I’ve got tons of experience with Halo gaming and collecting. I feel I have something to offer to the greater Halo fan community.
Posts along the way will be about tips and tricks in the games as well as collecting and many more Halo related things. I’ll also repost interesting articles from the official site, Halowaypoint.com, or from fellow Halo fan sites.
As I continue this blog, I hope to help gamers who want advice on the games, as well as any collectors with regards to where to find collectibles as well as deals, coupons and so on.
You can also follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/HaloFanForLife or Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/halofanforlife11.
Welcome to my blog and I hope you’ll come back again and again.
-Sal
This will continue to be a work in progress, however, I believe the forums are ready to open. I invite you all to take a gander and register. Yes, You’ll have to register for that as well, since it’s a completely different service, apologies for any inconvenience.
My hopes are that the forum will give you all an opportunity to not only communicate more with me, but to also communicate with fellow HFFL readers.
Just a couple of things to note:
• The forums are to be PG-13 and no worse. I reserve the right to edit or delete a post/thread.
• No flaming ANYONE. If you have an issue with another member, take it to PMs. You can let me know and I may try to resolve the issue, however as adults, I expect you to do this.
• If I make an error in a blog entry, do NOT publicly post it. Rather, e-mail me at sal@halofanforlife.com and let me know. I use the old saying of “praise in public, reprimand in private.” So in this case, letting me know of a mistake on a blog article must be done through e-mail.
• I reserve the right to ban anyone for any reason that goes against the above rules and/or anything else deemed inappropriate.
The forums are meant to be a fun place to talk about Halo. So please, let’s all keep it that way.
The link to the forum will be posted tomorrow. So stay tuned!
The following is a reblog of an article from the verge.com, written by Tom Warren.
Microsoft has been in a state of “shut up and ship” with Windows Phone for more than a year now. While the company has released a few minor updates to Windows Phone 8, its feature set hasn’t changed significantly from when Microsoft first introduced the mobile OS in October 2012. The software giant refuses to discuss or acknowledge an upcoming update, Windows Phone 8.1, but a recent software development kit leak has highlighted the huge number of feature changes that will arrive in the coming months and put Windows Phone more on par with iOS and Android. One of the main feature additions is Cortana, a personal digital assistant named after Microsoft’s Halo game series.
Cortana first emerged after a Microsoft employee lost a phone running Windows Phone 8.1last year. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s Windows Phone work have revealed to The Verge that Cortana will replace the built-in Bing search feature, which is currently launched through a dedicated hardware key, and acts as a digital assistant with a mix of Siri and Google Now functionality. We’re told that Cortana will take the form of a circular animated icon with the hue of your selected Windows Phone accent color, and will have a personality not dissimilar from Apple’s Siri. Cortana will animate when it’s speaking or thinking, and bounce around or frown with “emotion” depending on the queries involved. Cortana will be backed by data from services like Bing, Foursquare, and others to give it some of the contextual power of Google Now.
Central to Microsoft’s vision for Cortana is a Notebook feature that will allow Windows Phone users to control exactly what information is shared with the digital assistant. Notebook will allow the Cortana digital assistant to access information such as location data, behaviors, personal information, reminders, and contact information. We’re told it’s designed as a privacy feature to ensure Cortana doesn’t freely access information without a level of user control. While Cortana will learn things about users, it won’t store them in the Notebook without asking you, and any information that’s stored can be edited or deleted. Cortana will then use this information to provide answers to search queries by voice or text, and provide suggestions, alerts, and reminders. Cortana could greet you by name and ask if you need help or answer questions, much like Siri.
Through search queries and just general phone usage, Cortana will learn more about a user and offer to store personal data like home and work locations and general interests in its Notebook. Cortana will also react to messages or emails that contain phrases like “let’s meet tomorrow at 8PM” and ask if you’d like to set up reminders or calendar entries. Cortana can also provide guidance on weather, stocks, directions, appointments, and music that’s contextual based on location and other data. As Cortana is a digital assistant, it will also be able to manage a do-not-disturb feature, similar to iOS, that’s designed to mute notifications. An “inner circle” of contacts will allow Cortana to manage notifications and phone calls during “quiet hours” when notifications are muted.
