Obtaining PC-98 Touhou games?

[Lishy1]

I'm a big fan of the PC-98 Touhou games.

Unfortunately, as I understand it, the disks are impossibly difficult to find, and they are only available on Floppy Disks. I would like to support Zun with every game he makes, as well as the vendors who sell his games. But considering the situation, I'm not sure what to do about the PC-98 stuff.

How does one go about obtaining copies of the PC-98 games, digital or physical?

Is there a "don't ask, don't tell" thing going on with most of the people who have them? I heard only 300 copies of Lotus Land Story was ever made, but there are more than 300 people who seem to have played the game.

Also, does Zun mind if people download and emulate the original Highly Responsive to Prayers?

[Emerald Mint]

I think the best thing to do is ask him first. If he says no, then likely not. The games may be abandoned, although they are still in copyright, since the terms have not expired yet.

[cuc]

Unfortunately, there is no cheap and legal method of obtaining them at present. The furthest ZUN has gone towards making them publicly available is setting up a PC-98 for playing them at A-Button, a retro video game-themed pub in Tokyo.

[Lishy1]

Unfortunately, there is no cheap and legal method of obtaining them at present. The furthest ZUN has gone towards making them publicly available is setting up a PC-98 for playing them at A-Button, a retro video game-themed pub in Tokyo.

So that means all the people who've played it... "don't ask, don't tell"... Got it.

[Marron]

Too bad yes. I think I would buy it too but it's pretty impossible so let it be, yes.

[aUsernameIsFineToo]

Don't know how copyright in Japan works, but in the U.S. copyright lasts for 70 to 120 years after lifetime of the author. So technically all computer software is under copyright protection.

I wish ZUN would re-release the PC-98 games, similar to how a few MS-DOS games are sold with a preconfigured version of DOSBox for use with modern computers. Until that day comes, there's an extremely unlikely chance of obtaining the games in their original form, as they're basically vintage collector's items now. If you're lucky you might find the floppy disks for sale online, but be prepared to see prices reach the several-hundred-dollars range.

Out of pure curiosity, is there anyone on this forum who owns the disks? Or an actual PC-98 system?