Touhou 14.3: Danmaku Amanojaku ~ Impossible Spell Card announced!

[Firestorm29]

The one thing I find interesting is what exactly this impossible danmaku is about, more simply because the idea of danmaku was to act as a limiter and it's now being lifted somewhat because someone's gone a bit rouge.

[Leon゠Helsing]

As a fervent Seija hater, I'm surprisingly okay with this.
Welp, see ya later, ya *bleep*hole Amanojaku. Whoops, tautology!

On a somewhat more serious note, I'm kinda hoping the story doesn't end with her being a karma houdini. Unlikely, given that she's the main character, but I have a habit of clinging on to small hopes.

[teefa85]

Looks interesting.  I wonder how everything will fall into place both story and gameplay-wise when we see the full version.

[Kimidori]

Except I am completely serious here and don't do it to be "edgy". Sorry if criticism of past games and having very little hope for the next game are forbidden, I didn't know!

You don't come to a wedding saying out loud that a couple gonna divorce just because you think they does not fit eachother or ruin a party just because you don't like it,  it's unlikely that anything we say will ever change your opinion newer Touhou game, but for the people who enjoyed and loved new Touhou game like me and many other people (especially the high risk high reward on TD and DDC), you are just a party pooper that brought down everyone mood, so please, I would appreciate it if you post these opinion on a personal blog or something of the sort, not thread mean for everyone to celebrate a new Touhou game like this.

it's not about right or wrong, it's about mood and attitude, to quote from urban dictionary.

party pooper
A person that ruins a festive moment with their attitude.

[I have no name]

not thread mean for everyone to celebrate a new Touhou game like this.

I was under the impression this thread was meant for discussing the new game, both the good and the bad things that can be gleaned from the trailer.  Again, I'm not saying the way Sakurei expressed his opinions is the best, but at the same time I don't think he needs to be piled on by everyone for expressing a different opinion.
Especially when that opinion was extrapolated on with more reasons and admitting the assessment could be incorrect here.

Anyway, the higher quality trailer is definitely interesting-I have to agree with Sakurei and Star King that I hope it's just tutorial stages with no actual dodging and just cheesing past the patterns-the "Day 1" implies this but no patterns that require dodging are shown yet...a bit worrisome but at the very least it's messing with an interesting concept.  If the final execution is up to par remains to be seen.

[Hello Purvis]

So Seija gets the Miracle Mallet? If I recall proper, only kobito can use that thing to begin with, so I am assuming that she's also kidnapping Shinmyoumaru and shoving her into her pocket as well. I am okay with this.

[Burning Love]

Oh hey, a new Touhou game! And I still haven't cleared EOSD extra stage yet ;_;

In the mean time, can we speculate/ predict which characters will probably appear and which not?

My speculah:

Reimu, Marisa and Sakuya might be the final/ extra boss. They are the MC of the previous game and most hostile towards Seija.

Youmu, Reisen, Sanae. Reason: Stage 5 boss. Friendly to humans more than youkai (except maybe Youmu). Busybodies

Stage 6 boss: Sukuna. Why not? Besides, did Seija copied the miracle mallet or outright stole it from Sukuna? If it is stolen, one more reason for Sukuna (and some other characters to appear)
                       Byakuran: Buddha forbids stealing. Budhha also forbids flipping screen. Taste the Budhha kick!
                       Miko: No reason for not appearing. No reason for appearing either. (50/50)
                       Yuyuko: As far as there are no reason for her to appear, I see that as a reason why she might appear.
                       Remilia: Less likely, but given her tendency and arrogance (and charisma), she will appear

Cameo: Shiki Eiki. I am the Law!

Highly impossible but I want to: Flandre, Koishi, Satori. Sorry, you are grounded!


What characters do you wish to see? What characters you are sick of? Will Mokou appear as a saviour of the bamboo forest?

[SirSlarty]

It looks like Seija's relying on others' powers, namely devices, and not her own powers Unless I'm missing something..

