Touhou 14.5: 東方深秘録 ~ Urban Legend in Limbo. is HM sequel, demo at Comiket 87

[Raikaria]

U-Unzan ?! I'll assume Unzan is still the manly stubborn old man but only become like this whenever Ichirin uses her occult spells, my brain can't process this...

Unzan is a shapeshifter. His power is to change shape and size at will. He's probobly even better at disguise than Mamizou [Who always has her tail; even if she can shrink it].

Unzan being able to take a feminine form isn't honestly that unexpected. He might even do that when he's not fighting simply to blend in.

[Maiden Synnae ミ☆]

"reimu........marisa........ichirin........miko........koishi........hijiri........kokoro........mamizou........nitori........futo........kasen........mokou........sinmyoumaru........hanako"

So, there will be only 3 new characters in the game?

Sounds pretty disappointing considering both SWR and Soku introduced a total of 5 new characters each.

SWR: Aya, Reisen, Komachi, Iku, Tenshi.
Soku: Sanae, Cirno, Meiling, Utsuho, Suwako.

IaMP also started with 10 characters just like HM. (Reimu, Marisa, Sakuya, Alice, Patchouli, Youmu, Remilia, Yuyuko, Yukari and Suika). So, I just assumed we'd get at least 5 new characters on ULiL, judging from the pattern of the previous fighters.

Spoiler:

(Yeah, I know Meiling was added to IaMP through an expansion patch, but she didn't even had Story Mode there, so...)

[Doki-Doki]

So, there will be only 3 new characters in the game?

Sounds pretty disappointing considering both SWR and Soku introduced a total of 5 new characters each.

SWR: Aya, Reisen, Komachi, Iku, Tenshi.
Soku: Sanae, Cirno, Meiling, Utsuho, Suwako.

IaMP also started with 10 characters just like HM. (Reimu, Marisa, Sakuya, Alice, Patchouli, Youmu, Remilia, Yuyuko, Yukari and Suika). So, I just assumed we'd get at least 5 new characters on ULiL, judging from the pattern of the previous fighters.

Spoiler:

(Yeah, I know Meiling was added to IaMP through an expansion patch, but she didn't even had Story Mode there, so...)

I honestly doubt the leaked roster revealed ALL the characters. My best guess is that we'll at least get 1 more character added, or 2 if we're lucky.

[Maiden Synnae ミ☆]

I honestly doubt the leaked roster revealed ALL the characters. My best guess is that we'll at least get 1 more character added, or 2 if we're lucky.

If I were to choose 2... Nue and Kaguya would already be really good.

[TresserT]

Sounds pretty disappointing considering both SWR and Soku introduced a total of 5 new characters each.

Kasen, Mokou, Shinny, Hanako. If it turns out Hanako isn't the final boss that's 5 right there.

[SuperVehicle-001]

So, there will be only 3 new characters in the game?

Four. Kasen, Mokou, Shinmyoumaru and Hanako. Four.

I really doubt we'll get another character, quite frankly. And even if we do, it's probably going to be another all-new 2hu, the final boss. I mean, why would they go through all the effort of hiding this fifth character if it's going to be another veteran?

[Doki-Doki]

If Hanako isn't the final boss of the game, I'm honestly wondering who/what it could be. Aside from that, I'd honestly love to see Seija in if only to see her antics and how interesting her fight style would be. Plus since Sukuna's in, it'd be satisfying to see her even the score between them.

[Maiden Synnae ミ☆]

Four. Kasen, Mokou, Shinmyoumaru and Hanako. Four.

I really doubt we'll get another character, quite frankly. And even if we do, it's probably going to be another all-new 2hu, the final boss. I mean, why would they go through all the effort of hiding this fifth character if it's going to be another veteran?

Sorry, I had completely forgotten about Kasen. :V

Well... Tasofro did hide Mamizou from HM's page, and she was a veteran. That's because she was the Midboss.

