Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks UNSC Infinity Armor Bay

MB grey logo
Mega Bloks UNSC Infinity Armor Bay: set #97262

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 20-30 minutes including sorting time.
Set Piece Count: 189
Minifigs: Spartan Scout Red with custom grey “skin” markings, UNSC Technician White/Blue
Weapons: SMG, SAW, AR, Shotgun, DMR
Accessories: N/A
Price: $22
Special Features: Rotating Gantry, two multi-poseable armor assembly arms.

And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)

MB Armor Bay BOX
The box shows the Armor Bay quite well. Nothing is wholly obstructed from view.

MB Armor Bay contentsHere are the contents of the box. Lots of small pieces, so be careful when you’re opening the bags, so as to not lose parts

MB Armor Bay sorted
The pieces sorted out.

MB Armor Bay bay stepsThe base of the armor bay takes shape.

MB Armor Bay guard rail switchNow at first glance you might think this is the same pic but at a slightly different angle. Turn your attention to the large yellow guard rails to the left of each pic. The left side shows how the directions say to place them, while the right pic shows how it’s placed on the packaging art. Personally, I prefer the placement in the right pic. Makes more sense to me.

MB Armor Bay ramp-gantryA ramp is added, then the “gantry” starts to take shape.

MB Armor Bay FINHere’s the set complete with figures in place as well as the weapons locker attached. I’m not sure what those blue double pegs are on the locker. Doesn’t matter though. They don’t take away from the set.

MB Armor Bay Gantry OrthoOrthogonal vies of the set. I made a mistake when building this. Note the bottom right corner, that piece is floating off the building table. I realized my mistake at the end when I had a piece that perfectly fit into place.

MB Armor Bay Gantry mistake fixedHere, circled, is that piece put into place. Now that part of the stand is flush with the table. Heh, yes, I can make mistakes when building and am not afraid to admit it…

MB Armor Bay leftoversHere were the pieces left over, again, the 2×3 plate was the part that I skipped by accident. So it’s really not leftover. 

MB Armor Bay weaponsA really good sampling of the weapons that come in this set. I much prefer solid black to any other solid color UNSC weapons (except the Spartan Laser). Pictured above from top to bottom left column, then right: DMR, SAW, Shotgun ; AR, SMG

MB Armor Bay tech orthoHere’s the technician figure. I’m glad we’re getting more tech figs. Though it’s not accurate to the game, it’s still nice to have another one.

MB Armor Bay spartan orthoHere’s the Spartan with the special grey markings. The markings do not exactly follow any of the specific skins in Halo 4. However, I totally dig that MEGA added the secondary SKIN color to the fig. It stands out. That said, this would have been a great opportunity for MEGA to have included the base spartan model as seen in the campaign. That one is Recruit armor with dark grey as the primary and orange as the secondary. Since many of those are seen in the campaign, it would have made that an army building figure. Doing that would have also made this set a multi-purchase for more people who like to army build.

On that note, While the design of the armor bay is nice, it’s not conducive to having many of them as it takes up a bit of room. So….I made a custom version of the armor bay with just the pieces from this set that much more closely resembles the in-game version.

Here are some comparisons shots from Halo 4 as well as my custom build:

Halo 4 ending Armor GantryThe first thing that stands out is that the gantry arms are not attached to the ring, but rather to the top of the structure. As well, the whole thing is flush with the floor, not stepped as Mega’s design is.

MB Armor Bay custom 3-4
So here is my alternative. Again, this is made from just the parts from this set, so you can easily make this version.

Halo 4 ending MC Armor GantryMaster Chief looks on at other Spartans getting the armor treatment before having his own removed.

MB Armor Bay custom orthoHere are some alternate views. The left top side shows the tech station to one side, while the left bottom shows that it’s modular and can be repositioned. You can put it on either side of the bay. The right side top shows the distance between the gantry and the back wall, while the right bottom shows that the gantry indeed does clear the wall and can spin 360° without hitting it.

Spartan Ops Armor Gantry wm
In Spartan Ops,the Armor Bay is more clearly defined and better lit. Here you can definitely see the placement and positions of the assembly arms.

MB Armor Bay custom underside
So, I used the armor locker piece along with the three 2×3 plates to attach to the top of the roof. That locker piece has some nice holes on the side that you can add the armor assembly arms.

