<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2018	O
platform	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
companion	O
title	O
to	O
developer	O
ArtPlay	O
's	O
2019	O
game	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Ritual	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
and	O
was	O
conceived	O
to	O
fulfill	O
the	O
promise	O
for	O
a	O
retro-style	O
accompaniment	O
to	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
after	O
its	O
Kickstarter	O
campaign	O
exceeded	O
crowdfunding	O
goals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
follows	O
Zangetsu	O
,	O
a	O
cursed	O
swordsman	O
hunting	O
down	O
demons	O
for	O
revenge	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
three	O
other	O
playable	O
characters	O
named	O
Miriam	O
,	O
Alfred	O
and	O
Gebel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
an	O
8-bit	O
aesthetic	O
and	O
gameplay	O
style	O
similar	O
to	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
,	O
particularly	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dracula	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
(	O
1989	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
found	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
satisfying	O
homage	O
to	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
found	O
to	O
be	O
short	O
albeit	O
fulfilling	O
for	O
its	O
purpose	O
as	O
a	O
prelude	O
to	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
featuring	O
Zangetsu	O
and	O
three	O
new	O
additional	O
characters	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
July	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2D	O
side-scrolling	O
platformer	O
that	O
plays	O
and	O
looks	O
similar	O
to	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
,	O
most	O
notably	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dracula	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
(	O
1989	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
features	O
stages	O
with	O
branching	O
paths	O
that	O
lead	O
to	O
a	O
single	O
boss	O
,	O
and	O
multiple	O
playable	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
has	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
enable	O
and	O
disable	O
unlimited	O
lives	O
and	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
is	O
knocked	O
back	O
when	O
hit	O
by	O
an	O
enemy	O
,	O
characteristic	O
of	O
classic	O
Castlevania	B-Application
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
feels	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
a	O
great	O
demon	O
,	O
and	O
swears	O
to	O
kill	O
all	O
demons	O
he	O
can	O
find	O
as	O
he	O
quests	O
across	O
the	O
areas	O
of	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
three	O
kill	O
the	O
emperor	O
and	O
free	O
his	O
soul	O
from	O
the	O
curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
moon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zangetsu	O
's	O
soul	O
is	O
then	O
driven	O
to	O
the	O
afterlife	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
awakes	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
a	O
futuristic	O
building	O
referencing	O
the	O
title	O
screen	O
of	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
is	O
a	O
companion	O
title	O
to	O
the	O
larger	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Ritual	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
,	O
a	O
Metroidvania	O
game	O
by	O
former	O
Castlevania	B-Application
series	O
producer	O
Koji	O
Igarashi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
funding	O
for	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
was	O
crowdfunded	O
through	O
Kickstarter	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
stretch	O
goals	O
promised	O
a	O
retro-style	O
prequel	O
minigame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
fulfill	O
this	O
promise	O
,	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
,	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
ex-Capcom	O
employees	O
led	O
by	O
president	O
Takuya	O
Aizu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
had	O
experience	O
creating	O
games	O
in	O
a	O
retro	O
style	O
before	O
,	O
including	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
9	I-Application
and	O
Blaster	B-Application
Master	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
originally	O
supporting	O
development	O
of	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
,	O
but	O
began	O
planning	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
after	O
completing	O
the	O
original	O
alpha	O
version	O
of	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
for	O
the	O
2016	O
E3	O
trade	O
fair	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inti	O
Creates	O
eventually	O
dropped	O
out	O
of	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
development	O
and	O
began	O
working	O
on	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
in	O
earnest	O
in	O
late	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
overall	O
gameplay	O
and	O
artistic	O
design	O
was	O
primarily	O
managed	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
,	O
with	O
Igarashi	O
only	O
giving	O
some	O
scenario	O
and	O
setting	O
oversight	O
to	O
ensure	O
a	O
connection	O
to	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
of	O
the	O
Metroidvania	O
genre	O
,	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
was	O
planned	O
from	O
the	O
beginning	O
as	O
a	O
classic-styled	O
game	O
with	O
independent	O
stages	O
and	O
bosses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
aimed	O
to	O
recapture	O
the	O
essence	O
of	O
8-bit	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
keep	O
the	O
story	O
interesting	O
,	O
Zangetsu	O
was	O
made	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
instead	O
of	O
Miriam	O
who	O
stars	O
in	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
timeline	O
was	O
set	O
10	O
years	O
in	O
the	O
past	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inti	O
Creates	O
revealed	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
on	O
May	O
12	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
at	O
BitSummit	O
,	O
an	O
annual	O
indie	O
game	O
festival	O
in	O
Kyoto	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
couple	O
weeks	O
later	O
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
on	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
delayed	O
to	O
May	O
31	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
June	O
6	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
eligible	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
Kickstarter	O
funders	O
received	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
offered	O
for	O
free	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
players	O
in	O
February	O
2019	O
through	O
Games	O
with	O
Gold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Limited	O
Run	O
Games	O
released	O
physical	O
versions	O
for	O
the	O
Switch	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Vita	O
on	O
March	O
15	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
alongside	O
a	O
more	O
expensive	O
Limited	O
Collector	O
's	O
Edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
found	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
appealing	O
as	O
a	O
tribute	O
to	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
on	O
the	O
NES	O
and	O
believed	O
players	O
who	O
enjoyed	O
those	O
games	O
would	O
enjoy	O
the	O
former	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
particular	O
,	O
they	O
believed	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
an	O
homage	O
to	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dracula	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
because	O
of	O
its	O
branching	O
pathways	O
and	O
multiple	O
playable	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Club	O
agreed	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
successfully	O
borrowed	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
concepts	O
and	O
characters	O
but	O
tweaked	O
them	O
"	O
into	O
a	O
form	O
that	O
feels	O
both	O
familiar	O
and	O
modern.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
stayed	O
closely	O
accurate	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
the	O
8-bit	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
,	O
for	O
better	O
or	O
worse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
contrasted	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
how	O
Shovel	B-Application
Knight	I-Application
built	O
upon	O
the	O
foundations	O
of	O
classic	O
games	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
"	O
merely	O
walk[s]	O
in	O
the	O
footsteps	O
of	O
those	O
8-bit	O
favourites	O
 [ ... ] 	O
those	O
with	O
the	O
deepest	O
affection	O
for	O
retro	O
games	O
are	O
the	O
most	O
likely	O
to	O
find	O
it	O
just	O
a	O
touch	O
too	O
familiar.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Journalists	O
believed	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
successfully	O
reproduced	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
while	O
also	O
sporting	O
a	O
more	O
modern	O
feel	O
with	O
faster	O
,	O
less	O
rigid	O
movement	O
,	O
and	O
more	O
forgiving	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
felt	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
short	O
,	O
but	O
still	O
fulfilling	O
in	O
its	O
purpose	O
as	O
a	O
companion	O
title	O
and	O
prelude	O
to	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
a	O
week	O
of	O
availability	O
,	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
sold	O
more	O
than	O
100,000	O
copies	O
,	O
with	O
56%	O
of	O
sales	O
being	O
on	O
the	O
Switch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
June	O
2020	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
New	O
Game	O
Plus	O
Expo	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
on	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zangetsu	O
is	O
still	O
the	O
main	O
player-character	O
,	O
but	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
2	O
introduces	O
three	O
new	O
companions	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
swapped	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
:	O
Dominique	O
,	O
who	O
uses	O
spears	O
;	O
Robert	O
,	O
who	O
uses	O
guns	O
;	O
and	O
Hachi	O
,	O
a	O
corgi	O
who	O
pilots	O
a	O
robot	O
.	O
</s>
