Highly Responsive to Prayers/Gameplay

Main	Gameplay	Story	Characters	Music	Miscellaneous

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The First Project Touhou - 東方靈異伝 ~ The Highly Responsive to Prayers - ZUN 1996

Gameplay

Controls

The game must be played using the keyboard.

Keyboard controls are as follows:

• The Left and Right Arrow Keys move Reimu around
• Z causes a single shot (properly, Ofuda) to be fired toward the top of the screen
• X swings Reimu's wand (Gohei) back and forth
• Combinations of the Arrow Keys and the Z and X keys may be used to perform Special Moves, detailed below.
• Esc pauses the game and brings you to the in-game menu

Basic Gameplay

Highly Responsive to Prayers is unique within the Touhou series. Rather than being a Danmaku shooting game, it plays similar to Arkanoid, but allows the player a much greater variety of abilities, including multiple ways to influence the movement of the ball. Highly Responsive to Prayers could be considered a Danmaku puzzle game.

There are 4 levels of difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Lunatic. Each difficulty level features differences in the number of bullets fired by enemies, rate of fire, variations in the bullets' pattern of movement, and chiefly, the difficulty of boss encounters. When playing on the Easy difficulty, stage enemies will not fire bullets. On Lunatic, each overturned card fires a single bullet at Reimu's position.

The player will traverse 20 increasingly harrowing stages through the course of a regular game. Boss encounters occur every five levels, or at Stages 5, 10, 15, and 20. After completing Stage 5, the player is offered a choice between two distinct routes to follow for the remainder of the game: the Demon World (Makai) Route, or the Hell (Jigoku) Route. Each features different stages and boss encounters, as well as different ending sequences.

Highly Responsive to Prayers does not have an Extra Stage. (VERIFY?)

The Yin-Yang Orb

The Hakurei Yin-Yang Orb is your only true weapon against the powerful enemies in Highly Responsive to Prayers. However, Reimu lacks the training to be able to fully control it. As such, she must avoid contact with it at all times, and instead manipulate it with her various tools and abilities. Should the orb impact Reimu, she will be hit, and a life will be lost (see: Lives).

When the orb passes over a card in the field, the card is considered to be hit (though no actual collision occurs). In most cases, a single hit is enough to overturn a card and eliminate it from the field, though in later stages, occasional cards will require multiple hits to overturn. Additionally, when the orb impacts a boss's weak point, the boss takes damage and loses a single notch from its health bar. Furthermore, the orb can dispel small white bullets (but nothing greater) as it passes through them.

Shot

When the player presses the Z key, Reimu tosses a single Ofuda skyward. These shots can be used to manipulate the movement of the Yin-Yang Orb. Additionally, when a shot collides with a small white bullet fired by an enemy, both are cancelled out.

The shot cannot damage boss enemies.

Wand

When the player presses the X key, Reimu swings her wand, or Gohei, back and forth. The wand too can manipulate the movement of the Yin-Yang Orb, as well as deflect small white bullets. If the wand contacts the orb on Reimu's first swing (clockwise), the Orb will be repulsed at a high rate of speed, however, if the wand and orb contact during Reimu's second swing (counter-clockwise), the Orb will only be repulsed lightly.

The wand cannot damage boss enemies.

Special Moves

Slide

When pressing the Left or Right Arrow Keys in conjunction with the X key, Reimu performs a short distance slide that can be used to repel the Yin-Yang Orb, as well as move quickly across the screen. This move is useful as it always repels the Yin-Yang Orb at the same speed and angle, no matter where in the slide it makes contact. Also, while sliding, Reimu has a smaller than usual hit box, making the move useful for escaping difficult situations. Reimu will continue sliding for as long as the player continues tapping the X key while holding a directional key. Reimu is vulnerable between slides, however.

Power Slide

While sliding, if the player hits the X key again and holds it to the end of the slide, Reimu will lift her leg in the air and do a Power Slide. While the Power Slide moves Reimu the same distance as a normal slide, if she makes contact with the Yin-Yang Orb during a power slide, the Orb will be propelled at a much higher velocity and a lower angle. It is not possible to Power Slide twice in a row.

Moving Flip Kick

While sliding, if the player lets go of the Arrow Key key and taps X once at the moment the slide ends, Reimu will perform a flip kick while moving forward. A maximum of three of these kicks can be done consecutively by tapping X at the end of each kick. The flip kick repels small white bullets, and can also repel the Yin-Yang Orb with great force.