What I like about my redesign is that it’s smaller, modular and you can place many of them next to each other with the tech stations in between, thus making a long armor bay, with more spartans getting their armor put on or taken off. Yet, it won’t take up a ton of room. 

Here’s the video review:

Summary: This is a quick build. It’s a bit grandiose in the design. That’s not a detractor mind you. Just that it takes up more space than it needs to. The articulation on the gantry as well as it’s ability to spin 360° are some very cool features!

Overall Rating: I give this set 9 out for 10 medals. While I like the special skinned Spartan, I’d have preferred the generic Halo 4 campaign version as it would have meant multiple purchases for me. I will still likely get a few more of this set if I can afford it. I’ll just have to trade that Spartan out. The large area it takes up is what drops this down a point. Normally I love large sets. This is one time where smaller is better.

This all said, I still HIGHLY recommend it!

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!

-Sal

Mattel buys Mega Brands (makers of Halo Mega Bloks et al)

Wow, this is a MAJOR business deal for Mega. Mattel now owning it means even MORE exposure for the brand. It makes sense now as Mega had picked up the licenses for Barbie and Hot Wheels, both Mattel toy lines.

Hopefully this won’t mean a change or an end to the Halo line. I have a feeling it won’t as the Halo Mega Bloks line continues to be a huge seller for Mega.

The following is a reblog from the New York Times:

Mattel Agrees to Buy Maker of Mega Bloks, a Lego Rival

By WILLIAM ALDEN
With “The Lego Movie” a box office smash, the toy maker Mattel is getting in on the craze for plastic bricks.

Mattel said on Friday that it had agreed to buy Mega Brands, a smaller company based in Montreal that sells plastic construction bricks and arts and crafts sets. The deal has an enterprise value, a measure that includes debt, of $460 million.

The price, 17.75 Canadian dollars ($15.96) a share, represents a 32 percent premium to the 30-day volume-weighted average price of Mega Brands shares as of Wednesday, the companies said. Mattel, which is based in El Segundo, Calif., plans to finance the deal through a mix of new debt and cash on hand.

For Mattel, the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels., the deal allows it to expand into two toy categories that are growing quickly. The company has already dipped a toe into plastic bricks, teaming upwith Mega Brands in 2012 to make a Barbie construction set.

Mega Brands has had success with its popular Mega Bloks toys, but it lacks the dominance of its Danish rival Lego. The deal could help it grow internationally.

With “The Lego Movie” topping the North American box office for three weekends in a row, the companies may sense an opportunity to promote Mega Bloks overseas.

“The construction play pattern is popular, universal and has had one of the fastest growth rates over the past three years,” Bryan G. Stockton, Mattel’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. “We look forward to helping Mega Brands accelerate its global growth.”

Shareholders representing about 39 percent of the stock of Mega Brands have agreed to support the deal, the companies said. The board of Mega Brands has also approved it.

Mega Brands had estimated net sales of $405 million for its 2013 fiscal year. The company has about 1,700 employees in 17 countries.

“Mattel is the ideal partner to take our brands to the next level,” Marc Bertrand, the president and chief executive of Mega Brands, said in a statement.

Mattel was advised by RBC Capital Markets and the law firms Latham & Watkins and McCarthy Tétrault in Canada. Mega Brands was advised by Rothschild and the law firm of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt.

SOURCE LINK

HFFL: VERY interesting indeed!

New Halo Avatar Armor! Halo 4 Marines!!!

Halo 4 Marine Avatar outfitsJust made available today are the Halo 4 Marine Infantry Armor (left) and the Halo 4 Marine Space Armor (right).

Halo 4 Marine Infantry ArmorTo get the Infantry armor you can either buy from the Marketplace through your XBOX or go to XBOX.com’s marketplace HERE.

Halo 4 Marine Space Armor
To get the Space armor you can either buy from the Marketplace through your XBOX or go to XBOX.com’s marketplace HERE.

Hmm, I’m not sure which one I’ll get. Will you buy either/both of these? Reply below. (it’s free to register! Also, you can join the HFFL forums and discuss this topic: http://halofanforlife.freeforums.org Again, free to join!!

-Sal

 

The Halo Bulletin 2-27-14

2-26_halobulletinheaderBravo writes this week’s bulletin.

