On Saturday I went off and bought Halo 1 and 2. They were used so the financial hit wasn't too bad, and I couldn't wait to start at the beginning and get the whole story. One problem, the controls were slightly different on the X-Box versus the X-Box 360. So things that had become second nature in Halo 3 now required me to think and relearn.
I was less then adroit at that attempt. For example we were entering this building. Very dark, very steep ramps leading to the control room. I went to turn on my flashlight. In Halo 1 you use the left bumper rather than these buttons on the top of the controls. I remembered that at the last moment, but fat fingered, and ended up hitting the left _trigger_. Which threw a grenade, but since I was in this really small space it sort of landed at my feet. So, I blew myself up. My shields came back, but my health was really whacked. I started carefully down the ramps. Ian, who had slipped/jumped to the bottom said to me, "Just jump. You'll take a little hit on your shields, but you'll be fine." I don't think he realized I had dropped a grenade at my own feet and _blown myself up_. So I jumped and I died. Then all the aliens in the world swarmed out, and I had to wait to respawn until he had shot them and made a safe and happy place for the Master Chief to return.
I laughed so hard over this, that I was literally crying. I dread to see the changes when we go to Halo 2. I'll have to learn something all over again. Oh, and I suck at driving. I can fly the planes and drive the tank, but this warthog thing is really hard to control.
Putting aside the game neep, the writer/producer has to say how much the graphics in these games is improving. The difference between Halo 1 and Halo 3 is profound.