Although the initial Cortana digital assistant that will ship in Windows Phone 8.1 will have a lot of capabilities, Microsoft will need to extend it to third-party apps and its Windows and Xbox devices to improve its functionality in the future. The real test of Cortana will be how well it works with voice commands and its ability to understand natural phrases and questions. Microsoft’s recent voice work with Xbox One is impressive, but it also requires that you follow a strict pattern of commands for it to work successfully. Microsoft will have to ensure Cortana is at least as good as Siri for the company to position this as a full personal digital assistant.
HFFL: Man, I SO wish I could afford this. I’d LOVE to have a phone with Cortana as it’s A.I.
Do you have a Windows phone? If not, might you get one, since it will have Cortana with it soon?
The ongoing Halo Escalation series has a very interesting story coming up in issue 5. Now by the preview, we see it moves into issue 6 as well.
Here is the cover without the Dark Horse logo and other text on it, followed by a brief summary of the issue. SPOILERS!
This cover was done by none other than Sparth of 343. It’s a beautiful shot of Pelicans flying over. We know this isn’t Requiem as that has been destroyed. So where might this new Forerunner location be and what is it called?
Issue #6’s title is: A Spy in the Ranks
It’s on sale May 28 for $3.99 and is 32 pages.
Halo Wars of old meets the Halo of the present when the UNSC infinity attempts to gain the Spirit of Fire, a ship thought lost more than 30 years previous, from Vata ‘Gaiat.
Petra’s search for the spy may mean her death and the Haloverse might be thrust into a new war!
Technical Specifications: Build Time: 1 hour 20 minutes. This includes sorting time as well. Set Piece Count: 335 Minifigs: Spartan Recon Dark Blue w/Red visor; Storm Elite Gold Weapons: Incineration Cannon, Storm Rifle Accessories: Covenant Shade Turret Price: $32 Special Features: Quad Walker: cockpit opens and closes, double pivot points with cannons as well as slight rotation, highly articulated legs. The Quad Walker has a Walking mode and a Drop Pod mode. See video below for example. Shade Turret: Features 360° rotation as well as a pivoting gun.
And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)
The box front shows the Quad Walker in an action sequence, while the back shows articulation as well as the two different modes of the walker. At bottom right of the back, it also shows the other two REAP-X sets from Mega Bloks.
The contents when you open the box. Note that one bag is labeled “1” and another “3”. There was none labeled “2”. Don’t let that throw you off though as all pieces were included with this set.
Here’s the REAP-X orthogonal view card that comes with the set. Each REAP-X set has one specific to the vehicle inside.
The above pic shows the pieces neatly sorted out. Note towards the top right, the large piece. That’s the same piece that makes up the lower body portion of the Mantis. It has a seat molded in it.
This shows the progression of the build for the body of the Quad Walker. I should make mention that the color of the majority of the Quad Walker’s pieces are of a light blueish grey that has a pearlescent sheen to it. It’s quite striking.
The cockpit cover is added as well as the legs assembled and attached. The legs feature a lot of articulation. There are two joints per leg that utilize the same joint system the Mantis uses. When you move them, they make a very satisfying clicking sound. As well the “toes” of the legs are slightly articulation to allow for better stability.
Here the cannons are added. Each one features two pivot joints and can also slightly turn left and right. See video below for a demonstration of this.
Above shows the finished Quad Walker in orthogonal views.
Next we move on to the Shade turret.
This is a very quick build. The base with the 360° swivel, then the base fortified. Follow that with the upper body, then the side “wings”.
Attach the upper portion with the bottom, add the gun and the turret is done!