Last week, I predicted that this month’s community playdate would result in numerous interoffice debates, references to match highlights, and food fights. While I have been unsuccessful at actually getting the third activity in that list to happen (one day, I tell you), the first few days of this week have absolutely been full of sly references to Monday’s mischief. Several of us hopped into the Big Rumble playlist on February 24, and before each game, bs angel not only encouraged everyone in the lobby to target me during the match, but also made sure that everyone voted for anything but my favorite voting option. Essentially, she was doing her best to make sure I was having an awful time. Despite her best efforts, though, we (myself included) had an awesome time playing with many of you, and also enjoying the chaos that is Big Rumble Oddball on Exile. We ran into a bunch of community members, including several of you who kicked our butts. As usual, if this applies to you, you are now banned from Halo 4. (Just kidding! Or am I?)

If you missed us this week, don’t worry – we’ve got another community playdate right around the corner. On March 10th, we’ll be playing some Medal Madness. Speaking of – let’s get into this week’s Matchmaking update.

Matchmaking Playlist Update
purp-bulletin_banner- 1920x749

This Monday, we’ll be bringing some new freshness into Halo 4 Matchmaking, including a brand new featured playlist and Community Choice Poll winner. Last week, we asked which throwback Rumble Pit game type you wanted to see in Matchmaking, and your votes have been tallied.

2-26_voting660

Securing nearly half of the community votes, Rumble Swords was selected by you for inclusion into the Rumble Pit playlist, and the game type will be available in Matchmaking this coming Monday! If you’ve got the urge to do a bit of slicing and dicing or want to rack up some kills for your Energy Sword weapon commendation, hop into the playlist and do some damage.

HFFL: Dang, I was hoping for Rockets…Ah well.

The March 3rd Matchmaking update will also include our newest game type, Medal Madness. This 4 vs. 4 game type brings an entirely new experience to Halo 4 War Games, and we have been playing (I mean, cough, play testing) every chance we get. Rather than ramble on about how cool I think it is, I sat down with TTL L askan, one of our multiplayer designers, to talk about the game type and also what’s in the works in the Matchmaking department.

Hey, Laskan!

WHATSUP, BRAVADO! It’s not often that we get to talk here in the office so I gotta say it’s nice to hear from you. I love hearing your buttery-soft dulcet tones live and in person. For anyone who doesn’t know, who maybe hasn’t heard Bravo call a game of Halo (Halo 4 Global Championship FTW), his voice is pretty darn easy on the ears. I often wonder if the world even knows what it’s missing since he decided against pursuing a career as a vocalist. Also, dude, I thought Ave Maria was a bold choice for karaoke.

Thanks for the kind words! I’ve always had a soft spot for 19th century French classics. Let’s start with the game type on everyone’s mind. Tell us about Medal Madness!

I’m glad you’re asking about the game type. We’ve never done anything like this in Halo, and I’m excited to see what the community thinks. Medal Madness is a 4 vs. 4 team game type where each side works to collect the most of a requisite medal in a one-minute time period, which we refer to as mini-rounds. The team that collects the most of said medal will win the mini-round and earn a point. The first team to earn seven points (by winning mini-rounds) wins the match. To facilitate the earning of medals, we dynamically shift player traits as the new mini-rounds begin, and there are no breaks in the action (as opposed to actual round-based game types). As a quick example, when the Double Kill medal is the goal, the rules of the game mirror SWAT – you’ll immediately have no shields, no radar, and a Battle Rifle will pop into each player’s hand. Headshots galore!

2-25_medalmadness_1920x749HFFL: Okay, this sounds pretty cool. I’m definitely going to give this new game type a gp!

What are some of your favorite mini-rounds in Medal Madness?

There are a bunch of cool, and maybe I should say, unexpected mini-rounds in Medal Madness. A few of my favorites are Snapshot, Assassination, and Hail Mary. One thing I particularly enjoy is watching the mini-rounds shift and how the proximity of players changes so dramatically. Watching players go from Binary Rifle kills to Melee Medals is a riot. Since you never know what’s next, no two games are ever the same.

Here are the different medals that are available in Medal Madness in each of our randomly generated mini-rounds:

  • Double Kill
  • Snapshot
  • Assassination
  • Hail Mary
  • Spartan Laser
  • Melee
  • Supercombine
  • Rail Gun
  • Binary Rifle Kill
  • Sword / Hammer Kill
  • Rocket / Fuel Rod Kills

Any plans for Medal Madness after the playlist is over?

