Inti Creates reveals 8-bit Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Inti Creates, a brilliant developer, has revealed Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, an 8-bit Castlevania-inspired spin-off of the upcoming Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. It will be available this month on Switch, 3DS, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, and PC.
Inti Creates is a master of authentically retro-styled action platformers. The team, founded by ten ex-Capcom employees over 20 years ago, has an impressive back catalogue, including Mega Man Zero and ZX, Blaster Master Zero, and Mighty Gunvolt Burst. This alone is reason enough to be excited about a classic Castlevania-inspired Inti Creates game.
What makes Curse of the Night more notable is that it is a spin-off of the upcoming Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Ritual of the Night is the highly anticipated spiritual successor to Konami’s beloved gothic series, designed by famed Castlevania designer Koji Igarashi. Curse of the Night‘s arrival was not entirely unexpected, as the successful Kickstarter campaign for Ritual of the Night promised an 8-bit game as a stretch goal, and this is it.
The upcoming Ritual of the Night is based on the Castlevania series’ more recent open-ended template, often referred to as Metroidvania these days. However, Inti Creates’ Curse of the Night is old-school through and through, featuring a semi-linear sequence of discrete levels more in line with Castlevania’s 8-bit and 16-bit outings.
Based on the trailer, its closest touch-point would appear to be Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse for the NES, as it features multiple playable characters who can unlock alternate paths through the game. The primary protagonist is Zangetsu, a sword-wielding demon slayer with a deep grudge, who must travel through perilous lands to defeat a powerful demon lurking in a dark castle.
Along the way, you will team up with new characters after each boss fight, including Miriam with a whip, Alfred, an alchemist who wields the power of magic, and Gabal, a young man with the power to transform into a bat and fly short distances. You can switch between characters on the fly, but they will be removed from your party once their health is depleted. Your selection and their survival will determine the paths and shortcuts you can take through the game, as well as the difficulty and potentially the ending of the experience.
This all sounds very promising and utterly looks the part, with an 8-bit style that mimics the limited colour palettes and slightly rigid animations of classic platformers, while offering a few modern twists such as massive, screen-filling sprites. There are even two different play modes, Veteran and Causal. Veteran is authentically retro, featuring mechanics like knock-back when hit by an enemy, while Causal offers unlimited lives and more.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon will be free to eligible Kickstarter backers, and everyone else can purchase it digitally on Switch, 3DS, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, and PC for $9.99 USD when it releases on May 24th.
