[5] The game was originally set to be shipped in North America on November 18, 2008, but the developer later pushed back the release to January 13, 2009.

In January 2014, it was announced the agreement had since expired, consequently giving Renegade Kid back complete ownership of the title, including publishing rights, and paving way for a potential sequel in development.

Much of the fighting the player experiences takes place in narrow corridors, although the developer has mentioned that the updated game engine allows for wide-open environments and large groups of enemies.

Some of these puzzles involve the player taking control of a small robotic drone to travel through vents and tunnels to unlock doors.

The drone is armed with a stun gun that can temporarily incapacitate enemies, as well as deactivate shields that block the player's progress throughout the game.

An extraordinary discovery has been uncovered at one of the dig sites, a sealed hatch leading beneath the Moon's surface.

The player assumes the role of Major Kane, the leader of a special task force sent to investigate the mysterious hatch and reveal its secrets.

En route to the hatch, Kane comes across a mysterious canister filled with a blue liquid, which he unknowingly inhales, and loses consciousness.

According to the developer, this "would have divided our gameplay focus in order to present the player with interesting ways of utilizing the jump so it didn't feel like an afterthought and may have diluted the overall experience.

The base game was released as Moon Chronicles: Episode 1: One Small Step for $8.99 on the Nintendo eShop on May 15, 2014 in North America only.