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“Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc” by Spike Chunsoft, is a game that centers on a dark theme. It is rated M and includes motifs that follow the typical “whodunit” theme.

This game’s platform is on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Android, iOS. It has two sequels, and a third which is in development. The first release of this game in Japan was in November 25, 2010. The game was originally created as a visual novel but, as visual novels were growing less in demand, new gameplay elements were added to make it stand out.

NIS America recently translated this game into English and had it available in locations in America.  The game has an animation out, however, I myself do not favor it.

The game is pretty violent and centers on a strange scenario. There are 16 students who were welcomed to the exclusive Japanese school Hope’s  Peak academy for their special talents. They introduce themselves by their talents, for example Super High School Level Programmer (Shortened by SHSL).

Naegi Makoto, only getting in for his luck, wakes up trapped into Hope’s Peak academy, finding that he is trapped there. He’s requested to meet in the auditorium for a welcome. He and the other students all meet in the auditorium, agreeing that they woke up in the same way and questioning just what is going on.

They meet a bear there that is black and white name Monobear, who calls himself their principle. He tells them that they are not there for school. In fact, the bear has trapped these 16 talented teenagers in the school so that they may live a life of mutual killing.

To graduate, there’s one requirement. You’ve got to kill your fellow students and not get caught in a trial held the next day they find the body. Or else, you get punished.

Easy enough, right? But that isn’t the simple.

The bear that is their so-called principle has a mastermind that’s controlling him, and it’s one of the sixteen students in there. Despair, fear, and mistrust rises as they live their daily lives, but Makoto Naegi tries to keep things hopeful. And he intends to succeed. Will the sixteen students fall into despair?

I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys mystery games and trials that are fast paced and case sensitive. If you’re sensitive to blood and murderous themes, do not play this game. However, the game has made the blood a pink color so that the creators could lower the age rating of the game.