Awesome story over at Destructoid today – “How Killzone 2 is blatantly better than Halo 3” is full of the sort of sharp insights, logical conclusions, and serious reporting that has made game journalism what it is today. (In all seriousness, it’s very funny.)(Louis Wu 15:08:29 UTC)

If you’ve got a minimum of 60 posts already on the XboxGameZone forums (they’re a UK Xbox site), you should read this news post – qualified members have a shot at a Mythic Map Pack code to be given out in two weeks. (I suppose you don’t have to have 60 posts NOW – you simply have to have 60 posts by the 19th.) Don’t spam!(Louis Wu 15:08:11 UTC)

Using a name that should have been obvious MONTHS ago, Bungie has morphed the ‘Humpday Challenge’ a little bit into a community ‘play with Bungie’ night. If they win, they write it up, in all its glorious detail. If they lose, they’ll ban the other team’s players and purge the stats. (Not really. Probably.) In any case, you’ll end up with an entertaining writeup of SOMETHING, coupled with some great pictures. Swing by to read the first one now.(Louis Wu 15:05:05 UTC)

1UP gave out 50 Mythic codes last week – and held a massive game night for the winners. The video of the evening is up now – it’s an hour-long discussion of the maps, interspersed with copious amounts of gameplay. minasodaboy (who won one of the random codes we gave out) participated, and stopped in last night to announce the video. (Louis Wu 15:02:55 UTC)

The first screenshot in this post is epic.(Louis Wu 15:02:01 UTC)

Hawty McBloggy got her hands on a pair of very cool posters created by the wizards at the 405th – and she’s giving them away. Swing by to see how you can win them! (Louis Wu 15:00:52 UTC)

The Catfish came by to announce 2501 Episode 23 – with guest stars.(Louis Wu 14:56:43 UTC)

Bungie.net has word of a montage from Bagel, which has some nice gameplay synched (really well) to a really catchy tune. Worth the watch. In HD.(Louis Wu 14:55:47 UTC)

Fan-generated artwork today:

• NG put some of the Halo work he’s done in the past three years into a video – go watch it in HD.
• Cody Gordon created some interesting Mythic panos – they’re up for viewing on his Flickr stream. Not your typical pano fare…
• PsH Bling added a bunch of shots to his pano thread over at High Impact Halo.

Nice work, all around! (Louis Wu 14:54:33 UTC)

Halo Wars content today:

• Virulent Aesthetics put up a review (thanks, Scotty)
• The official site has released a Tech Tree (a 4-page PDF detailing all of the tech available in Halo Wars) – thanks, Psychophan7.
• LIVE is offering a premium theme for 250 points. No preview I can find. Thanks, Exanubisleader.
• CNET’S Crave blog has reviewed the game.
• 411mania.com has reviewed the game.

Still a lot of buzz… Update: Jase Dakota found Fidgit’s Ten reasons to play the Covenant in Halo Wars this morning, too.(Louis Wu 14:53:52 UTC)

Last night, I got word from Domino Theory that he’d made it through all of the entries for the Ask the Rookie contest, pared it down to his favorites, and picked a winner. Just to give you an idea of the work he faced: all of the entries, added sequentially to a Microsoft Word document and formatted at 10pt Times, with all identifying information removed, filled 492 pages. He sorted a BOOK. The winner he chose was a poem in iambic pentameter, written by David Newton:

Dear Rookie,

Alas, for I’ll be scarce e’er you arrive,
To Installation Five will I be gone.
Against the Covenant must I to strive;
This New Mombasa’s fate to you is pawned.

Of what you’ll face can I no sight presage,
But ‘gainst the threat thine task asserts be braced.
From me must thou be lent a single page:
Kick ass and might you live to see my face.

– Master Chief

We’d like to thank all 700 entrants for this one – and to congratulate David on his poem! And a huge thank you to Domino Theory, for offering the code in the first place… and performing the monumental task that judging turned out to be.(Louis Wu 12:39:52 UTC)

Blast has a short Hands-on with the Mythic Maps – go see.(Louis Wu 21:00:53 UTC)

It’s Wednesday, so it’s time to update the Bungie Favorites – the second batch of Black Water Ops files have gone up, along with an interview with the group’s Commander-in-Chief, Ironskull. Go read, and look!(Louis Wu 21:00:35 UTC)