[Kimidori]

I was under the impression this thread was meant for discussing the new game, both the good and the bad things that can be gleaned from the trailer.  Again, I'm not saying the way Sakurei expressed his opinions is the best, but at the same time I don't think he needs to be piled on by everyone for expressing a different opinion.
Especially when that opinion was extrapolated on with more reasons and admitting the assessment could be incorrect here.

Anyway, the higher quality trailer is definitely interesting-I have to agree with Sakurei and Star King that I hope it's just tutorial stages with no actual dodging and just cheesing past the patterns-the "Day 1" implies this but no patterns that require dodging are shown yet...a bit worrisome but at the very least it's messing with an interesting concept.  If the final execution is up to par remains to be seen.

then if she expressed her opinion fron the beginning with that much reasoning then it would not have been that much of a mood killer, basically saying "lol 2hu ded" without anything to back it up at the first post is something need to be piled on, and she was bashing TD and DDC too, not this new game that you was "under the impression"  what this thread is about, that also count as off-topic IMO.

[LunarWingCloud]

*crawls out of Vocaloid-induced hole I was sitting in for a couple nights*

Just saw this after getting home from a 12-hour shift.

GET HYPED. You can teleport? YOU PLAY AS SEIJA?? I SAW NONE OF THIS COMING. NONE. OF. THIS.

This is the ZUN I know and love. Throwing curveballs violently and drunkenly and me sitting here in amazement. And it comes out next month!! : D

[Chuckolator]

guys

it's just a video game

can't we all just have fun playing video games

[Mino ☆]

It would be better if we could stop replying to the comment and bringing it up.

By the looks of it, Sakurei probably won't be responding to any of the newer comments anyway. It's best to drop it and change the subject.

[LunarWingCloud]

To change what was being... talked about earlier, to something new, did anyone here expect Seija to have a game?

[Mino ☆]

I was actually thinking Seija was going to be forgotten about.

But I'm glad to see that Zun didn't throw her away and even gave her the spotlight of a new game! I'm hoping to see Sukuna making an appearance in this game as well! From the video, it looks like Kagerou, Keine, Yatsuhashi, Sekibanki, Yuyuko, and Wakasagihime are confirmed.

We can assume the rest of the DDC cast will make an appearance, as well as some of the older cast members. Reimu, Marisa, and Sakuya will probably make an appearance.

[SIRookie]

What I'm speculating is each "Day" represents a difficulty, and each "Day" will have different stages/bosses, and having so many stages/bosses is a way to bring back some of the older characters (like Keine). Or it just takes place in/"near" the bamboo forest, so that's where this batch of characters will primarily come from.

Nonetheless, it certainly is an interesting set of mechanics, and I like how Seija's being used more, being as new as she is. I'm looking forward to seeing some more gameplay and maybe trying it out.

[cuc]

Has anyone pointed out that this time the main title contains no "Touhou", AND IT RHYMES?

Item summaries revamped.

There are 9 items in total, all appearing to have proficiencies that can be raised.

The idea of "proficiencies" making items stronger is a strange idea for a game based on puzzle danmaku. If it was up to me, I'll make their levels adjustable, and the better the item you use, the lower your score is.

Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb:
Teleports you near the boss (see video for how this works)

Tengu's Toy Camera:
Takes down bullets in the front as photos, automatic focusing and film-loading
Unique attribute: Photography Range

Cursed Decoy Doll
Attracts aimed bullets
Unique attribute: Appearance Time

Four-Foot Magic Bomb
A timed bomb that clears bullets; increasing proficiency will enlarge its range; the name references a fireworks mortar shell four shaku (one shaku is roughly a foot) in diameter
Unique attribute: Range

Folding Umbrella of the Gap:
Warps through screen edges; you can hold the button to hide yourself outside the screen
Unique attribute: Hidden Time

Body Double Jizo Statue:
Dies in your place when hit
Unique attribute: Invincible Time

Send-Off Lantern of Ghosts:
Turns you into a ghost, who is invincible, and still can move and shoot
Unique attribute: Ghost Time

Nimble Fabric:
Makes you invincile; you can't move, but you can control your time of invincibility by holding the button (you are probably invincible as long as you are holding the button, and the "Through Time" attribute might be your reaction time)
Unique attribute: Through Time

Miracle Mallet?:
Unknown

[Zil]

The idea of "proficiencies" making items stronger is a strange idea for a game based on puzzle danmaku. If it was up to me, I'll make their levels adjustable, and the better the item you use, the lower your score is.

