Touhou Eiyashou: Imperishable Night

About

This 2004 shooter layers team-based mechanics over classic bullet-hell action. Play as preset pairs of human and youkai characters who swap control mid-fight. One character handles regular fire while the other takes over for focused attacks, trading speed for powerful alternate shots. Most duos let you mix wildly different playstyles in real time. Solo modes strip the switching but keep distinct shot patterns. Bosses throw "Last Spells" you can challenge without bombs, while your own version of the mechanic lets you unleash devastating attacks right after taking damage. A shifting "Time Orb" meter and human/youkai gauge add layers to scoring and story progression. The dual-control system stands out for its depth and flexibility. Each fight becomes a dance of timing and adaptation as you balance movement and firepower between characters. The Time Orb mechanic ties resource management to narrative choices, making repeat runs feel distinct. Though dated visually, the game’s precise mechanics and escalating difficulty keep it sharp for fans of technical shooters. Its blend of rhythm-based combat and meta-game systems earned it a lasting spot in the Touhou series’ legacy.

Storyline

A human and youkai team set off along a forest path to investigate. Along the way, they encounter a firefly (Wriggle Nightbug) and a night sparrow (Mystia Lorelei), who are quickly defeated. Next, they meet a half-beast (Keine) who is protecting a Human Village from youkai. She mistakes the team for enemies and attacks them. After the team defeats her, Keine indicates that the person who switched the moons is in the bamboo forest. In the bamboo forest, they encounter a character (either Reimu or Marisa) who demands to know why the team has been freezing time and causing an imperishable night. Finally the team reaches the mansion of the perpetrator. But once inside, they find that the mansion is guarded by a pair of rabbits (Tewi and Reisen). The rabbits are defeated, but not before disorienting the team. Confused, the team must choose which path to take (one leads to the real moon and the other leads to the fake moon). After picking the right path, they are able to meet the perpetrator of this mischievous scheme, Kaguya. Kaguya is a moon princess in hiding who has taken the real moon in order to sever the link between the earth and the moon. The team restores the real moon and Kaguya challenges them to face the "5 impossible requests."