Line #203 VideoGame/BloodstainedCurseOfTheMoon


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bloodstainedcotm.png]]
2
3	On the night of the full moon, demons called forth by evil alchemists emerge from a land beyond ours and ravage the earth, becoming a threat that spells the end of mankind as we know it. On this night, one man, a warrior from the east, arrives to exterminate the demon threat for the sake of both his friends and the survival of the human race. However, to destroy the demons once and for all, he must find solace and support in unusual allies...
4
5	''Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon'' is a {{Retraux}} 2D action-platforming game released for the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/Nintendo3DS, Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/PlayStationVita, Platform/XboxOne, and PC in 2018 by Creator/IntiCreates, one of the former developers of ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight''. ''Curse of the Moon'' came to fruition as a stretch goal from the Kickstarter campaign that crowdfunded the original ''Bloodstained'' project, whereupon the stretch goal promised to release an 8-bit style spinoff title to the core ''Bloodstained'' game.
6
7	The game draws heavy inspiration from the original ''Castlevania'' titles on the NES, especially ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse''. As the warrior Zangetsu, you must travel across multiple stages to reach the heart of the demon threat, slaying monsters and enormous bosses alike in your quest. As you defeat massive bosses, you will encounter other adventurers who can be recruited on your quest, and their abilities will support you and give you access to paths and options that are not available to other characters. Choices made during the game will also decide which one of MultipleEndings you will receive.
8
9	The four playable characters include:
10
11	* '''Zangetsu''': A warrior from the East with a magically animated arm. Wields the Zangetsuto, a short blade with minimal reach and high swing speed. By acquiring sub-weapons, Zangetsu can consume WEAPON Points to use special attacks, and he can additionally learn new attacks and moves over the course of the game.
12	* '''Miriam''': A youth under the effect of a crystallizing curse. Wields a Whip, which is relatively slow but gives her great range. Miriam can use four exclusive sub-weapons, and has access to a High Jump and Slide abilities that allow her to access areas too high or low for other characters to reach.
13	* '''Alfred''': An Alchemist searching for the Liber Logaeth. Alfred is a SquishyWizard who has a variety of magic spells at his disposal that can be cast with WEAPON Points, but has low health to compensate. His magic spells allow him to cover a wide range of combat and platforming situations.
14	* '''Gebel''': The progenitor of the crystallizing curse who harbors deep hatred for both humans and alchemists. Gebel possess a ranged projectile attack that can easily hit airborne enemies, and has the ability to transform into a bat using WEAPON Points. Transforming gives him access to unique attack and mobility options that sets him apart from his allies.
15
16	A sequel was announced at the New Game Plus Expo which was later released on July 10th, 2020. Zangetsu, Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel all return from the last game, but they are joined by a brand new cast (of sorts, one of them already appeared in ''Ritual of the Night''):
17
18	* '''Dominique''': A mysterious exorcist from the Church who seems to be seeking a special demon. Wields a spear that grants her slower but longer range attacks as well as granting her vertical reach and the ability to GoombaStomp foes. Her subweapons grant her access to support magic and are comparatively cheap to cast.
19	* '''Robert''': An old acquaintance of Zangetsu who hates both demons and the Church. Uses a weak but extremely long-ranged firearm to pick off foes from a distance, and can lie prone to dodge enemy attacks. His subweapons cost high amounts of WEAPON Points but allow him to use extraordinarily powerful ranged attacks.
20	* '''Hachi''': A corgi (dog) who rides a PoweredArmor. The armor itself is a weapon of its own, being able to punch and crush demons with its sheer power alone. Hachi is also able to traverse and even destroy certain hazards. His special subweapon allows him to consume WEAPON Points to gain temporary invincibility.
21
22	Inti Creates has set-up an official website for the game, [[http://curseofthemoon.com/en/ which you can read here.]]
23
24	A CompilationRerelease of the duology, titled ''Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Chronicles'', will be released on July 13, 2023.
25
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27	----
28	[[folder:''Curse of the Moon 1'' tropes]]
29	!!''Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon'' contains examples of:
30
31	* AfterBossRecovery: Defeating a stage boss revives any incapacitated characters and restores all characters to full health. If your LIFE stock is less than 3 lives, the game will also restock you back to 3 lives.
32	* AlternateContinuity: Originally meant to be a {{prequel}}, when Inti Creates left development on ''Ritual of the Night'', ''Curse of the Moon'' was reworked into a standalone entry that is incompatible with ''Ritual''[='=]s story.
33	* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: If playing with all allied characters, after slaying the initial final boss, [[spoiler:Zangetsu]] gets corrupted and becomes the new dark emperor while trying to protect his allies. [[spoiler:Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel]] must embark on a quest of their own in a new playthrough to try and save his soul.
34	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
35	** Pretty much every boss has a last-ditch desperation attack that they perform after being reduced to 0 HP. Avoiding such attacks rewards you with an extra life if playing in Veteran Mode, but the real anti-frustration feature here is that even if you do wind up being hit, the attack won't ''cause'' your current character to die, leaving them at 1 HP. The only boss for which this feature does not come into play at all is the final boss of Nightmare Mode.
36	** If you have recruited any allies, ''all'' of your characters have to die before you lose a life, effectively giving you anywhere from double to ''quadruple'' the number of lives the game actually says you have.
37	** There is an extra life immediately before the final boss room, ensuring that you won't get a game over if you've gotten that far unless you deliberately avoid picking it up each time you die.
38	** The last level has a ''lot'' of TrialAndErrorGameplay with instakills all over, in an unforgiving torrent of abuse. Extra lives are '''everywhere'''.
39	* AscendedExtra: Zangetsu, who is a supporting character in ''Ritual of the Night'', is bumped into the starring role in ''Curse of the Moon''. Miriam, the heroine of ''Ritual of the Night'', is instead relegated to a party member Zangetsu can recruit. [[spoiler:Though she is the playable character for the final battle in Nightmare mode.]]
40	* BackgroundBoss: Valefor and Gremory's second form stay in the background with their weak points (heads) high above, meaning that you'll have to do some climbing to take them down.
41	* BagOfSpilling: Despite ostensibly taking place right after the main game, in Nightmare Mode, all the characters have lost any power-ups obtained in the first run and must re-collect them on the second run.
42	* BigBad: For all intents, Gremory is one. She serves as the FinalBoss except in one mode, and said mode also happens because of her actions anyway.
43	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:In Nightmare Mode, Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel fight the possessed Zangetsu in an attempt to free him from the curse, but are ultimately forced to kill him. This does, however, free Zangetsu's soul, and peace returns to the land.]]
44	* BlingBlingBang: Valefor is a demon composed of gold coins and attacks you with mountains of coins, his fists, and gold-plated {{mook}}s. [[spoiler:Except it's fake: after he's beaten everything turns into mounds of skulls.]]
45	* BloodyMurder: While not as extensively shown as in ''Ritual of the Night'', Bloodless is still the same blood mistress that she is, including wearing a blood dress, dropping a blood bomb, and even causing RainOfBlood.
46	* BoringButPractical: It's possible to get an infinite number of lives by killing the endlessly respawning enemies, since they keep giving you points no matter how much you kill them. The only issue is that you get 100 points per kill, and you need 20,000 points for an extra life, making it a waste of time unless you're really bad (but refuse to play on casual) or are score attacking.
47	* BossRemix: The TrueFinalBoss battle theme against [[spoiler:possessed Zangetsu]] is a remix of his character theme.
48	* BreathWeapon: Valac can breathe fire, as well as fire visceral orbs that will explode if you attack them.