So I'm assuming they're not hiding only the Final Boss, but ALSO the Midboss. Which could very well be Nue. I can't think of anyone more fitting than her.

[SuperVehicle-001]

Sorry, I had completely forgotten about Kasen. :V

Well... Tasofro did hide Mamizou from HM's page, and she was a veteran. That's because she was the Midboss.

So I'm assuming they're not hiding only the Final Boss, but ALSO the Midboss. Which could very well be Nue. I can't think of anyone more fitting than her.

Makes sense. I wasn't around at the time of HM, so I wasn't aware of the Mamizou thing. So I guess they would go to those lengths to protect a veteran, huh.

Heh, now I'm all excited. Maybe there will be someone else!

But why would it be Nue? Mamizou already has aliens as her Urban Legend.

Spoiler:

I'm betting it's Seija. You can't ruse me, ZUN!

[TresserT]

The more I think about it, the more I believe there is another character. I mean, as it stands we have no clear "penultimate" boss. What I mean is Suika had Yukari, Tenshi had Iku, Kokoro had Mamizou. It would be anti-climactic for the penultimate to be someone from the HM cast and Kasen was in the demo. I guess Mokou or Sukuna could be it but neither seem like the type for that to me. It could be Hanako, but that means we'll have be getting another new character anyways.

Spoiler:

Secretly just wants Seija in a fighter

[TheTeff007]

Has anyone else noticed the triangles behind the flames at the bottom? They weren't there at the demo.

Wait...

Spoiler:

...the round occult balls...

... the square icons ...

... the X like pattern in the timer...

Nue confirmed guys!!

[Gpop]

Well... Tasofro did hide Mamizou from HM's page, and she was a veteran. That's because she was the Midboss.

I think it's more the fact that after that full cast leak someone got from the demo's code, it only revealed 4 characters, as opposed to when HM's full cast also got leaked through HM's demo code (but went completely under the radar as none of use either believed it or even noticed), and it included Mamizou and Kokoro as part of the cast already.

[cuc]

(Source: Japanese forums)

[aUsernameIsFineToo]

(Source: Japanese forums)

So I guess that means no pacman?

[Fumi]

(Source: Japanese forums)

I'm not a big supporter of Nue being in because we already got all the data from the demo but this makes me feel like



No, but really, maybe at Tasofro they knew someone will see the code or something and omited Nue, it would be likely for her to be in as the midboss like Mamizou did. And it would be cool anyway.

[Shizzo]

 People keep saying about data from the demo but wasn't the facebook post claiming Hanako would be the final boss end up being a hoax?  I remember people saying they datamined the demo and found nothing the guy supposedly did.

[vnt.firefly]

For fun.

[TresserT]

People keep saying about data from the demo but wasn't the facebook post claiming Hanako would be the final boss end up being a hoax?  I remember people saying they datamined the demo and found nothing the guy supposedly did.

I haven't heard that, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. That said, it did get Mokou and Shinmyoumaru right.

[game2011]

The character increase from 7.5 to 10.5 wasn't a big one, so I guess we shouldn't expect much from this one either.

[Gpop]

People keep saying about data from the demo but wasn't the facebook post claiming Hanako would be the final boss end up being a hoax?  I remember people saying they datamined the demo and found nothing the guy supposedly did.

I have not heard of this whatsoever, and even then, if the leak was supposedly "fake", they must've been pretty damn lucky to guess both Mokou and Sukuna correctly.

[sekibanki]

(Source: Japanese forums)

Those are also Suika's chain thingy shapes.

[game2011]

Anyone notice the Kyubey Martian in Mamizou's screenshot?

XD

[Koog]

Those are also Suika's chain thingy shapes.

Oh, forgot Suika has those shapes in her chains...

[Drake]

Well, there's a star there, which isn't part of the "Circle, Triangle, Square".

