Darkstalkers 4: Blood Moon Tournament

Darkstalkers 4: Blood Moon Tournament (known as Vampire IV: Ketsueki Tsuki Tournament in Japan) is the fourth entry in the franchise, taking place several events after Vampire Savior (or Darkstalkers 3 everywhere, else!). The Taito Type X2 is this entry's main engine, as well as utilizing 2D character models (newly designed after the release of Vampire Savior) and gorgeous, 3D stage backgrounds. B.M.T. features all the playable characters from the previous installments, as well as the addition of six new characters. Darkstalkers 4: Blood Moon Tournament is published by Capcom and developed by Dimps. All music was made by Daisuke Ishiwatari, notable for creating the Guilty Gear seriesGameplay

The gameplay is significantly different from Vampire Savior, now using a three-button control scheme (with three additional buttons being a Taunt, Throw/Grab, and "Death Execution" fatality), balance tweaking (all the characters except Jedah are ranked as "A to D-tiered"), much newer emphasis on the combo system (combos can be now performed at any given time, and not just with button mashing skill), more stages, new animated prologues and endings for each character, and a finishing attack known as a Death Execution, which can only be performed in the final round anytime, the latter bearing a striking resemblance to the fatalities from Mortal Kombat (2011)... E.T.G. can help with more, as long as he doesn't screw up! 0_0

Previously on Darkstalkers 3...
Shortly after the conclusion of the deceive battle deep within the mysterious Demon Dimension, the Majigen...

Demitri Maximoff and Jedah Dohma fight an epic darkness-brimming battle inside the Creator's Fetus, the center of the Majigen, to decide if who among the two is destined to become the "Savior" of the Demon World, Makai. When the dust settles, Demitri emerges victorious. All of a sudden, the appearance of Morrigan Aensland caught the attention of the Dark Prince.

"Was that the best you could do? How boring! I wish it was a more exciting night that this."

A duel ensues between Demitri and Morrigan, believing that this battle will decide who will claim control over the throne of Makai. Suddenly...

Demitri explodes with a massive dark energy within, absorbed by the enegies of the Majigen, and goes beserk with rage, proving to be more of a match for Morrigan. Demitri, however, regains his senses before dealing the lethal blow.

"Ha ha ha! You really are from that famous Aensland Clan. But don't think I can finish you off just because you are overpowered. I never really liked an easier victory, anyway. Someday, when the time is right, you will come and face me... and I'll be waiting!"

Saying this, he flies off, leaving the Majigen behind. Morrigan is drained and defeated and lies sprawled on the ground. Once again, the dimension is silent.

However, the silence was short-lived. Soon, the sound of evil screams can be heard approaching, and by the time the noise grows, it allows Lilith, the entity that Morrigan had absorbed inside her body before the fierce battle in the Majigen, to emerge from Morrigan's unconscious body and wake her up from her unconsciousness. At first, the two angel sisters are felt with unease, but the dark voices grow stronger than ever. From the shadows of the Majigen, a horde of Shadow Souls suddenly burst from the ground, invading the dimension. By the time Jedah awakens, he tought at first that it was actually the remnants of the Aensland Clan who were tought to have been erased from exsitence, who had orchestrated this invasion. Morrigan and Lilith, however, are both roused by the appearance of the Shadow Souls, and they have no knowledge of what is going on either.

"Who are you!?"

Just as Jedah shouts, the Shadow Souls attack the three of them. Jedah and the Aensland sisters are forced to fight together and begin destroying the Shadow Souls. For every Shadow Soul they kill, two more seem to take its place. Just as Jedah began to show signs of fatigue, Morrigan and Lilith turned against him and overpowered him with a Double Darkness Illusion, hurling him into the midst of his enemies.

"You... Why did you double-cross me? I was this close to creating the perfect world!"

"Sorry, Mr. Jedah... You're just not worth wasting our precious time on!"

