Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | How To Access 1986 Mode

Following the release of Classic Mode for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, gamers made an interesting discovery by entering in a classic code.

Apparently, you can unlock a separate mode called 1986 Mode that seems to pay homage to old-school gameplay along the lines of Castlevania.

If you’re curious and want to try out the 1986 Mode for yourself, here’s a quick overview of what you need to do in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | How To Access 1986 Mode 

To access 1986 Mode in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, you’ll need to navigate to the title screen of Classic Mode which was added via an update back in January.

When you’re on the Classic Mode title screen, you’ll need to enter the Konami Code in it s proper order: 

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Horizontal Left, Horizontal Right 

When talking about these Horizontal Left and Horizontal Right buttons, they’re X and B on the Xbox controller and Y and A on Nintendo Switch.

When you’ve input the Konami Code correctly, you’ll see “1986 Mode” pop up at the bottom of the screen.

After that, select “Start Game” and you’re free to dig into all that 1986 Mode has to offer in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

Now, you may be wondering what’s different about 1986 Mode and what separates it from Classic Mode.

Below, we’ve listed the differences found in 1986 Mode that differ from what Classic Mode has to offer. 

• Can’t Backflip
• Can’tBackstep
• Can’t Slide
• Can’t jump off stairs
• Can’t jump on stairs
• Can’t stand or crouch w/mid-whip animation
• No extended whip
• Reduced mid-air control

As you can see, the differences are in further limiting what you’re able to do in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, potentially making the game more difficult.

If you played a lot of classic Castlevania, the 1986 Mode should feel somewhat nostalgic and familiar. 

Even if it takes some getting used to, it’s well worth taking the time to access the hidden 1986 Mode in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, if only to see whether it’s something you enjoy and want to play more of in addition to Classic Mode.

Related: How To Customize Your Character In Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night