Global InformationTouhou Project information
| Touhou Project | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Bullet hell (danmaku), shoot 'em up, fighting, block breaker |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) | Team Shanghai Alice |
| Creator(s) | Jun'ya Ōta ("ZUN") |
| Platform(s) |
|
| First release | Highly Responsive to Prayers August 15, 1997 (C52) |
| Latest release | Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost August 13, 2023 (C102) |
Touhou Project (Japanese: 東方Project, Hepburn: Tōhō Purojekuto), also known simply as Touhou (東方, meaning "Eastern" or "Oriental"), is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by one-man independent Japanese doujin soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. Since 1995,[1][2] the team's member, Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, has independently developed programming, graphics, writing, and music for the series, self-publishing 19 mainline games and 13 spin-offs as of October 2023[update]. ZUN has also produced related print works and music albums, and collaborated with developer Twilight Frontier on seven additional official Touhou spin-offs, most being fighting games.[3]
The Touhou Project is set in Gensokyo,[a] a land sealed from the outside world and primarily inhabited by humans and yōkai, legendary creatures from Japanese folklore that are personified in Touhou as bishōjo in an anthropomorphic moe style. Reimu Hakurei, the miko of the Hakurei Shrine and the main character of the series, is often tasked with resolving supernatural "incidents" caused in and around Gensokyo.
The first five games were developed for the Japanese NEC PC-9800 computer series, with the first, Highly Responsive to Prayers, released in August 1997; the series' signature danmaku (弾幕, lit. 'bullet curtain') mechanics were introduced in the second game, Story of Eastern Wonderland (also 1997). The release of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil in August 2002 marked a shift to Microsoft Windows. Numerous sequels followed, including several spin-offs departing from the traditional bullet hell format.
Touhou Project has become more particularly notable as a prominent source of Japanese dōjin content, with the series spawning a vast body of fan-made works such as artwork, music, print works, video games, and Internet memes. Because of this, it has gained somewhat of a cult following outside of Japan. The popularity of the series and its derivative works has been attributed in part to the few restrictions placed by ZUN on the use of his content. Unofficial works are frequently sold at fan conventions, including Comiket, where the franchise has frequently held the record for circle participation, and the official convention Reitaisai, where trial versions of the official games are typically distributed prior to release.
- ^ ZUN (14 March 2002). "幻想掲示板" [Gensо̄ Bulletin Board]. Archived from the original on 3 April 2002. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
実は霊異伝は制作は９５年だったので、実に７年ほど前です。
[In fact, Highly Responsive to Prayers was produced in '95; it's really more like seven years ago.] - ^ Davison, Pete (2013-06-08). "Curtains for You: The History of Bullet Hell". US Gamer. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ^ Tomohiro, Katada (2008-10-03). "ニコ動、2ちゃんねるで人気の｢東方Project｣って何だ?" [What is this Touhou Project popular on Nicovideo and 2ch?] (in Japanese). R25.jp. Archived from the original on 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).