Ignoring Jedah's struggle to break free, Lilith returns back to Morrigan's body, and the latter herself flies away from the Majigen while the enemies are distracted. As the Shadow Souls grasped Jedah body, they transform into a giant ball of dark energy and exploded, enguif the entire dimension into the blast. Immdieately afterward, the Majigen erupts in a massive explosion, freeing all of the captured souls inside and returning them to their respective origins. As a result, Jedah's glorious plan of salvation is crumbled while Morrigan herself watches the explosion. Inside Morrigan's body, Lilith communicates, "Just what was that about? I mean, after the two of us combined as one before this weird fight began, what does that have to do with you? And what is that vampire guy up to?"

"Honestly, I have no idea, but in the end, it was rather interesting," Morrigan replies. "I have a feeling that there is a darker conspiracy between the noble houses of Makai and the Darkstalkers, the most feared creatures in the planet... This really marks the beginning of a new journey, after all. Come, Lilith! It's time to break some boredom..."

As Morrigan flies off, a mysterious man clocked in black silently watches them, as well as the explosion of the Majigen. Taking out a crystal ball from the clock, he checks his communication signal and reports with a whisper...

"Morrigan Aensland is still alive..."

Immediately after his transmission, a single Shadow Soul attacks him from behind, but is quickly vanquished with a single stroke of the man's blade. With that, the man vanishes.

Desolated and in darkness, the Majigen was destroyed without a trace. No one remains to witness the creature that bursts out of the shadows amidst the flames.

The following day, the Demon World of Makai learns of the throne being abandoned after the fierce battle in the Majigen. This should have marked the darkest times in the Demon World, wherein the noble houses now turned into rivals compete for the throne, wars running amok across every part of Makai and countless bloodshed. Until suddenly, a mysterious figure takes the throne and assumes rule over the kingdom, restoring order to it as if nothing occured. As the figure began making his presense known, he reveals himself to be... Emperor Ozomu Bostial!

"Citizens of Makai, hear my call! I wish to thank you all for coming to see the restoration of order to this corrupt kingdom. As you know, after I have made myself the new ruler, I am about to declare my intentions for the world. This event will test the fear and potential of every soul in this dimension. In fact, it will test the strength of the souls of the other world, the Human World... I am sure you will understand that with my name engraved as king, the order is restored, but peace in Makai is yet to come! In order for peace to come to this world, we declare war against the foolish humans! In two centuries, the seal that holds the gate to the Human World will be broken so that we will be free... free to prove our dominance! Only then, will the future be ours!"

From out of the blue, Emperor Ozomu, who was thought to be a captured soul in the Majigen imprisoned by Jedah, created a call in arms, igniting a full scale rebellion against the Human World.

Two centuries passed...

Just as the seal holding the gate that serves as a medium between the Human World and Makai finally break, Emperor Ozomu unleashes the demonic armies under his control to dominate the Human World itself. At the peak of this chaos and confusion, the war between two worlds has begun, and Ozomu's new demonic empire, the Blood Moon, flexes the full potential of its military might and declared dominion against all humanity.

The Blood Moon continues to spread carnage and malice across the globe with overwhelming force. However, other opossing forces began making their presence known. In response, the Night Warriors, monstrous fighters with bizzare fighting powers, materialized in opposing the Blood Moon, setting-out to subdue the organization globally. Hailed as the world's only hope against this crisis, the leaders of the Human World offered a generous bounty to anyone who capture's the Blood Moon's leader, Ozomu. In an effort to lead the next steps in the deadly dance between warriors, the Blood Moon announces a gaunlet where the world's Darkstalkers are to fight and engage in battle.

It is called the Blood Moon Tournament...

In this tournament, the world's Darkstalkers are locked in combat to decide if who among them is worthy to rule both Makai and the Human World. Some seek fame. Some seek the bounty on Ozomu's head. Others seek solely to banish their inner demons and fight what they believe in. This is the chaos that Morrigan Aensland, who travels the world to unravel the "dark conspiracy" and what Demitri plans for her, and beyond the constraints of mere morality, she now finds herself into this threat...

