Its day one of the Review Frenzy Halo Madness!

Today’s review comes from DM7000. He analyzes every weapon and gives his impressions on the balance and usability of each.

Check it out!

Assault Rifle MA5c ICWS
– 32 rounds per magazine.

Balance

– I think this weapon strikes a perfect balance, it’s not too strong but it also isn’t weak to the point where you will never use it. You almost always start with an AR so getting your hands on one isn’t too difficult.
– This weapon doesn’t really have a counter weapon unless you start getting into very long range fights, in that case the BR (Battle Rifle) will have the advantage as will the Sniper and the Carbine.
– The only major drawback I could come up with is the small amount of ammo that it has. However, this is easily remedied by using it in short bursts and reloading whenever necessary.

Usability

– You will almost always pick it up since you almost always start with it in most matchmaking games as well as most campaign levels.
-Whenever I play I always keep one of my guns as an AR, it has so many uses that it will come in handy in most situations.
– As I previously mentioned, the only situation where you would not want it is if you are in a long range fight against a BR, sniper or Carbine.

Battle Rifle BR55HB SR
– 36 rounds per magazine

Balance

– Compared to its Halo 2 counterpart, this BR is significantly weaker.
– At close range, the BR is easily beaten by the AR and most combination of dual-wieled weapons. At long range, while much better, the Carbine will often beat it.
– It’s extra range over the AR makes it better in long range situations but otherwise there is nothing that makes this weapon great.

Usability

– The only time I pick this up if it’s right next to me and I have no way of getting a carbine.
– Personally, I think the BR is one of the worst weapons in Halo 3, now I realize many people might disagree with me but its my opinion.

Submachine Gun M7/Caseless
– Dual-wieldable
– 60 rounds per magazine

Balance

– It’s a decent weapon but more often than not you will have an easier time finding Spikers or a pair of Maulers.
– Any long range weapon (at long range of course) will make short work of the SMG.
– One of the things I found odd about this weapon is that the melee attack seems to be significantly slower than other weapons of the same size. For me, this is a huge issue as I heavily rely on melee attacks to take down my enemies.

Usability

– As I said before, for some reason this weapon seems to be in extremely short supply, having only found it once or twice in matchmaking.
– I would prefer this to spikers and plasma rifles but the low supply seems to go against that.
– The SMG is best used on 1v1 situation the best strategy for it would be to stay at a medium-short distance and just unload all of it on your enemy, if he doesn’t die just throw a grenade or move in for a melee kill.

Pistol M6G
– Dual-Wieldable
– 12 rounds per magazine.

Balance

– It’s a pretty powerful weapon only taking a few shots to the head to put someone down.
– However, almost any weapon will have an advantage over since it will only work in short range situations.
– One of the major drawbacks of the Pistol is it’s low firing speed. Aside from the sniper it has one of the lowest rates of fire of all of the weapons.

Usability

– I highly dislike this weapon, and I will not pick it up if I have a choice to pick up anything else.
– I guess its best use is for lowering shields as it only takes a couple shots but its slow rate of fire makes it one of the worst weapons in the game.

Shotgun M90A CAWS
– 6 shells per full reload.

Balance

– This is a very powerful weapon taking only one or two hits to take someone down at close range.
– Almost any weapon can counter it as long as they do not get in to the shotguns range.
– The biggest disadvantage for the shotgun is its extremely low range however it’s extreme power more than makes up for it.

Usability

– I pick the shotgun whenever I can, it’s just so useful.
– The shotgun is strictly an anti-infantry weapon so don’t expect to take down a tank with it.

Sniper Rifle SRS 99D AM
– 4 rounds per magazine

Balance

– This is the shotgun’s range counterpart. Capable of taking you down in one or two shots but utterly useless when it comes to close range combat.
– As long as you get into close range you have a much higher chance of taking down the sniper however they still might get a lucky shot in and kill you.
– The sniper seems a lot slower than it was in Halo 2 so the speed of shots is a small disadvantage.

