soniccd
Sonic CD and Marathon 2: Durandal have made their way to the iPhone and the iPad, more than 15 years after their original release.

Sonic CD was originally released in 1993 as a game for the Sega CD, Sega's CD-ROM add-on for the Genesis console. Unfortunately, the Sega CD was a complete flop, and, according to our sister-site TouchArcade, never got the attention it deserved.

I'd still say Sonic CD is the best Sonic game ever released. It was a particularly great Sega CD game, as it played to the strengths of the Genesis with familiar Sonic-style gameplay enhanced through a few tasteful full motion video scenes and some fantastic CD audio.

TouchArcade has the full story of how Sonic CD came to the iPhone, and it's fascinating. The short version is that in 2009, a fan of the game created an unauthorized, ground up rewrite for iOS. That version suddenly disappeared without a trace, presumably under the order of Sega's legal team.

But today, that port has come to iOS with the approval of Sega, and to rave reviews.

Here we have the best installment of one of the greatest gaming franchises, which received both flawless review scores and game of the year awards when it was originally released ported with complete perfection to iOS. This is a game you flat out need to buy if you even vaguely consider yourself an iOS gamer. Not only because it's such an impeccable port of an important piece of gaming history, but because we need to vote with our wallets to tell Sega (and anyone else who might be watching) that this is the quality we demand out of retro games brought to the App Store.

Sonic CD is available as a universal iPad and iPhone app, for $1.99 on the App Store [Direct Link].

marathon2
Marathon 2: Durandal was originally released in 1995 for the Mac and Windows 95 -- and was even ported to the Apple Pippen -- as a sequel to Bungie's first Marathon game. Marathon 1 was released on iPad earlier this year by the same developer.

As with Marathon 1, the game is a free download offering 28 levels divided into 9 chapters. The interface has been modified to accommodate touch screen interaction of the iPad. It also includes Joypad support, allowing players to play the game on the iPad, whilst controlling it with the iPhone.

Marathon 2 is a free download for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

GenesisJLS Avatar
177 months ago
This is fantastic. It seems Sega knows what consumers want. Software for all platforms.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChristIsLORD Avatar
177 months ago
No one should purchase that Marathon port. One of the Aelph One developers has said that the art he made for Bungie that he was later given license to distribute for free is being offered as paid IAP content by the app's developer without ever consulting the original artist.

"So I spent the last few months, building the ultimate versions of Marathon, Marathon Durandal and Marathon Infinity for the Mac and PC. We did a big release on Dec 1st.

I wanted Daniel to use all the stuff we put into the release, but he never got back to me. Looks like he just ripped out the XLBA stuff anyway and put it in. I hope he pulled from our release, as we were able to get some stuff that was better quality than what I put in the XBLA version."

"I made Marathon Durandal for XBLA for MS Game Studios and Bungie. Freeverse created all the HD art assets and such. The deal means Bungie owns these materials.

I then sat down with Bungie not too long ago, about how to make the best 1.0 version of Marathon for the modern Mac and PC. Part of this deal was to get the rights to release the XBLA content for free.

Then this guy Daniel comes along and ports the Open Source Aleph One game engine (that runs marathon) to the iPad. Then to offset his dev costs (a legit reason) he included IAP, which was selling some cheats and a fan made HD texture pack (I assume he is splitting the profits, I don't know).

That I was fine with. A guy named Tim made the HD art, so it makes sense that he can sell it.

But with Marathon 2, he's selling basically my artwork (that belongs to Bungie). I assume Bungie knows and approved this, it's just kind of brings me down, when I released all of this content for free on the web (in a much better version of Marathon with extra bugs fixed).

I take my Marathon very serious. When someone messes around with it I do take it very personally."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LimeiBook86 Avatar
177 months ago
Way Past Cool!

Yes Sonic CD! I love this game, every since playing the Sega CD version almost 20 years ago. For $1.99 it was a no-brainer. It plays pretty well on the iPhone too, I'd like iControl Pad support but that's a dream... either way I look forward to the Playstation 3 port next week. :)

Marathon is very cool as well, I remember my old Macintosh 7100 struggling to run that game decently. haha
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westacular Avatar
177 months ago
Still waiting Sonic & Knucles... They even made a Sonic 4 but haven't bring that to iOS. :(

What?

iOS (http://appshopper.com/games/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-i) was one of the first platforms for Sonic 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_4) when it launched last year.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
177 months ago
Just bought it! Can't wait to give it a test drive!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adcx64 Avatar
177 months ago
This is awesome, really brings back memories.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...