Just unhooked the 360 and tested with oXbox. My steps above worked for that as well.
Worth noting, worked fine with Halo 2 .xbe disc image running right off a modded oXbox HDD, versus a retail disc.
noiseredux wrote:Melek-Ric wrote:I've known about this for a while and it's cool that's there's still a dedicated community playing on OG hardware.
That said, I don't know if it's worth the trouble these days. During the years when there was no other viable way to play Halo 2 online, this was great. Today though, the simpler option is TMCC. It has also been updated as well. The player population is bigger and you have access to good old CE and H3 as well. If really like Halo online, it's worth checking out if you don't already own it.
this was my thought as well. I genuinely don't want to be a Debbie Downer. I think it's great that you guys are using the old hardware to do this. But if I personally wanted to play Halo 2 online, I'd just opt for the simplicity of buying the Xbox One version and spending zero time setting anything up.
Set up is fairly easy. Over 15 minutes of my 30 minutes was me default resetting my router because I forgot my admin (not wifi) password for the port forwards
. If it weren't for that, I would've had it done in less than 15 minutes. That includes reading the guides and joining the forums. After that initial set up, it takes a couple minutes to launch Xlink each time you boot the xbox. Also, keep in mind Xlink isn't just for Halo. I see a good bit of people still playing SOCOM II on PS2 & Star Wars Battlefront. Those 2 seem to be the most consistent other than Halo 2. but there are others active such as Project Gotham Racing and Steel Battalion.
@MCC/Master Chief Collection
That is not the original version on multiplayer. You cannot toggle between the graphics in multiplayer as you can on Halo CE & 2 in campaign only. Halo 2 was a cultural phenomenon. I still knew people playing in tournaments 5 years ago. I was buddies with 2 guys who were borderline professionals. They'd place in the big regional tournaments but never made big bucks. These tournaments were still occurring well after Halo 3, Reach, and 4 had been released. It has a continued cult following, even within the existing Halo circles that upgrade to the newest game out.
My personal history with the games... I entered high school in 2002 and finished college undergrad in 2009. That is right during the time Halo and online console gaming was exploding. It is not out of the ballpark to estimate I clocked 3,000 hours in multiplayer games between Halo CE, 2, and 3 during that time frame. I went from lugging around CRTs for CE LAN parties to getting off work at midnight in college and playing Halo 2 and 3 on a HDTV with my roommates until sunrise over XBL. Good memories. There are definitely some nostalgia glasses for me there, and likely many others my age on Xlink.
Some cons to MCC Halo 2:
Note: I personally do not own MCC yet so these are all points from talking with friends, reading forums, & watching reviews:
Most hardcore, long term fans weren't too keen on Master Chief Collection. Lots of hiccups.
The multiplayer match making was terrible, took forever.
Matches dropping. Players being randomly booted.
I've heard/read Halo 2 on MCC is pretty dead these days. Most activity is on 5.
Have to pick up Xbox One (yes, I need to any way!)
Have to purchase MCC (see optional Halo 2 DL option below)
Have to pay $60 annually to play
Some nice pros for Xlink on a 360 or oXbox:
Saw 150 people playing in one geographic region on Halo 2 Xlink. Jumped right into a game on Thursday at 5:15p.
Dust off existing console in your closet or media center. No cost.
Pick up an oXbox for under $50 if you don't own either
No console mods or Ethernet adapters needed (as on PS2 Phat), all native
Cross play between 360 and oXbox.
No monthly online service cost.
Optional: You can rip (or DL) Halo 2 directly to oXbox HDD. No need to even buy the game.
Just a cool novelty to have this game running 14 years after release, 8 years after servers shut down.
Obviously a dedicated development group and player fan base behind this. Fun to be a part of that
Sit back and enjoy a shot of nostaglia with your pint of beer or Halo themed Mountain Dew
Basically... do you want to pay upfront and monthly for the newer version... or do you want the classic we love for free. To each their own. I do want to play through MCC CE & 2 campaign soon.
Halo 2 also looks pretty nice upscaled to 1080p on a 360 over HDMI on your modern sets. It's not like we're looking at GoldenEye 64 over composite here. It feels relatively modern. The controls are as spot on as ever.
... now I want to try out PS2 SOCOM II on Xlink