Usability

– Much like the shotgun, I pick up the sniper whenever possible.
– Also like the shotgun, it is an anti-infantry weapon so it takes a large amount of skill to take down a vehicle with it.

Rocket Launcher M41 SSR MAW/AW
– 2 Rockets per load

Balance

– An extremely powerful weapon that takes one shot to take you down (two if the user isn’t that great)
– The only counter to this weapon is the user itself, if they misjudge shots they will be taken down.
– Aside from it’s extremely low ammo count, it has almost no disadvantages.
– It is hard to hit targets at long range unless they are stationary.

Usability

– Unless I already have two good weapons, there is always room for the rocket launcher.
– The rockets work for any job necessary, be it anti-vehicle or anti-infantry.

Spartan Laser WAV M6 GGNR
– 5 shots per charge.

Balance

– A powerful one-hit weapon.
– The biggest drawback that it has is it’s charging time in which any enemy could essentially take you down.

Usability

– Personally, I try to stay away from this weapon since I am extremely bad with it. However, I have seen it devastate an entire team in just a couple shots.
– This is one of those weapons that was meant for anti-vehicle but people are using it as an anti-infantry weapon.

Plasma Pistol
– Dual-wieldable
– 100-150kV, 2-3 dA

Balance

– The plasma pistol can be unstoppable in the right hands. With a fully charged shot having the ability to completly get rid of your enemies shields.
– It does have it’s down sides as the full plasma shot is rather easy to dodge and aside from that, it has no other good abilities.

Usability

– The main use for the Plasma Pistol is to support your secondary weapon or to even support another team mate.
– When ever you have the plasma pistol, you need to always have a secondary weapon, be it a second dual wieldable weapon or a weapon where you can get a headshot with like an AR or a Carbine
– As I mentioned before it takes some practice to get good with the plasma pistol since if you miss the first charged shot that can put you at a complete disadvantage.

Plasma Rifle
– Dual-wieldable
– 420-600 Rounds per Minute

Balance

– The Plasma Rifle is a decent weapon that is often ignored since by itself it cannot take someone down very easily.
– Much like the plasma pistol you always want to have a secondary gun ready since it can take down shields but it can’t make the actual kill(well it can but it takes forever).

Usability

-Much like the plasma pistol, the rifle acts as a support weapon. However it is able to stand on its own do to the rate of fire it has and the damage it can do.
-You never, ever want to try and take down a vehicle with a plasma based weapon so both the pistol and rifle are anti-infantry only.

Brute Spiker
– Dual-wieldable
– 48 Spikes per Magazine

Balance

– The spiker is, in my opinion, a rather bad weapon. It’s not very strong and it’s not very fast.
– The only thing that does make the spiker worthwhile is its good melee attack since it’s a bit more powerful than other weapons and it’s very fast.
– One thing that i kept running into was that the ammo for the spiker seem to run out almost instanteniously.

Usability

– If I can find it, I try to keep a Spiker as a back up weapon since it’s strong melee is a good advantage over other guns.
– However, I prefer the SMG and the Maulers over the spiker since they seem to do more damage with their shots.
– The Spiker does have longer range than the SMG and Mauler.

Brute Mauler
– Dual-wieldable
– 5 rounds per magazine

Balance

– This weapon is perhaps my favorite new weapon.
– The maulers have very low range and low accuracy. Now why would I love it? Because it packs a huge punch.
– Much like the human shotgun the mauler is capable of taking someone down in one shot, and even if you miss one hit from it’s very quick melee should take them down.

Usability

– I always pick Maulers up they are just that good.
– The only situation where I would not use them is in long range fights.

Needler
– 30 Needles per Magazine

Balance

– Now at first glance the needler seems like a very weak weapon but most of us that have played Halo 2 know its secret.
– Once you get enough needles into an opponent, they explode and it’s not a small explosion. The explosion has the ability to take down another enemy if they are standing close enough.
– Now of course it has a disadvantage, the needles have very low accuracy so its hard to get them in your enemy.

