is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese dōjin

Dojin soft

, also sometimes called , are video games created by Japanese hobbyists or hobbyist groups , more for fun than for profit; essentially, the Japanese equivalent of independent video games. Most of them are based on pre-existing material, but some are entirely original creations...

 third person shooter developed by Twilight Frontier

Twilight Frontier

Twilight Frontier is a Japanese doujin game developer. They are noted for making high quality derivative works of other games.-Productions:...

, first released on August 13, 2006 and is based on the popular visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

 Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

, known simply as When They Cry for the North American release of the anime adaptation, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft sound novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The games are built on the NScripter game engine and are playable on Microsoft Windows PCs...

. The game is Twilight Frontier's first attempt in making a 3D

3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 game. 07th Expansion

07th Expansion

07th Expansion is a Japanese dōjin group that specializes in the creation of visual novels known as sound novels. They started out drawing for the trading card game Leaf Fight, but they are most famous for creating the dōjin game series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni...

, the creators of the original franchise, assisted in making the game — most notably, Ryukishi07

Ryukishi07

is the pen name of a Japanese man originally from Chiba Prefecture who is well known as the original creator for the idea of the visual novel series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Umineko no Naku Koro ni. He is the representative member of the group 07th Expansion...

, the writer of the original game, provided the script for Higurashi Daybreak. Also, this game uses the same voice cast as the drama CD of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

In the title, the "Bu" is made red (ブ), a practice similar to the original material. In Japan, the game is also called Hidebu, by taking the initials of the game (which, coincidentally, is homonym

Homonym

In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...

ous to a well-known phrase in Fist of the North Star

Fist of the North Star

is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...

, where the nonsensical phrase is uttered by a fat grunt before he explodes).

Hirukowashi-hen of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, released on December 31, 2006, is a novelization of this game. Also, a related short story, "Higurashi Outbreak", was included in the original soundtrack of the game, which was released on April 22, 2007 along with the expansion .

In April 2008, Alchemist

Alchemist (company)

is a Japanese video game developer. It specializes in the development of visual novel video games ports for use on home video game consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and the defunct Dreamcast.-Dreamcast:*Baldr Force EXE*Chocolat: Maid Cafe Curio...

 announced that they would be porting Higurashi Daybreak to the PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

, and released the port on November 27, 2008.

Gameplay

The game is a 2 vs. 2 versus third person shooter based on the system of the Mobile Suit Gundam VS Series. Each of the four players can be played by humans (either together locally or through netplay) or controlled by the computer. Each character has a choice of two to three different weapons, with vastly different properties. Actions such as dashing, guarding, jumping, or flying through the air are restricted by a "stamina" gauge — once that gauge is depleted, none of the said actions can be carried out, though the gauge refills itself when it is not in use. Also, a "charge" and "main" gauge determine what kind of projectile the player fires, and how many he or she can fire. And finally, there is also a "limit gauge" that can be charged in one of two ways: when the player is damaged, or when the player deals damage. Once the gauge is full, the player can go into Hypermode and receive some stat bonuses for a limited period of time. The game ends when a team's balloon reaches a preset limit (default at 100%); the percentage increases when a team member's HP bar gets depleted.

In the story mode, there are initially three storylines to go through, while more can be unlocked after the initial three has been played through. The teams are preset in the story mode, they are:

• The protagonists team (これぞ！主人公チーム) - Keiichi Maebara and Rena Ryuugu
• The twin sisters team (迷惑双子姉妹チーム) - Mion Sonozaki and Shion Sonozaki
• The chibikko team (頑張れちびっ子チーム) - Rika Furude and Satoko Hojo
• The lovers team (熱愛アベックチーム) - Jirō Tomitake and Miyo Takano
• The Okinomiya Police investigator team (興宮署特命刑事チーム) - Kuraudo Ōishi and Mamoru Akasaka
• The Hinamizawa School teachers team (雛見沢分校先生チーム) - Kyōsuke Irie and Rumiko Chie
• The Sonozaki yakuza
  Yakuza
  , also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
  
   team (武闘派園崎組チーム) - Akane Sonozaki and Tatsuyoshi Kasai
• The club leader's private team (部長さん内緒チーム) - Keiichi Maebara and Mion Sonozaki (expansion only)
• Together with Nee-nee team (ねーねーと一緒チーム) - Satoko Hojo and Shion Sonozaki (expansion only)
• Rena's take home team (レナのお持ち帰りチーム) - Rena Ryuugu and Rika Furude (expansion only)

Although the teams are preset in the story mode, a team can consist of any two characters in other matches.

