I've been playing the heck out of Freeverse's Marathon: Durandal on Xbox Live. As it's an "old school" shooter missing a lot of the technical features found in more modern games, I had always assumed that the majority of its players would be old-time Bungie fans like myself.

When I saw SniperStealth atop the single-player leaderboard with over thirty million points, I felt here must surely be an old Marathon hand who knows every twist and turn of each level without even glancing at the map.

That's not true, as it turns out. SniperStealth only had a chance to play the original briefly before diving into M:D on XBLA, but that can only be good news for Freeverse if more Bungie fans who haven't played Marathon check in to see where the roots of Halo came from.

SniperStealth was kind enough to spend a few moments to answer my questions about what drew him to this classic game.

Click "read more" from the front page for the transcript of Rampancy's interview with SniperStealth, the leading Marathon: Durandal campaign player.

R.net: You're atop the Marathon:Durandal XBLA leaderboard for single player. Do you know about how many hours you've put into playing the title?

SS: Wow, I wish I could answer that question accurately! The best estimate I can give is around a hundred total hours. I'll try to hold my position at the top, but it is a difficult title to defend - especially with a lot of newcomers and veterans alike trying to best me... [editor's note: In the interests of full disclosure, I'm currently third on that same leaderboard and was second right behind SniperStealth until earlier this week. However, the purpose of the interview was not to figure out how SS managed that score.]

R.net: When and where did you first play Marathon-- I'm guessing it was before the XBLA release.

SS: The answer to this question may surprise you. Believe it or not, I had only briefly played Marathon: Durandal just before its release on the Xbox Live Arcade. The arcade version is far superior to the original in my opinion. Then again, many old-school Marathon players might strongly disagree.

R.net: Would you say there is something special about Marathon compared to other games of the day? What do you think it is?

SS: The only other game that has compelled me as much as Marathon would have to be Halo. They are both quite unique, and each has its special moments. Marathon was revolutionary for its time, especially since it had to compete against other big titles like Doom. To me, Marathon really is the predecessor to Halo. It also benefits from a great sense of nostalgia.

R.net: Do you have a favorite level? Which and why?

SS: My favorite level would have to be "Everyone's Mortal But Me" set on "Kill the Man with the Ball". I've had a lot of humorous moments in Marathon over the course of the past two weeks. One of my favorites is definitely the "Big House Brawl", in which up to eight players begin to unmercifully beat each other in the Pfhor holding cell.

R.net: What do you think about Freeverse's version of Marathon: Durandal for the Xbox? Obviously it has different controls because it's on a console, and the graphics have been updated. Do you think they did a good job? If you had a choice, which would you prefer to play now-- the original or the open-source Aleph One on a Mac or PC, or the XBLA version? Have you tried playing the XBLA version with "HD Graphics" off?

SS: I believe that Freeverse's port of Marathon: Durandal is one of the best Xbox Live Arcade titles to date. Freeverse's efforts in porting the game were excellent. As for a choice, I would a prefer a console controller in my hand, for me the Xbox beats the PC hands down. Where can you turn off the HD graphics, though? I must be playing too much - I haven't even noticed this option! [editor's note: in Help/Options you can change a lot of settings, including Camera Bob, useful for those experiencing motion sickness, and the HD Graphics option if you want to play Marathon: Durandal with its original, unaltered graphics files and textures.]

R.net: Would you purchase Marathon: Infinity or some other content pack if it were available?

SS: Sure, I would definitely consider purchasing any other Marathon related content. I'd have the picture and theme packs if I wasn't broke right now!

R.net: Are you a fan of Bungie games in general? Which others have you played and enjoyed?

SS: I'm a big fan of Bungie. I have played the entire Halo series up to date, as well as most of the Marathon series. I'm hoping to try more of their games in the future.

R.net: Many fans have pointed out countless similarities between the Halo and Marathon franchises. Which do you enjoy more and why?

SS: I have enjoyed every bit of Halo and Halo 2. I really do prefer the original Halo: Combat Evolved over Halo 2 and Marathon, it just stuck with me more. I must admit, the Halo and Marathon universe do seem oddly familiar in some regards.

R.net: Which of the AI characters in Bungie games is your favorite, and why?

SS: Durandal seems pretty cool as an AI, so I'll go with him, mainly because of his love/hate dilemma with humans. I find it funny how he despises the human race and yet loves to manipulate it.

R.net: Do you agree with Freeverse that Marathon 2 was the all-around best Marathon game to bring to Xbox Live Arcade?

SS: As I have not yet played all three Marathon games thoroughly, I cannot really say whether or not Durandal was the best all around. However, I would say that Durandal and Infinity are the better of the three in the series.

R.net: Why do you think Marathon is still fun after all this time? Do you like retro games in general, or is your interest in this title specific to it?

SS: I really don't enjoy too many classics, to be honest with you. Marathon will always be fun, especially with the facelift it has received since its original release. Whether you've played the game on the computer or the port, Marathon: Durandal on the Xbox Live Arcade will always have that great combination of old and new.