moogy
The story has... issues, but in terms of raw game design this remains probably the most consistently well-designed and interesting game I've played of any genre.
Stages are trash and it's lacking in QoL to say the least, but the rawness of the RNG-heavy danmaku makes it surprisingly fun to play (as long as you're not particularly invested in any given run). Also great for honing your basic danmaku skills.
2019
It's all right. While it represents a step up in ambition for Ladybug, it's still very linear and somewhat lacking in horizontal progression; the game doesn't really feel expansive in a way that the greats of the genre do. If nothing else, the graphics are gorgeous.
Danmaku is mostly unfun, probably more interesting as a score game than a survival one. Huge step forward for the series in terms of aesthetics, though, and I can't hate the game that gave us Yukari.
Probably my least favorite of the Windows Touhou games. Patterns are mostly boring and while it has a lot of content not very much of it is actually good (the last words in particular are mostly just annoying gimmicks). As a survival player, the most fun I've had with this is grinding Asteroid Belt.
Huge step forward from 6-8 in terms of stage and pattern design. First half is pretty much perfect, second half is weaker but finishes off with a major bang. Bombs are probably a bit too OP.
The only things wrong with this game are Yamame's first pattern, the second half of stage 2, Satori's Yukari cards, and the stage portion of stage 6. Which might seem like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, this is a kamige.
Well, the main game is, anyway. I actually find the Koishi fight in Extra to be possibly the least fun thing ZUN has ever made, but I don't really care about Extra.
Well, the main game is, anyway. I actually find the Koishi fight in Extra to be possibly the least fun thing ZUN has ever made, but I don't really care about Extra.
Haven't played this enough to give it a rating yet. Ichirin's boss theme is one of the most underrated songs in Touhou imo.
Release system is stupidly broken and there are lots of weird/overly hard patterns that drag the game down. But I think it actually has a lot of neat stuff if you can get past that; the stage design in particular is pretty tight, IMO. Definitely not a bad game.
Generally solid game, nothing really sticks out but nothing is really wrong with it either (except some visibility issues here and there). Not being able to avoid interfacing with the hyper system is a bit annoying when going for bombless runs, but otherwise I think it's a much better take on that sort of system than trances in 13 or the release system in 16 (and everything is perfectly doable without hypers except maybe the penultimate pattern). Also has one of the best soundtracks; every song from stage 4 on is impeccable.
Feels like a janky clone of Ys and not like Ys itself. At least Remilia is cute.
Probably my favorite plot/setting in Touhou and one of the best soundtracks too. Design-wise it's all over the place but at least it has PDH.
Stages 4-6 are the coolest stages in any Touhou game on a purely aesthetic level, imo.
Stages 4-6 are the coolest stages in any Touhou game on a purely aesthetic level, imo.
Honestly a pretty janky game, with an almost inverted difficulty curve (lol Kagerou) and horrifically imbalanced shot types, but I love it anyway. The PoC-based score system is my favorite in Touhou, adding a ton of fun considerations to routing without getting in the way of pure survival runs either.
Has the best title screen music.
Has the best title screen music.
Another one I haven't played enough of on Lunatic to really form a solid opinion of the pattern/stage design of. Trances are very silly though.
Gameplay is weird nonsense but the scenario is actually kami. TenShion for life