49	* CharacterTitle: The final level with a solo Zangetsu is one translation of his name. The Japanese version explicitly uses the same kanji as his name, even.
50	* ChargedAttack: In Ultimate mode, Zangetsu can charge his basic strike to perform an overhead swing with extended range. It does around 3 times the damage of his basic swing and takes around 2 seconds to charge up.
51	* ColorCodedCharacters: Zangetsu is orange, Miriam is blue, Alfred is yellow, and Gebel is dark red.
52	* CreatorCameo: The painting miniboss in Stage 7 depicts a stylized 8-bit portrait of Koji Igarashi, donning his signature cowboy hat.
53	* CulturalTranslation: An interesting case in-game. [[spoiler:When going into the 8th Stage in Nightmare Mode, you find that it's gone from the Western-styled gothic cathedrals and stained glass that one would expect to find in such a castle, and see that it's been replaced with an oriental-eseque hell, complete with the demons looking like oriental counterparts to the western demons seen until now. Furthermore, upon reaching the throne room, Zangetsu is seen sipping from a dish before shattering it. This is most likely a sake dish, which thematically fits with Dracula's smashing of his wine glass before beginning the fight.]]
54	* CutscenePowerToTheMax:
55	** In-game, Alfred can only create one clone of himself and cast three thunderbolts at most, and he can only perform whichever he has equipped. [[spoiler:In the Nightmare final boss fight, he finishes off the possessed Zangetsu by creating half a dozen different clones and having them all hit him with a thunderbolt at the same time, albeit after taking a good half minute to cast the spell.]]
56	** If Zangetsu fights Gremory alone, he closes the fight by performing a far larger and stronger version of his Ultimate mode ChargedAttack by charging it for far longer than normal while Gremory is busy doing her own attack. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments "Cleave the Moon" indeed.]]
57	* DecoyProtagonist: Zangetsu is the first playable character, [[spoiler:but he's forced to become a demon himself at the end of the "recruit all allies" ending, and, when facing the final boss of Nightmare Mode, Miriam's the only playable character]].
58	* DenialOfDiagonalAttack: Being a {{Retraux}} game, this is a given. Having said that, the game is nice enough to provide a few ways to overcome this, such as AntiAir attacks (Gebel's basic attack, Miriam's triple knife, Zangetsu's chain whip) and {{Homing Projectile}}s (Alfred's Voltaic Rays).
59	* DesperationAttack: Almost all of the bosses will try to pull something off when their HP is depleted. [[TakingYouWithMe These attacks tend to kill their users in the process, though.]] [[SenselessSacrifice With one exception, they also can't actually kill you.]]
60	* DevelopersForesight: Since it's possible to arrive at Stage 8 without recruiting any allies, there’s a special tweak if you do; the stage's name changes from "Curse the Moon" to "'''Cleave''' the Moon" and [[spoiler:Zangetsu [[FinishHim finishes]] Gremory by doing just that]].
61	* DifficultButAwesome:
62	** Miriam's Axe sub-weapon. It costs six WEAPON points for a slow, yet powerful swing; it has a very short range, a second-long delay before striking, and can be interrupted. However, it is the most damaging sub-weapon; in fact, it's so strong that it can OneHitKill most non-boss enemies. With enough practice, it can defeat most bosses in a few hits.
63	** Alfred is a SquishyWizard with pathetic range that even Zangetsu can potentially outrange to some extent, and his gameplay is entirely based on his spells he can use as Subweapons. That said, if you're good with him, he can blast through stages easily, leaving a mountain of corpses in his wake.
64	* DoubleJump: The "Blood Moon" Soul Art, obtained if Zangetsu kills Alfred instead of recruiting or just ignoring him. In Ultimate Mode, Zangetsu has it from the start, allowing you to have your cake (recruiting Alfred) and eating it too (having "Blood Moon")
65	* DuelBoss: As the final boss fight of Nightmare Mode begins, [[spoiler:Zangetsu]] wounds Alfred and Gebel, forcing them to sit most of the fight out and leaving only Miriam to play as. That said, Alfred and Gebel do help at points in the battle, but you can't switch to them, not even to Gebel in the FinishHim phase.
66	* EarlyGameHell: The early game is rather punishing due to Zangetsu having short range and not much in terms of special abilities. While largely depending on what ending you want to get (with Zangetsu not killing Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel, but also not recruiting them, leading to easily the most difficult playthrough), doing a playthrough with allies or killing them to get their powers tips things more into the player's favor.
67	* EasyLevelsHardBosses: While the levels and bosses are more or less balanced normally, Ultimate and Nightmare difficulties qualify as this. Since you're going through the same levels you did before (with extra abilities in the former) and have a grasp of the level layout already, it shouldn't pose much of a challenge. The bosses, on the other hand, hit harder, have more HP, and sometimes modify their attacks, making them harder to dodge, meaning you'll struggle with ones that you couldn't already effortlessly clear.
68	* Every10000Points: The game awards an extra life at 20,000-point thresholds, signified by a unique jingle when you reach said threshold.
69	* {{Expy}}: The four playable characters almost completely match the given roles of the playable characters from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse''. Zangetsu has Grant Danasty's abilities (minus wall climbing), Miriam has Trevor Belmont's abilities and Grant's jump height, Alfred is basically Sypha Belnades, and Gebel is essentially Alucard. Zangetsu also draws inspiration from [[VideoGame/GetsuFumaDen Getsu Fuma]], as he is a red-clothed man wielding a short-ranged sword and in the sequel, gains his jumping rolling slash (though it also draws parallel to [[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden Ryu Hayabusa]]).
70	* FallingChandelierOfDoom: No chandelier is safe in the game; once you walk under one, expect it to fall.
71	* FinishHim: The two final bosses get this, both in needing you to manually finish them off, and the opportunity comes when they decide to [[LetsGetDangerous stop screwing around]] and use their respective OneHitKill attacks. However, specific conditions must be met: Gremory requires you to [[spoiler:come alone]] while [[spoiler:Zangetsu]] requires you to play Nightmare Mode. The latter has a failure condition ([[spoiler:let Alfred get hit even once]]) while the former is a glorified cutscene that nonetheless lets you deal the final blow yourself instead of just watching it happen.
72	* FisherKing: Turns out being a demon lord gives you some leeway on how you mold the castle. Gremory fashions her castle keep based on a corrupted church, complete with stained-glass windows, whereas [[spoiler:Zangetsu turns his castle core into something akin to Shinto-style hell, complete with youkai — a locale reminiscent of ''Getsu Fuma Den'']].
73	* ForegoneConclusion: Once you hit the final checkpoint before the initial final boss, you're essentially rewarded with being ''unable'' to get a GameOver. On the way up to the boss room, you see a 1-up in the middle of a cluster of lanterns/candles. Whenever you lose all your party members (the only way you actually lose lives) and are sent back to the checkpoint, it's back again, essentially negating the life you lost and allowing you to keep trying until you win.
74	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
75	** In the first four Stages, you can find shortcuts that can't be accessed at that point in the game, since you don't have the requisite party members and you can't take allies back in time with you with Curse of the Moon. This hints at Nightmare Mode, where you play the game again with all of the ally characters already in your possession.
76	** In the last room before you face [[spoiler:Zangetsu in Nightmare mode]], you only find subweapons for Miriam; breaking the subweapon lanterns with Alfred will make them drop large weapon jugs instead of his scrolls. This is because [[spoiler:you don't get to control Alfred and Gebel in the ensuing fight]].
77	** In addition to being a ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'', stage five on the ship foreshadows the opening scenes of ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'', which also takes place on a ship during a deluge, and it also uses a chiptune version of that area's music.
