Thanks to the 8 million people who pointed out that Bungie has updated the XBL Matchmaking playlists; visit the news post for an overview of what has changed, as well as links to the full list of gametypes.

A few website reviews for you today:

• SignOnSanDiego.com – 4 stars, ‘less repetitive than Halo 1’, but ‘ending is surprisingly awful’. (Thanks, kinggun)
• Wired News – ‘excellent game’ with ‘considerable flaws’ (thanks again, kinggun)
• Gaming Nexus – 7.6/10, a scornful-enough review to be mentioned on Bungie.net (interestingly, the same site did a SECOND review, by a different reviewer, Halo 2 rated an 8.9/10.)

Wow. Buxton has recreated the first episode of Red vs Blue… with Legos. It’s nearly flawless – attention to detail is amazing. So here’s a game (Halo) that was so good it inspired a group of guys to make a movie based on (and using) it… which was so good it inspired someone to reproduce that movie in an entirely different medium. It’s an onion, I tell you. Thanks, Legolaso111.

A few days ago, Randy Glass put forth his thoughts about Halo 2 – and they inspired one community member to… well, go postal. The thread got locked soon after (before I had a chance to weigh in), and after calming down, the same fan started a new, calmer thread. It’s so far generated quite a bit of insightful commentary about Halo 2, and how it differs from Halo, and is worth a read if you’ve already finished the game. (There are a number of posts in the thread containing spoilers.) The incident also, however, inspired Stuntmutt to look at the entire issue through the lens of One One Se7en – can humor defang the rabid fans? Let’s see.

Last week, David Galindo made a name for himself with three separate videos – one which took you on a tour of some of the prettiest places in Halo 2, a second which looked at your compatriots, the Marines, and a third which showcased the Covenant. He’s back with a fourth film – this one looks at the Flood. As usual, fantastic camera angles, nice blending of video and music. It’s available in WMP9 format (19.3 mb) from both mythica.org and bungie.org, and QuickTime format (16.3 mb) from mythica.org and bungie.org. Nice work! Update: David’s own website is back online, and contains some pretty cool information, including a tutorial on how to make movies like this. Check it out!

Michelle Rodriguez, an actress who supplied some of the marine dialogue to Halo 2, talked pretty frankly to 1UP.com about videogames in general, and her contribution to some of them (including Halo 2). Nice read. Thanks, Voodoo Extreme.

Wonga. New Letters to the Webmaster over at Bungie.net; along with the usual ridicule and scorn is word of the possibility of customized shirts (emblazoned with your gamertag). Hmm… the ridicule and scorn is pretty fun, too.

Ducain has whipped up a gorgeous little section with information about the 15 bonus Skulls strewn throughout the single-player game. If you don’t know what this means, go read the page. If you DO know what this means, but have been looking for an easy-to-use guide (including levels, effects, and methods for finding – including video), this page is for you. (The info isn’t new; it’s been built up at HIH over the past few weeks. The PRESENTATION is new.)

While you’re at Bungie, picking up new desktop images, be sure to check out the latest job openings – they need an Art Production Manager, a Graphics Programmer, a test tool builder, and a Tools programmer, as well as some temporary positions. If you think you’ve got what it takes, send ’em a resume!

Two new wallpapers to be found over at Bungie.net – put together by Shishka, they do a great job of showcasing both the ODSTs and Tartarus. Available in 4 sizes each. Go get ’em!

A million people have been sending us mail about the last page of the upcoming XboxWorld magazine in Europe. It says ‘Halo 2. Didn’t think there was more? Think again!’ And then, below that, ‘Plus! If all goes to plan, a massive world exclusive first look… NEXT MONTH!’ Folks have been theorizing that this refers to everything from downloadable content to Halo 3, coming out next month. Looks like Spong got the lowdown… the Halo 2 ‘more’ is a Multiplayer guide booklet, and the ‘world exclusive’ is the new Medal of Honor title. Sorry for any burst bubbles.

Last week, a few people turned in speed runs of Outskirts – and I mentioned that I’d really love to see a speed run of Cairo Station, on Legendary. Today, Cody Miller obliged. I was amazed. It’s not perfect – he dies twice (in the same place both times), but man… it’s beautiful. 10:19, from start to finish. The film is QuickTime format, 64.8 mb, 480×360 (just like the GNF speedruns). Grab a copy, and check out the shortcuts you missed!

The ongoing saga of Calvin’s meeting with the Covenant continues in today’s Calvin and Halo. I’m thinkin’… Calvin might have just gotten himself into something big…

Frankie has finally gotten around to writing up last week’s Halo Humpday Challenge – I’m guessing it took so long because they got so badly beaten. (He even tried to blame the lack of players on ‘tryptophan poisoning’ – but his Scottish heritage betrayed him; he forgot that Thanksgiving is on THURSDAY, so those folks should have been turkey-free on Wednesday afternoon. NICE TRY, FRANKIE.) They played the Bungie.net mods – and then after they lost, they tried to claim that since 2 of the mods were Bungie employees, they actually DIDN’T lose. Interesting to see how THIS week’s challenge goes…

Quick note – Mhaddy wanted to remind you that the Junkyard’s Poetry Contest (mentioned recently) is now open for entries.

Large art update over at Halo Babies – plus a movie. (Apologies to zero, the movie’s creator – he submitted the link to us a few days ago, but I let it slip.) I’m not sure I get it, entirely… it’s a whole bunch of Halo 2 clips strung together, but I was having trouble finding a theme. However, that’s for you to decide, not me. Go look at the art, download the movie, enjoy the day!

Gamespot is running a ‘Commercial Challenge‘ – vote for the best commercials of 2004, win prizes. Halo 2’s TV spot is in the running. Thanks, Nathan.

Hehe – amidst all these doom-and-gloom articles about how Halo 2 will cause your child to become a Satanist, it’s nice to see that SOME places are still recommending it. People Magazine has a Top Ten Games to buy your kids for Christmas – and Halo 2 is #8. Thanks, Alexander.

Total Video Games, a UK gaming site, has an article up claiming that the first Downloadable Content Update for Halo 2 is coming soon. We haven’t seen this confirmed anywhere yet – so at this point, this is rumor – but it sure is INTERESTING rumor.

KP was just browsing through sketches made by Tim Buckley, of the webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del… and ran across this very nice pencil drawing of the Master Chief, done in honor of Halo 2’s release. Coolness!