Comparison

PewPew vs Classic Marathon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PewPew

Experience intense, retro-style multidirectional shooting with massive enemy counts and a high frame rate. Choose from five distinct game modes, including Pandemonium, Dodge This, Assault, Chromatic Conflict, and Asteroids. Compete on online leaderboards and unlock new ships.

Highlights
  • Multidirectional shooting
  • Retro graphics
  • High frame rate
  • Five game modes
  • Online leaderboards
  • Unlockable ships
  • Game controller support
Features
Read full description

PewPew is a multidirectional shoot them up akin to Geometry Wars. Expect retro graphics, megatons of enemies, and a frame rate rarely achieved by other games. On the other hand, don't expect a story: this game is for serious gamers. There are FIVE different game modes: • Pandemonium: Some enemies explode when they die, and the other spin maniacally everywhere. Hide from the explosions or deftly go through them. • Dodge this: As you collect boxes, there are more and more enemies moving around. Naturally, you have to dodge them all. • Assault: You fight against waves of enemies. Spoiler: at the end, they win and you die. • Chromatic Conflict (NSF color blinds): Enemies of different color appear. You can only destroy the ones that are the same color as your ship. • Asteroids: Need I say more? Features: ⁂ High frame-rate (honestly, this is what defines this game) ⁂ Finely tuned game-play (oh, and this too) ⁂ Online leader boards ⁂ Online replays ⁂ Some sweet music ⁂ Unlockable ships ⁂ Support Game Controller ⁂ No ads, no analytics. nada.

About

Classic Marathon

Relive a classic first-person shooter experience with this enhanced port. Explore 27 levels, battle alien forces, and engage in various multiplayer modes. Features include high frame rate support, HD sprites, and cross-platform multiplayer.

Highlights
  • 27 levels across six chapters
  • Multiplayer with up to 8 players
  • Exploration, puzzles, and extermination missions
  • Console-quality gameplay
  • 7 unique weapons
  • Cross-platform multiplayer support
Read full description

Classic Marathon® is the first in the original epic trilogy of first person shooter games that defined the genre. Experience the pulse-pounding action as you defend the Marathon from the alien Pfhor. Play with your friends and enemies in Every Man for Himself, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Cooperative, or Kill the Man With the Ball. ENHANCEMENTS • High frame rate support • Updated HD Sprite set • 3D positional sound with HRTF • Texture parallax mapping • Multiplayer cross-play with Linux, Mac, PC, and Steam FEATURES • 27 levels divided into six chapters. • LAN-based multiplayer with up to 8 players. • Missions include exploration, puzzles and extermination. • Console-quality gameplay. • MFi controller support. • 3D Touch and haptic feedback. • Dynamic reticle and High-resolution textures. • 7 unique weapons including: .45 Magnum Mega Class pistol M.75 Assault Rifle/Grenade Launcher Zeus Class Fusion Pistol TOZT-7 flamethrower ... and the devastating SPNKR-X17 rocket launcher ===== "Being naked in space stinks. Lucky for you, Mr. Security officer, you are dressed in active military uniform, complete with a Cyberheadª helmet. Your Cyberhead device is your interface to your surrounding environment." ===== STORY • Defend the UESC Marathon colony ship against the aggressive Pfhor • Play the role of the cyborg security officer • Witness the rampancy of Durandal, the ship-board A.I. • Uncover the surprising secrets of the Pfhor and the UESC Marathon ===== "Carnage is as easy as point and shoot. Different weapons are characterized with different dynamics. It is unwise, for example, to use the rocket launcher in close combat." ===== Visit us at http://www.marathon-ios.com Follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/blezek Source code for this app is also licensed under the GNU General Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html). See http://www.marathon-ios.com for details. ===== "Move fast, seize the initiative, wield superior firepower, dive into the melee, anticipate enemy movements, slaughter the defenseless, endure." ===== BUNGIE™, MARATHON® and the Bungie and Marathon logos are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Bungie, Inc., used with permission.

Screenshots

PewPew4 screens
Classic Marathon3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PewPew at none against Classic Marathon's 10. PewPew also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 76%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Classic Marathon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (630 vs 67). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Classic Marathon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. PewPew asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PewPew against 4.5 for Classic Marathon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Classic Marathon has 630 ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of PewPew's written reviews are positive against 76% of Classic Marathon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PewPew ships an update every 5 months, Classic Marathon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PewPew versus Classic Marathon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPewPewClassic Marathon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (67 ratings) — better4.5 (630 ratings)
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews — better76.2% of reviews
Number of ratings67630 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB125 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJean-Francois GeyelinDome-C Studio LLC

Customer experience

PewPew

All ratings67 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral7.5%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews289 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral5.5%
Negative3.1%

Classic Marathon

All ratings612 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral4.2%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews282 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral6.7%
Negative17.0%

User reviews

PewPew

From 67 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Challenging and addictive
  • 🎮 Great retro-style controls
  • 💯 Excellent value (free app)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • 🔊 Limited sound effects
  • 📱 Screen size/orientation issues on some devices

Classic Marathon

From 630 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Faithful port of a classic game
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay and controls
  • 💡 Appreciated free version with optional HD upgrade
  • 🎮 Great with controller support
  • 🕹 Nostalgic experience for longtime fans

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕹 Challenging touch controls
  • 🔒 Lack of customization options (e.g. invert Y-axis)
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly

Bugs and requests

PewPew

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • High score data loss after updates
  • Unresponsive controls on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More game modes and enemy types
  • Multiplayer support
  • Ability to disable background music
  • Offline/campaign mode

Classic Marathon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Saves not working properly
  • Weapons becoming black boxes
  • Screen tinting issues
  • Crashes on newer devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add multiplayer support
  • Implement more control customization options
  • Port the entire Marathon trilogy
  • Provide support for custom maps and mods

In-app purchases

None

PewPew

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Classic Marathon

One-time10
  • HD Mode$0.99
  • Master Chief Mode$0.99
  • Enhanced Reticules$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Just a tip$0.99
  • Not the smallest tip$1.99
  • A good tip$2.99
  • A pretty good tip$4.99
  • An excellent tip$7.99
  • The best possible tip$12.99
  • Better than the best tip$20.99

Questions

Is PewPew free?
PewPew is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Classic Marathon free?
Classic Marathon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PewPew or Classic Marathon?
PewPew is rated higher. PewPew averages 4.5 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Classic Marathon averages 4.5 from 630 ratings.
Do PewPew or Classic Marathon have ads?
Neither PewPew nor Classic Marathon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PewPew or Classic Marathon?
PewPew ships an update every 5 months, and Classic Marathon every 2 months. Most recently, PewPew was updated on October 20, 2026 and Classic Marathon on October 22, 2026.

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