The MIDA Multitool and MIDA Minitool in Destiny 1 & 2 are also nods to Marathon. In lore they're literally weapons from a parallel universe, that universe being Marathon's. Pretty cool.
Thank you so much for this. Marathon never gets enough love, and, sadly, probably never will. Thanks for making one of the only Marathon Retrospectives online!
It is crazy how little Marathon material there is on UA-cam. Especially in light of Rubicon, Eternal and all the other fan-made sequels. Alex Bolton has one on Phoenix, but that's about it. I am almost thinking about doing one on Eternal myself but I lack the free time to adequately cover such an expansive scenario.
@@viracocha thanks to the XBLA release of marathon 2 and the open source alephone release of marathon, and it's sequels that's now the case a few years back that wasn't how it was
Im a german of the 80s/90s.. it baffles me thst i never heard anything about it.. system shock doom, all those dnd games, sure.. but Marathon? Nope... On the other hand, most over the Pond missed stuff like Archimedian Dynasties or the early settlers
@@dadrising6464 really? My father was one of the guys eho programmed it and he is german to He even marketed it in a local gamingstore called games for fun
Just letting you know, Alex is my cousin. He gave us Marathon 2 back whenever it was released. I however, was born in 96’ and I can only remember playing it a lot on the PC in the very early 2000’s. It’s crazy to think my cousin was actually heavily involved with bungie - all the way up until about half way through Halo 2
Tons of older PC IPs have been brought back like Shadow Warrior, Wolfenstein and more recently Doom. If done right I could seeMarathon coming back and being amazing
If bungie bought marathon back remastered then that would be pretty awesome. Mind you I could also see it being scary as all hell with doom 3 style lighting and just overall taking a lot of cues from doom 3 due to how fucking DARK it can get at times (like jesus christ marathon is an amazing series but the lighting is fucking insanely dark)
LovelyProductions The potential is 110% there but sadly I don't think bungie would really jump onto doing something like that (see what I did there) mainly because of how most of the people responsible for marathon in the first place don't even work at bungie anymore iirc
I remember we installed this on the computer lab macs when I was in grade school. It was glorious. Took them a good 6 years to finally get it purged from the network
i remember playing the original Marathon 1 shareware application which came in a bundle disc demo which were popular back in the day. And if I remember correctly, the intro screen for Arrival did NOT have the LEONARDO in red font that I suppose was later added in Aleph One.
Shortly before the current pandemic began here, I actually bought a boxed Marathon Trilogy. It was in a bargain bin at a local mom and pop shop, for $2. The box had been squished from things stacked on top of it. But, it was still in shrink-wrap. I bought the games, flattened the box out as best as I could, put it on the shelf to display and went and downloaded the games.
I adored Marathon 1 when I played it a few years ago, but starting Marathon 2, something kinda profound happened. The relative silence of the game and the solely ambient background sound settled over me, and honestly... it was a turn off. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed the music of Marathon 1 until it was missing. When Swirls starts playing in map 14, and you read Durandal's (presumably last) message to you... Oof. Great moment. I still haven't finished Marathon 2 because of this. It's the little things, I guess. Of course, my main draw to the series was being a fan of Bungie Halo games, and I wasn't disappointed in that respect. I'll get back to it someday, I promise. Especially to play Infinity, which sounds really damn neat.
Marathon is amazing for a lot of reasons, but I'll name one: The Protagonist. The Security Officer is one of the most compelling FPS protagonists in all of fiction, even though he doesn't say a god damn thing besides the occasional grunt/scream. 1. It points out his superhuman capabilities. This is something I love to see games do. Pointing out and actually using the protagonists badassery in a positive manner. 2. He's sympathetic. If one treats the Dream terminals in Infinity as his thoughts, he comes across as genuinely depressed, remorseful, and almost traumatized from everything he's seen.
OH man do I have thoughts about this. Which I will share in due time. But yes, Bungie found a way to make the main character interesting on his own, while understanding what their players think and throwing that into the mix as well.
A friend suggested I pick up the Marathon games a while back, as they were free. While recently trying to copy a bunch of games from my older PC over to a newer one, I thought I'd bring the Marathon folders over - I had only ever really poked at the first one, and only for a short while. I'll definitely get to them someday, but not likely before I make some time to play them for my channel. Meanwhile, a bored search of Marathon tonight led me to this video, and you've definitely earned a new subscriber.
I literally can't express how instrumental Marathon was in my development as a kid and teenager, the hours I poured into the game mastering its gameplay and unravelling its story. Its great to know that it affected other people the same way. The only note I could add is that the fan made total conversion, Marathon: Rubicon is and always will be to me, the true sequel to infinity. It was one of the earliest games where your decisions and actions changed the whole story and ending, which was incredible and a worthy continuation, plus the map design was awesome. With its multiple branching story possibilities I spent almost as much time in Rubicon as the rest of the trilogy. I think Rubicon is still available with Aleph One.
You cannot convince me inverted mouse is the way to go. Kind of Lilliput vs Blefuscu, I know, but my mouse is right and yours is wrong, and I'll go to war for it!
Colin R I mean, all I'm asking is for inverted camera people to simply admit their habit is a perverted abomination before the eyes of gods and men... I think it's a perfectly reasonable request to make.
The Examined Life (of Gaming) Well it better not be another "imagine someone stuck a screwdriver in the back of your head and started turning it" argument!
