Comparison

Castlevania vs SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Castlevania

Experience a classic action RPG on mobile. Explore a vast castle, battle unique enemies, and uncover secrets as Alucard. This port features updated controls and achievements.

Highlights
  • Direct port of the console classic
  • Play as Alucard
  • Jump, dash, and slash combat
  • Vast castle exploration
  • Game controller compatibility
  • New continue feature
  • Unlockable achievements
Read full description

The iconic game from the beloved Castlevania series finally comes to mobile. This direct port of the classic console action RPG lets you jump, dash and slash your way through Dracula’s vast castle as Alucard while encountering a unique array of enemies and characters along the way. Rediscover the world of Castlevania with one of its original groundbreaking games and renowned music and graphics. □Features Fully compatible with game controllers New continue feature Unlock achievements with hard-fought battle milestones Available in 6 languages: English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish

About

SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad

Experience a classic military action game from 1998, featuring mercenaries battling a massive corporation. Enjoy branching paths, vehicle combat, and modern conveniences like quick saves and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Military action gameplay
  • Branching paths for player choice
  • Vehicle combat integration
  • Quick save/load functionality
  • Virtual pad customization
  • Online ranking modes
Currently charting
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NEOGEO's masterpiece games are now available in the app !! And in recent years, SNK has partnered with Hamster Corporation to bring many of the classic games on the NEOGEO onto modern gaming environments through the ACA NEOGEO series. Now on smartphone, the difficulty and look NEOGEO games had back then can be reproduced through screen settings and options. Also, players can benefit from online features such as online ranking modes. More, it features quick save/load and virtual pad customization functions to support comfortable play within the app. Please take this opportunity to enjoy the masterpieces that are still supported to this day. [Game introduction] SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad is a military action game released by SNK in 1998. Four mercenaries have risen up to thwart the ambitions of a massive corporation. In addition to a main attack, weapon, and jump abilities, vehicles have also been added to the gameplay, which together with branching paths give the player the ultimate freedom in choosing how they will take on stages. [Recommendation OS] iOS 13 and above ©SNK CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Arcade Archives Series Produced by HAMSTER Co.

Screenshots

Castlevania4 screens
SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad at 100% against Castlevania's 54%. SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.9). Castlevania's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 6) and chart position (#10 vs #196). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Castlevania costs $2.99 and SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castlevania has 1.8K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Castlevania's written reviews are positive against 100% of SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Castlevania ships an update every 29 months, SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Castlevania versus SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCastlevaniaSHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating3.9 (1.8K ratings)4.8 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.8K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 29 monthsEvery 27 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#10 — better#196
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size326 MB158 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKONAMISNK CORPORATION

Customer experience

Castlevania

All ratings1,791 ratings
Positive71.0%
Neutral9.3%
Negative19.8%
Written reviews1,114 reviews
Positive53.7%
Neutral11.7%
Negative34.6%

SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Castlevania

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Clock room not functioning properly
  • Save system issues (not saving, losing progress)
  • Audio issues (no sound, pitch/speed problems)

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable controls and button layout
  • Original voice acting option
  • Improved cutscene quality
  • Cloud save support

SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Castlevania

No in-app purchases

None

SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Castlevania free?
Castlevania costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad free?
SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Castlevania or SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad?
SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad is rated higher. Castlevania averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.
Do Castlevania or SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad have ads?
Neither Castlevania nor SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Castlevania or SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad?
Castlevania ships an update every 29 months, and SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad every 27 months. Most recently, Castlevania was updated on November 1, 2026 and SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad on October 31, 2026.
Which is more popular, Castlevania or SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad?
Castlevania currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and SHOCK TROOPERS 2nd Squad at #196. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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