Castlevania finally comes to mobile, with the 1986 classic free for a limited time

• Castlevania is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and finally making its way to mobile
• The 1986 classic is now available to claim entirely for free on iOS and Android
• But hurry, because this is only until October 24th

There're few names as iconic to the world of gaming as Castlevania. And now, to mark the franchise's 40th anniversary, you'll be able to play the original Castlevania from 1986 free, for a limited time until October 24th! Available for the first time on iOS and Android, Castlevania: 40th Anniversary lets you jump back in time to the Belmont's first battle with Dracula.

If you're somehow unfamiliar, Castlevania puts you in the shoes of Simon Belmont whose family have battled the evil vampire lord Dracula for generations. The original Castlevania is a notoriously tricky side-scroller that has you venture into the titular fortress of Castlevania, taking on various bosses along the way in your fight to reach and destroy Dracula.

What is a man- whoops, wrong game!

Admittedly, this mobile version of the 1986 Famicom classic isn't the best it could have been. At a glance the aspect ratio is utterly scuffed, and it looks a little cobbled together, but at the same time just having such an iconic game on mobile is a great little bonus for the franchise's 40th anniversary.

The mobile release also accompanies all manner of other celebrations, including sales across multiple platforms. Although unfortunately, the excellent Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for mobile isn't included.

Now, I just need to hold out hope for that Symphony of the Night PC release. But if you've never gotten the chance to try Castlevania before, you can't get much more enticing than trying the original (no matter how janky it may be) entirely for free!

And in the meantime, if you're looking for more new releases we think are worth playing, why not take a look at our latest list of the five new mobile games to try this week? This regular feature offers choice picks of the most interesting launches from the last seven days!