I'm old, I was there, playing Marathon in Santa Monica 1995, networked on two Mac Quadras with a telephone cord running down the hallway of our house. The game was a groundbreaker when it appeared, so superior to Doom and Castle Wolfenstein; so atmospheric with the great sci-fi feel, weapons and eerie music. Graphics and sound on Apple were a generation ahead of PC's at the time. Arena fighting was nonstop entertainment, especially with the flamethrower which made people scream like burning chickens when they got hit. And if you needed a little more fun, just dial up the rocket power from say 5,000 to 50,000 and peeps be bouncing off the ceilings and walls repeatedly. Years later, I did a double take when I fired up Halo on the Xbox the first time and it hit me - "hey, this is MARATHON!"
Great video! I've been playing Marathon since 1994 and still play through the trilogy every year or so, mainly because, like you said in this video, the mind bending and brilliantly written story of M infinity. Still my favorite FPS of all time. Such a unique and beautifully made game and universe.
I just happened to stumble across this channel and I have to say that I haven't seen a good video like this in some time, even though this is almost 2 years old now. But hey, it's informative, well structured and your narration is superb! Definitely keep it up.
The Examined Life (of Gaming) I know what you mean but in my opinion you're at least not a pansy because you stand to your opinion. I largely find myself agreeing with your criticism, some people just can't handle when they feel their fandom is attacked.
Great video. I had the Marathon Trilogy boxset, the big black one. I still have the scrapbook but alas the box was thrown away years ago. What a mistake! I spent hundreds of hours in these games and their total conversions. I built maps with Forge which to this day is the best map editor I've ever used. I loved every minute of Durandal which was the first AAA game I ever played.
+Kiyoshi Kirishima durandal is my favorite one, while the very first marathon is nostalgia at its best! infinity wasnt my fav because it was a bit of a mindfuck. I think my favorite marathon custome made game is probably excalibur morganas revenge and marathon rubicon.
I'm truly happy to see that this game has not been lost to time and overshadowed by DOOM and Halo. This game has aged extremely well especially with AlephOne and I can still play it on my modern MacBook. Marathon has an eerie and immersive atmosphere that has not been replicated by indie shooters that go for story-integration and atmosphere.
I remember installing this game with the 4 or 5 floppy disks it came with as a kid, and i remember being terrified at the picture of the guy holding the skull/spine "predator" style. I was only like 6-8 years old when this game came out. I miss this enthusiasm for games. Look at what we had back in the 90's, and what we have today. Its crazy. I built a $4,000 PC (W/ monitor and keyboard etc.) last year and it doesnt keep me captivated like games that i had on my parents Macintosh, and Windows 95-98 of the day. I feel old.... Fuck.
I literally used to stay awake until 3am while my parents were snoring and start-up the jet engine (which was my parents comuter) to play this game all night. I got caught so many times..... I wouldnt think it was bad as a parent now-a-days. but back in the 90s it was a different time.
I managed to find the trilogy box for about £86 here roughly $103 in real money. It's a lovely centre piece I can only imagine it was bungie' farewell to mac gamers before going on to new beginnings...kinda like the Jjaro
I am missing the amazing level editor that we used to create our own battle fields for multiplayer game in this documentary! We even organised LAN parties dedicated to Marathon and because nobody knew this game because every one around us had PCs at this time we all started at the same level :-)
I've been playing marathon since I watched this review a few weeks ago. It's fun, music is great, and the art is awesome. I just havent found a gun with a real punch yet. The chain gun spits them out, but the spread is wider than the hit boxes half the time, but the overall game has better propulsion through its world than the endless key hunt of doom or wolf 3d. Thanks for the recommend.
I must say, this is an excellent analysis and review. I'm glad to see at least one well-produced video about Marathon. [nod] Props to you. On a gloating note, I managed to swipe a trilogy box set off eBay for $65 USD including postage. Unsealed but in great condition. Not that anyone really cares
The Examined Life (of Gaming) I paid full price for Daikatana on release day. And dammit, I'm keeping that damn box pristine until someone recognizes it for the Collector's Item it really is. I think it was $349.9, back in the day when $50 games were the norm, so I thought I got quite a steal.
Great vid. Many of the games you review I've never even played, but I've watched them all and greatly enjoy the level and type of evaluation you provide. It's something I wish was more prevalent these days.
Masterpiece documentary, played pathways into darkness, Marathon 1 and Marathon 2 durandal on a Macintosh LCIII in my childhood (im 37), thank you very much, i still need to clarify the halo connection, i strongly believe marathon history is on the future of masterchief halo historyline...
I bought the three Mac Marathon boxes back in the day, but I ended up throwing them as I moved on. I'm a bit sad about that now - Marathon (one) was a great game and I spent a lot of time playing it. The box is gone, but I still have it on a G4 iMac. Better than the LC2 I first played the game on, in a demo from some magazine's front cover.
It makes me sad that I hd both Marathon 2, Infinity and the Trilogy in the original boxes for about five seconds before tearing them open because that was just packaging and it was all about the disks inside. 31 year old me regrets this.
I tried to comment earlier but was having connectivity problems stemming from outdated software transferred from my old Mac. Your voiceover work on this video is fantastic! You speak at a good clip, and you make excellent use of punctuation by varying the tone and rate of your voice. I have degrees in Theatre and Acting, and I believe that you have the talent and further potential to become an excellent journalist. Just one thing though--I'm 52 years old and didn't stop biting my fingernails until I was 28. I was sitting watching television in my barracks room at Camp Lejeune and looked down at my recently bleeding fingernail nubs. Stop biting your nails sooner than I did!
What an excellent project you have made. I have fond memories of playing this game at a friend's house... or I should say, obsessing over watching his older brother play. I couldn't remember the name for years, but it was at that point in my childhood that I became enthralled with the idea of owning a PowerMac. What I would do to travel back in time and play this game and Maelstrom for hours on end through the eyes of a child. Thanks so much for the video and the great memories.
