Is there even such thing as an "easy" Touhou game?

[Bus Passenger]

This is something that's been going on in my mind recently. Ever since I got my Normal 1cc in Wily Beasts & Weakest Creatures, with Otters Reimu which is the first one I gotten in a Touhou game. I wanted to give it another go with a different character and animal spirit since I thought it was kinda easy, only to find myself struggling with the game despite having cleared it once on normal. I decided to move on to Hidden Star in Four Seasons to try and get a Normal 1cc which ended up being very frustrating. I was able to get a Normal Mode clear after some runs but it wasn't 1cc. Then I decided to try out Imperishable Night and get a Normal 1cc without using Slow Mode which I was doing well until Stage 4 & 5 where I lost a lot of lives and just gave up at that point. I could try Perfect Cherry Blossom but I don't even want to go near Normal Mode considering I did struggle with the game on Easy Mode.

It was through these struggles that I started to question if there is such things as an easy Touhou game when I'm struggling with one of the easiest games in the series. I do enjoy the Touhou games but they can feel very rage inducing and frustrating. I would also like to hear some of your experience with the Touhou games if you've tried them.

 

[YourGamingChair]

Are you routing the later stages with practice stages, or are you just doing full runs repeatedly? What makes PCB and IN so easy is the amount of resources they give, but that doesn't help as much unless you know which parts you'll use bombs on. If you're dying a lot on the 4th and 5th stages, you either don't know which parts you should be bombing, or you're using all of your bombs too quickly because you haven't routed the stages. Practice stages let you memorize stages and figure out what you can learn to consistently dodge and what you should probably bomb. Generally, you should learn the first 3 stages well enough to be able to save almost everything up to the end of stage 3, and if you memorized the second half with practice stages, the resources you have should be enough. You have a lot of total bombs with Sakuya in PCB (4 per life), and Reimu/Yukari have a large deathbomb window in IN, so it's easier to use bombs in the second half of those games with those characters. These games seem way harder than they are if you don't route them, especially some of the stages.

 

[Spongelash]

If you compare it to all games in general, then no, there really isn't an easy Touhou game (unless you don't care about performance and use infinite lives in the upcoming 6 remake). In my own experience, all of the mainline games require persistence and learning through failure. You should feel like you are progressing and getting better, but sometimes you hit gates and invariably you must fail unless you already have a lot of experience.

So, in response to what you said, yes, I think that you just got the wrong idea of what "easy" means when talking about Touhou. IN, PCB, all of these games even if they are "easier" are going to require a good few hours of practice and tries before you get a 1cc normal completion. Again, with the exception of if you already have a lot of schmup or Touhou experience, in which case you can raise the difficulty to go through the same process.

What YourGamingChair is saying is correct; even though these games are called "easy," you should expect to need to do a lot of practice and planning to beat them. Don't let those words make you take it easy.

Understand that easy is relative in this case and you aren't a failure because you can't get through easily on normal. I think that your rage will abate if you accept that beating these games is just something that is going to require a lot of time and that you can't do without failing, and also if you assure yourself that you are always getting better and getting closer to completion, even if you don't see visible progress. You'll always get more consistent, and then you will always get further. Don't let your expectations master your temper, just go with the flow and enjoy the process.

Your loses aren't failures, just steps at getting better. Necessary for everyone.

IN and PCB still took me hours even after a 1CC on EoSD. PoFV still took me hours after beating the Extra stage in PCB. I'm on MoF right now and this one is still going to take me hours for the first 1CC after all of those achievements.

 

[Bus Passenger]

Are you routing the later stages with practice stages, or are you just doing full runs repeatedly? What makes PCB and IN so easy is the amount of resources they give, but that doesn't help as much unless you know which parts you'll use bombs on. If you're dying a lot on the 4th and 5th stages, you either don't know which parts you should be bombing, or you're using all of your bombs too quickly because you haven't routed the stages. Practice stages let you memorize stages and figure out what you can learn to consistently dodge and what you should probably bomb. Generally, you should learn the first 3 stages well enough to be able to save almost everything up to the end of stage 3, and if you memorized the second half with practice stages, the resources you have should be enough. You have a lot of total bombs with Sakuya in PCB (4 per life), and Reimu/Yukari have a large deathbomb window in IN, so it's easier to use bombs in the second half of those games with those characters. These games seem way harder than they are if you don't route them, especially some of the stages.

Doing full runs repeatedly though I did try out practice mode in Hidden Star though mostly with Stage 1 & 2 cause I was dying at the earlier stages.

