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

[HistoryoftheMoon]

So... *cough* I have a theory about the "creepy stage 4 boss." Remember how people were confused about Yuki's name meaning snow, despite using fire attacks? Well, if you didn't already know, it was a reference to a (probably) Buddhist hell where the wind is so cold that your skin cracks and bleeds. Fun stuff, I know.

Considering the fact that Stage 4 will be a snow stage, I'm wondering if ZUN will draw from his PC-98 routes and have a spiritual successor to Yuki. As in, some hell monster in the vein of Clownpiece that can make really cold wind or something.

Just please, no more lasers.

[ToyoRai]

The second half of HSiFS will betray your expectation.

There is no winter stage.

[Kirin no Sora]

If an "extreme weather spirit" is an idea, why not a Letty that has been affected by the weather in a similar vein to Cirno? Maybe she's infused with the winter that the forest of magic now has, and is actually willing to put more effort into fighting you. Also, she'll look different, and that's what will probably creep us out. Is a yuki-onna a youkai or a ghost? If a yuki-onna can be considered a ghost, then we could see a scarier side to Letty...

There is no winter stage.

That... would be a betrayal of expectations. Maybe the thawed out Forest of Magic will be the Extra stage where a kinoko youkai will wake and despite haven woken up, serves as the EX Boss.

[HistoryoftheMoon]

If a yuki-onna can be considered a ghost, then we could see a scarier side to Letty...

So wait, the incident causers will have straight up killed Letty? Yeah, that would definitely count as unsettling.

I'm still not too worried about the latter half of HSiFS being 2spooky5me. The Stage 1 theme is just way, way too upbeat for a complete 180 into spoopsville. After all, the Stage 1 theme is always meant to set the mood for the rest of the game. I think that the Spook(TM) will be specific to the Stage 4 boss, and that the end-game will betray our expectation in another way. By perhaps not being about the Buddhist god that everyone is expecting? (Lol, not likely.)

[PK]

Remember that none of the bosses until now are directly related to the seasons (only Lily and she's a midboss). Also, "hidden star" makes me think about an eclipse, but since there is no eclipse ongoing in the main incident, maybe it's gonna be in the extra stage backstory.

[TrueShadow]

Wait, maybe ZUN is trying to subvert our expectations...BY BRINGING MIMA BACK!! After all, nobody has any hope of her returning anymore!

[Jimmy]

It could be likely that actually no boss in this game will directly have anything to do with seasons, but rather there will be one or multiple characters whose powers have influence on the seasons. I'm going as far as thinking about star constellations that appear on the night sky depending on the season, and wondered whether the "Hidden Star" could mean an unknown constellation that nobody's seen before and someone's using its power for whatever reason, causing the seasons and fairies to go bonkers and the calm, reclusive youkai to be more active than ever.

I'm somehow getting BoSM vibes right now, mixed with DDC.


The star constellations part might not have made much sense, but it's just random speculation now so whatevs :V

[TresserT]

I think cuc pretty much explained the hidden star part. Matara-jin is a "secret god", who's basically worshipped by their cult and not super well known outside of them. They're also associated with the big dipper. Seems like a pretty clear explanation for "hidden star". If what cuc said is true, it's even got a direct explanation for the "four seasons" part- the direction the big dipper's tail points in correlates to the four seasons.

I'm not trying to act like I know what I'm talking about, I'm just repeating what I heard because it seems like it got glossed over.

[HistoryoftheMoon]

the direction the big dipper's tail points in correlates to the four seasons.

Hmm... then perhaps the climax will take place somewhere between the Forest of Magic, Hakurei Shrine, Youkai Mountain, and... uh... the generic forest area where Stage 1 takes place.

As far as my knowledge of Gensokyo geography goes, this is probably either the Misty Lake or Human Village, neither of which are prime spots for incident causers... I'm probably thinking too far into this.

[TrueShadow]

Wait, "hidden star" and the Big Dipper. I'm getting Devil Survivor 2 flashback here....

For those who don't know, The Big Dipper constellation is made up of 7 main stars:
- Dubhe
- Merak
- Phecda
- Megrez
- Alioth
- Mizar
- Alkaid

However, near Mizar there is another star, Alcor, which is fainter and usually hidden by Mizar's light. Could the "Hidden Star" be referring to Alcor?

Also, this piece from Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizar_and_Alcor

In Japanese mythology, Alcor is known as the lifespan star or "jumyouboshi" (寿命星) as it was believed that one who could not see this star would pass away by year's end. The Japanese manga Fist of the North Star used this legend as a model for its death-omen star (死兆星), in which it was said that people who saw the star would die later in the year.