In the midst of pursuit and escape, desire and bloodlust, respect and honor, the curtain rises on a new stage of battle!

Game Modes

 * Story Mode
 * Arcade Mode
 * Difficulty
 * Rounds
 * Time
 * Bonus Stages (ON/OFF)
 * Fight Request (ON/OFF)
 * Versus Mode
 * Player vs. Player
 * Player vs. CPU
 * Player and CPU vs. Player and CPU
 * Player and Player vs. CPU and CPU
 * Player and CPU vs. CPU and CPU
 * CPU Match
 * Training Mode
 * Tutorial
 * Train
 * Test Trial
 * Challenge Mode
 * Trial
 * Survival
 * Bonus Stages
 * Mission Field
 * Extreme Death Match
 * B.M. Tournament Mode
 * Blood Moon Network
 * Warrior Match
 * Team Match
 * Continous Match
 * Tournament Match
 * Warrior Ranking
 * Warrior Invitation
 * Replay Theatre
 * Player Profile
 * Player Ranking
 * Char. Ranking
 * Replay Theatre
 * Extras
 * Gallery: Where you can look at some OVA pictures, concept art, and other stuff.
 * OVA
 * Concept Art
 * Characters
 * Game
 * Video Gallery
 * Opening Anime Cinematic
 * Char. Videos: Where you can view each character's prologue and epilogue.
 * True Game Ending: Obtained after beating Story Mode with every character, finishing with Jedah Dohma.
 * Music Video: Watch the originally made AMV, like the one from Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble!
 * Darkstalkers History: History video of the Darkstalkers series so far.
 * Trailers
 * Darkstalkers: Dirge of the Kreutz Bloodline (OVA)
 * Street Fighter Sedai - Generation
 * PSP Remaster titles
 * Jukebox
 * Puzzle
 * Game Results
 * Options
 * Game Setting
 * Button Setting
 * Sound Setting
 * Screen Setting
 * Install Game Data

Returning Fighters

 * Morrigan
 * Lilith
 * Felicia
 * Anakaris
 * Anita
 * Q-Bee
 * Jon Talbain
 * Demitri
 * Jedah
 * B.B. Hood
 * Bishamon
 * Donovan
 * Hsien-Ko
 * Huitzil
 * Lord Raptor
 * Pyron
 * Rikuo
 * Victor
 * Sasquatch
 * ShadowSoul & Marionette
 * Dark Talbain
 * Dee
 * Mei-Ling

New Fighters

 * Xion
 * Daedalus
 * Rolf
 * N.E.O.
 * Deep Snow (Miyuki in Japan)
 * Bloodlust Demitri
 * Emperor Ozomu

