Metroidvania has been my favorite genre for... years, now. There's just something about the exploration and gradual sense of progression that deeply appeals to me - I've played every Metroid game to 100% (except for Other M which I'll never touch) and gleefully embraced the indie development scene with it's focus on metroidvania. However, I've almost never seen a true Touhou metroidvania combination. I'm not sure why - preference making other genres, perhaps? But there are a few out there, and today I'd like to talk to you about one.
![[Image: Ip2vVNI.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Ip2vVNI.png)
As you can tell by the map and being Area 1, Boho Youyoumu (starring Best Girl Youmu) is a full-fledged Metroidvania. Yuyuko tosses Youmu into a huge maze, requiring the half-ghost to run around and get stronger so she can fight various bosses from Touhou 7 and unlock her way to a final encounter with Reimu. The game's basic mechanics are simple - there's health (how much HP you have), strength (how much damage you can do), and charisma (how many items you can equip), the latter two of which level up as Youmu gains experience. Besides that, there's also a karma meter - killing certain types of enemies increases that, lowering your strength and defense. About the only good thing karma can do is unlock the bonus area.
![[Image: CnfScU6.png]](https://i.imgur.com/CnfScU6.png)
Like any good Metroidvania, the main focus is going to be on exploration to gain new abilities! Of course, there's simple health, sterength, and charisma upgrades, the equivalents of missile and energy tanks. But beyond that, there's new weapons, such as the short and long swords to replace Youmu's bad default attack, and new abilities, like lighting dark rooms or being able to dash around (up to five times!) By expanding Youmu's repertoire, it becomes easier to navigate the complex labyrinth and handle the bosses. Powerups can be tucked away in all sorts of locations, just to make it more difficult.
![[Image: dr4lN5H.png]](https://i.imgur.com/dr4lN5H.png)
Also like most Metroidvanias, the early game is the most difficult. You'll find yourself being incredibly careful when every attack from the weakest enemy can doom Youmu to hopeless defeat, compared to the late game where you march through the early areas with impunity. Part of the problem is Boho Youyoumu's sheer lack of save points; they double as shops (where you can buy all sorts of useful items, such as health-restoring or karma-lowering potions), and there's one shop per each of the six main areas. And none in the secret area. I speak from experience when I say that the biggest challenge of the game was getting to the shop in Area 2 and actually being able to explore from there for a change!
![[Image: saptJRC.png]](https://i.imgur.com/saptJRC.png)
Besides save points and a rough early game, Boho Youyoumu's biggest flaw is that it sometimes doesn't communicate well. Sure, there's occasional cutscenes and dialogue, but for the most part you're just running around a maze with no indication of direction, such as Super Metroid does. That's all well and good for exploration, but it can result in frustration - spend thirty minutes chopping your way to a dead end, only to die and no longer have anything you picked up on the way. The same early-game issue persists with the money you get, as early enemies drop only five coins or so, while late-game enemies can drop hundreds when killed.
![[Image: MseoxXm.png]](https://i.imgur.com/MseoxXm.png)
THE VERDICT
For all its flaws, Boho Youyoumu does provide a decent Metroidvania experience. And it stars Youmu, so automatic perfect game! ...Nah, it's definitely not that strong a game, especially since it's a one and done - once you've leveled up to maximum, found everything, and killed all the bosses, no replay value left. Sure, that's like a lot of Metroidvanias, but there's no hard modes or unlocks or anything. However, it's a good way to while away a bunch of hours, finding your way around the mysterious maze, and it's more true to the formula than the other Boho games.
All in all, I give it 3 and a half Reimus out of five.
As you can tell by the map and being Area 1, Boho Youyoumu (starring Best Girl Youmu) is a full-fledged Metroidvania. Yuyuko tosses Youmu into a huge maze, requiring the half-ghost to run around and get stronger so she can fight various bosses from Touhou 7 and unlock her way to a final encounter with Reimu. The game's basic mechanics are simple - there's health (how much HP you have), strength (how much damage you can do), and charisma (how many items you can equip), the latter two of which level up as Youmu gains experience. Besides that, there's also a karma meter - killing certain types of enemies increases that, lowering your strength and defense. About the only good thing karma can do is unlock the bonus area.
Like any good Metroidvania, the main focus is going to be on exploration to gain new abilities! Of course, there's simple health, sterength, and charisma upgrades, the equivalents of missile and energy tanks. But beyond that, there's new weapons, such as the short and long swords to replace Youmu's bad default attack, and new abilities, like lighting dark rooms or being able to dash around (up to five times!) By expanding Youmu's repertoire, it becomes easier to navigate the complex labyrinth and handle the bosses. Powerups can be tucked away in all sorts of locations, just to make it more difficult.
Also like most Metroidvanias, the early game is the most difficult. You'll find yourself being incredibly careful when every attack from the weakest enemy can doom Youmu to hopeless defeat, compared to the late game where you march through the early areas with impunity. Part of the problem is Boho Youyoumu's sheer lack of save points; they double as shops (where you can buy all sorts of useful items, such as health-restoring or karma-lowering potions), and there's one shop per each of the six main areas. And none in the secret area. I speak from experience when I say that the biggest challenge of the game was getting to the shop in Area 2 and actually being able to explore from there for a change!
Besides save points and a rough early game, Boho Youyoumu's biggest flaw is that it sometimes doesn't communicate well. Sure, there's occasional cutscenes and dialogue, but for the most part you're just running around a maze with no indication of direction, such as Super Metroid does. That's all well and good for exploration, but it can result in frustration - spend thirty minutes chopping your way to a dead end, only to die and no longer have anything you picked up on the way. The same early-game issue persists with the money you get, as early enemies drop only five coins or so, while late-game enemies can drop hundreds when killed.
THE VERDICT
For all its flaws, Boho Youyoumu does provide a decent Metroidvania experience. And it stars Youmu, so automatic perfect game! ...Nah, it's definitely not that strong a game, especially since it's a one and done - once you've leveled up to maximum, found everything, and killed all the bosses, no replay value left. Sure, that's like a lot of Metroidvanias, but there's no hard modes or unlocks or anything. However, it's a good way to while away a bunch of hours, finding your way around the mysterious maze, and it's more true to the formula than the other Boho games.
All in all, I give it 3 and a half Reimus out of five.
![[Image: s2n7oi.png]](https://files.catbox.moe/s2n7oi.png)
