Shanghai Alice Reprise Forms to Remake Touhou Koumakyou for Modern Platforms
The formation of a dedicated circle and the recovery of a long-lost source code backup finally address a 24-year-old technical barrier that had made the foundational Touhou title unplayable on current hardware.
Reporting from 1 sources: Denfaminicogamer.
ZUN and other developers have formed a new doujin circle, Shanghai Alice Reprise, dedicated to making Touhou Project games playable on modern systems. Its first project is Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, a remake of the 2002 bullet hell shooter, announced during a June 9 Nintendo Direct. The remake supports 1080p, adds new systems and BGM, and includes a Classic Edition reproducing the original. It launches September 10 on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and Steam.
Shanghai Alice Gengakudan, the doujin circle behind the Touhou Project, announced on June 9 that it has established a new subsidiary circle called Shanghai Alice Reprise. The new group, which includes original creator ZUN and other veteran developers, is tasked with updating older Touhou games for modern operating systems and hardware.
The circle's debut project is Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, a full remake of the 2002 bullet hell shooter Touhou Koumakyou: the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. The original game, the first Windows-based Touhou title, introduced many of the series' most iconic characters but has become increasingly difficult to run on current PCs. ZUN had previously stated a port was impossible because the source code was lost, but during the Nintendo Direct broadcast he revealed he had found a backup at home, from which character sprites were recovered.
The remake supports 1080p resolution, includes new gameplay systems and arranged background music, and will be accompanied by a Classic Edition that reproduces the original 2002 experience as faithfully as possible. It launches on September 10 for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam. ZUN confirmed that Shanghai Alice Gengakudan will continue its regular activities alongside the new circle.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.