# Classic Marathon vs Control Ultimate Edition

The clearest difference is price: Classic Marathon at Free against Control Ultimate Edition's $2.99. Classic Marathon also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (76% vs 62%). Control Ultimate Edition's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Classic Marathon is free to download; Control Ultimate Edition costs $2.99 up front. Classic Marathon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Control Ultimate Edition asks for nothing beyond the download.

Classic Marathon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 630 and 338 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Classic Marathon's written reviews are positive against 62% of Control Ultimate Edition's.

Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, Control Ultimate Edition every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Classic Marathon | Control Ultimate Edition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (630 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-marathon/id419805412/reviews)** | [4.0 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-ultimate-edition/id6502953520/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **630** | 338 |
| Positive reviews | **76.2% of reviews** | 62.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#3** |
| Size | 125 MB | 568 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Dome-C Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/850082459) | [Remedy Entertainment PLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/422020156) |

## What reviewers say

### Classic Marathon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-marathon/id419805412)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HD Mode | $0.99 | one-time |
| Master Chief Mode | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enhanced Reticules | $0.99 | one-time |
| Just a tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Not the smallest tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| A good tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| A pretty good tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| An excellent tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| The best possible tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Better than the best tip | $20.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Control Ultimate Edition

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control-ultimate-edition/id6502953520)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Paid · Adventure, #4 Top Paid · Action, #14 Top Paid · Games, #22 Top Paid (US App Store)

Engage in a supernatural third-person action-adventure where you wield telekinetic powers and transforming weaponry to combat an ominous enemy. Uncover the dark secrets of a secretive government agency and fight to regain control of a world under threat.

**Highlights:** Supernatural combat, Transforming weaponry, Telekinetic powers, Uncover mysteries, Explore hidden world, Challenging boss fights

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Classic Marathon free?

Classic Marathon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Control Ultimate Edition free?

Control Ultimate Edition costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Classic Marathon or Control Ultimate Edition?

Classic Marathon is rated higher. Classic Marathon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 630 ratings, while Control Ultimate Edition averages 4.0 from 338 ratings.

### Do Classic Marathon or Control Ultimate Edition have ads?

Neither Classic Marathon nor Control Ultimate Edition shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Classic Marathon or Control Ultimate Edition?

Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, and Control Ultimate Edition every 5 days. Most recently, Classic Marathon was updated on October 22, 2026 and Control Ultimate Edition on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*