Metal Slug Music Reviews: Metal Slug 6-7

 Ending off this very short series, we have the last two Metal Slug soundtracks. I decided to separate them from the other Noise Factory games as Metal Slug 6-7 use an entirely new engine, and thus feel quite different from the first five games in a few ways. And similarly, the soundtracks feel particularly different as well.

Metal Slug 6: I have a lot of really mixed opinions on Metal Slug 6 and I'm still trying to work out how I feel about it overall, the soundtrack included. MS6's soundtrack stands out by being composed by Manabu Namiki and Mitsuhiro Kaneda, two composers new to the series. I'm not too huge on Kaneda's tracks those they're few and do have some highlights, but Namiki who did the bulk of the soundtrack absolutely nailed the Metal Slug sound, combining the jazz fusion and orchestral rock of past titles with his own techno shmup style so naturally. This used to be my least favorite soundtrack since I used to find it super disjointed, but after some more listens, it might genuinely be Top 3 for the Namiki tracks alone.

Last Resort
As far as character select themes go, this is probably my least favorite. It's certainly not bad, boasting a decent groove and a nice blend of jazz and techno, but it just loops way too fast even by character select standards.
3/5 Stars

Main Theme From MS6
Like the game itself, Metal Slug 6's soundtrack gets off to a fantastic start as the first half is composed almost entirely by Namiki. And it shows, this game's remix of the main Metal Slug theme has some serious shmup vibes, with an intense heroic-sounding orchestra that gives off some serious Radiant Silvergun vibes. It may not have the sax solo of the original, but MS6's main theme manages to almost rival it.
5/5 Stars

Cliff And Cave
Cliff And Cave is a beautifully mystical-sounding mountain theme boasting airy flutes and synths, and some driving percussion. It also carries over the new motifs added in MS6's main theme to great effect, leading to a chill-inducing chorus. Definitely one of the most underrated tracks in the series.
5/5 Stars

Steel Beast 6+7 Beats
Metal Slug 6 finally brings back Steel Beast, and it's as good as always. This version almost feels like a conglomerate of every prior version of this track, and the updated instruments makes it sound quite good, even if I still think the X version reigns supreme.
4/5 Stars

Inner Goldfield
Ooo, Namiki has taste! MS6 remixes a lot of the first game's tracks, likely due to being a soft reboot of sorts, so I'm very glad Inner Station was one of the tracks they decided to remix. While the riff is as banging as always, the melody is entirely different, but Namiki managed to maintain that same jazzy feel with a particularly groovy chorus.
5/5 Stars

Asian Impact
I absolutely adore this track, it's probably a top 3 candidate for me alongside Speeder and Livin On The Edge. Asian Impact is an Eastern-infused EDM dance tune with an incredibly catchy central melody, and a ridiculously head-banging and hard-hitting chorus. Seriously, every time that drop happens, I gets chills, it's so good! This is Namiki at his absolute best.
5/5 Stars

Biotoxic
Well, here's the first Kaneda track... and it's probably his best. Biotoxic is a very intense orchestra/techno blend that goes surprisingly hard, and perfectly captures the ramp up in stakes (and difficulty) once the aliens arrive. Shame I associate it so heavily with the worst boss in the series.
4/5 Stars

Bridge 256
Despite the name, Bridge 256 doesn't sound anything like Ridge 256. Instead, it's just kind of a generic sweeping orchestral piece with barely any defined melody. It's absolutely one of the blandest themes in the series, and is a perfect example of Kaneda's style sticking out like a sore thumb and holding this soundtrack back.
2/5 Stars

Aim High, Chase Fast
Thankfully, Namiki is back for a ridiculously smooth jazz piece that would sound right at home in the Nazca trilogy, as well as a shmup (fitting considering the stage this plays in). And when the guitar comes in at the second half, god damn! Seriously, I can't understate how much Namiki understood the assignment with his music for this game.
5/5 Stars

Final Attack
It took a bit to warm up to this theme. Namiki tricks you into thinking you're getting Final Attack only to quickly swap it out for a haunting and atmospheric track that sounds right out of Metroid Prime. However, over the time, this version of Final Attack is brilliant. The way the tempo ramps up as the track slowly goes out of control culminating in a chaotic reprisal of the Final Attack motif, the way it effortlessly nails that Metroid vibe, the way it so perfectly captures the horror of the situation you're in. Namiki's a freaking genius.
5/5 Stars

Unavoidable Duel
Another Kaneda track. His more techno pieces generally fare better and fit in with Namiki's stuff more, but this is still a fairly unremarkable track outside of its distinctly deep synths and overall tense atmosphere.
3/5 Stars

Discharge
This is just straight-up horror music. The heartbeats in the background, the psycho strings, the absolutely chaotic chorus that sounds like Ishikawa made it, Discharge is absolutely terrifying, but it fits the fight very well and remains pretty entertaining to listen to.
3/5 Stars

The Military System
It's The Military System again. The vocal samples are a nice touch, but it's still The Military System.
1/5 Stars

Critical Maneuver
Oh good, Kaneda remixed his best track for the credits. It's a solid remix of Biotoxic that at least ends the game on a strong and intense note musically.
4/5 Stars

Metal Slug 7: Well, Tanaka's back and offers up his most consistent soundtrack so far. He's not pushing the mold with 7's music quite as much as he did with 5, but if you like his style as much as I do, you're probably going to like this score.

Barracks
Barracks is back! And this is easily the best version of it, with punchier brass and a ton of different instruments all grooving out.
4/5 Stars

Scrap Island
Scrap Island definitely sounds like a first level theme in a Metal Slug game, even reusing the main theme quite liberally. The first half is already quite tense and dramatic, but the chorus is the best part as per the usual, between the Final Fantasy-sounding pre-chorus and soaring orchestral climax.
4/5 Stars

Former Master
Former Master is pretty standard event music. Chaotic and frantic, but not really worth listening to, especially considering it just sounds like a worst The Kidnapping.
2/5 Stars

Coal Mine
Coal Mine probably sounds the most like a track from Metal Slug 5, with some heavy riffs at the start and overall powerful feel to it. The dramatic chorus completely with opera vocal samples is great, but it isn't quite as memorable as some of the other tracks.
4/5 Stars

Underground Fortress
This is a fantastic track, pure Tanaka. From the tense and frantic opening to that phenomenal chorus. This is easily one of my favorite choruses in the series, by the way, it's so soaring, triumphant, heroic, dramatic, and melancholy. I'll never forget running away from that boulder as this music plays, it fits so well.
5/5 Stars

The Waterfall
The Waterfall is Tanaka's second western-inspired theme and while I do still slightly prefer Windy Day, this is yet another series highlight. The blaring trumpets, uplifting melody, and head-banging string chorus are already so great, but my favorite touch is the piano arpeggio that almost sounds like the Final Fantasy prelude.
5/5 Stars

Ruins Base
Ruins Base isn't quite as bombastic as the last two tracks, but it's still quite good. I love the dark and intimidating opening, and despite the long build-up, the chorus still manages to hit pretty hard.
4/5 Stars

Snowy Country
Snowy Country is another one of Tanaka's more intense tracks like Underground Fortress. I love how it keeps changing instruments, from strings, to trumpets, to flutes, and each section is strong and memorable on their own. I particularly like the string bit though because it takes the catchy central riff and just heightens the intensity even more.
5/5 Stars

The Beginning Is The End
Man, does Tanaka know how to make a final level. While it starts pretty basic, it quickly shifts into a heavy symphonic rock piece and it goes incredibly hard. The chorus is also stellar, super reminiscent of MS4 in how orchestral and dramatic it is.
5/5 Stars

The Military System
This... might be the best version of The Military System? I really like the more echoey drums here, they tickle my ears in just the right way, you know?
2/5 Stars

Combat School
The music for a side mode doesn't need to go this hard. Combat School is an incredibly fun, jazzy piece with a ton of energy, especially in the lead synths and very anime chorus.
4/5 Stars

Beast Of Beat 9/8
Despite the name, this is not a Steel Beast remix, it's an original boss theme, and it's fine. It gets off to a pretty slow start, and while it does pick up in tempo around the halfway mark, it still fares as probably my least favorite main boss theme.
3/5 Stars

Assault Theme
HOLY CRAP. The assault theme is already an iconic Metal Slug track, but my jaw dropped when I heard this remix, it's so good! It takes the fundamentals of the original track and remixes it in a techno style, with frenetic percussion and hard-hitting synths, and it rocks so hard. And when Tanaka blends it with the main Metal Slug theme? Peak gaming.
5/5 Stars

Final Attack
This is a more orchestral remix of Final Attack and yeah, it's good. I don't really know what else to say, I think it's impossible to mess up Final Attack.
5/5 Stars

Melody Of My Own Way
Another totally solid credits theme, but not super remarkable. It has a pretty good chorus, but nothing that really sticks out to me.
3/5 Stars

 So, now that I'm done with this quick retrospective, have I learned anything about Metal Slug music? Well, kinda. After my first playthrough, I was primarily enamored with solely Tanaka's music, but I feel like I've gained a stronger appreciation for the other soundtracks too. Hiyamuta's solos are absolutely sublime, and I severely underrated how much Namiki nailed his parts of Metal Slug 6. As I said earlier, the MS6 soundtrack in particular really rose up the rankings after this retrospective, which is pretty cool. But most of all, this series just solidified how unbelievably badass and consistently fantastic Metal Slug's music is.

Metal Slug Music Reviews: Metal Slug 4-5

 Well, now we're onto the Noise Factory games, and while the quality of the games themselves becomes a lot more debatable, they have some killer soundtracks by Toshikazu Tanaka.

Metal Slug 4: Metal Slug 4 feels like a bit of a warm-up soundtrack for Tanaka, he hasn't fully let loose yet, but you can hear his distinct symphonic style start to form here. MS4 as a game has a very heavy spy theming, so one of the most notable aspects about its soundtrack is that it really sounds like a James Bond score at points. It's new territory for a Metal Slug game, but it sounds great.

