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Marathon launches for free on iPad

by Justin McElroy on Jul 7th 2011 9:10AM

This just doesn't feel right.

We just can't believe that today marks the release of a Bungie game. Where are the extravagant, well-produced trailers? Where are the gritty short films? Where are the unreasonably priced tiny pet helmets?

OK, sure, today's release is an iPad port of an older Bungie FPS called Marathon. And sure, it's free ($3.99 if you want the hi-res texture add-on). And it was technically fan-made. But can we really not get a single promotional tie-in? Melon Marathon Mountain Dew? Nothing?

Source: Touch Arcade, iTunes

Tags: bungie, ios, ipad, marathon, mobile

Reader Comments (28)

So... the game is free but you pay for a HD mode? That's slightly weird.

@Tihn

And the hi-res texture packs are free for PC and Mac.

@Tihn - It was done by a fan so I'm guessing that this is his way of not profiting off of Bungie's work directly (since he would've had to do the texture stuff himself) while still being able to make a bit of money to cover the time it took to port it.

@Tihn

It's a high-res texture pack, not HD mode.

@Chibi Chaingun
The App Store calls it "HD mode".......

Wait, isn't today Bungie Day?

@baby sea tuna

It is indeed. 'Bungie Day' playlist and potential 30k credit jackpots on all playlists. Happy Bungie day!

@343 Guilty Fart

Noo! I have to volunteer at a farmers' market all evening...how will I have time to Halo now?! TELL ME!

@baby sea tuna

well, they're bungie day goes till 3 a.m. if you're on the east coast, so there's that.

According to wikipedia, Marathon was origially released for the Apple Mac. Which explain why no one has ever heard of it. Wiki also describes the following for the game as 'small but strong'. Having watched some videos of it, I think the following will remain small but strong.

Marathon was the Macintosh parallel to Doom. Marathon was better though: it had proper look up/down and room-over-room geometry and more interesting characters, weaponry, and AI. But it came out in 1994, and FPS games have come a long way since then. If you look at pretty much any FPS game from the 90s it looks recognizable but primitive compared to today's offerings.

@Dick Socrates I've heard of it, played the shit out of it - and now downloaded it to my iPad. Might pay for the texture pack too.

@VideoGameConnection That's Marathon 2 on XBLA. Different game.

Well, they did used to be Apple supporters back in the day. So, iOS games from Bungie isn't out of the ordinary.

Today is Bungie Day. Explains the free Marathon.

For those of you with Reach, you have battle a Bungie team today on Reach and win free steaks! Yes, thats right, steak..

@Hi iTs SlayeR

Yeah, but you also have to win. By a lot. So count me out!

For the love of pete, why is every article link a link back to joystiq? Seems like this is usually the case with articles these days. There should be at least one link to the app store page (like this http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/marathon-1/id419805412 ) and maybe a link to something about the game itself for those poor people who are late to the marathon love fest (like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(video_game) ).

On topic, this is cool news. All I need now is my ipod version of Pathways Into Darkness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathways_into_Darkness and I'm good.

@(Unverified)

There is a tiny link at the bottom of the article. But yeah, you're right, the picture or link shouldn't loop back to the same article. It's counterintuitive, to be sure, but it's the way they do things here.

And my iPad will arrive today, how fortuitous!

@Courtney
Fortuity and financial success go hand in glove, though.

Nice, will pick this up. Never played it back in the day, was more of a Doom fan although I'd kill to have a Pippin and Super Marathon in my game collection!

@Chibi Chaingun

ok, maybe not kill. But I'd punch a face.

Give us an iphone port too plz... :3 I played durandal on pc a couple years ago and it was awesome! :D

Can't wait to play this. I hope the control scheme is good.

@Doomzdae

I always figured an FPS for the iPad would be downright terrible but I played Marathon this morning and I'm pleasantly surprised at just how well it controls.

Whoa. Just played this for the first time since release. Good times.

Wack

Somewhere in the Heavens, They are Waiting...

Breaking News

Marathon launches for free on iPad

Reader Comments (28)

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:31AM Tihn said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:36AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:37AM Mcmax3000 said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 11:09AM Chibi Chaingun said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 2:26PM Tihn said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:40AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 2:40PM 343 Guilty Fart said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 2:49PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:27PM maveric101 said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:45AM Dick Socrates said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 10:07AM giesen said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 1:27PM Design by Adrian said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 2:45PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 9:51AM MowDownJoe said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 10:01AM Hi iTs SlayeR said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 10:14AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 10:13AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 10:17AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 10:47AM Courtney said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 11:07AM Tihn said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 11:06AM Chibi Chaingun said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 11:34AM Chibi Chaingun said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 11:50AM Accessgranted said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 11:51AM Doomzdae said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 2:07PM NaeemTHM said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 12:14PM Dooliss said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 3:17PM Drdre74 said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 4:11PM refinedsugar said

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