Comparison

Duke Nukem vs Castlevania

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

Head to head
About

Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem battles mutant creatures in New York City using an arsenal of unique weapons. This action-platformer blends classic Duke Nukem 3D gameplay with 2D side-scrolling elements across multiple city levels.

Highlights
  • 9 brand new weapons
  • 8 huge levels across NYC
  • Over 25 unique enemies
  • Blend of classic and 2D gameplay
  • Smooth 3D visuals
Features
Read full description

toucharcade.com - "Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is still a kick-ass trip" 148apps.com - "After pulling off around half an hour of playtime, it comfortably becomes one of the most fast-paced enjoyable platforming games I’ve played in a while" appgefahren.de - "Duke Nukem - Manhattan Project will certainly not disappoint fans of the series" Total Mutant Mayhem on iOS! Duke Nukem takes his Mighty Boot to the Big Apple. Using G.L.O.P.P. (Gluon Liquid Omega-Phased Plasma), the maniacal Mech Morphix has transformed the creatures of New York City into an army of bloodthirsty mutants. In Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, Duke must deploy W.I.N. (Weapons, Insults and Name-Calling) to rid the city of goo-based bad guys, and return peace and tranquility to The City That Never Sleeps. Originally released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Duke Nukem in 2002, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project blends together the best elements of Duke Nukem 3D and the best 2D sidescrolling of the first two games in the series, Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II. From babes, bombs and Battlelords, to goggles, guns and Gargoyles, revisit Duke's dynasty with these re-released classics. Return to a time when the King Of Action didn't need regenerative health or auto-aim - a time when action games were actually about action, an era when heroes had the strength to carry as many guns as they wanted and use as many cheats as they needed. Celebrate Duke Nukem's 20th anniversary in sunshade-wearing, quick-quipping style with a title that - alongside the re-release of Duke's first two adventures - recognizes a series that's had a tremendous impact on an entire industry, and represents the best of Duke in a way that no other game could. *** Key Features: *** A Good Day To Duke: Rip 'em a new one with 9 brand new weapons, including the G.L.O.P.P. Ray, Pipe Bomb, Pulse Cannon and the almighty "press-to-kill-everything" X-3000. New York, New York: 8 huge levels across various regions of New York City: Rooftop Rebellion, Chinatown Chiller, Metro Madness, Unholy Underworld, Fearsome Factory, Tanker Trouble and Deviant Drilling. And the last level is, let's say, a little out of town. Evil Has A Snout: Blast, jump and smart-ass through more than 25 enemies, including Pig Cops, Gator Grunts, and Roachoids. What Are You Waitin' For?: A potent blend of old school gameplay and smooth 3D visuals, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project brings together the best of both Dukes for the ultimate Duke Nukem experience. Let's rock!

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

Screenshots

Duke Nukem4 screens
Castlevania4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Duke Nukem at Free against Castlevania's $2.99. Duke Nukem also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.9). Castlevania's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and chart position (#22 vs unranked). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support 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

Duke Nukem is free to download; Castlevania costs $2.99 up front. Duke Nukem sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Castlevania asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Duke Nukem holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 436 and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Duke Nukem's written reviews are positive against 54% of Castlevania's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duke Nukem ships an update every 35 months, Castlevania every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Duke Nukem versus Castlevania: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuke NukemCastlevania
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.3 (436 ratings) — better3.9 (1.8K ratings)
Positive reviews55.0% of reviews — better53.7% of reviews
Number of ratings4361.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 35 monthsEvery 29 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#22 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.09.0
Further details — not scored
Size241 MB326 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSpawn Studios, LdaKONAMI

Customer experience

Duke Nukem

All ratings433 ratings
Positive82.9%
Neutral7.2%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews211 reviews
Positive55.0%
Neutral11.8%
Negative33.2%

Castlevania

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

User reviews

Duke Nukem

From 436 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Nostalgic classic gameplay
  • 👍 Retains the spirit of the original Duke Nukem
  • 💥 Satisfying action and explosions
  • 🕹️ Responsive controls (when working)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🎮 Clunky and unresponsive controls
  • 🔇 Sound issues (muted audio)
  • 🔍 Lack of progress saving
  • 🔋 High battery drain

Castlevania

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Faithful port of a classic game
  • 🎮 Works well with controllers
  • 💰 Great value for the price

Room to improve

  • 🎮 Unresponsive touch controls
  • 🔍 Small action buttons
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (clock room issue, save system issues)

Bugs and requests

Duke Nukem

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes and crashes
  • Duke gets stuck in the air or unable to move
  • Weapon switching and firing issues
  • Levels becoming unplayable after a certain point

Requested features

4 requests
  • Controller support
  • Bug fixes and stability improvements
  • Progress saving and cloud sync
  • Improved graphics and visuals

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

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Duke Nukem

One-time10
  • Blow it Up$0.99
  • Pack of 50 'Force Field'$0.99
  • Pack of 50 'Jet Pack'$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pack of 50 "Mega Health"$0.99
  • Pain Killers$0.99
  • Skip Level$0.99
  • Suck it Down$0.99
  • Piece of Cake$1.99
  • Full Game$1.99
  • Balls of Steel$4.99
None

Castlevania

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Duke Nukem free?
Duke Nukem is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Castlevania free?
Castlevania costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Duke Nukem or Castlevania?
Duke Nukem is rated higher. Duke Nukem averages 4.3 out of 5 from 436 ratings, while Castlevania averages 3.9 from 1.8K ratings.
Do Duke Nukem or Castlevania have ads?
Neither Duke Nukem nor Castlevania shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Duke Nukem or Castlevania?
Duke Nukem ships an update every 35 months, and Castlevania every 29 months. Most recently, Duke Nukem was updated on November 6, 2026 and Castlevania on November 8, 2026.

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