Many think Marathon on XBLA is a "good idea"
by Christopher Grant 
{ May 30th 2006 at 5:32PM }
If you're done watching the Bungie guys cursing on video, you may find yourself with a renewed interest in getting your mitts on Marathon, their ground breaking FPS that out-doomed Doom. You could always download the entire trilogy for free, straight from Bungie, and give it a spin on your Mac and/or PC, but if you're more of a console gamer, there is a tiny flicker of hope ... wrapped tightly in a whisper ... carried on a pillow of desire:In Bungie's Weekly Update Spenser asks, "Marathon and XBLA: is it at all possible?" Frankie responds, "Of course it's possible, it's just not on any current agenda. If it's any consolation, many, many people think it's a good idea."
Alright, so there's barely enough hope there to keep our blackened gamer-souls from consuming us whole, but it's comforting to know we're not alone. There are "many" of us who think this is a "good idea." You know what you have to do Bungie ... wrap up this Halo business and give us some Marathon!
[Via TUAW]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fanboyism @ May 30th 2006 5:48PM
Marathon would be da bomb! I would love to kick some Spht! and Phor! I would love to play through all 3 stories all over again. I purchased and played all 3 a long time ago. Nothing like exploding BOBs.
I sure hope it happens. I want the map making tools too though and of course the multiplayer. Dual wielding shotguns ruled.
Snap @ May 30th 2006 6:01PM
Spanker wars through Xbox Live would be awesome, awesome stuff. Man, back in the day we'd use Netlink to play Marathon "online" via the telephone... good times!
Eggfou @ May 30th 2006 6:03PM
OK, I loved Marathon, but I recently did download and play them again. The games have not stood up well to time. They would have to be reworked graphically, if not gameplay as well. I don't want to soil the good memories I have. I would rather have a proper sequel or remake.
jabbertrack @ May 30th 2006 6:10PM
There was a very simple arena level in Marathon that was just tons of fun multiplayer.
ahhhh the memories... downloading Marathon demos on AOL just to watch how other people played so you could get better... then the infamous "entire game using punch" demo dropped like it was hawt and I became hardcore
Revol @ May 30th 2006 7:12PM
"The games have not stood up well to time. They would have to be reworked graphically..."
They have been; there are high-resolution texture downloads for the series.
There should be a 2(1/2)D FPS game on XBLA, and the best choice here is Marathon.
Andrew @ May 30th 2006 7:28PM
Got to agree with post #3 on this. I was obsessed with the game in its heyday...but having revisited the game, looking at sprites as opposed to polygons in a FPS is painful.
If they brang the series over to a different engine and kept everything else intact I would be stoked...actually come to think of it I recall someone making a marathon unreal mod...
joel @ May 30th 2006 7:45PM
I am telling you people that the Halo 3 fakes screen we saw with Classic mode on it. Classic mode will be a revamped version of Marathon and it will be Glorias
elmicker @ May 30th 2006 9:26PM
As long as it's mostly unmodified, i.e. no removing the terminals et al, i'd be perfectly fine with it. What i don't want to see is an ultra-high res version ported to another 3d engine with the terminals replaced with voice. I'm all for using the high-res sprites, as they do look nice, but the main elements of the game (especially the music), would have to be maintained for it to be as enjoyable as it was originally.
T'would be nice for some (nearly) lagless Marathon though...
FROGBLAST THE VENTCORE!!
oe @ May 30th 2006 10:19PM
I'm just going to keep repeating myself until someone acknowledges that I have a point:
Pathways Into Darkness was awesome, pre-Marathon, and definitely deserves a remake!!!
Is there anyone else out there who played this kickass Bungie game? Back me up, someone- please... this game could be transformed into an incredible next-gen FPS/RPG.
Andrew @ May 31st 2006 1:27AM
yes #9 Pathways Into Darkness was awesome...chill
josh @ May 31st 2006 11:00AM
OH MY GOD YES!!!! I used to spend hours making Deathmatch maps for that game. I'd totally want to play marathon again. That rules.
Plus a lot of younger kids could see beginnings of halo. that rocks.
Geist @ May 31st 2006 12:19PM
Wait wait wait, so instead of getting the game for free online, people are going to pay for it? It's a good game, but it's also free! Online!
Yer all crazy, that's what you are.
EatingPie @ May 31st 2006 1:42PM
Marathon was the first shooter with full 3-D look! IE you could look up/down as well as left/right. Doom (its competitor at the time) did not have vertical, only horizontal.
I remember because I used a mouse for Doom, and pushing forward propelled your character formward. In Marathon, this caused the character to look down. Drove me nuts at the time because it made things wildly different when switching back/forth... I preferred Doom's style, but of course now Marathon's is the standard we use today!
-Pie