My sentiments exactly.

Do you know if the number of uses you get also increases, or is it just the unique attribute?

[ToyoRai]

I wonder how the Sub-weapon system will work. Do you switch between main ad sub? Can you use both at the same time with sub having own button?

I also wonder if Body Double Jizo Statue will activate on its own or does it act like a death bomb.

Also, there is something what is bothering me about the trailer. In the beginning of the Yuyuko clip, you can hear death sound. However, its pretty unclear what made the sound happen.

[Arcengal]

The awesome thing is that some of these actually might not be impossible without the items. Werewolf-girl's non-spell (sorry, I never memorised the DDC character names) looks doable, if difficult.

[HyperGumba]

Welp... I was not sure what I was expecting, knowing that a spin-off was definitely going to come out this year, but with Seija as the protagonist? I would have personally loved me some more Futo, but the basic premise of this thing makes up for it, fairly enough. There is just something about Seija stealing shit and getting everyone pissed that makes me strangely nervous about this upcoming game, in a pleasant, anticipating way.

Did ZUN state anything about distribution outside of Japan, by the way? I believe it was said he considered trying this with a spin-off, instead of a mainline game, and this may serve a nice opportunity.

Also, not meaning to dig anything up, but since when is being easily satisfied with what you are being presented a bad thing? Sure, the games have gone through quite a bit of change, but I don't think they are any less fun. And seeing a spin-off in particular is quite a welcome change for me, considering just how similar the mainline games are to one another.

[CyberAngel]

Also, there is something what is bothering me about the trailer. In the beginning of the Yuyuko clip, you can hear death sound. However, its pretty unclear what made the sound happen.

I think it's from the previous clip, the picture fades out but the sound doesn't.

Personal preferences aside, I am legitimately worried how such different items will be balanced. Some are clearly more useful than others, while some might be useless for some patterns (no point to use Decoy Doll for a pattern that has no aimed bullets, you know). But I think this might be balanced if there is a "use item only once a day" mechanic so you'll need to use different items for different spellcards in a day.

[Malyszeq]

By the way, anyone might be able to provide translation for what Seija and Kagerou says in the screenshots and the names of the spellcards shown?

[Flandre5carlet]

Probably will be skipping this one, personally, for various reasons...

I abhor Seija for my own reasons, and I hope there's a good explanation as to how she's gotten hold of all those artifacts other than "she stole them". If that's the "story" it just doesn't do it for me. As far as using all those mechanics in a single game goes, it could have been made with a "team" system such as in Imperishable Night or Subterranean Animism, albeit story would have had to be much different then.

Gameplay-wise it looks fun enough even if most of the mechanics are "recycled" from previous games so to speak, but I really hope there's a rise in difficulty because what's shown in the trailer seems very easy given the tools at our disposition.
I'm not very sure whether I should be happy that we're getting 2 more spinoffs (including an HM expansion I would assume, which I didn't particularly enjoy) before another main game. Hopefully that'll mean that the next main game will be better than the disappointing DDC with more time to work on it due to the release of those spinoffs.

[cuc]

By the way, anyone might be able to provide translation for what Seija and Kagerou says in the screenshots and the names of the spellcards shown?

Translation of important text info from the trailer:

Trailer story:

Kagerou: I've found you, the Amanojaku we are searching for!

To capture the rebel Amanojaku... They assaulted her with undodgeable danmaku!

Eye for an eye! Fight impossible danmaku by breaking the rules!

