Classic Marathon vs Xibalba
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Xibalba
Embark on a retro first-person shooter adventure through the Mayan Underworld. Explore diverse environments, battle dangerous creatures, and utilize powerups and weapons. Experience immersive gameplay with intuitive controls and a captivating atmosphere.
- Retro first-person shooter gameplay
- Mayan Underworld setting
- Diverse environments (jungles, catacombs, bases)
- Multiple enemy types
- Variety of weapons and powerups
- Challenging hard mode
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Fight your way through the Mayan Underworld in this retro First Person Shooter. The path leads you through lush jungles, eerie catacombs and high tech bases filled with dangerous creatures, traps, vital powerups and weapons. The intuitive and precise controls provide an amazing gaming experience while the dark ambient soundtrack and high quality sound effects build a dense atmosphere. The game features 6 different levels, 3 weapons, 6 types of enemies and an epic boss battle. And if that isn't enough, you can test your skill with the even more challenging "hard mode". Headphones recommended!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Xibalba at none against Classic Marathon's 10. Xibalba 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 18 months). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Classic Marathon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Xibalba asks for nothing beyond the download.
Xibalba holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 630 and 558 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Classic Marathon's written reviews are positive against 88% of Xibalba's.
Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, Xibalba every 18 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.
| Parameter | Classic Marathon | Xibalba |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (630 ratings) | 4.7 (558 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | 88.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 630 — better | 558 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 18 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Dome-C Studio LLC | PhobosLab |
Customer experience
Classic Marathon
Xibalba
User reviews
Classic Marathon
From 630 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Xibalba
From 558 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Retro/nostalgic feel
- 🎮 Great controls
- 💎 Unique atmosphere and story
- 🎨 Beautiful pixel art graphics
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional control issues
- ⏱️ Short campaign length
- 🤖 Limited enemy/weapon variety
- 🔍 Lack of crosshair/aiming assistance
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
Xibalba
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game not working on certain devices
- Crashes and freezes
Requested features
5 requests- More levels and content
- Multiplayer mode
- Level editor
- Weapon/enemy upgrades
- Checkpoint system
In-app purchases
Classic Marathon
- HD Mode$0.99
- Master Chief Mode$0.99
- Enhanced Reticules$0.99
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- 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
Xibalba
No in-app purchases