If I have my way, and I sometimes do, it’s going into Action Sack. I think Medal Madness fits really well there, and Action Sack has seen a real resurgence since January’s inclusion of Husky Raid, Paintball, and Clang of the Hill, so I’m hoping that this game type will help to continue that. If it isn’t obvious, I’m excited about the prospects for this game type.

HFFL: Indeed it does sound great for Action Sack!

What other game types do we have in the pipe for the near future?

I’ve got a couple of things in the works in our Sustain Design Lab. The first thing we’re working on are some changes to the Team Throwdown playlist, and that update will be coming in the middle of March. While the playlist will still emphasize balance and precision shooting, we are looking at making some changes that we’ll discuss once that update draws nearer.

One other thing I’m working on (be on the lookout for shurikens as we discuss this, my friend) is a little something called Ninja Assassins. Details on this one are still shrouded, in black, but we might be able to release more information in updates to come. Or the game type might appear from the shadows, decimate an entire village, throw down a smoke bomb and vanish.

Were you impressed by my Oddball skills on Exile in this past Community Playdate? Were you?

Bravo, we know you’re good, no one can deny that. I’d be remiss in my duty though, if I didn’t warn ya young sir, that you’d better show the proper respect to a cagey vet. I’ve put down 350,000 (confirmed) who thought that they were up to the challenge. On the virtual battlefield my Battle Rifle doesn’t discern, it lays waste without prejudice to any and all who would seek to oppose me. Many great foes, not unlike yourself, have witnessed firsthand what waits for those who’d try. I beseech you Bravo, be oh so very careful what you wish for, as you just might get it.

I’m not sure what all of that means, but I’ll take that as a “yes, I was very impressed!” Thanks for taking some time and chatting with me, Laskan.

Anytime Partner!

Halo Escalation #3
As of today, the third issue of Halo: Escalation is now available! In this issue, Commander Palmer confronts the traitor who has betrayed her team as the Covenant closes in on their position. With time running out, Lasky is forced to make a costly sacrifice to save the peace delegation from the impending attack. If you haven’t read the first two issues, you can catch up on an introduction from issue #1 here, or if you’re a bit further ahead, you can peek into Halo: Escalation #2 here. If you’re ready to get started on issue #3, read on below, and if you aren’t caught up, beware – spoilers be ahead.

Splitting up, Captain Lasky and Spartan Ray set off to restore communications with UNSC Infinity while Commander Palmer and her Spartans escort the diplomats toward a Covenant redoubt where they can better defend themselves.

En route, Palmer discovers the enemies they’ve been fighting are actually mercenaries . . . though who they are working for remains a mystery . . .

To continue reading, head to your local retailer or download the third issue of Halo: Escalation from Dark Horse. We’ve also put together some wallpapers of the Halo: Escalation #3 cover art for you to adorn your devices with, because we kind of sort of like you, and your devices, too.

2-25_escalation-medley_wallpaper-final

Surface
Mobile
Desktop

Waypoint Mobile App Update
As the team moves forward (full speed ahead) with new projects (insert absolutely no new info here), we are sometimes required to take a step back and examine everything that we’re supporting in order to ensure that we’re delivering the best experiences possible. On August 1, 2014, we will be discontinuing support for the Halo Waypoint mobile apps (including the ATLAS feature) on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android. It is a difficult decision to end support for any element of the Halo franchise, but doing so allows us to apply the people and resources used on those legacy items to focus on future Halo projects, including of course, Halo for Xbox One. We are grateful to those of you who found the Halo Waypoint mobile app useful – you have helped make our products better.
So what does this mean? On August 1, 2014, the Halo Waypoint mobile apps will no longer be available for download from the respective mobile app marketplaces. The decommissioning of these apps will in no way impact the Halo 4 Stats app, and you’ll also still be able to access your Halo: Reach information, including Game History, Challenges, and Stats, on Halo Waypoint, which is optimized for mobile and tablet devices. If you have the Halo Waypoint app on your device, you can still use it to access your Halo stats, but the ATLAS feature will no longer be supported. Also, if you delete the Halo Waypoint app from your device, you will not be able to re-download it.

On the same date, we’ll also be discontinuing the rendering of custom Halo: Reach Spartan images on http://www.halowaypoint.com. If you played Halo: Reach before the service is decommissioned, your Spartan image will be the last one rendered on Waypoint. If you play Halo: Reach for the first time after the service has been decommissioned, you will see the default Halo: Reach Spartan image.

