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Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
grinding, optimization
95% User Score Based on 413 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Game Cover

About

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival is a single player casual action adventure game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by 東方幕華祭制作组 and was released on August 16, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

In "Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival" , players explore a mysterious aura enveloping Gensokyo and confront familiar and unfamiliar rivals in spell card battles. The game features keyboard and gamepad controls, including low-speed mode and spell card bombs. With a focus on the Scarlet Devil Mansion and its potential threat to Gensokyo, this vertical scrolling shooter offers a captivating story and intense battles.

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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 413 reviews
music55 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions

  • Faithful tribute to the classic Touhou danmaku tradition with engaging gameplay and beautiful visuals.
  • Well-designed stages and bullet patterns that provide a satisfying challenge for both newcomers and veterans.
  • Strong audio presentation with a catchy soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • Occasional issues with visual clutter and readability of bullet patterns, especially on higher difficulties.
  • Translation and localization issues that can detract from the overall experience.
  • Control configuration limitations that may hinder gameplay for some players.
  • music
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is a standout feature, with a mix of energetic original tracks and remixes that enhance the gameplay experience, creating a rhythmic flow that aligns with enemy patterns and boss fights. While many players praise the soundtrack as fantastic and well-composed, some feel it doesn't quite match the high standards set by the original Touhou series, with a few tracks lacking the "wow" factor. Overall, the music is generally well-received, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “The soundtrack, composed of energetic original tracks and remixes, complements the pacing of each stage and boss fight, reinforcing tension during climactic moments and driving momentum during standard enemy waves.”
    • “Music and gameplay are tightly synchronized, giving stages a sense of rhythm that encourages players to internalize patterns and flow naturally through encounters.”
    • “The music is beautifully composed and the gameplay is exactly how I imagined the original games to be <3 it's difficult but the challenge keeps making me want to play more!”
    • “The music is a big part of the Touhou genre, and I have to say that, save for Koakuma's theme and the extra stage theme, the rest didn't hit as well as I'd hoped they would.”
    • “Music (mostly based off EoSD again) is not that impressive; not to say it's not good per se, but there weren't any tracks that had that 'wow!' factor that would be apparent very early on in most Touhou games.”
    • “The music in this game isn't what I'd consider spectacular, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit as I was playing, and so felt that it warranted a mention.”
  • gameplay
    57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a standout feature, characterized by traditional danmaku mechanics that emphasize precise movement, pattern recognition, and challenging boss encounters with visually stunning spell cards. Players appreciate the tight synchronization of music and gameplay, which enhances the overall experience, although some find the mechanics occasionally confusing and the difficulty fluctuating. Despite minor issues like translation and repetitive elements, the game is praised for its engaging and rewarding gameplay, making it a must-try for fans of the genre.

    • “The core gameplay adheres closely to traditional danmaku design, emphasizing precise movement, pattern recognition, and steady nerves under pressure.”
    • “Boss encounters are especially memorable, featuring elaborate spell cards that combine aesthetic flair with mechanical challenge.”
    • “Making progress feels really satisfying, the gameplay is fun, the choreography of the enemy spell cards is beautiful and the music is amazing.”
    • “It's badly translated and it's boring, both gameplay-wise and in terms of the soundtrack.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, the extra stage felt like it constantly shifted from normal difficulty to hard to lunatic, but Flandre herself was all over the place.”
    • “The overhead 'space shooter' part is fine by me, but getting bombarded by millions of projectiles at once, while trying to dodge them and collect power-ups on top (this is also the full gameplay, by the way!).”
  • graphics
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and attention to detail, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals, character designs, and atmospheric effects. The art style is noted for its aesthetic appeal, reminiscent of other popular works, while the spell cards and bullet patterns add a visually engaging layer to the gameplay. However, some players mention a slight blurriness in certain elements, which may detract from the overall visual experience.

    • “The graphics of the game are another strong point; in a word, they look amazing, especially the character images, the in-game graphics, and bullets look gorgeous as well.”
    • “Not only are there good-looking patterns of danmaku here, but the graphics are phenomenal and atmospheric.”
    • “This game has amazing graphics and high-quality danmaku.”
    • “The game is a spectacle in visuals, but in other departments, I unfortunately have to say it lacks.”
    • “Also, everything on screen looks a little blurry, and it's not me or the resolution because the border and the menu look fine; I think it's just the art style.”
    • “With proper graphics and music and all.”
  • story
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in this danmaku shooter serves primarily to provide context for the gameplay, with a loose narrative that unfolds through stages and boss battles. While it features familiar characters and some original twists, understanding the plot requires prior knowledge of the Touhou universe, and many players find the writing and character interactions lacking. Overall, the game is more focused on gameplay than storytelling, making it enjoyable for danmaku fans despite its narrative shortcomings.

