This is my usual obligatory "first thread after introduction" thread, so here goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGegCta6F1o

~What is Touhou? (English Subs)


Most of the stuff you'll find in there sums it up pretty well. Also, the music is amazing. I would give links to download the games for free as opposed to paying, buuuuuut that's against the rules... So I'll let you find those on your own, or just play the demos (they have three stages, basically half the game). Also the music is amazing.

You can download the Demos here:

http://www16.big.or.jp/~zun/html/game.html

Click the game you want and then the second link on the page. I'd recommend starting with the very last one, Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, because it's so easy compared to most. Did I mention that the music is AMAZING?



I filled the topic with info because I doubt very many people here know about the amazing that is touhou.

Great thread

But, imo, Touhou is more about the fanworks than it is about the actual games. The games themselves aren't that much different from other danmaku shmups, other than the awesome music. To me, it seems like its the overabundant fanworks(arranges, videos, etc) that separates Touhou from the rest of the shmups.
Obligatory videos for ppl who are new to Touhou:
-Bad Apple!!
-Bad Apple!!(Cristina Vee version)(I'm posting this just because I can)
-Marisa Stole the Precious Thing
-Stops at the affected area and immediately dissolves ~ Lunatic Udongein

Also worth mentioning are the Vocalight and other anime/game "remixes" of Touhou arranges. I have no idea why people do these, but they're so amusing that I don't really care. Examples:
-Death Note Touhou Medley
-another Vocalight example
-some more Vocalight
-some more Vocalight...
I think you get the point by now.

Yes, the music is amazing. Expecially the serious arranges. Some of my personal favorites:
-THE EVENING STAR
-タイヨウノハナ
-Marquis de 3rd
-少女さとり ～ 3rd eye
-魔女達の謝肉祭
Good stuff.

And if anyone's interested theres also a demo of one of the fighting games (mentioned in Lux's video) available for download. It's not the latest figting game, but it's very similar. Just scroll down and download from one of the mirrors for the section with "83.8MB" as the file size.
Some videos of the latest fighting game because it's coolbeans:
-a combo video
-another combo video
-even moar
-a promo movie for combo videos or something
You know you want some delicious fighting game action.

The shmups are great as shmups, but as you might be able to guess, I play the fighting games (mostly Hisoutensoku) more often. I guess I'm more of a fighting game fan than a shmup fan, not that I don't enjoy the Touhou shmups. I just like the fighting games that much more, although I do find the shmups fun to play when I have some spare time and nothing else to do.

Some weird stuff that I have no description for:
-an Embodiement of Scarlet Devil related video
-I have no idea what this is.
There are more. They are amusing. Watch them.

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Royface3000 -> Rf3K