Touhou Azure Trilogy

*❝ The ultimate team battle of Gensokyo's female fighters begins!❞*
―Box art for the backside

Artwork of the video game's logo.

**Touhou Azure Trilogy** is a fighting video game (based on its elements from the Touhou fighting video games) in the Touhou Project series. This fighting game is for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Steam. This fighting video game has been released on November 1, 2019.

## Gameplay

The gameplay of Touhou Azure Trilogy is similar to that of the *Marvel vs. Capcom* franchise and *Bandai Namco's* *Dragon Ball FighterZ*. Using Spell Cards act in the same behavior as hyper combos. Up to two players can now battle it out by using 3-9 fighters. During gameplay from other fighting games in the Touhou Project series, it has new features called *Azure Rage* and *Creature Instinct*. Azure Rage is a new power-up where it boosts the player's attack and defense power for a short amount of time. It also enhances all of the special moves and Spell Cards, too. While Creature Instinct is a new attack where the player can either merge with or transform into the spirit of a creature and start attacking in the form of each Spell Card. In Story Mode, the player can battle throughout the land of Gensokyo, completing the chapters, recovering the two crystals, the Azure and Scarlet Crystals and defeating the mysterious guardian herself, *Nowel Diastasis* (who appears from the *Fly-System* game, *Magical Battle Arena* and later *Magical Battle Arena NEXT*) who holds the Scarlet Crystal that makes her special abilities more powerful in her possession. As the Azure Crystal and the Scarlet Crystal join together, they become the perfect Violet Crystal. When defeating Nowel in her first two forms, a possessed Hieda no Akyuu will appear in front of her and try to remove the Violet Crystal from her in order to prevent further corruption, but immediately fails as the permanent transformation rages as Nowel threatens to use the *Violet Prison* signature move as a Spell Card to trap Akyuu so that she can absorb her to reach her final form, whom Reimu and Marisa (in their Azure Rage forms) must defeat. In Arcade Mode, the player can battle through eight stages, with Shadow Kosuzu serving as the sub-boss of the ninth stage and Nowel Diastasis, on the tenth and final stage. This mode features the grade meter. Winning a round raises the grade by 0.2 (0.4 upon delivering the final blow to an opponent using a Spell Card, 0.6 upon finishing a round in 60 seconds or less, 0.8 upon either getting a first attack or a perfect win and 1.0 upon getting a first attack and a perfect win). Only the highest grade level gets shown. Players can still continue upon losing on a stage, but the grade lowers by 0.5, any consecutive continues upon losing on a single stage lowers the grade by 1.0.

This grade meter varies the grade level as it follows upon the completion of Arcade mode:

* Rainbow Star (8.1-9.0)
* Three Stars (7.1-8.0)
* Two Stars (6.1-7.0)
* One Star (5.1-6.0)
* A (4.1-5.0)
* B (3.1-4.0)
* C (2.1-3.0)
* D (1.1-2.0)
* E (0.2-1.0)

In Versus Mode, players can battle it out in 3-9 on 3-9 battles. The player can even battle the computer player and watch two computer players go head-to-head. In Mini-Games, players can play any of the four mini-games that appear as bonus stages in Arcade Mode. In Tournament Mode, players can battle it out in a 3-on-3 single elimination bracket on a tournament tree. The player can give the tournament title a name. In Ghost Battle, the player can defeat many Ghost characters to unlock various items and collecting Gensokyo coins to spend at the shop. In Training mode, the player can freely practice combos against an AI-controlled computer player, and also complete training missions in that mode. In Network Battle Mode, an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online Membership subscription are both required for players to play online.

## Game Modes

* Story Mode
* Arcade Mode (3 on 3)
* Survival Mode
* Versus (3-9 on 3-9)
	+ 1P vs. CPU
	+ 1P vs. 2P
	+ CPU vs. CPU
* Tournament Mode
* Mini-Games
* Ghost Battle
* Network Battle
	+ Online Versus (3-9 on 3-9)
	+ Ranked Battle (3-9 on 3-9)
* Training
	+ Practice
	+ Mission Training

## Characters

All of the characters return from each fighting game in the Touhou series, with *Nowel Diastasis* (who appears from *Magical Battle Arena*) serving as the first exclusive character to appear in this fighting game. Fighting newcomers who are new to this fighting game do not. New DLC characters are released by the end of 2021.

