Koji Igarashi didn't just want to make a spiritual successor to Castlevania; he wanted to reclaim a specific kind of 8-bit magic that most modern "retro" games get totally wrong. When Bloodstained Curse of the Moon dropped in 2018, it was supposed to be a appetizer. A stretch goal. A little 8-bit bonus to keep fans busy while the "real" game, Ritual of the Night, finished its long development cycle. But here’s the thing: for a huge chunk of the fanbase, the appetizer ended up tasting better than the steak. It’s tight. It’s punishing but fair. It’s basically the Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse sequel we never officially got.
It’s weird to think about now, but Inti Creates—the masters behind Mega Man Zero and Azure Striker Gunvolt—essentially took a Kickstarter promise and turned it into a masterclass in minimalist design. They understood that the NES era wasn't just about pixels and flicker. It was about the weight of the jump. The commitment to a movement. If you've played Bloodstained Curse of the Moon, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You can’t change your trajectory mid-air. Once you jump, you’re committed. That’s terrifying, and honestly, it’s why the game works.
The Character Swap That Changed Everything
Most modern side-scrollers try to make you a god. They give you a double jump, a dash, and a parry right out of the gate. Bloodstained Curse of the Moon does the opposite. It starts you with Zangetsu, a swordsman who feels... limited. He’s got a short reach. He can’t jump high. He’s just a guy with a katana and a grudge.
But then you meet Miriam. Then Alfred. Then Gebel.
The game becomes a puzzle. You aren't just playing a platformer; you’re managing a squad. Miriam has the high jump and the whip-like reach that feels exactly like Simon Belmont. Alfred is a glass cannon—if he gets touched, he’s basically paper, but his fire shield can melt bosses in seconds. Gebel? He turns into a bat. It’s classic. It’s nostalgic. But the brilliance is in the permadeath. If Alfred dies because you were reckless, he’s gone for the rest of that stage. You lose his spells. You lose his health bar. Now you’re stuck trying to navigate a platforming section designed for a bat-form character with a guy who can only swing a sword.
It forces you to actually care about your resources.
Why Inti Creates Beat Igarashi at His Own Game
There is a legitimate debate in the community about whether the 8-bit style of Bloodstained Curse of the Moon is superior to the "Igavania" style of the main series. Ritual of the Night is huge, sprawling, and filled with RPG stats. It’s great. But there’s a bloat to it. You spend hours grinding for shards or crafting soup.
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Curse of the Moon is pure.
It focuses on the "sub-weapon" economy. Hearts are your currency. Do you use your hearts to throw a dagger, or do you save them for Miriam’s axe toss? Every screen feels curated. Inti Creates used a "neo-retro" palette, which means it looks like an NES game, but it doesn't actually follow the NES hardware limitations. There are more colors on screen. The bosses are larger than the entire console could have handled in 1989. This "fake" retro style allows for a level of visual clarity that the original hardware never had, making the difficulty feel like a choice rather than a technical glitch.
The Moral Choice Nobody Saw Coming
If you're playing Bloodstained Curse of the Moon for the first time, you might think it’s a straight shot to the end. It isn’t.
After you beat a boss and find a new ally, the game gives you a choice. You can recruit them. You can ignore them. Or—and this is the "expert" move—you can kill them.
Killing your potential allies grants Zangetsu new powers. He gains a double jump or a dash. It turns the game from a team-based strategy platformer into a solo character action game. This isn't just a gimmick; it’s a fundamental shift in how the levels are traversed. The branching paths are real. One playthrough you’re flying over pits as Gebel, and the next you’re precision-jumping as a souped-up Zangetsu who has literally murdered his friends for power. It’s dark. It’s cool. It’s something the original Castlevania titles never quite dared to do.
Handling the Difficulty Spikes
Let's talk about the stairs.
