Can deathmatch be a science? id Software sought to find out back in 1999. Quake III: Arena was the developer’s attempt to turn multiplayer into both a perfect mathematical equation and a competitive sport — and a decade later their experiment’s been nicely repackaged as this playable time capsule.

The results are mixed. While XBLA’s Doom and Duke Nukem 3D retain their original charm, Quake’s lack of personality or soul — it was like a perfect genetic creation, even in its heyday — hamper it as much now, if not more so: compared to today’s stylized shooters, it seems positively sterile. But there’s no denying how technically proficient Quake is. Classic weapons like the railgun and lightning gun are still a great way to kill frenemies, and the bot A.I. is still razor-sharp. You can even make bots crazy-smart for added challenge.

QAA does a nice job, too, of framing a branching single-player campaign where one originally didn’t exist. The scenarios vary from free-for-all deathmatches to one-on-one contests, and the framerate never dips below 60fps. It’s almost too fast, though, as the original mouse-and-keyboard twitch action is a bit too quick for the gamepad’s thumbsticks, even on the lowest sensitivities.

We enjoy QAA, but next to golden oldies (Doom, Duke) and modern epics (Halo, Call of Duty), it’s less of a legend.

On Xbox Live Arcade

+ Polished, fast, frantic, pure deathmatch.

+ Nicely structured single-player campaign.

- Designed-for-keyboard-and-mouse controls are too twitchy with a gamepad; gameplay feels stuck between “classic” and “dated.”

? Can we get a remake of the first Quake, too?

7.0