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[Bullet Club]

Touhou Luna Nights Heading to Nintendo Switch This Year

Recently, publisher Phoenixx has announced that the 2D action Metroidvania game Touhou Luna Nights, which first released for PC via Steam in August 2018, followed by an Xbox One version in September 2020, is heading to Nintendo Switch this year.

Touhou Luna Nights is a Metroidvania title with a heavy emphasis on exploration and action. Developed by Team Ladybug, creators of multiple fantastic games like Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue and Pharaoh Rebirth+.

Story

“...Now, let’s begin my world.”

Remilia Scarlet, head vampire of the Scarlet Devil Mansion sends her maid Sakuya Izayoi with no warning to a world much like Gensokyo, but not quite.

A world full of strange places, filled with strange youkai and her time manipulation sealed.
What could Remilia’s end game be...?

What's special about this game:

1. It's one of the first Touhou games where it had Sakuya Izayoi as the main protagonist. You can stop or slow down time as you fight against your foes.
2. Its colorful graphics give the game a 16-bit Metroidvania style gameplay.
3. Smooth controls.
4. Good soundtrack
5. You can find as many unlockables as you can (Auto Aim, or A Thousand Dagger) while you're exploring.
6. Its recent update unlocked new content, such as:
   • New map and levels.
   • New abilities, like dashing, and flame immunity.
   • New enemies.
   • Reimu Hakurei boss fight.
7. After you've beaten Reimu, the game unlocks Boss Rush Mode, which tests you on how fast you can beat them all.

Source: GameFreak

 

[GHG]

The game is stupendous.

Once you get a couple of abilities and get to the first boss battle it's unrelenting and you need to be on your game to beat it. Some of the later boss battles are just...

It also has a boss rush mode that unlocks after you complete it.

In a strange turn of events, the gamepass version on PC/Xbox is the best one currently available because it includes an extra boss battle not present in the Steam version.

It's a game everyone should try at least once.

 

[jaysius]

This game isn’t great overall, I played it on Gamepass something about it feels bad, the annoyingly slow progress or I don’t know something else, maybe the over reliance on the time gimmick, there are points where you can get stuck for no good reason. Spongey enemies just to futrther the time gimmick, some in general annoying design choices. Also the story isn’t great.

Its a 6/10 at best being generous. I think your love for the game hinges on your love for waifus.

 

[mcjmetroid]

It's good. It has some fantastic boss battles, some of the best in the genre BUT it's very short and not very memorable.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I like the bosses in this, especially the way they keep you on your toes. Its not SOTN amazing, but its good if you’re looking for a game where you’re controlling time and placing knives in mid air for various attacks. I find it being very small in scale. Even the Castlevania games on GBA have more to them than this. There isn’t a ton of additional content and it feels like some areas are just one large pattern of the same thing. The boss fights feel good because they’re challenging. I got to the final area and took a break. I don’t know why I haven’t played it again. When the game gets frustrating, there isn’t a lot to do to break that feeling. Other games might have secret areas or weapons to gather. I don’t think I’d buy it again, but I’m glad I got it when I did.

 

[01011001]

If you have gamepass DOWNLOAD THIS IMMEDIATELY!
it has a really fun fighting system that rewards risky playstyles and it is all in all a really well made little metroidvania

 

[cireza]

Tried it on Game Pass and the game felt too much over the top for its own good.

 

[crumbs]

I liked Pharaoh Rebirth, but I had a hard time getting into Touhou Luna Nights. Some of the boss fights are a little too "bullet hell" for my feeble skills. The level designs felt a lot more repetitive compared to PR+, and the time stopping mechanic grew stale quickly.

 

[GHG]

People who didn't "get" this game were likely trying to play it like a conventional platformer/action game with a time stop mechanic when in fact you should be playing it like a shmup.

Graze, graze, graze and only time stop as a last resort.

 

[Reality Czar]

So I'm super LTTP but this game is fucking amazing. Got it after checking out Record of Lodoss War. I think I like this one even more! Bullet hell Metroidvania!

 

[Reality Czar]

The final boss in this game is incredible. I've been at it for a while, slowly learning how to dodge boss attacks, how to use their attacks to regain health, or freeze them and slide under them, collecting MP. Around halfway through the second phase, I usually run out of MP and have to switch to a more farming-centric battle strategy. Then there are the green shots that only move when you freeze time, throwing a wrench into things. The game's systems are very well balanced because this kind of strategic action gameplay is what you are doing constantly throughout. It is a puzzle platformer bullet time shooter on top of being a Metroidvania.

The whole difficulty curve has been very nice overall. Each boss has been a little harder and this one is very tough but fair. I died many times just trying to get through this level and travel back to the store. There weren't even many enemies, it was all about navigating this crazy trap laden castle without dying. This is way more difficult than Lodoss War.

TBH I am enjoying the gameplay even more than that. I would say this is the better game! The time mechanic is super well used. Very creative spin on the Metroidvania genre! A sleeper if I ever saw one.

Spoiler: end boss

 

[LRKD]

I didn't know this game was on the switch, played it on Xbox gamepass a while back and fell in love. I really hope it gets a physical copy someday, I'd buy it immediately. It's kinda surprising it hasn't gotten like a lrg release already.

 

[Reality Czar]

I'm actually playing the Steam release.

Achievements look pretty nice. This seems like a game worth 100%ing. How hard is the no continues run?

 

[Davey Cakes]

Love me a good Metroidvania. I might try this once I finish Hollow Knight.

 

[Reality Czar]

Anybody have tips for the coke cans? I didn't even know this was a thing. Having a hell of a time getting some of the cans in the bin. How is it done?

 

[TheMan]

sitting on my xbox hard drive right now, I need to dive in

 

[Reality Czar]

Def check it out. The gameplay is addicting. It's almost like SOTN X Gunstar Heroes.

I'm at the final final boss but I just looked into the pause screen item display for the first time and realized I am missing out on so much knife upgrades. So I'm running around finding those. It's a blast to go through old areas and just blaze through.

Also I figured out the cola cans. When you go by a machine, freeze time, then run over to the bin, unfreeze and try and jump and it should go in.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

It’s a great game, way better than I expected. Great graphics, excellent tactics and options. The boss battles are amazing. The only problem I had with the game is backtracking, which could be a bit more lenient with the teleports. It’s short, but very sweet and fun.