Undefined Fantastic Object
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| Undefined Fantastic Object | |
|---|---|
 Original CD-ROM cover, featuring a silhouette ofByakuren Hijiri | |
| Developer(s) | Team Shanghai Alice |
| Publisher(s) | Team Shanghai Alice |
| Composer(s) | Team Shanghai Alice |
| Series | Touhou Project |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Bullet hell (danmaku) |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Touhou Seirensen ~ Undefined Fantastic Object.(Japanese:Đông phương tinh liên thuyền ～ Undefined Fantastic Object.,lit."Star-Lotus Ship of the East" )is the twelfth main game of theTouhou Projectscrolling shooterseries, bydōjin gamecircleTeam Shanghai Alice.The game was released at the 76thComiketon August 15, 2009, and then followed by a retail release on September 11, 2009, at doujinshi stores.Undefined Fantastic Objectwas the firstTouhougame to introduce colored power-ups, which reward the player with extra lives, points and bombs when collected, a gameplay mechanic that would be used in multiple games later on in the series.
Gameplay
[edit]
Undefined Fantastic Objectis adanmakugame in which the player has to navigate through a total of six stages, killing enemies, dodging their projectiles, and fighting a boss halfway through, and at the end of each stage. The player's main method of attack is their shot, but they also have access to a limited number of spell cards (also referred to as bombs), whose exact properties depend on the character and shot type, but all spell cards will clear the screen of bullets, grant the player temporary invulnerability, and deal a large amount of damage. Unlike its predecessorsMountain of FaithandSubterranean Animism,bombs are given their own counter, rather than being attached to the player's shot power.[1]Undefined Fantastic Objectis the onlyTouhougame in which the player does not lose points when they die or use a spell card.
The game features three playable characters, Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae, each of whom have two shot types, one of which deals high damage, whereas the other has homing projectiles.
Some enemies inUndefined Fantastic Objecthave color-codedUFOsthat circle around them, which will float around the stage when they are killed. Some UFOs will flicker, and change their color after a few seconds, though this can be negated if the player is in close proximity to them. When the player collects three UFOs of a specific color, a large UFO will appear onscreen, which must be destroyed within ten seconds to grant the player a large point bonus, and extra items, depending on its color. Red UFOs will give the player extra lives, green ones will give them extra spell cards, and blue ones will give them extra points.[2]If the UFO is not destroyed within the time limit, it will disappear, preventing the player from acquiring its items.
Plot
[edit]In Gensokyo, rumors circulate about a flying ship, that appears to be searching for something, which the rumors claim belong to theSeven Lucky Gods,and is loaded with treasure.[3]
The player character meets Minamitsu Murasa, the captain of the ship, who explains that the UFOs they have been collecting are fragments of treasures that were once on the ship, which are being used to revive Byakuren Hijiri, aBuddhistmonk who wants a place in which she, and otheryōkai,can practice their powers freely.
In the Extra Stage, Marisa notices that the UFOs appear to be housing small snakes, which was the result of Nue Houjuu attaching the Seed of Unknown Form to them out of boredom.[4]However, this goes against Byakuren's plans, and so after she is defeated, and the incident is resolved, Nue remains in hiding underground.
Characters
[edit]Playable characters
[edit]- Reimu Hakurei — The miko of the Hakurei Shrine. She sets out to investigate the treasure ship thinking it is yet again the work ofyōkai.She has the smallesthitboxof the available characters.[5]
- Marisa Kirisame — A magician who lives in the Forest of Magic. She doesn't believe there are any treasures on the ship, but investigates out of curiosity. She is the fastest character, and can collect items more easily.[5]
- Sanae Kochiya — The miko of the Moriya Shrine, who was playable for the first time inUndefined Fantastic Object.She investigates the ship under the recommendation of Kanako, the goddess of her shrine. She is the only character without a special ability.[5]
Enemy characters
[edit]- Nazrin (ナズーリン): Stage 1 boss and stage 5 mid-boss. Being a leader of mice and a naturaldowser,Nazrin was commanded by Ichirin to search for the shards that fell from the sky, but herdowsing rodsbrought her to the humans instead.
- Kogasa Tatara ( đa 々 lương tiểu tán ): Stage 2 boss and extra stage mid-boss. Kogasa was once an umbrella who was forgotten for a long time and thus became akasa-obake.Being bored and lonely, she tries to perfect the art of scaring humans.
