Mobile Games /
Castlevania Turns 40 With Its Original Adventure Free on Phones
Konami marks Castlevania's 40th anniversary by making the original 1986 action platformer completely free on iOS and Android through October 24.
Key facts
- Topic:
- Mobile Games
- Published:
- 2026-09-26
- Reported by:
- Gameforce Mobile News Desk
Key takeaways
- The original 1986 Castlevania is free to claim on iOS and Android until October 24 at 23:59 JST, and remains playable forever after claiming.
- The mobile port features touchscreen controls and a save-state system, though external-controller support is currently absent.
- Konami is supporting the milestone with franchise-wide discounts, commemorative merchandise, and concerts across more than 30 series titles.
Castlevania officially turns 40 today, and Konami's birthday present is refreshingly useful: the original game is currently free on iOS and Android. The promotion began September 25 and runs until October 24 at 23:59 JST, but players who claim the game during that period can continue downloading and playing it afterwards.
This is a direct mobile port of the adventure that began the series in Japan in 1986, complete with Simon Belmont, an increasingly irritated whip and Dracula's magnificent disregard for sensible castle architecture. Konami says the franchise has now grown beyond 30 titles, while the anniversary programme also encompasses music, merchandise, concerts and discounts elsewhere in the series.
The mobile release uses touchscreen controls and includes a save-state facility; early hands-on reporting suggests external-controller support is not currently present, which is unfortunate for anyone who prefers fighting Medusa Heads without covering half the screen with thumbs. Even so, this is an unusually accessible bit of game preservation.
Rather than merely producing an anniversary video explaining how important Castlevania was, Konami has made the actual game available on the two devices billions of people already carry. Forty years later, Dracula has therefore discovered the App Store. Frankly, he has survived worse.