Choose A Person
While not as iconic as Barracks, Choose A Person is yet another high-energy if short character select bolstered by some powerful brass.
3/5 Stars

Let's Run Through
Right up there with Judgement as my favorite first stage theme in the franchise. Let's Run Through is an absolute banger of a jazz tune that just screams espionage, complete with smooth guitar riffs, a fun bassline, and a great violin chorus.
5/5 Stars

Show Spirit
Show Spirit is another banger of a track, starting with a simple militaristic drum loop before bursting into a full symphony that sounds straight out of a Shimomura soundtrack, albeit with just enough energetic percussion to keep it feeling like Metal Slug. And that dramatic chorus is just sublime, Tanaka was always great at bringing his tracks to a strong climax.
5/5 Stars

Snowy Road
Snowy Road is a heavier rock track, but it maintains that spy movie vibe with heavy usage of the spy chord. The intro is probably my favorite part, starting off powerful and energetic with guitars and brass only to suddenly shift into a more mysterious-sounding synth tone.
4/5 Stars

Cadaverous
Cadaverous is a fairly low-key and spooky track, taking a simple piano riff and exploring it throughout the entire piece, throwing in eerie choirs, hard-hitting percussion, and tense violins near the second half. It's not one of the best tracks in the game, but it is suitably atmospheric.
3/5 Stars

Go Ahead
I love how shamelessly dramatic this track is. Go Ahead is full-on orchestra, starting off triumphant before slowly getting more somber, grandiose, and loud as it goes on. The violins coming in halfway already elevate Go Ahead so far, but the track just keeps getting better until reaching an chill-inducing apex in the chorus.
5/5 Stars

The Scene Of A Hard Battle
Not quite as good as Steel Beast, but The Scene Of A Hard Battle is still a totally solid boss theme. It's chaotic, frenetic, tense, and very intimidating. Unfortunately it just so happens to be overshadowed by MS4's other main boss theme...
3/5 Stars

Furiously
Now, this is a fantastic boss theme. It has a bit of a build-up with a tense horn melody and a lot of orchestral hits, but like with Go Ahead, the dramatic orchestral chorus really makes it all worth it.
5/5 Stars

Secret Place
As much as I despise Metal Slug 4's final level, man does it have a fantastic theme. The melancholic main piano melody is ridiculously catchy and just screams James Bond, and the rock/synth chorus helps the track feel climactic and exhilirating.
5/5 Stars

Uncanny Laugh
This is just ambience before the final boss. It is quite menacing and I like the beeping synths, but there's only so much praise I can give it. At least it's better than Metamorphosis.
2/5 Stars

Final Madness
Another ridiculously dramatic track, almost like a souped-up version of Furiously. It starts off exciting with intense brass before shifting into a more dramatic violin-heavy chorus. It's no Final Attack, but it's still a very strong final boss theme.
4/5 Stars

Escape
Lots of orchestral hits make for likably intense chase music, even if it's still a very short loop.
3/5 Stars

Good Ending
The good ending theme is your standard orchestral victory music, but I can't shake the feeling like I've just won a game of Mario Party. Despite the militaristic drums and horns, this does not sound very Metal Slug.
2/5 Stars

Bad Ending
Funnily enough, I like the bad ending theme more than the good ending theme. It's still not amazing, but I like the weird synths that help it sound like it's out of a Paper Mario game.
3/5 Stars

End To The War
Thankfully, the credits theme is pretty great. It's as intense and orchestral as the rest of the soundtrack, with a very heroic central melody and a strong second with a lovely flute bridge and bombastic final chorus.
4/5 Stars

Metal Slug 5: I've said it before and I've said it again. Metal Slug 5 has the best soundtrack in the series, and it's not even close. Tanaka goes full heavy metal with this score, and it leads to a relentless streak of absolute bangers, with barely a single weak track (barring the menus of course).

The Military System
This is a guitar-heavy rock remix of The Military System and while I should theoretically like it more, I feel the melody kinda gets drowned out in all the guitars here. Nice try, but no cigar.
1/5 Stars

Sortie
Another solid character select, with lots of guitars as you'd expect. Once again, it sounds a little too busy, but it's energetic enough to get you hyped for the game ahead.
3/5 Stars

Heavy African
Okay, now the soundtrack gets really good. Heavy African immediately gives a strong impression with its heavy guitar riffs, tense synth leads, and even some cool vocal samples to help give the track a tribal feel. The chorus is particularly catchy, but the whole track is a highlight.
5/5 Stars

Ruins Excavation
Ruins Excavation is also a fantastic track. It starts off similarly to The Cenotaph, but immediately asserts itself by adding an incredible guitar riff not too dissimilar from Midnight Wandering. And just to sweeten the deal, the dramatic string chorus is absolutely chill-inducing.
5/5 Stars

Windy Day
Windy Day is a highlight in an already phenomenal soundtrack, an energetic and uplifting western-inspired track that feels like a welcome breather amidst all the heavy rock. This won't be the last time Tanaka dips his toes into western but he's almost always stellar at it.
5/5 Stars

Zoom Doom
The second half of Stage 2 doesn't let up on the stellar music. Zoom Doom is back to the rock/synth that most of the soundtrack consists, the wailing guitars, catchy melody, and phenomenal synth prechorus that sounds right out of Mega Man X4 makes for a ridiculously fun track.
5/5 Stars

Intrigue
Intrigue is one of the weaker stage themes, but that isn't saying much. It's still a head-banging rock piece with a fun chorus, but it just doesn't quite stack up to the better head-banging rock pieces with fun choruses in the same exact soundtrack.
4/5 Stars

Run Through
Run Through is a bit jazzier than the rest of the soundtrack, with blaring horns and a heck of a lot of orchestral hits. It's an incredibly fun track, especially when the ever-escalating guitar solo comes in later on.
4/5 Stars

Bottom Of The Sea
Another great heavy rock piece with some powerful riffs and a dark synth riff. It's a bit shorter than your average MS5, but what is there is still an absolute bop.
4/5 Stars

Fierce Battle
Easily the best standard boss theme in the series and it's not even close. The dramatic and chaotic melody, the fast-paced guitar riffs, the heroic brass chorus, it's everything that I love about Tanaka's style condensed into a blisteringly fast boss theme.
5/5 Stars

Speeder
Here it is, my favorite track in all of Metal Slug. The moment the final mission started and I heard that opening riff, I immediately knew this track was gonna be something special. Like with Zoom Down, it almost sounds out of a Metal Slug, but with the dramatic climaxes, orchestral hits, and catchy guitar riffs you'd expect from a Tanaka song. But if the first half wasn't already fantastic enough, the anime-as-hell chorus somehow manages to heighten the excitement even more. It's a perfect theme for one of the most fast-paced finales in the series.
5/5 Stars

Last Ditch Resistance
While not as good as Speeder, this is yet another fantastic final level theme. It starts strong with lots of brass and orchestral hits, but the more tense and menacing second half with the heavy guitar riffs and melancholy synth melody elevates it even more.
5/5 Stars

Final Attack
Final Attack is back! And this time, it's a heavy metal rendition. While I still think the MS3 version is my favorite, the MS5 rendition is a very close second. It just sounds so powerful and triumphant, even more than even the original version did.
5/5 Stars

Road To Success
Road To Success is a solid but unremarkable credits theme, sadly. It's fun and upbeat, with a nice groove to it, but it doesn't feel like a culmination of the rest of the game like the credits themes in 2-4 did.
3/5 Stars

Touhou Music Reviews: CDs 4-6

 The first three Touhou albums were all fantastic, but 4-6 are a bit more uneven, ranging from my absolute favorite album to probably my least favorite.

Retrospective 53 Minutes: Retrospective 53 Minutes is my least favorite out of the first five albums, as it goes for a more ambient vibe with its original tracks. However, with a great lineup of remixes and some pretty impressive theming (the whole album is actually 53 minutes!), this is still a pretty sweet album.

Hiroshige No 36 - Neo Super-Express
At the very least, R53M has my favorite first track out of any of the albums. It's the definitive train theme, with rhythmic percussion, train sound effects, a distinct synth that sounds like a steam whistle, an upbeat main melody, and a generally comfy feel. It's also pretty complex too, with the second half pretty much devolving into piano and guitar solos. It's a phenomenal track and a truly underrated album gem.
5/5 Stars

Blue Sea Of 53 Minutes
Blue Sea Of 53 Minutes is the ultimate love-it-or-hate-it Touhou track. It's slow, atmospheric, ambient, melancholy, and pretty lacking in any melodies. Personally, I'm split in the middle. It does manage to have a great sense of melancholy, the one melody it does have is pretty haunting, and the background riff is super hypnotizing. However, ZUN throwing in a drum fill every once in a while is an odd choice that feels like it blue-balls me into thinking the song is gonna pick up in tempo. If anything, this track needed to be even more ambient and cut out the percussion entirely. At least the Concealed The Conclusion version committed to a direction.
3/5 Stars

Flight Of The Bamboo Cutter - Lunatic Princess
This remix of Lunatic Princess adds in a lovely new flute intro that may not be as iconic as the original theme's opening but is still solid on its own, but otherwise it's not too different aside from softening the synth a bit. It's less for a fierce final boss theme and focuses more on accentuating Kaguya's beauty, and while I still probably prefer the original, this version is still pretty great too. 
5/5 Stars

Higan Retour - Riverside View
Higan Retour was always one of my favorite tracks in the series and while this version isn't too different, I think the changes it does have make it even better. The trumpets sound crisper, the background instruments are slightly more powerful, and we get a godly new final chorus to cap it all off. It feels like the complete version of an already phenomenal theme.
5/5 Stars

Legend Of Aokigahara
Befitting a song based off of Japan's infamous suicide forest, Legend Of Aokigahara is really muted and downbeat. It's a bit short, but I do really like the main flute melody and how dour it sounds.
4/5 Stars

White Flag Of Usa Shrine
This is probably the most identical remake to the original version, it's literally the exact same song. Not that it's a bad thing, I love this track.
5/5 Stars

Reach For The Moon, Immortal Smoke
Reach For The Moon Immortal Smoke's remix isn't too different aside from the crisper instruments, but it's still an amazing track anyway so whatever.
5/5 Stars

Retrospective Kyoto
Yet another one of my favorite tracks in the series! Aside from some minor instrument volume tweaks, it's pretty much identical but who cares? It's essentially the centerpiece of the entire album, and I couldn't imagine a better theme do the job.
5/5 Stars

Locked Girl - The Girl's Sealed Room
Being an EoSD theme, Locked Girl is the only track to get a really transformative remix, and holy crap is it good. The instruments are so crisp and expertly picked here, from the wailing ZUNpets, to the bouncy percussion, to the dissonant piano chords. It just sounds so much richer and more melodic than the original track, while still keeping that hopeless and melancholic feel. Easily one of the best remixes in an album.
5/5 Stars

Gensokyo Millennium - History Of The Moon
Yet another very similar remix aside from some instrument changes, but they're pretty noticeable changes this time around. The addition of a marimba really gives the track some extra depth and heightens the historical feel of the track. 
5/5 Stars

The Purest Sky And Sea
Solid if slightly unremarkable ending theme. It's pretty subdued and sparse but the main piano and flute melodies are super pleasing and comfy to listen to.
3/5 Stars

Magical Astronomy: Alongside Ghostly Field Club, Magical Astronomy has the most original tracks out of any album, with a miniscule three remixes. Thankfully, Magical Astronomy has what is quite possibly the best lineup of original tracks out of any of the albums, and it uses that to its advantage. Changeability Of Strange Dream may be more of an emotional tour de force, but Magical Astronomy is the most cohesive and tonally broad album, with all of its tracks having a strong space theming and combining together to fit its story perfectly. Magical Astronomy is a truly standout album that easily rivals Changeability as ZUN's best work, I go back and forth on this constantly.

