Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Hakurei Shrine~ => Help Me, Eirin! => Topic started by: Ammon-sama on July 28, 2009, 02:46:42 AM
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Hello,
First I'd like to say hi, I just stumbled upon this site just now while I was searching around for a few things and think this might be what I'm looking for hehe =]
I saw no proper place for this or at least what I would guess was the proper place to ask a handfull of questions but move this if I have gone to the wrong area...
OK, so recently a friend of mine showed me a wonderful song she found on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEFv6hoZ5IE
We have been searching for a very long time to try to find out the lyrics in english, or what the group was. No luck and I'm presuming I'll have none as what I have gathered over time is that this will be staying in japan and never get translated or anything.
But anyways, I was able to learn that the song was from a soundtrack of some game, I dont know what this is, whether it's called tohou or defiant of shrine maiden or what, but I saw some screenshots and read something about it in wikipedia a long time ago and saw screenshots learning that it's an insane shooter game scrolling up the screen with too many bullets to keep track of, and my friend today was playing a game looking alot like it, so I had him send it to me.
The game in question is one called Perfect Cheery Blossom, and uses some of the same characters I saw in other things to do with this "touhou".. a blonde girl in black dress, a girl in a red dress too, who I think is the one called (something)-hakurei..?
So my biggest main question is asking if anybody would please be able to give me an explaination or link me to a good one, of what this touhou thing is, and I know enough to know its a series of games, but what is the order of the games? what are their names? I know that the song I like is from an rpg, but there is shooty ones too isnt there? how can I get the game with that song? Am I able to get other games of the series? are any in english? is there some from of a story that continues through all of them, like I think there is with final fantasy, but I'm not sure as I haven't actually played final fantasy hehe.
and so on.... So really, I'm just a man (well, more just a guy) who has no idea of almost anything about touhou or shrine maiden at all apart from a few things which I have mentioned and would really like to learn alot about all of this.
I'll be very thankful to anyone who can teach me all of this and guide me in how to get the game(s),, and thankyou very much =]
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
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http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Touhou_Wiki
Eventually it will all make sense.
What Baity posted as well. Watch that first.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o
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In short, Touhou is a series of bullet hell shmups all developed by a guy going under the pseudonym of "ZUN." Over the years though, the series has grown in popularity, leading to a multitude of derivative works. More and more doujin circles began to create products based and set in the Touhou universe: stuff like remixed music, doujinshi (e.g. manga/comics), and doujinsoft (e.g. games like Concealed the Conclusion).
So, while it's a series of games at heart, Touhou has expanded to something far more huge and expansive.
Edit: Like how the videos above mention, it's really easy to misinterpret just what Touhou is based on internet findings. YouTube will have tons of videos remixing music (and more popularly, using this music to create goofy AMVs/MADs), as well as videos of actual doujinshi and whatnot. It's in no way surprising to discover Touhou through the fandom and doujin work rather than the games. Besides, I discovered Touhou through IOSYS flash animations a little over a year ago >_>
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So my biggest main question is asking if anybody would please be able to give me an explaination or link me to a good one, of what this touhou thing is, and I know enough to know its a series of games, but what is the order of the games? what are their names? I know that the song I like is from an rpg, but there is shooty ones too isnt there? how can I get the game with that song? Am I able to get other games of the series? are any in english? is there some from of a story that continues through all of them, like I think there is with final fantasy, but I'm not sure as I haven't actually played final fantasy hehe.
I'll be very thankful to anyone who can teach me all of this and guide me in how to get the game(s),, and thankyou very much =]
Okay for the record there are 14 games right now, but the 12th one is in demo right now. There are a few touhou games with decimals in them. Most of them are danmaku shooting games, but 7.5 and 10.5 are fighting. Shoot the bullet is a game where you take pictures of bullet patterns. There are usually 4 levels of playing. They are easy, normal, hard , and lunatic. The difficulty goes from easy to lunatic (lunatic being the hardest.) There are usually 6 stages in most of the danmaku games. You can also unlock an extra stage in which you fight an extra boss. The RPG that you saw was an April fools Joke. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) Yeah this is only the surface of touhou. You still have game mechanics and characters and all sorts of stuff. Like Donut said you should go explore touhou wikia.
1. The Highly Responsive to Prayers
2. The Story of Eastern Wonderland
3. Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream
4. Lotus Land Story
5. Mystic Square
6. the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
7. Perfect cherry Blossom
7.5. Immaterial and Missing Power
8. Imperishable Night
9. Phantasmagoria of Flower View
9.5 Shoot the bullet
10. Mountain of Faith
10.5. Scarlet Weather Rhapsody
11. Subterranean Animism
12. Undefined Fanatasic Object
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The RPG that you saw was an April fools Joke. (Correct me if I'm wrong.