Brace yourself through it with rule-breaking items!

Spell cards by order of appearance:

Wakasagihime: Tide Sign "Tidal Wave on the Lake"

Kagerou 1st: Wolf Fang "Bloodthirsty Wolf Fang"

Sekibanki 1st: Discernment "Hell's Ray"

Keine: "20XX  An Afterlife Odyssey"

Kagerou 2nd: Full Moon "Full Moon Roar"

Sekibanki 2nd: Flying Head "Extreme Long Neck"

Stages:

1st Day:
Seija: Living through this is victory, the means don't matter.
Scene 1 (tutorial): "Fight impossible danmaku by breaking the rules"
Yatsuhashi: non-SC

??: "Approaching horror"
Wakasagihime: Tide Sign "Tidal Wave on the Lake"

3rd Day:
Scene 2: "Dangers abound in a full moon night"
Kagerou: Full Moon "Full Moon Roar"

4th Day:
Seija: "Ugh, they are getting stronger. Could there be someone behind them ordering them around?"
(This part can be seen at the end, after the menu screen)

[Leon゠Helsing]

While Seija may be breaking the rules with her items, isn't undodgeable danmaku "normally" against the rules in the first place?
If so, then final boss is Reimu, calling it. I don't think anyone else would be able to temporarily(?) authorize the rules to be lifted.

[HyperGumba]

Seija: "Ugh, they are getting stronger. Could there be someone behind them ordering them around?"

So wait a second. I am not really sure what this means in context with what is known about the game's story. I would have assumed people just get mad at Seija for stealing their shit, but it appears that there is some deeper issue there? Could it be we may get a new character out of this?

[cuc]

Of course we don't know.

In-game menu at 1:45:

(Mission Complete!)
Evasion Successful!

Rest for a While (Return to Main Menu)
Onto the Next Suffering
Save Replay
Challenge the Stage Again
Change Equipped Items
How to Play

[HyperGumba]

Onto the Next Suffering

I gotta say, I like your translations here, cuc  :derp:

Also, in case it was missed:

Did ZUN state anything about distribution outside of Japan, by the way? I believe it was said he considered trying this with a spin-off, instead of a mainline game, and this may serve a nice opportunity.

[日巫子]

Oh, so it's less about looting people and more about trying to avoid getting caught, I guess?  Seija is getting her comeuppance for the events of DDC

[stuff about items]

I know that the orb, camera, doll, mallet, and umbrella belong to Reimu, Aya, Alice, Shinmyoumaru, and Yukari respectively, but the other ones are kind of

I'm guessing that the magic bomb belongs to Marisa, the lantern belongs to Youmu, the Jizo Statue belongs to Byakuren, and I'm at complete loss with the Nimble Fabric.  Does anyone have any ideas?

[nintendonut888]

To be honest, I'm wondering if the game is as easy as the trailer suggests (all drama aside, the trailer does look pretty easy). We know virtually nothing about how things are actually set up; it could be the equivalent of Atlus releasing gameplay videos of overleveled units kicking the crap out of early game enemies to look flashy.

See, my theory is that stages won't have a set item to use, but you can bring anything you want into a level so long as you've met these "proficiencies" (which I remain intrigued about). Therefore, a lot of the strategy and puzzle aspect becomes figuring out which items are the ones to use in each stage, and naturally there would be multiple ways of going about it. If true, then these levels being early game would be even more telling: They would be tutorials for a certain item and have an obvious setup for what to use (and, of course, the trailer knows which one to use). The latter stages would make it less obvious and the solution less all-encompassing, meaning even with these cheats you would have to do some tricky dodging.

Well, that's just my theory, but I wouldn't just judge the entire game by its trailer designed to show off the gimmick.

EDIT:

I'm guessing that the magic bomb belongs to Marisa, the lantern belongs to Youmu, the Jizo Statue belongs to Byakuren, and I'm at complete loss with the Nimble Fabric.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Pretty sure Seija stole one of Hatate's skirts and fashioned it into a cape.