[cuc]

There is a five-pointed star in Kokoro's buttons, representing Anger. However, her buttons contain a X-cross (Sadness), instead of a square. Some poster has suggested cards used in ESP tests (such as Zener cards). As for me, I don't think these geometries represent anything in particular.

BTW, I think of the symbology of Kokoro's buttons is easy to read if you notice how emotions are interpreted in HM:

Anger is a five-pointed star, because it's aggressive. Joy is a triangle, because it's stable, symbolizing contentment with life. Pleasure is a circle, because a life seeking nothing but pleasure is directionless, like a ball that can't stay in one place (going by the description of Koishi's hat). Sadness is a X-cross, because it makes one retreat into oneself rather than opening up.

EDIT:
Another thing, Chabu, the main sprite artist for Mamizou in HM, said he did Mamizou and Futo's new animations in ULiL. "No matter how you look at it, that thing in Mamizou's screenshot looks just like the Metal Slug guy, isn't it?"

[Juno Arieiv]

It most definitely does look like Mars People Mamizou is throwing out there.

[game2011]

Mamizou's screenshot looks just like the Metal Slug guy, isn't it?"

It most definitely does look like Mars People Mamizou is throwing out there.

That's actually how the Japanese typically picture Martians.

[monhan]

There is a five-pointed star in Kokoro's buttons, representing Anger. However, her buttons contain a X-cross (Sadness), instead of a square. Some poster has suggested cards used in ESP tests (such as Zener cards). As for me, I don't think these geometries represent anything in particular.

BTW, I think of the symbology of Kokoro's buttons is easy to read if you notice how emotions are interpreted in HM:

Anger is a five-pointed star, because it's aggressive. Joy is a triangle, because it's stable, symbolizing contentment with life. Pleasure is a circle, because a life seeking nothing but pleasure is directionless, like a ball that can't stay in one place (going by the description of Koishi's hat). Sadness is a X-cross, because it makes one retreat into oneself rather than opening up.

EDIT:
Another thing, Chabu, the main sprite artist for Mamizou in HM, said he did Mamizou and Futo's new animations in ULiL. "No matter how you look at it, that thing in Mamizou's screenshot looks just like the Metal Slug guy, isn't it?"

Oh, there was something like that? Nice analysis though regarding the reason behind Kokoro's designs.

About Mami, someone said to me that the suit references the Men in Black, that was itself an urban legend back then. That's the connection with the alien Martian.

Anyway, here's a few more things I have in mind about ULiL:

• The Hakurei Shrine and Palanquin Ship stage are shown to have different period of the day (Day-Evening and Day-Night, respectively), meaning that other stages probably also have it.
• Kasen's dragon from the screenshot in Tora no Ana doesn't seem to be a SC(no declaration name; the equipped SC is her Dragon Growl from the demo) and not an Occult attack, which means that it is a "skill". This could mean that skill customization is still implemented in the game or they changed one of Kasen's default skill set. I sincerely hope it's the former though.
• For some reasons, the girls don't emit a purple aura when using their occult skill in those screenshots, unlike what happened in the demo. Is that an error? Or are those not their occult skills? The latter would be preferable since it opens up a possibility of new skills.
• Some characters gimmick seems to be intact, like Futo's plate count(albeit modified) over her spellcard meter as mentioned before, and I noticed that Nitori also have a new green/blue meter, supposedly to show her water energy stock. The rest aren't as apparent, so who knows whether they still have it or not, because Reimu and Marisa lose theirs.
• More speculation of the silhouette character, people are saying that her hat resembles Nostradamus', and his prophecies about the King of Terror, Angolmois, which was said to have a form of a meteorite(ball). It was quite a hit back then nearing the end of the 20th century, so much that there was a thing called "Nostradamus Boom" in Japan. It was often broadcasted in "Unbelievable/Kiseki Taiken! Anbiribabō", a Japanese variety/documentary TV show produced by Fuji TV.
  Things I find notable are: the show focuses on unique or unexplained phenomenons, uses the "xxxxx! yyyyy" form for titles, and they are written with big, yellow texts. Seems to be in line with how the visuals in ULiL seems to portray the style of old Japanese TV shows. I don't know how much this theory holds, but I find it interesting. A Nostradamus-chan is fine too.
  ...Or all those are moot. Come on that's just a freaking Sombrero!
• Dunno if it's all been mentioned here, but I'll put it here just in case. Taken from this tweet and a bit of looking up
  About each girls' possible Urban Legends:
  
