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Halo 2 Blastacular Map Pack downloads fixed
A brief update for those of you fidgeting with downloading the Halo 2 Blastacular maps: You can stop cursing the screen, put down the mallet, and quietly pick up the controller to try one. more. time. to get those little buggers off of Microsoft's uncooperative servers and onto your yearning Xbox. Bungie explains what the problems were but, to be honest, we weren't listening. We were busy pondering their promise to "accelerate the maps' introduction into matchmaking."%Gallery-2368%
Halo 3 details and rumors shot down
Holy informative Bungie Weekly Update Batman. This week, Frankie brings new Halo 3 details and talks the big boy talk, so let's jump right in. Some big news is that the Halo 3 beta will support a (widescreen enhanced) two player split screen option. So, you'll be able to share the Halo 3 beta love with your friends. Speaking of the beta, Bungie unveiled the default control scheme for the game with a pretty graphic that maps out each button's function. It looks like the RB will take most of the X button's old functions and that silly d-pad will activate voice chat. Also, Frankie shot down a few Halo 3 rumors that hit the intertubes this week. First, May 11th is only important for those lucky enough to be considered "press" as they'll be playing the beta a few days before the rest of us so they can get their stories written ... that's it. Secondly, Halo 3 is not going to be native 1080p at 60fps as speculated earlier, it's just not practical. And finally, the image above is the second wave of Halo 3's marketing materials considered the "emotional" phase. Can't you feel it all, Cortana's eyes, the despair, the hope ... it pulls at your heart strings. You know what to do, make the jump for all the Weekly Update details to make sure you're the cool kid who has this week's Halo 3 dish.
Halo 2 reset and matchmaking updates delayed
The promised rank reset and matchmaking playlist updates to Halo 2 have been delayed, but are scheduled for next week. With the release of the two new multiplayer maps, Bungie had hoped to implement them into matchmaking and do a rank reset. But due to people having troubles getting the maps they are waiting a little longer. Though, Frankie assures us that they are actively working with the Xbox team to figure out all the anomalies that sprung up with releasing the maps the way they did. So, enjoy your Halo 2 rank one blissful week longer.[Thanks, Zac LaCombe]
Halo 2 graphics comparision: Xbox vs Vista
True Xbox fanboys have already played Halo 2 so much that the game disc has started to warp, but our PC friends are just getting a taste of what it has to offer with the release of Halo 2 on Windows Vista. And with a Vista release, Halo 2 received a graphical upgrade with crisper textures and sleeker models. Don't believe us? The Gamespot crew posted a graphical comparison of Halo 2, pitting the Xbox version against its newer Vista cousin. The screenshots make it more than obvious that there is a startling contrast between the muddy Xbox graphics and the higher res Vista screens. And why shouldn't the game look prettier on Vista? Though, you have to remember that this is a port, so the graphics weren't majorly reworked. They were just kicked up a notch or two. Anyone using Vista and thinking about getting Halo 2 or will you be holding out a few more months for some Halo 3? [Via Digg]
You and Master Chief, all night long on Xbox Live
It's been a long, hard week, baby. Why don't you slip off your shoes, get comfortable and fire up that Xbox 360. Did you know there were new maps for Halo 2 released this week? Ah, of course you did. I know you've been coursing your way through every orifice, understanding the finer points of each arena and I appreciate that.Well, I just wanted you to know that tonight, we're going to the break of dawn, baby. It's just you, me, and thousands of our friends doing it at the same time. It's an Xbox All-Nighter and it's all about Halo 2. That's right. So bring a rocket launcher and don't forget to leave your cash on the night stand. Those maps still cost money, you know.I'll be waiting.xoxo- The Chief
Halo as performed by the Yale orchestra
Let's face it, most people don't play Halo for the pretty music, but it does feature a unique score for a first person shooter. The iconic chanting has firmly planted itself in the hearts and minds of gamers the world over. It even seems that the haunting refrain has wormed its way into the great minds of Yale University. In one of the recent performances of Video Games Live, the Yale Symphony Orchestra-Choir performed pieces from the games. The group performed music from both Halo 2 and the first Halo 3 trailer, all set to footage from the series. Tommy Tallarico even busted out the electric guitar for the finale. Scrutinize the video above, enjoy it's soothing sounds, and dream of May 16th.[Via Bungie.net]
Joystiq plays new Halo 2 maps, breaks heart
A few simple rules to live by:1. Try not to eat too much salt and fried foods.2. Be excellent to each other.3. Never break a date.Now, somebody over at Joystiq clearly missed lesson three. It's possible that some of you have read their dubious impressions of the new Halo 2 maps. Some of you may even have found them informative or (gasp!) helpful. Rest assured, all your assumptions concerning Joystiq's impressions of the maps are false. Why? Because we weren't there. That's right, the resident Xbox 360 Fanboys of the Joystiq network were not in on the fun. Oh, sure, we were supposed to be, but somewhere along the line, common courtesy and group planning went out the window. We're not bitter or anything though. Oh, no. We really enjoyed sitting there for an hour, pwning noobs (mostly) for a few games in the rancid cesspool known as Rumble Pit (where the new maps aren't available yet, by the way). No, we're not bitter. We're just hurt. In fact, we should probably just be alone. Hurry up, hit the "read" link and read Joystiq's impressions. Just go ... everybody else does.