Usability

– I like the needler but unfortunately there are better weapons that will be more useful in almost all situations.
– I personally prefer the AR or BR to the needler if I can get them.

Carbine
– 36 Shots per Magazine

Balance

– The Carbine has a good balance of power and speed.
– In the end it comes down to how fast you can press the trigger and keep your target on the sights.
– The best ability the Carbine has is how easy it is to get a headshot with it.

Usability

– I always try either have a Carbine or a BR handy since they are amazing in long range combat.
– Usually I do prefer a Carbine over a BR since, for me, it seems to kill enemies faster.

Brute Shot
– 6 Rounds per Load

Balance

– The brute shot is an odd weapon since it almost works like a slightly weaker version of the rocket launcher.
– If you are able to get 4-5 shots into an enemy you will be able to take them down.
– Another aspect of the brute shot that is rather unorthodox is that the shots can bounce into weird angles so it’s often unexpected.

Usability

– The brute shot is a great weapon since it’s powerful and very flexible.
– It’s usable in almost all situations since it’s very strong against infantry and vehicle.
– The only thing I don’t like about it is the low ammo count it has. But aside from that it’s a great weapon.

Fuel Rod Cannon
– 4 Shots per load.

Balance

– The fuel rod is powerful yet not as powerful as one would expect it to be.
– It’s supposed to act as the counterpart to the human rocket launcher yet it is not as strong since you will have a much harder time getting a one hit kill with it.

Usability

– Even though it is not as strong, the fuel rod makes up for it by having twice as much ammo as the rockets.
-The Fuel rod works against anything and everything so it’s unlikely that you will find a situation where you will have no use for it.

Beam Rifle
– 10 Shots per charge

Balance

– Much like the human sniper, the beam rifle can get a one shot kill if you hit an enemy in the head and a two shot kill if you shoot them anywhere else
– The only big difference it has over the sniper is that the Beam Rifle allows you to shoot two consecutive shots however the rifle will overheat if fired to quickly.

Usability

– I personally prefer the Beam Rifle over the sniper but people have their own preference
– Once again, like the sniper, don’t try to get into any close melee fights if you only have this on hand.

Energy Sword
– 10 uses per Charge

Balance

– This weapon is insanely strong however it has a very short range.
– Most people hate this weapon as they feel it’s out of place in the Halo world. However, I find it a nice change of pace when you have the sword.

Usability

– One small tip, if you find the sword pick it up. Even if you don’t use it, it stops someone else from using it.
– The sword is good but unfortunately it runs out of energy after only 5 kills so don’t expect to go nuts with it like you did in Halo 2.
– In close quarters combat the sword will almost always win.

Gravity Hammer
– 12 uses before depletion

Balance

– This is the brute equivalent of the elite sword.
– Once again it has a short range but it can score a one hit kill if you are close enough.
– Unlike the sword however, the hammer also has another purpose. It can actually propel an enemy far away sometimes even making them fall off the map. This force also causes damage to those not directly hit.

Usability

– Just like the sword, pick it up even if you won’t use it.
– Also like the sword, it runs out of energy pretty fast so don’t expect to be unstoppable forever.

Sentinel Beam

Balance

– Okay, this weapon is a joke. I find it completely worthless since it’s extremely weak and has no good aspects.
– As I said, it has no strengths so don’t even touch it.

Usability

-A quick tip…just don’t even touch the Sentinel Beam. It’s just that bad. Please just stay away from it.

Last week several members of THX participated in the Halo 3 launch in many different ways. Some of us waited in line at game stores while others attended official launch parties. We all took a slightly different approach to finishing the fight. Click read more for two of these accounts.

THX at Gamestop in Huntsville, Alabama by Midnight

On the night of Monday September 24th twelve members of the Hushed Casket community descended upon Gamestop on University Drive in Huntsville, Alabama. They brought coffee, cookies, lawn chairs, and an appetite for Halo 3. Of the dozen THX’ers present, four had already finished the Halo 3 campaign via copies sold before the street date, but they were yearning for much more than a simple disc: camaraderie, conversation, and a Spartan helmet fit for only the most worthy household pets.

