I cover Pokémon ROM hacks on an almost daily basis here at Retro Dodo, and while most of them change the difficulty or add in Fakemon and a new story, I don't often come across hacks that replace all of the Pokémon for puppet characters.
And no, I'm not talking about Kermit the Frog replacing Froakie and Miss Piggy replacing Tepig; I'm talking about Touhoumonn, a series of fan-made games and FireRed ROM hacks that replace the likes of Pikachu and Mew with characters from the Touhou Project. You'll battle other trainers, but instead, you'll use puppet characters to pull off moves. If you're new to Touhoumon, then I imagine this is all going to feel a little confusing, but just see it as a Pokémon-esque game with a difference.
Today's feature title is called Touhou Puppet Play ~ The Adventures of Ayaka, created by DerxwnaKapsyla. It's set in the world of Gensokyo and is made up of three episodes and an epilogue, making four playable scenes in total. According to the official project page, each one lasts around 2 to 5 hours, so you could be playing for up to around 20 hours if you really get stuck into collecting every Touhoumon.
Players take a human player, Ayaka, on a puppet adventure that could rival The Dark Crystal. You'll play through The Mansion of Mystery, The Festival of Curses, and The Kingdom of Lunacy, all of which can be played in any order, before tackling The Last Adventure.
The Adventures of Ayaka taps into the wider Touhoumon scene and takes inspiration from the original FireRed ROM Hack with regards to both visuals and storyline. For someone like me who is also new to this world, it feels like a game that I've played before but somehow forgotten the premise of. I know the battles, I know the mechanics, but the world is one I feel a bit of a stranger in. Far from putting me off, however, it intrigues me. I want to know more about these doll characters and the stories behind them - it's like learning about Pokémon from scratch all over again.
From what I've seen so far, it's all very well put together. The graphics are great, the storyline promotes a fast pace that will keep users gripped. Plus the fact that you can play each scenario in any order is a nice touch as they're mostly self-contained, giving you a sense of autonomy and playing your own way.
This is a game you'll need to check out yourself to fully understand no matter how much I explain the ins and outs for you, so head to EeveeExpo to download The Adventures of Ayaka and find out more!
You should also check out this list of the best Pokémon ROM hacks while you're here too!