New Halo 2 maps get ripped apart
The new Halo 2 maps Tombstone and Desolation have been released for like, what, 30 hours and are already being torn apart. Over at Halo.bungie.org the legendary Mr. Wu posted a bunch of links cataloging all the glitches and easter eggs surrounding the two new maps, including an original Halo pistol sighting. And yes, you can pick it up via modding. People have even found a way to get out of the map in Tombstone, avoiding the instant kill barriers that float above head. Poor new Halo 2 maps ... you didn't even stand a chance.
BYOBR*: Joystiq ponies up and checks out Halo 2's latest maps
Mere hours before the call to arms, we found ourselves leisurely strolling through the Forerunner facility that would make up our first field of battle, Desolation. The curious chrips and croaks of local wildlife we heard would soon be lost over the constant barrage of gunfire and wash of plasma. Certain Affinity had truly outdone themselves and while appreciating their masterful work is one thing, painting it with the blood of those damned, dirty blues is quite another. After all, the real art in these multiplayer death traps is found well below a nice coat of paint. By now, all of the Halo nation should be aware that yesterday saw the release of two brand-new multiplayer maps, Desolation and Tombstone. As recreations of Combat Evolved's Derelict and Hang Em' High, we've been itching to find out how they stack up to the classics. But in order to really get down to business, we needed worthy opponents. Folks who really know their stuff. So, on the eve of their Hump Day Challenge, we took on the folks at 1UP to get a serious look at how these two maps play out. %Gallery-2368%
Bungie explains Halo 2 360 download issues
It seems that a few people are experiencing download issues regarding the new Halo 2 maps. Being the wonderful (and hauntingly beautiful) people that they are, Bungie has posted some handy instructions for downloading the maps problem free. The problems arise from 360 users that don't have a credit card associated with their account, which wasn't possible on the original Xbox. If you find yourself in this particular situation you must do the following (courtesy of Bungie.net): 1. In the Xbox Dashboard, select the profile that you want to modify, and then select Account Management. 2. Select Memberships. 3. Select the membership that you want to update. 4. Select Change Payment Options. 5. Select Add Credit Card. 6. Enter the credit card information for the card that you want to add. This can also be a debit or Visa (or similar) gift card, however, some restrictions may apply. There is also an issue involving European users using PAL-60 TV standard. If you are using this standard and running your 360 over VGA, you will be unable to download the new maps. The solution is to hook up your 360 with a composite video cable to download the maps. Of course, you will need an ordinary television to do this. Bungie has also listed the playlists that will feature the new maps. Expect the playlist update to arrive next week. In the meantime, the new maps will only be available for custom games. Hit the "read" link for the full story.
Halo 2 'Blastacular' maps now available for $4
After a slow morning spent watching Mega64 videos, it dawned on us. Today is April 17th. Of course, the 17th of every other month is laundry day at Joystiq HQ, but this 17th was different. It was special. Today, Bungie released two additional multiplayer maps for Halo 2, Tombstone and Desolation -- remakes of two popular Halo: Combat Evolved off-line maps. We fired up the trusty old Xbox (... 360 in emulation mode), updated our credit card information (remember, your Microsoft points are no good on Xbox titles), and got to downloading the 9112 block title (we're not sure how large a block is either). Team Joystiq will put the maps through the paces later on today, just as soon as we're done with all this laundry. %Gallery-2368%
New Halo 2 maps are ready for action
It's not like Halo 2 fans really need us to tell them this, but the new Halo 2 maps are now available. The Blastacular pack contains two new maps, Desolation and and Tombstone. Desolation is a re-imagined Derelict, while Tombstone is the long awaited remake of Hang 'em High. Both maps can be had for the reasonable sum of $4. Remember, the maps have to be charged directly to a credit card, and they must be downloaded using the Halo 2 in-game downloader. If you don't have a credit card, you can also use a reloadable gift card, which you should be able to purchase at your local grocery store. We'll be back with impressions of the maps later today.