Let’s take a look at the mini figures:
This is a Storm Elite from Halo 4, done with a gold finish. On mine, the head and shoulder armor color is more of a mustard color than the rest. Not a detractor, just slightly different in color/shade/
Following the theme of the Spartans in the other REAP-X sets, this Recon Spartan has the deep blue colored armor with a red visor. I love the design of the figure and hope to see more of it in future sets, especially as the covert ops color. I that color, we’d finally have Spartan Madsen from Fireteam Majestic, from Spartan Ops of Halo 4.
Above shows the lone left per piece. Off to the spare parts drawer it goes.
The set comes with a Storm rifle in purple and an Incineration Cannon in grey. This is only the second set to date to have the Incineration Cannon with it. So if you’re looking to collect at least one of every weapon, this set’s a good choice to add the “Incin” to your collection.
The Quad Walker has landed and is ready to either STOMP on the shade turret or blast it into bits!
But, the characters decide to become friends instead and the Quad Walker folds back up to it’s Drop Pod mode.
Here’s the video review:
Summary: This is a pretty quick build. I had no issues with the instructions, nor any difficulty with the parts fitting together properly. This version of the Shade turret is a welcome addition to my collection as are the mini figures. The Quad Walker is something different for Halo. I like that the UNSC has a walker of its own to do battle against the Covenant’s Locust. The fact that it can transform into Drop Pod mode adds some cool playability to the vehicle.
Overall Rating:I give this set 9 out for 10 medals. The only thing I didn’t like was the cockpit piece. It seemed just a little out of place with the rest of the walker. Everything else works for the set and I’m happy to have it.
I should mention that this set was sent to me by Mega Brands, so a very respectful Thank You to the fine folks at Mega!
You can see this set and more at Mega Bloks Halo product page HERE.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of the review. If you have this set yourself, please give me your thoughts on it too!
Dark Horse Comics has release 6 pages of the upcoming Halo Escalation #3 comic book, due to release on February 26. The following is the cover and those 6 pages. Enjoy!
I’m excited for this. UNSC, Arbiter and Brutes! As well, this gets us closer to #5, which promises to be a BIG event in the Halo franchise!
Before I get into the review I need to thank my friend, fellow gamer and subscriber to the blog “PensHalo.” Through his generous donation at Christmas I was able to get this set. Without it, I likely would still not have this set. So MANY MANY THANKS to you Pens! This review is dedicated to you man!
Mega Bloks UNSC Hornet versus Covenant Vampire: #97123
Technical Specifications: Build Time: I have to go by an approximation this time folks as I didn’t keep track of my build time. Considering the piece count plus sorting, I estimate the time to be about 2-2 1/2 hours total. Set Piece Count: 684 Minifigs: Spartans: Red Recruit, Green C.I.O., Green Warrior; Covenant: Copper Storm Grunt, Copper Storm Elite, Silver Elite Zealot (Halo 4 style) Weapons: DMR, SAW, Sticky Detonator, Needler, Beam Rifle, Energy Sword, Storm Rifle Accessories: N/A Price: $55-83 (Target and Wal*Mart are the low end while Toys R Us is at the high end, so shop around for the best price) Special Features: The Vampire’s cockpit can open and close. The side prongs can turn in all directions. The Hornet’s cockpit slides back and forth. It has electron lights and sounds that are motion activated. The ends of the wings can swivel 360, while the engine turbines within can pivot left and right.
And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)
The packaging shows off the vehicles nicely and the minifies can be seen through a transparent window. There is also a “Try Me” button just above the figures.
The back of the box shows the pivot points of both ships as well as the figures included. Along with that there are several text blocks that describe various aspects of the set.
Speaking of, here are two such text blocks:
Above shows the contents of the box. The set comes with two instruction manuals. One for the Hornet, the other for the Vampire.
This pic shows the blok piece that houses the electronics.
1. This is how it is in the plastic bubble. Do not try to force this out as you make damage the piece. Instead take some scissor and CAREFULLY cut away the bubble plastic.
2. This shows the connection between the temporary “Try Me” button and the electronic piece.
3. Here you see that the “Try Me” wires are easily removable.
4. This shows the activation button for the electronics.
Here are all of the pieces sorted out. I had just enough room for all of them on my build table. If you plan on building this all in one night, you may need a large table. Kids get permission from your parents to use the dining table. Guys, get permission from your wives or girlfriends to do the same…LOL. Ladies, you do not need permission.