    • “As with many danmaku shooters, the story exists to contextualize stages and boss battles, presenting a loose incident that unfolds as players progress.”
    • “The story starts out with Remilia, who is upset that she cannot go outside because she is a vampire and blocks out the sun.”
    • “I know, one does not play shooting games to read text or experience awesome plot twists, but... at least ZUN's dialogues were somewhat developed and profound, and would enrich Gensokyo's lore.”
    • “Not much of a story, but one hell of a game.”
    • “The quality of writing of the story and character interactions is quite lacking.”
    • “The story, however, is not explained and you will need a good idea and understanding of the world of Touhou.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game highly replayable due to its creative patterns, remixed soundtrack, and multiple playable characters. The inclusion of achievements enhances replay value, although some noted issues with the English translation. Overall, the game is recommended for its fun factor and replayability, with many suggesting exploring other titles in the series.

    • “The patterns are very creative and unique, the remixed soundtrack is great, and it's pretty cool that there are more playable characters than just two.”
    • “I highly recommend it for the fun factor and replayability, and also recommend finding the other games in the series.”
    • “The inclusion of achievements really gave the game a lot more replayability for me, but they also highlighted the lacking quality of the English translation.”
    • “The replay value is very high.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some achievements can be excessively time-consuming and tedious, the overall gameplay remains enjoyable and well-designed. Many appreciate the improvements over the original game, noting that the grinding feels less burdensome despite its presence.

    • “Though some of the achievements were pretty tedious (for example, my actual playtime is around 26 hours, it's only at 51 due to one achievement that required 30 hours of playtime on a single character), the gameplay was well designed enough to be enjoyable throughout.”
    • “The actual gameplay is super fun but tedious, average 2-hour stuff.”
    • “The gameplay is also less tedious and more up to date compared to the true original one.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game is praised for enhancing the spectacle of combat, making fights feel like climactic performances rather than mere obstacles. This focus on graphics and performance contributes significantly to the overall experience, aligning well with the genre's emphasis on visual appeal and engagement.

    • “These fights often feel like climactic performances rather than simple obstacles, reinforcing the genre’s emphasis on spectacle as much as survival.”
    • “[h1]Graphics and performance[/h1]”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its absurd situations and unexpected twists, such as the player's amusing experience with a shower. Additionally, the presence of humorous grammatical errors in the English translation and a vague, abrupt ending contribute to the overall comedic effect, making for a lighthearted and entertaining experience.

    • “Funny story, I was having a shower and I was so confused because the shower was on but I wasn't getting wet. It turns out I was subconsciously dodging the shower droplets! Pfft, the shower is nothing compared to lunatic, lmao.”
    • “Has some funny grammatical errors in the English translation, and the good ending is very vague and abrupt, which made it hilarious.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is generally viewed as decent, with character designs receiving mixed feedback; while the portraits may appear slightly off, the spell card illustrations are praised as exceptional and reminiscent of authentic Touhou characters.

    • “The character designs are okay, and while the character portraits look a little off, the spell card designs are fantastic.”
    • “This could very well be a valid canon Touhou character designed by ZUN, and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference (except for the art style, lol).”
    • “The character designs are okay, but the character portraits look a little off, while the spell card designs are fantastic.”
    • “The character development feels lacking; I couldn't connect with them on a deeper level.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users noted that certain spell cards, such as Koakuma's sweeping attack and Sakuya's time-freezing ability, can be unexpectedly challenging, indicating that while the game is generally stable, specific mechanics may introduce moments of unpredictability.

  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, suggesting that it offers a more fulfilling experience than outdoor activities. The recommendation highlights the game's ability to engage and resonate with its audience on a personal level.

  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning graphics and visually appealing patterns, creating a phenomenal and immersive experience for players.

    • “Not only are there beautiful patterns of daimaku, but the graphics are also stunning, making the game look phenomenal and atmospheric.”
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26h Median play time
19h Average play time
2-30h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival is a casual action adventure game with fantasy theme.

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 19 hours playing Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival.

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival was released on August 16, 2018.

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival was developed by 東方幕華祭制作组.

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its grinding.

Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival is a single player game.

Similar games include Touhou Makuka Sai: Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part II, Touhou Tenkuushou: Hidden Star in Four Seasons, TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival Part III, The Disappearing of Gensokyo, Touhou Kouryuudou: Unconnected Marketeers and others.