78	** The game hints at some of ''Ritual of the Night'''s major plot twists, primarily [[spoiler:Gebel not being evil of his own free will and Gremory's role as a major villain]].
79	** Crosses with DevelopersForesight if you enter Stage 8 without any allies, regardless of whether you killed them, ignored them, or some variation between the two. [[spoiler:The stage's name changes from "Curse the Moon" to "'''Cleave''' the Moon", and as shown under CutscenePowerToTheMax, that's exactly what Zangetsu does.]]
80	* FourIsDeath: The train cart right before the first boss has 4 4 4 4 on it.
81	* FragileSpeedster: Andrealphus is very fast and most of his attacks limit your own mobility, making landing hits on him hard. He is one of the bosses with the least health, though.
82	* GangplankGalleon: Stage 5 is a haunted ship on the coast constantly under the deluge of a rainstorm. Once Andrealphus is defeated, the weather clears up and reveals the demon lord's castle in the background, implying you were sailing toward it throughout the stage.
83	* GeniusBruiser: Although a relatively subtle example, Bathin, the demon with a brutal combat style, descends upon the party while reading a book, and is fought in a library.
84	* GeniusLoci: Valefor is not the gentleman-in-tophat demon made of coins, but rather the entire treasure vault itself.
85	* GlassCannon: [[spoiler:Zangetsu]] as the TrueFinalBoss. He has several fast and tricky-to-dodge attacks that can rapidly wear you down, but his health isn't that high.
86	* GuideDangIt:
87	** The only hint in-game about the charged slash attack Zangetsu has in Ultimate mode is the final attack he performs on Gremory in the solo ending. Most players find out from remarks on [=YouTube=] videos.
88	** An unstated effect of certain attacks is "crushing" damage, which is able to pierce enemies with very high defenses that would otherwise repel other attacks and break steel blocks. The only attacks in the game that deal crushing damage are Miriam's Axe Subweapon and the aforementioned ChargedAttack that Zangetsu gets from playing the game in Ultimate mode.
89	* HaveANiceDeath: In Nightmare Mode, [[spoiler:if you fail to protect Alfred while he's completing his spell, then the death screen will be Zangetsu slicing through Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel with his massive scythe and then transforming into a non-humanoid skull-like horned demon, all within a blood-red background and every other sprite in black silhouette]].
90	* HeartContainer: In most stages, you can find special items that increase your health or weapon point capacity. [[spoiler:However, you need the help of Miriam or Gebel's unique abilities to get most of them easily. Zangetsu on the "kill all allies" path can get two with creative use of abilities and a little luck, and Ultimate Zangetsu can dash double jump to get stage 3's.]]
91	* AnIcePerson: Alfred's Frostcalibur is an ice sword that he fires forward, freezing any enemy it hits.
92	* InterfaceSpoiler: The save screen has spaces for all 4 characters. Averted for the collectable equipment; the amount is short for the size of the space, even with the extra health heart in Nightmare mode.
93	* InvisibleBlock: If you ignore the crystal stairs in the final stage and jump off to the right, you can land on an invisible platform[[note]]the gap is precisely large enough so that anyone who isn't Miriam will land on the leftmost edge[[/note]]. Walking to the right leads you to a visible platform where you'll find some health hearts and, better yet, a Voltaic Ray scroll for Alfred.
94	* JackOfAllStats: Zangetsu, aside from having the largest health pool, meets this. While he's not as good as other characters in certain areas and he doesn't have any unique abilities that let him use shortcuts or easily get powerups like the other three, he's also not weak in any areas.
95	* JumpPhysics: Much like the original ''Castlevania'' games, you can't change direction in midair once you've jumped. That said, Miriam can still jump over her own body height with ease, and everyone else doesn't have much problem leaping over the horrors that they find.
96	* LastDitchMove: Every boss, with the exception of the Stage 4 boss and the final boss in Normal Mode, has an attack they use when their health is reduced to zero. In the normal game, this can't kill you, but you'll get a 1-up if you dodge it. However it can kill you in the boss rush or reduce your life bar for the next battle. [[spoiler:Even Gremory, said Normal Mode final boss, technically has one, but it only plays as a cutscene.]]
97	* LedgeBats: Being the ''Castlevania'' SpiritualSuccessor that it is, it wouldn't be complete without its own brand of GoddamnedBats. It also has Dullahammer Heads, the equivalent of Medusa Heads.
98	* LightningBruiser:
99	** Bathin, both metaphorically and literally. Half of its attacks are electricity-based, while the other half involves it blitzing across the room at speeds too fast to see, smashing platforms that are the only safe haven when the floor is being electrocuted.
100	** Ultimate Zangetsu can dash and double jump[[labelnote:*]]from the start, without first needing to kill Gebel and Alfred, respectively[[/labelnote]], and his ChargedAttack deals massive damage in a large radius in front of and above him as well as having the largest health of the playable characters.
101	* LiterallyShatteredLives: Alfred's Frostcalibur freezes any enemy or destructible object on contact. Striking any frozen object as any character causes it to break and die immediately. The only non-boss enemy immune to this is [[LikeCannotCutLike the ice golem]].
102	* LocomotiveLevel: The second half of Stage 1 takes place in and on a moving train, and the boss is the engine.
103	* MainCharacterFinalBoss: The main playable character, a demon hunter called Zangetsu, is [[spoiler:possessed by the final boss at the end of the game. If the player had opted to recruit Miriam, Gebel and Alfred before then, a new campaign called Nightmare Mode will be unlocked. It consists of those three characters joining forces to break the curse, which culminates in a climactic final battle against their former friend]].
104	* MakingASplash: Focalor. His boss lair is also littered with ice stalactites that will also feature in his attacks.
105	* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Valac. In addition to having three heads, each with massive jaws and an underlayer of teeth on their "chins", its midsection is revealed to be a strung-together series of mouths, all of them with teeth the size of the player characters.
106	* MultipleEndings:
107	** If you let all three party members join, [[spoiler:Zangetsu takes the bullet from the final boss and gets possessed]]. This unlocks Nightmare Mode.
108	** In Nightmare Mode, you play the game again and [[spoiler:kill the possessed Zangetsu. This frees his soul, but the afterlife does not look like what anyone expects]].
109	** If you kill the three party members to absorb their powers, [[spoiler:Zangetsu becomes the Dark Emperor and nobody is there to stop or save him]]. This unlocks Ultimate Mode.
110	** If you free the party members but leave them behind instead of recruiting OR killing them, [[spoiler:they'll jump in and sacrifice themselves against the final boss, apparently dying, although the text implies they might have survived. Zangetsu survives and is moved to reconsider his priorities in life]]. [[NoPointsForNeutrality Despite being the hardest ending to get, there are no unlocks for this.]]
111	** Recruit one or two characters, killing and/or ignoring the other(s), and nobody is apparently possessed. [[spoiler:They go their separate ways, but Zangetsu feels it isn't over.]]
112	** As a variation of the above, if you vary between ignoring and killing the party members,[[note]]For example, killing Gebel and ignoring Miriam and Alfred; and that is just one of six ways to do this.[[/note]] you get an ending where [[spoiler:Zangetsu feels like it isn't over]], with no mention of his potential allies.
113	** Ultimate Mode does not have a unique story. Zangetsu has all three Soul Arts from the start, in addition to the aforementioned ChargedAttack, but he can still choose to recruit/kill/ignore the party members exactly as in Normal Mode. There are [[AchievementSystem achievements]] for these ending variations.
114	* MythologyGag:
115	** The title theme is an 8-bit version of the music used in the original Kickstarter pitch for ''Ritual of the Night''.
