Line #18 VideoGame/TouhouMother


1	A fan-made crossover game of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' and ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound\|1994}}''/''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'', made in UsefulNotes/RPGMaker 2000 by 'S'.
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3	The game begins when a meteor crashes into Gensokyo. After Reimu and Marisa go to investigate and fight off the mysterious alien that arrived with it, they find an unconscious boy nearby, who reveals that he has no memories. Soon after, things go to hell in Gensokyo. Not that that stops the lightheartedness and endless references to other works.
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5	The translated game can be found [[https://vgperson.com/games/touhoumother.htm here]], while a playthrough can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7A5FA573D8EB138B here]]. A sequel, ''Return of Touhou Mother'', was released on September 1st 2015 [[http://vgperson.com/games/touhoumotherreturn.htm here]], and the translator, vgperson, did playthrough videos of it before release [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCD0138885284D835 here.]]
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8	!!This game contains examples of:
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10	* AmnesiacDissonance: When he first arrives, [[spoiler:Porky]] has no memory of his past. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he gets better, and later fakes his amnesia to further his plans.]]
11	* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:This is revealed to be Tenshi's punishment in ''Return'' for helping Porky. She had ALL her five senses sapped away, meaning she can't even move, feel, see, and hear, and she's been like that for 6 months. When she's finally able to scream, she promptly does so.]]
12	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: After [[spoiler:Reimu, Marisa, and Yuka are sent to Old Gensokyo]], Sanae stars in her own chapter. [[spoiler:She returns after Reimu collects the seventh melody.]]
13	** In ''Return'', every time you finish a chapter, the main character changes as well.
14	** A really jarring one happens in ''Return'': [[spoiler:You'll have spent a lengthy part of the game playing as Ness, right up to freeing Reimu of her mind control, at which point she attacks you out of anger - and then you're suddenly controlling ''Reimu'' and fighting against ''Ness''.]]
15	* ApologeticAttacker: [[spoiler: [[UnwillingRoboticisation Reisen]].]]
16	* ArtShift: [[spoiler:[[MythologyGag The PC-98 designs for Reimu, Marisa, Yuka, and other characters are used]] when they're in Old Gensokyo. Mima's design stays the same when she leaves to join the party, however, since she never appeared since the PC-98 games.]]
17	* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler:In the first game, the Devil's Machine actually ''defeats'' Reimu and Marisa, and Porky gets away with everything he's done.]]
18	* BigDamnHeroes: ...This happens a lot, let's just say that. It's subverted almost as often.
19	* BossRush: There's one in the sequel that pits you against five opponents in a row [[spoiler:actually six]] against [[spoiler:Evil Eye Sigma, Yuugenmagan, Kikuri, Elis, Konngara]] [[spoiler:and Mima, Yuka, and Marisa.]]
20	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Sakuya]] early in the first game[[spoiler:, due to the [[MirrorMoralityMachine mask]] she's wearing. Reimu, Marisa, and Patchouli manage to destroy the mask and return her to normal.]]
21	** [[spoiler:Reimu in ''Return'', due to a helmet put on her by Yukari. [[MoreThanMindControl Or so it initially appears...]]]]
22	* BrattyHalfPint: Suwako somewhat, at least to Sanae. For one thing, if you say you don't understand what she's saying, [[BerserkButton she won't even bother to repeat herself and gets mad at you.]] Possibly a minor case of TookALevelInJerkass too. Don't worry, she's undeniably still a good guy, and as a frog goddess, she's the one you have to go to save the game, just like in Mother 3.
23	--> Suwako: "You watch too much anime."
24	--> Suwako: "Did you understand all of that?"
25	--> Sanae: "No."
26	--> Suwako: "Since when were you this stupid?
27	* BreakTheHaughty: After the party defeats [[spoiler:FutureBadass Cirno]], she's reduced to [[TheWoobie staring at a wall and muttering about how useless she thinks she is]].
28	* ButThouMust: PlayedWith in ''Return''. Usually, if you deny an important request in the ''MOTHER'' series, the one asking just repeats it until you accept. However in this game answering some questions incorrectly will lead to Ness being kicked out of Gensokyo, resulting in a NonStandardGameOver.
29	* TheCavalryArrivesLate: Played with horribly near the climax of the first game, when [[spoiler: everyone else shows up and mistakes the roboticised Reimu, Marisa and Tenshi for mere {{Mooks}}]].