No, Defiant of Shrine Maiden does exist - its expansion/sequal, Counterattack of God Human Being, is more popular.
is there some from of a story that continues through all of them, like I think there is with final fantasy, but I'm not sure as I haven't actually played final fantasy hehe.
Actually, the Final Fantasy games are totally separate worlds and stories each time.
Anyway, to best explain, Touhou is, as said, a series of games made by ZUN, which has expanded and flat out exploded in popularity, to the degree of which extremely few Doujin (Self-produced) products ever has (It could be likened to Fate/Stay Night's extreme popularity - but perhaps even bigger as far as fan creations).
The main series is focused on "bullet hell" gameplay, in which you need to carefully weave through complex and artistic bullet patterns, made possible only via the very small hitboxes. Touhou is set apart from other shmup series by the fair (and changeable) difficulty, focus on large numbers of fairly slow bullets to reward calm play as careful movement (as opposed to fast bullets and twitch dodging), rewarding the player for 'grazing' bullets (Almost, but not quite, getting hit) and playing riskily, as well as a sense of beauty and originality in the attack designs of bosses.
The other thing that sets it apart is story and character. A lot of bullet hell games ignore these things - Touhou games feature a pretty huge female cast (Each boss tends to be a brand new character) and a flowing story for each game (Although they're fairly independant, so you don't need to play each game).
The main two characters are Reimu Hakurei, a lazy human shrine maiden who fights off Youkai and goes to solve any and all major 'incidents' that occur throughout Gensokyo (The fantasy setting of Touhou), and Marisa Kirisame, a kleptomaniacal human witch and Reimu's friend; as well as other various characters throughout the series.
Technically, Touhou 1-5 are non-essential and just a sort of background image to Gensokyo at this point (Even the creator acts like it), so the Windows games, in order, are...
Touhou 6: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo5n73BnHwI) - a strange scarlet mist covers Gensokyo, blocking out the sun, so Reimu and Marisa head to the mysterious Scarlet Devil Mansion to find out who's behind it. Lots of characters introduced here come back in later games.
Touhou 7: Perfect Cherry Blossom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNYGTuXeTRM) - Winter's over, but spring hasn't arrived! Reimu, Marisa, and the maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Sakuya, head out to get it back. More refined than 6 and considered one of the best, and again, a lot of this cast comes back later.
Touhou 7.5: Immaterial and Missing Power (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zQ3eH6rklI) - A festival for the girls turns into an all out brawl! It was only half-developped by ZUN; Tasogare Frontier mostly made this very unique fighting game.
Touhou 8: Imperishable Night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGABIPUwT8) - Realising the moon in the night sky isn't the real one, one of four teams of girls sets out to find the real full moon by extending the night. The Touhou game with the most content due to branching stages and unlockables, but also sorta gimmicky and easier than others.
Touhou 9: Phantasmagoria of Flower View (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8P4Bh6k2tk) - Flowers are blooming like crazy all over Gensokyo, and everyone's out and about to find out why! The game is a 'versus bullet hell', where you and your opponent are both trying to survive and overwhelm one another.
Touhou 10: Mountain of Faith (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8P4Bh6k2tk) - A whole mountain has appaeared in Gensokyo, so Reimu and Marisa go to investigate. Very much reverted to a simple game from the increased complexity of 8, opinions are mixed but the game's still solid.
Touhou 10.5: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8qaSOc-gKc) - Strange weather and earthquakes are hitting Gensokyo! Who's behind it? Well, you'll find out. Another Tasogare Fronteir fighter, which is getting an expansion soon. Easier to pick up and play than IaMP, but a bit more random.
Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLAH7-wM1RU) - A geyser opens near Hakurei shrine, so Reimu and Marisa head underground to stem a flow of evil spirits, accompanied by old friends. My personal favourite, but also known for being hands down the hardest of the bullet hell games.
There's also 9.5 (Shoot the Bullet, focused around photographing bullets, but has no active plot and stars Aya, from 9), and the upcoming 12: Undefined Fantastic Object (About a mysterious flying Treasure ship), and a TONNE of fangames - including platformers like Super Marisa World or MegaMari, RTS like Patch-con! Defend the Library, beat-em-ups like Rift in Friendship and Mystic Chain, other bullet hells like Concealed the Conclusion, and even RPGs like Touhou Mother.
The good news? A lot are translated - 6, 7, 7.5, 8, 9, 9.5, 10, and 11 from the main series can all be patched to english, and so can a few fangames.
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But don't pretend that the first five games don't exist! They are (with the exception of SoEW) quite good games in their own right.
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Someone sticky this? so we can redirect everyone to it?
