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The greatness that Castlevania 3 aimed for is found in this game. I never expected to enjoy a Bloodstained spin-off this much, especially since I didn't fall in love with the main game, mainly because of its inconsistent visuals. However, in Curse of the Moon, this isn't a problem; the much more restricted graphical style makes the game much more pleasing to the eyes. While it may not boast the best 8-bit graphics by today's standards, it certainly falls on the better side of the spectrum.

Aside from that, everything else is top-notch. The stages vary greatly and follow the style of traditional Castlevania games, with a consistent path that always connects until you reach the castle. You can feel that they tried to diversify them as best they could, even with only eight stages (in my opinion, a perfect length for a game like this).

What I really appreciated about this game is that the level and enemy design truly complement the idea of having multiple characters with drastically different abilities. You start to notice the game's meticulous design when even with only one character left, the stages still work, albeit much more difficult. Miriam can be a bit overpowered, but even that adds to the fun!

Speaking of difficulty, this game has an interesting way to encourage multiple replays, as you can dismiss, sacrifice, or recruit your partners, resulting in drastically different sets of abilities and resources, and possibly paths. To complete everything, at least six runs are necessary, which may be a bit too much, especially since the hardest one (with Zangetsu without any extra skills) can be frustrating due to how close you need to get to certain enemies, since his attack range is so short.

Complemented by an amazing soundtrack and great bosses, Curse of the Moon is a textbook example of a Castlevania-like game done right, and I'm excited to play its sequel after I give the main Bloodstained game another shot.

The presentation is clearly the selling point of this game. There are a lot of different stages with various backgrounds, different enemies, and everything is amazingly animated for a 16-bit console. The soundtrack is a never-ending fanfare that can tire some ears, but I found it good.

However, the level design suffers a bit. There are some stages that are mazes (one of the worst things when it comes to platformers), but at least they can lead to some optional stages. Sadly, some of these optional stages are only exclusive to a two-player run or a specific character. This can be seen as compensation for the short duration. You can beat this game in less than 1 hour, especially since there's no limit to continues.

In the end, it is a fun game, but I can only think of how amazing it would have been if it were reimagined in the same vein as the Castle of Illusion (2013).

Among the first 'reimagined' games that come to mind, this one is truly impressive. They've managed to develop the original ideas and themes without resorting to repetition or filler. A clear example of this can be seen in the boss battles. While the transitions to 3D movement are few, they're quite welcoming, prompting me to wonder what a full 3D platformer starring Mickey from this team would be like.

The only downside to this game is the occasional unclear platform collision, though these instances aren't too frequent. The new OST by Grant Kirkhope retains the charm of the original, but I sometimes find it too 'epic,' perhaps missing the chiptune sounds.

A simple yet effective addition is the free roam inside the castle, creating a nice atmosphere and giving more meaning to the collectibles in the stages.

It's a product of a bygone era when big companies took risks by producing small and bite-sized games. While some argue that indie games now fulfill this role, I still long for the days when companies with better budgets, know-how, and resources could venture beyond the AAA, Games as a Service-oriented, Open World format.

In terms of presentation, I like my 2D platformer to have color, contrast, nice animations, catchy tunes, and not-annoying SFX, and Castle of Illusion checks all those boxes. The stages always vary in visual design and gameplay, which shows that they're really trying to be creative even within such a restricted scope.

It's one of those precise platformers that require your attention all the time; otherwise, you're going to spend lives/continues that aren't easily refilled until you finish the game. When done right, these are among my favorites, so I enjoyed the game very much.

The only downside is the bosses; they're definitely a product of that era: you watch the long attack pattern the first time, taking some damage, and avoid all the other times because there's almost no variation. The songs composed by Tokuhiko Uwabo and Shigenori Kamiya deserve a special mention because I've been singing the Library and Dark Castle melodies for a few days.

It's worth mentioning that, even if sparse, the interactions between Mickey and Minnie are pretty cute and deserving for the ending of this good game.