Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, developed by Shanghai Alice Reprise and released by Alliance Arts on September 10, 2026, drew 1,732 Steam reviews within half a day, 98 percent of them positive, for an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. Steam Scout data shows 41.58 percent of reviews in English and 28.73 percent in Simplified Chinese, with positive rates of 99 percent and 98 percent.
Alliance Arts released Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic ~ the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. on September 10 for PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. The game is a modern remake of the 2002 bullet hell shooter Touhou Koumakyou, led by original creator ZUN, and marks the first official Touhou Project shooting game on console platforms. It includes a New Classic version with high-resolution graphics and all BGM rearranged by ZUN, plus a Classic version that reproduces the 2002 game as faithfully as possible. The Classic version can inherit replays and save data from the original ver1.02h. New features include a Spell Practice mode and an unlimited lives mode for newcomers. The standard edition costs 1,990 yen, and a deluxe edition with a digital sound player app is 2,966 yen. The original source code was lost, so a programmer from the doujin circle AQUA STYLE independently analyzed the game and built a Switch version, which became the project's starting point. A DVD backup found at ZUN's home helped recreate character portraits. The New Classic version also supports 4K resolution.
Shanghai Alice Reprise representative JYUNYA announced on September 9 that the Classic version included with Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic supports transferring replays and save data from the original 2002 release of Touhou Koumakyou. The compatible data comes from version 1.02h of the original game. JYUNYA stated that all replays and save data can be carried over, despite the Classic version being a separately reproduced title. The Classic version also adds a replay fast-forward function and a key configuration option to select the confirm button, a change made with console versions in mind. Alliance Arts released Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam on September 10. The standard edition costs 1,990 yen, while the deluxe edition costs 2,966 yen and includes a digital sound player app. The New Classic version features recreated graphics and music, with all BGM arranged by ZUN. The Classic version reproduces the 2002 game as faithfully as possible, including its user interface and character portraits.
Game Spark's weekly roundup lists games releasing in Japan and North America from September 7 to 11. Headliners include Valheim on September 9 across multiple platforms, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV with Power Up Kit Complete Edition on September 10. The list also features Halloween: The Game, a Touhou arrangement, and HOT WHEELS Infinite Rush.
Team Shanghai Alice, the circle behind the Touhou Project, reminded fans on September 4 that publicly releasing the endings of the original games is prohibited under its derivative works guidelines, just days before the September 10 launch of the remake Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic. The reminder came via the official Shanghai Alice Reprise X account, which posted links to the Guidelines for Posting to Video Distribution Services and the Touhou Project Derivative Works Guidelines. These guidelines were not changed for this release, but they explicitly list acts of publicly releasing original game endings as prohibited. Under the video distribution guidelines, streaming by individual players is generally treated as fan activity and faces no major restrictions, yet the ending restriction still applies. Players who plan to stream or post Let's Play videos are advised to keep ending segments out of their broadcasts or cut them through editing. The remake updates the 2002 Windows Touhou Koumakyou with high-resolution graphics, fully rearranged music by series creator ZUN, a new Life Infinite Mode for less experienced players, and a Classic Version that reproduces the original game. The game launches September 10 on PC via Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Shanghai Alice Reprise, a new circle formed by ZUN and AQUA STYLE representative JYUNYA, announced Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic during a Nintendo Direct broadcast on June 9. The bullet hell shooter is the first official remake of the 2002 Touhou Project entry Touhou Koumakyou. It launches September 10 on PC via Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. The standard edition costs 1,990 yen, and a deluxe edition with a digital soundtrack costs 2,966 yen. The remake upgrades the original to 1080p resolution with fully rearranged BGM by ZUN. It includes a Classic Mode that reproduces the 2002 game as faithfully as possible, plus a new mode with infinite lives and a Challenge Mode that tracks hits taken. New features include a player hitbox display and a boss position marker at the bottom of the screen. The original Touhou Koumakyou had become unplayable on modern Windows due to frame rate issues. A programmer from AQUA STYLE independently created a Switch-compatible version, which ZUN saw and called amazing, leading to the full remake project.