Castlevania Is Officially Free To Keep In 40th Anniversary Celebration

40 Years Later, Konami Is Giving Away Castlevania For Free Published Sep 26, 2026, 5:03 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life 3, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com Sign in to your TheGamer account Castlevania turns 40 today, and to celebrate, Konami is giving away the original NES game for free on mobile. You have from now until October 24 at 9:59am EST to install the game. And, as per the website, "Players who download the game during this period will continue to be able to download and play it after the promotion has ended." Even if you're not fussed about Castlevania, it's a freebie—but while you're at it, you may as well dip your toes into one of gaming's most influential titles. It makes up one half of the Metroidvania formula: 2D side-scrolling action, precise platforming, and stage-based progression. Returning to the 1986 original allows you to see the purest form of 'vania', before it was tinged with Metroid and the two slowly coalesced into one genre. 40 years later, Castlevania might be an odd relic to return to because it's decidedly not what you would expect from its legacy. It wouldn't be until a decade later with Symphony of the Night that Castlevania finally coalesced with Metroid, introducing interconnected exploration and ability-gated progression. But if you like Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, and all the other Metroidvanias that have pushed the genre forward in recent years, it's worth tracing those roots all the way back to the '80s. Castlevania Anniversary Collection Is Also 80% Off On Steam Right Now Castlevania NES If playing on mobile isn't your speed, however, you can pick up the Castlevania Anniversary Collection on Steam right now at an 80% discount. For just $3.99, this bundle includes: Castlevania Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse Super Castlevania 4 Castlevania The Adventure Castlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge Castlevania Bloodlines Kid Dracula History Of Castlevania - Book of the Crescent Moon Castlevania may feel primitive compared to the sprawling Metroidvanias it helped inspire, but that's exactly what makes it worth playing in 2026. There's no skill tree, no map covered in question marks, and no dozens of hours of backtracking. There's just Simon Belmont, Dracula's castle, and a whip. It's a fascinating snapshot of where the genre began, before Metroidvania was even a word.