30	** Ness and co. do arrive in Gensokyo... in ''Return'', six months after the incident.
31	* CallBack: After much Touhou-related stuff and references, this is ''finally'' done for the MOTHER series proper with [[spoiler:Ran and Chen discovering the [[VideoGame/{{Mother 3}} Absolutely Safe Capsule]] in ''Return'', wherein the screen fades to black afterwards... [[OhCrap and then you hear a click]].]]
32	* ChangedMyMindKid: This is how [[spoiler: Mima joins the party]].
33	* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: The Eight Melodies]].
34	* ClippedWingAngel: Tenshi gives [[spoiler:Scarlet Weather Rhapsody of All Mankind]] a second try during her second fight... [[spoiler:and the Rainbow Sword can't take a second round of it and snaps to pieces, knocking her out.]]
35	* ColdBloodedTorture: In the vein of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' no less, complete with its insane [[PressXToNotDie Press Z To Not Die]].
36	* DarkerAndEdgier: While the first game has a large number of lighthearted and comical moments in the middle of everything, [[spoiler:Gensokyo's industrialization and the human/youkai conflict it escalates]] are always taken quite seriously. ''Return'' takes a pretty hard hit of CerebusSyndrome as well, to the point where you have to squint for any humour that isn't in the battles.
37	* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Tenshi in ''Return'', after realizing the consequences of her actions six months ago and subsequent punishment, she finds no more reason to live anymore and is all too willing to end it all. She gets better with help from Ness, Paula, and some self-introspection.]]
38	* DemotedToExtra: While the gameplay leans decidedly towards the ''MOTHER'' side of things, the characters from said series are for the most part pushed to the wayside - even [[VideoGame/{{Mother 3}} Lucas and Claus]] are mere side characters. [[spoiler:There's a reason for this.]]
39	** Not so in ''Return'' though, where Ness enters the scene proper as a playable and important character.
40	* TheDragon: In the first game, [[spoiler:Tenshi]] works against the heroes more than almost anyone else, [[spoiler:effortlessly beats down Remilia and ''Yukari'']], and unlike the other Touhou characters is never persuaded to switch sides [[spoiler:until the very end of the game, after Porky [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness turns her into a robot]] to cover his escape.]]
41	* DuelingPlayerCharacters: In ''Return'', the [[spoiler:last part of chapter 6]], Ness' party ends up fighting previous teams that you controlled before. They're actually one of the hardest battles you'll face.
42	* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Throughout both games, Reimu and Ness end up fighting pretty much every little and big name in Gensokyo in order to make things right again.]]
43	* EleventhHourSuperpower: In the first game after fighting [[spoiler:Ness]], which happens before entering the final dungeon. Reimu gets a very large boost in all of her stats and learns [[spoiler:PK Dream Omega]]. And before that, Marisa learned [[spoiler:PK Starstorm Alpha and Omega while fighting Mima.]]
44	* FakeOutFadeOut: Both times against [[spoiler:Tenshi's final attack.]] The first time has Ridley's battle music, the second time has [[spoiler:Bhava Agra As Seen Through A Child's Mind]] start back up at full force.
45	* FantasticRacism: [[spoiler:One of the conflicts in ''Return'', found near the end of Chapter 1. Porky was just the nudge needed for the humans and youkai to realize just how much they disliked each other.]]
46	* FriendshipMoment: Several between Marisa and [[spoiler:Porky]] in the first game, until [[spoiler:his FaceHeelTurn]].
47	* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:All of Gensokyo]] in the first game, [[spoiler:Yukari]] in the second.
48	* FutureBadass: A few characters become this after the party [[spoiler:returns from Old Gensokyo.]]
49	* GameBreakingBug: Sanae's Counter move in the sequel carries a variety of nasty bugs, including forcing you to skip turns or crashing the game outright.
50	* GlassCannon: [[SquishyWizard Marisa]] in the first game, having the second-highest speed and IQ, along with two immensely potent spells, but with the lowest Defense and HP.
51	** Koishi in ''Return''; offensively strong, but defensively weak.
52	* GuestStarPartyMember: [[spoiler:Several, always filling a 'fifth' slot. In the first game, these include Nitori, Sanae and Tenshi.]]
53	** [[spoiler:In ''Return'', Shou, Kasen, and Elis.]]
