Tomorrow will mark 40 years since the release of the original Castlevania game on the Nintendo Famicom Disk System in Japan. To celebrate the franchise, series creator Konami has announced that the game from way back when is now free to download on both Android and iOS, but only for a limited time. Download the game on either platform before 25 October, and you’ll be able to tie it to your account forever.

On the announcement page, Konami says “as a token of our gratitude to all the players who have supported the series over the years, we are delighted to share the game that started it all and hope you will enjoy experiencing the beginning of the Castlevania saga as part of this special 40th anniversary celebration”. The publisher also mentions that the franchise has grown to have more than 30 titles over the years.

This mobile version of Castlevania is a direct port of the original 1986 game, according to its page on both app store fronts. There’s also mention of the game being playable offline, which is strange that it needs mentioning. Launch it, and you’ll see that it retains the TV aspect ratio of its age as well. The visual touchpad is also an odd mention, as it should have just said that the game gets a virtual controller on-screen, on the outside of the game’s window. You also get quick saves too, as an added bonus.

Finally, the pages mention that “the game will remain playable after its availability on the App Store ends”. Which means from 25 October onwards, if you haven’t already claimed it, you won’t even get the option to pay for the app. With that in mind, it’s best you download it as soon as you can, on Android, iOS, or both, even if you don’t intend to actually play it anytime soon. This is, after all, a far better way to celebrate Castlevania than what Konami did five years ago.

(Source: Konami)

Updated 5:10 pm, Fri, 25 September 26