Play Touhoumon : Ordinary Version (v1.2) Online

Touhoumon: Ordinary Version feels like someone took Pokémon Red and ran it through a Touhou-themed fever dream—in the best way possible. You start off picking your first "mon," except instead of Charmander or Squirtle, you're choosing between Reimu, Marisa, or some other familiar face from Gensokyo. The sprite work nails that classic GBC look while still giving each character their own weird little animations.

Battles play out like Pokémon but with Touhou's signature bullet patterns sneaking in—your mons actually dodge attacks Matrix-style between turns. The first time I saw my Cirno weave through a hail of kunai, I couldn't stop grinning. There's way more depth here than you'd expect too, with hidden abilities tied to Touhou lore and some surprisingly clever type matchups (turns out shrine maidens are strong against ghosts—who knew?).

It's got that perfect balance of nostalgia and fresh ideas, though fair warning: some of those late-game spellcard attacks will wreck you if you're not prepared. The pixel art alone makes it worth playing, especially when you stumble upon an evolved form and recognize which Touhou character it's referencing. Definitely one of those fangames that makes you wish Nintendo and ZUN would just collab already.