Welcome To The Moon Tour
It's a testament to how good most of the albums' starting tracks are that Welcome To The Moon Tour is only around the middle of the pack, because it really is a great track. It starts off with a super ominous opening before erupting into a far more uplifting and energetic main melody, with a breezy piano riff, fun ZUNpets, and some nice background synths to keep the whole track feeling spacey.
5/5 Stars

Greenwich In The Sky
I adore Greenwich In The Sky. It might just be the best original album track. For starters, it's just a banging piece of music, with a brisk tempo, fun off-kilter time signature, unique synth sound, and addicting melody. It seems like it would be such a great dance number, it's just so joyful and fun. But most of all, where Girls Sealing Club feels like the main theme of the Hifuu Club, Greenwich In The Sky feels like the main theme of Maribel and Renko themselves. It's blend of innocent fun and slight intrigue captures their friendship perfectly. Also, if you like this theme, listen to the +TEK version, it goes so hard.
5/5 Stars 

Sleepless Night Of The Eastern Country
One of the few remixes and it's pretty much identical to the original. Still an amazing theme though.
5/5 Stars

The Wheelchair's Future In Space
ZUN's ode to Steven Hawking. No seriously, this is a song about Steven Hawking, and it's absolutely transcendant. From its uplifting main melody, lovely background synths, and banging chorus, everything about this song makes you wanna keep pushing the boundaries of science and cross new frontiers. It's a perfect piece for one of the greatest minds of all time, and definitely one of the better original tracks.
5/5 Stars

Demystify Feast
Demystify Feast is one of the better fighting game tracks ZUN made, and always felt way too good for being a pre-battle theme. It's tense, gripping, and ends with an absolutely bonkers chorus. And this version is even better, with clearer instruments, more impactful percussion, and the addition of some great piano in the background.
5/5 Stars

Satellite Cafe Terrace
Befitting its name, Satellite Cafe Terrace is a nice breather track in the album. It's comfy and chill, with a cute main riff and some bouncy piano. It's just a fun time throughout, and a perfect track right before Magical Astronomy's huge shift in tone.
4/5 Stars

G Free
G Free is one of the most out-of-left-field original tracks and I absolutely love that about it. It's basically a final boss theme that ZUN just threw into the middle of the album, with a dramatic main melody, frenetic piano, and a generally climactic. It's easily one of the most badass tracks ZUN has ever made and another high point in Magical Astronomy.
5/5 Stars

Celestial Wizardly - Magical Astronomy
Magical Astronomy is yet another surprisingly intense and dramatic track. Considering the story scene that it's paired up with, it feels like it's trying to capture the more tragic aspects of Renko and Maribel and the looming threat of their separation. The first half is especially gripping, sounding almost like one of the better PC-98 tracks with how dark it is.
5/5 Stars

Necrofantasia
This is the definitive version of Necrofantasia and Necro-Fantasy. It takes all the best qualities of both. It has the intensity and dramatic flair of Necrofantasia, but adds a lot more of a build-up, softens up the synths a bit, and makes the climax of the track far more powerful. This is the best remix out of all of the albums, it takes one of Touhou's most iconic tracks and perfects it.
5/5 Stars

The Far Side Of The Moon
This is a really great final track, and would probably be the good ending theme of a Touhou game too, with a nice blend of upbeatness and melancholy. The main melody is super catchy, the background synths are lovely, and that piano solo at the end is fantastic.
5/5 Stars

Trojan Green Asteroid: After Magical Astronomy, ZUN took a long break from album-making until after Ten Desires (Four games since the last!). Personally, I think the post-MA albums are generally a bit weaker than the first five especially when it comes to the original tracks, with Trojan Green Asteroid being the weakest in general, but even it's still a pretty great package on its own merits.

Satellite TORIFUNE
At the very least, Trojan Green Asteroid gets off to a fantastic start with one of the better opening tracks in an album. The heavy bass, spacey synths, and light piano choruses gives a similar space theming to Magical Astronomy's tracks, but with a bit of an edge that helps it stand out.
5/5 Stars

Trojan Asteroid Jungle
This is another pretty strong original track. I love the opening with its blend of tense synths, fun percussion, and ominous choirs, but the catchy sax melody is pretty solid too.
4/5 Stars

Desire Drive
This version of Desire Drive doesn't change too much beyond slightly tweaking some of the instruments and changing the key. It's not any better or worse than the original, they're both fantastic.
5/5 Stars

The Fairies' Adventurous Tale
This track is pretty unremarkable, honestly. The acoustic opening is nice and the melody is reasonably pleasant, but it's a bit too slow and basic for my tastes.
3/5 Stars

Ame-No-Torifune Shrine
Ame-No-Torifune Shrine's most noteworthy attribute is its usage of those iconic LoLK synths years before that game would come out. However, the actual melody is once again not too memorable outside of a slower chorus that works surprisingly effectively.
3/5 Stars

UFO Romance In The Night Sky
Yet another remix that doesn't change too much beyond improving the instruments, but UFO Romance In The Night Sky was already a great track.
5/5 Stars

Hartmann's Youkai Girl
Okay, now this is an interesting remix. Unlike the other TGA remixes which only feel like marginal upgrades, Hartmann's Youkai Girl is a completely remake of the original... but with Ten Desires instruments. I adore this remix, it takes one of my favorite tracks in the series and improves it with one of my favorite soundfonts in the series.
5/5 Stars

The Barrier Of Ame-No-Torifune Shrine
Noticing a trend with the TGA original tracks where they hook me with a really strong intro, only to kinda lose me by the end. The tense central riff and heavy guitars are cool, but that's pretty much it, it's just that same riff being repeated throughout the track.
3/5 Stars

Emotional Skyscraper - Cosmic Mind
Another pretty basic remix, but it's still a stellar track.
5/5 Stars

The Gensokyo That Floats In Outer Space
This is a great ending track, with the opening once again being the best part. The melancholy central melody is really soothing and haunting, and the choirs and percussion that were used throughout the album feel especially impactful here.
4/5 Stars

Metal Slug Music Reviews: Metal Slug 1-3

 So, I had a good time with the Touhou Music Reviews, so I wanted to do in-depth soundtrack reviews of another series... preferably a far shorter one. And seeing as I still have Metal Slug on the brain, I thought why not do that series? There's only seven games here and each of them have pretty short soundtracks, which overall makes for a great series to quickly run through. I'm starting with the original trilogy by Nazca, all of which are great jazz fusion soundtracks composed by Takushi Hiyamuta.

Metal Slug: Metal Slug's first soundtrack is short, but it established most of the series' best and most iconic tracks, so I definitely think it's fair to call it one of the strongest overall.

The Military System
This is a pretty iconic ranking theme that does fit the game's militaristic setting, but it's also a basic drum loop so why would anyone listen to this on its own?
1/5 Stars

Theme Of Metal Slug
This is a phenomenal first stage theme, it's super triumphant and never fails to get you pumped for the game ahead. The first half is this heroic and dramatic tune, but then the percussion comes in the second half and leads to a flawless saxophone solo. Hiyamuta is at his best when he goes full jazz, so that sax takes an already great track and elevates it to top-tier for me.
5/5 Stars

Steel Beast
Steel Beast is probably the Metal Slug track I remember most from playing the first game as a kid. Its chaotic energy and addicting riff makes it hard to forget, even if I slightly prefer a few of the later remixes.
4/5 Stars

Inner Station
My favorite track in the first game, hands down. Despite not being as iconic as Theme Of Metal Slug or Final Attack, Inner Station is a jazzy masterpiece with an incredibly catchy main riff, killer bass and guitar, a fun piano solo, and a head-banging chorus. As usual, Hiyamuta shifts the melody completely in the second half and pulls it off so well.
5/5 Stars

Assault Theme
This was another pretty memorable theme from when I played it as a kid. The orchestral hits at the start and that tense choir melody does a great job at giving this track a feeling of intensity, like things are really getting serious. The reprisal of the main theme later on only further heightens the mood, it's another really great piece.
5/5 Stars

Ridge 256
While not quite as strong (or lengthy) as the last few tracks, Ridge 256 is yet another really catchy piece with a strong central riff and a great saxophone chorus to end it on a high note.
4/5 Stars

Gehardt City
Despite a rousing intro, Gehardt City is probably the weakest stage theme, lacking the same drive and memorability factor as most of the others. It's still a fine track, it just doesn't do too much for me personally.
2/5 Stars

Final Attack
Final Attack is probably the most beloved piece of music in the entire series and yeah, it's a fantastic final level theme. It once again borrows from the main theme, but rearranges it to sound super climactic and like it has a strong sense of finality. There's too many brilliant bits to even mention like the drums being The Military System or the high note at the very end. However, the one thing that keeps Inner Section as my favorite track in the game is the fact that I don't even think this is the best version of Final Attack.
5/5 Stars

Final Performance 1P
The single-player ending theme is a mix of some of the stage themes, though sadly not all of them. We just get the main theme and the assault theme. RIP Inner Station and Ridge 256, I guess.
3/5 Stars

Final Performance 2P
The multiplayer ending theme is way better in my opinion. It's an entirely original track, and quite a solid jazz piece with some solid piano and guitar, and a smooth FM bass line. It probably sounds the most like a Neo Turf Masters track, funnily enough.
4/5 Stars

Metal Slug X: As far as the first three soundtracks go, Metal Slug X's is definitely the weakest, despite it being my favorite game in the series. It has a few incredible tracks, but it lacks the consistency of its predecessor or the intensity of MS3's score, and it has a lot of remixes of the first game's tracks, which kinda just leaves it feels the awkward middle child.