54	* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Source of a [[TearJerker fairly big]] MoodWhiplash in ''Return''. En route to your next destination you happen upon [[spoiler:Sanae and a very transparent Kanako. They explain that the incidents in the previous game caused a great many humans to no longer believe in or care about gods, so Kanako's physical being is vanishing from the world. And then when you return to that area later, neither Kanako nor Sanae are present.]]
55	* GreyAndGrayMorality: [[spoiler:Are the humans justified in liberating themselves from the youkai they had feared for so long by merging Gensokyo with the Outside World? Or is it the youkai who are justified in keeping the humans under their thumb if it means preserving Gensokyo?]]
56	* HardModePerks: In ''Touhou Mother'', higher difficulties make the health odometers scroll faster when you're hurt. However, if playing on Hard or Lunatic, midway through the game Patchouli will give you four subweapons of various usefulness that you can equip and activate in battle with the otherwise useless "Item" command.
57	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Eirin, Kaguya, and Kanako.]]
58	* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Reimu and Marisa refuse to fight all of Gensokyo, mostly ignoring the player's input]].
59	** Happens again in ''Return'' when [[spoiler:Reimu just ''breaks'' under the gravity of trying to protect Gensokyo but also wanting to see the outside world, willingly letting Yukari make the choice for her.]]
60	** [[spoiler:Yukari herself after her final defeat. She spends most of the epilogue in a funk, thinking she's ultimately failed to save Gensokyo, and is baffled that Reimu's own plan to save it worked.]]
61	* HeroicMime: You'd expect Ness to be this instead of Reimu, but it's surprisingly the other way around in the first game. This is corrected in ''Return''.
62	* HopelessBossFight: Several, but the worst comes right at the end, against [[spoiler:all of Gensokyo]].
63	* {{Homage}}:
64	** Sanae's side of the story in ''Return'' is a loving tribute to ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.
65	** Both games turn the Scarlet Devil Mansion into ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'', with the entire area being ReferenceOverdosed with enemies, items, songs, and quotes.
66	* ImportantHaircut: [[spoiler:After gaining her resolve, Tenshi promptly cuts her hair short.]]
67	* KarmaHoudini: Unfortunately, [[spoiler:''Touhou Mother'' is set ''before'' ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'']], meaning that [[spoiler:Porky gets to escape justice]]. Considering the ColdBloodedTorture she engaged in, [[spoiler:Eirin]] is also EasilyForgiven.
68	** In LetsPlay/NakaTeleeli's Let's Play, however...
69	--> '''[=NakaTeleeli=]:''' If I have to alter time-space itself...
70	** [[spoiler:In a surprising twist, ''Return'' reveals that MOTHER 3 (in this continuity anyway) chronologically ''precedes'' the MOTHER series and thus this duology, made apparent by the Absolutely Safe Capsule making an appearance and Porky [[HijackedByGanon returning near the end]] where he is [[SubvertedTrope fought and defeated for real]].]]
71	* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler:In ''Return'', after Reimu throws off Yukari's [[MoreThanMindControl helmet]], the latter pretty much just leaves the scene rather than force it back on.]]
72	* LastVillainStand: [[spoiler:In ''Return'', when Yukari learns of Reimu's plan to allow youkai into the human world, she is mortified because under normal circumstances this would mean destroying the Hakurei Barrier, and by extension, Gensokyo. By the time the party confronts her, she's the only person in Gensokyo left that has no faith in Reimu finding a way to save everyone, and adamantly refuses to listen to reason unless they can defeat her.]]
73	* LightningBruiser: [[spoiler: Mima]] hits almost as hard as Yuka, is faster than Marisa and has some of the most powerful offensive and healing spells right from the beginning.
74	** [[spoiler:Reimu in the last dungeon of the first game is this. All her stats have skyrocketed. She can basically defeat all the mooks in one hit and tank their attacks. Also she has PK Dream Omega.]]
75	* LongSongShortScene: Bhava-Agra As Seen Through a Child's Mind. It plays when Tenshi prepares [[spoiler:Scarlet Weather Rhapsody of All Mankind]] for the second time. [[spoiler:And then, her Rainbow Sword breaks]]. Maybe you get to hear it for 15 seconds tops.
76	* MediumAwareness: Marisa likes to make references to game mechanics, particularly the four-person party aspect.
77	* MightyGlacier: Yuka fills this role, having very high strength, but a Speed stat of ''1''; everyone else will act before she does.