Stationary Flip Kick

While sliding, if the player holds the Arrow Key opposite to the direction of the slide and taps X at the moment that the slide ends, Reimu will perform a stationary flip kick. A maximum of three of these kicks can be done consecutively by tapping X at the end of each kick. The flip kick repels small white bullets, and can also repel the Yin-Yang Orb with great force.

It should be noted that while the maximum number of consecutive Flip Kicks remains three, any combination of Stationary Flip Kicks and Moving Flip Kicks is possible, regardless of which type the player started the combo with.

Rapid-fire Multishot

While Reimu is sliding, if the player presses the directional key opposite to the direction that Reimu is moving and the Z key at the same time, Reimu will cease her movement and rapidly fire 8 shots upward (at slight angles).

These shots cannot damage boss enemies.

Bomb

Reimu's Spirit Attack, or "bomb", is the player's limited-use method of getting out of difficult situations. To use a bomb, either a) press the Left and Right Arrow Keys and Z at the same time; or b) tap Z and X at the same time twice. When activated, the bomb cancels out all bullets on the screen, and hits every card one time. Reimu becomes invincible during the bomb's effect. As a result of this, if the Yin-Yang Orb comes in contact with Reimu during a bomb's effect, the orb will be repelled with moderate-to-great force. At the beginning of the game and any time Reimu respawns, you will receive 1 bomb. Your bomb stock does not reset when Reimu is hit. Bomb Extend items will increase your current stock by one. You can carry up to a maximum of 5 bombs at a time. If you receive a bomb when you already have the maximum, that bomb will be lost.

The bomb can only damage boss enemies when you have 0 lives remaining in reserve.

Lives

With default settings, you will start off with 3 lives. You can lose a life by getting "hit" by an enemy attack.

The hit box for Reimu is approximately the same size as her sprite. If Reimu's hit box comes into contact with the hit box of her Yin-Yang Orb, an enemy bullet, laser, or the enemy itself, then you have been hit.

The player is awarded extra lives every 400,000 points, up to seven times. You can carry up to a maximum of 6 extra lives at a time. If you receive an extra life when you already have the maximum, that life will be lost.

Upon losing all their lives, the player is given the choice to continue from the beginning of the stage. However, if you do continue, your current score will be reset back to 0 and you will reach the "Bad Ending" if you finish the game.

Items

Point Items

Point items appear when certain (that is, random) cards are hit (but not necessarily eliminated) by the Yin-Yang Orb. The first point item collected is worth only 1000 points. Each additional point item collected is worth more than the previous one collected, up to a maximum of 65530 points per item. However, if you fail to reach and collect a point item before it disappears from the field, the values of the items will reset, and the next point item collected will only be worth 1000 points again. Losing a life does not reset the sequence.

Bomb Extend Items

Bomb extend items appear when certain (that is, random) cards are hit (but not necessarily eliminated) by the Yin-Yang Orb. Bomb Extend items will increase your current stock by one. You can carry up to a maximum of 5 bombs at a time. If you collect an extend item when you already have the maximum, that bomb will be lost.

Field Objects

Cards

In order to clear a regular stage, the player must overturn every card in the play field through the (often haphazard) manipulation of Reimu's Yin-Yang Orb. As the orb passes over cards, they are considered to be hit. In early stages, cards only require one hit to be overturned and eliminated from the field, however, in later stages, cards may require as many as five hits to overturn.

As the Yin-Yang Orb flies through the air, it can and often will pass over and hit (but not necessarily eliminate) multiple cards consecutively. This is considered to be a combo. When the orb touches the ground, however, the combo is reset. The Combo Counter (See: Regular Stage Screen Layout) tracks these instances and reflects them numerically, displaying both your present combo and the highest combo attained in the stage. These values contribute to the Regular Stage Clear Bonuses.

Bumpers

These objects repulse the Yin-Yang Orb when it comes in contact with them, rather like the bumpers of a pinball table. Bumpers cannot be destroyed.

Bumper Bars

Bumpers, in horizontal or vertical bar form.

Portals

When the Yin-Yang Orb enters one of these objects, it is instantly transported to another Portal on the field and fired out of it at high speed. On some occasions, the exit Portal will simply drop the orb rather then fire it; on others, the exit Portal will direct and fire the orb at either a card (in situations when there are few cards remaining in the field) or at Reimu.

Turrets

These objects fire small white bullets in pre-set patterns at regular intervals, often directly at Reimu. Turrets cannot be destroyed. On Easy difficulty, these do not fire at all.