Well done(!) and put me smack into how I spent most of the 90's. I was hooked by the Marathon universe and not just by the Bungie versions but the multitude of fan-created scenarios. Bungie honored the community by creating a map Contest for the best scenarios in several categories. Winners were given awards and Trilogy Box sets and I felt elated to have my scenario take an Honorable Mention. I still have the box set. One other note is how well the Marathon:Resurrection crew did with recreating the M:1 game using the Unreal engine. Gives a whole new thrill to the original.
Im glad someone else has played this massively underrated game. I remember finishing all 3 games and absolutely loving them. I do admit even now i dont understand the story of infinity, i found it so hard to follow. You mentioned you still play marathon so i might suggest some Total Conversions which i enjoyed Marathon Evil Marathon Excalibur Marathon Red
As a LONG time (1987) Mac user, Marathon brings back so many memories. It was like living in a different world. I can still remember the episodes and levels. There was just so much thought into the games. Nothing like it since. Fighting against a rogue computer system is just so compelling. It was ahead of its time. Also, the game ZPC was also based off the Marathon engine. That was a truly bizarre game.
I really enjoyed watching this. Thought I was the last remaining fan - glad I'm not. I still go back to the game reliably once a year. I have all the box sets and used to release mods too. I still like finding music remixes online.
I really appreciate that you made this video. I've been a big fan of the Marathon series since I was little, and it always makes me happy to see other people speak highly of the game.
No mention of Marathon Evil?? It also had a great story, more alien species and added weapons. There was the gatling machine gun, railgun that could shoot through all aliens in its path and a fusion grenade launcher that would incinerate all aliens within the explosion. Back in 1997 I worked at a company where at the end of the day we would play Evil with four against each other on the network. Very addictive gameplay.
Dude you are very cool to do a video on Marathon. In the days when Quadra's and the new PPC's were a primo investment this series was the icing on the cake. Myst and Ambrosia SW games were other unique Mac only game experiences at that time.
It's hard to work out what was so absorbing about this game, particularly Marathon 2. Something about the atmospheric sounds, dazzling colours and imaginative monsters, not too mention the strange, mostly incomprehensible story. I must of spent hours playing it as a kid, and occasionally have dreams where I'm in it, even decades later! Still remember picking up that triangle box in a shop...
Excellent video! I decided to check out the marathon games myself after watching this and holy crap was that one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Amazing series which more fans of classic fps games really need to play
Excellent video. Infinity still feels more like something I dreamed than played. I love the whole series but that one especially had a lasting influence on me. The box set was amazing, and also included a whole CD of all the best mods that had been released at that point.
Very well executed review. I'm a long time fan of Marathon and can't argue with anything you said. Quite surprised to learn there are now collectors of the original games! Feeling old.
Thank you for this video. Your knowledge of these games and Bungie is impressive. I was with the series from the start and did countless hours of it at Mac only LAN-parties back in the 90s. Amazing stuff. Your video took me down memory lane! 10/10 would watch everyday.
Thank you so much, your retrospective just made my day!:) The only thing that imho would have deserved a mention is the sandbox editor called "Forge", that came with the third instalment, "Infinity". At that time not many games had tools that allowed you to create your own maps (including wonderful storytelling possibilities by using the terminals). Games have developed immensely since then, employing insanely beautiful graphics/sound and gameplay options. Then how come that nothing after Marathon could bring back that special feeling of magic and awe for me (with maybe the exception of Halflife 2)?
+MISANTHROPE00 YES I HAVE! DAMN! I LOVED marathon rubicon. I think it was actually a sequel to marathon 2 but had the weird dream and branching story of marathon infinity. On the final salinger level durandal says something about you and him going to investigate some sort of dimensional rift. So perhaps marathon infinity takes places after rubicon?
+MISANTHROPE00 I'd say Rubicon is the highest quality Marathon scenario. Some of the levels are confusing, and it can be hard to figure out the branching storylines, but that's just what makes it all the more intriguing.
My only complaint about the Marathon games is that you can't save the game at the start of every level. It does get old when you play a level for 5 minutes and then die and realize you have to beat half of the previous level again.
For anyone looking to get a new Marathon fix, try out Marathon: Rubicon. I would argue it's easily the best, most mentally challenging and most in-keeping with the original trilogy of the 3rd party scenarios. Other than that, it's just a fantastic game.
Remember the Mac Performa? I had one. The Marathon trilogy is and always will be the only such game I’ll ever immerse myself in, because there went many many months of my life 🤣
I gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of your video. I learned a ton and enjoy your presentation. You definitely deserve more viewers and success. All the best! Subscribed.
I'm running through a list of older games I need to play (Currently playing Strife) and Marathon is on my list. I stopped watching this video 5 minutes in so I can play it myself with as little knowledge of the game as possible. Gonna enjoy this. Great video.
Oh yes, we played Marathon hours and hours back in the day, also the multiplayer. I was working at Mac dealer back in the day and we met at least 1 time a week from all deparements and did those "Network-tests" as we called it. We even had some hacks, like other sounds and replacing some of the sprites.
I loved these games, but I could only ever play them at my friends house because we didn't own a Mac. I remember my friend and I pissing ourselves during the creepy alien spaceship missions in the first game. Good times.
