No, this isn't a sprite ripping page...sort of. The mission here is to catalogue all beta sprites accidentally used in Danganronpa games, merch, and other official material.
WHAT IS A BETA SPRITE?
As the name would suggest, beta sprites are unfinished or earlier versions of the final sprites used in the debut game. Somehow, these unfinished sprites are used numerously in re-releases, merchandise, and promotional material. While the SDR2 cast falls victim to this the most, beta sprites from all the games can be found in different areas.
PSP vs. PSVITA...?
Since we are comparing different sprites from different game releases, I will often times be denoting the game/console which the sprite comes from. Most often, I will be making a distinction between the PSP and PSVITA versions of the games. This can be understandably confusing for Western players, since the PSP versions were Japanese-only. If you want more information on release information and different versions, check out the Games section, and if you want to see oversights, check out the Code section, but as it pertains to beta sprites, here is what is important to know:
Danganronpa and then Super Danganronpa 2 were first released separately in Japan on the PSP. 2010 for DR1, and 2012 for SDR2. Then, in 2014, both games got a remake released for the PSVITA. In Japan, this was sold as a bundle game called Danganronpa: 1・2 Reload, but for the rest of the world, they were released as separate games. The PSVITA versions would go on to be the base for every port to follow, like on PS5, Xbox, and iOS. However, the PSVITA games themselves were not simple ports, but actual remakes that corrected a number of errors in the original PSP games (again, check out the Code page for more info) but most important to us here, they fixed a number of beta sprites left in the original PSP versions, or, in some cases, accidentally added beta sprites into the new PSVITA version, where there weren't any before! Confusing stuff!
If you're a Pokemon fan, think of it simply like this: DR1 and SDR2 on the PSP are like Pokemon Green version, where DR1 and SDR2 on the PSVITA are like Pokemon Red and Blue - down to the updated sprites and the first version being locked to Japan only!
POINT OF REFERENCE
How do you know a sprite is a beta sprite? If beta sprites can be reused in later games by accident, how do you know that isn't just an updated remaster of a sprite? - This is a very good question, and one I have an answer for. If you want to get into the nitty gritty, please read the starter article below.
There's so many beta sprites that this will be split by series, and split then further by a group subject, as beta sprites can often be found in "packs". Don't worry - little character icons will be besides each page to let you know which character exactly is being discussed if you only care about seeing beta sprites of your fave. In situations where every character from a specific game appears, an icon of the games title will be used instead.
FOR STARTERS - HOW TO IDENTIFY A BETA SPRITE +
If beta sprites can be accidentally used in newer games, whereas an older game may not use a beta sprite (thereby establishing release date as irrelevant to finding beta sprites), how can we tell beta from final? Who's to say what is the beta, and what is the final?
This is a good question, and thankfully one we have a way to answer.
Step 1: Learn from History
To know how to identify a beta sprite, we must first find sources that don't just maybe use beta sprites, but could only use beta sprites; where using a final sprite is all but impossible. That may sound like an impossible task, but it isn't. In fact, we don't have to look very far!
Before the release of Danganronpa, Spike Chunsoft put out a free-to-download demo. This demo, being released several months before the final game, has a host of sprites that differ from the final version. Moreover, in just 2024, there was a leak of confedential files regarding Danganronpa's production, and in this leak, we see screenshots: both mock-ups and early in-game photos which reflect these sprites used in the demo version of the first Danganronpa game.
Let's take a look.
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| Sprite in early development document | Sprite in Demo | Sprite in final PSP game |
We can see that the sprite used in both the document and Demo are the same, whereas the sprite used in the full PSP release of the game is much different. Based on this, we can safely conclude this Fujisaki sprite would be deemed a "beta" sprite and that all other sprites in the Demo version of the first Danganronpa game would also be beta sprites.
Now, what about SDR2 sprites? While it is true that SDR2 never had a demo, it does have early screenshots released on official or affiliate websites used to promote the game months before release. Because of these screenshots dating back several months before SDR2's release, we can conclude that any differences spotted are a result of the sprite being unfinished. Below is an example.