Plot

In a peaceful day like any other, a small box was dropped on Rika Furude's head when she was sweeping in the Furude Shrine. In it was a pair of magatama

Magatama

Magatama , are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jōmon period.They are often found inhumed in mounded tumulus graves as offerings to deities . They continued to be popular with the ruling elites throughout the Kofun Period of Japan, and are often romanticised as indicative of...

, one red and one white.

The magatama are actually the sacred treasure of the Furude Shrine. With its magical powers, the holder of the red magatama would unconditionally fall for the holder of the white one. Upon testing its effects on the school faculty, the club members of a Hinamizawa school decided that they should duel each other to see which pair gets to keep the magatama. In the beginning it was only an afterschool club activity, but their game eventually engulfed all of Hinamizawa.

Characters

The character settings are based on the original visual novels.

• A balanced character with strong melee attacks and good ranged attacks.
  • Transfer student's bat
    Baseball bat
    A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
    
    : The bat offers an excellent range for melee attacks. Ranged attacks are basic but effective.
  • Invincible iron
    Golf club (equipment)
    A golf club is used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a clubhead. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; Hybrids that combine design elements of woods and...
    
    : The club ranged attacks have an explosion attribute, and are harder to dodge, but also harder to aim with them.
  • Evidence destructor shovel
    Shovel
    A shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Shovels are extremely common tools that are used extensively in agriculture, construction, and gardening....
    
    (expansion): The shovel specializes Keiichi on wide area attacks, which permits the player to cover more efficiently their partner with ranged attacks.

• Like Keiichi, Rena is a balanced character with no particular weak points.
  • Favorite cleaver
    Cleaver (knife)
    A cleaver is a large knife that varies in its shape but usually resembles a rectangular-bladed hatchet. It is used mostly for hacking through bones as a kitchen knife or butcher knife, and can also be used for crushing via its broad side, typically garlic....
    
    : The cleaver is her standard playstyle, balancing both melee and range aspects. While she doesn't have the melee range or ranged damage output of Keiichi's bat, her melee attacks are stronger and faster.
  • Blade-split axe: The axe offers a brutal playstyle, though at the expense of her ranged attacks. She becomes specialized in disabling and wide area attacks, but with much less accuracy.
  • Ironclad cleaver (expansion): The huge ironclad cleaver drastically changes her gameplay. Because of the blade heaviness, she cannot cancel her attacks, moves rather slowly, dashes on the ground for a much shorter distance and drains her stamina bar quicker on aerial movements. However, her attack power is extremely powered up, while her defense power halves the damage she takes and also offers her some resilience on hit stun, much like Oyashiro Hypermode. Also, her voice changes to reflect her delusional state when wielding this blade.

• Mion is an agile ranged attack specialist, being weak in melee combat.
  • Dual wield pistol
    Pistol
    When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
    
    s: The pistols gives a well balanced mix of firing speed, damage output, ammunition and reload speed.
  • Specially loaded water gun
    Water gun
    A water gun is a type of toy designed to shoot water. Similar to water balloons, the primary purpose of the toy is to soak another person in a game such as water warfare....
    
    s: The water guns are more powerful and deal a significant hit stun effect, but lack ammunition and have a slow reload speed.
  • Anti-riot water cannon
    Water cannon
    A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-pressure stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of metres / hundreds of feet. They are used in firefighting and riot control. Most water cannon fall under the category of a fire...
    
    (expansion): Much like the water guns, the water cannon is focusing Mion's playstyle on a more brutal and burst damage output at the expense of the hitstun, swapped with some knockback effect and recoil on herself. The projectiles are far less spread, focusing much more on straight and longer trajectories, with a much faster reloading and charging speed.

• Shion is fragile melee character, lacking of good melee range. However, her speed and agility balance her handicap very well. Unlike her sister, ranged attacks are not her forte.
  • Combat knives: Designed for her standard playstyle, the knives are suitable for hit and run tactics and for fast assault, along with swift ranged attacks.
  • Modified stun gun
    Stun gun
    Stun gun may refer to:*Electroshock weapon, an incapacitant weapon that momentarily disables a person with an electric shock*Directed-energy weapon, a weapon that emits energy in an aimed direction without projectile, if it causes unconsciousness...
    
    s: the stun guns offer a slower but stronger style, along with some wide area of effect attribute. This weapon also has a very special hitstun, as the projectiles electrocute the targets.
  • Torture chamber whips (expansion): The whips give her more opportunity to deal with ranged characters and can harass high defense melee characters, as the hitstun completely incapacitates the target and can deal damage on knocked characters.