Your video was fantastic. And I learned so much (Bungie) history from this one video alone. I think it's so cool to see where a lot of their terms from Halo came from like Oni, Marathon Man, Mythic, and especially Action Sack. I downloaded the trilogy on pc a while ago, but now I've got quite a few things to pick up!
i still remember the phfor ship levels on marathon 1, the alien music, the odd lighting, pulsating walls, low gravity, organic looking corridors. Wish they would have used those textures in marathon 2 and infinity....yet they decided to make the alien levels blocky and unimaginative. even the switchs were weird and imaginative
You can still use full mouselook in the original quake it’s just not on by default, you may have to use the console Im not sure if I remember the method correctly it was a while ago. You can also use wasd though of Course it’s not default
Dude, amazing, amazing review. I'm proud to say you are the true concept of an old school gamer. I wish I had meet you live, I would hear you all day and still buy you a coffee. Great info, a lot I didn't knew about Marathon and I tought I was hardcore on it. Will check your channel for some more goldies. Also, great points you make, nothing I didn't agree on. PS: I remember having a different old version of Marathon 2 where the first level terminal was in the middle of the first room, not at the left. Interesting :)
I own the Marathon Trilogy original box set... I didn't realize it was so rare! I've always treasured it and now I'll take extra care to make sure no harm comes of it. I love the stickers but don't ever want to stick them to anything...
The Examined Life (of Gaming) I'm glad you share my enthusiasm for Marathon. Thanks for making such a nice indepth video, it is nice revisiting all the aspects of Marathon which made it the awesome game it is. I see that you have already introduced a bunch of strangers to Marathon... this is the way it should be. We need more indoctrination ;)
I hope they bring this back for the Xbox one I played this back in 1997 on my dads Mac and loved it. Its the game that got me into first person shooting.
Great video. One mistake though: You don’t wear Mjolnir armor like in Halo, but you *are* a Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg. Just a little difference from the Halo series.
Amazing video!!! I have just recently played through Marathon 1, 2, Infinity, Evil, and I'm finishing Eternal before moving on to Rubicon. If you love the Marathon mythos, you'll love Eternal. The writing is out of this world and the attention to Marathon history and minutia is impressive. I still remember play Pathways into Darkness as a kid. I still have my original discs and cheaters guide. I also have the full pull-out Marathon Trilogy box set you mentioned. Had no idea it was worth anything either, but I kept it. The white disc in that set was awesome because in an era before I had internet access I could play hundreds of custom levels that Bungie included from map makers worldwide in the trilogy release.
Jeffrey Dean It is hard even on Normal! Are you playing Total Carnage? I started a TC run recently since I beat the game once on Normal. It's even more insane. O_O Love the scenario so much though, it's beautiful and hectic :D
+zevex747 YEEEES! finally marathon talk! just finished phoenix and it IS hard as hell because those pfhor clones are geneticly modified to be tougher. the enforcers were the biggest pain as were both the trooper and hunter.
Cool. I have the trilogy box set, complete with stickers and everything. Never realized it would be worth anything. I should find an old Mac so I can play it again, it's an enjoyable game for sure.
The security armour in halo was made to honour this
@@viracocha Wrong. That's mjolnir armor as a whole. The Security Mk 6 Mjolnir was based off of Marathon.
@@viracocha did you no that the spartans were named aftr the ACTUAL spartans from ancnt grease????? xddddddxdddd
it took insperation from marathon
The MIDA Multitool and MIDA Minitool in Destiny 1 & 2 are also nods to Marathon. In lore they're literally weapons from a parallel universe, that universe being Marathon's. Pretty cool.
@@viracocha That’s false. Marathon used the Mjolnir name before halo. Halo used the Mjolnir name as a reference to marathon.
Thank you so much for this. Marathon never gets enough love, and, sadly, probably never will. Thanks for making one of the only Marathon Retrospectives online!
It is crazy how little Marathon material there is on UA-cam. Especially in light of Rubicon, Eternal and all the other fan-made sequels. Alex Bolton has one on Phoenix, but that's about it. I am almost thinking about doing one on Eternal myself but I lack the free time to adequately cover such an expansive scenario.
@@viracocha thanks to the XBLA release of marathon 2 and the open source alephone release of marathon, and it's sequels that's now the case a few years back that wasn't how it was
Im a german of the 80s/90s.. it baffles me thst i never heard anything about it.. system shock doom, all those dnd games, sure.. but Marathon? Nope... On the other hand, most over the Pond missed stuff like Archimedian Dynasties or the early settlers
@@dadrising6464 really? My father was one of the guys eho programmed it and he is german to
He even marketed it in a local gamingstore called games for fun
@@fressejetzt840 nope
.. but fps had a hard time in Germany back then. :)
Just letting you know, Alex is my cousin. He gave us Marathon 2 back whenever it was released. I however, was born in 96’ and I can only remember playing it a lot on the PC in the very early 2000’s. It’s crazy to think my cousin was actually heavily involved with bungie - all the way up until about half way through Halo 2
those who use inverted mouse look don't actually count as Human Beings
Yes! We are as gods!
@@TheExaminedLifeofGaming Bungie has sadly called you guys perverted ;-; ua-cam.com/video/zp4NZ8i80QI/v-deo.html
I feel like that link is probably a link to never gonna give you up
Oh nvm
Yeah, they've evolved past us
Man this series could really use a remake or remaster
Tons of older PC IPs have been brought back like Shadow Warrior, Wolfenstein and more recently Doom. If done right I could seeMarathon coming back and being amazing
If bungie bought marathon back remastered then that would be pretty awesome. Mind you I could also see it being scary as all hell with doom 3 style lighting and just overall taking a lot of cues from doom 3 due to how fucking DARK it can get at times (like jesus christ marathon is an amazing series but the lighting is fucking insanely dark)
Cyborg KiWi
That would be pretty fuckin awesome!!The potential is definitely there
LovelyProductions
The potential is 110% there but sadly I don't think bungie would really jump onto doing something like that (see what I did there) mainly because of how most of the people responsible for marathon in the first place don't even work at bungie anymore iirc
I'd like to see Pathways Into Darkness and the Marathon trilogy getting polished up in one of the recent Halo engines.
My dream is to see the Marathon trilogy remade with visuals matching Craig Mullins chapter art.