Fan made Halo assault rifle up for sale
A while back we told you about one bad mother of a fan made Halo assault rifle replica. Today, we're telling you that you can bring her home for only a few hundred dollars. Over on eBay that same assault rifle is up for auction and is currently sitting at $227 with roughly eight days left and the reserve still not met. From what we remember, a whole lot of work went into creating this bad boy, so maybe hundreds of dollars is justifiable. Actually, if you already decided to purchase the Halo 3 Legendary Edition what's another $500 to fully experience Halo 3? Really ...?[Thanks, B TIzo]
More Halo 3 beta talk and Halo 2 news
The latest Bungie Weekly Update brings us a few more details about the Halo 3 beta and talks about the changes going on over in Halo 2 land. First, let's jump into the beta news. Frankie further clarifies his clarification about the new X button "Equipment" function. The X button will pick up and drop equipment items like the bubble shield and tripmine (others items may be in the works), but not "throw" them. So, they'll be items on a map that have to be picked up like any other weapon and once dropped ... they'll activate. Also, the bubble shield will allow people to pass through it, but stop bullets and grenades in their tracks. It's also interesting to note that the bubble shield will be "breakable" and stationary in the beta, not rolling once dropped. For those of you who are overly excited about Halo 3's recording function, it'll be available in the beta, but in a stripped down version only. And before we forget, there is plenty of Halo 2 news to be read about various problems, the new matchmaking structure, and information on the new maps. Again, we can't recap every jewel from the Weekly Update, so it's your fanboy duty to make the jump and read it all. Quickly, jump!
Fresh Halo 2 maps feel like home
With the new Halo 2 maps coming out on April 17th, Frankie thought it'd be a great idea to talk to developer Certain Affinity about the two new maps. And for those who don't know, Certain Affinity was semi-contracted out to create the two new Halo 2 maps, "Tombstone" and "Desolation". In Frankie's interview they discuss the creative process and the challenges the team faced in creating new multiplayer maps that were based on Halo originals. It's a great read to really get into the heads of Certain Affinity and to see what kind of thought process goes into the development of new content. And did we mention there are new screen grabs and concept art of the multiplayer maps? Heck, that's reason enough to make the jump ... so start jumping![Thanks, un1qu3 n3wy0rk]
Guitar controlling Halo -- Radicalness: 1, Usefulness: 0
Bungie co-founer Jason Jones once infamously described Halo 2 as "a lot like Halo 1, only it's Halo 1 on fire, going 130 miles per hour through a hospital zone, being chased by helicopters and ninjas ... and the ninjas are all on fire, too." Scientists have worked for years to try to jam something more extreme into that metaphor, to no avail. But finally, AMarine has found a way to amp the PC version of Halo up even further ... play it with a guitar.No, there's really not a practical purpose for the convoluted setup here, which relegates actions to the Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II controller frets and movement to the strum button. So, if you won't be discarding your keyboard or gamepad (to say nothing of their progeny) any time soon, why do it? Perhaps the answer can be found in mountaineer George Mallory's famous quote on his reason for climbing Mount Everest: "Because it is totally awesome." [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Halo 2: Desolation and Tombstone map pack photos
We have a slew of screenshots and concept artwork from the upcoming Halo 2 map pack for you, in a joy-filled Joystiq gallery. The new maps, Desolation and Tombstone, are less than a week away ... but that still gives you plenty of time to study these and try to come up with some kind of strategy for action. They're both pretty wide-open maps, and does that giant crane in Tombstone actually do anything? Looks like it might drop fusion cores, although we're hoping you can crush people with it, Ivan Drago style. %Gallery-2368%
Halo 2 Vista Achievements discovered, viral hilarity ensues
Now, not only will you be rewarded for downing that jerk hogging the sword (It's a legitimate strategy!), but that jerk may also become the target for a viral Achievement. The list of Halo 2 Achievements for the Windows Vista release is 41 long and filled with the usual amount of single-player conquest and multiplayer corpse making, but the best are the ones you'll discover on accident. Should you be SPARTAN enough to beat the game on Legendary difficulty, that opens you up for the "Hired Gun" Achievement, crediting any sap that scores a kill on you with 20 points of legend killer credit. Likewise, gaining the "Ninja" Achievement for five melee kills from behind in a single game paints you for the "Flaming Ninja" Achievement. What? Nothing for a fusion core kill? The dream is dead! Check out the full list over at MyGamerCard. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Win an Elite 360 playing Halo 2 or by chance
Over on Trixie's blog she posted a little tease about an upcoming Halo 2 tournament and a chance to win an Xbox 360 Elite. From her post we learn that Microsoft will be giving away five Elite consoles in some sort of Halo 2 online tournament and in a Play & Win contest later this month. Two ways to win, one interesting online tournament for the US and Canada. We're thinking that we'll be seeing the tourney starting after the new Halo 2 maps roll out and the rankings get a reset later this month. So, if you have no cash to buy an Elite and if winning one is your cup of tea, then keep your eyes glued to Xbox.com later this month for an official announcement.[Via Gaming Bits]
Finally, Halo 2 Vista achievements revealed
Even though Halo 3 is heading to the Xbox 360 this Fall, PC gamers will just be getting their first taste of Halo 2 next month. And, as an added bonus, those PC gamers who buy Halo 2 on Vista will get something Xbox gamers didn't, achievements. MyGamerCard.net discovered all 41 achievements for Halo 2 Vista that range from progressing in the single player campaign to all kinds of multiplayer honors. Overall, we think the achievements are pretty average and in some cases a tad unbalanced, but there is a wide variety so we can't complain too much. Take a look at Bungie's first foray into the achievement world, make the jump for the full list of Halo 2 Vista achievements.