  • Futo : Banchou no Sarayashiki, as mentioned by cuc. But specifically the story of the girl, Okiku no Sara
  • Ichirin : Hasshaku-sama. The wide, circular white hat and long arms are strong indicator, and her normal-looking mouth is what makes it unlikely to be the Kuchisake-onna
  • Koishi : Satoru-kun(similar to Mary-san, or perhaps it is) or Kaijin Answer(similar to Mysterious Caller, the difference is that Kaijin Answer is only a head, so it will rip out your body parts and add it to its own). Seeing that old model telephone is often only in phoneboxes, and how many people actually know about it, I think Satoru-kun is more likely.
  • Kokoro : Kuchisake-onna or Beroberobaa/Peek-a-boo. Not sure which one, but I'm leaning more toward Beroberobaa though(Kokoro's hands and pose).
  • Mamizou : Mars People/Martian. Possibly include Men in Black as well.
• I've looked back on the HM roster leak post on FB, and just as I thought, Kokoro's name wasn't listed there. If it works the same, it's likely that the true last boss isn't listed in ULiL's too, which means that Hanako is probably the mid-boss, and there should be 2 new characters.
  However, that doesn't explain this. Either it means that ULiL demo doesn't work the same like HM and there's only 1 new character, or the dark figure is the actual final boss, but she's not Hanako. Only that she's using Hanako's appearance(which loads her sprite data) and later become the reason we fight Hanako again. But then, why is she on the cover...ugh, I guess I'm overthinking this...

[cuc]

Things I find notable are: the show focuses on unique or unexplained phenomenons, uses the "xxxxx! yyyyy" form for titles, and they are written with big, yellow texts. Seems to be in line with how the visuals in ULiL seems to portray the style of old Japanese TV shows.

The "XXX! YYYYYYY" format used to be fairly common. I think ULiL is using them for a more generic "1980s shlock horror" ambience. For that matter, so does this TV show, which only started airing in 1997.

I've looked back on the HM roster leak post on FB, and just as I thought, Kokoro's name wasn't listed there. If it works the same, it's likely that the true last boss isn't listed in ULiL's too, which means that Hanako is probably the mid-boss, and there should be 2 new characters.
However, that doesn't explain this. Either it means that ULiL demo doesn't work the same like HM and there's only 1 new character, or the dark figure is the actual final boss, but she's not Hanako. Only that she's using Hanako's appearance(which loads her sprite data) and later become the reason we fight Hanako again. But then, why is she on the cover...ugh, I guess I'm overthinking this...

The HM leak was based on references to pause menu image files, which happens to refer to Kokoro as "boss".

On the other hand, the ULiL leak was based on references to script files of playable characters. The only thing aside from "hanako" and known characters is "neutral", which... sounds more like the name of a blank file. In addition, the silhouette character's file name is "hanako".

[Suspicious person]

4. Some characters gimmick seems to be intact, like Futo's plate count(albeit modified) over her spellcard meter as mentioned before, and I noticed that Nitori also have a new green/blue meter, supposedly to show her water energy stock. The rest aren't as apparent, so who knows whether they still have it or not, because Reimu and Marisa lose theirs.[/li][/list]

There's one for Mokou too, I think : if you look at her health bar, you can see that there are white colored parts instead of the typically blue colored ones. It should be safe to presume that she'll use up her blue health bar for her skils, will regenerate up to the white health bar with her regeneration skill, and will only get KOed when the white bar is empty... maybe.