78	* MissingSecret: Due to its conspicuous placement and sprite choice, you may assume that the [[{{Videogame/Minecraft}} Creeper]] statue in ''Return of Touhou Mother'' hides great treasure, akin to the "di" building in the previous game, but that's not the case. The statue cannot be moved in any way and its sole purpose is to prevent you from interacting with the door behind it.
79	* MoodWhiplash: All over the place. The game is so full of these.
80	* MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler:In ''Return'', it's assumed that Yukari put a mind control helmet on Reimu. It turns out that Reimu ''put it on herself'', after Yukari told her what it did, because she was so distraught by everything that was happening and didn't want to think anymore. Yeesh...]]
81	* MundaneSolution: [[spoiler:The fix for the human/youkai conflict and the potential destruction of Gensokyo? Simply making a permanent bridge to the outside world to allow Gensokyo's residents to come and go as they please. Reimu mercilessly lampshades it in the epilogue, but doesn't deny that it wouldn't have worked if the party hadn't defeated/browbeat pretty much everyone in Gensokyo beforehand, showing them that the humans' and youkais' mutual hate of each other ended up causing nothing but destruction.]]
82	* MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:Platonic version (though it's admittedly muddled with all the ShipTease that gets thrown around). Marisa wants to be the one to save Reimu so badly that she's willing to kill Ness ''just so he can't''.]]
83	* MushroomSamba: Mimicking [[VideoGame/{{Mother 3}} Tanetane Island]], of course.
84	* MundaneMadeAwesome: ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''-related items are presented with much more dramatic fanfare than the normal items. How much? Finding Remilia's full ''[=JoJo=]'' collection causes the earthquake in the Scarlet Mansion.
85	%%* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Poor Keine...
86	* MythologyGag: Because of Phantasmagoria of Flower View, Yuka's speed never naturally increases.
87	* NotSoDifferentRemark: [[spoiler:Reimu notes in ''Return'''s ending that humans typically take a heavy-handed approach to solving problems, destroying whatever gets in their way - just like youkai and Gensokyo's population as a whole. This ends up being important, as this big similarity allows youkai to exist in the human world.]]
88	* OhCrap: ''Return'' is quite possibly the only time you will ''ever'' see [[spoiler:Yukari]] having this reaction. And it is glorious.
89	* OneHitWonder: [[spoiler:Sanae,]] for a little while, anyway.
90	* PosthumousCharacter: Giygas is still long dead after the events of ''[=EarthBound=]'', but traces of his influence such as Starmen and [[spoiler:The Devil's Machine]] are still intact.
91	* RagnarokProofing: Averted. [[spoiler:Porky's Absolutely Safe Capsule has been around for ''eons'' by the time ''Return'''s story starts, and like any technology that goes unmaintained, time eventually takes its toll on it. When Ran and Chen find it, they're able to open it with little effort.]]
92	* RecurringTraveler: [[CreatorCameo S]], appearing as a white Franchise/{{Kirby}}, more or less.
93	* RecurringBoss: Cirno is the most fought boss of the game, being faced a total of four times, and "a", a slime who multiplies his stats by some number each time you fight him. Also [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Tenshi]] and Reisen, as [[UnwillingRoboticisation New Reisen and Miracle Reisen]].]]
94	** [[spoiler:Marisa]] is fought twice in one of the later chapters in ''Return''.
95	** [[spoiler:Reimu]] and [[spoiler:Yuka]] are also faced three times in ''Return''.
96	* RogueProtagonist: [[spoiler:In ''Return''. While Reimu doesn't qualify due to MoreThanMindControl, ''Marisa'' is a different story - she is absolutely '''livid''' at Ness, whom she holds responsible for her friend's current state.]]
97	* RunningGag: Yuka and her (lack of) speed.
98	** "There are ants at your feet. [[LampshadeHanging ...What, here? Get back to the forest!]]"
99	** "[[TotallyRadical Dude? That's rad.]]"
100	* ShipTease: Possibly between [[spoiler:Reimu and Ness]].
101	* ShipperOnDeck: [[spoiler:Mima]] seems to ship Marisa/anyone.
102	** Ness' mother ships Ness with every girl visiting his house.
103	* ShoutOut: [[http://vgperson.com/other/TouhouMotherReferences.txt So many that it's hard to know where to begin...]]
