Halo Cartoons

My initial reaction to hearing that Bungie and Microsoft were working on seven short Halo films was one of excitement. When I read that the movies were to be animated, I wondered what they meant. I wondered if all the realistic aliens, battles and vehicles in the video game clips done with digital animation are what they considered animated. When I opened the L.A. Times to continue reading the Halo Legends article. I was surprised to see a still of a bunch of cartoon characters. That couldn’t be right, I thought. So I logged into YouTube and quickly found this clip.



You have got to be friggin’ kidding me. Bungie goes from amazing trailers and in-game videos using cutting edge digital animation to make Halo seem life like, then they turn around and come up with the idea to make their first movies - cartoons. Talk about a letdown. I was hoping for the awesome digital animation graphics along the lines of Final Fantasy – the Spirits Within. Instead I see something along the lines of Dragon Ball and Avatar. I’m not knocking those two cartoon series, but it’s definitely a step down in graphics compared to the Halo game. Perhaps Microsoft and Bungie thought if Star Wars could go animated with the Clone Wars, they could do the same with Halo. They should recheck the demographic numbers on that movie. Most adults I know who liked or even loved Star Wars did not watch Clone Wars.

I feel most people equate cartoons with kids. Yes, Bungie is touting this as “anime”, to make it seem all grown up, but I doubt most audiences today, unless they are anime fans, would get a thrill out of seeing a cartoon. Kids would probably like it, but Halo games are rated M for mature so I’m sure most of Halo’s players are not preteens – of course I could be wrong about this.

But if I’m not wrong, Bungie is about to drop – or has already dropped a load of
money on a failed venture.

Then again, maybe they're making the movies animated to attract kids who are too young to play Halo and get them excited about it – cultivating them as you will.

In any event, I am supremely disappointed.

Enjoying God of War

I finally cheated--and the result was wonderful.


Two years ago, my family received a Play Station 2 for Christmas. I even bought a game for myself that tied in to my interests in classical warfare--God of War. It's the story of a Greek soldier and his attempt to defeat the God of War, Ares.


The first two days playing the game were awesome. The storyline was engaging, the mini-movie sequences were done really well, and the game-play wasn't too difficult. (I will say God of War definitely deserves its Mature rating--there's blood everywhere.)


If you noticed, I said the first two days were awesome. The third day, I made it to a three-headed hydra. I fought the thing for two days, dying again and again and again. I could not figure out how to beat it. All I received were sore thumbs and lots of stress. I set the game aside and it collected dust ever since--until three days ago.


My boys found the game, said how cool it looked, and asked if they could play. Since my boys are not mature I said no, but their bringing the game to my attention got me interested in giving it another go.


That night, after fighting and being killed over and over again by the hydra, I googled the simple question: How do I defeat the Hydra in God of War? I thought, I can't be the only one who is having these problems.


Google came back with dozens of hits. Until this game, I'd always thought the game guides and walk throughs were for lazy people. I didn't realize these things were a necessity with today's complex games.

Here are the two websites that have helped me the most:


http://mycheats.1up.com/view/faq/2018842/28144/god_of_war/ps2


http://www.gamerhelp.com/ps2/GodofWar/113360.shtml


God of War has been so enjoyable ever since; the new adventures, new movies, and even a sense of accomplishment. 95% of the scenarios I've gotten through by myself, but when I've gotten stuck for fifteen minutes or so, I hop online again to see what I'm doing wrong.


Just because someone tells you how to do something, doesn't mean it's easy to do - but at least its doable.


My thumbs are happy and I'm enjoying myself.


Isn't that the point of a game?