Touhou 16 「東方天空璋(とうほうてんくうしょう) ～ Hidden Star in Four Seasons」 announced

[Tengukami]

snip

We should come to expect that ZUN is always going to pull something out of obscure, ancient NE Asian history and drop it into the games. Would be interesting if he were to do a panel discussion with some historians and just chat about some of the more fascinating and intriguing myths and legends for an hour or so.

[shockdude]

Sorry to rob you of the excitement of speculation, but...

lol. Is this a new record for deciphering a new game's character silhouette?

[Fluury]

31 Release, oof.

Other than that, interesting to see three characters.  As others have said could be multiple routes or a triple boss fight.

What can however be said is that the left and right character are associated with another, while the middle one seems to have no distinct features that associates them with, well, them.
I recall IN having Mokou on the cover aswell - maybe the middle one is just the stage 6 boss, while the two others are the extra stage bosses?

EDIT: Nevermind I'm completely sold on that 4chan post. For a bit I thought about the three poisons being paths for the characters (Marisa -> Greed, Reimu -> Hatred, Cirno -> Delusion) but then I forgot about Aya..

[Malik]

31 Release, oof.

Other than that, interesting to see three characters.  As others have said could be multiple routes or a triple boss fight.

What can however be said is that the left and right character are associated with another, while the middle one seems to have no distinct features that associates them with, well, them.
I recall IN having Mokou on the cover aswell - maybe the middle one is just the stage 6 boss, while the two others are the extra stage bosses?

EDIT: Nevermind I'm completely sold on that 4chan post. For a bit I thought about the three poisons being paths for the characters (Marisa -> Greed, Reimu -> Hatred, Cirno -> Delusion) but then I forgot about Aya..

That's the date for when it will be sold in MelonBrooks, we should still be getting Touhou 16 in three weeks.

[Spectral Nexus]

Honestly, given the possible pretext of the 2 other characters being servants for one god/high figure, I honestly think it'll be less of a triple-boss fight and more of a boss fight with 2 humanoid familiars, similar to Miko's spellcard using Futo and Tojiko.

In regard to the possibility of having 3 options for Stage 6, it would be a little tedious I feel, and though it'd be cool for sure, I don't know if it's too probable, considering Imperishable Night already exists, in which that feature was its unique strongpoint. That's just a hunch though, so feel free to prove me wrong~

Another thing is that the 2 'servant' characters on the right and left have similar headgear and similar poses judging by the silhouette, which definitely establishes a strong connection between them, and so I doubt those 2 would be separate bosses. It also wouldn't make much sense for them to be on the front cover if they weren't affiliated with the final boss -- even Seija wasn't on the cover for DDC, despite being the true culprit of the incident. Therefore, I believe that the 2 'servant's also share a connection to the central figure, and will probably be used in her fight as familiars, possibly like Futo and Tojiko, or possibly like Yoshika to Seiga.

Just my two cents, though. :b

Spoiler:

inb4 for the final spellcard they fuse Steven Univer- I mean, Tarumi-style hehe

[game2011]

So is the game coming out on 11 or 31 of August?

[Drake]

It'll be sold at C92 on the 11th (Day 1). The game will reach shops on the 31st. This is pretty standard.

[Malik]

Here's and outline merged with the actual cover. I feel like we're gonna get a double boss fight. Maybe ZUN is doing something entirely new.

[KaiserKnuckle]

Given the sort of possible idea as to who these three characters are, as Cuc said, I am very certain that the Teireita and Nishita characters are to be the stage 5 bosses, given the norm of the direct servants of the stage 6 boss always being stage 5 bosses. I can assume, however, that they will play a role midway through the Matara-jin character's fight.

Curiously enough I'm surprised there's three people there since the game's, ya'kno, HSi--F--S

I am actually sort of intrigued by this, since maybe, just maybe, considering the existence of these three characters on the cover, and the idea of the Extra boss, I would assume that they (Teireita and Nishita as the S5 bosses, Matara-jin being the S6 boss, and the aforementioned Extra boss) could have some sort of individual representation of each season.

[Malik]

Given the sort of possible idea as to who these three characters are, as Cuc said, I am very certain that the Teireita and Nishita characters are to be the stage 5 bosses, given the norm of the direct servants of the stage 6 boss always being stage 5 bosses. I can assume, however, that they will play a role midway through the Matara-jin character's fight.

I am actually sort of intrigued by this, since maybe, just maybe, considering the existence of these three characters on the cover, and the idea of the Extra boss, I would assume that they (Teireita and Nishita as the S5 bosses, Matara-jin being the S6 boss, and the aforementioned Extra boss) could have some sort of individual representation of each season.