The Military System
This version of The Military System is slightly more echoey which does make it a lot more impactful, though it is still a very short drum loop.
2/5 Stars

Barracks
With the introduction of multiple characters comes our first character select theme, and it's really solid. Once again, it's a short loop, but what's there is quite energetic and heart-pumping.
3/5 Stars

Judgement
This is definitely one of the best first level themes in the series, if not the best, it's so fun and chaotic. The blend of the shredding guitar and more cultural-sounding instruments makes for a really propulsive and head-banding desert theme.
5/5 Stars

 Steel Beast 6Beats
I already liked Steel Beast, but the 6Beats version is just slightly better due to the faster percussion and punchier instruments.
4/5 Stars

Prehistoric Site
Prehistoric Site is a pretty slow and militaristic track with a very slow start, but the mysterious second half that carries over the motif from Judgement is actually quite good.
3/5 Stars

The Cenotaph
The Cenotaph is another pretty slow and mysterious track, but the repeating main riff is surprisingly catchy and carries this track quite a bit.
3/5 Stars

First Contact
Not quite as strong of a boss theme as Steel Beast. It's tense especially with the piano and the main theme showing up is nice, but it's just not as catchy or memorable.
3/5 Stars

Livin On The Deck
Okay, now the soundtrack's getting good again! Livin On The Deck is easily one of the my favorite tracks in the series and quite possibly Hiyamuta's high point. It's a phenomenal bit of jazz fusion, a flurry of interchanging melodies, groovy basslines, and some of the best saxophone and guitar solos the medium has to offer. The fast-paced opening is so fun and perfectly captures the energy of this level's train setting, and even the slower bits manage to keep the momentum going.
5/5 Stars

Assault Theme
I don't even think this is a remix, it's just the first game's Assault Theme again.
5/5 Stars

Back To The China
This is a very fun track, starting off with the stereotypical oriental riff before bursting into this bouncy piano riff and ridiculously catchy melody. The way Hiyamuta takes cultural music tropes and blends them with the rock/jazz of Metal Slug helps make tracks like Judgement and Back To The China sound fresh and surprisingly chaotic.
4/5 Stars

New Godokin Street
New Godokin Street is mostly a remix of the main theme, but the fantastic new bassline and tense repeating riff makes it sound unique and new in a way that, say, First Contact didn't.
4/5 Stars

Kiss In The Dark
Kiss In The Dark is just pure rock, with a heavy guitar riff and some great spontaneous guitar solos that yet again make for a pretty chaotic-sounding track. It's perfect for arguably the most hilariously sadistic stage in the entire series.
5/5 Stars

Metamorphosis
This is just ambience. Next.
1/5 Stars

Final Attack
I don't think this version of the track actually really changes anything either.
5/5 Stars

MSX Ending
It's yet another remix of the main theme. It's not quite as high energy as the original, but we at least get that fantastic saxophone solo this time, so I can't complain.
5/5 Stars

 Metal Slug 3: Out of Hiyamata's three soundtracks, Metal Slug 3 absolutely has my favorite of the bunch. It's a lot more intense and heavy befitting the climactic nature of the game, which leads to a ton of great rock tracks and fittingly climactic-sounding themes.

 The Military System
This is just the Metal Slug X version.
2/5 Stars

Barracks
I already liked Barracks, but the added guitar and punchier instruments makes this version even better, even if it's still quite short.
3/5 Stars

Blue Water Fangs
Blue Water Fangs immediately establishes Metal Slug 3's more urgent tone. It's yet another remix of the main theme, but it's way more frantic and chaotic this time, almost like it's tripping over itself. It's a pretty good way to start the game.
4/5 Stars

Marine Diver
The underwater tracks in this game are so freaking good. Marine Diver boasts some phenomenal riffs, a strong lead guitar performance, and a minor tone that almost makes it sound like it's out of a spy film.
5/5 Stars

The Unknown World
This track once again takes from the main theme, but it bases itself off of the far more underused (and underrated) second half. It works quite well here, The Unknown World is a super menacing and tense track that fits both stages it shows up in.
4/5 Stars

Steel Beast 7Beats
Yet another remix of Steel Beast that ups the time signature to makes it even more chaotic and all over-the-place. I still think X's version is the best of the bunch, but this is still a really good version of a really good track.
4/5 Stars

Midnight Wandering
As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of Metal Slug's more heavy, metal-influenced tracks, and Midnight Wandering is one of their best. The guitar riffs are godlike, the percussion is super punchy, and that wailing guitar in the chorus is chill-inducing. I adore this track, and it fits the spooky zombie aesthetic of its stage really well.
5/5 Stars

Devil's Snow Cave
Another pretty good rock track, with some phenomenal percussion from the booming bass drum, to that rocking groove once the main melody kicks in, to that perfectly-utilized triangle. It also uses the same choir/orchestra hit combo that Kiss In The Dark used to great effect.
4/5 Stars

Metamorphosis
Still ambient, still not worth mentioning.
1/5 Stars

The Shallow Sea
The unique swing feel in The Shallow Sea is pretty fun and helps this track stand out, but the slower pace still makes it one of the weaker stage themes in the game.
3/5 Stars

Hard Water
In case Marine Diver wasn't good enough, Hard Water is yet another fantastic rock/jazz fusion in the same as tracks like Inner Station and Livin On The Deck. The wailing guitar melody at the start is already great, but the absolutely wild guitar solo in the second half manages to elevate this track even more.
5/5 Stars

Assault Theme
No changes here.
5/5 Stars

Secret Factory
With the stealth stage comes a theme that sounds like it's ripped straight out of Metal Gear. It's definitely a bit unusual for Metal Slug, but it's fittingly tense and has a nice beat and some solid piano bits.
3/5 Stars

Desert
So, how do you top Judgement? Well, you don't, but you can certainly try as long you have some heavy guitar riffs and blaring trumpets. Almost everything I said about that track holds true here, Desert is yet another very fun and chaotic desert theme.
5/5 Stars

Pyramid
In almost a complete contrast to the atmospheric pyramid themes in X, Pyramid is a super groovy and upbeat track with a catchy melody and some more solid guitar riffs. Not too much else I can say here, it's just a really fun track.
4/5 Stars

The Cenotaph
Not the best track they could've brought back, but eh, it's still alright.
3/5 Stars

The Japanese Army
I admire how hilariously trollish this track is, befitting the massive difficulty spike that is the Japonese Army route. It has this blend between sounding really goofy and silly and surprisingly intense, almost as if it's screaming at you that you're screwed.
3/5 Stars

Into The Sky
Another solid remix of the main theme that starts off as heroic as you'd expect, but the second half has a surprisingly effective shift in tone that really makes the planet sequence that kicks off the final mission feel cinematic.
3/5 Stars

The Kidnapping
Despite being essentially cutscene music, the tense piano riff and frantic percussion make for a surprisingly strong and frenetic track on its own merits.
4/5 Stars

Into The Cosmos
Another high energy rock track with a phenomenal opening riff that sounds right out of a Crush 40 song. The rest of the track isn't quite as strong, but it's still super propulsive and dramatic, befitting the climactic shmup sequence.
4/5 Stars

Kiss In The Dark
Still a fantastic track, even if it's not quite as fitting here.
5/5 Stars

First Contact
Still a fine but unremarkable boss theme.
3/5 Stars

Bioinformatics
It took me a bit to realize that Bioinformatics is actual a remix of The Kidnapping, but somewhat distorted to hammer home the horror of what the aliens are doing to your captured ally. It's just as tense as the original track, but the added length and increased amount of guitar makes it slightly better.
4/5 Stars

Escape
Escape is yet another The Kidnapping remix. It doesn't do too much different from the other two versions of the track, but the heavier instruments really bring out a horror vibe that fits such a tense sequence.
4/5 Stars

Final Attack
This is my favorite version of Final Attack. It doesn't change too much, but everything flows a bit nicer and the instruments sound even louder and more triumphant than they did in the original game, making for a track that screams finality more than any other iteration of Final Attack. It's the perfect way to end off the trilogy.
5/5 Stars

End Title
Yet another credits theme comes with yet another remix of the main theme, but like with this game's version of Final Attack, this credits theme sounds a lot more triumphant and louder. It's really good... up until it cuts out the second half and its saxophone solo for a slower bridge, what a shame.
4/5 Stars

2024 Games I Played Mini: Just A Few Demos

This is gonna be a short post, I just wanted to quickly give my thoughts on two demos I played recently for two 2024 games: Mario Vs Donkey Kong, and Another Code Recollection. Both of these are remakes, but while I'm incredibly familiar with the former, I've never experienced Another Code, so my goal with playing these demos was different. I tried the MvDK demo to see if Nintendo nailed the game feel, and I tried Another Code's demo to see if it's something I'd be into. The results... definitely varied...

Mario Vs Donkey Kong: Being a big GBA buff, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I've played the original Mario Vs Donkey Kong. As a matter of fact, I've beaten it multiple times and even 100%'d it once. It's a really fun puzzle game with tight and freeflowing movement, a ridiculously high skill ceiling, and a charmingly awkward presentation. Unfortunately, from what I've played, MvDK kinda removes all of that. The original game controls wonderfully. It takes a bit to get used to, but controlling Mario and doing all his acrobatics feels really tight and precise. The remake does keep that robust moveset, but the physics feel somewhat stiffer and jankier, and the hitboxes aren't much better. I think the biggest issue is the fact that jumping on enemies is weirdly difficult in the remake. If you jump onto the edge of an enemy, you'll die, and it made getting through even the earliest levels a lot iffier than they should've been.

What also caught me off-guard is the fact that this game removed a pivotal aspect of the original, which is its score system. In the GBA version, you had a score that would accumulate as you defeat enemies, get the three presents, and beat the stage quickly. By beating the preset high score for each level, you get a gold star which you can use to unlock even harder expert levels. Some of these high scores are incredibly tight and will require mastering each stage, which is ultimately part of the appeal. If you're just beating it normal, MvDK isn't very hard, and its puzzles won't leave you all that stumped. But optimize your route through each stage to get the highest score? That's where the real puzzle comes in. So Nintendo removing the scoring system and just making it that you get a gold star for finding all three presents removes any of that extra depth and complexity. Sure, there's apparently going to be a Time Attack Mode, but that's just not the same since you won't have to take the presents into account.

As for the presentation, well, the Mario Vs Donkey Kong remake looks... alright. We've never seen the series rendered in full 3D and in HD quality, and most of the models and environments do look quite nice. Even more, the prerendered cutscenes look really good, not on the level of the SMRPG remake, but still very solid. However, a lot of the animations in gameplay look quite stiff. Granted, they were also stiff in the original game, but that's because it's a GBA game that used prerendered graphics. In the Switch remake, they make the game look a tad cheap. Another downgrade is unfortunately the voice acting. Part of the charm of the original MvDK is how much Mario talked. Nintendo squeezed a ton of compressed Martinet lines in that cartridge, which gave the whole game a goofy charm. While Martinet lines are used in the remake, they're less frequent and often less funny, like how in the redone opening cutscene, Mario doesn't scream at Donkey Kong in Italian. Even the soundtrack feels weaker from what I've heard. Lawrence Schwelder's original score is very silly but incredibly expressive and snappy, giving the game a fun blues-y feel. The remake goes for a most orchestral soundtrack employing a lot of smooth jazz, which caused it to blend into the background a bit.