On March 12, 2020, the first DLC character pack was announced and has been released along with Nowel Diastasis on March 27, 2020. On October 29, 2020, the second DLC character pack was announced and has been released on November 13, 2020. On February 5, 2021, the third DLC character pack was announced and has been released on February 12, 2021. On July 9, 2021, the fourth DLC character pack was announced and has been confirmed on July 16, 2021. The fifth and final DLC character pack was finally announced on October 1, 2021 and has been released on October 22, 2021. After the fifth and final DLC character pack, no further DLC character packs are planned to be released.

DLC exclusive characters, *Suigintou* (from the *Rozen Maiden* series), *Glitter Lucky* (from the *Pretty Cure* series), *Ladybug* (from the *Miraculous Ladybug* series), *Peach* (from the *Super Mario* series), *Zelda* (from the *Legend of Zelda* series) and the *Inkling Girl* (from the *Splatoon* series) have all been confirmed as of August 2, 2019 and the first three are the first to be released on December 8, 2019. Peach, Zelda and the Inkling Girl for the Nintendo Switch version have been confirmed and released on December 11, 2019 along with Suigintou, Glitter Lucky and Ladybug.

The seventh DLC exclusive character, *Illyasviel von Einzbern* (from the *Fate* franchise) was announced along with the second DLC character pack on October 29, 2020. Her reveal trailer was narrated by the *Fate* character herself, *Rin Tohsaka*. Illyasviel was eventually confirmed on November 13, 2020 along with the Sacred Legacy DLC costume pack. The eighth DLC character, Tiki (from the *Fire Emblem* franchise) was announced on February 5, 2021 and was released along with the third DLC character pack on February 12, 2021. The ninth and tenth DLC characters, Pyra and Mythra (from the *Xenoblade Chronicles* franchise) were announced on July 9, 2021 and released along with the fourth DLC character pack on July 16, 2021. The eleventh and final DLC character, *Miyu Edelfelt* (another exclusive DLC character from the *Fate* franchise who was seen in a silhouette) was announced on October 1, 2021 and has been released on October 22, 2021 along with the fifth and final DLC character pack.

In the Ultimatum Max version of this game, all individual DLC characters (including the ones from each character pack and the Nintendo Switch version) can still be purchased at the Ultimatum Shop. Characters highlighted in **bold** are hidden characters, while *italics* describe DLC characters.

### **New Playable Characters**

Only guest characters (who appear as DLC characters) appear as newcomers, with the first exclusive DLC character, Nowel Diastasis appearing as the non-playable final boss of both Arcade and Story modes, but comes back playable when players purchase the first DLC character Pack as of March 27, 2020. The first three exclusive DLC characers, Suigintou, Glitter Lucky and Ladybug have all been confirmed as of December 8, 2019. Peach, Zelda and the Inkling Girl appear on the Nintendo Switch version as of December 11, 2019. The seventh exclusive DLC character, *Illyasviel von Einzbern* from the *Fate* franchise (who's design was based on *Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya*) was announced on August 14, 2020 and has been released on October 2, 2020 along with the Sacred Legacy DLC costume pack. Miyu Edelfelt (who's silhouette was seen in the trailer for the fifth and final DLC character pack) was announced on October 1, 2021. She has been released on October 22, 2021 along with the fifth and final DLC character pack.

