tech

March 11, 2026

With its fluorescent characters and ASCII text, Marathon is a masterclass in 90s nostalgia

The revival of this 90s favourite is a retro-futuristic fever dream that is first incomprehensible, then thrillingly evocative. Plus, Donald Glover’s Yoshi debut

With its fluorescent characters and ASCII text, Marathon is a masterclass in 90s nostalgia

TL;DR

  • Marathon, a 90s multiplayer shooter, has been revived by Bungie as an online sci-fi extraction shooter.
  • The game heavily draws inspiration from 90s futurism, featuring Day-Glo colors, raver-inspired character models, retro fonts, and distorted videos.
  • Its aesthetic includes ASCII text, old HTML website-like menus, and environments with boxy computer displays scrolling green text.
  • The game's uncompromising vision and nostalgic elements evoke a sense of a past era where the future felt optimistic and exciting.
  • This revival is seen as a brave gambit in a competitive game genre where many recent titles have been shut down.

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