Comparison

Classic Marathon vs ScummVM

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

Head to head
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.

About

ScummVM

Play classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs on your device. This application includes two playable demos and offers access to many more titles through its website. Enjoy a vast library of beloved retro games.

Highlights
  • Play classic adventure games
  • Play classic RPGs
  • Includes playable demos
  • Access to more games online
  • Open source software
Features
Read full description

ScummVM provides a way to play many classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs. The application is bundled with two playable demos, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (DOS Demo) and The Secret of Monkey Island (DOS EGA Demo), both titles copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd. You can find more information, demos, and some free-to-download adventure games on our website. See also an up-to-date list here: https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Where_to_get_the_games Full documentation of ScummVM can be found at https://docs.scummvm.org/ Please visit our web forum where you can discuss the iOS version. https://forums.scummvm.org/viewforum.php?f=15 ScummVM is open source software available under the term of the GPL v3.0 license. The source code is available from https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm.

Screenshots

Classic Marathon3 screens
ScummVM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScummVM at none against Classic Marathon's 10. ScummVM also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (88% vs 76%). Classic Marathon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (614 vs 106). On price, 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. ScummVM asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ScummVM holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Classic Marathon has 614 ratings behind it against 106, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Classic Marathon's written reviews are positive against 88% of ScummVM's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, ScummVM every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Classic Marathon versus ScummVM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClassic MarathonScummVM
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (614 ratings)4.7 (106 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews87.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings614 — better106
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB176 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperDome-C Studio LLCEugene Sandulenko

Customer experience

Classic Marathon

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

ScummVM

All ratings106 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive87.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative3.0%

User reviews

Classic Marathon

From 614 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

ScummVM

From 106 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Reliving classic games
  • 👍 Great for mobile browsers
  • 👍 Amazing experience with specific games
  • 👍 Glad it's available
  • 👍 Supports classic point-and-click and RPGs

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashing mid-game
  • 🐛 Save feature not working correctly
  • 🐛 Touchscreen tap issues
  • 🐛 Clunky game adding process
  • 🐛 UI needs improvement

Bugs and requests

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

ScummVM

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes mid-game
  • Save feature does not save
  • Single-tap not registering as left click
  • Two-finger tap not registering as right click
  • Magic Keyboard touchpad not working
Show 5 more
  • Trackpad from new iPads not working
  • Cannot link OneDrive due to JSON response issue
  • Recently added games graying out
  • App crashes on second boot
  • External keyboard not working

Requested features

12 requests
  • Easier game search
  • Apple TV support
  • Gamepad key mapping support
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Magic Keyboard touchpad support
Show 7 more
  • Trackpad support
  • Change icon color
  • Support for Discworld Noir
  • DOSBox and FUSE support
  • NES interpreter support
  • Better iOS support for Grim Fandango & Escape From Monkey Island
  • More significant way to add games

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
None

ScummVM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Classic Marathon free?
Classic Marathon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScummVM free?
ScummVM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Classic Marathon or ScummVM?
ScummVM is rated higher. Classic Marathon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 614 ratings, while ScummVM averages 4.7 from 106 ratings.
Do Classic Marathon or ScummVM have ads?
Neither Classic Marathon nor ScummVM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Classic Marathon or ScummVM?
Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, and ScummVM every 4 months. Most recently, Classic Marathon was updated on October 16, 2026 and ScummVM on October 16, 2026.

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