Edit: So as it turns out, Schwelder returned to do the remake's soundtrack. I'm glad to see him back since his music was a big part of the MvDK game's identity, but I still kinda prefer the original's harsher sound.

Look, I know I tend to be a lot harder on remakes than most. In the grand scheme of things, with the improved visuals and extra stages and mode, this is still probably gonna be a fine way to play this game. However, when I'm innately familiar with the original game, these kinds of downgrades are going to stick out all the more, and they are going to be what makes-or-breaks, not the added features. Magolor Epilogue in RTDLDX or a better save system in Crash aren't going to change the fact that I prefer Wii RTDL's balancing and PS1 Crash's controls. So, I'm probably not going to get the full game, unless it's like, really on sale or something.

Another Code Recollection: I don't have as much to say on Another Code as I never played the original, and thus have nothing to compare it to. However, I can say that I actually quite enjoyed my time with the demo. It's a far longer demo than the MvDK demo, at roughly an hour in length, and I think it gave me a good vertical slice of what to expect. It's a sort of point-and-click adventure game where you play as Ashley, a girl who visits an island upon learning that her father that she previously thought was dead is actually there. Soon after arriving, her aunt who accompanied her disappears, and she also meets a ghost trapped on the island, which leaves her with a bunch of mysteries to solve. As far as story goes, there's a lot to latch onto here. The mystery element is already pretty intriguing, Ashley is a very expressive protagonist, and her unlikely pairing with the aforementioned ghost D is quite charming. It's all bolstered by some pretty fantastic character animation and strong voice acting, which is used for pretty much every major conversation. Obviously, I can't say much more about the story since I haven't played the rest, but it's a strong set-up.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, you explore the (so far quite linear) island from an over-the-shoulder perspective and solve a series of environmental puzzles. It actually took me a while to adjust to the camera angle as I don't usually play the kinds of cinematic games that would use an over-the-shoulder perspective, but it overall does a solid job of putting you in Ashley's shoes as you explore the island while still letting you see her interact with the world around her. The puzzles are where it's really at, though. There's a really nice variety of them within the demo ranging from gyroscope-based puzzles, to exploring an area, to noticing marks on the ground. I played without hints and I thought the puzzles were the perfect difficulty, never leaving me completely stumped but still forcing me to think and assess my surroundings. So yeah, I definitely liked what I played of the Another Code demo, the puzzles and exploration is engaging and the story is quite intriguing. It's not something I'm going to jump straight to buying right away, especially with Side Order, the Cavern Of Dreams port, and Princess Peach Showtime coming soon, but I'd definitely be open to getting the full game at some point.

Touhou Music Reviews: CDs 1-3

 Finally, it's time I get to reviewing the Touhou albums. I've talked about the albums before, and my opinions on them hasn't really changed. I think the albums gave ZUN the opportunity to experiment with longer and more varied original tracks, improve on his older tracks through remixes, and use far crisper and clearer instruments. A lot of the time, I'd even argue the albums are better than the game soundtracks, just to show how good they usually are. Since the albums are short and I don't have any characters to talk about, I'll be cramming three albums into each post, starting with the first three.

Dolls In Psuedo Paradise: Dolls In Psuedo Paradise is a weird album considering it's the only one to not have the Hifuu Club, instead boasting a story about the horrors of Gensokyo from the perspective of your average human. The music similarly has a more eerie and haunting vibe to it, taking the dark-sounding EoSD soundfont but making it crisper and more affecting than ever. Despite being the first of ZUN's CDs, it feels like the end of an era for that awkward period before the Touhou series really became a hit, employing Seihou and PC-98 remixes aplenty. It's for that reason that DiPP comes together to being one of my personal favorite CDs of the bunch.

Legend Of Hourai
Right from the get-go, you immediately get the sense that there's something different about the albums. The tracks are longer, the instruments are crisper, and ZUN can really go all out with the compositions. Legend Of Hourai is a beautiful and downright magical tune that feels like the perfect introduction to the world of Gensokyo, from its lovely acoustic intro, to that traditional-sounding flute chorus, to the piano solo. Legend Of Hourai is Touhou.
5/5 Stars

Dichromatic Lotus Butterfly - Red And White
Ancients is good and all, but Red And White was always my preferred version of this theme. It's more energetic and fast-paced, and the harsh synths and energetic background instruments give this track way more of an edge to it. Personally, I think the ULiL version is even better, but still, great Reimu track.
5/5 Stars

Lovely Mound Of Cherry Blossoms
One of my favorite Seihou tracks gets an absolutely stunning recreation with far better instrumentations, a more traditional sound, and those absolutely eargasmic piano solos. Phenomenal remix.
5/5 Stars

Shanghai Alice Of Meiji 17
The original Shanghai Alice was one of my favorite tracks of EoSD and this version isn't quite as good. It's less energetic and lacks the chorus, though that main melody is as elegant as always and I love the dramatic intro. Instrument-wise, it feels like a Seihou version of the original theme which is definitely novel even if I don't think it's as strong.
4/5 Stars

Strange Oriental Discourse
Oh, ZUN nailed this one. Between the intense intro, the booming percussion, the more naturalistic instruments, the faster tempo, the loud synths, and dramatic chorus, this version of Strange Oriental Discourse took an already amazing track and made it even more of a banger.
5/5 Stars

Enigmatic Doll
I've already raved enough about Enigmatic Doll in my Seihou review. It was great in the original, and it's even better here thanks to the clearer instruments. Unlike most of the other remixes here, not much really changed since the WAV version, but it didn't need to. Enigmatic Doll was already perfect.
5/5 Stars

Circus Reverie
Definitely the most unique remix in the album. The original version of Circus Reverie was decently energetic, but this remix is incredibly calm and melancholic, and it works pretty damn well. Once again, the new intro is magical, but the heavy usage of piano, tense background instruments, and many of the new bits in the second half are pretty great.
5/5 Stars

Forest Of Dolls
One of the few entirely original tracks, and it's pretty solid. The main beat is super atmospheric, the melody is incredibly catchy, and I love the organ-sounding instrument in the background. The track feels both playful and exciting at the same time. No complaints here.
5/5 Stars

Witch Of Love Potion
Now this is a weird remix, it's not from Touhou or Seihou. Instead, Witch Of Love Potion is from a small game ZUN also composed for called Torte Le Magic. It's a good track but probably one of the weaker ones on the album. It's a pretty lengthy and complex track composed of a lot of different melodies, between an energetic intro melody, a slow and melodic chorus (?) followed up by a super dramatic melody, and a laid-back piano bit near the end. Not all of it meshes together incredibly seamlessly, but there's still a lot of strong moments.
4/5 Stars

Reincarnation
I loved Reincarnation already, but this version completely blows the original out of the water, with a beautifully dramatic new intro, an operatic main riff, and a truly mind-blowing chorus. It's not quite as tense as the original track, but this version of Reincarnation is far more grandiose and climactic.
5/5 Stars

UN Owen Was Her
I already brought this up in my EoSD review, but I think the crisper instruments do this track a lot more justice. Not much really changed here, but it just sounds less crusty, which makes UN Owen Was Her's fantastic and unique melodies really shine through.
5/5 Stars

Eternal Shrine Maiden
Similarly to Circus Reverie, this is a more melancholic and slow-paced remix of the original track, which I think works a bit better since Eternal Shrine Maiden was already kinda depressing. It makes so many changes to the original melody that work surprisingly well, like its incredibly powerful intro with its own original melodies, the moody rain and thunder sound effects, and how it makes the original's chorus the verse and vice-versa. It really makes for an impactful track because of how it builds up to that iconic melody we all know and love. Considering that PCB would be the point where Windows Touhou really solidifies itself, this truly feels like a farewell to the PC-98 days. And what a farewell it was...
5/5 Stars

The Strange Everyday Life Of The Flying Shrine Maiden
I was always a bit baffled as to why Eternal Shrine Maiden wasn't the final track, but I think I kinda get it now. Where Eternal Shrine Maiden says goodbye to the PC-98, this track welcomes Windows, with a heavy usage of ZUNpets and bits that feels almost straight out of PCB. It's still probably the most forgettable of DiPP's tracks, but with a powerful main melody and fun piano solo near the end, this is still a pretty solid track.
3/5 Stars

Ghostly Field Club: Despite being Maribel and Renko's first album, Ghostly Field Club always kinda suffered in my eyes from being sandwiched between two of my favorite albums. I've warmed up to it a lot as of late though, and it has a whole bunch of what would become some of my favorite original tracks out of the CDs. GFC is one of the most atmospheric Touhou albums, and does a great job at creating a fittingly eerie tone.

Dying In The Dendera Fields In The Night
Something I always found interesting about ZUN's albums was how the first track so often feels like it could be a title theme, and how the last track often feels like a staff roll theme. That being said, Dendera Fields is very much reminiscent of a title theme, exciting, intriguing, and does a great job at getting you in the spooky spirit for this spooky album. The piano bits also help a lot.
4/5 Stars

Girls' Sealing Club
This has always been the RenMari theme for me, it fits them so well. The playful piano, intense guitars, and slightly intriguing melody really captures off that sense of innocent exploration that epitomizes the duo. The verse is definitely the highlight here with its fun melody, echoey lead piano, and those amazing guitars, but the whole track is absolutely fantastic. It really is those guitars that elevate it for me, another pretty solid rock track from ZUN.
5/5 Stars

Mystic Oriental Dream - Ancient Temple
This is just the Phantasmagoria version. My full thoughts are on the PoFV review, but to put it simply, it's not as good since it's slightly lower pitched but it's still an amazing theme.
5/5 Stars 

Ancient Temple In The Netherworld
Given the name, this definitely feels like a PCB track. It has that same ethereal vibe and sense of atmosphere, with a super powerful and rhythmic main melody. It does have a bit too much of a build-up, but once it gets going, this is a pretty strong and atmospheric track.
4/5 Stars

Illusionary Night - Ghostly Eyes
Now this is interesting, Ghostly Field Club came out before Imperishable Night. Was it an album track first or a game track first? Who knows? Either way, it's a pretty solid first stage theme even if this version doesn't really seem to have any differences from the final version.
4/5 Stars 

Mary, The Magician
I adore how shamelessly creepy Mary The Magician is, from that haunting piano riff, to the eerie synths in the background, to that crushingly dark melody, to the wailing ZUNpets in the chorus. There's still enough of a melody to prevent it from feeling like aimless ambience, but the grim atmosphere really sticks with you. Right from the her first appearance, ZUN was already making Maribel one of the most intriguing characters in the entire franchise.
5/5 Stars