I arrived shortly before 9 P.M. and found myself about #13 in line. At 26 I was one of the older Halo fans in line at the time, with the front of the line occupied by a group of young teenagers gleefully playing hackey-sack, much like young teenagers used to do in 1995. Some customers near me discussed Bioshock as I sat down on the sidewalk.

By 10 P.M. the line had grown considerably and all THX’ers that attended were present. Gamestop created a very effective system for processing and delivering the preorders. We each filed into the store starting shortly after 9 P.M. and paid off our preorder in full. We were given a receipt to show in order to claim our copies at midnight. As we exited the line was directed to reform to the opposite side of the door from which it came, clearly separating those who had paid off their bill and those yet to do so. Around 11:30 they closed up for final preparations. At midnight they began allowing ten people into the store at once. Each of us would show our receipt to one employee, who stamped it to prevent fraud, while another employee handed us the proper Halo 3 SKU. It was a thoughtful and clever system that got me on my way home at 12:10 A.M. on Tuesday.

Before heading home we gathered in front of the store for one final picture to testify of our commitment to the Halo nation. Legendary Editions in hand, we raised them high and said goodbye to each other while we said hello to the moment each of us had waited for since November 2004.

————————————————————————

Microsoft Pre-Launch in Alpharetta, Georgia by Mintz

While perusing the internet for useful XNA information a couple weeks ago, I came across the Zman’s blog. One of his posts explained that he might be able to score some tickets to a Halo 3 pre-launch event, and one of the locations listed was in Alpharetta, GA. All I knew was 1) Halo 3 multiplayer would be played in tournament fasion, 2) food would be present, and 3) it was from 6pm to 10pm. That was all I needed to know.

I asked the Zman for some tickets, and luckily, he hooked me up with two! I used one ticket for myself and another for Dolbex (Gary). Dolbex lives about twenty minutes from Alpharetta, and he was gracious enough to supply a place to sleep.

I took two days off from work/school (the 24th and 25th) and hit the road around 11:30am CDT. The drive wasn’t so bad, and on the way I decided to grab some food at a place I seldom visit: McDonalds. It didn’t take long for me to remember why it had been so long ago I visited them last. Burger King definitely has better fries.

I met Dolbex at his house, and marveled at how little had changed since LANbex. We chatted with his wife for a few minutes before heading out to the pre-launch party. After driving for four hours, I looked forward to getting driven the rest of the way, until Dolbex shattered that fantasy with news that he doesn’t have an operable car at the moment. He works from home, so it’s not a priority for him. I slide into the driver’s seat, clear all the snacks and crap I had on the passenger seat for Gary, and we head out.

We swing by GameStop for Gary to pay off the rest of his copy of Halo, and I lay down another pre-order for the regular edition. We had plans to leave the Pre-Launch party, meet up with a bunch of people at GameStop, grab our copies at midnight, and go back to Gary’s house to play until the fight was finished. Yes, I’m so hardcore I currently have two copies of Halo 3 now (regular edition + Legendary Edition I reserved in Huntsville).

We arrive at the (very nice, sleek, and new-looking) Microsoft building where the party was being held. We open the gold-rimmed glass doors to reveal a lobby that’s two stories tall with nice floors and dramatic lighting everywhere. It was very impressive. Our confusion over where to go was absolved when we saw a Master Chief poster with a sign that said “Microsoft 3rd floor.” It was conveniently placed right next to some elevators. Our confusion was absolved.

The only legal picture I could take… at least I think it’s legal. The quality makes it look shady.

We arrive on the third floor and happen upon two tables of women who were taking our registration forms. I show her my ID and she says, “Wow, you drove here all the way from Alabama!” “Yes,” I said. “I’m just that hardcore.” She agreed, and gave me some more paperwork to fill out explaining that I don’t mind if my picture is taken, and that I won’t take any pictures. Talk about a double-standard. That explains the lack of thousands of words in this article.