I remember we installed this on the computer lab macs when I was in grade school. It was glorious. Took them a good 6 years to finally get it purged from the network
Those rampant AIs can be a bitch.
@@will4127Was gonna say that LOL, Durandal would be proud
i remember playing the original Marathon 1 shareware application which came in a bundle disc demo which were popular back in the day. And if I remember correctly, the intro screen for Arrival did NOT have the LEONARDO in red font that I suppose was later added in Aleph One.
"Last I checked the bungie mac action sack was everywhere sealed for cheap."
"uploaded literally 6 years ago."
Shortly before the current pandemic began here, I actually bought a boxed Marathon Trilogy. It was in a bargain bin at a local mom and pop shop, for $2. The box had been squished from things stacked on top of it. But, it was still in shrink-wrap.
I bought the games, flattened the box out as best as I could, put it on the shelf to display and went and downloaded the games.
I adored Marathon 1 when I played it a few years ago, but starting Marathon 2, something kinda profound happened. The relative silence of the game and the solely ambient background sound settled over me, and honestly... it was a turn off. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed the music of Marathon 1 until it was missing. When Swirls starts playing in map 14, and you read Durandal's (presumably last) message to you... Oof. Great moment. I still haven't finished Marathon 2 because of this. It's the little things, I guess.
Of course, my main draw to the series was being a fan of Bungie Halo games, and I wasn't disappointed in that respect. I'll get back to it someday, I promise. Especially to play Infinity, which sounds really damn neat.
This. Marathon 1 had much better/spookier ambiance
I usually end up listening to Autechre or some of Nine Inch Nails' acoustic stuff, really complements the experience.
FROG BLAST THE VENT CORE!
Marathon is amazing for a lot of reasons, but I'll name one: The Protagonist. The Security Officer is one of the most compelling FPS protagonists in all of fiction, even though he doesn't say a god damn thing besides the occasional grunt/scream.
1. It points out his superhuman capabilities. This is something I love to see games do. Pointing out and actually using the protagonists badassery in a positive manner.
2. He's sympathetic. If one treats the Dream terminals in Infinity as his thoughts, he comes across as genuinely depressed, remorseful, and almost traumatized from everything he's seen.
OH man do I have thoughts about this. Which I will share in due time.
But yes, Bungie found a way to make the main character interesting on his own, while understanding what their players think and throwing that into the mix as well.
Great video! Never forget the incredible marathon 2 engine, which used in Prime Target and Damage Incorporated.
Played all, great memories.
Damage Inc is totally underrated
@@Andreas-hp3se Yes, it had squad orders.
if a remake of this game were made, with gore, weapons, etc ... it would be a worthy Doom competitor. regards 👍
lol what fuck off
Yup, it is
I want to grenade hop in true 3D!
@@CabezasDePescado You heard yourself, do it.
A friend suggested I pick up the Marathon games a while back, as they were free. While recently trying to copy a bunch of games from my older PC over to a newer one, I thought I'd bring the Marathon folders over - I had only ever really poked at the first one, and only for a short while. I'll definitely get to them someday, but not likely before I make some time to play them for my channel.
Meanwhile, a bored search of Marathon tonight led me to this video, and you've definitely earned a new subscriber.
Marathon Durandal is awesome
I literally can't express how instrumental Marathon was in my development as a kid and teenager, the hours I poured into the game mastering its gameplay and unravelling its story. Its great to know that it affected other people the same way. The only note I could add is that the fan made total conversion, Marathon: Rubicon is and always will be to me, the true sequel to infinity. It was one of the earliest games where your decisions and actions changed the whole story and ending, which was incredible and a worthy continuation, plus the map design was awesome. With its multiple branching story possibilities I spent almost as much time in Rubicon as the rest of the trilogy. I think Rubicon is still available with Aleph One.
Fantastic video. Marathon has always been one of my favorite FPS series because of the amazing story, gameplay, and sound.
You cannot convince me inverted mouse is the way to go.
Kind of Lilliput vs Blefuscu, I know, but my mouse is right and yours is wrong, and I'll go to war for it!
hehe. I've been barking up that tree for years and believe me, he feels the same way. But I'm positive deep down he knows he's just crazy. C:
Colin R
I mean, all I'm asking is for inverted camera people to simply admit their habit is a perverted abomination before the eyes of gods and men... I think it's a perfectly reasonable request to make.
Ghost81 Colin R Trust me, that video is coming. Just try not to lose faith in your continued existence once I prove you're nuts.
The Examined Life (of Gaming)
Well it better not be another "imagine someone stuck a screwdriver in the back of your head and started turning it" argument!
The Examined Life (of Gaming)
I think the simplest argument for it is "it's how real life works."
Wow! Your depth of knowledge is incredible and your passion for the subject is infectious!
I subbed minutes into this video.
I'm old, I was there, playing Marathon in Santa Monica 1995, networked on two Mac Quadras with a telephone cord running down the hallway of our house. The game was a groundbreaker when it appeared, so superior to Doom and Castle Wolfenstein; so atmospheric with the great sci-fi feel, weapons and eerie music. Graphics and sound on Apple were a generation ahead of PC's at the time. Arena fighting was nonstop entertainment, especially with the flamethrower which made people scream like burning chickens when they got hit. And if you needed a little more fun, just dial up the rocket power from say 5,000 to 50,000 and peeps be bouncing off the ceilings and walls repeatedly. Years later, I did a double take when I fired up Halo on the Xbox the first time and it hit me - "hey, this is MARATHON!"
Great video! I've been playing Marathon since 1994 and still play through the trilogy every year or so, mainly because, like you said in this video, the mind bending and brilliantly written story of M infinity. Still my favorite FPS of all time. Such a unique and beautifully made game and universe.