116	** The hall leading to Bloodless is designed similarly to the hall leading to Death in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaI'' (hammer-throwing knights and flying heads that move up and down in comparison with the Axe Knight and Medusa Heads).
117	** You fight two living paintings as bosses, as a homage to ''Rondo of Blood''[='=]s Captain's Painting mini boss. And it has the same [[OneHitKill instant kill]] where it sucks the victim into itself.
118	** Nightmare Mode is a dead ringer to ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow''[='s=] Julius Mode: [[spoiler:The initial protagonist of the game becomes possessed by dark powers (Zangetsu/Soma), so his friends, a whip-wielder (Miriam/Julius), a staff-carrying wizard (Alfred/Yoko), and an otherworldly person who can shape-shift into a bat (Gebel/Alucard) go and try to save him, culminating in facing the corrupted protagonist as the final boss.]]
119	** Before the boss fight with him in Nightmare Mode, [[spoiler:Zangetsu]] throws down a bowl of sake and shatters it, mirroring Dracula doing the same with his glass in several ''Castlevania'' games, such as in the prologue fight with Richter in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''.
120	** The approach into the TrueFinalBoss' lair is, oddly enough, the inverse of entering Dracula's keep. Rather than taking the stairs into the tallest tower, you take stairs to enter the lowest room.
121	** Related to the InvisibleBlock example, said hidden platform late in the normal mode's final stage is one to similar hidden things in a couple of ''Castlevania'' games' final stages, chiefly ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV''.
122	* NintendoHard: It's a {{Retraux}} game hearkening back to the king of Nintendo Hard, ''Castlevania''. What did you expect?
123	* NoblewomansLaugh: Bloodless gives one off before the fight with her.
124	* NewGamePlus: Nightmare and Ultimate modes somewhat function as this in different ways:
125	** Nightmare mode has you start out with all 3 allies [[spoiler:on their quest to stop corrupted Zangetsu]], but bosses have more difficult patterns and enemies from the later half will find their way into earlier levels, particularly in paths not accessible in other modes. But on the upside, you are able to get an otherwise unavailable life-up in Stage 1.
126	** Ultimate mode starts you off as Zangetsu with not only all the Soul Arts obtained from killing the allies, but also a powerful charged slash. And you're able to play it normally, including the opportunity to recruit/ignore allies instead of killing them; however, the story remains unchanged. Boss Difficulty is the same as Nightmare.
127	* OneHitKill:
128	** Like in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'', there's a possessed painting as a miniboss, whose only attack is swooping down on you while it's wreathed in energy. Let it connect, and your character becomes trapped in the painting for an instant death.
129	** Since Frostcalibur induces LiterallyShatteredLives on any frozen non-boss enemy you hit, it can be used to one-shot anything in the game short of a boss. This also includes the aforementioned painting mini-boss.
130	** [[spoiler:Gremory is implied to be charging an extreme version of her New Moon attack as her LastDitchMove if you don't recruit any allies, but Zangetsu cleaves her in two before she can finish. You can't let her finish even if you want to, she just charges it for eternity until you either turn off the game, reset, or finally finish her.]]
131	** [[spoiler:During the final part of the battle with Dark Emperor Zangetsu where he readies his giant scythe, if you fail to protect Alfred from the blue flames coming out of the skulls, Zangetsu will swing that scythe so hard that it ''kills your entire party''. Luckily, you only lose a life instead of a full game over.]]
132	* OneWingedAngel: Subverted. The second phase of the final boss battle only sees her upgrade her lunar tiara and unfurl her wings instead of transforming into something else entirely. [[spoiler:Dark Emperor Zangetsu also only transforms into a skeletal demon if he kills the heroes with his final scythe attack, meaning you never get to fight it.]]
133	* PlayboyBunny: Strangely enough, some of the enemies in the level "Tragedy of Slaughter" are playboy bunny girls. They attack by high jumping and kicking up miniature shock-waves made of hearts as they land. They even have their own death animation where instead of exploding into a burst of blood, they explode into a small burst of pink hearts. It's possible that they are Lilis, a type of PlayboyBunny-themed [[SuccubiAndIncubi Succubus]] from ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight''.
134	* ThePowerOfFriendship: During the final battle against the TrueFinalBoss, you're limited to controlling one character, but the others will occasionally stand up and help you to get the chance to attack the boss. At the end of the final battle, [[spoiler:Gebel and Miriam (you) will help Alfred to stave off the hungry souls attacking him, allowing him to complete the spell to defeat Zangetsu]].
135	* PowerUp: In addition to the standard life or weapon-restoring one and subweapons, there's two permament items late in the game: The Gauntlet (increases normal attack damage) in Stage 6 and Armor (take a bit less damage) in early Stage 7. The Gauntlet can be gotten through a mix of methods while the Armor requires better than normal jumping ability. This makes them the only items you can easily get on a "kill all allies" run.
136	* PurposefullyOverpowered: Alfred's ultimate Subweapon, Voltaic Rays, ''deletes'' anything onscreen short of a boss when used and does absurd damage to bosses. However, you can only get it from green lamps, which are very rare and typically hidden in secret rooms or difficult-to-reach shortcuts, and it has a very high cost of 15 WEAPON Points, making it difficult to spam. However, if you collect enough WP upgrades, you shouldn't ''need'' to spam it, as anything you'd need to use it multiple times on will likely die before you run out.
137	* RealTimeWeaponChange: The four playable characters can be swapped between on the fly, allowing the player to near-instantly adapt to new gameplay situations.
138	* {{Retraux}}: It almost practically emulates the NES style word-for-word. The character sprites match the ''Castlevania'' style closely enough that one could mistake them for actual NES ''Castlevania'' characters.
139	* SequelHook: After being killed as the final boss in Nightmare Mode, [[spoiler:Zangetsu's soul wakes up at the top of a building in a {{Cyberpunk}}-esque city revealed to be [[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt Gunvolt's]] world (the Sumeragi HQ is visible)]]. Cue the words "The End...?"
140	* ShockAndAwe: Andrealphus and Bathin both utilize electricity, albeit differently (Andrealphus uses atmospheric lightning, while Bathin generates his own electricity). Alfred also can utilize an electric spell that shoots towards enemies like a homing missile, which can be found in green lanterns.
141	* ShortRangeShotgun: Gebel's bats act like this. They fly upward in an arc, and their range is extremely short for a ranged attack, but he can hit with up to three hits per attack.
142	* ShoutOut:
143	** Alfred's Burning Sphere, Frostcalibur, and Voltaic Rays are named after [[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt Gunvolt's]] Astrasphere, Luxcalibur, and Voltaic Chains attacks. Burning Sphere and Frostcalibur behave somewhat similarly as their namesake attacks, and Frostcalibur has a similar blade design to Luxcalibur. Alfred's other spell, Soul Vision, may instead be based on Joule's ability to project an image of her soul as the Muse.
144	** The iron maiden room in Stage 6 is reminiscent of the iron maidens found in Gibril's mansion in ''Azure Striker Gunvolt 2''. Incidentally, Gibril and Bloodless both use blood as their main form of attack.
145	** During the Nightmare Mode ending, [[spoiler:Zangetsu]] wakes up on top of a building and the camera moves downwards, like an inversion of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auQv90TfXrI the opening]] of ''VideoGame/MegaMan2''. Furthermore, they seem to wake up in the world of ''Azure Striker Gunvolt''.
146	** Stage 5 is one big ShoutOut to stage 5 of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'', right down to having the same mini-boss and same boss arena.