• Rika is a very slow and fragile character, lacking of melee options. However, she is extremely at ease whilst airborne, being a very versatile aerial fighter.
  • Ceremonial hoe
    Hoe (tool)
    A hoe is an ancient and versatile agricultural tool used to move small amounts of soil. Common goals include weed control by agitating the surface of the soil around plants, piling soil around the base of plants , creating narrow furrows and shallow trenches for planting seeds and bulbs, to chop...
    
    : The hoe is her basic ranged attacks, using "all range" trajectories projectiles, with some good damage and explosion attribute.
  • Anti-cleaver girl mop: The mop is more specialized on widespread damage. The large energy attacks can bypass obstacles and buildings.
  • Scythe from the ritual tools shrine (expansion): The scythe changes her playstyle completely. While her defense is still a bit low, Rika has much better physical traits, being much more efficient on ground with much faster and stronger dash and melee attacks at the expense on her aerial abilities. While her ranged attacks aren't that powerful anymore, they are very efficient for any range with good damage, giving her a very nice balance between melee and ranged options. Much like Rena, this weapon changes her personality, being much more serious and cynical about fate and life.

• Satoko is a very unpredictable melee character, dealing surprise attacks with a flexible pattern, though the damage is very weak. To compensate this handicap, she has various and different options for any range.
  • Selected fireworks set: The fireworks deal moderate damage but the projectiles are fast and can create a huge barrage, considering the high amount of ammo and the quick reload speed.
  • Satoko's Trap Lecture: Her trap mode is unique since she has no range attacks in that mode, but she can set traps that does various kinds of damage to whoever on the opposing team that activates the traps.
  • Homing fireworks set (expansion): This set of fireworks are much more powerful, giving her some solid options to deal huge damage. Consequently, the amount of ammo and the reload speed are fairly inferior to the first fireworks set. The missiles have a serious explosion attribute, which are better for the damage aspect, but can be a double edged weapon as she can hit her partner or even herself in the process.

• Tomitake is a strong melee character, with a moderate range and a good defense.
  • Survival camera: The survival camera is rather unusual, playing with the line of sight of the opponents regardless the range between him and his target(s), with weak but very fast ranged attacks. Tomitake can also blind his opponents.
  • Spiritual camera: The spiritual camera is a standard weapon, giving him a usual and direct approach in ranged damage.
  • Submachine gun
    Submachine gun
    A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
    
    (expansion): The H&K MP5 submachine gun is a versatile weapon, combining standard projectiles with his camera "sight attacks" and a unique melee dash attack.

• Takano is a support character, specialized in ranged damaging attacks. While she isn't exactly an autonomous ranged character, her support can be very effective, depending of her partner.
  • Toxic syringe
    Syringe
    A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...
    
    : The syringes are her trademark playstyle, as Takano is dealing damage over time: set amount of damage, which follows up with a poison-like ailment that gradually decreases the victim's hit points. Note that the poison ignores completely the extra or minus defense of either character trait or buff (such like Hypermode and Match extra defense); which makes her the perfect (if not rigged) character against high defense opponents, but much less useful against low defense and agile characters. The poison cannot finish off a character with 0 hp, a direct attack is required in such instance.
  • Poisonous gas spray
    Aerosol spray
    Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an aerosol mist of liquid particles. This is used with a can or bottle that contains a liquid under pressure. When the container's valve is opened, the liquid is forced out of a small hole and emerges as an aerosol or mist...
    
    : Similar to the syringe, the gas spray uses the poison ailment, but in a widespread style with unpredictable projectiles, as their trajectories aren't straight forward.
  • Reinforcement transponder
    Transponder
    In telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...
    
    (expansion): The reinforcement transponder is suitable for hit and run tactics as the damage compenent is delayed, like her 2 previous poison mode. However, this approach deals direct damage instead, which is a more aggressive playstyle.

• Ōishi is a very tough character, having a very high attack and defense power. Consequently, his ranged options and speed are compromised in exchange.
  • Favorite handgun
    Handgun
    A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
    
    : Oishi's revolver
    Revolver
    A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
    
     gives him various versatile options, optimizing his chances to get his target in range.
  • Hyper arm: This "weapon" makes Oishi specialized on brute force: he is able to grab his opponent and use him/her as a projectile. A very effective playstyle against tough melee characters, but it makes him completely helpless in term of mid and long range.
  • The confiscatory (expansion): The confiscatory gives him the ability to randomly pick up a ranged weapon, which improves a lot his usually poor ranged abilities.

