Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic – the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil

Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic – the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is a remastered release of the 2002 vertical-scrolling 2D shooter from the Touhou series. Players choose between Reimu Hakurei, the shrine maiden of the Hakurei Shrine, and Marisa Kirisame, a magician from the Forest of Magic, and set out to resolve an incident in which Gensokyou has been covered by a scarlet mist. The route leads to a Western-style mansion that has appeared within the mist, where the figure behind the incident is waiting.

The core gameplay involves navigating through screen-filling bullet patterns while shooting down enemies and keeping the player’s life count above zero. Reimu is described as having high evasion and a wide attack range, while Marisa is built around high firepower. Each character has a choice of shot types that behave differently, with some homing in on targets and others dealing greater damage in a direct line. Controls consist of eight-directional movement, a standard shot, a limited-use bomb attack selected at the character screen, and a focus mode that slows movement for more precise positioning. Gamepad buttons can be reassigned through the Key Config option in the settings menu.

The New Classic edition presents the game with upscaled high-resolution graphics and a soundtrack in which every track has been rearranged by the original creator, ZUN. It also adds a new mode that allows the game to be played with unlimited lives. Alongside this, a Classic version is included that aims to recreate the original 2002 gameplay as closely as possible; all text in the Classic version is in Japanese.