If Pikmin 1-3 is exploring the unknown, in a planet filled with new creatures and locals. Than Pikmin 4 is exploring a nature park. Still unknown and mysterious, sure. But also familiar, welcome, and shockingly bustling with people and sources of the known. Thats my biggest takeaway here, I kept getting hung up on how little this world felt "alien". PNF-404 is not an unknown planet here, its a tourist attraction through and through, and it really made it lose a lot of the impact, melancholy, and beauty the original three games had. And when you did reach a level of tranquility in the game, you can be sure your crew is chatting up a storm, making sure to break that atmosphere. At least in mine opinion.

Gameplay wise its good! I think? If Pikmin 1-3 is commanding a small army of little guys. Pikmin 4 is commanding a commander of an army. To be honest I knew from the jump that Oatchi, (the lovable little dog guy) was the most brain-dead broken thing in the world and only upgraded his mobility. Even then not to max, and it still was far to overcentralizing! Hes just to strong, too important. I cannot imagine how this game plays with the dog at max power. His charge basically sure-fire killed anything that wasn't a boss. The autolock on normally was not an issue, but when it was? Wow was it.

I feel like two paragraphs of issues sounds like I hate it, but I really do not. Its a very fun, solid entry in this little series, that seems to have done its job in skyrocketing pikmin's profile in the popular culture. And I did like it! It was fun! But it losses at lot of what I enjoyed about the artistry of the first few games.

Imperishable Night caps off the first trilogy of the modern Touhou era and it does so with true style. Similar to TH7 it carries with it this melancholic lucid aura I just can't explain in its music, stage and sound design, and atmosphere. I really do love these games for that.

Gameplay wise this game feels very easy, very pick up and play honestly. (on normal mode, which is all I have played atm) This is certainty a detriment to the game but it compensates with just how much you can play it. 4 main characters to pick from, and then 8 more after you unlock the split teams. Plus a million extra spell cards in practice? there's just so much content its great.

I think weirdly, what stuck with me the most this go around was the Omake text, ZUN's ramblings about how weird it is to see his "eternally tepid" series take off like a rocket, how the gaming industry evolved, and what the future holds. And of course this wonderful little quote,

"if you have interest, please feel free try it out as you wish. Touhou will not reject anyone who wishes for entry, nor chase down anyone who leaves. As long as you have interest, only diving deep into Gensokyo when it's fun is fine, or knocking at it carefully from the outside is also fine. Please be sure to treat newcomers well, and let those who walk away, leave peacefully."

It's hard to really convey how much VA-11 Hall-A affected me. Its mood, tone, and story all work so well in tandem with each other that even 3 years after playing it for the first time I am struck with deep memories about having played it, and just exactly where I was when I did. A lot of this game was played either at 1 AM in the morning or in the 90-degree weather of a concessions stand at a sleepy pool club. Either place I felt at home and connected to the grimy, depressing, near-hopeless yet joyful, bright, and loving world VA-11 Hall-A presents, but Jill Stingray has little interest in.

Many games I balk at going back to, in fear that what a younger me praised, loved, and resonated with no longer would reach an older me. (I call this the Danganronpa Effect) But I have no fear about it here—just an extraordinary game.