104	* SilentProtagonist: Reimu has no written lines; Marisa and her other companions do most of the talking. [[spoiler:Until the TheStinger at least.]]
105	** Ness takes up the role instead in ''Return''. It's ironic given that ''he'' has spoken lines in the first game, despite being a Silent Protagonist himself in ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound\|1994}}''.
106	* SquishyWizard: What else would you expect of Marisa?
107	** Paula is this in ''Return''.
108	* StableTimeLoop: [[spoiler:The game's author seems to have gone with the "''MOTHER 3'' precedes ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound\|1994}}'' chronologically" route, so all of the characters are living in the world Lucas rebuilt using the Dragon in ''MOTHER 3'' - which Porky was born in. Loose knowledge of those two games is all you need to know what happens next...]]
109	* SuperBoss: The "di" building in ''Touhou Mother'' features an encounter with some of the toughest enemies in the game, the Robosters. As a reward for beating them, though, you get to claim the Ohm Cane, an item providing infinite revival out of battle, and, if you manage to do it before the endgame, [[PurposefullyOverpowered the Infinite Bandana, an accessory which causes all your PSI to cost no PP, but makes you unable to use them outside of battles]].
110	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Sanae '''absolutely hates''' Tenshi, but they don't have any choice but to work together if they want to save Gensokyo.
111	* TooAwesomeToUse: PK Dream Omega in the first game; it always deals 9999 damage to everything. Problem? It costs 500 PP, and the max PP is 999.
112	* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: [[spoiler:The humans who want to rebel against the youkai's rule aren't portrayed in a positive light. After all, they are led by Porky and if they get what they want, Gensokyo will vanish as the consequence.]]
113	* TimeSkip: ''Return'' is set six months after the end of the first game. [[spoiler:Things aren't going well.]]
114	* TookALevelInBadass: In the first game, [[spoiler:Cirno]] goes from GoldfishPoopGang to one of the more difficult boss battles [[spoiler:sometime while the party is stuck in Old Gensokyo.]]
115	* TheUnfought: [[spoiler:Porky and Eirin.]]
116	* UnwillingRoboticisation: Happens to [[spoiler:Sanae and poor Reisen]] in the first game, with the latter sticking better than the former.
117	** Near the climax of the first game, [[spoiler:Reimu, Marisa and Tenshi are put into robotic bodies]].
118	** [[spoiler:In ''Return'', [[WellIntentionedExtremist Yukari does this to Reimu, turning her into]] [[AndIMustScream something similar to]] [[VideoGame/{{Mother 3}} the Masked Man.]]]]
119	* TechnologyIsEvil: One of the major conflicts is the forced modernization of Gensokyo.
120	* TheQuisling: When stuff starts going to hell in Gensokyo, [[spoiler:Kanako, Tenshi, Eirin and Kaguya]] align themselves with [[spoiler:Porky and the Pigmasks]].
121	* VictoryIsBoring: [[spoiler:In the climax of the first game, Porky finds that he's just too ''bored'' to kill off Reimu and Marisa after they're defeated by the Devil's Machine, and instead [[SoLongSuckers roboticizes them as a final "screw you" to Gensokyo before leaving]].]]
122	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:In the first game, Remilia tries to take over the human village to drive Porky out of Gensokyo. By bringing an army of undead there and killing everyone in it.]]
123	** [[spoiler: ''Return'' has Yukari bring some of the most powerful youkai in Gensokyo together and forcefully takes over, under the impression that should humans get any sort of power, they will always abuse it.]]
124	*** [[spoiler: In fact, Yukari is willing to do just about anything to protect Gensokyo. [[FaceHeelTurn Even if it means becoming just like Porky.]]]]
125	* WorthyOpponent: "a" considers you this by the end, fully healing you before the fight and giving you a strong weapon upon defeat.
126	* WhamShot: In ''Return'', after Reimu's HeroicBSOD moment. The next time we see her, [[spoiler:she has become something similar to the Masked Man.]]
127	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Rinbokusan is stated to be on board [[spoiler:Porky's ship.]] She never actually shows up.
128	* WhatTheHellHero: Marisa does most of the calling-out.
129	* YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm: Unreasonable Guy... did something!
130	** [[CriticalHit ...?! What did Mima do?!]]
131	** [[spoiler:Porky pulls this just like in ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}''.]]
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133	->Dude? That's nuts, brah.

Context VideoGame / TouhouMother