"Back when the Mac was Dying, WE HAD MARATHON!"

I've been a mac user all my life. I've been scoffed at, laughed at... you name it, I've seen it.

Now, the "Mac is Back." Now, the mac is suddenly cool again. But back in the dark age of Gil Amelio, somethings just didn't happen on Mac. One of those things was games.

Sure, Mac Users had their games. But they just couldn't compete with the PC market, who seemed to have all sorts of cool things. I was amazed by DOOM the first time I saw it, and though I loved my Mac, I was insanely jealous that I didn't have DOOM II for mine..

Well, I was laughing at the PC users when Marathon came out.

The patron saints of Mac Gaming, Bungie Net, released this game for Mac during the dark ages, and instantly revolutionized the concept of Mac Gaming. This game was easily better than DOOM II in every way, shape, and form.

Okay, let's get into it.

First of all, Marathon's graphics were exquisite. Though the Marathon game viewing area was relatively small, the graphics were sharper, and the enemies could be viewed from 16 different angles, compared to 8 or even 4 for DOOM. There were many more enemies, too, which reacted to sight and sound and packed a variety of weapons themselves. Ahh, yes, the weapons. Marathon features an arsenal that puts DOOM's to shame, easy. DOOM had a total of 6 weapons, 7 if we must count the chainsaw. Marathon not only features more weapons, but most of those weapons have a duel trigger function -- for isntance, the assault gun has a gatling gun and a grenade launcher. You can hold two pistols at once. You can charge your Zeus. Little things like that made it all seem worth while. And the rocket launcher in Marathon is SOOOO much more satisfying.

Worth mentioning all by itself is the plot. yes, a plot. Doom was good at giving you long, corny messages between scenarios, but Marathon goes beyond that. During your quest, you are constantly contacted by three Artificial Intelligence Units -- One wants to save the ship, one wants to destroy it and break free, and yet another's fate is in question. As you progress, you are given mission objectives you must follow in your quest to save the ship. The level design makes Doom look like Space Invaders. You have to solve REAL puzzles, not just flip switches. The game also features a midi based soundtrack that, while nothing exceptional, sure puts DOOM's lobbyish tunes to shame.

The Multiplayer mode DEFINITELY puts DOOM to shame. In Marathon, you already had the ability to look up and down. The weapons were so much cooler, and the multiplayer arenas were so much better designed then Doom's deathmatch that it makes you wanna cry. The inclusion of more options and the ability to control more poitns of the game helps, too.

If you're a Mac devout and haven't played Marathon, then you're as good as a PC user. If you're a PC user.. then I suggest you find some way to play this game. It's out of date now, but you should see what we Mac users were doing while you were DOOMing away.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99