Character Prolouges
Note: Some/many parts are classified 'till reveal of the game.
 * Morrigan: It has been over two centuries since her encounter with Demitri inside the Majigen, and she begins having nightmares of the latter killing her with one of the Midnight Blisses... Now infused with Lilith, Morrigan wants answers to this new threat between the Human World and Makai, and what Demitri plans to do with her!
 * Lilith: Lilith is now together with her sister, Morrigan, who is in a deep depression after meeting face to face with Demitri... For Morrigan's sake, Lilith wants no part of the quarrel, and instead wants to find victims and fight them so they'll satisfy her every need...
 * Felicia: Felicia has since founded the "Felicity House" as a Catholic nun, watching over her pupils nicely... One night, the Felicity House children had been kidnapped by an unknown entity that seeks more power than ever! Felicia decides to step out of her duties and returns once and for all to the stage!
 * Anakaris: Anakaris has enslaved many tourists and made them a part of him, just to prove he is more than just a mere pawn... Moments later, one of his minions sensed an antagonistic presence in Egypt that many believe to be Rikuo, going there in order to gain more endurance. Anakaris finds this as a weak excuse and wants to get rid of all who oppose him, especially Rikuo!
 * Anita: Anita, now older, realizes that she no longer needs Donovan's aid and sets out on a quest to annithilate the Darkstalkers, themselves... Her teddy bear, however, has started gaining symptons of rage and anxiety and now has a mind of its own!
 * Q-Bee: After the collapse of the Majigen, Q-Bee and the Soul Bee Tribe members built a giant beehive at the center of its ruins. It was on that time when the Blood Moon Tournament was announced. The Soul Bees are still hungry for souls, and Q-Bee decides to enter the tournament to create an unlimited buffet of souls.
 * Jon Talbain: While teaching the children kung-fu, he's been thinking about his past and wanted to know, In his past battles in the Majigen, he encounters Dark Talbain, who claims to hold the secret to his origins. He enters the tournament in hopes of finding the answer from Dark Talbain.
 * Demitri: Having defeated Morrigan inside the Creator's Fetus, Demitri escapes from the Majigen as an opportunity to claim the throne of Makai, but it was too late. Emperor Ozomu, who was once an old aquiantance of Jedah, already took over. Demitri mutters, "Those foolish nobles are always getting in the way..." Two centuries later, the Blood Moon Tournament was announced. Demitri declares, "This time, I will set everything right. The throne of Makai is mine!"
 * Jedah: Jedah's body may have been destroyed by the time the Shadow Soul horde he fought self-destructed, but he somehow survived after his blood regenerated for two long centuries. It was at that time when Emperor Ozomu returned and took control of the throne of Makai. Jedah is stressed that the future of Makai and the Human World has grown worse and worse, and he enters the tournament to settle the score once and for all with Ozomu.
 * B.B. Hood: In this current timeline, this Baby Bonnie Hood is the young descendant of the Darkhunter who had explored the Majigen, and she inherits the weapons and style used from her grandmother. She enters the Blood Moon Tournament to kill all of the world's Darkstalkers for sport and money.
 * Bishamon: Two centuries after he sealed away the accursed armor "Hannya" and the soul-eating sword "Kien", Bishamon returns to his homeland of Japan and trained in the art of the Spiritual Samurai. Now renowed as the leader of a group of warriors known as the Ikaruga, he dedicated himself to destroy to provide health and hospitality to the refugees of the world. When the Blood Moon plans to take over the world, Bishamon takes action by aquiring the Spiritual Armor, which is indentical to the Hannya and Kien but with the power to destroy evil. He enters the tournament to defeat Emperor Ozomu at all costs.
 * Donovan: Still fighting the forces of darkness, Donovan travels around the world in search of the Darkstalkers, and he is glad to hear that Anita is following the same path as he does. However, Donovan is still brimming with doubts of the "evil blood" swelling inside him... He enters the Blood Moon Tournament to seek out new answers, and new challenges.
 * Hsien-Ko: After the previous battle of the Majigen, the two twin sisters have been reincarnated as humans once more, as their real mother was very proud of them. Unfortunately, the peace was shattered when the Blood Moon spread chaos across the globe. With the assistance of a young Chinese fortune teller, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are reborn as Night Warriors once again, and the two enter the Tournament to defeat the Blood Moon's diabolical scheme.
 * Huitzil: Two centuries ago, Huitzil was heavily damaged in its attempt to protect the young boy named Cecil. Its last act is to upload its mainframe on all of the Huitzil units inside the Mayan pyramid with new objectives: to protect all life forms on the planet. Since them, the Huitzil units have been on the side of the Humans, against both the Blood Moon and Pyron's Huiztil Army alike. When the Blood Moon Tournament was announced, the Huitzil leader enters the tournament himself to crush Emperor Ozomu and his demon empire.