Now we start off with the build of the Hornet.These first few steps show the progression of the skids.
Here the main part of the body takes shape.
More of the body along with the tail of the Hornet.
Here is the build for the revamped turbines. It’s a fantastic upgrade from it’s predecessor. Not only do the wings turn 360°, but the turbines within pivot left and right as well. Really great redesign!
This pic shows the articulation of the wings. Pretty cool, huh?
In this pic we assemble the skids to the body. At the top right, you see how you will need to slide the skid part over the small pin. This helps to lock it in place. On the bottom right, I suggest you assemble that particular piece as shown. Snap in 1, then pivot the piece in place to point 2. This can be a little tricky, so kids, get your parents to help.
Here is the Hornet in orthogonal views. I am really REALLY happy the Mega decided to come out with a new Hornet!
Now let’s move on to the Vampire build.
The series of pics above show the progression of the lower portion of the body of the Vampire.
In this series we see more of the top being built, while on the bottom, landing skids are put into place. Those skids make it seem like the Vampire is hovering low from where ever you have it displayed.
This shot shows the finished Vampire (sans stickers) with it’s cockpit closed then opened.
Orthogonal views of the Vampire. As you can see it has a thin profile top to bottom.
Next let’s look at the mini figures included.This is the plastic tray that the figures come in. I’ve cut away some of the tray to make it easier to get it all in one picture.
Here are the Covenant minifies. From left to right in each pic are: Storm Elite, Elite Zealot (Halo 4 style), Storm Grunt. The pieces I have them standing on are part of the left over pieces that I’ll get to momentarily.
Here we have the Spartans included. They are from left to right: Warrior, Recruit, C.I.O. I happen to be a fan of the recruit style armor as it’s a great transition between the ODST armor and spartan armor.
As mentioned, here are the leftover pieces. That’s a good bit of pieces. One thing I am VERY happy with is that Mega has given us tan camp pieces that are used to prop up the ships during the build. Afterwards, they make for great pieces to add to dioramas to blend in with the ground baseplates. THANKS Mega!
As always, I try to make something out of the leftovers. Above left is a mini-vampire, above right is a mobile plasma refueling station and at bottom a rock wall with green foliage. Okay, use your imagination on that last one, LOL.
This shows the mobile plasma refueling at use.
For comparison here is a shot of the previous build (photo from SpartanBloks), as well as two graphics from the in-game Halo Wars ship.
Here is a pic of the previous Mega Bloks Vampire. That set number is 96853:
As you can see the older version’s wings aren’t as curved and the prongs on top of the cockpit are translucent blue, not pink.
As you can see the top one has blue prongs while the bottom has pink. So neither is incorrect.
Here’s the video review:
Summary: You can build this set in one sitting. Though if you’re a little pressed for time, might I suggest building one of the ships one day, then the other another day. It makes it feel like you have two sets that way and can be even more satisfying. The Vampire’s redesign makes it look a lot more slick than the previous build. While the same can be said about the Hornet, it’s redesign is even better! The electronics are pretty neat. For me, it’s the new turbine design that really notches this vehicle up there.
As I mentioned above, check around for the best price as Target and Wal*Mart are much lower than Toys R Us for this set.
Overall Rating:I give this set 10 out for 10 medals.
With 6 figures in this set and two ships, you’re really getting a great set that’s ready for battle in the air as well as on the ground. I thoroughly enjoyed building this and it will be displayed proudly with my other Mega Bloks sets.
You can see this set and more at Mega Bloks Halo product page HERE.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of the review. If you have this set yourself, please give me your thoughts on it too!
Some of this you may have seen in my coverage of New York Toy Fair. The rest are some things I’ve just learned about last night. So let’s take a look at the Halo SWAG coming soon!
Halo 4 UNSC Fleet Officer Bag This very cool looking messenger bag is 13 inches tall by 12 inches long and has adjustable shoulder straps.
