Touhou Tuesday: What Is Touhou?
Entry posted by Kevin Owens
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Q: What is Touhou?
A: Touhou is a danmaku game from Japan. For those of you who aren't huge Japan freaks, it means that it's a curtain fire game. To put it in layman's terms, you have a character at the bottom of the screen that you control. The enemy is at the top of the screen. You shoot bullets at each other. Oh and before I forget to mention it, the enemy can fire a lot of bulets.
And I mean a lot.
Q: Wow, that's a lot of bullets. Can you even dodge them all?
A: Yes. Although the enemy throws a lot of stuff at you, they do so in a pattern and often there are gaps that you can squeeze through.
Q: So what's the appeal of these games?
A: First, they are extremely fun in a difficult way. If you're looking for a game that will put your reflexes and skills to the test, look no further than Touhou. Even on the lower difficulties the game is more than sadistic enough to abuse you. If you like a challenge then you'll like this game. Second, there is a lot of Japanese pop culture surrounding this series. Third, I've heard that this game is real big with the masochists so if you're looking for pain and suffering this is the game for you.
Q: So what are the controls for these games?
Z = Shoot
X = Bomb
Shift = Focus
Q: What do bombs do?
A: Bombs are immensely powerful attacks that turn you invincible, clear the screen of bullets, and deal massive amounts of damage to the enemies. In addition, if you've just been hit and are about to die you can press the bomb button to save that life.
Q: What does focus do?
A: Focus slows down your character, displays yourhitbox, and concentrates your attack right in front of you. It's useful when you're trying to weave through large clusters of bullets.
Q: So I've played a little bit and I've notice this thing called graze. What is it?
A: Graze refers to the bonus points the game rewards you for getting close to bullets. In order to get graze you must have your character touch the bullet but not have the bullet touch the hitbox. It's a rather risky manuever that can award you with lots of bonus points.
Q: Allright, I'm convinced. I want to
A: There are a total of twelve games in the series. However the first five were designed for a special kind of Japanese computer and you'll need a special emulator to run those, and I personally haven't played them. I find that the eighth one, Imperishable Night, tends to be the easiest so I recommend you start with that. However you are more than welcome to try any of the others.
Q: Where do I download these games?
A: Right here.
Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
Imperishable Night
Phantasmagoria of Flower View
Undefined Fantastic Object
Q: Wait, I've heard about more Touhou games. Why don't you have them?
A: Because I don't have them. I can only give you what I have.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.
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