* **Type:** All-Around
 File:Suigintou Render.png***Suigintou*** | * **Title:** The 1st Rozen Maiden
* **Type:** All-Around
 File:GlitterLucky Artwork.png***Glitter Lucky*** | * **Title:** Happy-Go-Lucky Leader of the Glitter Force
* **Type:** Technique
 ***Ladybug*** | * **Title:** Superhero of the Lucky Charm
* **Type:** Speed
 File:FateKaleidliner IllyaEinzbern.png***Illyasviel von Einzbern*** | * **Title:** Magical Ruby Girl
* **Type:** Technique
 File:Fate Kaleid Liner Miyu Edelfelt Artwork.png***Miyu Edelfelt*** | * **Title:** Magical Sapphire Girl
* **Type:** Technique
 File:Peach SMP.png***Peach***(Nintendo Switch version) | * **Title:** Princess of Toadstools
* **Type:** Technique
 File:PrincessZelda TWWHD.png***Zelda***(Nintendo Switch version) | * **Title:** Princess of Hyrule
* **Type:** Power
 File:InklingGirl Render.png***Inkling Girl***(Nintendo Switch version) | * **Title:** Part Kid, Part Squid
* **Type:** Speed
* **Description:** A member of the Inklings who can paint the entire battlefield.

### **Assist Characters**

Some of the characters have their own assist character.

### **Non-Playable Characters**

Each non-playable characters make cameos on various stages, victory animations and character endings.

* Nowel Diastasis (Final Form)
* Letty Whiterock
* Lily White
* Shizuha Aki
* Minoriko Aki
* Kisume
* Yamame Kurodani
* Nazrin
* Shou Toramaru
* Kyouko Kasodani
* Yoshika Miyako
* Wakasagihime
* Sekibanki
* Benben Tsukumo
* Yatsuhashi Tsukumo
* Seija Kijin
* Raiko Horikawa
* Seiran
* Ringo
* Nemuno Sakata
* Aunn Komano
* Narumi Yatadera
* Mai Teireida
* Satono Nishida
* Okina Matara
* Eika Ebisu
* Urumi Ushizaki
* Kutaka Niwatari
* Rinnosuke Morichika
* Kanaria
* Suiseiseki
* Souseiseki
* Shinku
* Hinaichigo
* Kirakishou
* Barasuishou
* Glitter Heart
* Glitter Diamond
* Glitter Clover
* Glitter Spade
* Glitter Ace
* Tikki
* Adrien Agreste/Cat Noir
* Alya Césaire/Rena Rouge
* Nino Lahiffe/Carapace
* Chloé Bourgeois/Queen Bee
* Sabrina Raincomprix
* Nadja Chamack
* Hawk Moth
* Mario
* Luigi
* Toad
* Toadsworth
* Toadette
* Link
* Tetra (appears as Zelda's form in her character intro during gameplay and ending)
* King of Red Lions/King Daphnes
* Hilda
* Ravio
* Yuga
* Off the Hook
* DJ Octavio

## Character Unlock Criteria

Playable characters can be unlocked by following their method in Arcade Mode, while Kosuzu Motoori can be unlocked by following her method in Story Mode. Eternity Larva can still be unlocked when playing 100 Versus Mode matches even if the player hasn't followed the other unlock method for Arcade Mode.

 Wriggle Nightbug
 Mystia Lorelei
 Eirin Yagokoro
 Kaguya Houraisan
 Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu
 Yuugi Hoshiguma
 Kagerou Imaizumi
 Eternity Larva
 Kosuzu Motoori

## Creature Instinct Forms

Each character from the Touhou Project series (including exclusive characters from other series) have creature instinct forms which can be activated by pressing the buttons simultaneously when the Creature Instinct meter gets full: 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Microsoft Windows)/Square, Triangle, Circle and X (PlayStation 4)/A, B, X and Y (Nintendo Switch and Xbox One). This is a homage to show how fighters can transform into creatures in *Eighting's Bloody Roar* series. Some characters have humanoid versions of their creature forms and can share forms with various exact characters.

## Stages

The four hidden stages can be unlocked by completing chapters throughout Story Mode. So far, there are 30 normal stages (with the Concert Stage of the Sun counting as part of the version 5.5.0 update), 4 hidden stages and 10 DLC stages, making it a total of 45 stages to choose from. Some stages will have a day-night cycle that runs according to the console's internal clock.