147	** Andrealphus, the boss of stage 5, fights extremely similarly to Pegasolta Eclair from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero4'', another game Inticreates made. You even fight the both of them in a windy, rainy scene that's constantly pushing you off the stage.
148	** The last level in Nightmare Mode is highly reminiscent of [[spoiler:''VideoGame/GetsuFumaDen'', a Shinto-style hell. Especially if you consider that Zangetsu himself also evokes Getsu Fuma, being an eastern swordmaster who fights demons]].
149	** The ArrangeMode option that allows you to start the game with a fully-powered Zangetsu is called "Ultimate Mode", much like [[VideoGame/MegaManZero a previous Inti Creates series]] that has an unlockable feature of the same name.
150	* SinisterScythe: [[spoiler:Dark Emperor Zangetsu]] wields one. You can see it either when you achieve the Bad End, or when you fight him as the final boss of Nightmare Mode, including the end of the fight where he makes an enormous scythe to mow you down.
151	* StationaryBoss: Aside from the aforementioned Valefor and Gremory in BackgroundBoss above, there's also Glutton Train and Valac, who stay on one end of the screen instead of moving around like the rest of the bosses.
152	* StealthPun: Gremory has one. During each of her attacks, the phase of the moon will change in its halo-looking thing. On a New Moon, she'll create an oversized red moon and throw it at you. She's '''creating a new moon'''.
153	* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Gebel and Alfred both die in ''Ritual of the Night'', while they live in this game.]]
154	* SpiritualSuccessor: This game has been referred to by fans as "the ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' remake that never was". What makes it funny is that graphics-wise, it's pretty much an 8-bit game, unlike ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'' or ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChronicles'', which were indeed remakes.
155	* TacticalSuicideBoss: Bloodless, the level 6 boss, would be almost unbeatable were it not for the fact that, for some weird reason, she summons floating umbrellas that you can use as platforms to reach her, and you can also use them as coverage from her bloody rain attack (it is the only way to avoid it, by the way). To add insult to the injury, the umbrellas can't even hurt you!
156	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Zangetsu clearly has reservations about his new allies, and only lets any of them live (if recruited) because they share a common goal. Depending on how you interacted with the other party members, [[spoiler:either they or Zangetsu may end up sacrificing themselves at the end to save one another, despite Zangetsu's initial animosity]].
157	* TitleDrop: The titular Curse of the Moon, which is both the name of the curse that Zangetsu is afflicted with and a time travel function that allows you to go back to a previous stage. Using the Curse of the Moon doesn't let you take allies or power-ups back with you, but allows you to change the fate of your allies if you want to see a different ending.
158	* TokenEvilTeammate: Gebel, the curse-progenitor, and the BigBad of ''Ritual Of The Night'', is a VillainProtagonist here. [[spoiler:Actually, that's a lie. He's not evil at all.]]
159	* TookALevelInKindness:
160	** When recruiting his allies, Zangetsu was especially distrusting about their status as Shardbinder (Miriam), Alchemist (Alfred), and curse-progenitor (Gebel) and he even had the option to just kill them on the spot. However, in the end of the playthrough, [[spoiler:he apparently grows fond enough to cover them from Gremory's final assault by his own instinct, getting himself possessed and inspiring the three to save his soul. On the other hand, even if he doesn't recruit anyone, sparing them all also results in them doing the same for ''him'' instead, and the ending text implies that Zangetsu attempts to learn to trust others more because of that]].
161	** Gebel as well. His dialogue when recruited by Zangetsu makes him look more bitter and spiteful to mankind than the rest of the party members, not unlike his ''Ritual'' self. That said, in the Nightmare Mode, he ends up fighting with all his strength in order to [[spoiler:put the corrupted Zangetsu to rest and bring peace to mankind]].
162	* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: To gain special abilities for Zangetsu, you must kill your party members instead of letting them join. If you do it at the first opportunity (killing Miriam), the next stage will have a warning sign that you shouldn't be such a loner and allows you to go back in time to undo your action. Ignore it in favor of making Zangetsu a super-powerful OneManArmy, and... [[spoiler:enjoy the worst ending, [[labelnote:*]](Zangetsu becomes the Dark Emperor with no one stopping him)[[/labelnote]] you bastard]]! And even with his new abilities, he cannot get most life and weapon point extensions. Although CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption if you want to unlock the Ultimate Mode.
163	* WeaponSpecialization: Miriam uses a whip as her primary weapon. Much like the Vampire Killer of ''Castlevania'', there's a slight delay before it actually attacks.
164	* WeirdMoon:
165	** The moon waxes from crescent to full over the course of the game, despite it taking place over a single night. [[spoiler:In Nightmare Mode, it similarly wanes from full to new.]]
166	** In the final battle, Gremory somehow '''weaponizes the moon''', with its phase changing throughout the battle to indicate the attack that's about to come at you.
167	* YourSoulIsMine: If you attack and kill the freed party members instead, you gain special abilities, called Soul Arts. Naturally, how often you do this affects the ending.
168	[[/folder]]
169
170	[[folder:''Curse of the Moon 2'' tropes]]
171
172	!!''Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2'' contains examples of:
173	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bloodstained_curse_of_the_moon_2.jpg]]
174	* OneUp: ''Curse 2'' does away with the score counter from the original game and instead displays a score meter that fills up, granting you an extra life when completely full.
175	* EleventhHourSuperpower: If you leave for TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon alone, [[spoiler:Alfred will give Zangetsu an alchemically-reforged version of his original sword called the Daizangetsuto before departure, allowing him to regain the powers of the Soul Eraser]].
176	* AbortedArc: The SequelHook from the previous game is ignored completely.
177	* AdvancingBossOfDoom: Stage 8 of Episode 1 prominently features Abaddon constantly pursuing the heroes throughout the stage in a ball of deadly flies. You can push the ball back with attacks, but if it catches up and consumes you, it's [[OneHitKill instant death.]]
178	* AllYourPowersCombined:
179	** [[spoiler:The Flying Armor uses all the Subweapons of Zangetsu and his allies as power-ups, such as firing talismans, triple knives, Drake Cannons, scythes, whirlwinds, and electric orbs, gaining Gebel's bats as options, and using Alfred's spells as temporary enhancements.]]
180	** [[spoiler:Zangetsu absorbs the power of his allies to cleave Sariel into half.]]
181	* AlwaysABiggerFish: At the end of Episode 1, [[spoiler:Abaddon is promptly ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice by Mephisto's hand, killing him instantly]].
182	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
183	** Did you lose one of your characters in the fight against the stage boss, and frustratingly when said boss was just that close to death? As long as the character in question wasn't the only one still alive in your party, when you make it back to the boss, some of the damage that was dealt in your previous attempt will remain.
184	** A common problem in the previous game is that checkpoints were both unclear and rare, thus making it hard to tell how far back you go when you die and resulting in some CheckpointStarvation. This game rectifies this by adding lamps that clearly indicate checkpoints and placing at least two or three per stage.
185	** In multiplayer, both players have access to a special ability called Mascotify, which transforms them into an invincible box that hovers around the other player. You can use this to have the other player carry you through a difficult room without taking damage or worrying about losing a life, but if the player carrying you dies, you die as well.
186	** Much like the previous game, getting to the final checkpoint in Stage 8 gives you effectively unlimited lives, either through a respawning 1-UP or a respawning Anthem Subweapon for Dominique.
187	** [[spoiler:The UnexpectedShmupLevel gives you a more powerful normal shot to compensate for having less lives if you leave for TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon with less party members.]]
188	** Compared to the first game, the upgrades are '''much''' easier to find; just follow the optimal path and they'll be there in plain sight.