We walk down the hallway some more and see a room with a slightly higher ceiling hosting projectors and HDTVs with Xbox360s and copies of Halo 3(!). Turns out it was an event mainly for developers and business people. I figured Gary was a web developer, and I recently got a job creating XNA-driven programs, so we should fit right in. We grabbed some complimentary drinks at the open bar (of sodas), grabbed a seat, and waited our turn to play some Halo. It was quickly apparent that the general crowd here doesn’t play video games. I grabbed a controller and sat in front of the HDTV Gary and I were waiting to play on. He decided that it would be a good idea if we didn’t square off against each other the first time we played (each TV had FFA split-screen between four people), so he decided to wait for the next round.

After I got my controls set up, the match started, and I immediately noticed a problem. “Um, Gary, the controls are lagging.” It was a classic case of you-push-the-button-to-move…then-your-character-moves. “This would never happen at MLG, would it Gary?” “Oh no, people would go apeshit.” The best part about the whole situation was that I still beat the other three people with 27 kills in ten minutes, the next player having only 9. Gary did a little recon to see if any other TVs had the problem, but when he reported back, he had disappointing news: “All I got were a bunch of people saying, ‘Uh, no man! At least, I don’t think so…'”.

I moved to a different TV after grabbing some refreshing cookies and pretzels, and pwned the people on that box, too. The TV didn’t have any lag issues, but the people I played against on High Ground were NOT developers; they were ~16/17, and they still got crushed under the mighty hand of Mintz. So what if I won by one point? Winning’s winning.

We played a few more games of Halo 3, then decided to head out after I played a couple songs on Guitar Hero II, which had its own projector in the corner. Pizza showed up, so we decided to stick around a little bit longer. I stood in line to get some pizza, got to the front of the line, and noticed that all the pepperoni pizza’s were gone. Slightly disappointed, I grabbed a slice of cheese and went back into the gaming area. One of the event coordinators caught up to me about five minutes later and said, “You missed a box of pepperoni, and since you drove all the way from Alabama, I thought I’d claim you a couple slices.” That guy was awesome. On our way out, we collected a schwag bag that contained a Halo 3 t-shirt OR a Halo 3 hat, plus a poster. I inquisitively asked, “If one were to drive all the way from Alabama, could he get both?” It was the same guy who got me the pepperoni pizza, and he again proved his awesomeness by hooking me up with both. Thanks again, man!

There were plans to play a Halo 3 match with the other pre-launch parties using the best player from each respective party. Even though I had won every game I played (and worked my way up some kind of ladder), Gary and I decided to head out to GameStop and wait with his buds. I’m not saying I would’ve won or anything, but I probably could’ve. Hanging out in front of GameStop also proved highly rewarding. There was a mini Halo 2 tournament set up by the GameStop employees to pass the time while everyone waited. Even though yourmom (Gary’s friend, Mario) had a top seed, he still lost, because he’s a noob who doesn’t know when to use the sniper on Ivory Tower. It also might have to do with the fact that I criticized every facet of his gameplay while he playing.

After we grabbed some Red Bull from the Red Bull girls (who Mario controversially says were not hot), people began to get a little antsy and started getting in line about fifteen minutes before the clock struck midnight. The final minutes were passed by GameStop employees passing out t-shirts to those who had free raffle tickets. Nobody won jack squat, except Maurice, who won a Kane & Lynch t-shirt that was two sizes too small, so that doesn’t count.

We grabbed our copies, got in our cars, and jetted back to Gary’s house. Five and one-half hours later, we were all watching the credits after beating the game on Legendary (co-op, of course). I slept on the very same couch Furhman slept on a bit over a year before, woke up, played some Halo 3 multiplayer, slept on the same couch again, and left in the early afternoon.

Thanks again, Gary, for your hospitality, and thanks to everyone else I hung out with that night for a fun time!

