Hardest Version?

[?q]

MS and LLS don't change very much as you ascend in difficulty tbh, so if you can do Mystic Square on Normal you should be able to beat it on Hard without much more stress, etc.

That said, Mystic Square is difficult to learn.  because it's poorly designed

[LHCling]

'Certain person'... guessing game!!! Is it the nut? Or ZUN?

No and no. You're not going to be able to guess it, I can assure you  :V
Regarding the current debate:

• Few resources != Harder Game
• More resources != Easier Game

But;

• Less resources != less room for error
• More resources = more room for error

[Suikama]

The biggest challenge of SA is the extreme slippery slope, expecially during bosses. Once you start doing badly it's just gets harder and harder to catch up as your power drops, you lose life pieces from failing spells, and bosses then take forever to beat. If you can maintain your power then it's not hard to clear the game with a ton of lives remaining.

[c l e a r]

honestly, there is only one attack in Normal SA that I still don't understand... Orin's final non-card, it looks like you can pass through a pattern with relative ease, but then it goes away and you are in a different spot in the pattern.  I bomb through that even though if it means facing Needle Mountain and Dead Ashes with 1.00-2.00 Power.

but yea, in Normal, SA takes the cake, I am rather proud that my first 1cc is from SA.  Everything else came soon after, minus IN cause the time system hates me or something, or EoSD when I get off my lazy ass and actually try.

Speaking of which, how do you play IN's Time system properly?  I mean ideally, you want to get Rank A every stage so that it doesn't screw you when you are in Final B right?  If someone can tell me how to do that it will be great.  Also, does deathbombing reduce time?

[?q]

Speaking of which, how do you play IN's Time system properly?  I mean ideally, you want to get Rank A every stage so that it doesn't screw you when you are in Final B right?  If someone can tell me how to do that it will be great.  Also, does deathbombing reduce time?

Unless you plan on using Continues, the major function of meeting the Time goal in each stage is to give yourself more room for error against Kaguya's just-for-fun Last Spells, as they will end prematurely if time hits 5:00AM during the spell rush.  (If you're playing for score, there's already no room for error anyway. )

Deathbombing does cut into your Time.  Dying definitely cuts into your Time (about 1000 Time lost IIRC).  Bombing does not.
You get Time for a proportion of the bullets that hit things when your gauge is at most -80%.
You get 3 Time per bullet you graze while your gauge is at least 80%.  You also get 1 Time per enemy you kill...
Spells are worth lots of Time if you capture them.  I guess it might have to do with how large the spell circle is, but don't quote me on that.

Basically, don't get hit and capture spell cards a few spell cards, and you should be pretty good to go for Time.

[lmagus]

shoot unfocused on 2nd and 3rd stage!

helps a lot as they are the hardest one imo to meet the time requirement

[Bananamatic]

Dying definitely cuts into your Time (about 1000 Time lost IIRC).

I didn't know this. Pretty sad considering that I'm starting Lunatic soon :V

[c l e a r]

While we are still on topic, how DO you "see" Imperishable Shooting" after beating "Hourai Doll"?

[nintendonut888]

Clear extra while capturing at least 7 spell cards. Sounds like a lot, but when there are 13 of them and three can be picked up from Keine, it's not that hard.

And yeah, time means nothing if you don't care about score and are aiming for a 1cc. The only real penalty is that if you don't make it to Rising World/whatever her final last spell is called you don't get the satisfaction of seeing her explode in slow motion. For score though, Kaguya's last spells are worth 33 million each, so it's in your best interests to capture as many as possible for a good score.

[LHCling]

Kaguya's last spells are worth at least 33 million each, so it's in your best interests to capture as many as possible for a good score.

:V

[Azinth]

You can get a lot of easy time points just by using the youkai shot to kill familiar-spawning enemies at the right time, i.e. when they've completely spawned all the familiars and when they've fired all of their bullets (when you kill the master, the familiars' death explosions convert surrounding bullets into time orbs).

For instance, stage 2.  If you can milk both the streaming fairies in the middle of the stage and the shotgunning fairies at the end of the stage properly, it's fairly easy to get about 6k time by the time midboss Mystia shows up. 

[Zengeku]

No and no. You're not going to be able to guess it, I can assure you  :V

I'll just give it up then and pretend its AVGN for ranting about your all-time favorite game Silver Surfer.

[LHCling]

Silver Surfer.

Spoiler:

I almost feel like playing it someday

.

[Arcengal]

While we are still on topic, how DO you "see" Imperishable Shooting" after beating "Hourai Doll"?