My main issue with Stage 4 & 5 of Imperishable Night were the bosses themselves than the actual stage mainly cause of the amount of precise micro dodging with Reimu's/Marisa's attacks which would lead to me bombing or death bombing during their spell cards then there's Reisen with her illusion gimmick. I used the early stages to and gather as much lives as possible so I can hopefully have enough for Stage 6.

With WBaWC my strategy was to try and pile up as much lives and bombs as possible throughout Stage 1 to 3 then focus on surviving Stage 4 & 5 but I would find myself dying around Stage 4 though I had more trouble with the stage than Yachie herself and there were some cases I died at Stage 3 because of lingering bullets on the screen.

 

[Napechi97]

This is something that's been going on in my mind recently. Ever since I got my Normal 1cc in Wily Beasts & Weakest Creatures, with Otters Reimu which is the first one I gotten in a Touhou game. I wanted to give it another go with a different character and animal spirit since I thought it was kinda easy, only to find myself struggling with the game despite having cleared it once on normal. I decided to move on to Hidden Star in Four Seasons to try and get a Normal 1cc which ended up being very frustrating. I was able to get a Normal Mode clear after some runs but it wasn't 1cc. Then I decided to try out Imperishable Night and get a Normal 1cc without using Slow Mode which I was doing well until Stage 4 & 5 where I lost a lot of lives and just gave up at that point. I could try Perfect Cherry Blossom but I don't even want to go near Normal Mode considering I did struggle with the game on Easy Mode.

It was through these struggles that I started to question if there is such things as an easy Touhou game when I'm struggling with one of the easiest games in the series. I do enjoy the Touhou games but they can feel very rage inducing and frustrating. I would also like to hear some of your experience with the Touhou games if you've tried them.

Touhou is like Geometry Dash, when you beat one game with certain character it means you improved in certain pattern, and just little in skill, you still will struggle when playing other games/characters

 

[SateriCat17]

As everyone else has said, there really is no "easy" Touhou game. The easiest games in the series for me are PCB, IN, PoFV, and UDoALG.
Doesn't mean I mess up a whole bunch from them though.
My first 1cc (not counting UDoALG) was with PCB.
But even still, with that, I was using Sakuya on easy and with slow mode.
Of course, there are those who can't even get past the first 3 stages on easy, while I can at least for most, but it certainly isn't always any easy feat.
I personally play the games, because well, despite their difficulties, I love the gameplay and aesthetics to them. But, I also play them because I see them as a way to help me gain faster reaction times and focus.
As a result of my ADHD, I really struggle at focusing, but by playing the Touhou games, in some ways it teaches me the "penalties" of not always being able to focus, and so it helps me train my focus when it's impossible to control otherwise.
Of course, all that doesn't mean I don't suck and try at the games more than once or twice per day. lol
Considering your struggle, you should probably try playing the games only really every once in a while. Try that game once or twice per day, and if you don't succeed that day, try again on another.

 

[wrigglenightastic]

My first 1CC was on Touhou 17 (WBaWC) aswell using Wolf Spirit (I think??) on Marisa, granted I was on eeeasy modo but still, I recommend it tbh it's an underrated game for beginners and the soundtrack is great, plus the animal spirit mechanics make it a lot easier

 

[SateriCat17]

My first 1CC was on Touhou 17 (WBaWC) aswell using Wolf Spirit (I think??) on Marisa, granted I was on eeeasy modo but still, I recommend it tbh it's an underrated game for beginners and the soundtrack is great, plus the animal spirit mechanics make it a lot easier

WBaWC is certainly pretty underrated.
It also seems like ZUN's music fits every game he makes. Well, probably one reason why his music is so celebrated.

 

[Bus Passenger]

My first 1CC was on Touhou 17 (WBaWC) aswell using Wolf Spirit (I think??) on Marisa, granted I was on eeeasy modo but still, I recommend it tbh it's an underrated game for beginners and the soundtrack is great, plus the animal spirit mechanics make it a lot easier

I find it difficult to recommended WBaWC to someone that's new or a beginner at Touhou cause of the Animal Spirit mechanic which is UFO but done better.

That being said, WBaWC is one of the few Touhou games I like and enjoy playing but I do find it sad that it isn't that well liked.

 

[YuyuFumo]

Difficulty is relative to each game when compared to one another. Perfect Cherry Blossom and Imperishable Night have mechanics that lend themselves towards a smoother experience when pitted against rather unforgiving titles such as Subterranean Animism and Undefined Fantastic Object. An "easy" Touhou game is not one that a newcomer to the series or any Joe-Schmoe will find easy, but one that a regular Touhou player will get through without much fuss.