Halo 2 (Xbox, 2004)

I have been playing video games since the days of Atari 2600. In fact, I played that console when it was referred to only as "Atari". I have been through hundreds, if not thousands of games in my life. To me, Halo 2 is one of the best, if not the best, games ever made. I have owned my XBOX and Halo 2 for almost a year and still play it just about every night.

If you were a fan of the original Halo, this one is a must have. The single player campaign is very similar to the original with a few additional weapons to play with. In particular, the sword is awesome! Also like the first Halo campaign, the story that is woven throughout the battle scenarios makes you feel like you're playing in an interactive movie as much as a video game.

I do think that the campaign (after 50 or so hours of gameplay) begins to get a little repetitive. That said, I still occasionally will go back and play it for a bit.

Probably the best feature of Halo 2 is Microsoft's Xbox Live! This allows you to connect, via a standard USB broadband connection, to the internet and game against others. This is where the fun really begins. With the headset (purchased separately), you can communicate verbally with other players on your team, as well as enemies if they are close to your position on the map.

Originally, Microsoft only released around 6-8 maps to play these games on, but they have since released another 2 batches. At this point, I think there are around 20-25 maps to play against other players. There are several different types of games ranging from 1v1 to 8v8, as well as team slayer (deathmatch) to capture the flag and zones.

A few notes about Xbox Live!

Fees - There is a monthly fee for the service (around $10/mth). I think I got 2 mths free with the purchase of the headset.

Parental Guidance - Halo 2 is probably rated M (mature) because of the violence, but I think the more important consideration for parents is some of the language and behavior from other players coming through the Xbox Live headset. It is actually a little disturbing to here some of these kids.

Wireless - I was able to purchase a wireless game modem on eBay for around $20. I don't have the make/model, but it should be pretty easy to find one if you are interested.