Unconnected Marketeers

2021 video game

2021 video game

Unconnected Marketeers

Game cover with a silhouette of Chimata Tenkyuu

Developer(s)| Team Shanghai Alice
Publisher(s)| Team Shanghai Alice
Series| Touhou Project
Platform(s)| Windows
Release| May 4, 2021
Genre(s)| Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)| Single-player

Touhou Kōryūdō ~ Unconnected Marketeers (東方虹龍洞 〜 Unconnected Marketeers.; lit. "Eastern Rainbow Dragon Cave") is the 18th game in the Touhou Project series of danmaku shoot 'em ups. The game was first announced at Touhou Yomoyama News on February 27, 2021, and had a demo released on March 21. The game's full version released on May 4, 2021, on Steam.[1]

## Gameplay

[edit]

Mike, the Stage 1 boss

Main article: Touhou Project § Gameplay

Unconnected Marketeers is a danmaku shoot 'em up game, in which the player moves along an automatically scrolling stage, killing enemies, dodging their projectiles, and fighting bosses at the end of each stage.[2] The player's main method of attack is using a shot. The player can focus their shot, which will slow down the player, as well as their shot's rate of fire, but tighten the range of fire and increase its damage. The player is also given spell cards, which will clear bullets in their path, give the player invulnerability when active, and deal immense damage, but are limited in their supply. When enemies are killed, they will drop 'Power' items, which will increase the damage of the player's shot, and spell cards are also dropped, but only in specific areas, mostly after defeating bosses.

Unconnected Marketeers introduces a system of cards and currency. As well as power items, enemies may also drop currency, which can be used to purchase one card at the end of each stage.[3][4] Some cards will give the player extra lives or spell cards, whereas most will improve the player's survivability in some way with special abilities, which are either applied passively, or need to be activated on command.[5] Many of these abilities are based on those of characters from previous games.[6]

Unconnected Marketeers continues with an achievement mechanic where specified goals (i.e., clearing “Lunatic” without dying) are given to optionally challenge the player to obtain which is granted after completing. However, it does not affect gameplay.

## Plot

[edit]

The plot of the game involves magical cards that have appeared around Gensokyo, revealing the secrets of people and yokai. Reimu proceeds to investigate the origin of these cards, and attempt to contain them.[7][8]

### Characters

[edit]

Main article: Touhou Project § Characters

#### Playable characters

[edit]

* Reimu Hakurei — Miko of the Hakurei Shrine
* Marisa Kirisame — A human magician from the Forest of Magic
* Sakuya Izayoi — Maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion
* Sanae Kochiya — Miko of the Moriya Shrine

#### Boss characters

[edit]

* Mike Goutokuji — Stage 1 midboss and boss. She is a maneki-neko (a lucky cat). She can beckon either money or customers, but she will turn away the other.
* Takane Yamashiro — Stage 2 midboss and boss. She is a yamawaro who built the aerial tramway to the Moriya Shrine.
* Sannyo Komakusa — Stage 3 midboss and boss. Also known as Komakusa-dayuu. She is protecting the Rainbow Dragon Cave from the protagonists.
* Misumaru Tamatukuri — Stage 4 boss. She is a magatama crafter who made Reimu's yin yang orbs.
* Tsukasa Kudamaki — Stage 5, 6 and Extra Stage midboss. She is a kuda-gitsune who can convince people easily.
* Megumu Iizunamaru — Stage 5 boss. She is the general of the crow tengu of the Youkai Mountain. She is the main antagonist.
* Chimata Tenkyuu — Stage 6 boss. She is a market god who created the cards in order to gain faith for herself.
* Momoyo Himemushi — Extra Stage boss. She is a centipede who can eat dragons.

## Development

[edit]

In late February 2021, Unconnected Marketeers was announced on ZUN's official website and Twitter page. The game's demo was released on March 21, at Reitaisai,[9] and the full game was released on May 4 on Steam.[1] Physical copies released in Japan on May 13.[10][11]

## Reception

[edit]

The card system of Unconnected Marketeers was received positively, with reviewers claiming that the mechanic improved the game's replayability.[5][6] Noisy Pixel gave the game a 9/10, praising the game's spell cards, dialogue, and the card collecting mechanic: "card collecting is addicting, and picking them up during a run is the facelift the bullet hell series needed. Utilizing the ability card system, both series veterans and beginners can enjoy the frenzied sidestepping and iconic, snarky characters that Touhou is known for."[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Touhou Kouryudou ~ Unconnected Marketeers". Steam. Archived from the original on 2021-05-04.
2. ^ a b Kaye, Hunter (12 May 2021). "Touhou 18: Unconnected Marketeers Review". Noisy Pixel. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
3. ^ Nozomu, Ezaki. "factsheet - TH18 Unconnected Marketeers.docx". Dropbox. Mediascape. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
4. ^ "Touhou Kouryudou ~ Unconnected Marketeers is now available on Steam!". Touhou Garakuta. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
5. ^ a b Kaye, Hunter (3 May 2021). "The Rogue-Like Card System Is The Bold Mechanic Touhou Deserves". Noisy Pixel. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
6. ^ a b "The 18th Touhou Project "Unconnected Marketeers" released at Steam – The latest game in the "Touhou Project" franchise is now available for worldwide". Press Release Japan. 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
7. ^ "Touhou Project Game 18 Will Appear in May 2021". Siliconera. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
8. ^ "ZUN Announces Touhou Project's 18th Game". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
9. ^ "Touhou Project 18: Unconnected Marketeers Announced For May 2021". TheGamer. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
10. ^ "Touhou Kouryudou ~ Unconnected Marketeers Debuts on Steam". Siliconera. 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
11. ^ 株式会社インプレス (2021-05-13). "東方プロジェクト第18弾「東方虹龍洞 ～ Unconnected Marketeers.」のパッケージ版が本日発売". GAME Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-05-12.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website (in Japanese)
* Unconnected Marketeers on Touhou Wiki

* v
* t
* e

Touhou Project by Team Shanghai Alice (ZUN)

Main
series|

| PC-98|

* Highly Responsive to Prayers
* Story of Eastern Wonderland
* Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream
* Lotus Land Story
* Mystic Square

|

Windows|

* Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
* Perfect Cherry Blossom
* Imperishable Night
* Phantasmagoria of Flower View
* Mountain of Faith
* Subterranean Animism
* Undefined Fantastic Object
* Ten Desires
* Double Dealing Character
* Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom
* Hidden Star in Four Seasons
* Wily Beast and Weakest Creature
* Unconnected Marketeers
* Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost
* Fossilized Wonders

Official
spinoffs|

| Fighting|

* Immaterial and Missing Power
* Scarlet Weather Rhapsody
* Touhou Hisoutensoku
* Hopeless Masquerade
* Urban Legend in Limbo
* Antinomy of Common Flowers

|

Platformer|

* Sunken Fossil World

Shoot 'em up|

* Shoot the Bullet
* Double Spoiler
* Fairy Wars
* Impossible Spell Card
* Violet Detector
* 100th Black Market

Related|

* Characters
* Fan games
* Gensou SkyDrift
* Koumajou Densetsu: Scarlet Symphony
* Touhou LostWord
* Touhou Luna Nights
* Touhou Spell Bubble
* IOSYS
* "Bad Apple!!"
* Rensenware
* "Yukkuri shiteitte ne!!! [ja]"

*[lit.]: literal translation
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template