What to play, and in which order?

[xinjin]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums and pretty much new to Touhou as well. I've had the games for a about a year, and I play them every once in a while, but I don't get very far. I really like bullet hell games, but I've been stuck playing others like Giga Wing. The only Touhou games I've played for more than an hour, have been the first and the seventh game. I've been looking around at Touhou websites and stuff and I decided to get into the series. I want to try to beat most of, if not all of the games. I'm interested in learning about the storyline and stuff like that, and I was wondering if I should play all of the games in order or not. I can't make a decision myself, so I'm asking you all. Should I play through all the games, starting with the first? Or should I start with the first windows game? Will I miss out on alot of story if I skip ahead? Thanks in advance, and I apologize if my question is dumb or if it should have been posted elsewhere.

[Kilgamayan]

The first game? You've played HRtP and only one other game? o_O

[xinjin]

Yep  :V
Well actually as of just now I almost beat EoSD on hard, but I used three continues.
Should I just start with EoSD, or does it even matter?

[Sakurei]

it doesn't matter story wise. there are, however some games more suited to beginners.

a beginner friendly game is Mountain of Faith. gives you a powerful bomb and many of those. otherwise Perfect Cherry Blossom; it gives you a lot of resources in general and doesn't have too many hard things. I wouldn't recommend imperishable night because it developes bad habits with your deathbombs. the deathbomb window is really big in this game (half a second or something) and you'll get used to it if you started out with that game. in the other games it's much shorter and you'll find yourself unable to use them when they're needed. I also recommend not playing easy mode unless you want to score in it. it doesn't teach you anything survivalwise that normal doesn't do better.

[Karisa]

The storyline is pretty much irrelevant; it seems to be mostly just excuse plots that result in the characters getting into a lot of danmaku fights. The MoF+ games are somewhat connected, but not so much that you'd need to play them in order.

As for what to play first, you can try reading the answers for "9. Best game for someone who has never played a shmup ever before." in this thread. MoF and PCB were pretty commonly stated there. Though it may be different if you're already familiar with the genre.

Personally, I alternated between several, focusing on whichever game I seem to find more enjoyable at the time (all the practice the series takes can make a game boring after a while, sometimes you'll have more fun if you come back later). I still do that now, actually.

[xinjin]

Thanks for your help, I'm not new to bullet hell games like this, but I'm not terribly good either. I'll try Mountain of Faith and keep on playing the other two that I've been working on as well. I will be dropping HRtP for a while though, that second boss keeps destroying me 

[Wriggle]

I wouldn't recommend imperishable night because it developes bad habits with your deathbombs. the deathbomb window is really big in this game (half a second or something) and you'll get used to it if you started out with that game. in the other games it's much shorter and you'll find yourself unable to use them when they're needed.

It was the inverse to me. IN actually made me afraid of deathbombing because it wastes resources (2 bombs for a barely stronger bomb), and the time gets way shorter for non-Border teams after you've already deathbombed in that same life.

Anyway, I always recommend either PCB or TD. PCB has borders, lots of resources, and it's overall easy (although it's Easy mode is said to be almost the same difficult as Normal, but I can't confirm so since I haven't 1cced any game on Easy, at all). TD Normal is even easier than PCB when it come to patterns, has the trance thing, and teaches you resource management since you have less stuff to spend.

EoSD isn't really hard but it has a really short deathbomb time and it has weird hitboxes (knives, bubbles, and YOURSELF), but otherwise it's okay. MoF is kinda trivial since you have a ridiculous amount of bombs (I 1cced it almost at first try back when I was a baby player). And in Normal, SA is harder than UFO, but both are hard anyway, so don't go with these yet unless you're confident or want to stress yourself. :V

And like Saku-chan said, don't waste your time on Easy modo. Start off from Normal like I and many other people did.

And don't play the PC-98 games, they su-- *shot* :V

[K.B.]

All of them.  At once.

Giga Wing

jigga wang

[Zengeku]

EoSD, PCB or IN would probably be a good place to start. They are the most traditional bullet hell shooters all without alternative bomb systems and without any strange resource gathering system like UFO's or trances. Really though, just give all the games a shot or two and just stick with the ones you like the best. No reason to waste time with EoSD if you like to play UFO eh?  :3

Also, don't play the PC-98 games, they su-- *dodges the bullet* :V

[Wriggle]

No reason to waste time with EoSD if you like to play UFO eh?  :3

UFO was the first game I played, but one of my least played ones :V (probably more than MoF, but about the same as TD). PoFV/GFW/photographic/fighters/PC98 don't count.

[Star King]

EoSD. All the following games have a special gimmick, but this one is nice and basic. In addition, I find that its patterns are the least gimmicky too. That is, they're less about knowing a trick to them and more just straight-up "here dodge this". Will teach you dodging skills. And resource management, since it doesn't give you as much resources as most games.

And people who say "it has weird hitboxes" are just people who are used to the other Touhou games. They're only "weird" in that they're slightly bigger than the later Touhou games' hitboxes. If you aren't used to those, you aren't gonna have a problem with EoSD's hitboxes. If anything, it's better this way - if you start with a later game and then go back to EoSD, you may be surprised by the size of the hitboxes then. But I started with EoSD, and I didn't know it was considered to have large hitboxes until I heard other people say so. So it obviously wasn't a problem.

It's also first of the Windows series story-wise. Which admittedly doesn't matter that much, but at least you are introduced to characters like Sakuya and Remilia the way you're supposed to be introduced to them first.

[The Noodles Guy]

You should start with MoF, I found it as an easy game, and the bomb-power system it's better than the classic Bomb system, maybe because it's easy to get bombs  :V

Then there's EoSD, it hasn't a weird point/history system (like IN with the Time Orbs). Maybe you could try PCB instead. The border system gives you some invicibility.

Even TD. I found it easier than MoF (the trance system is really helpful if you're on a worry).

[chum]

The ones to consider imo:

EoSD - easy to understand how to play it and the best game for improving your dodging overall
PCB - nice and slow patterns + border system is helpful
IN - if you prefer using strategy to get through games rather than twitch dodging. there's also spell practice
MoF - if you love bomb spamming

Since you're already fond of other shmups, it wouldn't hurt to give the big 3 ( :V) a try: Touhou 3, 12, and 12.8.

Yes I have odd tastes.

[Nindella]

I'd recommend starting with PCB personally for a first 1cc  :3, it's got a fairly friendly amount of resources, the Border mechanic which can help cushion mistakes, and the bullet patterns are mostly straight forwards dodging.

Mountain of Faith is another game which may be good to start with, plentiful bombs and not too difficult in terms of bullet patterns among the other games.

[SirChaotick]

When I started Normal 1cc's I simply did all the games in chronological order, but that's probably not the right way to do it.
Still, EoSD and PCB are probably the best ones to start with, for reasons listed above. Just make sure to look for the vsync patches to eliminate the input lag. Didn't find out about that until PCB lunatic :V

[Yatakarasu]

I was masochistic and started with SA.  :ohdear: It wasn't so bad really.
But I would personally recommend either MoF or TD.
TD isn't so bad on easy and normal (just make sure you understand how trance works) and MoF gives you lots of resources and relatively easy to understand patterns.