* When the clock is set at 6:00 AM - 3:59 PM, the "Daytime" background for various stages is featured.
* When the clock is set at 4:00 PM - 6:59 PM, the "Sunset" background for various stages is featured.
* When the clock is set at 7:00 PM - 5:59 AM, the "Night" background for various stages is featured.

Alternately, the player can select the background of the stage by holding both buttons of each controller (keyboard for Microsoft Windows):

* 1 + 2 (Microsoft Windows)
* L2 + R2 (PlayStation 4)
* ZL + ZR (Nintendo Switch)
* LT + RT (Xbox One)

Stages highlighted in **bold** are hidden stages, while *italics* describe DLC stages.

## Arcade Mode Stage Order

In Arcade mode, players can fight against characters on each stage who originate from each and every Touhou game. In this mode, the player has to blast through each and every stage, including the two bonus stages with Shadow Kosuzu serving as the penultimate boss of the ninth stage and Nowel Diastasis serving as the final boss of the tenth and final stage, which makes it a total of twelve stages. On stages 4 and 8, three random characters who are not yet fought can be challenged against the player. Exclusive DLC characters might have a chance to appear and act as a replacement for non-exclusive and DLC characters whom the player is using and on stages 4 and 8. As a result in this mode, two bonus stages are added as of the version 5.5.0 update in which the player can challenge these two bonus stages or not. They will be shown after the player completes three stages in Arcade Mode. Completing a bonus stage unlocks it in the Mini-Games section.

There are four mini-games to try out:

* Target Practice
* Crystal Destroyer
* Fruit Balloons
* U.F.O. Abduction

NOTE: Only two mini-games will be shown in Arcade Mode.