I just happened to stumble across this channel and I have to say that I haven't seen a good video like this in some time, even though this is almost 2 years old now. But hey, it's informative, well structured and your narration is superb! Definitely keep it up.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy some of my more... controversial stuff as well. :)
The Examined Life (of Gaming)
I know what you mean but in my opinion you're at least not a pansy because you stand to your opinion. I largely find myself agreeing with your criticism, some people just can't handle when they feel their fandom is attacked.
So much nostalgia with this. Seeing the visuals and hearing the music of the first Marathon is pleasant.
Also, your narration on this video is as close to perfect as you can get. Great job man!
Great video.
I had the Marathon Trilogy boxset, the big black one. I still have the scrapbook but alas the box was thrown away years ago. What a mistake!
I spent hundreds of hours in these games and their total conversions. I built maps with Forge which to this day is the best map editor I've ever used. I loved every minute of Durandal which was the first AAA game I ever played.
+Kiyoshi Kirishima durandal is my favorite one, while the very first marathon is nostalgia at its best! infinity wasnt my fav because it was a bit of a mindfuck. I think my favorite marathon custome made game is probably excalibur morganas revenge and marathon rubicon.
I'm truly happy to see that this game has not been lost to time and overshadowed by DOOM and Halo. This game has aged extremely well especially with AlephOne and I can still play it on my modern MacBook. Marathon has an eerie and immersive atmosphere that has not been replicated by indie shooters that go for story-integration and atmosphere.
I remember installing this game with the 4 or 5 floppy disks it came with as a kid, and i remember being terrified at the picture of the guy holding the skull/spine "predator" style. I was only like 6-8 years old when this game came out. I miss this enthusiasm for games. Look at what we had back in the 90's,
and what we have today. Its crazy. I built a $4,000 PC (W/ monitor and keyboard etc.) last year and it doesnt keep me captivated like games that i had on my parents Macintosh, and Windows 95-98 of the day. I feel old.... Fuck.
I literally used to stay awake until 3am while my parents were snoring and start-up the jet engine (which was my parents comuter) to play this game all night. I got caught so many times..... I wouldnt think it was bad as a parent now-a-days. but back in the 90s it was a different time.
I own both Mac OS, Marathon and Marathon 2: Durandal triangle boxes, but I will never sell. 😍
I managed to find the trilogy box for about £86 here roughly $103 in real money. It's a lovely centre piece I can only imagine it was bungie' farewell to mac gamers before going on to new beginnings...kinda like the Jjaro
I am missing the amazing level editor that we used to create our own battle fields for multiplayer game in this documentary! We even organised LAN parties dedicated to Marathon and because nobody knew this game because every one around us had PCs at this time we all started at the same level :-)
I watched this in 2020. Still holds up. The Marathon games are still fun to play.
Great review on the game series that changed my life
Hi Au5! :D
Same here!
I've been playing marathon since I watched this review a few weeks ago. It's fun, music is great, and the art is awesome. I just havent found a gun with a real punch yet. The chain gun spits them out, but the spread is wider than the hit boxes half the time, but the overall game has better propulsion through its world than the endless key hunt of doom or wolf 3d. Thanks for the recommend.
I must say, this is an excellent analysis and review. I'm glad to see at least one well-produced video about Marathon. [nod] Props to you.
On a gloating note, I managed to swipe a trilogy box set off eBay for $65 USD including postage. Unsealed but in great condition. Not that anyone really cares
+Scott Meade Nice! It's a great package
Dude this is such a great retrospective! Thank you for making this.
That daikatana joke never gets old :P
Battlefield 1942 Argentina I'm going to keep reusing it until I get tired of it.
In other words: FOREVER!
The Examined Life (of Gaming) I paid full price for Daikatana on release day. And dammit, I'm keeping that damn box pristine until someone recognizes it for the Collector's Item it really is. I think it was $349.9, back in the day when $50 games were the norm, so I thought I got quite a steal.
The Examined Life (of Gaming) No story with more text? Have you tried Escape Velocity: Nova?
Marathon warped my childhood pretty good. Man, what a game.
Anyone up for some Descent? :P
Great vid. Many of the games you review I've never even played, but I've watched them all and greatly enjoy the level and type of evaluation you provide. It's something I wish was more prevalent these days.
Masterpiece documentary, played pathways into darkness, Marathon 1 and Marathon 2 durandal on a Macintosh LCIII in my childhood (im 37), thank you very much, i still need to clarify the halo connection, i strongly believe marathon history is on the future of masterchief halo historyline...
I bought the three Mac Marathon boxes back in the day, but I ended up throwing them as I moved on. I'm a bit sad about that now - Marathon (one) was a great game and I spent a lot of time playing it. The box is gone, but I still have it on a G4 iMac. Better than the LC2 I first played the game on, in a demo from some magazine's front cover.
I didn't realize Bungie made Abuse. That was truly a great game.
It makes me sad that I hd both Marathon 2, Infinity and the Trilogy in the original boxes for about five seconds before tearing them open because that was just packaging and it was all about the disks inside. 31 year old me regrets this.
For those who wants to play this games and has an Iphone the tree marathon games are on the apple store if you wanna try it.
I tried to comment earlier but was having connectivity problems stemming from outdated software transferred from my old Mac. Your voiceover work on this video is fantastic! You speak at a good clip, and you make excellent use of punctuation by varying the tone and rate of your voice. I have degrees in Theatre and Acting, and I believe that you have the talent and further potential to become an excellent journalist. Just one thing though--I'm 52 years old and didn't stop biting my fingernails until I was 28. I was sitting watching television in my barracks room at Camp Lejeune and looked down at my recently bleeding fingernail nubs. Stop biting your nails sooner than I did!