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Wow, thankyou everyone for helping alot :)
Each of you has given me lots of various information that now I can really understand it all, so now I just need to get to work on trying to get the games =D
So are all these games proper games that must be bought now, or are some or any of them free? My friend ollie who is here right now and is also now interested in the series and I are both looking around a bit to try to find where we can get the games. He's found 7.5 so we're just trying to get that now..
I'm happy to find out that we can get a patch for Perfect Cherry Blossom too, because the version we have isn't translated so I'm going to work on patching that now :P
I was also wondering, I haven't seen much about the shrine maiden RPG with that song I like, apart from it has an expansion which is more popular, but does anybody know if that one is patchable into english or even if it isn't, where to get it? it doesn't seem to be part of the 1-12 list..
Again, thankyou to all who are responding so well and helping us out alot =]
Edit: I was also wondering about the music. on the version of perfect cherry blossom I have, it seems that background music only works when I set it to midi mode, but is there a way I can play the game with proper sound files and not midi? the music is so nice but I've found that midi kind of ruins it a bit..
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So are all these games proper games that must be bought now, or are some or any of them free? My friend ollie who is here right now and is also now interested in the series and I are both looking around a bit to try to find where we can get the games. He's found 7.5 so we're just trying to get that now..
All the games have demos that go until stage 3. (Except Shoot the Bullet. Also, I dunno how far the IaMP and SWR demos go.)
I'm happy to find out that we can get a patch for Perfect Cherry Blossom too, because the version we have isn't translated so I'm going to work on patching that now :P
I was also wondering, I haven't seen much about the shrine maiden RPG with that song I like, apart from it has an expansion which is more popular, but does anybody know if that one is patchable into english or even if it isn't, where to get it? it doesn't seem to be part of the 1-12 list..
There are a lot of fan-made games. AFAIK, the game that you were talking about (Defiant of Shrine Maiden) is being translated by BaitySM (As well as the expansion/sequel, Counterattack of God Human Being).
Edit: I was also wondering about the music. on the version of perfect cherry blossom I have, it seems that background music only works when I set it to midi mode, but is there a way I can play the game with proper sound files and not midi? the music is so nice but I've found that midi kind of ruins it a bit..
Must be the demo. The Demos only have MIDI implemented, the full versions can be played with the WAV option.
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Ah ok,,
I presume that the demos can be gotten on the main website, and I think I remember the youtube video mentioned some place to buy the games, but not as a website so I guess it's time for a little homework and fgure out where to buy them hehe!
If Defiant of Shrine Maiden is being translated, I guess that means it's out and if I can find it, I will be able to get it right?
Ahh that seems logical, so I need to work on getting a proper version of that too hehe!
I was wondering, do these games work with controllers? I can imagine that moving the character round could be a little easier with an analogue stick instead of arrow keys =D
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Ah ok,,
I presume that the demos can be gotten on the main website, and I think I remember the youtube video mentioned some place to buy the games, but not as a website so I guess it's time for a little homework and fgure out where to buy them hehe!
Yep, Team Shanghai Alice's website holds the demos for the main games and Tasogare Frontier has the fighting games.
If Defiant of Shrine Maiden is being translated, I guess that means it's out and if I can find it, I will be able to get it right?
I'd wait until the translation patch is out, since it's an RPG, and you should know that RPGs are text-heavy.
I was wondering, do these games work with controllers? I can imagine that moving the character round could be a little easier with an analogue stick instead of arrow keys =D
Actually some of us think that presicion is easier with the keyboard, but if you want to play with controllers, all Touhou hames are compatible. Yet, I don't think the sticks work with that, I'd need confirmation from someone else.
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Edit: I was also wondering about the music. on the version of perfect cherry blossom I have, it seems that background music only works when I set it to midi mode, but is there a way I can play the game with proper sound files and not midi? the music is so nice but I've found that midi kind of ruins it a bit..
Hmmm seems like soundcard issues to me. Make sure you sounddrivers are correctly installed as WAV should work.
If you want to listen to them standalone outside the game. --> http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?topic=197.30
Plus welcome to the forums. You are safe as long as you don't spout stuff like a member called: "The Touhou Fan" (honestly that is his nick, but he is lacking the Fan part).
Enjoy the BGMs as I listen to them daily. (Not all but selective)
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I guess I should be able to get used to keyboard controls quickly enough if I play alot =D
I just dont like too much the only 4 directions and how they kind of move in jump steps and not smoothly for those bits where I have to do some really fine dodging- maybe I'm worse at it then I thought hehe! So really it should just take me some practice, but I think I will try out using a controller =]
And thanks for showing me to the BGMs, I love soundtracks and these are awesome =D
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I guess I should be able to get used to keyboard controls quickly enough if I play alot =D
I just dont like too much the only 4 directions and how they kind of move in jump steps and not smoothly for those bits where I have to do some really fine dodging- maybe I'm worse at it then I thought hehe! So really it should just take me some practice, but I think I will try out using a controller =]
And thanks for showing me to the BGMs, I love soundtracks and these are awesome =D
You can hold down more than one key to move in diagonals. What game(s) are you playing right now?
