emulator: Aleph One
type: standalone
core_classification: game_engine
source: "https://github.com/Aleph-One-Marathon/alephone"
upstream: "https://github.com/Aleph-One-Marathon/alephone"
profiled_date: "2026-10-20"
source_commit: "07a9c36aff403d143a0608815f725631a01e382c"
core_version: "1.11 (20250829)"
display_name: "Marathon (Aleph One)"
cores:
  - alephone
systems: [marathon, marathon-2, marathon-infinity]
mode: standalone

notes: |
  Engine of Bungie's Marathon trilogy, developed from the Marathon 2 source
  release. Profiled at tag release-20250829 (A1_DATE_VERSION,
  Source_Files/Misc/alephversion.h:27-29), the release RetroPie builds on
  Debian 11 and later. Older systems get release-20250302
  (scriptmodules/ports/alephone.sh, _get_version_alephone). RetroPie
  downloads the three scenario archives of the same release into
  $romdir/ports/alephone and starts `alephone <scenario folder>`.

  The folder given on the command line goes on the data search path
  (Source_Files/shell.cpp:405-411). Every MML file under its Scripts/ is
  parsed at start (Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610), and string set 129
  there renames the data files the engine looks up. Without it the engine
  searches for files literally named Map, Shapes, Sounds and Images
  (Source_Files/Misc/DefaultStringSets.cpp:86-101). A scenario counts as
  present when Map, Shapes, and Images or the external resources file are
  found. Otherwise the engine asks for another folder
  (Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-74,
  Source_Files/shell.cpp:463-480). A missing Sounds or Physics file is
  ignored (Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:87-103).

  Music/NN.ogg holds the level music of the Marathon 1 data, played when a
  level names a song index (Source_Files/Sound/Music.cpp:260-275). Plugins/
  carries HUD plugins listed in the plugin menu
  (Source_Files/XML/Plugins.cpp:509-512). Demos/*.filA are replays played
  from the title screen (Source_Files/Misc/vbl.cpp:1380-1395). Fonts,
  the base MML and the default theme are installed with the engine from its
  own data/ folder. No file is hashed.

  The files below are the release-20250829 scenario archives
  (Marathon-20250829-Data.zip, Marathon2-20250829-Data.zip,
  MarathonInfinity-20250829-Data.zip), distributed freely by the Aleph One
  project. The engine archive AlephOne-20250829-Win.zip carries none of
  them. RetroPie's package downloads them at install.

files:
  # Marathon (Marathon/)
  - name: Marathon.mml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Scripts/Marathon.mml"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: f40d598d451df36f123a0e4d04bf5d5896d2eb6b
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
    note: "Names Map.scen, Shapes.shps, Sounds.sndz, Physics.phys and Marathon.appl through string set 129."
  - name: Default Preferences.xml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Scripts/Default Preferences.xml"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: 7f91cdd48f7acc66221c5fac671ea353a7d80c85
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
  - name: Map.scen
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Map.scen"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 3864064
    sha1: 37f97bb2482a9bec3016100f93756707af087dcb
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-85"
  - name: Shapes.shps
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Shapes.shps"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 6481664
    sha1: 0a32105b48c117a2182440d7236f1ee91fb40e59
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-74, 93-97"
  - name: Marathon.appl
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Marathon.appl"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 948096
    sha1: a7abadf86280a87c82a203af9f2ecc9aff87ccf3
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-79, Source_Files/RenderOther/images.cpp:1040-1050"
    note: "External resources file standing in for Images, which the Marathon 1 data does not have."
  - name: Sounds.sndz
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Sounds.sndz"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 1021824
    sha1: 0f4c1f1c0d1103ca79c83d862d4f50226380ce99
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:99-103"
  - name: Physics.phys
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Physics.phys"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 7848
    sha1: e5ed815c253a2e6bb70b46924d38ba13f73ef484
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:87-91"
    note: "Marathon 1 physics. Without it the engine runs the level with its built-in Marathon 2 physics."
  - name: "Music/"
    type: directory
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Music/"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Sound/Music.cpp:260-275"
    note: "Level music, 00.ogg to 15.ogg."
  - name: "Plugins/"
    type: directory
    category: game_data
    system: marathon
    path: "Marathon/Plugins/"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    source_ref: "Source_Files/XML/Plugins.cpp:509-512"
    note: "Basic M1 HUD and Enhanced HUD plugins."