Strange Bird Of The Moon, Illusion Of Mysterious Cat
One of the more underrated tracks from these albums. It's so frantic and chaotic, with a fast-paced main riff, tense piano verse, the creepy synths carrying over from the last track, and one hell of a chorus employing the same repeating melodies that Ancient Temple In The Netherworld used. It took a while for me to really warm up to Strange Bird but now I'd call it one of my favorite original album themes.
5/5 Stars

Fairy Of Flower
Yet another interesting entry, an unused track from Perfect Cherry Blossom, likely meant for Lily White. Honestly, this one's pretty unremarkable. The chorus is fun and breezy, but the ZUNpet intro don't quite sound the best. It's a fine track, but definitely not on par with one of the series' best soundtracks.
3/5 Stars

Magical Girl Crusade
Another Seihou remix! Magical Girl Crusade was always one of the better tracks from that series, but man, what a glowup. Once again, we get an awesome intro, but it really is the better instruments that shine here. That echoey organ, the fun piano for the pre-chorus, the energetic synths, it all elevates Magical Girl Crusade even more.
5/5 Stars

A Maiden's Illusionary Funeral - Necro-Fantasy
If you recall in my PCB review, I said I prefer Necro-Fantasy more than Necrofantasia. As far as the album remixes are considered, however, that doesn't quite apply. Necro-Fantasy's remix is mostly the same outside of a new intro which I don't feel meshes with the track too well, but the powerful chorus and dramatic second half are still as amazing as always. The Necrofantasia remix, however... well, we'll get there in a few albums.
5/5 Stars 

Illusionary Eternal Festival
Now this is a final album track. Illusionary Eternal Festival doesn't just feel like a staff roll theme, it feels like the best fucking staff roll theme you've ever heard. It's dramatic, melancholic, uplifting, and just flat-out really well composed throughout. It's got powerful synths, a tense piano solo, heavy electric guitars, and a very catchy main melody. One of my favorite original album tracks, hands down.
5/5 Stars  

Changeability Of Strange Dream: Changeability Of Strange Dream is my favorite album and probably my favorite collection of Touhou music in general. Every track is a banger, the dark tone is so cohesive and permeates the entire soundtrack, and it all adds up for a CD that I find genuinely heavy and exhausting to listen to, in a good way. Every time I listen to CoSD, I'm left breathless both from how grim it gets and how freaking good the music is. Personally, this album might be ZUN's magnum opus, at least alongside one other album we'll get to.

Kid's Festival - Innocent Treasures
Ah, ZUN's theme. It's a hell of a good one too. The melody is super catchy and fun, there's a dramatic organ intro, an eerie piano solo near the end, Kid's Festival works well as a great intro track, as an introduction to this album's heavier tone, and an encapsulation of ZUN and Touhou as a whole. Not much more I can say about this one, even fans who aren't familiar with the albums like this track.
5/5 Stars

Dream Of Arcadia
It's interesting how the main melody sounds like a sadder version Lovely Mound Of Cherry Blossoms, given the name, it feels like it's meant to be a Yuuka theme. Aside from those similarities, Dream Of Arcadia still feels entirely unique, with a haunting main piano melody, sorrowful acoustic riff, and a generally ethereal tone. The fact that this is still one of the weaker tracks is a testament to how good this album is.
4/5 Stars

Shanghai Treehouse - Chinese Tea
While not as iconic as the original, this is still a super fun and unique take on one of EoSD's best themes, with a more fast-paced and playful tone to it. The instruments are so good here, from the lovely flute playing the chorus, to those booming ZUNpets, to the entirely new piano solo, to those cool synths that are used for the pre-chorus. This version of Shanghai Treehouse just feels so triumphant and happy.
5/5 Stars

Voyage 1969
Voyage 1969 is one of my favorite themes in the entire series, and this remix is almost as great, employing more intense percussion and what sounds like a faint choir in the background. This remix feels more fast-paced and energetic, which does sound really good, though I do slightly prefer the more sparse and spacey-sounding original. Still a godly theme though.
5/5 Stars

Boys And Girls Of Science Era
One of the more lighthearted themes of the album, and even it sounds eerie and tense. I keep forgetting how good Boys And Girls Of Science Era is because of how playful its melody and riff is, but the piano is ethereal, the flute is beautiful, and the chorus is absolutely beautiful.
5/5 Stars

Retribution For The Eternal Night - Imperishable Night
Unlike Voyage 1969's remix, I'd say this remix not only stands toe to toe with the superlative original but quite possibly surpasses it. Like with Voyage 1969, this remix is more intense which works perfectly for one of the most frantic tracks in the series, and that entirely new slow-paced bridge section is absolutely godly. ZUN took an already perfect track and made it perfecter.
5/5 Stars

Night Falls - Evening Star
While everyone loves Necrofantasia, Yukari's other theme Night Falls is pretty damn underrated, especially this original version that was also used in 7.5. It's so eerie and oppressive, really bringing Yukari's more manipulative side to the forefront. The tense riff and the dramatic chorus make for one of the bleakest tracks in the series, and yet it's not even the heaviest track in this very album.
5/5 Stars

Doll Judgement
This just feels like a touched up version of Doll Judgement with punchier synths and a more powerful chorus. I already liked the original, and this is even better.
4/5 Stars

Border Between Dream And Reality
Where do I even start with this song? Right from that repetitious piano riff that kicks off the track, Border Between Dream And Reality grips you and doesn't let go. Add in the ethereal synths and rhythmic percussion and you get a build-up that's so hypnotic you barely notice it's a build-up. Then, ZUN throws in one of the craziest piano solos he's ever made, which all leads to a haunting yet heavenly version of the Child Of Are chorus. This is hardly the most melodic or catchy track in the series, but the sense of atmosphere it creates is unmatched. This is easily one of my favorite original album tracks, it's so captivating and ethereal.
5/5 Stars

Phantasm Machine - Phantom Factory
And then we get to this. Doll's Phantom was already amazing, but ZUN decided to go full electronica with his remix to amazing effect. This is to Touhou what Factory Investigation was to Kirby, a track that's so bleak, mechanical, and intense that it feels almost unfitting to this series. Of course, that's part of what makes Phantasm Machine so amazing. There's no other song in Touhou like this, just like the song before it, the dark atmospheric it generates is so compelling.
5/5 Stars

Mystic Maple - Eternal Night
Ending this amazing album on a high note, we get a remix of IN's staff roll theme that fixes my biggest issue with it. I love Maple Dream and I was so glad to see it come back in Imperishable Night, but the that version's chorus didn't really sound the best, especially compared to this remix. CoSD's version has a much larger build-up, clearer instruments, a more pleasing flute instrument replacing the slightly grating, and a more impactful chorus. It all adds up to what is the definitive version of Touhou's best credits theme.
5/5 Stars

Touhou Music Reviews: Spin-Offs

 Well, it's been a while, but I finally got around to finishing up with reviewing the spinoffs and their soundtracks, along with the extensive lineup of Touhou characters not from the mainline games. Prepare for a beefy one, we have a lot to cover here.

Shoot The Bullet: As I said in the Phantasmagoria Of Flower View review, I love the specific kind of sound ZUN has made for Aya. Energetic, fast-paced tracks with breezy piano, romantic ZUNpets, and driving percussion. ZUN stated that he wanted every song in this game to sound like the enemy is fighting Aya rather than the other way around, and yeah, it shows. This is basically Aya: The Soundtrack, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tengu's Notebook - Mysterious Note
One of if not the weakest title theme, though by no means bad either, it's just not super memorable. Similarly to the PoFV title screen, Tengu's Notebook tries to go for a more atmospheric vibe, with rain sound effects and echoing notes.
3/5 Stars

Wind Circulation - Wind Tour
While the weakest of the stage themes, Wind Circulation does a good job of feeling both like a great first stage theme and a great Aya theme. It's fast-paced and carefree tune with loads of piano, ZUNpet, and that good old PoFV percussion, with a pretty lovely moment of calm right before the chorus.
4/5 Stars

Tengu Is Watching - Black Eyes
What an absolute bop. Tengu Is Watching's main melody is so smooth and catchy, the accompaniment is so bouncy and fun, and the chorus is just climactic enough while still feeling upbeat. The single ZUNpet gives the track a slight elegant feel to it that I like a lot.
5/5 Stars

Sleepless Night Of The Eastern Country
Definitely the most energetic track in Shoot The Bullet, with a blisteringly fast and catchy main melody, some sick-sounding distorted keyboards, and even a Theme Of Eastern Story appearance. You can tell ZUN intended this to be the game's show-stopper theme, and given it's the most popular one, he definitely succeeded.
5/5 Stars

Retrospective Kyoto
And yet, these songs just keep getting better. Retrospective Kyoto is one of my favorite tracks in the series for how relatively peaceful it by this soundtrack's standards. It's still got the driving percussion, but the verse has a more calming flute melody, and there's a more melancholic vibe to the whole song compared to the other stage themes. The piano chorus is especially magical, tender but still quintessentially Aya.
5/5 Stars

Wind God Girl
Already reviewed this one, I still think it's amazing.
5/5 Stars

Double Spoiler: In case Shoot The Bullet's soundtrack wasn't great enough, Double Spoiler manages to one-up it with longer and more complex tracks, a greater sense of atmosphere, and a unique blend of Ten Desires' trance style and Undefined Fantastic Object's more naturalistic instrumentation. The tracks are a bit longer and more complex too, it really is an underrated gem of a score.

Newshead
Okay, yeah, this is a way better title theme. It keeps the atmospheric rain sounds of Tengu's Notebook but adds in a way catchier melody with fun piano riffs, Ten Desires-esque bass, a ZUNpet chorus, and even claps. It feels almost like a prototype of Spirit Of Avarice, one of my favorite title themes.

The Mystery In Your Town
A bit more of an atmospheric first stage theme than Wind Circulation was, with a slightly slower pace and a more serious tone. It's still pretty great though, the main melody in the verse is super pretty, the ZUNpets are used super well to heighten the drama in the chorus, and recognizing the chimes from UFO Romance was a pleasant surprise.
4/5 Stars

Youkai Modern Colony
Like with Tengu Is Watching, the second theme is a really head-banger. The main melody is so jazzy and catchy, the UFO saxophones are used in a pretty great chorus, and the choir and chimes in the background help maintain the sense of atmosphere that Mystery had.
5/5 Stars

Nemesis Stronghold
THAT CHORUS. I love how dramatic and sweeping Nemesis Stronghold's apex is, between the wailing ZUNpets and the distinct clanging chimes that this track employs. The whole song is amazing, with some great piano flourishes and even more of that atmospheric vibe, but the chorus is the real highlight here.
5/5 Stars

Bell Of Avici
Masterpiece. An easy Top 10 track, everything in Double Spoiler's soundtrack was building to this. The smooth piano melody, the intense guitars, the UFO saxs, the rhythmic percussion, the clanging bells, the godly chorus, everything comes together so perfectly to create a song that's equal parts catchy, atmospheric, upbeat, relaxing, and melancholic all at the same time. 
5/5 Stars

Youkai Mountain - Mysterious Mountain
Unlike Wind God Girl, Mysterious Mountain actually had some changes made for its reappearance in this game, that being the Ten Desires percussion. Not gonna lie, it kinda slaps.
5/5 Stars

Great Fairy Wars: Great Fairy Wars is so weird in hindsight. A spinoff based on a Touhou manga? Definitely can't see ZUN doing that nowadays. Either way it's a great game with a pretty great soundtrack, even if it's not quite on the same level as the Aya spinoffs.

