Konami has confirmed a trio of Anniversary Collections to celebrate its 50th birthday, taking in Castlevania, Contra, and a broader 'Arcade Classics' package. The latter is coming first, on April 18, and includes eight games: Haunted Castle, Typhoon (A-JAX), Nemesis (Gradius), Vulcan Venture (Gradius II), Life Force (Salamander), Thunder Cross, Scramble and TwinBee.
Eight games will also be coming to the Castlevania and Contra collections, though four have only been confirmed in each package thus far. Castlevania includes the NES original, Castlevania III Dracula's Curse (NES), Castlevania II Belmont's Revenge (Gameboy) and Super Castlevania IV (SNES). Meanwhile, the Contra collection includes the original Contra and its sequel Super Contra (arcade, NES), Super C (NES) and Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES).
The Castlevania and Contra collections will release "Early summer" (or winter in Australia), and each will include a bonus digital book "packed with new information about the titles, including interviews with the development staff, behind-the-scenes insights, and sketches and design documents never before revealed to the public." Each will cost US $20.