Could this be important?

[Jimmy]

the direction the big dipper's tail points in correlates to the four seasons.

Damn, I apparently didn't have understood it that way. Got riled up by the general speculations a bit so I proceeded to toss in some far-fetched ideas.

Maybe I should just wait and see how it'll turn out.

[game2011]

More than likely fake:
http://i.4cdn.org/jp/1501253448664.png

[Fluury]

More than likely fake:
http://i.4cdn.org/jp/1501253448664.png

Very much so fake. ZUN's drawings aren't the finest but even he wouldn't draw a hand the size of what appears to be a roach.

[pokopo708]

A reverse image search of the supposedly leaked screenshot leads to this tweet, posted on May 20th 2017. The person who tweeted the screenshots also posted the "new" character's art two days later, as seen here. So yeah... it's fake.

[the old guy]

It looks like an ms paint drawing anyways.

[Shizzo]

Not only that but by the position the screen is at and the fact her portrait is showing, if this was a legit screenshot her sprite would definitely have appeared too (even if only the lower part).

[Jimmy]

Very much so fake. ZUN's drawings aren't the finest but even he wouldn't draw a hand the size of what appears to be a roach.

The person who tweeted the screenshots also posted the "new" character's art two days later, as seen here. So yeah... it's fake.

On top of that, the legs are basically colored sticks.
Even though the way the face was drawn looks awfully similar to ZUN's style, upon closer looks on the portrait's proportions, there's no way it could've been done by ZUN.

I must admit though, I almost got sold when I initially discovered this, but then remembered that ZUN isn't known for leaking any graphics or screencaps of the new stages before the full game is actually released, so yeah.

[Drake]

There are always "leaks". Fake screenshots have been a fandom staple ever since I can remember.

[Jimmy]

... looking back at LoLK's release thread, ZUN did reveal a couple of real screenshots when releasing the web demo.

I stand corrected, pardon my misinformation  :X

[Serela]

Well yeah, real screenshots of stages from the demo that releases months before the full game. It's not in the same grade.

But yeah, "leaks" of characters is a fandom staple, happens every time. I recall Sugar Satellite for GFW. They did a pretty good job emulating ZUN there, all things considered; apart from the massive perspective devolution for the lower half body- dat hand and legs. Etrian Odyssey does this sometimes if you view the full portraits, but it's not a ZUN thing.

[Lt Colonel Summers]

ALL fandoms, not just video game ones, have had fake screenshot leaks at some point in their history. We just need to be able to tell between the genuine articles and baloneys.

[Kafuu]

... looking back at LoLK's release thread, ZUN did reveal a couple of real screenshots when releasing the web demo.

I stand corrected, pardon my misinformation  :X

He always teases us with these kind of things

[Jimmy]

He always teases us with these kind of things

Yup, gotta love how he programs the visual effects to completely obscure the boss sprites in those.

[Phasm]

Personally i think that the Extra Boss is going to be Komano Aunn because she says she's going easy on the main characters, so it is likely that she will be the Extra Boss or the Midboss.
Also isn't this the first time we have been to a Hakurei Shrine since Stage 1 in SoTEW?

[R. P. Genocraft]

Personally i think that the Extra Boss is going to be Komano Aunn because she says she's going easy on the main characters, so it is likely that she will be the Extra Boss or the Midboss.
Also isn't this the first time we have been to a Hakurei Shrine since Stage 1 in SoTEW?

Eeh... I doubt it. Maybe a midboss, but even then I think it would be unlikely.

[Marron]

Ouch, you're talking about a very long time ago, a time I absolutely love. How I miss Rika and her temper.

I don't really think Aunn will be the extra boss, actually she's said to be not that strong so...

About the "leaks" you are talking about, usually, when does Zun show them ? 5 day before the full game ? I don't know at all.

[martelefort]

Aunn might be the ex-midboss, and if she is, the extra boss might be related to religion or something

[Phasm]

We also have never met the Hakurei God... but then again it's probably the Dragon God...
The Ex Bosses usually have one of the following

1- An ability relating to the incident at hand
2- Have a relation to the final boss, wheter it be friends, sisters or enemies or aquaintences

[The Anti-Person]

I'd say the ex midboss is gonna be Nemuno (if the extra stage takes place somewhere near her place) or one of the characters from st4-st6. I doubt Aunn would return considering I don't find it likely that Reimu or Marisa to attack her again unless Aunn is the one being offensive then.

[Kafuu]

EX midbosses - Daiyousei and Lily Black
EX boss - Fairy Queen
 :derp: