<s>
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-platform	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Sabotage	O
Studio	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Devolver	O
Digital	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
the	O
fulfillment	O
of	O
the	O
prophecy	O
,	O
the	O
Western	O
Hero	O
appoints	O
the	O
Ninja	O
as	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
,	O
and	O
is	O
tasked	O
to	O
take	O
a	O
scroll	O
to	O
the	O
mountain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
incorporates	O
elements	O
such	O
as	O
time	O
travel	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
visuals	O
changing	O
from	O
8-bit	O
to	O
16-bit	B-Device
to	O
represent	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
traveling	O
to	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
began	O
as	O
a	O
personal	O
project	O
between	O
Thierry	O
Boulanger	O
and	O
Phillippe	O
Dionne	O
with	O
inspiration	O
coming	O
from	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
and	O
other	O
8-bit	O
and	O
16-bit	B-Device
games	O
that	O
Boulanger	O
played	O
as	O
a	O
child	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
action-platformer	O
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
classic	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
a	O
ninja	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
"	O
as	O
he	O
goes	O
on	O
a	O
quest	O
to	O
deliver	O
a	O
scroll	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
initially	O
possesses	O
a	O
technique	O
called	O
"	O
Cloudstepping	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
him	O
to	O
perform	O
an	O
extra	O
jump	O
in	O
mid-air	O
after	O
attacking	O
an	O
enemy	O
,	O
object	O
,	O
or	O
projectile	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
game	O
progresses	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
gains	O
new	O
abilities	O
such	O
as	O
climbing	O
walls	O
,	O
gliding	O
in	O
the	O
air	O
,	O
long-range	O
shuriken	O
attacks	O
,	O
and	O
using	O
a	O
grappling	O
hook	O
to	O
propel	O
himself	O
through	O
obstacles	O
and	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
initially	O
presents	O
itself	O
as	O
a	O
linear	O
level-based	O
adventure	O
split	O
across	O
two	O
eras	O
;	O
the	O
past	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
presented	O
with	O
8-bit	O
graphics	O
and	O
audio	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
which	O
uses	O
16-bit	B-Device
presentation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Western	O
Hero	O
"	O
arrives	O
and	O
gives	O
a	O
scroll	O
to	O
the	O
ninja	O
,	O
appointing	O
him	O
as	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
"	O
and	O
telling	O
him	O
to	O
travel	O
east	O
and	O
deliver	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
a	O
mountain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
his	O
journey	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
is	O
aided	O
by	O
a	O
mysterious	O
blue-robed	O
shopkeeper	O
,	O
who	O
provides	O
him	O
with	O
upgrades	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
demon	O
named	O
Quarble	O
,	O
who	O
helps	O
to	O
save	O
him	O
from	O
death	O
by	O
rewinding	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
traveling	O
through	O
various	O
areas	O
and	O
meeting	O
and	O
befriending	O
foes	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
arrives	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
mountain	O
and	O
encounters	O
the	O
Tower	O
of	O
Time	O
along	O
with	O
more	O
blue-robed	O
figures	O
,	O
who	O
send	O
him	O
500	O
years	O
into	O
the	O
future	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
Demon	O
King	O
's	O
general	O
,	O
Barma'thazël	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
defeating	O
him	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
loops	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
to	O
the	O
ninja	O
village	O
,	O
where	O
he	O
deduces	O
that	O
he	O
is	O
the	O
new	O
Western	O
Hero	O
himself	O
,	O
passes	O
the	O
scroll	O
onto	O
a	O
new	O
Messenger	O
,	O
and	O
takes	O
up	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
shopkeeper	O
providing	O
him	O
with	O
upgrades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
this	O
new	O
hero	O
ends	O
up	O
dying	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
previous	O
shopkeeper	O
's	O
negligence	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
blue-robe	O
figures	O
aim	O
to	O
break	O
the	O
cursed	O
cycle	O
,	O
tasking	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
with	O
collecting	O
the	O
notes	O
of	O
a	O
mysterious	O
music	O
box	O
in	O
the	O
Tower	O
of	O
Time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
succeeds	O
in	O
this	O
task	O
,	O
defeating	O
the	O
Demon	O
King	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
,	O
the	O
shopkeeper	O
explains	O
the	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