HFFL: Well darn. I was hoping for a nice update. Though I do agree, better to discontinue it and put more effort into the next game. As for the Reach Spartan, well, I haven’t changed my armor in AGES.

Here’s my Reach Spartan: IRON MAN!
HFFL Iron Man

If you need further assistance beyond that, please use one of the Xbox Support contact methods here.

Next up, bs angel is back with a brand new screenshot spotlight!

Screenshot Spotlight: Purple
Last week, we turned the spotlight on the Magnum. This week, we decided to go with a color intermediate between red and blue. Take a gander at the following purple screenshots, and maybe even find inspiration to make your own.

HFFL: The following is  a screenshot of the whole gallery (click to make bigger):Screenshot Spotlight Gallery Purple

HFFL: My favorite of this bunch is the first one, here in it’s full resolution (click to make bigger):halo4screenshot1l

For your chance at being in the next spotlight, take a screenshot featuring the FOTUS helmet and then tag it with “FOTUS” and “Halo Waypoint”, and maybe, just maybe, yours will be featured in the next Halo Bulletin!

And with that, this week’s Bulletin comes to a close.
Until next week,
Bravo

To read the whole bulletin (which I’ve actually copied all except some images, here) go to the HaloWaypoint website HERE.

-Sal

Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks Micro Fleet Hornet

MB grey logo
Mega Bloks Micro Fleet Hornet: Set #97224

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 5 minutes
Set Piece Count: 79
Minifigs: Spartan Mark VI Red (Halo 4 style)
Weapons: SAW
Accessories: Micro Covenant Sniper Tower
Price: $14-16
Special Features: N/A

And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)

MB Micro Fleet Hornet BOX
As with the other Micro Fleet sets, the package shows off the collectible helmet and graphics for what the set includes, nicely.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet BOX side
Here’s the side of the box, just to show how far out the helmet juts from the package.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet BOX insideWhen you open up the box, this is what you see. The parts included are to the right (as viewed from the back) as opposed to being inside of the helmet.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet helmet removalWhen you remove the cardboard backing you find this. The helmet is attached via two strings. One at the top and one at the bottom. The one at the top can be a little tricky, so kids, get your parents to cut/remove that one for you.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet helmet tabThis set of pics shows how the backplate is removable by pushing down on a tab.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet helmet insideAnd here is the helmet with the back baseplate removed. It can be a good place to store the set or other parts/pieces.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet contentsSo here are the contents. An instruction sheet and one bag of parts.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet sortedAnd the parts all sorted out.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet skid stepsThe landing skid in just a couple steps.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet body stepsThe body of the Hornet takes shape…

MB Micro Fleet Hornet final stepsPut the two sections together and BAM, Hornet!

MB Micro Fleet Hornet orthoOrthogonal views of the Hornet.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet COMPA comparison shot of the recently released Electronic Hornet with the Micro Fleet version. I think Mega did an EXCELLENT job of design here. Plenty enough detail in the micro version!

MB Micro Fleet Hornet sniper towerThe Covenant sniper tower per instructions, built on the baseplate.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet sniper tower FIN
Here it is finished. Note the 2X1 grey plate that the closets ramp is connected to. There’s another one on the other side. These will be used for my custom redesign of the sniper tower.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet SAWA SAW is included with the set.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet minifig orthoEach of the Micro sets thus far have included a Mark VI (Halo 4 style) in the same color of the collectible helmet.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet SETHere’s the finished set. The pic to the right has the bottom transparent piece rotated 90° to allow the Hornet to bear down on the sniper tower more.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet sniper tower off-base
So I mentioned making a redesign of the tower. This is what the tower looks like when taken off the baseplate. As you can see many of the parts are free floating from each other. This won’t work as well if you’re trying to make a diorama and have to watch out for loose piece.

MB Micro Fleet Hornet tower custom stepsHere is my solution. I took the two 2×2 grey plates that were in the middle, along with those two 2×1 plates I mentioned earlier to make the base of the redesigned tower. Added the side curved pieces…

MB Micro Fleet Hornet tower custom steps 2Then simply put the top portion of the tower on it. Now this does leave you with the three bottom ramps that are free floating. Still, that’s much better than the whole base of the tower being free floating pieces. The last pic above shows how I temporarily store those ramp pieces when the tower is not in use.

