Sad that Halo 2 online play is shut down? Go check out this trailer from dsalimander – it’s an alpha build of H2 Midship… in Halo Custom Edition. Looks amazing! (Also got word of Project Ambry, a pretty slick-looking Forerunner-based map – check out the thread for pics!)(Louis Wu 13:21:30 UTC)

The latest Bungie Podcast hit the webernets last night – Derek Carroll talks about gametypes (you might be a little disappointed with the extent of the Invasion explanation), Dave Candland talks about interface, Luke Timmins talks about the Reach engine. 90 minutes of serious awesomeness (except, maybe, the first minute or two). Grab the mp3 from Bungie.net, or download it on iTunes. (Louis Wu 13:17:05 UTC)

Forward Unto Dawn has begun posting a 3-part retrospective on Halo 2 – Part 1 is up now. Go check out ‘I Hardly Knew Thee…‘ – this segment was written by Dani, who didn’t play Halo 2 when it was in its heyday. How does the game stand up without the benefit of nostalgia? Go read and find out! Part 2 coming tomorrow.(Louis Wu 22:25:17 UTC)

Max pointed out a really cool Weta-created Xbox being auctioned off right now (proceeds to go to charity). Go by and look – bids started at a dollar yesterday, but it’s already up over $520 AU (about $481 US), with four days left to run. Gorgeous!(Louis Wu 22:21:02 UTC)

The Tag and Release term spotlighted today at Bungie.net is ‘Assassination’ – and urk found some wonderful pics. Go look! (Louis Wu 17:45:41 UTC)

The next Running Riot podcast will be recorded live next Monday night, April 26, at 9:30pm EST. Guest is Damian Lacedamian, from This Spartan Life – don’t miss it! Thanks, urk.(Louis Wu 17:43:53 UTC)

It must be Monday – there are a LOT of videos for your enjoyment. (I’m including one from last Friday, that I managed to miss.)

• Arby ‘n’ The Chief in LA Episode 10 (Alone) actually went online on April 9, but Bungie didn’t post it until the 16th – and we managed to miss it even then. Poor Arby and Sonic!
• Critical Flaw Ep 9: Halo out of Reach is a pretty funny episode of a live-action series involving a pair of roommates – this time around, they kidnap a Bungie employee in an attempt to learn more about Reach.
• MetaWaddleDee created Fronk – a map that requires a particular placement to see a familiar character. Great work!
• Mike and Cheese are back with a Reach Beta multiplayer modes preview – if you have questions about some of the gametypes revealed recently, you might get some answers here.
• A poorly-thought-out question from Geoff Keighley has been turned into a video single… I was gonna pass on this when I saw it earlier this morning, but as part of a roundup, I guess it’s okay. Hey – it’s only 45 seconds. How much of your time can I waste?

Watch, watch, and watch some more.(Louis Wu 17:38:00 UTC)

Halo 3 Screenshots wants to give you stuff – just enter the ‘Most Creative Use of a Crate Contest‘! That’s right – use a crate creatively in Forge, snap a screen, and you could win a copy of Red vs Blue Reconstruction, or the DK Halo Encyclopedia. What a long way we’ve come from STC!(Louis Wu 17:07:19 UTC)