First-Timer’s Journals update Thursdays (Final Fantasy / Mega Man) and Sundays (Trauma Center). We are currently alternating between Final Fantasy and Mega Man to reflect our actual play-sessions.
Welcome to Marathon Gaming Retrospectives, where I break down the design and narrative of games in first-time-player Journals and long-time-fan Retrospectives. You can learn more about the Marathons and their sixteen-year history over here.
To get started, pick a game from the top bar, our master-list, or some highlights below!
Journals
Journals cover the history of the Marathon, detailing what is often my first-ever experience with the game in question.
- Final Fantasy, 1987-1994 (Directory): FFI, FFI (Manga), FFII, FFLI, FFIII, FFIII-LotEW, FFIII:LotEW, MoH, FFLII, FFA, FFIV, FFIV:I, FFIV:TAY, FFLIII, FFMQ, FFV, FFV:LotC, FFVI.
- Final Fantasy, 1995-2000 (Directory): FFVII: CC, FFVII: BC, FFVII, FFVII:OWS, FFVII:Maiden, FFVII:TKaA, FFVII: AC (ACC), FFVII: DoC (Multi), FFT, CD1, CD2, FFVIII (CW), CR, FFIX.
- Final Fantasy, 2001-2006 (Directory): FF:TSW, FFX, FFX-EC, FFX-2, FFX-2.5: PoE, FFX-2: LM, FFX-W, FFU, FFTA, FFTA-RE, FFCC, FFXII, FFXII (Manga), FFXII-RW, FFXII:Fortress.
- Final Fantasy, 2007- (Directory): Flash, CrD:VS, FFCC:MLK, FFCC:MLD, D2H, FFAB, Theatrhythm (series).
- Final Fantasy, Related Titles (Directory): Lagoon, SMRPG.
- Mega Man Classic (Directory): MM1.
- Mega Man Zero (Directory): MMZ.
- Mega Man Legends (Directory): MoTB, MML, MML2-Ep1, MML2.
- Mega Man Battle Network (Directory): MMBN1, MMNT, MMBN2, MMBN3, MMBCC, MMBN4, MMBN4.5, MMBN-PoN, MMBN5, MMBN-LoN, MMBN6.
- Persona (Directory): P1, P2:IS, P2:EP.
- Re-Reviews, Top 5/Bottom 5: Look-Back 1 (Top 5s); Look-Back 2 (Top 5s); Look-Back 3 (FF, MM, Top 5s).
- Completed and Upcoming: Ehrgeiz, DdC/CL, VS, Working Chocobo, Hoops, CT1, FFCC-RoF, Dissidia, MMZ2, MMZ3, MMZ4, MMZX.
- Currently Playing: CD3, FFTA2, MMSF1.
Retrospectives
Retrospectives are write-ups similar to the Marathon Journals, but with previous experience and insight.
- Kingdom Hearts: KH1 (Directory), CoM (Directory), KH2 (Directory), Days (Directory), BBS (Directory), coded (Directory, KHM), DDD (Directory), KHX (Directory), KHX-BC (Directory), KH0.2 (Directory), KH3 (Directory), MoM (Directory), KHUX (Directory), V-CAST (Directory), DR (Directory), World Rankings (Directory).
- Trauma Center (Directory): TC1, TCNB, TC:UTK2, TT.
- Dracula (Directory): D:R, D:TLS, D:PotD, D:SotD, D:BL, Necronomicon.
- Miscellaneous (Directory): Bloody Wolf.
- Upcoming: ???
Classic Journals
Still looking for more? These are the Journals that inspired the Marathon Journals, written prior to 2008 and dusted up a little.
Marathon Recaps 