It resembles the UNSC Fleet Officer uniform at the torso. The interior can fit tablets from sizes up to 11 3/5 inches tall by 7 1/4 wide by 1/2 inch thick.
The bag also has a detachable swivel clip key chain.
This will be available for purchase April 2014 at various online retailers for approximately $60. It’s already up on some sites for pre-order, so check around if you plan on buying it!
While awesome looking, it’s out of my price range. So, I’ll have to wait for it to go on sale.
UNSC Warthog Messenger Bag This messenger bag fits in with any UNSC display. It is 16 inches long by 13 1/4 inches tall and can fit Laptops up to 15 inches. It has a mesh pocket and has adjustable shoulder straps. The messenger bag also features a hard shell with a nylon interior. It also comes with a detachable swivel clip key chain.
This will also be available for purchase April 2014 at various online retailers for approximately $70. It’s available for pre-order on some websties, so check around if you plan on buying it!
Halo 4 Ammo Crate Tin Lunch Box Want to deter people from getting to your lunch? Heh, well this Ammo Crate Lunch box may do it. Just be aware, you’ll probably get some strange or even frightened looks by your co-workers…
This top loading tin is safe for food storage (providing you put it in the fridge), and boasts a hinge/clasp opening. It is 8 5/8 inches long by 6 3/4 inches tall by 3 1/5 inches wide. The tin also comes with reusable sandwich bags.
This will be available for purchase April 2014 also at various online retailers for approximately $30. It’s already up on some sites for pre-order, so check around if you plan on buying it!
I want this!
Collectible Key Chains These key chains are sure to be a nice addition to your collection.
I plan on getting the Master Chief and Guilty Spark ones. Those both retail for $13 while the silver Mark VI retails slightly higher at $15 due to it’s zinc alloy with pewter finish. Each one is approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
These too are available in April and can be pre-ordered from various websites.
UNSC Warthog Key Chain This cool looking key chain has a canvas strap with a carabiner clip on one end and the key chain clip on the other. The UNSC logo is made of molded rubber.
It retails for $15 and will be available in April. Check websites for pre-order info.
I’d like to get this, but it’s a little expensive in my opinion. So I’ll wait for a sale on it.
UNSC and Forerunner Lanyards These both retail for $6 which puts them well into just about anyone’s budget.
The UNSC lanyard has a transparent UNSC Infinity access card that has foil stamping on it. The lanyard is 15 inches long and the card is 4 inches tall by 2 1/10 inches wide.
The Forerunner Lanyard is also 15 inches long and comes with a rubber molded Forerunner/Reclaimer piece that is 2 1/2 inches tall by 2 inches wide. It also comes with an ID sleeve for you Convention passes!
I definitely want both of there.
Halo Key Covers Each Key Cover retails for $6 separately. As you can see above, it has graphics on one side with either graphics or words on the other side.
Sizes vary depending on which key cover you get. They will be available in April as well.
Here’s a look at the Master Chief key cover with a key inside for reference.
I’m not typically one for key covers, but I wouldn’t mind having a set of these. Though at $6, I’ll wait for a sale on them.
So that’s some pretty cool swag coming in April. Ranging from affordable to expensive, there is something there for every Halo fan (for life).
So what do you folks like in this bunch of swag and what might you be buying?
I’m done with the basics of the foam finally. After working with one forum website, I found it to be a bit clunky to deal with, so I searched around for another and believe I found one that will work for HFFL.
The forum will be open starting Tuesday, 25, February. If you’re already a subscriber, yes, you’ll have to register for that forum. Sorry, I can’t transfer subscribers over there. It should only take a minute or two though to sign up.
Now a few things to say about the forums.
• Stay positive. This is a forums to have fun with and talk about all things Halo!
• I will NOT stand for any flaming. If you feel you need to argue with someone, take it to PMs or out of the forums entirely. This will be strictly enforced. Once you get a warning. Second time you will be permanently banned. If you have an issue with someone, send me a PM. I will try to deal with it. However, it will ultimately be up to you and the other person to make amends.