- Ichirin Kumoi ( vân cư nhất luân ): Ichirin is the stage 3 boss who is accompanied by Unzan, who also participates in battle. Ichirin, by her own accord, is the guard of the large ship in the sky. She seems to be collectingUFO-shaped shards to revive Byakuren Hijiri, her master, whom she refers to as "sister."
- Unzan ( vân sơn ): Ichirin's companion in stage 3. Unzan is anyūdōmade out of clouds. He is a stubborn, quiet old man who is gentle at heart.
- Minamitsu Murasa ( thôn sa thủy mật ): Murasa is the stage 4 boss, who is afunayūrei- a spirit of a human who fell off a ship and drowned in the past. As the humans feared her, their fears turned her into a yōkai. She pledged herself to saving Byakuren, riding the ship she created.
- Shou Toramaru ( dần hoàn tinh ): Shou is the stage 5 boss, representing good fortune as an avatar ofBishamonten.She was chosen by Byakuren to have the mountainyōkaigather faith in exchange. When Byakuren disappeared after a few hundred years, the temple was in great disarray, and all of her friends who were sealed into the Earth returned. Shou, not wanting to run away or have any regrets, told Murasa and the others how to lift the seal.
- Byakuren Hijiri ( thánh bạch liên ): Byakuren is the stage 6 boss. She had a younger brother, Myouren Hijiri, who taught her Buddhist magic, but died. This made Byakuren fear death greatly, and obtained the power to regain her youth. However, it was consideredblack magicrather than an art of Buddhism. Ichirin was her servant, while Murasa pledged herself to saving Byakuren.
- Nue Houjuu ( phong thú ぬえ): Nue is the extra stage boss, also appearing as a sphere of light in stages 4 and 6. She is anue- a mysterious yōkai who flies through the night sky. Despite being non-human, she was defeated by humans many times in the past, but the accounts of her appearance vary due to the fact she obscures her own appearance. She merely enjoys frightening humans and provoking their fear.
Development
[edit]Undefined Fantastic Objectwas announced onZUN'swebsite on 26 February 2009,[6]and the full game was released at Comiket on August 15.
Undefined Fantastic Objectwas released onSteamon June 6, 2020, alongsideMountain of FaithandSubterranean Animism.[7]
Reception
[edit]Game RantrankedUndefined Fantastic Objectas the best game in theTouhouseries, writing that critics have praised it due to the game's "well-structured gameplay, detailed graphics, and memorable tracks".[8]
On Steam, 97% of player reviews were positive.[9]
See also
[edit]- Rensenware,a joke ransomware written in 2017 requiring victims to playUndefined Fantastic Objectin Lunatic mode and get at least 200 million points
External links
[edit]- Official website(in Japanese)
- Undefined Fantastic Objecton Touhou Wiki
Notes
[edit]- ^Undefined Fantastic Objectwas sold on the second day ofComiket 76.
References
[edit]- ^"Đông phương Projectの thượng hải アリス huyễn nhạc đoàn が chế tác する đạn mạc シューティングゲーム『 đông phương phong thần lục 』, 『 đông phương địa linh điện 』, 『 đông phương tinh liên thuyền 』がSteamにて6 nguyệt 6 nhật に đồng thời リリース".ニコニコニュース(in Japanese).Retrieved2021-04-03.
- ^Yokoyama, Keiichi (2020-05-23)."『 đông phương phong thần lục 』『 đông phương địa linh điện 』『 đông phương tinh liên thuyền 』3 tác phẩm のSteam bản が6 nguyệt 6 nhật に phối tín へ. Vị phối tín だった3つの nguyên điển が, tân たにSteamへ đăng tràng".AUTOMATON(in Japanese).Retrieved2021-04-03.
- ^Undefined Fantastic Objectprologue.html
- ^Undefined Fantastic Objectextra story.txt
- ^abcUndefined Fantastic Objectplayer_characters.html
- ^"Ký niệm すべき đông phương Project đệ １２ đạn đông phương tinh liên thuyền".Bác lệ huyễn tưởng thư phổ(in Japanese).Retrieved2021-04-03.
- ^"Three More Touhou Mainline Games Hit Steam on June 6, 2020".Siliconera.2020-05-22.Retrieved2021-04-03.
- ^"Best Touhou Games, Ranked".28 September 2023.
- ^"Touhou Seirensen ~ Undefined Fantastic Object".Steam.2021-01-26.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-04-19.Retrieved2021-04-03.