  # Marathon 2: Durandal (Marathon 2/)
  - name: Filenames.mml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Scripts/Filenames.mml"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: b2d1fa9a65b2be0d5a647f694eb32f54101b5b37
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
    note: "Names Shapes.shpA, Sounds.sndA, Map.sceA, Physics Models/Standard.phyA, Music.ogg and Images.imgA through string set 129."
  - name: Marathon 2.mml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Scripts/Marathon 2.mml"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: ed7726736ebc7540a396612b929f026b1005a752
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
  - name: Default Preferences.xml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Scripts/Default Preferences.xml"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: 9848f63dd8a8c66c593f4c95e04cb66078d5b0a7
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
  - name: Map.sceA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Map.sceA"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 20478336
    sha1: 8bd51b5734013ac659c699484471baaf916ab5d9
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-85"
  - name: Shapes.shpA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Shapes.shpA"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 10016800
    sha1: 1950a0b08cf18e6ee8d82e17d9300c8109ee7288
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-74, 93-97"
  - name: Images.imgA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Images.imgA"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 4060032
    sha1: 1deedb05e0db70c88e32f213df4c601fb393fa3e
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-74, Source_Files/RenderOther/images.cpp:990-1000"
  - name: Sounds.sndA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Sounds.sndA"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 14183536
    sha1: 965423878c7a73d893bc17793206edbfe820a3c3
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:99-103"
  - name: Standard.phyA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Physics Models/Standard.phyA"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 11102
    sha1: 64b794d5b1cef3f5eb6b8886ef720a244335bc11
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:87-91"
  - name: Music.ogg
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Music.ogg"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 763501
    sha1: afcef78a0ff02fa96bf63f904610a5abc173fb5e
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:105-108"
    note: "Title screen music."
  - name: "Demos/"
    type: directory
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Demos/"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Misc/vbl.cpp:1380-1395"
  - name: "Plugins/"
    type: directory
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-2
    path: "Marathon 2/Plugins/"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    source_ref: "Source_Files/XML/Plugins.cpp:509-512"

  # Marathon Infinity (Marathon Infinity/)
  - name: Filenames.mml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Scripts/Filenames.mml"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: 2595e19a67a467a06b357220a34694bf412db603
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
    note: "Names Shapes.shpA, Sounds.sndA, Map.sceA, Physics Models/Standard.phyA, Music.ogg and Images.imgA through string set 129."
  - name: Marathon Infinity.mml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Scripts/Marathon Infinity.mml"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: 1f93c9e3f42c8e4b97d770ffb66e18e3ce444e5b
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
  - name: Default Preferences.xml
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Scripts/Default Preferences.xml"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    sha1: 4814e1b516a4a8fc4240a599c60884e4e136b293
    source_ref: "Source_Files/shell.cpp:1600-1610"
  - name: Map.sceA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Map.sceA"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 20753920
    sha1: 9cc6bc8796102637ecdf151020a247d54dc6a3ce
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-85"
  - name: Shapes.shpA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Shapes.shpA"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 11383292
    sha1: 11398892f9d7df0c5e5bf88d71954911229b5c3e
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-74, 93-97"
  - name: Images.imgA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Images.imgA"
    required: true
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 4783360
    sha1: e76cc2063a1dacf28bee759bb3d1a9cb41b2def8
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:68-74, Source_Files/RenderOther/images.cpp:990-1000"
  - name: Sounds.sndA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Sounds.sndA"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 18507212
    sha1: fc1c72d7dcfe957755e9f919e9e0c224fca2d4bc
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:99-103"
  - name: Standard.phyA
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Physics Models/Standard.phyA"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 11102
    sha1: 64b794d5b1cef3f5eb6b8886ef720a244335bc11
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:87-91"
  - name: Music.ogg
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Music.ogg"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    size: 834960
    sha1: aa8a88d760a4472081823a47dc83c19444a280ce
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Files/preprocess_map_sdl.cpp:105-108"
    note: "Title screen music."
  - name: "Demos/"
    type: directory
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Demos/"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    source_ref: "Source_Files/Misc/vbl.cpp:1380-1395"
  - name: "Plugins/"
    type: directory
    category: game_data
    system: marathon-infinity
    path: "Marathon Infinity/Plugins/"
    required: false
    installed_on: [retropie]
    source_ref: "Source_Files/XML/Plugins.cpp:509-512"