What an excellent project you have made. I have fond memories of playing this game at a friend's house... or I should say, obsessing over watching his older brother play. I couldn't remember the name for years, but it was at that point in my childhood that I became enthralled with the idea of owning a PowerMac. What I would do to travel back in time and play this game and Maelstrom for hours on end through the eyes of a child. Thanks so much for the video and the great memories.
Well done(!) and put me smack into how I spent most of the 90's. I was hooked by the Marathon universe and not just by the Bungie versions but the multitude of fan-created scenarios. Bungie honored the community by creating a map Contest for the best scenarios in several categories. Winners were given awards and Trilogy Box sets and I felt elated to have my scenario take an Honorable Mention. I still have the box set.
One other note is how well the Marathon:Resurrection crew did with recreating the M:1 game using the Unreal engine. Gives a whole new thrill to the original.
Im glad someone else has played this massively underrated game. I remember finishing all 3 games and absolutely loving them. I do admit even now i dont understand the story of infinity, i found it so hard to follow.
You mentioned you still play marathon so i might suggest some Total Conversions which i enjoyed
Marathon Evil
Marathon Excalibur
Marathon Red
As a LONG time (1987) Mac user, Marathon brings back so many memories. It was like living in a different world. I can still remember the episodes and levels. There was just so much thought into the games. Nothing like it since. Fighting against a rogue computer system is just so compelling. It was ahead of its time.
Also, the game ZPC was also based off the Marathon engine. That was a truly bizarre game.
I really enjoyed watching this. Thought I was the last remaining fan - glad I'm not. I still go back to the game reliably once a year. I have all the box sets and used to release mods too. I still like finding music remixes online.
I tried to jump on multiplayer on the 360 version but only ran into one person one time and i kicked his ass a few times and he dipped :(
25 years now.
So happy I found this video. I had a Mac Performa growing up and played Marathon I and II. Legendary memories unlocked 💯🔥
I really appreciate that you made this video. I've been a big fan of the Marathon series since I was little, and it always makes me happy to see other people speak highly of the game.
With the new Marathon game coming out, I’m glad your videos are here to explain the story/lore for newcomers.
No mention of Marathon Evil?? It also had a great story, more alien species and added weapons. There was the gatling machine gun, railgun that could shoot through all aliens in its path and a fusion grenade launcher that would incinerate all aliens within the explosion. Back in 1997 I worked at a company where at the end of the day we would play Evil with four against each other on the network. Very addictive gameplay.
Dude you are very cool to do a video on Marathon. In the days when Quadra's and the new PPC's were a primo investment this series was the icing on the cake. Myst and Ambrosia SW games were other unique Mac only game experiences at that time.
It's hard to work out what was so absorbing about this game, particularly Marathon 2. Something about the atmospheric sounds, dazzling colours and imaginative monsters, not too mention the strange, mostly incomprehensible story. I must of spent hours playing it as a kid, and occasionally have dreams where I'm in it, even decades later! Still remember picking up that triangle box in a shop...
Excellent video! I decided to check out the marathon games myself after watching this and holy crap was that one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Amazing series which more fans of classic fps games really need to play
Excellent video. Infinity still feels more like something I dreamed than played. I love the whole series but that one especially had a lasting influence on me.
The box set was amazing, and also included a whole CD of all the best mods that had been released at that point.
Marathon was the first video game I purchased for my PowerMac. Loved playing that game.
First played this when it was re-released on the xbox 360 store, fell in love with it. Never heard of it before, but glad I took a chance on it.
Goodness your voice, clarity, and speaking method are fantastic. I wish everyone else was so concise.
Very well executed review. I'm a long time fan of Marathon and can't argue with anything you said. Quite surprised to learn there are now collectors of the original games! Feeling old.
Thank you for this video. Your knowledge of these games and Bungie is impressive. I was with the series from the start and did countless hours of it at Mac only LAN-parties back in the 90s. Amazing stuff. Your video took me down memory lane! 10/10 would watch everyday.
Thank you so much for this. As someone who played these games (especially M2: Durandal) younger, it was heart-warming to see this video.
Thank you so much, your retrospective just made my day!:)
The only thing that imho would have deserved a mention is the sandbox editor called "Forge", that came with the third instalment, "Infinity". At that time not many games had tools that allowed you to create your own maps (including wonderful storytelling possibilities by using the terminals).
Games have developed immensely since then, employing insanely beautiful graphics/sound and gameplay options. Then how come that nothing after Marathon could bring back that special feeling of magic and awe for me (with maybe the exception of Halflife 2)?
Yeah I should have talked more about level editors. Like OBED.
dude....has anybody played MARATHON RUBICON? that was a huge improvement and an unofficial sequal to marathon infinity. I highly recommend it
+MISANTHROPE00 YES I HAVE! DAMN! I LOVED marathon rubicon. I think it was actually a sequel to marathon 2 but had the weird dream and branching story of marathon infinity. On the final salinger level durandal says something about you and him going to investigate some sort of dimensional rift. So perhaps marathon infinity takes places after rubicon?
there have been more recent conversions with higher res textures but this was the best i've played
+MISANTHROPE00 I'd say Rubicon is the highest quality Marathon scenario. Some of the levels are confusing, and it can be hard to figure out the branching storylines, but that's just what makes it all the more intriguing.
+MISANTHROPE00 I certainly have, best total-conversion mod ever.
we're used to strange storylines after marathon infinity anyway
Awesome shoutout to Hamish Sinclair's Marathon Story site. That was my primary stomping ground back in the day.
My only complaint about the Marathon games is that you can't save the game at the start of every level. It does get old when you play a level for 5 minutes and then die and realize you have to beat half of the previous level again.
Brilliant segment, thanks! So awesome to hear people who love it as much as I do!