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| Sprite in early released material (Source: gamer.ne.jp) | Sprite in final PSP game |
Unlike Fujisaki's example, this Kuzuryuu sprite is very obviously unfinished, which makes it easier to declare as a beta sprite. It's good to have very early unfinished sprites like this (and there are many more, as you will come to see) as it illustrates to us the...well, illustration process! Which leads to the next step.
Step 2: Common Themes
By using all the sprites in the Demo for DR1, or all the pre-release screenshots for SDR2, we can then clump them together and identify common running themes shared among beta sprites.
Let's start with DR1.
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I've gone ahead and selected 3 sprites from the Demo* to compare to their final* release that I feel illustrate the most important aspects of beta DR1 sprites, since the creation philosophy behind DR1 is different than SDR2. And, unlike SDR2, we have reason to believe there do exist updated DR1 sprites, as opposed to erroneously re-used betas (this will be covered in a proper article, but that is not our focus for right now).
*Fujisaki and Kuwata both are using their Demo vs. PSP sprites, while Naegi is using his student handbook sprite from the Demo vs. the PSVITA re-release. The reason for this is because the PSP release erroneously keeps this same beta sprite for Naegi's handbook profile, despite his in-game sprites being the finished versions. This is corrected come the PSVITA re-release/remaster. I will explain the process with Naegi's sprites more in-depth in a separate article.
Remember: DR1 went through a lot of changes, from originally being the gritty gore-fest known as DISTRUST to becoming the dark, yet humorous, psychopop game that we know. These are stylistic and integral changes that SDR2 and games henceforth did not have to suffer through, making DR1's spiriting process understandably more complex.
These changes, fittingly enough, are most illustrated in Naegi's very own neutral sprite: his beta includes some of the core tenants of a beta DR1 sprite: softer outlines, darker coloring, more subtle details, and an overall more "realistic" feeling lent to it by the choice to make lighting and outlines not as bold. Whereas his final sprite highlights the opposite: brighter colors, bolder outlines, a style that more visually "pops" with sharper edges.
This is where a key component lies: unlike SDR2 beta sprites, a good chunk of DR1 beta sprites don't look "unfinished". Rather, they look like they were drawn with a different style in mind. Now, don't get me wrong - there are sprites that are clearly unfinished (I mean...look at Fujisaki over there...) but a good amount look passable as final sprites. Even with Fujisaki, remember what I showed as our first example in part 1? That looks like a totally finished sprite! But clearly, it wasn't what vision they wanted in the end.
Now, take a look at Kuwata: similar story. His beta has much softer line art, particularly for his mouth, and his wink was made to be more sharp and removed the eyelash. Again, unlike (most) SDR2 sprites where lack of details signals a beta sprite, the opposite is (typically) true for DR1: a beta sprite tends to have more small details.
But, let's look at a counter-example: Fujisaki is clearly a case of an unfinished beta DR1 sprite. The color blending is much softer per many beta DR1 sprites, but his face is under-worked. While I maintain that most beta DR1 sprites that I've seen could pass for finished sprites, not all do, and that distinction is important.
So...when faced with a DR1 sprite that we're not quite sure is a beta, we can ask:
- Does it have small details that the final sprite doesn't?
- Does it look unfinished?
- Does it look more "soft" and "subtle", as opposed to "sharp" and "striking"?
While most DR1 beta sprites follow these points, remember that logic beats out all. If, by all logic, a sprite that is different yet doesn't meet any of these points still provably came before what we consider to be the final sprite, then it is a beta sprite.
Now, let's talk about SDR2.
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(All screenshots are from gamer.ne.jp)
Instantly, we see a huge difference: because the team went into SDR2 knowing what art style they wanted, we are offered a much more cohesive sprite timeline. All three of these sprites share 2 major things in common:
- Thick line art, as if drawn without pen pressure.