An Ice Fairy In Spring
This is a pretty great title theme, with a super cheery melody and icey instruments that really scream Cirno. GFW's main leitmotif is just super catchy and fun.
4/5 Stars

The Refrain Of The Lovely Great War
This is an amazing first stage theme, genuinely one of the best. The heavy usage of violins is super distinct and gives off real Seihou vibes, and the bouncy piano solo is insanely good. 
5/5 Stars

Staking Your Life On A Prank
I'm not a huge fan of this one, sadly. It does fit the three fairies with how goofy and light-hearted it is, but the main melody is pretty short and repetitive, and the track overall is far overshadowed by the final boss theme and all the fairies' album themes.

Year-Round Absorbed Curiosity
Pretty good second stage theme, super energetic and fast-paced, and it brings back the game's main leitmotif which I've already praised. The chorus isn't super amazing, but otherwise, a solid track.
4/5 Stars

A Midnight Fairy Dance
Now this is a fantastic theme. The weird time signatures and rhythmic nature really makes this track feel like a dance, with a catchy piano verse and a dramatic Theme Of Eastern Story reprisal in the chorus for good measure. Definitely my favorite stage theme in the game.
5/5 Stars

The Great Fairy Wars - Fairy Wars
Now this is a weird final boss theme, it's so light-hearted and upbeat compared to the rest of the series. I can't say this doesn't fit the three fairies pretty well though, and I really like the triumphant intro and whimsical flute that permeates the track.
4/5 Stars

Loose Rain
Now this is a great extra stage theme, super intense, energetic, and dramatic. The whole soundtrack has hints of Ten Desires, but nothing is more blatant than this track using the (great) Welcome To Youkai Temple synth.
4/5 Stars

Magus Night
This is the Marisa theme in my book, both incredibly intense and exciting at the same time. The key changes, the catchy guitar, the intense guitars, the powerful ZUNpets in the chorus, it all just screams Marisa in all the best ways.
5/5 Stars

An Ice Fairy In Spring - Still
The title theme but calmer and more ethereal-sounding, so I do prefer this version a bit over it. It has the heavier melancholy vibe that you'd expect from an ending theme while still being super pleasant and peaceful.
4/5 Stars

Impossible Spell Card: Being based on my favorite Touhou character, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I adore Impossible Spell Card. It's easily my favorite of the bullet hell spinoffs and one of my favorite Touhou games in general, and part of that is due to its intense techno soundtrack, perfectly fitting one of the edgiest and punkest characters in the franchise.

Raise The Flag Of Cheating
What a banger of a title theme, one of the best in my opinion. It's so propulsive and exciting, with a spacey lead synth, hard-hitting percussion, a violin bridge, chiptune sound effects, and an incredible drop right before the chorus. It's like a cross between DDC's more dramatic compositions with the techno from Ten Desires and I'm all for it.
5/5 Stars

Cheat Against The Impossible Danmaku
An incredibly energetic first stage theme with some really unique distorted-sounding synth leads that I absolutely adore. There's something so off-kilter about how this track sounds that perfectly fits Seija, and the great electric guitar and percussions give the track a nice rock edge.
5/5 Stars

Midnight Spell Card
The weird thing about Impossible Spell Card's themes is that they can often feel relaxing and intense at the same time. It makes sense considering Seija rarely ever seems to actually worry about anything, but it leads to unique tracks like Midnight Spell Card, which juggles both naturalistic instruments like flute, piano, and ZUNpet, along with synth leads, rock-sounding percussion, and heavy Ten Desires-esque bass. It's both chill and a banger.
5/5 Stars

Romantic Escape Flight
Romantic Escape Flight is the weakest original ISC track by a pretty wide margin, and I think a big reason for that is the electric guitar which just doesn't sound quite as good as it usually does. It's a shame too because the main flute melody is genuinely great, so we ultimately get a song that I only really like 50% of.
3/5 Stars

Eternal Transient Reign
Generally considered to be the highlight of Impossible Spell Card's soundtrack and, yeah, it absolutely is. It's both super calming, focusing on pianos, flutes, and that spacey LoLK synth, and really climactic, with a super dramatic main melody and powerful chorus. It's super lengthy too, with a long build-up to its fantastic final reprisal of the chorus.
5/5 Stars

Mermaid From The Uncharted Land
The first of three DDC tracks brought back, and sadly the weakest.
3/5 Stars

Reverse Ideology
Still great, would've been disappointed if they hadn't brought it back.
5/5 Stars

Illusionary Joururi
It's no Reverse Ideology, but it comes pretty close.
5/5 Stars

Youkai Mountain - Mysterious Mountain
Just the Double Spoiler remix again.
5/5 Stars

Violet Detector: Violet Detector popped up during the weakest period of Touhou music, which I call the Elementic era after the drums ZUN used. However, despite not liking the game itself very much, it boasts a surprisingly solid soundtrack with a strong sense of atmosphere. Dare I say, it might be one of ZUN's best in the late 2010s.

Nightmare Journal
Nightmare Journal is a solid title theme, super moody and atmospheric which fits the game really well. However, it's also quite short and simple, and... well... do I need to mention the drums?
3/5 Stars

Lucid Dreamer
ZUN used a lot of glissandos in his tracks around this time, but they really work for Lucid Dreamer. Between the slurring notes and unconventional tempo, Lucid Dreamer sounds dizzying and dreamy in all the right ways, perfectly capturing the game's surreal tone. It also has just the right amount of energy to make for a great first stage theme.
4/5 Stars

Lunatic Dreamer
Lunatic Dreamer has a fantastic intro and chorus, super energetic and chaotic befitting the massive difficulty spikes that are the wrong weeks. The verse is a bit less memorable, but the overall high energy of the track and the fantastic piano bridge make for another strong track that keeps up the momentum quite nicely.
4/5 Stars

Nightmare Diary
Nightmare Diary is held up by a lot of people as the best track in VD and one of the best recent ZUN tracks period and I definitely can't deny that, it's great. Nightmare Diary sounds incredibly climactic, starting off tense only to ramp up in intensity with every verse, culminating in that iconic high-note-to-piano-solo transition. From then on, the rest of the track is almost exhaustively powerful.
5/5 Stars

"Old Adam" Bar
For what I believe is the first time, ZUN brought a Hifuu album theme to an actual game, and "Old Adam" Bar was a great choice. I'll talk more about it when I get to the albums, but it has this fun and spacey energy to it that fits Sumireko's situation quite well. Sadly, the album rips ended up having to be shortened, but thankfully, most of the best parts of "Old Adam" Bar remains intact.
5/5 Stars

The Darkness Brought In By Swallowstone Naturalis Historia
Unfortunately, the other album rip does not fare nearly as well. I was never a huge fan of this track to begin with, but even I can agree that its best part was the weird and memorable ending, which is unfortunately completely cut. As a result, this version of the track only contains the pretty grating opening section. What a waste...
1/5 Stars

Eternal Spring Dream
Brought back from LoLK. Loved it there, loved it here.
5/5 Stars

The Concealed Four Seasons
Still a pretty great final boss theme.
5/5 Stars

100th Black Market: You can tell ZUN has been experimenting with his instrumentation and music a lot lately, which is far from a bad thing as I felt Touhou 19's soundtrack was a big improvement over the last few. However, his soundtrack for 18.5 felt a bit too experimental and not in a good way. It's far and away ZUN's weakest score, with barely any of its tracks really vibing with me.

The Collector's Melancholy Afternoon
This is a pretty laid-back title theme, but maybe a bit too laid-back. The main motif feels a bit aimless and weak, and while the solid percussion and usual Theme Of Eastern Story reprisal do their best to carry the  track, this is still one of the weakest title themes for me.
3/5 Stars

An Exciting And Familiar Gensokyo
I can see what ZUN was trying to do here. This track is silly, frenetic, and breezy, which fits Marisa quite well. However, the fact that the ZUNpets are used as the main instrument for the entire track means it just doesn't hit like it should.
3/5 Stars

Youkai Hook On
Okay, this track is actually really good, and a strong boss theme. The glitchy notes, high pitched synths, and heavy percussion makes for a really energetic and hype track. Sadly, it's a bit too short.
4/5 Stars

Black Markets Can Happen Anywhere, Anytime
This feels like more of a traditional Touhou track, and you know what? That's not a bad thing. It's got a catchy melody, it's heavy on the piano, the drum beat sounds good, it's just a really fun track, if a bit unremarkable.
4/5 Stars

Take Thy Danmaku In Hand, O Bulletphiles
I don't think this track is very good. It's trying really hard to be fast-paced and energetic, but the shrill high notes, abrupt tempo shifts, and that horribly messy intro really kills the vibe. Sorry, but this one's a rare miss for me.
1/5 Stars

The Hundredth Black Market
This track is so forgettable to me. It's not actively bad like the last one, but it feels like the most generic, impactless Touhou track you could possibly think of. None of it stuck, even after over a year since 100th Black Market came out. I was really hoping this soundtrack would grow on me, like most Touhou OSTs eventually do, but nope. And the fact that I immediately became enamored with 19's soundtrack just confirmed it, 18.5's music just does nothing for me. Oh well, at least we have the remixes.
2/5 Stars

Lunatic Dream
I literally just talked about this track, but yeah, it's good.
4/5 Stars

Lunar Rainbow
Still one of my favorite recent Touhou tracks, nothing's changed here.
5/5 Stars

Where Is That Bustling Marketplace - Immemorial Marketeers
Similarly, Chimata's theme is still incredibly hard.
5/5 Stars

A Rainbow-Colored World
I don't have much to say about ZUN bringing back an ending theme. It's still solid.
4/5 Stars

As for the characters, I thought this would be a better time than any to go through a bunch of the characters that aren't in the mainline games, so not just these spinoffs, but the fighting games and mangas as well.