189	** On the subject of upgrades, the Episode Final path has two in each stage, and you usually won't be able to get them both in one go. But once you get one, you can simply exit the stage and still have it (you don't even have to have beaten the stage first).
190	* AsskickingPose: In the campfire scene before each episodes' final stages, the characters will engage in tough posturing before getting started.
191	* AstralFinale: In a surprise departure from its predecessor series, [[spoiler:the final confrontation takes place on the moon]].
192	* AwesomeButImpractical: [[spoiler:Speed upgrades in the UnexpectedShmupLevel are useful... to a point. Speed goes up to 10, and after collecting multiple upgrades, you'll start going a bit ''too'' fast. This can make the Flying Armor incredibly difficult to steer, since certain segments require precision movement and having too many speed upgrades will likely make you crash into a wall/moon rock and die.]]
193	* BagOfSpilling: Despite the Episodes taking place in chronological order, the heroes always lose every single power-up obtained in an Episode and start fresh at the beginning of the next Episode. The only exceptions are special Key Items that Zangetsu gets, namely his Sword upgrades.
194	* BalanceBuff:
195	** Alfred's otherwise-unimpressive rod smack has gained a notable bonus effect of now having a chance to recover a WEAPON Point when it hits an enemy.
196	** Miriam's Scythe Subweapon recovers a WEAPON Point if she catches it on the way back.
197	** Gebel's DashAttack in bat form now has the ability to LifeDrain an enemy it hits.
198	* BaitAndSwitch: For the first three levels of Episode 1, the bosses would prepare to do a LastDitchMove like the bosses from the first game... only for your new party members (Dominique, Robert, and Hachi) to pull a BigDamnHeroes and annul the attack.
199	* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: [[spoiler:For whatever reason, Zangetsu & party has no problems breathing in space. Zangetsu heard about something called "oxygen" from Albert, but all he knows is that you need it to make fire. But the ending shot shows a roaring campfire, so does that mean there's oxygen on the moon?]]
200	* BelatedHappyEnding: None of the player characters died (or stayed dead) from the first game, despite there not being an ending where this happens.
201	* BigDamnHeroes: If you get the normal ending to episode 2, at the start of episode EX, The original trio of allies from the first game teleport in, find out what's going on, and join you giving you [[spoiler:the Zanmatou, making what looked to be a bleak journey more hopeful]].
202	* BossRush: The Version 1.2.0 update added an unlockable Boss Rush mode on the main menu. You can play it with one or two players and supports Casual and Veteran playstyles. It also has unlockable Hard difficulty, with exclusive Hard variations of Abaddon, [[spoiler:Mephisto, and Sariel]], as well as unlockable Ultimate Zangetsu and options such as infinite items and WEAPON Points.
203	* BroadStrokes: The first game's events, as referenced in this game: Zangetsu is alive and well in the relative present day, he [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaCurseOfDarkness did not fight alone]], and all three allies fought beside him and befriended him. This cannot be replicated within the first game itself, as he only survives with any of the three allies if at least one of the others was killed or ignored, otherwise he dies himself if he recruited all three.
204	* ButThouMust: If you know how Episode 2 will end if you still have it at that point, then clearly you don't want to pick up the Soul Eraser during Episode 1, right? Well, too bad! Dominique won't let you leave until you take it. See SwordOfPlotAdvancement below.
205	* CallBack:
206	** In Episode 1's campfire scene for Stage 7, Zangetsu is seen using a sake dish like the one he threw away during the TrueFinalBoss fight of the previous game.
207	** Episode EX's stage 2 is called "The Blue Rose", which is the signature sword that Miriam is seen wielding in her promotional images in ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight''.
208	** The subtitle for the Final Episode is "Cleave the Moon", much like the name of the last stage in the previous game if you didn't recruit any allies. Furthermore, attempting the final stage without recruiting allies changes the stage's name to "[[GratuitousLatin Luna Secare]]", meaning "cut the moon", [[spoiler:and this time around, Zangetsu does exactly that]].
209	** Episode 2, Episode EX, and the Final Episode's last boss feature Zangetsu's allies attacking to allow Zangetsu to land the final blow.
210	* ChallengeRun:
211	** Going for TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon in the Final Episode without picking up any allies gives a ''much'' more difficult [[spoiler:UnexpectedShmupLevel]] with a unique music track, an alternate form of the TrueFinalBoss, and a special ending.
212	** Single Mode has you play through the entire game as a single character, and all upgrade items are removed.
213	** Zangetsu Select has the option to pick Static Zangetsu, where Zangetsu never gains any of the effects of sword upgrades for gameplay purposes.
214	* CliffhangerCopout: There is no mention of the city that Zangetsu was sent to in the Nightmare mode ending of the first game.
215	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Normal lamps that drop WP and money are orange, Subweapon lamps are purple, Heart lamps are red, Voltaic Ray lamps are green, and Resurrection Anthem lamps are golden.
216	* CompanyCrossReferences:
217	** The enhanced sword attacks of the Soul Eraser and Daizangetsutō basically give Zangetsu the [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Z-Saber]].
218	** Speaking of Inti's references to a [[VideoGame/MegaManZero previous series,]] [[spoiler:Mephisto's]] BeamSpam attack is shot-for-shot Seraph Copy-X's own BeamSpam from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'', slowed down to account for a lack of a dash or wall climb in this game, except for the fact the orbs the lasers are shot from are colored red and blue… making them look a lot like Crea and Prea from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero3''.
219	** Dominique's Resurrection Anthem sub-weapon is based on the signature ability of [[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries "The Muse" Septima]].
220	* ContinuingIsPainful: [[spoiler:Much like any classic arcade shooter, dying in the Flying Armor on Veteran difficulty causes you to lose all of your power-ups and leaves you with just the standard normal shot. You do spit out one upgrade and a Speed boost on death, but you better hope you can pick those up in time. Not helping matters is that the enemies quickly get tougher the farther you get in the stage.]]
221	* CuttingTheKnot: Discussed in the Final Episode, where [[spoiler:Zangetsu asks Dominique why they didn't just get the Zanmatou from the outset instead of going through the adventure with the Soul Eraser before realizing that they needed the Zanmatou to keep Dominique alive. Dominique insists that they couldn't rely on finding the Zanmatou that easily, but Zangetsu points out that the Zanmatou was HiddenInPlainSight in a very obvious side room. Dominique blames her bad eyesight]].
222	* DeflectorShields: Like the previous game, Alfred's Burning Sphere destroys most projectiles on contact. [[spoiler:This also applies to the Flying Armor, as picking it up grants the ability to absorb a limited number of enemy bullets.]]
223	* DenserAndWackier: The fourth hero to join the demon hunters is a dog driving a steam engine mecha. [[spoiler:And in the final episode, a spaceship is built to travel to the moon that also has oxygen!]] The game is also much more humorous than the first entry, with the campfire scenes between levels tending to provide some goofy levity.
224	* DetonationMoon: [[spoiler:The Final Episode's secret ending has Zangetsu literally slash the entire moon into halves with a single stroke.]]
225	* DerivativeDifferentiation: The new playable characters, Dominique, Robert, and Hachi, all have unique playstyles rather than being [[{{Expy}} explicitly inspired]] by characters from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'', to set the game apart from its inspiration. The game also has co-op, something that ''Dracula's Curse'' didn't have.
226	* DifficultButAwesome: Rapid changing characters to use their respective jumping abilities, such as jumping off a wall as Robert then using Hachi's hovering, can open up shortcuts much earlier than expected. Doing so requires very precise button pressing.