- A lack of fine detail, usually in the hair, hands, or ears.
Pretty much every beta SDR2 sprite will show signs of one or both points. As said, this is opposite for DR1 beta sprites typically. On occasion, this point may also be true:
- Clear signs of editing
...which may sound confusing, but we can use our protagonist, Hinata Hajime, as an example.
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| PSP; beta sprite erroneously used for the handbook profile | PSVITA; fixed handbook profile sprite | Comparison |
It's small, but please draw your attention to Hinata's left shoulder - er, his right, our left. You can see that the final sprite inflated the size of his shoulder, but forgot to update the seam of his shirt to match where his shoulder now ends. Now, there is a white gap between the seam and the outline of his shoulder!
This is what I mean by clear signs of editing. Sometimes, it will look like a part of the sprite was quickly edited, leaving the connecting details to seem left out of place. This is very common among SDR2 beta sprites.
Step 3: Putting it Together
By first identifying our history - finding sprites that are indisputably beta sprites - and then identifying the common themes among those sprites - now giving us the knowledge of what to look out for - we have reached our third and final step - we can now find beta sprites!
During the beginning, we sought out to answer one question: "If beta sprites are accidentally re-used in later game releases, how can we tell what is a beta, and what is supposed to be the final?"
Now...we can answer this!
With your newfound insight, let's say you go and play NDRV3. Specifically, UTDP. You're having fun when, suddenly, you pull this card:
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UTDP is certainly newer than SDR2, plus all of Kuzuryuu's in-game sprites look fine...is this a beta? But, we already saw Kuzuryuu's beta sprite for this exact portrait.
However, you can already see some undeniable telltale signs: His hair and hand aren't as detailed as his SDR2 sprite, and they also lack pen pressure in these areas...this has to be a beta.
To make sure, I always do a comparison .GIF. And...
It's a perfect in-between beta! You can tell they are still clearly using the Kuzuryuu sprite from the pre-release screenshot, but have cleaned up his face and hairline. His hand and details in his hair remain the same, however. Then, come the final sprite, his eyes were fixed, and his hair largely changed.
And, fun fact: despite having come to this conclusion long ago, recently, I found this screenshot from more pre-release material...
(Source: Famitsu)
...Proving, beyond a doubt, that my initial deduction was correct: this is an in-between beta sprite.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it: you now possess the knowledge to be able to deduce beta from not-beta. Remember: not every different sprite you see is a beta sprite. In DRS, all the characters are edited to wear swimsuits for obvious reasons, making those not betas just for the fact that they're different sprites. (However, DRS does use beta sprites for some of their bases...an article you will be able to read about here!)
Furthermore, there do exist updated sprites, specifically for the DR1 cast, which I will cover too.
Now, I'm sure you have a few questions still...
What about DR:AE, NDRV3, etc.? These games also have beta sprites, typically within the game's files unused. As far as I know, I haven't seen a DR:AE or NDRV3 beta sprite accidentally used in the wild. Maybe one day I'll get around to covering the beta sprites of those games, but since they are not as numerous or wide-spread as DR1 and especially SDR2, it may take me a long while.
Does this still happen? Do they still accidentally use beta sprites? Oh, 100%! The latest Danganronpa game as of writing, DRS, uses a boatload of beta sprites. And at this very moment, for the 15th anniversary of Danganronpa, I have seen promotional material misuse betas (specifically of Monomi and Nidai). This has been a chronic slip-up going since 2012, and it looks like it has no signs of stopping.
Is it just SDR2? Nope! Though SDR2 by and far has it happen to it the most, DR1 also has some occurrences. DRS being the latest example.
Why does this keep happening? I imagine the way sprites are organized at Spike Chunsoft is very messy for this to keep happening. I don't know why they clearly still hang on to old, unfinished spritework either. For what it's worth, I'm glad that they do, and glad that they keep making the same mistake over and over, because it gives me a lot to look at XD
This page is under construction! Thank you for your patience.