With only days left until the launch of Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (a remake of the original Touhou Koumakyou), a newly listed Steam store page for the game’s original version has caused a little bit of confusion.
In a subsequent announcement, Shanghai Alice Reprise explained that the remake and original game (titled Touhou Koumakyou: Classic ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil) will be released as separate applications, contrary to initial plans. Those who purchase the remake will still get the original game for free, however.
According to a Shanghai Alice Reprise representative working on the game alongside original creator ZUN, only the remake will be available for purchase, as the original game cannot be bought on its own. Though the original plan was to allow New Classic purchasers to switch between the remake and original in-game, the devs realized it would be difficult to maintain the quality of both versions within the same application.
In the end, New Classic was created as a modern remake with input from ZUN, while Classic was made to be “as faithful as possible to the original.” This way, the devs hope to cater to new players as well as fans who prefer to play the original.
Originally released in 2002 for Windows in Japan, Touhou Koumakyou ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is the sixth entry in the Touhou Project series and one of its most popular installments. Developed by Team Shanghai Alice, this bullet hell shooter follows two playable protagonists, Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, as they fight waves of enemies on their journey to rid Gensokyo of a scarlet mist that covers the land.
Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil features high-resolution graphics, a remastered soundtrack by ZUN, remappable controls, and a new mode that lets you play with unlimited lives. It also supports 12 languages, marking the game’s first official localization effort.
Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and Touhou Koumakyou: Classic ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil both release on September 10 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows (Steam). The Classic version only supports Japanese.
