This Wednesday: XBLA runs Marathon (and Board Games) in HD

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jul 30th 2007 at 12:55PM }

We tried working both of this week's Xbox Live Arcade games into an unbearably witty headline, but unless you're a particularly ill-natured loser, guns and board games generally don't go together. As you may have already concluded, the first day of August will see the release of a newly remastered edition of Bungie's classic first-person shooter, Marathon: Durandal. Aside from updated graphics and multiplayer combat, the AI's Gone Wild epic boasts an 800 MS Point ($10) price tag.

If mercilessly blasting aliens doesn't float your cup of tea (why do you hate freedom?), perhaps you'd prefer SpyGlass Board Games, a collection of titles you may have enjoyed playing in the bizarre physical realms: Chess, Checkers, Mancala, and Reversi. All support use of the Xbox Live Vision camera and together require an investment of 400 MS Points ($5).

Gallery: Marathon: Durandal (XBLA)

And don't forget the board game screenshots:

Gallery: SpyGlass Board Games (XBLA)

Tags: Bungie, Halo, Marathon, SpyglassBoardGames, XBLA, XBLAWednesday

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joe Smith @ Jul 30th 2007 1:02PM

Major Nelson is showing the price of the board games at 400 points, by the way. Seems more reasonable.

I'll get both. Marathon for late night killing and board games for fatherly games of mancala with my kid.

chenry @ Jul 30th 2007 1:06PM

dang, need to buy more MS points. Can't wait for Weds!

OnimushaSoki @ Jul 30th 2007 1:08PM

Marathon's a fun game, but those green monsters remind me of the damn "Gelgameks" from South Park's "Red Hot Catholic Love" episode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hot_Catholic_Love

Collie @ Jul 30th 2007 6:05PM

they remind me of my worst nightmare: a vag*na with teeth. A green one! Eiihhg

Iced_Eagle @ Jul 30th 2007 1:12PM

I'm thinking I'll just get the board games. Good, classic games at a decent price. :)

K2Valor @ Jul 30th 2007 1:13PM

Spyglass Board games is actually 400 points, not 800. Straight from Major Nelson.

Word of the street. @ Jul 30th 2007 1:19PM

Really?,Ops well 400p seems like a good deal but board games?.

I hope xbox will get better board games,who doesnt want to see operation or monopoly there.

Word of the street. @ Jul 30th 2007 1:13PM

So bungie does other games than Halo,Who knew that.Next you people are going to tell me Midway does other games than Mortal Kombat huh.

I just bought 2 games for the xlive.Bomberman which is awesome and Wing commander Arena which is decent,really I dont know why gamespot give it 4.5,is not that crappy IMO yet it really gives a bad name to the wing commander name.
Man I whick we had a new DESCENT game,I might check that bungie game.

Board games on the xlive for 800p?!,I got those free on Windows what the hell MS?.

Patrick @ Jul 30th 2007 1:15PM

i need this board games, live multi is sweet

JodyAnthony @ Jul 30th 2007 1:21PM

sweet, i love othello/reversi

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 30th 2007 1:21PM

Though I keep asking if things can play Doom I haven't played it. I did have a short time on a friend's Wolfenstein and a friend's Doom but I can't say I liked any bit of it. The only first person games I liked are Goldeneye, only because the used game had most every cheat and the multiplayer, and Metroid Prime. No other first person game can keep me interested enough to keep playing it not even Halo 2.

Tetranitrocubane @ Jul 30th 2007 1:26PM

It's Marathon free? Isn't it legally, completely free for PC and Mac? With graphical updates available, both the original and Infinity in addition to Durandal, and other content that goes beyond the retail game itself?

Why would anyone pay $10 for this again?

JodyAnthony @ Jul 30th 2007 1:28PM

because they want it on their televisions with achievement points?

dvdguy @ Jul 30th 2007 1:29PM

Some people aren't PC gamers.

Tony @ Jul 30th 2007 1:47PM

It's also not exactly the simplest thing in the world to set up on a Windows PC to begin with.

dan s. @ Jul 30th 2007 2:03PM

Well, since my points are half off (thanks CC!) Marathon is worth it for a total investment of $5

DaiMac79 @ Jul 30th 2007 2:34PM

First off yes, you can get this game for free if you own a PC (Linux or Windows) or Mac. http://trilogyrelease.bungie.org

Also, its easy to set up on Windows, scroll down the page I just linked and you'll see SDL versions of all 3 games that you download, unzip, then drop the latest AlephOne Binary in and go. Get the AlephOne binary at http://source.bungie.org

Finally, I'll still be downloading the XBLA version because the graphics are still better quality than AlephOne, they completely redrew all of them with HD in mind just like the upcoming SFII HD remix. That, and there are probably going to be more people to play NetGames with on XBL than you can usually find with AlephOne.

Personally, I'd like to see as a feature of Halo3 that it requires you to download and complete the single player of Durandal before you're allowed access to the final single player level of Halo3, but I know thats just a dream ;)