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List of PC-98 References in Undefined Fantastic Object

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Put it like this: ZUN is either the Touhou fanbase's biggest troll, or he rolled a critical failure on an "appease the PC-98 fans" check. You may assume that this is going to have spoilers. (Disclaimer: my PC-98 lore is relatively low, in part due to never having played Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream (and thus information from that direction will be secondhand), so feel free to suggest additions.)

The references

  • The first thing any PC-98 fan would think of upon seeing "UFOs" and "flying ship" in the context of Touhou is the Probability Hyperspace Vessel belonging to Yumemi Okazaki from Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream.
  • The silhouette on the cover of the CD jewel case superficially resembles Yumemi, as well. Fans were quick to point out that the silhouette apparently wore a cape.
  • The Stage 4 and 6 midboss is an invulnerable blue ball of light (Nue Houjuu in disguise), bearing a marked resemblance to a similar enemy near in the Extra Stage of Lotus Land Story.
  • CAPTAIN MURASA is basically Chiyuri Kitashirakawa from Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream except with black hair and a huge anchor. She also shares a teleportation move Chiyuri has in her EX-attack.
  • Luize, as the stage 4 mid-boss in Mystic Square, also has a similar teleportation ability.
  • Stage 5 and 6 take place in Makai, the setting of most of Mystic Square and of the last two stages in Story of Eastern Wonderland.
  • ZUN's notes in Mystic Square's music room regarding the track "World's End," the Final Stage theme, mention that he "wanted to do it with just a heartbeat sound"; the first thirteen or so seconds of "Fires of Hokkai," Undefined Fantastic Object's Final Stage theme, are ... silent except for a heartbeat sound, which is audible throughout!
  • Byakuren Hijiri's Spell Card Great Magic 「Devil's Recitation」 is basically Shinki's final danmaku pattern.

Why PC-98 were reacting badly

The PC-98 fans want the return of the PC-98 characters. This has already happened with Yuka Kazami and Alice Margatroid, and in the latter case she's become so established in the modern canon that she's seen as almost as much a Windows character as, say, Hong Meiling or Yuyuko Saigyouji. So why not bring more characters back? Nor are these fans strangers to disappointment, either: including spinoffs and fighting games, there have been a total of four Touhou games released between PoFV (the last game to reintroduce a PC-98 character) and UFO.

So what happened?

What happened was that ZUN gave an implicit "I have not forgotten the PC-98 games or the characters in them. I just don't feel any need to directly bring them back."

The PC-98 fans interpreted it as, "I haven't forgotten the PC-98 characters, and I know you want me to bring them back, but I'm just not gonna," and took it personally.

Of course, now all forms of hype and RAGE have died down for a bit, but that's where we are now.

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rain of blood over Elisyum

I've noticed almost all of those references.
It made me feel nostalgia.
When I draw something like a character design, i would be surprised if i don't destroy it in a week or so, I understand how ZUN feels...I think...
I mean, those characters were like...umm...not that awesome. Some of them were, but some others were just...just(won't say anything)

Anyway, I would love to see Shinki or...wait. Remember ( if you played) Phantasmagoria of Dim. dream? Remember Rikako? If you paint her clothes of black and you add her bunny ears, doesn't she look like Reisen? And look at her hand in her picture, if it wasn't because it was near her eyes i would think it was like a gun!

Dizzy H. Slightly Voided

It gets better: "Kotohime" can be translated as "rabbit princess." Does that sound more like Tewi or Kaguya to you? ;)

ArleKaakun

So... does that mean that the only time we're gonna see more PC98 peeps is when we know they'd fit in?

Alice... the same person from MS and PCB... probably performed some aging magic so she can be more respected... especially from Marisa.

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