• Akasaka is similar to Keiichi, being balanced in melee and ranged attacks. Of course, he doesn't have the range, nor the swiftness of his youth counterpart, but has a higher attack power and a slightly better defense.
  • Secret book of energy attacks: Similar to Keiichi's bat, this book gives basic but efficient energy attacks. These projectiles are generally weaker, slower and longer to charge than Keiichi's baseballs, but they are larger and two simple energy attacks can be fired consecutively. In addition, all energy attacks have some homing effect and the full charged shot bounces to the other opponent if it connects with the first opponent.
  • Secret book of karate
    Karate
    is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
    
    : This book specializes Akasaka in a more brutal melee playstyle, at the expense of the range and speed of his projectiles. The charged and full charged shots are actually strengthened punch, which are very powerful, but only on a straight line.
  • Secret book of setsuna
    Setsuna
    is a Japanese word meaning "a moment; an instant". The word came from a Buddhist term: せつな meaning "split second," which was imported from China but originated in India . It can also be used as a given name as-is, or with different kanji.-Fictional characters:*Setsuna F...
    
    (expansion): This book works like Karate, but with an innate ability: counter attacks which are effective against either melee or ranged attacks. This playstyle is much more strategic, but its stall and timed aspect can be a handicap against swift characters.

• Irie is another support character, specialized in status ailment ranged attacks. Much like Takano, Irie isn't exactly effective as a stand alone character, but his teamwork is very effective.
  • Irie's deluxe medical treatment set: This first set deals low damage, but has the unique ability to heal his partner, whenever they are either hit by the projectiles or standing on the healing circles. It isn't required to aim the partner to heal them, as even stray projectiles will heal them.
  • Irie's deluxe hospitalization set: This second set deals good damage, and has the unique ability to reduce drastically the opponent attack power for a moderate period of time once charged completely.
  • Irie's deluxe support set (expansion): This third set deals average damage. Much like the two other sets, this one has a unique ability: boosting either the Attack or Defense power (or both) of your partner. The buffs duration can be extended, but the boost values are static.

• Chie is a fast and very agile character, having the largest combo moves set. Her movements resemble her model Ciel from Tsukihime
  Tsukihime
  is a Japanese eroge dōjin visual novel game created by Type-Moon, who first released it at the Winter Comiket in December 2000. It was adapted in 2003 into an anime series, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, produced by J.C.Staff and Geneon, and a manga series, which has been serialized since 2004 in...
  
  . The reference is made more visible in the expansion, where Chie can wear a costume resembling those of Ciel's which, when worn, makes her talk like her Tsukihime counterpart. Like Ciel in Melty Blood
  Melty Blood
  , is a visual novel and fighting game, co-developed by dōjin circles Type-Moon and French-Bread, originally released at Comiket on December 2002...
  
  , she cannot change directions when dashing.
  • Lecture-use T-square
    T-square
    A T-square is a technical drawing instrument used by draftsmen primarily as a guide for drawing horizontal lines on a drafting table. It may also guide a triangle to draw vertical or diagonal lines. Its name comes from the general shape of the instrument where the horizontal member of the T slides...
    
    : This weapon gives to Chie some light but fast ranged attacks, resembling Ciel's trademark weapons, the Black Keys. This mode gives her the ability to deal with both opponents in melee and mid/long range.
  • Lecture-use compass
    Compass (drafting)
    A compass or pair of compasses is a technical drawing instrument that can be used for inscribing circles or arcs. As dividers, they can also be used as a tool to measure distances, in particular on maps...
    
    : Much stronger, this weapon enhance a lot Chie's ranged abilities, at the expense of ammo and reload speed.
  • Lecture-use chalk
    Chalk
    Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
    
    (expansion): This weapon puts more emphasis on Chie's agile playstyle, giving more motion options.

• Akane is a very fast melee character, dealing great damage without having trouble to get close to an enemy. She has however a low defense and the "lag" between each melee attack make her approach a risk.
  • : The Mumei is very efficient in ranged attacks, giving her a good ranged support for her melee moves.
  • : The Tamahiki plays much more on melee playstyle. While Akane cannot deal with characters from afar due the lack of projectiles, this weapon offers some support on her movements, making her approach easier. Much like how the name of the weapon suggests (lit. Shell Repeller), this weapon has the unique and innate ability to nullify any ranged attack if Akane hits the projectile with a good timing.
  • Iai
    Iaido
    is a modern Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
    
     katana
    Katana
    A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
    
    (expansion): The Iai Katana is much more "brutal damage" based, with movements included, which gives more possibilities against high defense characters. This weapon is a great compromise between melee and mid-range situations.

