Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II

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In "Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II," players navigate through bullet hell shoot'em up gameplay within the vibrant world of Gensokyo. Characters from previous Touhou games return with new abilities and spell cards, while additional challenges encourage replayability. The game features local multiplayer, allowing players to collaborate or compete in intense shootouts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II screenshot

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 566 reviews

music156 positive mentions

The game features stunning graphics and beautiful character designs, making it visually appealing.
The soundtrack is impressive, with a mix of original compositions and remixes that enhance the gameplay experience.
The gameplay is fun and accessible, with a forgiving difficulty curve that makes it suitable for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.

The game lacks clear in-game explanations for mechanics like life and bomb refills, which can be confusing for new players.
Some players have reported issues with controller compatibility and input lag, making it difficult to play with certain setups.
The English translation of the game is poorly done, leading to awkward phrasing and confusion regarding the story and mechanics.

music
316 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful compositions and atmospheric qualities, often highlighting it as a standout feature alongside the visuals. Some players feel that while the soundtrack includes impressive original tracks and remixes, it lacks the energetic charm typical of the Touhou series, leading to a less engaging experience during gameplay. Overall, the music is generally regarded as good, with some considering it even better than the original titles, though opinions vary on its memorability and impact.
- “The two (soon to be three) games in the fantastic danmaku festival series have amazing soundtracks, smooth danmaku, and beautiful graphics.”
- “The music is absolutely amazing and the gameplay is very well balanced for all kinds of people and their experience with touhou.”
- “The music is beautiful and really atmospheric and really pulls you into the setting.”
- “The music is completely bland, the characters are all off, the overall package feels like the developers really like Perfect Cherry Blossom but understand not at all why it works.”
- “Music is essential to shmups and Touhou as a whole, and the instruments used lack the upbeat energy that Touhou is known for.”
- “While you'll have some stuff here and there, it takes to the final or extra/phantasm stage for the music to actually hype you up for anything, which isn't that good considering its roots.”
graphics
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
2%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals, beautiful character designs, and intricate backgrounds, elevating the overall aesthetic experience. While many reviewers highlight the impressive art and smooth animations, some note that the bullet patterns can occasionally blend with the background, making them difficult to read. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a significant strength, setting a high standard for both fan and official Touhou titles.
- “Beautiful graphics, gorgeous art, amazing soundtrack, fun gameplay, and the dialogues & story give off the same mysterious yet carefree vibe as the original.”
- “A fine modernization of classic Touhou gameplay and themes, with gorgeous high-resolution graphics and a soundtrack as rich and densely layered as the bullet patterns.”
- “The visuals, background, and art style are magnificent.”
- “There's just one more problem - the aesthetics are... very, very questionable.”
- “- the graphics on this game are not AAA title level, and really it shouldn't be expected.”
- “I wanted to like this game because mainline Touhou games tend to lack in the graphic department, but this game made me realize that sometimes the older 'one man job' art can build character and give it that uniqueness and can be appreciated for the effort behind it, like other doujin works such as Higurashi.”
gameplay
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The gameplay of this fanmade Touhou game is generally praised for its smooth mechanics, beautiful visuals, and engaging music, closely resembling the original series while introducing a unique cherry barrier mechanic that enhances resource collection. While some players find the gameplay to be a bit easy due to generous life distribution and the border mechanic, others appreciate the balance and challenge it offers, making it accessible for newcomers and enjoyable for veterans. Overall, the game is seen as a successful modernization of classic Touhou gameplay, though some critics note a lack of innovation compared to the mainline series.
- “A fine modernization of classic Touhou gameplay and themes, with gorgeous high-resolution graphics and a soundtrack as rich and densely layered as the bullet patterns.”
- “The gameplay is phenomenal.”
- “Gameplay is smooth and buttery with minimal input lag.”
- “There's little to no reason gameplay-wise to pick this entry over others in the mainline Touhou series.”
- “As gameplay is the most important aspect to me in this genre, it feels monotonous to play; I'd rather play something else.”
