Yoiyami Dancer Twilight Danmaku Dancers is coming to Steam, being ported over from the Nintendo Switch after its initial release on the console two years ago. Backed by publisher Mediascapes’ own ‘Play, Doujin!’ project, the rhythm action title co-developed by doujin circles “tripper_room” and “以絵会友” is coming to PC on September 29 in both English and Japanese.
While the game looks to have few changes from its console counterparts, it does mean however that the PC version will likely also receive future updates simultaneously with the console releases.
▍About Yoiyami Dancer Twilight Danmaku Dancers
Based on the Touhou Project series, Yoiyami Dancer has players take control of Rumia or Eternity Larva as they go on a small adventure to uncover the strange phenomenon sweeping across the realm of Gensokyo. The native residents are caught endlessly dancing, not seemingly feeling tired about it either. Taking to a new form of spell card battles called spell card dances, it’s up to the small-time yokai and fairy duo to get to the bottom of this rhythmic anomaly.
Yoiyami Dancer features separate storylines for the two selectable protagonists, and the store page even hints about how the pair will incorporate different mechanics that will change how you play. The character you picked also shows up on the bottom left of the screen hopping and dancing to the rhythm as well, reacting to anything happening on the field.
▍Yoiyami Dancer Twilight Danmaku Dancers Gameplay
Fight through stages of increasingly difficult bullet patterns that are mixed in the rhythm of the tunes playing in the background. Dodge and shoot projectiles to the beat of newly arranged soundtracks from classic Touhou titles. Just like the developers’ previous title ”Yoiyami Dreamer”, players can expect deceptively challenging patterns to bob and weave through.
Sporting a 5×5 grid for the characters to move on, players can expect a gritty new mix-up of the bullet hell genre with the need for your characters to stay on beat. Perform classic graze maneuvers by charging for a beat, then phase through an incoming bullet untouched.
Though looking cutesy as ever like other titles in the Touhou series of fan games, the difficulty of these bullet sequences are nothing to be scoffed at. Pick from 4 different difficulties from Easy to Lunatic, and turn up the ante by bringing along assist items if the going gets a little too hard. From active items like the bomb to the more passive item magnet, the choice you make at the start of a run can be what turns the tables.
A pre-installed update to the title from its original release also adds a practice mode unlocked upon hitting any of the bosses encountered throughout the run. These feature infinite retries as well as invulnerable modes and full combo modes that allow players to learn the bullet patterns without having to run the entire set to challenge them.
For players looking for a more laid-back experience, there’s even a beginner’s item that will activate a number of different assisting effects depending on the situation. Whether it’s cutting your teeth on the Lunatic difficulties or you’re more in it for the story, the choices are yours!
Outside of Rumia and Eternity Larva being in the game, there are plans for future updates to the roster post-launch as the developers have stated how they will be working on future patches to add more mechanics and challenges for players. Previous posts on Twitter also make mentions of new unlockables, items, and achievements as well so stayed tuned for more for Yoiyami Dancer!