Regular Stages

In order to clear a regular stage, the player must overturn every card in the play field through the (often haphazard) manipulation of Reimu's Yin-Yang Orb. As the orb passes over cards, they are considered to be hit. In early stages, cards only require one hit to be overturned and eliminated from the field, however, in later stages, cards may require as many as five hits to overturn.

Each regular stage is accompanied by a timer. When time runs out, the message HURRY UP appears and a flurry of small white bullets begins raining down from above, and continues until the stage is cleared, you are hit and more time is added, or you run out of lives.

Regular Stage Screen Layout

1. Reimu
2. The Yin-Yang Orb
3. Cards
4. Player Status
   • Lives remaining
   • Bombs remaining
5. Player Score
   • HI (High Score): Displays your highest score for the difficulty
   • 得点 (Score): Your current score
6. Combo Counter
   • MAX: Displays the highest combo achieved thus far in the current stage
   • 連X (Combo): Your current combo
7. 残り時間 (Timer): Displays how much time remains before the HURRY UP message appears et. al.
8. The current stage and difficulty setting

Boss Battles

The main challenge and the main attraction. Each boss has a notched health bar that represents their current status. In most cases, bosses can only be harmed by Reimu's Yin-Yang Orb, which removes one notch from the bosses' health bars whenever it contacts the bosses' weak points, which are not visually indicated.

Each boss battle is accompanied by a timer. When time runs out, the message HURRY UP appears and a flurry of small white bullets begins raining down from above, and continues until the boss is defeated, you are hit and more time is added, or you run out of lives.

Boss Stage Screen Layout

1. Reimu
2. The Yin-Yang Orb
3. Boss Enemy
4. Player Status
   • Lives remaining
   • Bombs remaining
5. Player Score
   • HI (High Score): Displays your highest score for the difficulty
   • 得点 (Score): Your current score
6. Boss Health Bar
7. Combo Counter
   • MAX: Displays the highest combo achieved thus far in the current stage
   • 連X (Combo): Your current combo
8. 残り時間 (Timer): Displays how much time remains before the HURRY UP message appears et. al.
9. The current stage and difficulty setting

Scoring

Cards

Each card that the Yin-Yang Orb passes over and eliminates before touching the ground rewards the player with an incremental point value — the first card eliminated has a worth of 100 points; each additional card eliminated before the orb touches the ground is worth more than the previous, up to a maximum of 25600 points per card. However, when the orb touches the ground, the values of the cards reset, and you will have to begin the process over again.

Point Items

As the name implies, point items are the major source of points in the game. The first point item collected is worth only 1000 points. Each additional point item collected is worth more than the previous one collected, up to a maximum of 65530 points per item. However, if you fail to reach and collect a point item before it disappears from the field, the values of the items will reset, and the next point item collected will only be worth 1000 points again. Losing a life does not reset the sequence. The progression is as follows: 1000, 2000, 3000, ... 10000, 20000, 30000, 40000, 50000, 65530. In other words, it takes 15 point items to get from a value of 1000 to 65530.

Regular Stage Clear Bonus

At the end of each regular stage, the player is awarded a point bonus based on their performance throughout the stage.
The bonus is calculated as follows:

Time Remaining x 30
Continuous (Highest Combo) x 1000
Bomb & Player (Players remaining x 2000 + Bombs remaining x 1000)

This combined total is then added to a Stage Bonus that is dependant upon the stage cleared.

Stage 1 = 0
Stage 2 = 2,000
Stage 3 = 4,000
Stage 4 = 6,000
Stage 6 = 10,000
Stage 7 = 12,000
Stage 8 = 14,000
Stage 9 = 16,000
Stage 11 = 20,000
Stage 12 = 22,000
Stage 13 = 24,000
Stage 14 = 26,000
Stage 16 = 30,000
Stage 17 = 32,000
Stage 18 = 34,000
Stage 19 = 36,000

The end result is then added on to your score.

Boss Stage Clear Bonus

At the end of each boss battle, the player is awarded a point bonus based on their performance during the stage.
The bonus is calculated as follows:

Time Remaining x 50 (This might vary with stage...)
Continuous (Highest Combo) x 1000 (Always 0?)
MIKOsan (Players remaining x 5000 + Bombs remaining x 2000) (This might vary with stage...)

This combined total is then added to a Stage Bonus that is dependant upon the stage cleared.

Stage 5 = 50,000
Stage 10 = 100,000
Stage 15 = 150,000
Stage 20 = ???,???

The end result is then added on to your score.

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