Last week several members of THX participated in the Halo 3 launch in many different ways. Some of us waited in line at game stores while others attended official launch parties. We all took a slightly different approach to finishing the fight. Click read more for two of these accounts.

THX at Gamestop in Huntsville, Alabama by Midnight

On the night of Monday September 24th twelve members of the Hushed Casket community descended upon Gamestop on University Drive in Huntsville, Alabama. They brought coffee, cookies, lawn chairs, and an appetite for Halo 3. Of the dozen THX’ers present, four had already finished the Halo 3 campaign via copies sold before the street date, but they were yearning for much more than a simple disc: camaraderie, conversation, and a Spartan helmet fit for only the most worthy household pets.

I arrived shortly before 9 P.M. and found myself about #13 in line. At 26 I was one of the older Halo fans in line at the time, with the front of the line occupied by a group of young teenagers gleefully playing hackey-sack, much like young teenagers used to do in 1995. Some customers near me discussed Bioshock as I sat down on the sidewalk.

By 10 P.M. the line had grown considerably and all THX’ers that attended were present. Gamestop created a very effective system for processing and delivering the preorders. We each filed into the store starting shortly after 9 P.M. and paid off our preorder in full. We were given a receipt to show in order to claim our copies at midnight. As we exited the line was directed to reform to the opposite side of the door from which it came, clearly separating those who had paid off their bill and those yet to do so. Around 11:30 they closed up for final preparations. At midnight they began allowing ten people into the store at once. Each of us would show our receipt to one employee, who stamped it to prevent fraud, while another employee handed us the proper Halo 3 SKU. It was a thoughtful and clever system that got me on my way home at 12:10 A.M. on Tuesday.

Before heading home we gathered in front of the store for one final picture to testify of our commitment to the Halo nation. Legendary Editions in hand, we raised them high and said goodbye to each other while we said hello to the moment each of us had waited for since November 2004.

————————————————————————

Microsoft Pre-Launch in Alpharetta, Georgia by Mintz

While perusing the internet for useful XNA information a couple weeks ago, I came across the Zman’s blog. One of his posts explained that he might be able to score some tickets to a Halo 3 pre-launch event, and one of the locations listed was in Alpharetta, GA. All I knew was 1) Halo 3 multiplayer would be played in tournament fasion, 2) food would be present, and 3) it was from 6pm to 10pm. That was all I needed to know.

I asked the Zman for some tickets, and luckily, he hooked me up with two! I used one ticket for myself and another for Dolbex (Gary). Dolbex lives about twenty minutes from Alpharetta, and he was gracious enough to supply a place to sleep.

I took two days off from work/school (the 24th and 25th) and hit the road around 11:30am CDT. The drive wasn’t so bad, and on the way I decided to grab some food at a place I seldom visit: McDonalds. It didn’t take long for me to remember why it had been so long ago I visited them last. Burger King definitely has better fries.

I met Dolbex at his house, and marveled at how little had changed since LANbex. We chatted with his wife for a few minutes before heading out to the pre-launch party. After driving for four hours, I looked forward to getting driven the rest of the way, until Dolbex shattered that fantasy with news that he doesn’t have an operable car at the moment. He works from home, so it’s not a priority for him. I slide into the driver’s seat, clear all the snacks and crap I had on the passenger seat for Gary, and we head out.

We swing by GameStop for Gary to pay off the rest of his copy of Halo, and I lay down another pre-order for the regular edition. We had plans to leave the Pre-Launch party, meet up with a bunch of people at GameStop, grab our copies at midnight, and go back to Gary’s house to play until the fight was finished. Yes, I’m so hardcore I currently have two copies of Halo 3 now (regular edition + Legendary Edition I reserved in Huntsville).

We arrive at the (very nice, sleek, and new-looking) Microsoft building where the party was being held. We open the gold-rimmed glass doors to reveal a lobby that’s two stories tall with nice floors and dramatic lighting everywhere. It was very impressive. Our confusion over where to go was absolved when we saw a Master Chief poster with a sign that said “Microsoft 3rd floor.” It was conveniently placed right next to some elevators. Our confusion was absolved.

