An openly worn tribute to 8-bit Castlevania, finely honed. The four characters and their styles renew exploration, the pixel art is exemplary, and the difficulty stays taut without cheating. Short but rarely so dense.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player7+
Description
Hunter Zangetsu and his allies climb a demonic castle in pixel art, slicing through hordes of creatures toward a cursed lord. Published by Inti Creates, released worldwide in 2018. Characters with distinct styles, branching levels, fearsome bosses, multiple endings and a chiptune soundtrack nostalgic of 8-bit classics.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
An openly Castlevania-flavored 8-bit homage, the music adopts an NES chiptune aesthetic, heroic riffs and nervous tempos included. Each stage rolls out a rousing theme, perfect for the pixel-tight jumps and demanding bosses. This loyalty to the retro sound is never mere imitation: the compositions stand on their own and revive, with relish, an era beloved by genre fans.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Pinpoint jumps, chiptune and pixel art send you straight back to the NES era, minus the old frustrations. The four characters with sharply distinct styles open alternate paths and multiple endings, giving a real reason to replay. The retro difficulty stays taut without ever cheating, and density makes up for the brevity. An 8-bit Castlevania tribute that has lost none of its precision.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Rediscovering the 8-bit grain, whips and deliberate jumps of a classic Castlevania delivers instant nostalgic joy. Swapping between four characters with distinct abilities opens new paths and reshapes every fight. Branching stages, demanding bosses and multiple endings keep pulling you back to unlock it all.
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,1 GB📅24/05/2018
Published by Inti Creates
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Nintendo Switch) price, value & rarity
An open homage to 8/16-bit Castlevania, this title lines up demonic lords with readable yet ruthless patterns. Swapping between characters radically changes how you tackle the same boss, and the retro difficulty rewards memorization. Pixel staging, biting music and tight timing make every duel a nostalgic, demanding challenge.
An underrated gem
Born as a stretch-goal bonus from Bloodstained's Kickstarter, this pixel-art title was often taken for a mere backer gift. Inti Creates instead crafted a vibrant homage to NES-era Castlevania, with branching paths, four sharply distinct heroes and multiple endings. Anyone raised on the demanding difficulty of the 8-bit age will rediscover a thrilling rigor here.
Is Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon still worth playing in 2026?
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon fully embraces its tribute to 8-bit Castlevania, and does so with respectable care. The pixel art, chiptune score and demanding jumps lead straight back to the NES era, without the old frustrations. The four characters with distinct styles open alternate paths and multiple endings, giving real reason to replay. It is short, dense and perfectly tuned for retro difficulty. More approachable than a mainline Bloodstained, it remains an excellent entry point. A love letter to the genre that has lost none of its precision.
