# Duke Nukem vs Castlevania

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 (#28 vs unranked). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duke Nukem | Castlevania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (436 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duke-nukem-manhattan-project/id896145747/reviews)** | [3.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 436 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **55.0% of reviews** | 53.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 29 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#28** |
| Size | 241 MB | 326 MB |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spawn Studios, Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/322311481) | [KONAMI](https://appshunter.io/developer/299580230) |

## What reviewers say

### Duke Nukem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duke-nukem-manhattan-project/id896145747)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blow it Up | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50 'Force Field' | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50 'Jet Pack' | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 50 "Mega Health" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pain Killers | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skip Level | $0.99 | one-time |
| Suck it Down | $0.99 | one-time |
| Piece of Cake | $1.99 | one-time |
| Full Game | $1.99 | one-time |
| Balls of Steel | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Controller support
- Bug fixes and stability improvements
- Progress saving and cloud sync
- Improved graphics and visuals


### Castlevania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castlevania-sotn/id1435456830)

**Currently charting:** #28 Top Paid · Adventure, #51 Top Paid · Action, #142 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Customizable controls and button layout
- Original voice acting option
- Improved cutscene quality
- Cloud save support


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*