227	* DownerEnding: The bad ending of Episode 2 ends with [[spoiler:Zangetsu wounding, but not killing the FinalBoss, as he feared the Soul Eraser would take Dominique's life as well. This results in the boss using its LastDitchMove, and while Zangetsu, Robert, and Hachi escape alive, Robert and Hachi are too injured to keep going, forcing Zangetsu to continue alone]].
228	* EarnYourFun: You can unlock Ultimate Zangetsu, infinite items, and infinite WEAPON Points for Boss Rush, but to do so you must clear it on Veteran difficulty with the default settings.
229	* EarnYourHappyEnding: Unlike either of its predecessors in the series, ''Curse'' [[spoiler:ends on an unambiguously positive note. No characters are killed, the demons are vanquished, the world is saved, and Zangetsu finally ends his curse. To earn this ending, however, the player will need to play through the entire game ''three times'' with various challenges and sacrifices to make on each playthrough]].
230	* EasterEgg: Some of the bosses' last ditch attacks can be countered by Ultimate Zangetsu's ChargeAttack, bifurcating them. Seeing as they can't kill you, [[RuleOfCool it's solely for style]].
231	* FakeLongevity: In order to unlock every scenario in ''Curse of the Moon 2'', you need to play the entire game from start to finish no less than '''five times.''' The only things that change in each playthrough are your starting equipment, potential ally characters, and in certain cases stage access and difficulty, although each stage has a large bevy of branching paths that can be accessed with different combinations of characters to make each playthrough feel different.
232	* {{Foil}}: It is interesting to see that members of Zangetsu's original and new teams are parallels to each other (to the point of possible counterparts).
233	** Dominique and Miriam: Both are the lone women and play the role of TeamMom during a crisis. They also both use shards, with Dominique's sub-weapon output looking like them in this installment and Miriam using them in ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight''.
234	** Robert and Alfred: Both start with the lowest health of their respective teams and have effective distance attacks.
235	** Hachi and Gebel: Both have flight capabilities, do not have attacks that go along the ground, and neither use sub-weapons (meaning that weapon lamps give jars when either one of them break them).
236	* ForegoneConclusion: Similar to how this trope was used in the first game (see above), the room directly before the final boss has [[OneUp 1-Ups]] that replenish every time you lose a life. And the room ''before'' that room has a secret area that always has Resurrection Anthems for Dominique.
237	** The last three rooms before fighting Gremory have enough high-value score drops to guarantee a OneUp every time you lose a life, granting you [[InfiniteOneUps infinite lives]] in a long-winded way.
238	* GainaxEnding: The secret ending when you finish Ultimate Mode without recruiting anyone. [[spoiler:With the help of his friends, Zangetsu cleaved Sariel just like he did to Gremory in ''Curse 1''. By doing that, he cleaved the whole moon, the place where they're fighting. And that's it, cue credit roll, no need to worry about how the rest of the group are gonna survive getting cleaved with the moon or how long Zangetsu is going to stay in space without air.]]
239	* GoodTimesMontage: During the normal ending of Episode 2, [[spoiler:Zangetsu experiences a flashback of the party's bond with Dominique in a series of rapid-fire images of the campfire scenes, ultimately convincing him not to kill Mephisto with the Soul Eraser to keep her alive]].
240	* HardLevelsEasyBosses: Episode EX. The routes that are now accessible thanks to having the prequel allies are actually ''more'' difficult than the shortcuts used by Dominique, Robert, and Hachi, oftentimes featuring much tougher enemies and very tricky platforming rooms. On the other hand, you can cheese the hell out of multiple bosses thanks to gaining access to the infamously broken Subweapon combos that the prequel allies have.
241	* HardModeFiller: Episode 2 is all of the stages from Episode 1, but with tougher enemy placement and harder boss battles. [[spoiler:And you're not allowed to use Dominique and her useful utilities.]] On the bright side, Robert and Hachi are available from the get-go.
242	** Episode EX, which is unlocked by [[spoiler:failing to get the Zanmatou in Episode 2, is a similar go around, but with just the original bunch of allies from the first game and the Zanmatou given to you from the get-go]].
243	* HarderThanHard: The Version 1.3.0 update added Legend difficulty, which is an even more difficult mode than Veteran. In addition to enemies dealing more damage, there are more enemies in stages and enemies respawn if they move off-screen. There's also a [[TimedMission time limit in every stage]] and you lose a life if ''any'' character dies.
244	* HolyHandGrenade: The blade of the Zanmatou is said to be able to rend foes of evil while leaving good spirits unharmed. [[spoiler:This is the key to saving Dominique, as she won't be harmed by it when Zangetsu kills Mephisto.]]
245	* HumanLadder: In multiplayer, you can stand on the back of the other player and ride around on them while still being free to attack and dismount whenever desired. Since the game is balanced around single-player, you can exploit this heavily with certain combinations of characters. [[spoiler:This is also how Zangetsu fights the TrueFinalBoss on a solo run: by using the other characters to get to the boss, then jumping on Dominique's back as she uses her SpringJump Subweapon to ascend to its weak point.]]
246	* InfinityMinusOneSword: The Zanmatō, which {{Nerf}}s Zangetsu back down to just one sword slice and normal sub-weapons[[spoiler:, yet can kill Mephisto without harming Dominique]]. See also SwordOfPlotAdvancement below.
247	* InfinityPlusOneSword: [[spoiler:The Daizangetsutō, which you only obtain if you depart for the Final Stage with no allies. It basically gives you back what the Zanmatō took away and unlocks a secret variation of the TrueFinalBoss and a secret ending to go with it.]]
248	* InfoDump: Recruiting the three sequel allies in the Final Episode has them give a relatively lengthy backstory exposition for each of them and their connection to Zangetsu.
249	** [[spoiler:Dominique vowed to destroy Mephisto for the sake of her parents, and jumped at the opportunity when the Church caught wind of his appearance. However, Mephisto requires DemonicPossession to take form, and TakingTheBullet was part of her plan to give Mephisto form so Zangetsu could kill both of them. However, her experience with the group made her realize that she didn't want to die, and she expresses her gratitude to Zangetsu for saving her.]]
250	** [[spoiler:Robert was not quite the sour prude he's known for now when he was younger, but arriving home only to be met by a demon killing and eating his wife spurred sheer hatred within him, and he sought out Zangetsu as someone who shared the same hate and loathing that he did.]]
251	** [[spoiler:Hachi has apparently followed Zangetsu ever since a fateful night's favor. Zangetsu also reveals that it was Robert who gave him the name "Hachi"; Zangetsu originally wanted to call him "Zangetsumaru", but "Hachi" stuck.]]
252	* LethalLavaLand: Stage 5 takes place in a volcano. The stage transitions for Stage 6 usually show the characters suffering from the intense heat (although Hachi pulls shaved ice out of {{Hammerspace}} in Episode 2).
253	* LighterAndSofter: [[spoiler:None of the playable characters end up dead,]] with the sub-plot being learning how to get along with people with different opinions. [[spoiler:And the BigBad of ''Ritual'' is [[AdaptationalHeroism re-imagined]] as [[TheHeart the moral compass!]]]]
254	* MarathonBoss: Fighting the TrueFinalBoss as Zangetsu alone rewards you with [[spoiler:a grueling multi-stage slugfest where you must destroy several skeletal rabbits in a row to get high enough to fight the actual boss]].
255	* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: A couple times, the level boss can be seen in the background. Furthermore, keep an eye on the Moon as you progress through each Episode, even Episode EX.