• You may NOT post “placeholder” threads for upcoming Halo stuff. If you do not have any VERIFIABLE information (with links to back it up), then your thread WILL be deleted.
• The forum will be rated PG-13. If you post anything worse than that you are subject to banning without warning. Let’s keep it as family friendly as possible folks. Please respect me, your fellow forumites and yourself by behaving nicely.
Okay, now that that’s said, what topics/sections would you like to see in the forums? I’ve already got a bit set up, but in case there is something I might have forgot, it’s always good to get ideas from you folks.
Bravo writes this week’s bulletin. A little talk about cupcakes then on to the Halo stuff.
Community Playdate This coming Monday, the 343 team will be hopping into Matchmaking. Normally, we enter as a team, and this results in a mix of wins, losses, and good times. This month’s community playdate, however, will be slightly different. We’ll be heading into the Big Rumble playlist, which means we’ll be split up and playing against each other as well as many of you on Monday night from 6-8pm PST. This will likely result in interoffice arguments, bragging, and emailing one another screenshots of Post Game Carnage Reports on Tuesday, which means it’ll really just be like any other Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, bs angel is already telling me how badly she’ll be beating everyone come Monday.
We hope you’ll join us in Matchmaking on Monday evening! Look for the following gamertags:
HaloWaypoint
bs angel
B is for Bravo
TTL L askan
Matchmaking Playlist Update
On Monday, Big Rumble premiered in Matchmaking, with the Community Choice Poll-winning Quick Draw available in the voting options. The playlist features 12-player Free-for-All for the first time in Halo 4 Matchmaking, and will be around until March 3rd. Next week, we’ll have some details about Medal Madness (coming 3/3) but today, we’ve got another opportunity for you to vote on which game type you’d like to see added to Halo 4 Matchmaking in our next update.
Community Choice: Rumble Pit Game Types
For this week’s Community Choice Poll, we’re asking which throwback Rumble Pit game type you’d like to see added to Halo 4’s playlist. We’ve got three options that may take you down Matchmaking memory lane, so let the nostalgia kick in and vote for your favorite in the forums.
Rumble Snipers
Players are equipped with UNSC Sniper Rifles, Magnums, and dreams of headshots and Snapshots.
Rumble Swords
Be quick, nimble, and for goodness sake, watch your back.
Rumble Rockets
Explosions. Explosions everywhere.
Head here to vote on the Waypoint forums where voting will be open for approximately four days. Next week we’ll announce the Community Choice winner along with the Matchmaking Update!
HFFL: I’m torn here. I’m not one for sniping. Rockets are too powerful, yet might be fun. There’s already an all sword game in Action Sack called “Clang of the Hill.” So I think I’m going to pick Rockets just for the ‘SPLOSIONS!
Spartan Assault Xbox One Content Update
The next time you log into Halo: Spartan Assault on Xbox One, you will be prompted to download a content update. This update improves general stability and also fixes several reported bugs. We’d like to thank you for your feedback, which led to many of the fixes in this update. The full breakdown of what is included is below:
Fixed assorted game crashes.
Fixed an issue where the player would automatically fire when exiting a turret.
Fixed an issue where the player would occasionally be unable to exit a turret.
Fixed an issue where the player would stay in a slow walking, aiming, or shooting stance.
Fixed an issue where players who have completed or made progress with challenges on another device did not show progress, despite challenges being complete.
Fixed an issue where Kinect voice chat would play through speaker, even when a headset was plugged in.
Fixed an issue where upon hijacking a Wraith, players sometimes became stuck.
Fixed assorted grenade indicator issues.
Fixed assorted audio issues.
Fixed an issue where Campaign medals would pop up while playing Co-op.
Screenshot Spotlight: Magnum HFFL: There are some nice screenshots in this week’s spotlight. I liked the following two:
Next week’s Spotlight subject is “Purple“. Tag your screenshot with “Purple” and “Halo Waypoint” and you much just see your screenshot in next week’s bulletin.