The only legal picture I could take… at least I think it’s legal. The quality makes it look shady.

We arrive on the third floor and happen upon two tables of women who were taking our registration forms. I show her my ID and she says, “Wow, you drove here all the way from Alabama!” “Yes,” I said. “I’m just that hardcore.” She agreed, and gave me some more paperwork to fill out explaining that I don’t mind if my picture is taken, and that I won’t take any pictures. Talk about a double-standard. That explains the lack of thousands of words in this article.

We walk down the hallway some more and see a room with a slightly higher ceiling hosting projectors and HDTVs with Xbox360s and copies of Halo 3(!). Turns out it was an event mainly for developers and business people. I figured Gary was a web developer, and I recently got a job creating XNA-driven programs, so we should fit right in. We grabbed some complimentary drinks at the open bar (of sodas), grabbed a seat, and waited our turn to play some Halo. It was quickly apparent that the general crowd here doesn’t play video games. I grabbed a controller and sat in front of the HDTV Gary and I were waiting to play on. He decided that it would be a good idea if we didn’t square off against each other the first time we played (each TV had FFA split-screen between four people), so he decided to wait for the next round.

After I got my controls set up, the match started, and I immediately noticed a problem. “Um, Gary, the controls are lagging.” It was a classic case of you-push-the-button-to-move…then-your-character-moves. “This would never happen at MLG, would it Gary?” “Oh no, people would go apeshit.” The best part about the whole situation was that I still beat the other three people with 27 kills in ten minutes, the next player having only 9. Gary did a little recon to see if any other TVs had the problem, but when he reported back, he had disappointing news: “All I got were a bunch of people saying, ‘Uh, no man! At least, I don’t think so…'”.

I moved to a different TV after grabbing some refreshing cookies and pretzels, and pwned the people on that box, too. The TV didn’t have any lag issues, but the people I played against on High Ground were NOT developers; they were ~16/17, and they still got crushed under the mighty hand of Mintz. So what if I won by one point? Winning’s winning.

We played a few more games of Halo 3, then decided to head out after I played a couple songs on Guitar Hero II, which had its own projector in the corner. Pizza showed up, so we decided to stick around a little bit longer. I stood in line to get some pizza, got to the front of the line, and noticed that all the pepperoni pizza’s were gone. Slightly disappointed, I grabbed a slice of cheese and went back into the gaming area. One of the event coordinators caught up to me about five minutes later and said, “You missed a box of pepperoni, and since you drove all the way from Alabama, I thought I’d claim you a couple slices.” That guy was awesome. On our way out, we collected a schwag bag that contained a Halo 3 t-shirt OR a Halo 3 hat, plus a poster. I inquisitively asked, “If one were to drive all the way from Alabama, could he get both?” It was the same guy who got me the pepperoni pizza, and he again proved his awesomeness by hooking me up with both. Thanks again, man!

There were plans to play a Halo 3 match with the other pre-launch parties using the best player from each respective party. Even though I had won every game I played (and worked my way up some kind of ladder), Gary and I decided to head out to GameStop and wait with his buds. I’m not saying I would’ve won or anything, but I probably could’ve. Hanging out in front of GameStop also proved highly rewarding. There was a mini Halo 2 tournament set up by the GameStop employees to pass the time while everyone waited. Even though yourmom (Gary’s friend, Mario) had a top seed, he still lost, because he’s a noob who doesn’t know when to use the sniper on Ivory Tower. It also might have to do with the fact that I criticized every facet of his gameplay while he playing.

After we grabbed some Red Bull from the Red Bull girls (who Mario controversially says were not hot), people began to get a little antsy and started getting in line about fifteen minutes before the clock struck midnight. The final minutes were passed by GameStop employees passing out t-shirts to those who had free raffle tickets. Nobody won jack squat, except Maurice, who won a Kane & Lynch t-shirt that was two sizes too small, so that doesn’t count.

