Earthen Miraculous Sword

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Developer: JynX (Trick Nostalgie)
Release date: 2013

Len'en Tasouken ~ Earthen Miraculous Sword (連縁蛇叢釼) is a fanmade shmup by JynX in 2013 utilizing the Touhou gameplay style.

It is the 2nd entry of the Len'en Project


For replay videos, visit the Video Index.

Gameplay overview

The mechanic involves grazing to fill a meter which will allow the player to use a special bomb known as a "flash bomb", which previously appeared in Evanscent Existence. Pressing the bomb button while unfocused will release a flash bomb if the meter is full, otherwise it won't do anything.

There is also another mechanic called the "cloud flower gauge", which is represented by a five-petaled flower on the bottom-right of the screen. It fills up by defeating enemies and capturing spell cards, but it depletes when the player dies or bombs. The higher it is, the greater point multiplier will be awarded.

Controls

Like in Touhou, the game has the following commands:

  • Z: Shoot
  • X: Bomb / Flashbomb
  • Shift: Focus

On keyboard, movement can be done using either the arrow keys or the number pad. The gamepad can also be configured inside the game.

Difficulties

The game has 4 difficulty modes, each one increasing in complexity and difficulty, as well as adding a few new spellcards in the later difficulties; they are as follows:

  • Easy
  • Normal
  • Hard
  • Unreal

After 1CC'ing the game on any difficulty, you will unlock the Extra Stage, which has 3 difficulty variants. The 3rd one must be unlocked:

  • Easy Extra
  • Extra (Original)
  • Absurdly Extra

By having cleared Unreal once, Absurdly Extra will be playable.

Scoring

Scoring revolves around bullet cancels for cancel items, collection of point items, capturing spellcards, etc.

Playable Characters and Shot Types

Earthen Miraculous Sword features 3 playable characters, with a hidden one unlockable by clearing Extra once.

Houlen Yabusame

Houlen Yabusame
EMS Yabusame Portrait.png
Attack power: ***
Movement speed: ***
Bomb: "Dimensional Detachment"
Flashbomb: "Maiden Pit"
Description: Yabusame has a spread shot and lock-on options. To deal big damage, it is highly demanded to attack at pointblank range. Her bomb has a damage range the size of the game field, and her flashbomb generates a small circle. Has 4 bombs per life.

Enraku Tsubakura

Enraku Tsubakura
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Attack power: ****
Movement speed: *****
Bomb: "Monochrone Ray"
Flashbomb: "Vertex Emit"
Description: Has a direct shot type, with high damage. Her bomb fires a black & white laser, and her flashbomb forms a cross. Has 2 bombs per life.

Shitodo Kuroji

Shitodo Kuroji
EMS Kuroji Portrait.png
Attack power: ***
Movement speed: ****
Bomb: RNA "Retrovirus"
Flashbomb: "Positive & Negative"
Description: Her options can fire in many directions unfocused, while in focused, the options aim straight. Her bomb summons a square that damages enemies that touch it, and her flashbomb generates a square that pushes back bullets. Has 3 bombs per life.

Kuzu Suzumi

Kuzu Suzumi
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Attack power: ***
Movement speed: ***
Bomb: ???
Flashbomb: ???
Description: She can freeze the position of her options and can generate an amount of launchable knives. Her bomb can cause a screen clearing effect, and her flashbomb can grant her a brief amount of i-frames. Has 5 bombs per life.

Items

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Point items: Increases score.
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Power items: Increases power, with sizes varying the value.
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Bomb item: Grants a bomb stock.
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1UP: Awards an extend.
EMS-cancelitems.png
Cancel items: Spawns from bullet cancels. Grants extra score.

True Last Boss / TLB

In order to trigger the TLB (Tasouken sword), the player must finish off Yaorochi with at least 3 petals left.

If done correctly, the TLB fight will start and the petals will turn into lives for the attempt. It disables bombing, but still allows flashbombs.

If the player loses against the TLB, it will still be counted as clearing the game.

Trivia

  • There are some enemies that spawn bullet patterns in the form of the PlayStation buttons.

External Links

  1. Images and info provided byJSAV2006STG(ABC)
  2. Some info taken from (Len'en Wiki):