music	O
box	O
and	O
the	O
origin	O
of	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
:	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
prison	O
of	O
a	O
man	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Phantom	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
cursed	O
by	O
the	O
Demon	O
King	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
demons	O
to	O
invade	O
the	O
human	O
realm	O
every	O
500	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Venturing	O
inside	O
the	O
music	O
box	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
finds	O
the	O
Phantom	O
,	O
defeats	O
the	O
curse	O
possessing	O
him	O
,	O
and	O
rescues	O
him	O
;	O
the	O
curse	O
breaks	O
loose	O
but	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
and	O
the	O
blue-robes	O
team	O
up	O
together	O
to	O
destroy	O
it	O
,	O
putting	O
an	O
end	O
to	O
the	O
curse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
alternate	O
timeline	O
,	O
the	O
Demon	O
General	O
Barma'thazël	O
lures	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
into	O
a	O
trap	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
voodoo	O
magic	O
,	O
Barma'thazël	O
creates	O
an	O
evil	O
doppelgänger	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Dark	O
Messenger	O
before	O
fusing	O
with	O
it	O
but	O
is	O
defeated	O
by	O
the	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
and	O
the	O
blue-robes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
indie	B-General_Concept
development	I-General_Concept
studio	I-General_Concept
Sabotage	O
Studio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Boulanger	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
to	O
make	O
a	O
game	O
with	O
a	O
Ninja	O
as	O
a	O
playable	O
character	O
ever	O
since	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
child	O
,	O
believing	O
they	O
are	O
the	O
perfect	O
player	O
character	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
selfless	O
and	O
ambiguous	O
personality	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
project	O
onto	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
released	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
on	O
August	O
30	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
on	O
March	O
19	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
June	O
25	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
track	O
was	O
made	O
in	O
both	O
8-bit	O
NES	B-Language
and	O
16-bit	B-Device
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
styles	O
using	O
Famitracker	O
and	O
DefleMask	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
won	O
the	O
award	O
for	O
"	O
Control	O
Design	O
,	O
2D	O
or	O
Limited	O
3D	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
2020	O
NAVGTR	O
Awards	O
,	O
whereas	O
its	O
other	O
nominations	O
were	O
for	O
"	O
Control	O
Precision	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Original	O
Light	O
Mix	O
Score	O
,	O
New	O
IP	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
liked	O
the	O
dialogue	O
,	O
liking	O
the	O
self-aware	O
tone	O
it	O
took	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
excellent	O
writing	O
keeps	O
things	O
lively	O
and	O
fresh	O
...	O
regularly	O
riffing	O
on	O
action-platformer	O
tropes	O
through	O
the	O
ninja	O
warrior	O
's	O
conversations	O
with	O
various	O
characters	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
felt	O
the	O
transition	O
to	O
16-bit	B-Device
worlds	O
hurt	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
pacing	O
,	O
describing	O
the	O
additions	O
as	O
"	O
padding	O
the	O
back	O
half	O
with	O
repetitive	O
backtracking	O
and	O
boring	O
fetch	O
quests	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VentureBeat	O
praised	O
the	O
art	O
,	O
singling	O
out	O
the	O
backgrounds	O
as	O
"	O
gorgeous	O
"	O
and	O
noting	O
how	O
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
had	O
a	O
"	O
distinct	O
feel	O
that	O
goes	O
beyond	O
typical	O
video	O
game	O
cliches	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Polygon	O
liked	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
felt	O
it	O
took	O
too	O
long	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
reach	O
its	O
stride	O
,	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
gets	O
better	O
with	O
each	O
hour	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
means	O
that	O
to	O
reach	O
its	O
best	O
moments	O
,	O
you	O
have	O
to	O
muscle	O
through	O
some	O
pretty	O
familiar	O
and	O
blunt	O
old-school	O
game	O
design	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
prequel	O
titled	O
Sea	B-Device
of	I-Device
Stars	I-Device
,	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
March	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
The	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
,	O
Sea	B-Device
of	I-Device
Stars	I-Device
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
