Legendary series launches free remake to celebrate 40th anniversary with more huge discounts coming — Gaming

Considered to be the greatest metroidvania franchise of all time, alongside Hollow Knight, Castlevania is celebrating its 40th birthday in style.

Konami first launched the Castlevania series on the Game Boy Advance, Famicon Disk System, and NES, back in 1886, introducing fans to a legendary vampire hunter, Simon Belmont, as he took on a new foe in Count Dracula.

Since then, we've been blessed with 23 instalments of the franchise, ranging from the series high-scorer in Symphony of the Night (PS1, 1997) to the most recent Grimoire of Souls.

This year, Castlevania is gearing up for its next journey with the highly anticipated Belmont's Curse, which will be landing as a Day One release on Xbox Game Pass in October.

But in the build-up to the huge new title, Konami has pulled out the party poppers to celebrate the OG title's 40th birthday and has launched a new remake of the game alongside some massive franchise discounts.

Castlevania 40th Anniversary remake launches for free

To mark the occasion, Konami has re-released the original Castlevania title (now called Castlevania 40th Anniversary) on mobile platforms like iOS and Android.

The completely free remake is a true port of the original, maintaining the retro 2D aesthetic, torn straight from the 80s.

"Players control Simon Belmont, descendant of a legendary vampire hunter, who enters the castle of Count Dracula to destroy him when he suddenly reappears 100 years after Simon's ancestor vanquished him," the description reads.

Yet there is a catch.

The Castlevania 40th Anniversary app will only be available to download until October 24.

Players who claim it before then will keep access to the title, but it will be delisted from all app stores, by which time you might be sinking your teeth into Belmont's Curse anyway.

Konami drops huge Castlevania franchise discounts on Steam and PlayStation

Alongside the free remake, Konami is also slashing the prices of its franchise collections, saving around a hundred dollars across the series.

Castlevania Anniversary Collection (Castlevania, Simon's Quest, Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania, The Adventure, Belmont's Revenge, Bloodlines, and Kid Dracula) – 80% off
Castlevania Dominus Collection (Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia, and Haunted Castle Revisited) – 50% off
Castlevania Advance Collection (Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow, and Dracula X) – 70% off
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (all editions) - 80% off
Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood – 70% off
Castlevania Collections Bundle (all games) - 65% off

All Castlevania games can now be couped for around £16, which is a huge coup considering Belmont's Curse will be launching at a bumper $30.

But you'd better make haste, as the Steam offerings will end on October 1, while the PlayStation discounts will be available until October 7.