It tells you in spell practice. You need to have captured at least 7 cards during your run, between Keine and Mokou. So, 7/13.

[Bananamatic]

Spoiler:

I almost feel like playing it someday

.

It was almost as painful as Dragon Warrior, minus the ye olde talk.

[Zengeku]

Spoiler:

I almost feel like playing it someday

.

Now, don't lie to me! You love it, i know you do!

[LHCling]

Heard about it; watched the "review", haven't played it yet  :V

[Matsuri]

It was almost as painful as Dragon Warrior, minus the ye olde talk.

Hey. Hey. Hey. Dragon Warrior is awesome. 

[Bananamatic]

Hey. Hey. Hey. Dragon Warrior is awesome. 

A Remilia draws near!
Remilia chants the spell of Scarlet Meister.
Command?
>item
>bomb
use on
[ ]Thyself
[X]Enemy
Marisa chants the spell of Master Spark.
Remilia's hit points have been reduced by 350.
Thou hast done well in defeating the Remilia.

[Matsuri]

A Remilia draws near!
Remilia chants the spell of Scarlet Meister.
Command?
>item
>bomb
use on
[ ]Thyself
[X]Enemy
Marisa chants the spell of Master Spark.
Remilia's hit points have been reduced by 350.
Thou hast done well in defeating the Remilia.

Yup. <3

[Zetzumarshen]

While all the games have very deep depths of scoring to the point it all looks very hard to me :

1. UFO is the hardest game to both 1cc and perfectly scoring at same time. A certain WR replay only have room for 1 deathbomb...
2. SA is the second hardest for both scoring and 1cc-ing at the same time. A perfect stage 1-5 is a must, but there are some room for error in stage 6.
3. EoSD then comes to my mind. Full of suicides everywhere, but very little scoring penalty at bombing Remilia, and Killing Doll and other portion requirement to be bombed for scoring making it somewhat easier.

Other games doesn't have to suicide to score so they are about the same.

Don't know about PC-98 games though >_> 

[Zengeku]

Heard about it; watched the "review", haven't played it yet  :V

Well, there really isn't anything good about except for the music which for some reason reminds me of Touhou. Its gotta be those hi-pitched sounds it uses.

Its difficulty is based on you not knowing what's coming. Its easy if you micromemorize everything though.

[Ghaleon]

A Remilia draws near!
Remilia chants the spell of Scarlet Meister.
Command?
>item
>bomb
use on
[ ]Thyself
[X]Enemy
Marisa chants the spell of Master Spark.
Remilia's hit points have been reduced by 350.
Thou hast done well in defeating the Remilia.

Nice try, too bad Remilia is probably the absolute most bomb-resistant non-extra boss in Touhou

[AlexX Unlimited]

Nice try, too bad Remilia is probably the absolute most bomb-resistant non-extra boss in Touhou

I'm pretty sure Utsuho gets that award, thanks to her obscenely high HP and most bombs in SA being rather crappy... =V

[Ghaleon]

I'm pretty sure Utsuho gets that award, thanks to her obscenely high HP and most bombs in SA being rather crappy... =V

The bombs are more crappy, she's not more resistant to them >=p

[AlexX Unlimited]

The bombs are more crappy, she's not more resistant to them >=p

And has a lot more HP (or at least if the information topic is to be believed).

[Bananamatic]

And has a lot more HP (or at least if the information topic is to be believed).

Not really. You just need to know how to stay under her, or you might be in for a timeout.

[AlexX Unlimited]

Not really. You just need to know how to stay under her, or you might be in for a timeout.

Utsuho? You know who you're talking to, right? >.>;

[Bananamatic]

Utsuho? You know who you're talking to, right? >.>;

I do :V

For the first card, you need to figure how to misdirect the suns so you are hitting more than missing.
Second card, watch the enemy indicator. One of the few times when I've found it useful.
Or it will take a loooooooong time.

You'd be surprised how fast Ten Evil Stars goes down when you can stay right under her in the safespot.
Tokamak can be a matter of 20 seconds and her final is just way too short.

But yeah, when you flail around randomly, it can take a long time, especially the first 2.

[Ghaleon]

Utusho has the most health, I don't know by how much though.

It also doesn't help that Utusho is a dumbass and flies over you to get shot at. Meanwhile Remilia likes to bounce around randomly.

Scarlet Gensokyo is still the longest seeming spellcard ever. Unless you pull off Nintendonuts cheese trick of bombing scarlet meister at 1% or whatever it is, I haven't tried that myself.