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If you grew up with the NES, you know the pain of being knocked backward into a pit while climbing stairs. Curse of the Moon keeps the "knockback" mechanic, which is the most controversial part of the genre. Some people hate it. They think it's "artificial difficulty." I’d argue it’s the entire point. The game is teaching you spatial awareness. You can't just run through a room. You have to wait for the flying medusa-head equivalent to pass.
If it gets too much, the game has a "Veteran" and "Casual" mode. Veteran gives you the classic knockback. Casual removes it and gives you infinite lives. My advice? Play Veteran. The tension of barely making a jump while an enemy is tracking your movement is where the soul of the game lives.
Sound and Fury
The soundtrack by Michiru Yamane and the Inti Creates team is a banger. Period. It uses the VRC6 chip sound profile (the one used in the Japanese version of Castlevania III). It has those driving, melodic basslines that make you feel like you're actually accomplishing something. Tracks like "Moonlight Temptation" or "Frigid Hell" aren't just background noise; they're rhythmic guides for the platforming. You find yourself jumping to the beat.
What Most Reviews Missed
Most critics looked at Bloodstained Curse of the Moon as a promotional tool for the bigger Kickstarter project. They missed the nuance of the "Nightmare" mode.
Once you beat the game, you unlock a harder version that changes boss patterns and enemy placements. It’s not just "more health for enemies." It’s a remix. It changes the way you view the level geometry. You start seeing shortcuts that weren't there before because you now have the skills—or the specific character combinations—to exploit them.
The game is short. You can beat a single run in about two hours. But it’s designed for ten runs. It’s designed for speedrunning. It’s designed for you to master the boss patterns until you can do a "no-damage" run. That’s the real longevity.
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Technical Performance and Platforms
Whether you’re on Switch, PC, or PlayStation, the game runs flawlessly. It’s 2D sprites. It doesn't need a high-end rig. However, the Switch version feels the most "correct." There is something about playing a handheld 8-bit throwback that just clicks. The input lag is non-existent, which is vital because the window for some of the sub-weapon attacks is frame-perfect.
Actionable Strategy for Your First Run
If you’re diving in, don't just mash the attack button. Here is how to actually survive the later stages of Bloodstained Curse of the Moon:
- Protect Alfred at all costs. His "Alchemist" sub-weapons are broken. His fire shield doesn't just protect you; it deals massive damage to bosses. If you lose him early in a stage, you’re making your life 50% harder.
- Use Miriam for platforming. Her high jump and slide allow you to bypass some of the nastiest enemy placements in the game. Switch to her for the movement, then switch to Zangetsu or Gebel for the combat.
- The "Kill the Allies" run is for your second playthrough. Don't do it first. You'll miss out on the character dynamics and the "Good" ending. Plus, playing as a solo Zangetsu requires a much higher level of skill since you don't have the varied health pools to swap between.
- Watch the boss's eyes. Every boss in the game has a "tell" that involves a color change or a specific animation before their screen-clearing attack. Since this is an 8-bit style game, those tells are very obvious once you stop panicking and start looking.
Final Thoughts on the Legacy
The sequel, Curse of the Moon 2, expanded on these ideas with even more characters (including a steampunk corgi in a mech suit, which is awesome), but the first game remains the purest expression of the concept. It proved that "retro" doesn't have to mean "clunky." It proved that Igarashi’s vision wasn't just tied to 32-bit exploration, but also to the hardcore, stage-based action that defined a generation.
If you’re looking for a game that respects your time and your intelligence, this is it. It doesn't hold your hand. It doesn't have a 20-minute tutorial. It gives you a sword, a jump button, and a castle full of demons. The rest is up to you.
Your Next Steps:
Check the digital storefronts—this game frequently goes on sale for under $10. Start a playthrough on Veteran Mode to get the authentic experience. Aim to recruit all three allies on your first run to unlock the Nightmare difficulty, which is where the game’s true depth is revealed. If you find yourself stuck on a boss, remember that character swapping is instantaneous; use one character to dodge and another to strike. Once you've mastered the first game, the transition to the even more complex sequel will feel much more natural.