• Tatsuyoshi Kasai is a tough ranged character. Despite his stiff and slow movements, his defense and arsenal give him the ability to outlast any standard ranged characters.
  • Shotgun
    Shotgun
    A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
    
    : The shotgun is the fastest weapon among the three, dealing good damage on one or several targets.
  • Machine gun
    Machine gun
    A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
    
    : The AK47 assault rifle is more "wide area attacks" based, with a better damage output, at the expense of ammo and reload speed.
  • Sniper rifle
    Sniper rifle
    In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
    
    (expansion): The sniper rifle has the slowest consecutive shot lag, and the slowest reload speed. However, the damage dealt is above average, and can deal 100% damage (on a normal match setup) on a character if the projectile hits the opponent's head. This playstyle is much more stalling and tactical, though the lack of flexibility is a serious handicap without a good partner.

• Hanyū is a new character, added in the expansion, not available in the story mode. She is the character with the worst defense, which makes her extremely fragile against brutal characters and melee in general. However, her weapons are flexible enough to deal with her weakness.
  • God's World: This first power gives her the ability to reflect any projectile with magical barriers. She can also freeze her opponents briefly, which can stall them (especially their hypermode, since the freeze effect doesn't stop the hypermode drain). Her final ability is a complete Time stop, freezing everything except herself for several seconds; this move is actually a parody of the same abilities exhibited by two characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
    JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
    is a manga written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Every main character's name in each part can be read as JoJo. The manga, published by Shueisha, first ran in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987 to 2002, before being transferred to the seinen magazine Ultra Jump in 2004. The current story...
    
    , namely the character Dio Brando
    Dio Brando
    is a fictional character from the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He is the primary antagonist of Parts 1 and 3, although he is also considered to be the main villain of the entire series, as his actions affect the JoJo universe long after his death...
    
    ; Hanyū even parodies one of his phrases when activating the technique. This weapon gives her the options to deal with both melee and ranged opponents and to support her partner as well.
  • : This second power gives her the ability to use energy attacks. It sets her playstyle into a more direct but ranged aspect. Onigari no Ryūō has also a unique special trait: Any Hypermode will transform Hanyū into a serious and wrathful self and will reveal the true form of Onigari no Ryūō: a sacred demon banishing sword. This "wrath mode" also doubles the usual duration of the hypermode, optimizing the effect of this state. This "fury state" gives her new melee and ranged attacks moves set and drastically increases her melee and ranged attack power.

• Natsumi is a new character, added in the expansion, not available in the story mode. She is a swift melee character, more balanced in regards of defense, while her speed doesn't completely match Shion's. She has however much more problem to deal with ranged characters, as her ranged options are inferior than most melee characters.
  • Mother's kitchen knife: The knife is straight forward, giving an aggressive playstyle. This weapon however lacks of versatility in general.
  • Grandma's saw
    Saw
    A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
    
    : The saw deal damage with weaker but consecutive blows with each melee attack, being effective against tough characters and super armor in general. This weapon specializes much more on melee wide area effects, which permits Natsumi to deal with 2 melee opponents at once.

Expansion

The expansion, was announced and was released on April 22, 2007, in the convention Sunshine Creation 37. Aside from adding new characters and new teams, new features include a third new weapon for the original characters, new costumes, a new stage, a third mode to increase the limit gauge, and a functionality enabling observers in a netplay match. Minor balance adjustments were also implemented.

The in the expansion's title is a homonym to the in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, which is the title of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni during its answer chapters (and also the title of the second season of the Higurashi anime).

Higurashi Daybreak Portable

The PSP port was developed by Cavia, with the assistance from the original makers, Twilight Frontier and 07th Expansion. The port boasts revamped character graphics to match Alchemist's previous Higurashi ports, new storylines for Hanyū and Natsumi, new costumes and weapons, a new opening animation with a theme song, as well as a "shop" feature.

An enhanced version, Higurashi Daybreak Portable Mega Edition, was released on November 26, 2009. This new version features three new characters—Satoshi, Miyoko, and Okonogi—alongside new stages and several changes.

External links

• Official website
• Official website on Higurashi Daybreak Kai
• Official website on Higurashi Daybreak Portable
• Official website on Higurashi Daybreak Portable Mega Edition
• English Wiki guide on Higurashi Daybreak