Friday, July 12, 2013

I guess this means I'll have to get myself a copy of Danganronpa (PSP) soon

Although I remember being intrigued by the Spike-developed and -published PSP title, Danganronpa: Kibō no Gakuen to Zetsubō no Kōkōsei, around the time of its original Japanese release back in late 2010, it fell off my radar pretty quickly when it became clear it'd never see the light of day outside of the Land of the Rising Sun.

That all changed a few days ago when I discovered that not only has someone (or a team of someones) decided to produce an English-language fan translation of this portable "murder mystery visual novel," but a patch containing said translation already is available for download at danganronpa.wordpress.com.

My own personal reason for wanting to play Danganronpa has less to do with the unique quality of its content, by the way, and more to do with its absolutely superb art style. Cases in point:




I mean, really--who wouldn't want to play a game that's filled with illustrations like the ones above?

If that's not enough for you, though--and there's certainly nothing wrong with that--here's the fan-translation team's rather enticing description of the title:

"Danganronpa ... is a unique kind of adventure game. Described by its creators as 'psychopop' and 'high-speed action mystery,' [it] takes your typical whodunnit mystery and straps it to a rocket, fusing puzzle-solving with real-time action elements inspired by shooting and rhythm games–and it does so to incredible effect."

My only qualm with all of the above at the moment is that I'm pretty sure I'll have to softmod my PSP in order to patch the game (after I pick up a physical copy of it, of course), and for some reason I'm a bit nervous about doing so. Should I find a way to overcome those fears, though, you can bet your butt I'll play through this thrilling-sounding sucker as soon as possible (i.e., after my Animal Crossing: New Leaf obsession wanes a bit).

14 comments:

Justin Difazzio said...

This sounds like something that's totally worth softmodding your PSP for.

thegaygamer.com said...

Yeah, I'll have to look into it shortly, I guess. As long as it's not too complicated, I'll probably go for it...

Matt said...

You actually won't have to worry about modding your PSP at all! NIS announced on the 6th that they're localizing the Vita port. It's slated for next year.

thegaygamer.com said...

Hey there, Matt! Well, that would require buying a Vita--which, compared to buying a copy of the PSP version and modding my PSP is pretty expensive.


That's not to say I'm not considering buying a Vita at some point, but I'm not sure this is the game that will push me to do so.


Still, it's nice that the option will exist! I wonder if NIS will release the game both digitally and via retail, or just digitally?

Matt said...

Yeah, I understand (I actually just sold my Vita). The translation team said they weren't going to work on the game's sequel after news of the localization was announced, and Danganronpa 2's localization chances are dependent on the first game's sales, so there's some incentive for Vita owners to opt for the official version rather than the fan translation.

I don't believe NIS has announced anything on the distribution yet.

Obscure Video Games said...

Not sure if you're aware, but those guys also fan translated the demo which you might want to try out before buying the game. I've actually played it a bit myself, but I must admit I'm a bit confused what I'm supposed to be doing.

thegaygamer.com said...

You just sold your Vita, Matt? Why was that?

I had a feeling Danganronpa 2's localization chances would be dependent on the first game's sales--which kind of sucks but also is understandable.



Anyway, hopefully the first will sell well and we'll get the second, too--and hopefully both will be distributed via retail as well as digitally :)

thegaygamer.com said...

I wasn't aware of that, Steve. Thanks for letting me know!


BTW, I'm guessing you've modded your PSP to allow this sort of thing? If so, was it easy enough?


I don't know why I'm so nervous about it. I paid about $50 for my used PSP, and I'm planning to get a new one soon-ish, so it's not like it would be the end of the world if I screwed it up...

Matt said...

I hadn't turned the system on in months, and the only games I was really interested in for the Vita were also coming to PC. I certainly still like the device, but I can't afford two consoles right now, especially one that I rarely use.


That's the dream!

thegaygamer.com said...

Ah, I understand. I'd probably feel the same way if I owned one but it was just sitting there collecting dust.

Obscure Video Games said...

Actually I emulated it, but I'm pretty sure I played the Japanese demo for Loco Roco on my un-modded PSP once-upon-a-time. Remember, it's region-free, and I don't think they copy-protect demos at all.

thegaygamer.com said...

Oh, no, I know that, Steve. I'm talking about playing a patched game or demo--which I'm pretty sure can only be done if you're using a modded PSP (or playing via emulation).

Obscure Video Games said...

Oh I didn't even realize that made a difference. I've always thought about modding my PSP for emulating stuff, but I'm too lazy. I also would be a bit worried I wouldn't be able to play some (all?) of my PSP games any more. But it might be fun to get a second PSP just for playing around with stuff like this.

thegaygamer.com said...

Yep. I don't know the particulars of it, but to play patched games, etc., you need to mod the PSP in some form or fashion.


Maybe I'll go ahead and buy a new PSP later this year and then try to figure out how I can mod my current (rather beat-up) one so I can experience stuff like this...