Rinnosuke Morichika
Rinnosuke is the one major male character in the series, and he's a pretty good one too. I think the decision to make the sole male character a tired tsukkomi who only observes the antics of the rest of the cast is brilliant, and his dynamic with Marisa in particular is the closest we've ever gotten to learning more about her family. On top of that, the fact that his shop sells items from the Outside World, many of which he doesn't even understand, is such a cool set-up with a ton of interesting story potential. Rinnosuke is just such a cool character, it's a real shame we haven't seen much of him lately.
4/5 Stars

Tokiko
I literally just found out Tokiko exists. The only thing she's ever done in canon is get beat up for wanting to read, and yet somehow she has a bit of a fanbase? I mean, her design is pretty cool but... why?
2/5 Stars

Heida No Akyuu
Akyuu started off as the cute poster girl for ZUN's remasters of the PC-98 soundtracks, only to turn into her own character with some of the saddest lore in the franchise. The fact that Akyuu has to reincarnate every 30 years gives her desire to experience and record everything Gensokyo has to offer so much extra meaning. From what I can tell, if the Touhou series progresses in real-time, Akyuu is meant to die this year! We'll see if ZUN goes through with it, but she's such a likable presence within the series that I hope he extends the timeline a bit.

Oh, and though I'm not properly reviewing it, her theme Child Of Are is magnificent.
5/5 Stars

Renko Usami
Finally, it's RenMerry time. I love these two so much, they're such a charismatic pairing that easily rank among my favorite Touhou characters. I've always liked the archetype of weird students forming a club where they investigate mysteries together (I need to watch more Scooby Doo), and Renko and Maribel fit into that niche perfectly. But the best thing about these two is their phenomenal banter. They play off each other so well, and I could read Renko and Maribel's lofty but casual philosophical tangents all day. It should not come as much of a surprise that these two are the most popular ship in the franchise, they're practically inseparable.

That being said, I do like Renko ever so slightly better than Maribel. She has that same scrappy energy that I enjoy about Marisa, as she doesn't have the blatant magical abilities of her partner. She's also the more scientific and analytic of the two, which I definitely relate to more. And out of all the silly Touhou hats in the franchise, I think Renko's might be my favorite.
5/5 Stars

Maribel Hearn
Maribel is a more fascinating character than Renko due to her uncanny resemblance to Yukari and her ability to see boundaries and visit Gensokyo in her dreams. There's a lot to unpack here and I don't even know if ZUN will ever confirm any of it, so I'll just say that she definitely has some of the most interesting lore in the series. Otherwise, as a character, Maribel is a strong foil for Renko, being a bit calmer and more subjective. They're both fantastic characters and it's always a joy to get another album story with them.
5/5 Stars

Suika Ibuki
When I started working on this, Suika had not been in any mainline Touhou games, but... well... Touhou 19 happened. Either way, I'll stick to talking about her here. Suika is one of the first spinoff characters but she became a pretty prolific series mainstay, and for good reason. She is a truly chaotic gremlin of an oni with an infectiously jolly personality, and one of the greatest walking cycles in any fighting game. Like many onis, what you see is what you get with Suika, but that's not at all a bad thing.
5/5 Stars

Iku Nagae
To this day, I still don't know much about Iku. Her design is awesome, but she always kinda felt like she was playing second fiddle to Tenshi.
3/5 Stars

Tenshi Hinanawi
Speaking of which, Tenshi is a great character. Being a sheltered celestial, Tenshi is introduced to the series as an absolute brat who causes a natural disaster just because she's bored. However, as the series has gone on, Tenshi actually started to kinda grow as a character. The big turning point was likely when she met and befriended Shion in AoCF, and she shows up in WaHH with a much chiller attitude and even plays a large part in resolving that comic's conflict. Pretty cool stuff.
5/5 Stars

Hatate Himekaidou
Aya is obviously the more developed and fun character, but Hatate is still yet another fun reporter tengu. Her slightly more withdrawn personality, thoughtful articles, and cynical view of her own job parallels Aya pretty well, and their rivalry in general is a ton of fun.
5/5 Stars

Hata No Kokoro
Kokoro is an incredibly well-executed character on a thematic level. The concept of a completely emotionless character is so hard to pull off, but ZUN nails it both with Kokoro's inventive design, dialogue within the games, and her phenomenally haunting theme. And like many of the best fighting game characters, we get to see Kokoro slowly work to stabilize and develop her emotions, culminating in her being the one to solve the game's incident... by beating up Reimu, Byakuren, and Miko. Also, her rivalry with Koishi is very cool.
5/5 Stars

Sumireko Usami
Ah, Sumireko, arguably the most divisive character in the franchise. To some, she's another charming nerd with interesting connections to Renko. To others, she's a spotlight stealing cringy teen. I generally align with the former opinion. Sumireko is a fun character and her being kinda cringe is part of the appeal. I may prefer Sanae and RenMerry as far as the Outside World characters, but she's still a charming presence in the series at worst. And at best, there's her debut game.

Okay, I need to rave about Urban Legend In Limbo's story for a sec. Between Double-Dealing Character, Wild And Horned Hornet, Impossible Spell Card, Urban Legend In Limbo, Legacy Of Lunatic Kingdom, Forbidden Scrollery, and Visionary Fairies In Shrine, the mid 2010s were easily ZUN's peak as a writer... and Sumireko's arc still stands out. ULiL really dives into and deconstructs what being transported to Gensokyo would actually be like for a chuuni fangirl like Sumireko, and the final battle where she forces Reimu into the Outside World and threatens to sacrifice herself to destroy the barrier and expose Gensokyo's secrets is just... holy crap!
5/5 Stars

Joon Yorigami
The Yorigami Sisters are money-themed gods who steal a lot, though they're also polar opposites. Joon is the rich, affluent pestilence god, which in turn can make her a bit too static. Seeing Joon consistently ham it up, flaunt her wealth, and own being an unrepentant jerk can be fun, but only for so long.
3/5 Stars

Shion Yorigami
Shion, on the other hand, is way more interesting than her sister, in my opinion. Shion is the poverty god, plagued with bad luck powers that leave her disheveled and often hungry. She's also far less vain than Joon, secretly wanting to become independent from her. And lo and behold, that's exactly what she does. In AoCF, she goes off on her own and befriends none other than fellow character developer Tenshi, and becomes a nicer person as a result. I also like how Shion is so desperate for food that even the slightest bit of good luck will make her day, it really makes you sympathize and want her to be happy. She's the definitive "must protect" character in the franchise.
5/5 Stars

Yuuma Toutetsu
Similarly to Suika, Yuuma is yet another spinoff character who ended up in a mainline title. However, while I always liked Suika, I wasn't huge on Yuuma at first. Back in 17.5, she felt kinda... there. Thankfully, her role in Touhou 19 increases her likability by a lot. Despite being the leader of an animal faction like Yachie and Saki, Yuuma does not act like it. She's a laid-back gremlin who likes to eat a lot, but behind that unassuming front still lies a pretty cunning character who's always plotting something.
4/5 Stars

Sunny Milk
I really warmed up to the fairies of light once I read their manga, they really start to grow on you. Their friendship is heartwarming, and they work as a perfect comedic trio. Sunny Milk is the schemer, the energetic and confident pranker who constantly gets in over her head. She's a fun bit of comic relief and the fang is a nice touch.
4/5 Stars

Luna Child
Triangle mouth, enough said. Okay seriously though, I wasn't expecting Luna Child to be my favorite of the trio but she is an absolute riot. From her snarky personality to her hilarious klutziness to that aforementioned chestnut mouth, Luna is an incredibly fun and entertaining character.
5/5 Stars

Star Sapphire
My least favorite of the trio but still pretty fun. Star Sapphire is the spaciest of the fairies, but she's got a hidden clever side to her, sometimes coming up with the most successful pranks (or the most successful ways to get out of doing pranks). Her blue space-themed design is also very pretty.
4/5 Stars

Reisen 2
Reisen 2 was kinda underused in her sole appearance in Silent Sinner. Despite the cool concept of another moon rabbit escaping to Gensokyo, she got sent back up to the moon pretty quickly. Her side story in Cage In Lunatic Runagate did help to give her a bit more personality, but still, I don't have much to latch onto here.
2/5 Stars

Yorihime Watatsuki
The Watatsuki Sisters are very divisive within the fandom for how easily they took down the heroes, their racist attitude towards Earthlings, and their implied abuse of Reisen. While I do agree that the latter can be a bit tough to stomach, I also think they collectively get a bit too much flack for winning. They are not Mary Sues, they are not deus ex machinas the fact is that as far as the Silent Sinner In Blue story goes, the Watatsukis are kinda the good guys her. They're just defending the moon from invaders, which becomes more apparent when you read CiLR.

I found myself quite liking Yorihime in particular. I thought it was fun to see someone unfamiliar with the spell card rules, but willing to play along anyway. While both Watatsukis are quite prideful, Yorihime definitely felt a bit more down to earth compared to her sister, and her cool samurai design is very fun.
4/5 Stars

Toyohime Watatsuki
On the other hand, I didn't like Toyohime at all. Toyohime's whole shtick is that she's a wolf in sheep's clothing, seeming ditzy and gentle on the outside, but is in actuality the vainer and more cruel of the two. I just found Toyohime really unlikable in SSiB. Unlike Yorihime who at least tried to be on the same level as Remilia's team, Toyohime spends most of her screentime talking down to people. That infamous "all Earthlings are sin" line was from Toyohime.
1/5 Stars

Kasen Ibaraki
As far as manga protagonists go, Kasen is pretty much in the middle of the pack for me. There is quite a lot I like about her, such as her straight man dynamic with Reimu and Marisa, her friendship with animals, and her secretly being an oni. However, her more serious personality can mean she isn't quite as compelling on her own. Kasen is at her best when she has another character to bounce off of and preach to, or when she's just being ungodly levels of badass like in Urban Legend In Limbo.
4/5 Stars

Kosuzu Motoori
Kosuzu is easily the best manga protagonist. She's charismatic and likable enough to work as a strong lead, and her arc about grappling with her fascination towards youkai is really well-done. Kosuzu has enough compelling and well-realized friendships with humans like Reimu and Akyuu, as well as youkai like Aya and Mamizou, that this central conflict feels really engaging. As far as pure writing goes, she might be one of ZUN's most well-executed.
5/5 Stars

Miyoi Okunoda
Miyoi is... fine. She's cute and likable, but she's very much a bystander in Lotus Eaters, which in turn makes her a pretty weak protagonist. It's a shame too because it's not like ZUN can't write an engaging bystander, I praised Rinnosuke for being just that, but Miyoi just doesn't have enough to her even after over 50 chapters
3/5 Stars