For anyone looking to get a new Marathon fix, try out Marathon: Rubicon. I would argue it's easily the best, most mentally challenging and most in-keeping with the original trilogy of the 3rd party scenarios. Other than that, it's just a fantastic game.
OH SACK so that's were the halo playlist "team action sack" came from!
Remember the Mac Performa? I had one. The Marathon trilogy is and always will be the only such game I’ll ever immerse myself in, because there went many many months of my life 🤣
I gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of your video. I learned a ton and enjoy your presentation. You definitely deserve more viewers and success. All the best! Subscribed.
I'm running through a list of older games I need to play (Currently playing Strife) and Marathon is on my list.
I stopped watching this video 5 minutes in so I can play it myself with as little knowledge of the game as possible. Gonna enjoy this.
Great video.
This makes me want to get my hands on the marathon games, or the mac action sack, and spend a week plowing through them
Excellent comprehensive look at the series. Well done!
I play with the damn ARROW KEYS and even I'm disgusted by inverted mouse, you must be a demon XD Jokes aside great videos my man :D
Oh yes, we played Marathon hours and hours back in the day, also the multiplayer. I was working at Mac dealer back in the day and we met at least 1 time a week from all deparements and did those "Network-tests" as we called it.
We even had some hacks, like other sounds and replacing some of the sprites.
I loved these games, but I could only ever play them at my friends house because we didn't own a Mac. I remember my friend and I pissing ourselves during the creepy alien spaceship missions in the first game. Good times.
My older sister and I played a ton of Chex Quest and had that same experience. Terrifying!
A good retrospective. Thanks. Killed a lot of time... and Pfhor.. playing this.
I won an eBay auction just today for the trilogy box set. Unfortunately it wasn't sealed but it is in phenomenal condition
Your video was fantastic. And I learned so much (Bungie) history from this one video alone. I think it's so cool to see where a lot of their terms from Halo came from like Oni, Marathon Man, Mythic, and especially Action Sack. I downloaded the trilogy on pc a while ago, but now I've got quite a few things to pick up!
Well done. I still have my CD sleeve for the trilogy set, it's incredibly worn from use.
i still remember the phfor ship levels on marathon 1, the alien music, the odd lighting, pulsating walls, low gravity, organic looking corridors. Wish they would have used those textures in marathon 2 and infinity....yet they decided to make the alien levels blocky and unimaginative.
even the switchs were weird and imaginative
You can still use full mouselook in the original quake it’s just not on by default, you may have to use the console Im not sure if I remember the method correctly it was a while ago. You can also use wasd though of
Course it’s not default
Holy shit you sound young in this.
I recently got into Marathon. I'm on the Cool Fusion Chapter of the first game. I play it through the Aleth Source Port on my Windows 10 laptop.
Dude, amazing, amazing review. I'm proud to say you are the true concept of an old school gamer. I wish I had meet you live, I would hear you all day and still buy you a coffee. Great info, a lot I didn't knew about Marathon and I tought I was hardcore on it. Will check your channel for some more goldies.
Also, great points you make, nothing I didn't agree on.
PS: I remember having a different old version of Marathon 2 where the first level terminal was in the middle of the first room, not at the left. Interesting :)
I own the Marathon Trilogy original box set... I didn't realize it was so rare! I've always treasured it and now I'll take extra care to make sure no harm comes of it. I love the stickers but don't ever want to stick them to anything...
zevex747 Very rare! But what else do you expect from the greatest box set of all time?!
The Examined Life (of Gaming) I'm glad you share my enthusiasm for Marathon. Thanks for making such a nice indepth video, it is nice revisiting all the aspects of Marathon which made it the awesome game it is. I see that you have already introduced a bunch of strangers to Marathon... this is the way it should be. We need more indoctrination ;)
I hope they bring this back for the Xbox one I played this back in 1997 on my dads Mac and loved it. Its the game that got me into first person shooting.
Him: (Uses inverted mouse controls and claims it makes more sense)
Me: "Look, ya might as well give up the act, we all know you ain't human."
Would love to get into it, wish it was more accessible
Nice, also grew up on the Marathon Trilogy, currently have an old G3 iMac that I use to still play the trilogy to this day.
Such an awesome video! Thanks for making it.
Great video. One mistake though: You don’t wear Mjolnir armor like in Halo, but you *are* a Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg. Just a little difference from the Halo series.
Amazing video!!! I have just recently played through Marathon 1, 2, Infinity, Evil, and I'm finishing Eternal before moving on to Rubicon. If you love the Marathon mythos, you'll love Eternal. The writing is out of this world and the attention to Marathon history and minutia is impressive. I still remember play Pathways into Darkness as a kid. I still have my original discs and cheaters guide. I also have the full pull-out Marathon Trilogy box set you mentioned. Had no idea it was worth anything either, but I kept it. The white disc in that set was awesome because in an era before I had internet access I could play hundreds of custom levels that Bungie included from map makers worldwide in the trilogy release.
Jeffrey Dean play Marathon Phoenix!! :D
zevex747 Been working on it for the last month or so :) Great suggestion. Hard as nails though!
Jeffrey Dean It is hard even on Normal! Are you playing Total Carnage? I started a TC run recently since I beat the game once on Normal. It's even more insane. O_O Love the scenario so much though, it's beautiful and hectic :D
+zevex747 YEEEES! finally marathon talk! just finished phoenix and it IS hard as hell because those pfhor clones are geneticly modified to be tougher. the enforcers were the biggest pain as were both the trooper and hunter.
I have always wanted to learn more about this game, now I have :)
Cool. I have the trilogy box set, complete with stickers and everything. Never realized it would be worth anything. I should find an old Mac so I can play it again, it's an enjoyable game for sure.
Great video! Took me down memory lane. The infinity box