondo Owada

 * Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (Japanese) Keith Silverstein (English)
 * Mondo Owada (大和田 紋土 Oowada Mondo) is a hot-blooded student who is known for being the head of the largest bōsōzoku group in the country of Japan. He is given the title Ultimate Biker Gang Leader (超高校級の「暴走族」).

Leon Kuwata

 * Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese) Grant George (English)
 * Leon Kuwata (桑田 怜恩 Kuwata Reon) is a brash teenager who is exceptionally good at baseball, however he later told in a conversation with Makoto, the player, that he would like to bring a career out of being a musician. His title is Ultimate Baseball Star (超高校級の「野球選手」).

Junko Enoshima

 * Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese) Amanda C. Miller (English)
 * Junko Enoshima (江ノ島 盾子 Enoshima Junko) is a charismatic gyaru fashion model who has appeared in many popular fashion magazines. As a result of this, she was given the title Ultimate Fashionista (超高校級の「ギャル」), however the Junko that is first introduced under the start of the game was in fact Mukuro Ikusaba, her twin sister, in disguise. The twins both go by an alternate title, Ultimate Despair.

Mukuro Ikusaba

 * Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese) Amanda C. Miller/Erin Fitzgerald (English)
 * Mukuro Ikusaba (戦刃 むくろ Ikusaba Mukuro) is a fearless soldier who was involved in Fenrir, a world renowned mercenary organization. She has had an interest in military weapons and strategies ever since she was a child and thus was given the title Ultimate Soldier (超高校級の「軍人」). She is one of the Ultimate Despair, and the older twin sister of Junko Enoshima.

Trivia

 * Danganronpa was supposed to have a “black and white” format with real blood, yet, to avoid having controversies due to content, the game was decided to be reworked once more with color and have pink blood instead of red.

Links

 * Official Site
 * Official English Site