FREE GAMES: "Castlevania" and "Snakebird"

I've nothing to say in this introduction. I've run out of clever (and
not-so-clever) things to say about Epic giving away free games on
Thursdays. Maybe I'll think of something new next week. Anyway, let's
just jump right to the offerings.



* Castlevania Anniversary Collection
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/castlevania-anniversary-collection-a61f94
   This is a seriously awesome collection, and I say that
   even as somebody who doesn't really /like/ the Castlevania
   games all that much. But I'll be the first to admit that
   these games have had an outsized impact on the industry,
   and rightfully so. It does include all the 8- and 16-bit
   games in the franchise leading up to it (with the
   exception of "Rondo of Blood", but that was a TurboGrafix
   CD game, so it's not like most people even knew it existed
   anyway). It's a good primer of the series before "Symphony
   of Night", which is where the franchise truly blossomed
   (but is sadly not included in this collection).


* Snakebird Complete
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/snakebird-complete-e6f0ae
   A puzzle game utilizing the basic mechanics of the classic
   "Snake" game, where every move makes you grow a little bit
   longer and trying to cross your length results in a game
   over, except rather than chasing after dots you need to
   navigate increasingly complex levels. Honestly, it's
   pretty much a mobile game (or, back in the day, a flash
   game) on PC, and while the core concept is sound, there's
   just not a lot of meat on the bone. But it probably
   appeals to some. Includes "Snakebird" and "Snakebird
   Primer".  You may already have it, as Epic offered it
   as a freebie back just under a year ago, in December 2023.


Sometimes the freebies are worth getting, sometimes not. Are these?
You decide. You've got a week to claim them, as usual. Until then...