 * Lord Raptor: Lord Raptor's body was heavily damaged after he absorbed too much energies from the Majigen. With his dreams to become the new ruler of the Demon World quickly fading away, Raptor ran out of ideas. When Emperor Ozomu took over the throne, Raptor saw this as a opportunity to kill him and take his roll. "This is it! The time's comin' to cover the world in rock n' roll!" With his sidekick Le Marta in tow, Raptor enters the tournament to prepare for the inevitable match with Ozomu.
 * Pyron: Emperor Ozomu hosted the Blood Moon Tournament to decide if who among the Darkstalkers is worthy to rule both the Human World and Makai. Pyron, who had escaped his imprisonment in the Majigen, restores 100% of his energies using the power of the sun, and resumes his plans to add the Earth to his collection of planets. In order to do so, he enters the Tournament alongside his army of Huitzils to kill Emperor Ozomu and take over.
 * Rikuo: With the two families of Sargasso and Aquaria joining together, the restoration of the once proud civilization of the sea was greatly progressing, In two centuries, the Mermen Race is restored to his former glory. Just as Rikuo and his race are about to celebrate, a mysterious prophetess made a omnious prediction. "If Demitri Maximoff and Morrigan Aensland are to fight, a great source of evil will destroy the universe," she said. Rikuo was skeptical of the woman's prediction, but when the Blood Moon threatens to enslave the world, including his people, the danger seemed more imminent. Thus, Rikuo sets forth on another journey.
 * Victor: Victor used up all of his energies to revive his sister Emily after she malfunctioned. When Emily revived, she and Victor are found by an experimental science organization and kindly took them in, including the skeletal body of Dr. Gerdenheim. When the two experimental siblings are highly adjusted in the following centuries, the scientists also proposed that they can also bring Dr. Gerdenheim back to life with the power of science, but it is impossible without technology from the Demon World. A week later, Victor enters the Blood Moon Tournament in search of a way to revive Dr. Gerdenheim.
 * Sasquatch: Sasquatch rescued his kidnapped Bigfoots from captivity inside the Majigen, despite the fact that he is filled with uncertainty that Jedah was actually giving them hospitality. After Sasquatch's passing, his son took his place as the new leader of the Bigfoots. When the Blood Moon takes over the world, the new Sasquatch enters the tournament to crush those who would oppose the Bigfoots.
 * ShadowSoul & Marionette: The Marionette sprung to life two centuries ago when Demitri fought Jedah inside the Majigen, and everywhere she goes, she possess the lesser Darkstalkers in her journey. With the Majigen's destruction, the Marionette ceased to move, but she had a smile on her wooden face. Now, a powerful entity forces the Marionette to take action once again, and this time around, she possesses a powerful Shadow Soul as her host. Sensing a greater evil, Marionette enters the Tournament to save the world.
 * Dark Talbain: The mysterious werewolf, Dark Talbain, continues to shroud himself in mystery. For some reason, he seems to hold knowledge of Jon Talbain's mysterious past. No one know who he is or what his true motives are.
 * Dee: Dee is the manifestation of the darkness consuming Donovan Baine after the events of Night Warriors, when he defeated the Darkstalkers and absorbed the evil energy that lay dormant within them that he himself became a Darkstalker. Now, the evil blood inside utterly consumed him towards his darker side... Will he continue his journey as a Night Warrior? Or will his journey end in ruin?
 * Mei-Ling: After Mei-Ling and her sister are reborn as Night Warriors with the help of the young Chinese fortune teller, she realizes that Hsien-Ko's hat unexpectedly grows a talisman from it, meaning that she has full reign over her powers. Realizing that she wanted to fight alongside her sister for the first time in her life, Mei-Ling attained the Fumaken, a powerful sword with the ability to supress the energy of the Darkstalkers.

Trivia

 * Available for Playstation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, and Playstation 2 (under the name of "Darkstalkers: The Bloody Tournament Moon")
 * Character endings/prologues and opening cinematic were made by Sunrise, with character designing by Takeshi Obata (notable for Death Note and, to a lesser extent, Castlevania: Judgment)
 * This is the first game in the series to have a rating of M for "Mature", which was picked up from footage that depicts the amount of gore and somewhat, strong language in Darkstalkers 4.
 * Darkstalkers 4: Blood Moon Tournament is directed by Hideaki Itsuno, of Megaman X9 fame...
 * It is also released to public arcades, as there will be a collection including the arcade version revealing soon...