Game:

The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (2002)

Duration: 23:44

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131

Replay: http://score.royalflare.net/th06/replay6/th6_ud16f3.rpy
Player: Minogame
Game: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
Condition: No Deaths | No Bombs
Difficulty: Lunatic

Stage 1: 00:02
Stage 2: 02:17
Stage 3: 05:26
Stage 4: 09:19
Stage 5: 14:41
Stage 6: 18:55
Remilia: 20:10

Live version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fchTJKKsgoM


Wow, that was quite something. EoSD was.... no laughing matter to say the least. I started this back in late 2017 after the UFO victory, had a bit of hand pains so I gave myself a rest until a DRC in march 2018. Tried it again, failed on SG, played it a few more months before sorta dropping it until 2019 again.

I'll admit, I didn't grind this goal was aggressively as I should have. So I'm not gonna complain too much about the grind. Part of it was getting tired and bored or just plain demotivated. But I'm still going to be damn proud of this run. And I definitely did have a big chunk of close calls. 2 SG failures. A few meister failures. A million sakuya failures. Three 1MNBs to boot.

This game likes to slap you in the face when you reach stage 4.

The books are one of the hardest patterns in all of Touhou and it's no joke to say that if they didn't exist, this game would be marginally easier to LNN. I'd almost say at that point, it'd only be a little harder than HSiFS or SA. Maybe on even terms as UFO. No, seriously, if you could get to Patchy everytime, that would severely cut the grind length.

EoSD is a weird game. So many of the patterns aren't as elegant as you'd see in later ZUN games. A lot of EoSD patterns are super RNG based and messy and really like to hug the rank system. Even disregarding books, there's a lot of silly patterns in this game's late bosses that can just meme you to death. Bury in Lake (seriously wtf is that pattern???), Emerald Megalith, Everything Sakuya has that isn't her first two spells. Most of Remilia.

It's back to back super difficult RNG at the end, and thus EoSD is considered one of the hardest LNNs. I've heard people say it's the hardest, but I personally disagree. LoLK is still harder IMO. If only because Junko is absolutely brutal.

Speaking of LoLK. That's my next goal. I *want* to get it before Touhou 17 comes out (c'mon, we know ZUN's gonna make Touhou 17 this year. I can totally feel it! In my bones!)

But I also understand that it's a pretty ambitious wish. LoLK is difficult and I expect to spend a lot of months and get a lot of close calls. Maybe I'll get to a point where I don't want to finish it.

However, I can say right now I'm feeling pretty motivated! EoSD was a huge confidence boost and honestly never having to play books again is a huuuuge relief.

I like EoSD. I may not like books that much. But I'm not gonna judge EoSD as a whole just because of one BS pattern. It's honestly quite fun and those late game bosses give you really good adrenaline rushes with how crazy they get.

Anyway, so long for now ;)

Cya in space hell...

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