We grabbed our copies, got in our cars, and jetted back to Gary’s house. Five and one-half hours later, we were all watching the credits after beating the game on Legendary (co-op, of course). I slept on the very same couch Furhman slept on a bit over a year before, woke up, played some Halo 3 multiplayer, slept on the same couch again, and left in the early afternoon.

Thanks again, Gary, for your hospitality, and thanks to everyone else I hung out with that night for a fun time!

For most of you, the Call of Duty 4 multiplayer beta ended on September 25th. However, it actually ended this weekend. Here’s an email from Activision:

CoD4 was a blast. In fact, I like it’s multiplayer as much as the Halo 3 multiplayer. I will be spending a good bit of time in CoD4 this fall.

For most of you, the Call of Duty 4 multiplayer beta ended on September 25th. However, it actually ended this weekend. Here’s an email from Activision:

CoD4 was a blast. In fact, I like it’s multiplayer as much as the Halo 3 multiplayer. I will be spending a good bit of time in CoD4 this fall.

It’s time to let the cat out of the bag with the podcast changes. MMMRRROOOWW

New Show Rotation

1. Champagne and Caviar – until we can think of a better name. All about campaign (a.k.a. champagne, nod to the old school): campaign scoring, the story, the levels, the A.I., the madness. We talk about how to get the highest campaign score in all the land.
2. Callins and Tales from the Foxhole – First off we have the return of voice mails narrated by CapnKrunk. We play back the voice mails you leave at 206-888-HALO and joke around about them. Then we read back your tales from Halo pwnage. I bet now that we got forge and way more customization this is gonna get LOCO EN LA CABEZA!
3. Customs and Creations – now that the floodgates have opened with custom game options, it’s time to get creative. This is where we read off a bunch of cool customs from the community. We also talk about your favorite forge edits. Sometimes you need both for the full enchilada. What’s cool is that now we can give out your gamertags and others can download the customs and map edits instead of having to put in all the rules! HOLY JEEBERS! We look forward to seeing what you guys can come up with.
4. Map of the Month – This show is all about STRATEGERY. We talk about how to kick arse on one multiplayer map, all broken down by game type or just general tips. This is where we help you level up and stay there.

What?? A regular schedule? Surely you jest!!

For realz, we’re back to a regular calendar. Every week you can expect to see us asking for stuff for the next show on Mondays, firm. So now you know every week if you drop by Tuesday, you’ll see what’s up for the next show and be able to submit your comment! Also, every week, we’ll be releasing shows on Sunday nights, every week… only exception is an early release this week. How cool is that?! You can depend on content every week on the same day!

It’s all about getting back to the podtac roots, people.

This is what Podtacular should be and will be for a long time. Welcome back to the golden years. To buff out the gold we’ll also be adding shiny new intros, outros, bumpers, all that audio bling bling to make the show fresh again. Welcome back, Cotters!

This week marks the momentous first Halo 3 show we’ll be recording. We’ll also put in some interviews from the Seattle Halo 3 launch event. In the mean time, it’s time to get freaky, Halo 3 style:

Cortana! Speak english, woman!!

We want to hear your thoughts about the story on this level, the graphics, the sound, the AI, the size of encounters, all that good stuff. Did it live up to your expectations? What did you think of the opening scene? Don’t worry about spoilers since we’ll give a warning at the beginning of the show.

Brute Chieftain, prepare to be exaspergated… or something

We’re doing something new for Halo 3: a campaign scoring segment! Let us know where to find the skulls on Sierra 117, tips on getting the best possible score on this level, and how to get past difficult parts.

Deadline is Tuesday night at about 6pm EST. Just click submit news and tips to send in your comments. If it’s good and we have time, we’ll read it live on the podcast! Be sure to send us your gamertag too so we can give you credit. The clock is ticking, soldier…

Registration and details found here: http://hushedcasket.com/node/2235