Here’s the video review:

Summary: This is a quick to build set and is remarkable in it’s detail for being so small.

Overall Rating: I give this set 10 out for 10 medals.

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!

-Sal

Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks Spartan IV Battle Pack

MB grey logo
Mega Bloks Spartan IV Battle Pack: #97208

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute
Set Piece Count: 33
Minifigs: Spartan Recon Red, Storm Jackal, Imperial Grunt (Green), Translucent Blue Spartan Recon
Weapons: SAW, Plasma Pistol, Needler, Shotgun (trans-blue)
Accessories: 3×3 Tile with “HALO” printed on it
Price: $12
Special Features: N/A

And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)

MB S IV Battle Pack PackageThis is a standard sized 4-figure multipack. It’s well designed and shows off the figures and weapons nicely.

MB S IV Battle Pack ContentsHere are the contents. As you can see it’s the figures, weapons and the parts for the display stand.

MB S IV Battle Pack display standThe display stand built per instructions. Personally, I use these pieces for custom builds. However, I like that Mega includes them!

MB S IV Battle Pack WeaponsThe weapons included. I like the wine colored Needler. The plasma Pistol is purple. And of course, you long time readers know I LOVE that translucent blue Shotgun!

MB S IV Battle Pack Minifigs ORTHOThe four figures in orthogonal views. The Jackal can stand taller. I had it hunched over a bit.

MB S IV Battle Pack ActionDo the Covies have the drop on the Red Spartan? I don’t think so! The Recruit Spartan sneaks up and starts to come out of active camouflage while pointing his shotgun at the unaware Grunt!

MB S IV Battle Pack Hello thereHello there!

Here’s the video review:

Summary: This multi pack is a nice mix. A Spartan, two covies and a translucent figure. Weapons selection is spot on. I would have bought extras of this set if it included a Marine instead of the Red Scout Spartan. That’s not a complaint mind you.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9 out for 10 medals. Nothing wrong with the set. I would have just preferred a different fig instead of the Scout.

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!

-Sal

Halo Escalation #3 review (SPOILERS!!!!!!)

Okay, once again SPOILERS! I can’t stress enough how this review will have a HUGE SPOILER in it!

Halo Escalation 3
Read on at the risk of spoiling the comic book for yourself! You’ve been warned!!!

As the enemy forces move in on the delegation’s location, Spartan Scruggs takes a hostage. He’s quickly dispatched by Palmer. This isn’t even the biggest spoiler…

First, I’m still against a Spartan rebelling. See, this is one of the VERY REASONS why Halsey’s Spartan II’s are and always will be better. They were trained from childhood. Their minds grew accustomed (some would say brainwashed) to protecting the UNSC no matter what. The Spartan IIs loyalty is without question.

Spartan VIs having been recruited as adults have all of those experiences and baggage they bring with them.

This next part however IS the BIG SPOILER!

Palmer needs to get the delegation away. This means having to split up forces. She will go with the delegation while the remaining Spartans are to stay behind and fend off the attacking forces as long as possible so as to allow the delegation to get away.

This includes Paul DeMarco. Yes, THAT Demarco, Fireteam Majestic’s leader from Halo 4’s Spartan Ops. He mans a Covenant surface to air turret and valiantly staves off some enemies. However, his station is overrun and destroyed by a Banshee.

Now some might have thought DeMarco was a jerk in Spartan Ops. However, he proved himself there. I’m really surprised he was killed off. Or was he? We do see several coffins at the funeral ceremony, however they are not named during it, so we readers can not be certain DeMarco is one of them. Regardless, it’s a BOLD move to an albeit minor but important character. I wonder how this will impact the rest of Majestic. Speaking of, I am a little surprised that we haven’t heard about them in the Escalation series. I do hope they are brought into the story.

This is a good read. It’s mostly fast paced and we get to see Spartans at their worst (Scruggs) and at their best (DeMarco) and points in between (Palmer).

I can’t wait for the next issue! Spirit of Fire!!!

-Sal

 

Three new Halo Mega Bloks toy reviews coming.

I’ll have three Mega Bloks toy reviews coming one each today, tomorrow and Friday. Thank goodness for tax refunds!

The sets to be reviewed are:
• Spartan IV Battle Pack – Includes Red Scout, Jackal, Green Imperial Grunt, Blue-Translucent Recruit.
• Micro Fleet Hornet
• UNSC Infinity Armor Bay

So please stay tuned to the blog for those reviews with pics as always and video!