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remember to stay away from yukkuris. *shudder*
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Glad to have been of service, and welcome to the community. 8D
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remember to stay away from yukkuris. *shudder*
*Loud Cough*
Anyway Yukkuris most people can tolerate.
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Clarification: Stay away from yukkuri "refreshing".
Unfortunately, that constitutes a fairly large portion of yukkuri stuff.
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I'm playing perfect cherry blossom and trying to get immaterial and missing power right now =]
what are yukkuri apart from one of your usernames?
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what are yukkuri apart from one of your usernames?
Horrendous creatures.
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Yukkuri's avatar is a Reimu yukkuri.
They're horrendously deformed heads of Touhou characters and are just damn creepy.
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This (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?board=13.0) is the one of the only places on the forum free of yukkuri taint.
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And they go around saying yukkuri shiteitte ne. Which means take it easy.
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http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Yukkuri_shiteitte_ne! (http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Yukkuri_shiteitte_ne!)
That.
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I am appalled and ashamed at the sheer size of that page.
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I know, right?
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I am appalled and ashamed at the sheer size of that page.
I'm more amused at the fact that no one noticed my shoehorning in of Yumemi-types, Chiyuri-types, Shinki-types, Yumeko-types, Ruukoto-types, and VIVIT-types.
:V
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I'm more amused at the fact that no one noticed my shoehorning in of Yumemi-types, Chiyuri-types, Shinki-types, Yumeko-types, Ruukoto-types, and VIVIT-types.
:V
Wait, you did it?
Oh, wow.
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Lets not forget the all important Yukkuri wiki
http://yukkuri.wikia.com/wiki/Yukkuri_Wiki
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I recommended starting out with either EoSD or PCB, then moving on to MoF or SA, then finally IN if you still want more.
EoSD and PCB are great to start beginners off, and this way you can really appreciate the more refinements made to the later games. IN is mostly micro-memorization bullshit, so I would stay away from that game entirely, probably just keeping it archived in your computer somewhere.
In addition to whatever game(s) you choose to start with, I HIGHLY recommend getting Shoot the Bullet. This is important. As a beginner, one of the fastest ways to improve is by StB, as it gives you direct spellcard practice, which is the essence of the game, not to mention the hardest part. Stages don't give much practice.
You're welcome.
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Mmm, I seriously don't recommend Shoot the Bullet. Yes, it's important to get used to the hard parts, but since Shoot the Bullet is sadistically difficult, only has one difficulty, and ONE screwup requires you to start over the entire stage from the beginning (at least MoF and on give you multiple lives, and you can keep going during a spellcard if you die or bomb, and "running out of time" doesn't count as "dying"), it's more likely to frustrate someone into turning them off from the game.
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Actually, I liked Shoot the Bullet because it wouldn't give me all the spellcards just because I cared for playing it. I got it before any of the shmups, by the way.
The sensation of being free to choose whic attack to clear and when also helped.
But maybe I'm the only person who thinks like that...
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Touhou is an anime...really *ducks*.
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I'm highly amused about these yukkuri things lol and find those wiki pages hilarious haha!
About whether to play shoot the bullet first or not, considering both your points that it is very good practice for harder b=parts of the games, but also incredibly difficult, I will try to get the game and play it first, but in order to avoid myself loosing too much and getting fed up with the game I'll get an easier game too so I wont go feeling so bad about myself lol!
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Touhou is an anime...really *ducks*.
GET OUT B4 SHIT HITS THE FAN!
Anyway, if you play EOSD, you will learn to appreciate the hit box a lot.
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This image explains all :D
(http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/Kaji_Kai/Touhou/Touhou_doujin_ad.png)
Well... sort of :P
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So I'll get thin if I make stuff in Danmakufu?
Awesome!
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(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc110/Cadmas/WhatisTouhou.jpg)
Found this image once upon a time.
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in response to the comment about shoot the bullet, yes, it does get sadistically difficult, but keep in mind that the easier spell cards that are still doable are wonderful practice, as you skip right to the chase. besides that, the super-difficulty spell cards to provide you with some valuable experience regarding how to micro-memorize spells, especially for IN.
so I'd say still download shoot the bullet, even though you probably won't need it after like stage 7 or 8
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(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc110/Cadmas/WhatisTouhou.jpg)
Found this image once upon a time.
not enough shonens, but that works
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(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc110/Cadmas/WhatisTouhou.jpg)
Found this image once upon a time.
You forgot armpits
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What do you think the last picture is?