Konami marks Castlevania's 40th with free mobile game and retro sale
Konami is giving away the game that started its vampire-hunting series for nothing.
The publisher has released Castlevania 40th Anniversary on iOS and Android as a completely free download. Claim it before it is delisted after October 24 and you can keep playing it, according to Video Games Chronicle.
The timing is exact. The original Castlevania was released on the Famicom Disk System on September 26, 1986, a disk add-on sold in Japan for Nintendo's early home console. The free phone version is the NES edition of that same side-scrolling adventure, in which hunter Simon Belmont fights through Dracula's castle. Konami is offering it for 30 days to mark 40 years.
The giveaway sits alongside a sale across past Castlevania titles on the PlayStation Store and Steam. The PlayStation Store sale runs until October 7. The Steam sale runs until October 1.
On PlayStation Store, four collections are discounted. Castlevania Anniversary Collection is 80% off. Castlevania Dominus Collection is 50% off. Castlevania Advance Collection is 70% off. Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood is 70% off.
Steam carries the same cuts on those three collections, at 80%, 50% and 70% off respectively. It also discounts four titles from the later Lords of Shadow branch of the series by 80% each: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition, Lords of Shadow 2 Digital Bundle, Lords of Shadow 2 Revelations DLC and Mirror of Fate HD.
For players who want something new, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC on October 15. A demo will arrive on October 1, with save data transferable to the full game.
Konami describes Belmont's Curse as a 2D action-exploration game following Rose Belmont. It is a stylised 2D entry in the mould of a Metroidvania, a term for action-adventure games built around a large, connected map that opens up as you gain new abilities. The game was announced to mark the 40th anniversary, according to IGN.
Konami is also running a 40th Anniversary Portal Site with a commemorative message from the series production team, commemorative videos and an article titled "40 Years of Castlevania: A Legacy Passed from One ..." The team says it has much more in store for the series.
What makes this stand out is the mix. A free, keep-it-if-you-claim-it phone port covers the very first hunt. The discounted collections cover the decades after it. And Belmont's Curse points to where the series goes next.