Oh, on that note, please view those vids folks and let others know about them too. I’m trying to build up my Youtube page as well and your support by watching the vids would be greatly appreciated.

-Sal

The NEW HFFL forums are now OFFICIALLY OPEN!

After some delay and having to switch to a new forum setup/provider, HFFL is proud to announce the new forum!

Please go to: http://halofanforlife.freeforums.org and register.

I have to approve all registrations first (just like when you register for the blog as well). This is to weed out spam accounts.

Once you’re fully registered, please create an introductory thread. Also, please for ease, use the same name there as you have here on the blog.

Thanks and I look forward to your participation.

-Sal

Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25, HFFL will open it’s new forums!

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 [email protected] 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!

-Sal

More news of Cortana coming to Windows phone!

The following is a reblog of an article from the verge.com, written by Tom Warren.

verge Cortana pic

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?

-Sal

Halo Escalation #6 early preview (comic book) SPOILERS

DarkHorseComicsLogo 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!

HaloEscalation-6 cover
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!

-Sal

 

Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks REAP-X Quad Walker

MB grey logo

Reap X_Logo
Mega Bloks UNSC Quad Walker: #97263

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)

MB UNSC Quad Walker BOX
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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker contentsThe 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. 

MB UNSC Quad Walker card
Here’s the REAP-X orthogonal view card that comes with the set. Each REAP-X set has one specific to the vehicle inside.

MB UNSC Quad Walker sortedThe 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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker 1st steps BODYThis 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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker 2nd steps LEGSThe 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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker 3rd steps CanonHere 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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker Orthogonal
Above shows the finished Quad Walker in orthogonal views.

Next we move on to the Shade turret.
MB UNSC Quad Walker Shade turret steps
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”.

MB UNSC Quad Walker Shade turret 2nd stepsAttach the upper portion with the bottom, add the gun and the turret is done!

Let’s take a look at the mini figures:
MB UNSC Quad Walker Elite minifig
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/

MB UNSC Quad Walker Spartan minifigFollowing 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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker leftovers
Above shows the lone left per piece. Off to the spare parts drawer it goes.

MB UNSC Quad Walker weaponsThe 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.

MB UNSC Quad Walker ActionThe Quad Walker has landed and is ready to either STOMP on the shade turret or blast it into bits!

MB UNSC Quad Walker Hello thereBut, 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!

-Sal

Halo Escalation #3 pre-view. (comic book)

DarkHorseComicsLogo

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!

Halo Escalation 3haloes3p1haloes3p2haloes3p3haloes3p4haloes3p5haloes3p6

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!

-Sal

 

Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks UNSC Hornet Vs Covenant Vampire

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!

MB grey logo
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)

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Box FrontThe 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.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Box BackThe 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:
MB Hornet Vs Vampire Box Detail

MB Hornet Vs Vampire ContentsAbove shows the contents of the box. The set comes with two instruction manuals. One for the Hornet, the other for the Vampire.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire ElectronicsThis 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.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire SortedHere 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.MB Hornet Vs Vampire 1st steps SKIDThese first few steps show the progression of the skids.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire 2nd steps CockpitHere the main part of the body takes shape.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire 3rd steps WingsMore of the body along with the tail of the Hornet.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Turbine assemblyHere 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!

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Turbine rotationThis pic shows the articulation of the wings. Pretty cool, huh?

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Body-Skid assemblyIn 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.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Ortho-HHere 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.
MB Hornet Vs Vampire V-1st steps
The series of pics above show the progression of the lower portion of the body of the Vampire.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire V-2nd stepsIn 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. 

MB Hornet Vs Vampire V-3rd steps FINThis shot shows the finished Vampire (sans stickers) with it’s cockpit closed then opened.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Ortho-VOrthogonal 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.MB Hornet Vs Vampire Minifig trayThis 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.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Minifig CoviesHere 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.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Minifig SpartansHere 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. 

MB Hornet Vs Vampire LeftoversAs 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!

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Mini VampAs 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.

MB Hornet Vs Vampire Plasma refillThis 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:
96853 Covenant Invasion Vampire
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.

T-29 Close Support Fighter Vampire
Halo Wars Vampire
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!

-Sal