Sights & Sounds
- Wonderful 8-bit pixel art featuring lots of dark backgrounds with pops of color in the foreground. Some interesting and very pretty palette choices, which help it feel distinct from Castlevania despite being an homage to those games
- The music is amazing. The tunes feel very true to NES game soundtracks, but with excellent composition. Almost feels like a bunch of the best Mega Man boss themes strung together for the whole game
- Every boss design is great. I got pretty pumped up during every reveal. The music helps, but the designs stand on their own

Story & Vibes
- It's totally not Castlevania, guys. We're battling demons, not vampires
- The plot is very generic (you're a demon slayer who found a powerful demon he wants to slay... for REVENGE), but the narrative isn't the point. Being cursed by a moon demon is sufficient motivation to want to to kill that moon demon, I suppose
- Vibe-wise, there's not a lot to go on here. Just hit the floating heads with your whip and bask in all the glorious nostalgia. Or, if you're too young to have played Castlevania game on NES, nostalgia by proxy

Playability & Replayability
- The moment to moment gameplay feels exactly like Castlevania 1 or 3. The weird jump mechanics, the awkward stairs, the wall chicken, and wall sconce power-ups are all here in full force. You platform around the level until you fight a boss. It should feel pretty familiar
- Similar to Castlevania 3, B:CotM has multiple playable characters that you unlock after beating certain bosses. Unlike that game, though, you can switch between all 4 of your characters during each stage rather than being stuck with just one of them
- The game is also pretty linear. In Castlevania 3, there were branching paths after each level that could cause you to miss certain characters. In this game, the branching paths exist within each level, and you'll have to use your characters' unique abilities to find the quickest or least dangerous path
- The casual mode is a godsend since you no longer have to worry about lives

Overall Impressions & Performance
- It's a nostalgia bomb. The visuals, music, and gameplay all feel familiar, and the quality of the game reminds you why Castlevania has such a beloved legacy
- It's fairly short (you could beat it before finishing a James Cameron movie), but it's also cheap. Wait for a sale if a tenner is more than you want to pay for a 2-3 hour game
- It's only listed as "playable" on the Steam Deck, but it ran flawlessly in my experience

Final Verdict
- 7.5/10. It's a simple love letter to the origins of one of gaming's most renowned franchises. It's not innovative or unique in any way, but it's a reminder of why they those early Castlevania games were so influential and (mostly) stand the test of time