256	* MergingTheBranches: In this game, both Zangetsu and all three original allies are alive and are explicitly stated to have fought alongside each other previously, which cannot happen in any route in the original game where Zangetsu survives. Specific details of any event that happened in the first ''Curse'' are also omitted entirely, with the opening scroll neglecting to mention the fates of either Zangetsu or his allies in their last adventure.
257	* MultipleEndings: Although not quite as expansive as the previous game, certain Episodes have them.
258	** In Episode 2:
259	*** Defeat Mephisto with the Soul Eraser. [[spoiler:Zangetsu refuses to strike down Dominique, resulting in the entire party getting attacked. With Robert and Hachi out of commission, Zangetsu restarts his journey alone.]] This unlocks Episode EX.
260	*** Defeat Mephisto with the Zanmatou. [[spoiler:Mephisto is destroyed and Dominique is saved, but she discovers that demons from the moon are preparing to attack Earth. When Zangetsu's old allies from their previous adventure arrive, the seven of them team up to save the world.]] This unlocks the Final Episode.
261	** In the Final Episode:
262	*** Recruit at least one ally and defeat the TrueFinalBoss. [[spoiler:With the power of his friends, Zangetsu defeats Sariel, destroys the demon threat, and is freed from the Curse of the Moon. Although no one else may know of their deeds, they can rest knowing that Earth is safe once and for all.]] This unlocks Zangetsu Select.
263	*** Defeat the TrueFinalBoss alone. [[spoiler:With all of his allies gathered, Zangetsu launches one final assault on Sariel, who is escaping into space. Hachi and Dominique launch Zangetsu into outer space to pursue Sariel, and with the help of his friends and a single slash of the Daizangetsutou, Zangetsu cleaves Sariel and ''the moon itself'' into two.]] This unlocks Single Mode.
264	* MundaneUtility:
265	** In Episode EX's campfire scene for Stage 5, the party uses Alfred's Frostcalibur to stave off the heat... until it melts.
266	** Similarly, Zangetsu uses the Zanmatou, a blade designed to annihilate the souls of evil, to carve an ice sculpture.
267	* MythologyGag: The FinalBoss of Episode 2 and Episode EX is [[spoiler:the save room from ''Ritual of the Night'']]. Literally.
268	* NewWorkRecycledGraphics: The sequel reuses a large number of assets from the original game, as well as a handful of music tracks.
269	* NintendoHard: If you thought the first game was challenging, ''2'' is definitely ''out for blood.''
270	* OneWayTrip: [[spoiler:The ride to the moon is implied to be one. The shuttle made to go there is damaged, but not totalled, in the landing, and the ending naration never says that they return to Earth and explicitly notes no-one will ever know of their deeds. Either way, they're all content to stay by the campfire looking up at the Earth on the moon.]]
271	* OpeningTheSandbox: Unlike the previous Episodes, which strictly railroad you through game progression, the Final Episode gives you absolute freedom in which stages you wish to tackle and what allies you want to pick up. It's also the first Episode where you can bring all allies into any stage as long as you've obtained them, allowing you to access special shortcuts that you saw but were unable to access in Episodes 1 and 2, including many of the Gebel and Hachi-exclusive routes.
272	* PowerUpLetdown: In Episode 2, you can try to gather three different colored swords to get the Zanmatou, and you're given quite the fanfare for unlocking it. However, doing that means you just {{Nerf}}ed Zangetsu into his vanilla form, no more 3 hit combo, no more vertical jumping slash, no more superpowered subweapons. [[spoiler:It's what you need to unlock the good ending, as its description is a weapon created to destroy evil without hurting what's good. Perfect for saving someone from the grip of a demon.]]
273	* RecoilBoost: Robert's Drake Cannon Subweapon pushes him back quite a bit when used. The game recommends using it during a jump for a bit of extra distance, but you can also use it while standing on ice to quickly gain velocity.
274	* SchizoTech: Not only are MiniMecha somehow existing in the 16th century, [[spoiler:the heroes are somehow able to use Alchemical knowledge to ''build their own starship'']]. This was at least somewhat justified in ''Ritual of the Night'' by creatures of the night having access to significantly more advanced tech, but in this case it's explicitly for RuleOfCool.
275	* ScoringPoints: Still very much a thing, although the game takes an unusual stance in not displaying ''quantifiable'' points, instead displaying your points as a gauge marking how far you are to the next OneUp as opposed to Every10000Points.
276	* SelfDestructMechanism: One of the parts for [[spoiler:the Flying Armor]] is a self-destruct button. There's no explanation as to ''why'' it needs one.
277	* ShoutOut:
278	** A type of gargoyle enemy in Stage 7 fires bouncing fireballs and bears quite a bit of a resemblance to [[{{Franchise/Metroid}} Ridley]].
279	** The Final Episode brings in mind [[spoiler:''Konami VideoGame/WaiWaiWorld'', a platforming game where you go to various locales to recruit additional heroes (although in Curse's case, it's optional), then engage in an UnexpectedShmupLevel near the end where the heroes take to the space to confront the final enemy]].
280	* SillinessSwitch: In BossRush Mode, the 2P Zangetsu has goofy versions of Zangetsu's Subweapons that serve the same purposes, such as a prayer stick for the Ball-and-Chain, the coin of a ''maneki neko'' for the Void Charm, and a scarf for the Demon Essence.
281	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Stage 4 is a town that's been frozen over, requisite ice physics included. Notably, Hachi's PoweredArmor has the ability to walk on iced surfaces normally with SpiderLimbs, making platforming significantly easier if you have him (and much harder when you don't).
282	* SwordOfPlotAdvancement: The Zanmatō. There is no way to play the Final Episode without it. Either you start Episode EX with it, or you finish Episode 2 with it.
283	** Ditto the Soul Eraser in Episode 1. Dominique will not allow you to move on to the next stage until you pick it up. If you try, she'll stop you and [[NoticeThis point it out]], saying it could be useful.
284	* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Much like Zangetsu did at the end of the first game, it's Dominique who takes a dark magic shot to save her allies. Episode 2 is about Zangetsu, Robert, and Hachi going to save her.]]
285	* TurnsRed: The mech enemies in Stage 7 '''do not like it''' when you use Frostcalibur on them. They will stay frozen for a second before breaking free with Invincible Iron and go berserk.
286	* UnexpectedShmupLevel: In the Final Episode, [[spoiler:after gathering all the materials needed, Alfred constructs an alchemist-based battle plane that travels to the moon and fires weapons based on the playable characters' abilities. Cue a top-down plane shooter gameplay similar to ''VideoGame/{{Twinbee}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}[=/=]Life Force'']].
287	* UnexplainedRecovery: Despite quite explicitly dying at the end of the previous game's Nightmare Mode, Zangetsu is completely alive and well during this adventure with no mention of how he managed to cheat death.
288	* ViolationOfCommonSense: Episode EX is locked behind the ''normal'' ending of Episode 2, not the good ending. [[spoiler:You can't "un-obtain" the Zanmatou once you pick it up, so if you got the good ending first, better start a fresh save!]]
289	* WeirdMoon: Pay close attention to the Moon as you progress through each Episode, especially if you unlocked Episode EX before playing the Final Episode. [[spoiler:You'll notice it progressively becomes ''bigger'' compared to previous Episodes.]]
290	* WeirdWeather: The first stage's background features a sea of clouds blowing past rather quickly. WordOfGod is that the team really likes moving stages, but didn't want to repeat the LocomotiveLevel from ''Curse 1'', so they added a moving parallax background to invoke the feeling of movement in an otherwise static level.
291	[[/folder]]

Context VideoGame / BloodstainedCurseOfTheMoon