Let me start by saying that Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is one of the craziest, but most awesome story-based games I have played in quite some time. This was originally released for the PSP the better part of a decade ago and I am kind of mad at myself that it ha taken me so long to play this, but man I am glad that I finally have!
Note: Trigger-Happy Havoc, subtitled The Academy of Hope and the High School Students of Despair in Japanese, is a 'high-speed mystery action adventure' by Spike, released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in 2010, the Play Station Vita in 2013, Steam in 2016, and the PlayStation 4 in 2017. It is the first installment in the Danganronpa franchise. The story takes place at Hope's Peak.
Welcome To Hope Peak’s Academy
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is the kind of game that is very story-driven. The game is set in an “elite” school for gifted people and you playing as Makoto, get accepted into this school via some kind of lucky lottery system as you are pretty much average in every way. Upon arrival, you are knocked out and awaken where you are faced with this mean bear who informs you and the other students that you are held captive and the only way out is via murdering other students and getting away with it!
School Life
The gameplay of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is split into two sections. First up we have Class Life. Here you can traverse the school in the first-person point of view you move an icon around the screen that allows you to interact with characters and the environment. You have two sections of gameplay in the School Life portion of the game. One sees you being able to talk to classmates, getting to know them better, taking notes and so on. The other is where you come across a crime scene and must look for clues and figure things out. You get various skills that you can make use of to help you.
Class Trials
The other main section of the gameplay is the Class Trials and this is where your detective work comes into play. The students will have a heated discussion about who the killer is and you need to pay close attention here. Nonstop Debate, Hangman's Gambit, Bullet Time Battle and Closing Argument are the ways that the gameplay is split up and it is actually a great deal of fun. Having to pay attention, challenging what people say and then giving out your closing argument as you nail who you think the killer is! It is good stuff indeed and the kind of game that really does have you on the edge of your seat.
Overall, I think that Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a really cool game. Think of it as a darker and more intense version of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney-Justice for All. It literally had me hooked about five minutes in and it was the kind of game that I legit did not want to stop playing. It is worth noting that while the PSP version is great, they did release a better version for PC which is what I have played so I would recommend that you play that one over the original.
Final Score: 9/10
Pros:
- The story is truly fantastic
- Lots of characters to talk to and get to know
- Many layers to the gameplay
- The presentation is great
- It is a very addictive game
Cons:
- The story might be a bit dark for some
- Some of the dialogue on occasion repeats
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is notable because it is the first title in the Danganronpa series of murder mystery visual novels. It proved to be popular, so much so that it prompted the creation of not just sequels but also an anime adaptation, two manga adaptations, two spin-off novels, and a stage adaptation of all things. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc:
1. Developed By Spike
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was developed by Spike, which both developed video games and published them. Spike is no longer in existence, but that is because it performed a merger with Chunsoft to create what is now called Spike Chunsoft, which remains very active in the video game industry.
2. Released for the PSP
At first, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was released for the PlayStation Portable in November of 2010. However, its ensuing popularity ensured that it would make it way to more platforms in time. First, there were both Android and iOS in August of 2012. Then, there was the PC in February of 2016.
3. The Main Antagonist Is Monokuma
People who aren’t familiar with the Danganronpa series might nonetheless be familiar with its main antagonist Monokuma. This is because Monokuma is a very memorable teddy bear that happens to be divided into two halves visual-wise, with one half being adorable and the other half being evil. With that said, Monokuma isn’t an independent actor but is instead controlled by the villain behind the murder mystery.
4. The Main Protagonist Is the Ultimate Lucky Student
The setting for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a school that caters to the most exceptional students. The main protagonist is an exception to this rule because he managed to get in by winning a lottery. As a result, he has been designated the Ultimate Lucky Student, though in truth, he tends to be unlucky most of the time. However, when his luck does kick in, it can be pretty powerful to say the least.
5. Luck Turns Out to Be Critical
As it turns out, the main protagonist’s rather unpredictable luck proves to be critical for foiling the villain. This is because while the villain might not be the sanest person out there, they are nonetheless an excellent analyst of the situation. Unfortunately, random swings of luck aren’t really something that can be predicted, meaning that analysis becomes less useful under said circumstances.
6. Some of the Characters Have Had More of Their Memories Erased
The villain behind the events of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc has erased some of the memories of the students who have been trapped in the murder mystery. With that said, some of the students have had more of their memories erased than the others, which is by no means a matter of coincidence.
7. There Is More Than One Murderer
Monokuma is used to spur the students on to murder one another. Some of them succumb, which is why much of the game is focused on finding out which students were responsible for the murders that occur over the course of the story.
Free Danganronpa Play
8. There Is a Bad Ending
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc has a bad ending that happens when the player accuses the wrong student at the wrong time. Curiously, avoiding this bad end requires the player to trust in someone who has been helping them with their investigations, meaning that there is very much a leap of faith involved. However, an argument can be made that this fits in very well with the themes of the game.
9. The Setting Is Post-Apocalyptic
This isn’t revealed until late in the game. However, the setting of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is post-apocalyptic but not unsalvageable. Moreover, the cause of the apocalypse is connected to the murder mystery that the students are forced to undergo.
10. There Have Been Two Anime Series
Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc If Novel
So far, there have been two anime series based on the Danganronpa franchise. The first anime series called Danganronpa: The Animation was based on Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Meanwhile, the second anime series was based on a later title. Somewhat confusingly, the second anime series is called Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School.