- “It's a good game, but if you've already watched the countless videos of this game online, there's not really much need to pick it up yourself; the gameplay doesn't really present anything interesting.”
story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The story of the game is generally considered unmemorable and lacking depth, with many players noting that it doesn't significantly impact their enjoyment. While some appreciate the original elements and continuity from previous games, others criticize the poor translation and abstract concepts that make the narrative difficult to follow. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point, with many players not expecting a strong narrative in a Touhou fangame.
- “Much of its story is original, however.”
- “The story is very good, expanding the narrative from the original games.”
- “Advanced gameplay techniques work, the music is amazing, the story is very well written and has many funny moments.”
- “This is in no way better than the original, in all honesty -- it's a fair bit easier, the music is kinda 'meh' compared to ZUN's even though it consists entirely of remixes of his songs, and the story makes absolutely no sense because it's awfully translated.”
- “Sadly, the game's story is practically non-existent, but at the same time, not important in any way.”
- “Aside from that, the abstract concepts and poor English translation make the story difficult to understand at best, and nonsensical at worst.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
9%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, graceful orchestral music, and immersive settings that enhance the danmaku gameplay. Reviewers highlight the meticulous design of bullet patterns and backgrounds, which contribute to a unique thematic identity for each fight. Overall, the atmospheric elements are considered a significant draw, making the game worth purchasing for its aesthetic experience alone.
- “Every little bullet is touched up enough from Touhou proper to make the patterns look clean and beautiful. The backgrounds do an excellent job of setting the scene and atmosphere for each fight, and sprite-based bullets like boulders, flowers, and unspeakable Lovecraftian horrors give each fight its own theme and identity.”
- “The music is beautiful and really atmospheric, pulling you into the setting.”
- “Where I really think this game breaks the mold is in how it uses its atmosphere to set the feeling of any given segment.”
- “Regardless, this is worth buying at full price for the visuals and atmosphere alone.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its creative puzzles and spellcards that often elicit laughter, alongside a deliberately poor translation that adds to the comedic effect. Players appreciate the goofy character designs reminiscent of Kirby, as well as clever references like the "Red Queen" spellcard, which ties into literary memes. Overall, the game balances advanced gameplay with a well-written story filled with amusing moments, making it both entertaining and challenging.
- “Very beautiful game and the translation is hilariously bad.”
- “What surprises me most is the literature meme of Alice in Wonderland whose main character has the same name as Alice Margatroid; the spellcard Red Queen is funny.”
- “Advanced gameplay techniques work, the music is amazing, the story is very well written and has many funny moments.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The character development in the game is praised for its beautiful graphics and appealing designs, particularly highlighting characters like Youmu, Alice, and Yukari. While the focus is more on visual satisfaction and entertainment rather than deep narrative or gameplay challenges, the lore adds an engaging layer to the characters. Overall, players appreciate the aesthetic and charm of the character designs.
- “This game has beautiful graphics and character design, nice music and good lore, though it is meant to be played for entertainment and visual satisfaction more than actual dodging challenge since many bullet types are complicated and their hitboxes are even more absurd.”
- “I'm a fan of the character designs and the series' music featured in other arcade rhythm games.”
- “I like the character designs, especially Youmu.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game is praised for its high replayability, attributed to its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and varied patterns that keep the experience fresh. Players appreciate the consistency of bosses while also valuing the diversity that different patterns bring to each playthrough.
- “Overall, the game has stunning visuals and fun gameplay that is worth the price, a large replayability factor, and wonderful music.”
- “This makes the boss more consistent, but a part of me always liked the amount of replayability some different patterns offered.”
- “This makes the boss more consistent, but a part of me always liked the amount of replayability that some different patterns offered.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers consistently praise the game's optimization, highlighting its stunning art and elegant visuals, alongside smooth performance and enjoyable music. Overall, the game runs efficiently, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The art is stunning, the visuals are elegant, the performance is smooth, the music is good, the danmaku is fun.”