## Trivia

* In the beta version of Touhou Azure Trilogy, there were two unused boss stages (seen in the gallery's unused stages section) that appear within this game. However, they were cut before the final release of the game.
* On the Nintendo Switch version, Touhou Azure Trilogy is going to be released on the same date that *Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* got released in the year 2018. However, as of November 1, 2019, the date was now changed to December 6, 2019.
* *Princess Zelda* (who is classified as a DLC character) is playable in her model from *The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker*.
* *Illyasviel von Einzbern* (who is classified as a DLC character) is playable in her model from *Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya*.
* *Glitter Lucky* is the only character to have all of her allies from *Glitter Force* (who made cameos in her Arcade Mode ending) to join in her Level 3 Super Attack, *Ultimate Princess Finish*.
* On the Main Menu of this game, the player who used the character most, gets shown on the screen.
* Sumireko Usami, Peach and the Inkling Girl are the only playable characters to have two assist characters during gameplay.
	+ Currently, Glitter Lucky is the only playable character to have four different assist characters during gameplay.
* This is the first Touhou fighting video game to:
	+ Have this game to be released on two Xbox video game consoles.
	+ Have this game developed by Grezzo.
	+ Have English voice acting for all of the characters (excluding *Inkling Girl*).
	+ Feature the grade meter in Arcade Mode where the player receives a grade at the end of this mode.
	+ Feature palette swap characters as of August 14, 2020.
	+ Feature alternate DLC character costumes for each character.
	+ Feature exclusive characters (such as *Suigintou*, *Ladybug* and *Princess Peach*).
	+ Feature an exclusive character to appear as a final boss in the Arcade and Story modes.
	+ Feature the *Ghost Battle* mode (similar to some of *Bandai Namco's Tekken* fighting video games) where it can be found in the Main Menu.
	+ Feature the Shop where it can be found in the Main Menu.
* Touhou Azure Trilogy features a variety of alternate costumes for each group of characters:
	+ The PC-98 DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who first appear in the past PC-98 games (for Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, Mima, Orange, Kurumi, Shinki and Alice Margatroid). This DLC costume pack has been released on March 27, 2020 along with the first DLC character pack.
	+ The Scarlet Devil Embodiment DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who appear in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (for Rumia, Cirno, Hong Meiling, Patchouli Knowledge, Sakuya Izayoi, Remilia Scarlet and Flandre Scarlet). This DLC costume pack has been released on April 17, 2020.
	+ The Imperishable Night DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who appear in that game of the same name as that DLC costume pack (for Wriggle Nightbug, Mystia Lorelei, Reisen Udongein Inaba, Eirin Yagokoro, Kaguya Houraisan and Fujiwara no Mokou). This DLC costume pack has been released on May 22, 2020.
	+ The Flower Power DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who appear in Perfect Cherry Blossom, Immaterial and Missing Power and Phantasmagoria of Flower View (for Youmu Konpaku, Yuyuko Saigyouji, Yukari Yakumo, Ran Yakumo, Suika Ibuki, Aya Shameimaru, Komachi Onozuka and Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu). This DLC costume pack has been released on June 26, 2020.
	+ The Hisoutensoku DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who appear in Mountain of Faith, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody and Subterranean Animism (for Nitori Kawashiro, Sanae Kochiya, Suwako Moriya, Iku Nagae, Tenshi Hinanawi, Yuugi Hoshiguma, Satori Komeiji, Koishi Komeiji and Utsuho Reiuji). This DLC costume pack has been released on July 31, 2020.
	+ The Urban Legends DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who appear in Undefined Fantastic Object, Ten Desires, Hopeless Masquerade, Double Dealing Character and Urban Legend in Limbo (for Kogasa Tatara, Ichirin Kumoi, Byakuren Hijiri, Mononobe no Futo, Toyosatomimi no Miko, Mamizou Futatsuiwa, Hata no Kokoro, Kagerou Imaizumi, Shinmyoumaru Sukuna, Kasen Ibaraki, Sumireko Usami and Kosuzu Motoori). This DLC costume pack has been released on August 21, 2020.
	+ The Sacred Legacy DLC costume pack contains alternate costumes for the characters who appear in Legacy in Lunatic Kingdom, Antinomy of Common Flowers and Hidden Star in Four Seasons (for Doremy Sweet, Clownpiece, Junko, Joon Yorigami and Eternity Larva). This DLC costume pack has been released this fall on November 13, 2020 along with *Illyasviel von Einzbern*, an exclusive DLC character from the *Fate* franchise.
	+ When purchasing DLC characters, they each come with their own alternate costume.
	+ Each of the following DLC costume packs cost $2.99 on each video game platform.
	+ The full DLC costume pack contains all of the DLC costume packs which costs $20.99.
	+ As of July 9, 2021, the *Super* costume pack was announced and has been released this fall on September 24, 2021 for each group of characters in their own DLC costume pack. This costume pack involves all characters in their ball gowns, kimonos and animal costumes based on a bunny, cat and a fox. This full costume pack costs $20.99. Their Super costume pack cost $2.99 and the list shows the costumes as it follows:
		- The first Super costume pack for the PC-98 characters has been released on the same date as the Super costume pack's release.
		- The second Super costume pack for the characters who appear in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil has been confirmed on October 8, 2021 and released on October 29, 2021.
		- The third Super costume pack for the characters who appear in Imperishable Night was confirmed on November 5, 2021 and has been released on November 19, 2021.
		- The fourth Super costume pack for the characters who appear in Perfect Cherry Blossom, Immaterial and Missing Power and Phantasmagoria of Flower View was confirmed on December 3, 2021 and has been released on December 17, 2021.
		- The fifth Super DLC costume pack for the characters who appear in Mountain of Faith, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody and Subterranean Animism was confirmed on January 7, 2022 and has been released on January 21, 2022.
		- The sixth Super DLC costume pack for the characters who appear in Undefined Fantastic Object, Ten Desires, Hopeless Masquerade, Double Dealing Character and Urban Legend in Limbo was confirmed on February 11, 2022 and has been released on February 25, 2022.
		- The seventh Super DLC costume for the characters who appear in Legacy in Lunatic Kingdom, Antinomy of Common Flowers and Hidden Star in Four Seasons has been confirmed on March 11, 2022 and released on March 25, 2022.
		- Exclusive DLC characters that were purchased get an alternate Super DLC costume.