I'm also pretty certain the characters have more to do with the "Hidden Star" part rather than the four seasons. I'd bet stage 4 would end the focus on the seasons and we'd find out more about the hidden star from stage 5 and onwards.

[game2011]

Hope all three of them are exclusive to stage 6.  That way, there will be tons of new characters!

[Malik]

Hope all three of them are exclusive to stage 6.  That way, there will be tons of new characters!

That would be awesome. And it's not entirely a weird thought either considering the theories. And Seija + Hecatia both had a bunch to do with the final boss without appearing on the silhouette yet this one we do have three. So I wonder if it's "Any boss on stage 6" ill be on the silhouette.

[PapilLionesskort]

Now I'm genuinely hyped for what exactly the plot in HSiFS will turn out to be.

The plot we know so far is that the seasons are completely out of wack and have come to Gensokyo all at the same time. Somewhere in Gensokyo it's winter, another place it's summer, and another it's autumn. As a result of this incident, fairies have also become substantially more powerful, hence why Cirno is a playable character here. :3

[Jimmy]

The plot we know so far is that the seasons are completely out of wack and have come to Gensokyo all at the same time. Somewhere in Gensokyo it's winter, another place it's summer, and another it's autumn. As a result of this incident, fairies have also become substantially more powerful, hence why Cirno is a playable character here. :3

I'm aware of that already, but thanks nonetheless. I actually meant it in a way of who could've caused all of this and through what motive. It's the first time ZUN's put three silhouettes on the cover ever, making the anticipation to the full release more exciting than before.

Speaking about the full release, I wonder whether he'll put up a web trial soon.

[Kurzov]

Maybe ZUN's doing the "extra mode of the extra mode" boss system for this game, a la Phantasm in PCB, with the final boss, extra boss, and second extra boss on the cover. That's just my theory, though.

[Marron]

Well that's new. Totally unusual to see three shadow. The middle one seems to represents some sort of sun. The left one seems to have a weird dress. That's all I can say.
Anyway three shadows ? Like, wtf ? I don't think Zun would include three roads. I can't think of anything. Maybe three final bosses yes. That makes you wonder who'll be the extra boss.

[Nyxnyx]

At which circle will the game be sold? Zun hasn't give out any information about where will his circle be in the comiket, at least as far as i know. Will it be sold on one of those "official" booths?

[Marron]

Btw, wanted to say....the title is HSiFS, right. But the shade of the middle boss seems to represent a sun though.... so will there be a "star" boss in this game, if that is so, could it be the extra boss ?

[Spotty Len]

At which circle will the game be sold? Zun hasn't give out any information about where will his circle be in the comiket, at least as far as i know. Will it be sold on one of those "official" booths?

Team Shanghai Alice is ZUN's circle.

[martelefort]

Btw, wanted to say....the title is HSiFS, right. But the shade of the middle boss seems to represent a sun though.... so will there be a "star" boss in this game, if that is so, could it be the extra boss ?

Isn't the Sun our solar system's star ?

[Marron]

Yeah that's what I thought but then....why not using "Hidden sun" in that case ?

[dass]

Because that's not as cool or cryptic.

[Marron]

I'm gonna wait for the full version, we'll get more answers when the game'll come out anyway.

But that 3 bosses thing smells fishy.

[PK]

Maybe there are 3 characters as final bosses because there are 3 out-of-season seasons going on, and each one alone isn't strong enough outside their season (think of Letty, and likely Lily). The EX boss could be the Summer god/youkai. Dunno how this has something to do with Matara-jin, or a hidden star.

[cuc]

Highest resolution I've found.

[Helepolis]

There is a huge wheel or something big behind the boss. It goes all around.

[Tengukami]

I honestly love the Touhou Rorschach Test we play with every time a new cover comes out.

Personally, I'm seeing an open two-pane window there. Or possibly double doors.

[Kurzov]

I honestly love the Touhou Rorschach Test we play with every time a new cover comes out.

Personally, I'm seeing an open two-pane window there. Or possibly double doors.

Yes, very fun.
The way the hair is shown on the boss on the far left seems to resemble the way that Shinki's hair was always shown. Just something that I noticed...

[Jimmy]

There is a huge wheel or something big behind the boss. It goes all around.

I immediately began thinking about that circular motive on the opening screen. Perhaps they're the same?

[Badz]

I swear the rightmost character actually has her left arm raised and is holding something. Am I going mad?
Whatever this is, I really have no idea what to make out of it. The two side characters assisting the center one or them being a separate encounter (or both of these options at once) seem about equally plausible.